So tonight saw Mimi and I walking to the central plaza and then catching a cab to the Paseo Montejo for the ¡Grito! celebrating 200 years of liberation from colonial Spain. What a crowd! We didn’t leave the house until our [...]]]>

Juan Gabriel at the Monumento de la Patria, Mérida (Diario de Yucatán)

So tonight saw Mimi and I walking to the central plaza and then catching a cab to the Paseo Montejo for the ¡Grito! celebrating 200 years of liberation from colonial Spain. What a crowd! We didn’t leave the house until our telenovela, Soy Tu Dueña was over, around 10pm. By the time we snaked our way through the many blocks of shoulder to shoulder people it was almost 11pm and time for the Grito. There was no way to get close enough to the Monumento de la Patria to actually see the stage but they had put up huge video screens, we could hear everything and watch it on the screen.

the front of the castillo was the only open space on the street

I took a couple pics with the trusty iPhone of the enormous castillo a block before the stage. It was 3 stories high at least and when that puppy went off, it was awesome. By the time they lit it off, we were a block closer to the stage and under trees. I’m a wuss about fireworks and don’t want the sparks raining down on me.

some rockets ready to fire from behind the castillo

After every politician in the PRI was introduced, our governor Ivonne gave the famous cry.

!Viva México! ¡Viva Hidalgo! ¡Viva los Heroes de la Revolución! ¡Viva Morelos! ¡Viva los soldados que murieron por la patria! ¡Viva Yucatán! ¡Viva la gente de Yucatán! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México!

I’m pretty sure I got that right, it is not the same everywhere but I think I remember all of them tonight. The crowd answers ¡Viva! after every one and it is very intense and emotional. Then they play the national anthem and it seemed the voices of the whole city were singing. I’m a sucker for pomp and tradition and patriotic shows, this one always gets me.

…and then, the lights went out all down the street and that humungous castillo loaded with fireworks began to go off. There were at least 10 minutes of spinning, falling fire along with huge sunbursts in the red, white and green of México. Fireworks that spelled out México, 1810 a 2010, Viva la Patria, and more that I couldn’t see. It was fantastic!

I really wanted to see Juan Gabriel perform but there was no way we could get closer to the stage, people were really starting to press forward.   We heard him sing his first song but the video on our screen was not working right and we decided to get out of the crowd.  Hurricane Karl was a blessing for the city tonight, it didn’t rain but there was a cool breeze that helped a lot.  I’m tall enough that I could feel it on my face but even so I was hot and sweaty smashed in with all those people.

We walked back to a nearby hotel and caught a cab home.  By 12:30 I was floating in our pool watching our neighbors rockets go off.  Now, I’m wrapped in a towel and watching Juan Gabriel live on our local TV channel.   He just sang Amor Eterno, my favorite and one of his anthems.

What can I say about Juan Gabriel?  He is a greatly beloved institution here in México, he is a bit of a latin Little Richard in appearance and he is not only a wonderful singer but a phenomenal songwriter.  The first time I saw him on TV I asked our friend Cristina how such a Catholic country could be so devoted to such a flamboyant queen.  She shushed me and said he is our beloved, our national treasure.  It’s true, one of the wonderful dichotomies of this wonderful country, I’ve never met anyone here who doesn’t love Juanito.   He was quoted in the paper saying that the Virgen de Guadalupe would be singing with him tonight.  I’m sure she was and that she is smiling on all of México on this historic night.

© Jonna for blah...blah...blah... Ginger!, 2010. | Permalink | 17 comments | Post tags: bicenteniel, Grito, juan gabriel

We returned to Mérida for the ¡Grito! and the Independence holiday. We’ve been in other cities and towns for this most important of holidays but never in Mérida, I really wanted to be here.

It was fantastic! We were jammed into the Plaza Grande with thousands of others, watched the [...]]]>

Flags for sale

We returned to Mérida for the ¡Grito! and the Independence holiday. We’ve been in other cities and towns for this most important of holidays but never in Mérida, I really wanted to be here.

It was fantastic! We were jammed into the Plaza Grande with thousands of others, watched the Gobernadora give the Grito and then the huge castillos in front of the Cathedral went off. Incredible!

Unlike other cities, after every cry of ¡Viva México! came a louder cry of ¡Viva Yucatán!

A slideshow from the night.  Plus, here is a link to the album if you have a slow connection.

© Jonna for blah...blah...blah... Ginger!, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Post tags: Grito, México