Benito Juarez's Birthday Memorial Day Parade

WHERE ARE WE? La Penita, Mexico

The big chore this morning was going to the coffee shop to get more coffee.  It is 5 or 6 blocks away and the coffee is brought to them direct from the hills.  They clean it, sort the beans, and roast and grind it all right here in La Penita.  They grind it up right there on the spot and their fine grind requires about half the amount of coffee needed in the pot because it is sooooo rich!!!   

The smell in the place is heavenly.  The cost of the coffee is probably similar to what we pay in the US or Canada.  This 1 kg bag cost 180 pesos or about $11.00 Cnd.  I really don't care what we pay for it, because the taste is incredible.

Kenia and Oscar came over this afternoon.  Kenia has temporarily closed El Cafecito and will be doing some renovations and it will be a whole new look in the fall.  She is taking a couple days to relax and regroup so she hung out with us.

A couple who are staying in the suite upstairs do an interesting thing here for some local Mexican families.  Blair and Joanne are sports fans, so each year they buy 3 or 4 really good quality soccer balls to give to someone that they meet along the way.  One of the people who have touched their hearts is our Oscar.  How can you not be drawn in by his eyes and awesome smile.  He is a real little gentleman.  We were so happy when they picked him as one of the recipients.  He loves to play soccer, and I have never asked him if he has a ball.  A good ball is probably one of the things that are not high on the affordable list for his family, so he was really happy to get one.  It is obvious that Blair and Joanne enjoy sharing with these kids and Oscar reciprocated with a great big hug for each of them.  

Today is Benito Juarez's Birthday Memorial national holiday and they have a parade in honour of it.  It is a school parade and all of the schools have the day off.  We headed downtown about 4:30 to catch the 4:00 parade, which actually started about 5:30!!  You gotta love Mexico.  Everyone loves parades around here and there was a big turnout.  The policia always lead the way blaring the sirens.   

I'm not going to narrate the parade other than to tell you that most of the floats were the King and Queen of many different school ages right from toddlers to prepatory school.  One of the first floats was a beautiful horse and carriage which seemed quite empty. 

Upon closer inspection the carriage actually held a tiny King and Queen from a preschool.  They were proud as punch in there.  

Lots of different costumes and floats.  Very colourful and they do celebrate the beginning of spring with this parade as well.

We decided to have supper out tonight so the girls grabbed a table at a little taco stand down by the plaza.  We had some taco's and cokes.  Coke is the favourite soft drink of Mexico and I think it is sweeter than our Coke at home.  I bet it is the favorite drink next to Cervaza!

The other thing they like in Mexico is fireworks.  We were sitting minding our own business when "BOOM BOOM"!  Not 50 feet from us they set off a cake of fireworks.  Now this was of the size that a Canadian would have to have a license and permit for and they just set it down in the street in amongst all the kids and lit it off!!!  You can see the smoke from it in the picture.  It scared the living bejeepers out of us poor old folk.

What can a person do to top off a day like today?  Oh yes I know, have a churro.  The churro lady is on the street from 6 to 8 every night and sells out every day.  They are sooo good!!!  And that ended another great day for us.  Hope you had a great one too!!

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