BajaNomad

Such an Education

DianaT - 3-9-2013 at 10:32 PM

The thread about the mother worried about her son visiting Baja brought back one of my many favorite memories of traveling on the mainland of Mexico. It happened in Old Town Matzalan in the mid 1990s, when the old town was just beginning a revival. After a terrifying bus ride down the old Devil’s Backbone road from Durango to Matzalan where the bus driver was fighting the urge to take a nap, we were happily enjoying staying in the funky hotel rooms that surrounded the El Shrimp Bucket on the old malecon; it was a great place even if we had to climb out the window to enjoy the balcony.

Also staying there was a group of students and teachers from a private Catholic School in Spokane who were there for an international school jazz festival. They were great. During the day, some of the teachers went fishing while the students went shopping and bought some of the worst looking remembrances we could ever imagine, but they were thrilled.
Then came dinner. It was so much fun watching the entire staff parade out from the kitchen to present the fish caught by some of the staff in a grand royal procession. The teachers and the students were so enjoying the moment, and on the side lines, so were we. And then after dinner, the really special moment happened.

The fairly new popular Macarena music brought them all together. The waiters and the students started dancing together to that great music. It was beautiful. They could not speak the words of understanding together, but the music and dance bonded them together.

Education? Oh yes education at its best.

[Edited on 3-10-2013 by DianaT]

DavidT - 3-10-2013 at 12:43 AM

My friend has lived s.o.b. for years, as he says, "The Messicans 'll get you.
If you're lucky, they will.

BajaBlanca - 3-10-2013 at 09:12 AM

that's a good story Diana - music does cross all borders and joins us together in its beauty - much like art.