bajajudy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
Ever been to a charreada
It is like a rodeo but different events. One is catch the tail, where men on horsebacks try to grab the tail of a baby bull as he is let out of the
stall. If anyone is interested, I have some other shots taken in Guadalajara.
Pomapano...just trying to get it back in the arena
|
|
|
bajajudy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
Poor quality shots
But you can sort of get the picture
|
|
|
comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
|
|
Judy
Been to a couple here in La Paz, they also have clowns.
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
|
|
|
rpleger
Super Nomad
Posts: 1087
Registered: 3-12-2005
Location: H. Mulegé, BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Was good.
|
|
Mount-em
Richard on the Hill
*ABROAD*, adj. At war with savages and idiots. To be a Frenchman abroad is to
be miserable; to be an American abroad is to make others miserable.
-- Ambrose Bierce, _The Enlarged Devil\'s Dictionary_
|
|
|
bajajudy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
Very handsome mount
[Edited on 9-6-2005 by bajajudy]
|
|
|
Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
Member Is Offline
|
|
Anyone know of one of these events in January or February in sur ??
I'd love to see one. Some of the Mexican rider/horses are amazing !
|
|
|
bajajudy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
There is always one for San Jose days which I think is in April(whenever St Joseph's day is). There is a serious competion between La Paz and San
Jose teams. Check around, there might just be one when you are here....they are almost always on Sundays. The picture of the horseman was actually
taken in Guadalajara where they take charreadas very seriously...great show.
|
|
|
bajajudy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
I just ran across this photo of the horse roping competition
[Edited on 9-19-2005 by bajajudy]
[Edited on 9-19-2005 by bajajudy]
[Edited on 9-19-2005 by bajajudy]
|
|
|
bajaden
Nomad
Posts: 496
Registered: 4-7-2005
Location: Ensenada
Member Is Offline
Mood: vicarious
|
|
Looks like a lot of fun. If anyone knows the dates of one of these events, I would like to go. I like your taste in horse flesh Pompano.
|
|
|
Mexray
Super Nomad
Posts: 1016
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: California Delta
Member Is Offline
Mood: Baja Time
|
|
Pompano...Mazatlan, you say...Carnival!
We've been to Carnival in Maz-Town twice! The first was by accident, we just happened to visit a couple of weeks that overlapped Carnival...what a
great, crazy time!
We got in on a room at the old Bal Mar on Olas Altos, facing the ocean, right above all the 'action'...and what action it is!
For those that haven't been there...the road is blocked along the ocean for several evenings and the 'party' begins at about dusk, going on far into
the night till almost sun-up! There are LOUD bands along the beach about every 100 yards or so - and I mean LOUD - with VERY LARGE banks of speakers
and bands that will drive you out of your socks! There must be over a dozen of these big bands playing at various times ALL NIGHT LONG! When we left
one night at about 2 AM, we could hear the 'tunes' clear across the city.
There are masses of beer and tequila laden citizens that party in the streets all night. Earlier in the evening, kids run around throwing confetti
and 'popping' confetti filled eggs over people's heads! They love to get the gringo's, and my first time was a real shock! I then bought some myself
to return the favors, and the kids like to try and dodge your 'attacks'! It's all in great fun. I then found out why my neighbors in our village had
been saving blown-out eggs for weeks before Carnival - to make a few pesos in the streets.
The medicos were a 'hoot' to watch from above the street...they worn beanies with red, revolving lights on their heads. The worked in pairs, carrying
a stretcher between them, and when they got a 'call to action' they would weave in and out of the crowd as it parted for them in quest of their
current victum...er, patient!
I still don't know how all those party-going citizens get any real work done that week - probably don't! The Pacifico brewery in town must also work
24/7 churning out their delicious liquid prior to Carnival in order their citizens don't run 'dry'!
Many great memories...like the night they shoot off all the fireworks directed a tour boat out in the ocean. They 'shoot' fireworks back and forth at
each other - as I remember to commemorate the time the US Military took over the port during the Mexican-American war for a brief period. Being
Mexico, a few of the shore-fired fireworks are bound to find their way back into the crowds of on lookers...what a surprise that must be!
I agree though, a little Carnival goes a long way...but it's still a fun time to experience, at least once!
According to my clock...anytime is \'BAJA TIME\' & as Jimmy Buffett says,
\"It doesn\'t use numbers or moving hands It always just says now...\"
|
|
|
Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
|
|
I remember those crazy days too...and especially the nights!
I went there in my youth when I could party with the best of them. We used to stay in one of the beachfront bungalows of the Playa Mazatlan
Hotel..where we would recuperate during the day for the next nights fiesta. The beach vendors would come right up to our patio wall and put their
wares over the edge for us to see, but we were always too crudo to buy much...or get the energy to look. What times those were.. riding bare-backed
horses on the beach and sometimes up onto the malecon and into a bar..with the policia right behind us!
