Oscar is so lovely he invited us to stay at his parents ranch in Puebla. Problem is he forgot to tell his parents we were coming.
18th July
We three said a tearful goodbye to Oscar and Indy and headed down to Puebla city through Mexico City. We were cheap, so decided to buy the second class bus tickets, probably a silly mistake, as we stopped by EVERY little town, picking up all the Mexicans! but we did get to witness little everyday oddities, like this woman who carried a turkey onto the bus carried like a child in front of her.
Anyway, we reached Puebla City in the late afternoon, realising we couldn't continue the journey down to Oscar's ranch as it was getting late. So we got a room in the Hotel Victoria, and then went to a quaint little restaurant/bar thing by the Zocolo.
Weird thing was the further south we were travelling, the colder it was, until in Puebla city, even with long sleeves, I was chilly!
19th July
We woke up early the next morning after an aweful nights sleep. Sander and I were cramped up next to each other in a lumpy double bed that had a ditch in the middle so we kept rolling into the middle and into each other. And Sander smells a little.
We took a quick stroll through the city before resuming on the second class bus, through Teziutlan, until we reached Hueytamalco. It then started pouring rain.
We ran to the taxi stand and asked them to take us to the ranch, which we knew was only around 10 minute drive away. The stupid taxi drivers knew straight away we were tourists and started the price at 150 pesos. We got it down to 80 pesos, despite knowing the job should have and could have been done at 10 pesos only. Why rip off the little tourists??
We arrived at the ranch and no one was there. But we were busting to go to the toilet! Oscar had told us, that even if his parents weren't there, the door was always open and we could go in anyway. It was raining, I needed to pee, so we went inside and used the facilities. Haha! it was so funny! Imagine if it hadn't been their house?? anyway, after relieving ourselves, we sat outisde in a sheltered bbq area but then the rain got heavier....so we decided to go inside the house and sit down and play cards.
Eventually, a face showed up at the window! It was Oscar's dad, surprised to see 3 strangers at his dining table playing cards!
But luckily, Oscar had finally gotten through to his parents. Their ranch is so secluded that there is no cell phone access or internet, and the only way to contact them is through their satellite phone.
The parents are lovely people, but barely speak any english. It turned out they had a huge family gathering planned that night at the ranch house, so at about 9pm, roughly 20 Gabilondo relatives poured through the doors! It was a lovely night....after a bit, the younger few left, until it was a few of the older uncles left, who told us stories of how it was a Mexican tradition that the men would serenade the girls they were pursuing. They would sit under the window of their paramour and sing love songs, accompanied by their friends.
This still happens today....sometimes....but definitely less often than previously. How sad. I think its a lovely tradition. Oscar's grandmother told us of how her husband had wooed her that way, and how the uncles had won their wives like that too. I think its a beautiful tradition!
