Tales from La feria

Friday night the National Wine and Cheese Festival began in a park in
downtown Tequisquiapan(Tequis to the locals). Vendors and vinters
gather from all around central Mexico to sell their wares. This
amounts to a week long challenge to get as drunk as you can in public
before the policia cart you off. And judging by the crooked gait of
the patrons and the man relieving himself facing traffic on the main
road through town, the cops give plenty of leaway. They were among
the most determined drunks I've seen, considering they had to rely
completly on wine. After getting a ride with the 2nd runner up to
Miss Tequisquiapan in her mother's Hummer, we took our places with the
rest of the fair queens, local politcal heads and the Municipio
(county) President on the front row, we sat and enjoyed the night's
entertainment. First was an interesting dance program that somehow
explained the culture of the ancient indigenes people of the area.
Their feathered costumes were impressive and their history of dance-
fighting, dance-ballgames, dance-human sacrifices and dance-dancing
must have made them the clear rivals of both the Sharks and Jets. The
next event was something completly new for a gringo like me. A very
famous singer, Margarita, belted out dance anthems of Mexico
accompanied by a big band and three male salsa dancers, at least one
of which couldn't have been lighter in his loafers if he had helium
ballons tied around his ears. As they gained momentum, they played at
a volume that would have gotten fieldworkers in Fresno to grab a
partner and dance. The entire audience took to dancing salsa like
they had a mouth full chiles. Though I am known to be quite fond of
salsa, the closest I had previous come to dancing it was jocking for
position around a bowl at a Superbowl party with chip in a hand.
Apparently it is a great offence to the Nation of Mexico that I was
the only one on the front row that remained in his chair when the
dancing began. A woman the row behind us pitied me and drug me out
front to teach me the salsa basics. As soon as that song had ended
the Presidente of Ezekiel Montes(a neighboring municipio), whom I met
last week, grabed me and set me up to dance with the two of the Fair
queens from cities in his jurisdiction. After that I danced with the
first attendent to the Queen of Queso and Vino. After that bout of
dancing "pico de gallo". (my style was far to chunky to be called
salsa). I was content to be done for the night. Unfortunatly my ride
decided to chat with her friends until nearly 3am.

End of Part One of The Feria De Vino y Queso in Tequisquiapan