Viva México!
Mexican Independence Day and the Charros parade
If you missed our blog post earlier in the year about attending the International Charro Championships, you can read it here to learn more about Charros/Charras (Mexican Rodeo Cowboys and Cowgirls) and their importance in Mexican culture.
Charreada (similar to US or Canadian rodeos, but with so much more style and finesse!) is the national sport of México. September 14 is National Charro Day in México. It falls two days before Mexican Independence Day each year (celebrating when México gained its independence from Spain, on September 16, 1821).
And no, Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day… In fact, Mexicans don’t even celebrate Cinco de Mayo (except at gringo sports bars). It was just the date of some random battle until American alcohol companies took it over and turned it into a holiday to sell more tequila and beer!
The Charros Parade
We had heard about the Charro (“chado”) Parade for many years but somehow managed to keep missing it. So this year we were bound and determined to be there! It is really easy to miss parades happening here as it is difficult to determine the exact date/time/location of any particular event.
For this year‘s Charro parade, four different publications talked about it, one said it started at 8:30 AM, another that it started at 9 AM, another that it started at 10:30 AM, and the fourth one that it started at 11 AM. They also listed various different locations where the parade would start, or the route would go. So who really knew?!
Our new cruising friends, Keziah & Darren recently, bought a new-to-them Catalina Morgan 45 in our marina and have moved here full-time from Phoenix. We have been having a great time hanging out with them and showing them around town. You can follow their sailing adventures here.
A couple of weekends ago we took a field trip with Keziah & Darren to the Marine store in La Cruz (about an hour’s bus ride away)—which we had only recently heard about and we’re pleased to find great prices on a lot of good marine equipment. Kind of like a mini West Marine. Although it’s an hour away, it beats paying 3 to 4 times the price for the exact same thing in Vallarta, and the bus ride is only about $1 US.
September 14 were headed to the Charro’s Parade and asked Keziah & Darren if they wanted to join us. They would love to… And so we made a plan that they would catch the bus at the marina and we’d meet up at the bus stop about five blocks from where we’re housesitting. Our plan was to head to where we thought the parade would be starting…as we wanted to see all the horses and charros/charras gathering and getting ready for the parade at the beginning.
As we walked out the front door to head to the bus stop, there was a truck with a horse trailer parked right in front! Turns out the next-door neighbor where we are housesitting, and most of his family are charros/charras and were gearing up to be in the parade. They asked if we would like to ride in the back of their pickup truck with them to the parade. Sadly, we declined because we were meeting our friends at the bus stop. (In hindsight we should’ve definitely gotten directions to where they were headed!)
After waiting for a bus… Keziah & Darren ended up grabbing an Uber, (this was a Saturday morning, and the bus schedules can be a bit sketchy on the weekends/parade days!) They pulled up to the bus stop to pick us up, and we directed the Uber driver to where we “thought” the parade might be gathering to start (based on what we had read and determined in several publications and online). As soon as we got out of the Uber, we saw one Charro on his horse coming down the street. So we thought we were on the right track… and we followed the Charro and horse for several blocks… until we lost him in traffic!?!
There was no sign of any other charros, or horse trailers around. But it was only 9 AM so maybe if the parade started later they wouldn’t be here yet? Then we saw road cones blocking one of the arterials. And there were several police nearby so we asked them. They told us to go to the Malecón (downtown waterfront), which is not where we wanted to watch the parade… We wanted to be at the start, to see all the action. So we kept walking and asking more people, and everyone said “go to the Malecón”, so finally we did.
One thing that makes parade viewing in México vastly different than the US… Mexicans do not line up ahead of time or put down chairs or blankets or save spaces or anything like that…they somehow know by osmosis when it’s going to start and they are suddenly there… so you can’t necessarily figure out where the parade route is by the people lining the sidewalks beforehand…because there aren’t any!
Daren, Heidi, and Kirk watching the parade are photobombed by a horse! Thanks, Keziah for the photo!
Once at the Malecón, we found a great viewing spot underneath a big tree in the shade (this was much appreciated because it was very hot out!!) The parade finally got going at about 11 AM. The only downside to our viewing area was our photos would be backlit by the ocean… and a big pesky sign reading Dominos Pizza! Thankfully, there was a spot of sunlight in the intersection so if we faced that way, our photos turned out OK. And thanks to Keziah for sharing some of hers!
“Mni-me” (being helped by someone on the side), looked just like his dad behind him!
There were many different Charros teams (rodeo clubs), each with different colored and patterned outfits. The women and girls all ride side-saddle, which is pretty impressive in those fancy dresses! And a few of the charros showed off their rope tricks.
The young girl, bottom right, really wanted to be riding with her “team” at left, but for some reason, she was on the sidelines watching.
