Tuesday, March 20 – Confusion & FIESTA!!

In the evening we would head out to a “true Mexican Fiesta,” so we went down to the pool area for the morning.  One offering is a “lazy river” which circulates around a large, undulating channel.  You pick up a giant inner tube, sit into it, lean back and let the “river” carry you along.  This had a few waterfalls and a couple of “islands” where the channel split for a brief time, just to keep things a little interesting.  I went around a couple of times and then headed for a shadier place, ultimately retreating to our room for sun safety.  Linda & Claudette rejoined after a while and we had a light lunch.
Linda and I set off to untangle a mystery … why was the rate quoted for our Thursday excursion showing very different values on the order form vs. the charge-card receipt?  We had a pleasant stroll over to another building which houses the tour desk, and though it was a major DOH! moment, it was an easy explanation … one figure was in dollars, the other in pesos.  Both currencies use the $ so it wasn’t QUITE as obvious as it might seem, and in any event, it was nice to know all was good.
The meeting point for the bus to the Fiesta was described in a somewhat confusing manner – find this hotel, then find the Pemex gas station & affiliated OXXO.  The driver was all ready to drop us at the hotel, but he figured out quickly where we truly needed to be and got us there.  After a few minutes the bus arrived, but we didn’t leave on time.  Apparently there was another party expected, but after about 10 minutes’ grace, we departed anyway.  Two more pickup stops resulted in a few more passengers than seats, so a small van arrived to get everyone safely to the ranch.
The drive to the ranch was incredible.  We’re in a full-sized tour bus, grinching through these tiny, narrow streets with lots of speed humps and lots of turns.  I doubt anyone among us, except of course the driver and the guide, expected to complete the obstacle course without making contact with SOMETHING.  Then once we cleared the urban area, we’re on lumpy country road and a steep ascent up to the ranch.

The evening was delightful.  We were met with trays of liquid refreshment (a straw meant it was “virgin”), a plate of beans & salsa & corn chips, and an invitation to gather near the corral.  Soon several riders galloped in, including a young lady in a traditional very wide skirt which almost covered her steed.  The horses showed off various skills which a bit north might have been called dressage; then one of the cowboys showed off his skills with his lasso.  Quite impressive, and of course the horse was a key assistant as the rope went whizzing around both of them, the rider stood up on the horse’s back to do further rope tricks, and the brave critter stood calmly through it all.
Now it was time for dinner; everyone found tables and we were called in turn to the generous buffet.  If you got through all that you could return for dessert:  fruit leathers, a custard tart, “cinnamon tortillas” which were much like pizelles.  Quite a feast.

The dining & performance area overlooked the town & coastline, and we had a truly dandy sunset as dinner came to a close.  Our table was not entirely full, but we were joined by a woman attending alone (her travelling companion had to cancel due to illness).  As we made our introductions, we were surprised to find we were all from the Chicago area, she lives in Hyde Park.  So we had pleasant conversation.  Our table staff ensured that anything we desired to eat or drink was immediately at hand.

After the sky was dark, the dance performance began.  This troupe of a dozen has been touring international dance exhibitions representing Mexico, and offered an interesting variety of dances from the various Mexican states.  The costumes were beautiful and the dancing seemed quite inspired; the ladies tossing their yards and yards of skirting around and the fellows stealing kisses (maybe).
 Two of the gentlemen did an amazing sequence of moves with serving platters of beer & glasses full of … well, probably it WAS water, but it’s fun to think otherwise.  After a lot of moving around the stage and tap dancing, they capped it with a whirling-dervish impression that resulted in the water rotating up and out of the glasses – and at no time did the tray threaten to tip or drop.  Amazing!
The ladies came out with their own balancing act – each one had a candle in a jar on her head.  The stage lights were out, and a ghostly dance ensued with the women in white costumes and the candles flickering.  These were not the dances with which we were familiar, that’s for sure!
In a wrap-up, the men carried pairs of machetes and after performing a number of complex steps with and without the ladies, the dance completed with the men sparring with their knives so energetically that the sparks literally flew from the blades.  Then the rope-master came out again for a show on the stage, if anything even more impressive than his tricks while mounted.  The live mariachi band played with brio and enhanced the energy the performers were exhibiting. Quite an evening!
We were invited to move to the overlook for a final surprise, and after we had a few minutes to drink in the view of the city lights, a brief fireworks display brought the show to an end. The bus was escorted down the dark hillside by a pickup trick from the ranch, and we again picked our way through the narrow, though less-populated now, streets of town.  Back home about 11P and definitely ready for bed!