Yes, I can remember how blocked the traffic was downtown during carnival..it crawled, but we didn't care because it was part of the celebration. One
carnival-time I was there in a great new convertible sportscar and tooling along the malecon with a local friend, his wife and mine. Suddenly the
station wagon ahead of us stopped completely and 4 guys with holstered handguns got out and came back to our car. I was looking to spin around and
get out of there when my Mazatlan amigo says just stay put and don't say a thing. I was glad he was with us, because these guys, who were narcotics
squad, knew him right away and things cooled off real quick. They took a hasty look at all of us, smiled and sent us back into the crawl of traffic.
My buddy told us that we had just been saved from a possible 'detainment' of our vehicle and ourselves because of strong possibility that some
'illegal substance might somehow have been found' in our car. Strangly and coincidentely the day before a local businessman had wanted to buy that
car from me. He offered a lot of money, but I refused to sell..because it would have been illegal and I didn't want to sell anyway. My amigo smiled
when I told him that.
Carnival is a blast all right..never a dull moment for sure. For the rest of our stay on that trip, we rented a striped Jeep to run around in...and
laughed about our little 'holdup' on the malecon. I remember the rental gal singing 'Blue Bayou' when she took us for the check ride and we all
ended up in a local bar. We stayed for most of the night and employed an entire mariachi band...remember those songs and the spirit of it all?
Mother of pearl, what a time we had!
|
|
|
Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
Member Is Offline
|
|
We got lucky our first time to Mazatlan when we asked the train station cabbie about hotels, (1973). He took us to the Costa d'Oro which was about 1/2
mile north of the brand new high-rise hotel (playa something). The hotel was on the beach and just far enough from the noise to relax in between
partying. Huge rooms and baths, old style, great service, pool near beach; I wonder if it's still there ?
And the bellhop that could turn a $10 bill into a bottle of Bacardi and a full case of little Coke bottles in less than 5 minutes, any time of day !
.
|
|
|
Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
Member Is Offline
|
|
The next year in Mazatlan for spring break, I was walking down the beach one afternoon and passed an open thatched roof palapa (20'x40') with a
serious party going on inside. I stopped and watched from just outside. I figured the partiers for an extended family and friends based on the range
of ages and the intimacy of some of their actions.
I noticed a very beautiful young girl who also noticed me. She seemed to be constantly dancing with the uncles and aunts. Turned out it was her and
her mother's birthday party. After about 15 minutes of watching and starting to worry about over-staying my welcome, I turned to leave just as two
older ladies approached. They smiled and gestured at the beautiful girl. Having no spanish at all, I smiled and nodded my head to which they smiled
wider and nodded their heads exhageratedly. The two took me onto the dance floor towards the girl and let me tell you that my young hormones were
EXCITED ! When we got about 4 feet away from her the old ladies swung me around and one of them took my hands to dance. They alternated with me for
the next hour. Dancing near the young girl and smiling at her and smiling at me and we smiling at each other.
I'm not totally sure what the deal was to this day.
Either the old ladies were showing her they still had it or
they were showing her how (she needed no help) or
it was a party and they just wanted to dance !?
I had a blast ! Great people ! What a wonderful memory !
.
|
|
|
Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
Member Is Offline
|
|
Nope .............. never did get closer than 4 feet !  
.
|
|
|
Mexray
Super Nomad
Posts: 1016
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: California Delta
Member Is Offline
Mood: Baja Time
|
|
On one of our Maz-trips...
...we went to a Mazatlan Venados Baze-ball game. There were 8 of us, and I believe the only gringos in the ballpark. We had a blast cheering on the
home team!
The kids would pass by in front of us with their 'Do-nus' boxes trying to sell us some sweets...
In the stadium, they had cerveza vendors sitting on each isle with buckets of iced down Pacifico's. We befriended our 'guy', and older fellow and
probably made his day with all the beer sales! One of our group noticed he was 'nipping' from a Mescal bottle inside his coat...it wasn't long before
he passed it around for all who wanted to take a 'swig'! We ended up buying his 'Pacifico' apron from him when we left the game, for a 'decent'
price, our way of giving him a special tip for his great service.
I don't even remember who won the game...thank goodness for all those 'Pulmanias' in Maz-town that can get you back to your hotel for cheap!
One other night we closed up a place why downtown, and all the Pulmanias had gone home for the night - we were REAL late (early)...it was a good trek
all the way back north to the Playa Mazatlan where we were all staying. We had started to walk, when a pickup came by with a few people in the back
and stopped to give us a lift all the way back - now that's down right friendly! Try that in your big American city at 2 or 3 in the morning...no way
would a 'local' stop for a group of 'feeling good' visitors to offer a ride!
Mexico and it's people are just plain friendly!
According to my clock...anytime is \'BAJA TIME\' & as Jimmy Buffett says,
\"It doesn\'t use numbers or moving hands It always just says now...\"
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
