Holy Week, Semana Santa has truly begun. The town is beginning to fill up with, would you believe it, Mexicans! It's true. People have been telling us about this crazy week and you could begin to feel the change in the place yesterday.
I went out for my morning constitutional and purposely headed in the direction of the Cathedral. As I turned the corner, I was met by two rows of vendors, gearing up for the week
No since Polley and I spent a day in Lourdes, in France, have I seen the degree of religious commercialism. All sorts of religious trinkets were available. The difference here was that most of them seemed to be hand made or at least out of natural materials.
Palm fronds were woven in a variety of fashions and people carried them, religiously (pun intended), with them throughout the day. Last night we went down to the Malécon and watched the activity. Hundreds of Mexican families have piled into the city and were strolling up and down, sampling the wares and foods of the various vendors. One thing I have noticed about Mexican families is that they may stroll about for an hour or more deciding on a place to eat. However, once they choose a place, they fully commit. Course after course comes to the table, an endless flow of beverages is maintained and musicians are hired, from soloists to whole Mariachi bands! They make the most of it all.
On a side note, as I was walking, I crossed over Malécon bridge that sort of brings one from El Centro to Old Town. Where the waters of the Rio Cuale meet the ocean, someone had cleverly expressed their affection for someone named "Terry" in a clever and very diligent way.
They had arranged rocks under the clear waters, spelling out "For Terry," encased in a heart. I thought of Polley's middle son, Terry, and thought his significant other, Cyndi, might want to try this next time!
I mentioned our watching the crowds last night. It was Sunday and so it was out weekly dinner at Vitea. It was another lovely evening. The day had been very warm, but, with the sun setting, things became very comfortable.
In fact, it was so nice, that we ordered a second glass of wine and sat at Vitea for another 30 minutes just enjoying the evening. An uneventful but very nice day. Alas, only another week!
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