The kids stole the show…. from very young girls riding hobby horses (which looked much more realistic than the ones we had as kids!) to infants, riding with their fathers or grandfathers… and some young kids on their own horses… being propped up by a parent at their side, or a cell phone to keep their attention.
Some of the old guard men carried big bottles of tequila with them. We thought “Well this should be fun by the time they get to the end of the parade!” But they weren’t actually drinking the tequila themselves… They were pouring it into the mouths of anyone along the parade route who wanted a shot of tequila straight down the gullet! Heidi thought she was getting a fantastic video of several people getting their tequila shots… But somehow her camera failed to record it. Some things are better left to the imagination! But there was this ingenious “booze cart” along the way…
The parade itself lasted about an hour with team after team of charros, and also a few Mariachi and Banda bands in between. If you’ve never heard of Banda, we hadn’t either until we arrived in México. From the internet: “Banda is a regional style of band music from México’s state of Sinaloa, which usually includes clarinets, trumpets, valve trombones, alto horns, tuba, and a drum set in its instrumental line up, as well as one or two vocalists. Originating from the military bands and brass bands of European colonists, it was a favorite primarily among the rural and lower-class urban populations. It was played at cantinas and outdoor events, where it was popular for its danceability.”
Today it’s played all over town, and in particular on the beaches on weekends. We personally can’t stand Banda music, the tuba tends to drown out all the other instruments, and as far as “danceable”?! We’ve no idea how you’d dance to that cacophonous noise, nor have we seen anyone dancing to it! LOL. Banda is truly about the only thing we don’t like about México. Listen below and see what you think? And check out the silver horn on this guy’s saddle below (accompanied by Banda!)
Many thanks, Keziah for sharing these photos too!
After we returned home we were a bit sorry we hadn’t taken the next-door neighbors up on their offer of a ride in the back of their truck… At least we would’ve been at the start of the parade. Oh well, maybe next year. And it was fun to know that some of the kids we took photos of were the neighbor’s grandkids!
Grito de Dolores
Independence Day was on Monday, September 16, but in towns and cities across the country they start the festivities the night before at about 11:45 PM when a municipal official reads the Grito de Dolores (or “Cry of Dolores”), the famous speech of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest and revolutionary leader, symbolizing unity, pride, and the enduring spirit of independence—while the crowd chants “Viva México!” in response. Then at midnight, just at the beginning of September 16, they had an enormous fireworks show… but we did not stay up to participate in any of that.
Angél’s Soup Kitchen
The week after the Independence Day holiday, we volunteered to bring/serve food at Angél’s Kitchen. This pop-up outdoor soup kitchen was started by our friend and yoga teacher, Sam Cress. (If any of you have visited us and gone to beach yoga with us, you’ve met Sam!)
During the pandemic years, since she wasn’t teaching yoga, Sam wanted another way to help give back to the local Mexican community. And her Angél’s Kitchen idea was formed. She set it up in the Plaza de Armas near the Malecón and the Iglesia de Guadalupe—and along with many volunteers, served meals to hundreds of people a week all during the pandemic. During the pandemic, they served an average of 250 people a day, and 60,000 meals throughout the pandemic years.
Since then, she wanted to keep it going after the pandemic, as there is always a need for food assistance in Puerto Vallarta, especially during the summer “low season” when many have little to no work. So it’s now held one day a month, serving 60-80 people a month. Sam’s motto is that everyone is a guest in her kitchen, and they will be graciously served. No one stands in line, they sit on park benches and edges of planters, and patiently wait their turn to be served.
Someone brought a vibrant cake honoring Sam and all she has done for the community. The guests were only too happy to help her eat it!
Sam welcomes cash donations locally in Vallarta, or if you’re not local and want to donate you can send your donation via her Paypal account (samcresspv @ gmail.com) with a note for Angél’s Kitchen. All donated monies buy food to benefit Angél Kitchen guests directly. Sam also receives some donations of food from a few local restaurants and bakeries. Other food/drink is homemade by volunteers (or purchased at restaurants) and brought to the event each time. She uses plastic plates/cups/silverware, which are washed and reused, so no trash accumulation afterward.
Some volunteers dish food onto plates or fill cups with agua Jamaica. Others are “food runners”, taking the plates of food, drink, and utensils to each person waiting to eat. This time Kirk’s job was folding utensils into napkins, and Heidi’s job was “food runner”, serving the people. With each plate served, guests are looked in the eye and told “Buen provecho!” (Enjoy your meal!) Every person responded with so much gratitude, and “Muchas gracias!” This was our first time volunteering, and we’ll be helping out every month going forward. It’s so rewarding to serve healthy meals to those in need and to see their appreciation and gratitude.
We’re winding down the last month of our house-sitting gig, and we’re all eager to be back aboard Due West soon! We’re also looking forward to Dia de los Muertos (November 2) and the Festival of Guadalupe (December 1-12). Happy autumn wherever you are. And fingers crossed hurricane season will end without any more damage.