We both have been so fortunate for having met the pure Mexican culture in many ways.
Here I'm standing next to a group of Mariachis that came to play and sing at a stylish Mass, celebrating the 49th anniversary of El Encinal, Monteblanco's oldest mushroom farm.
Mariachis are without hats; out of respect!
To the left is the manager from El Encinal and Don Victor who started Monteblanco 49 years ago is seated next to me and on the right of me is his son.
The kind Mariachi lends Pieter his violin...
The priest is getting ready for saying Mass
It was a very special Mass and afterward lunch for all employees.
During Mass, which got celebrated with lots of fresh flowers!
Mariachis still playing while employees are seated at table now.
Second from left is me standing near the door...
No paper napkins and such, but instead an Eco friendly table setting!
That was a meaningful event and most of the employees are grateful for their job!
UNESCO has added Mexico's Mariachi music to its list of 'intangible cultural heritage of humanity'.
Glad they did!
On our fourth trip for consulting in Mexico, we got another very special royal treatment...
On Saturday, December 2 of 1995, we got picked up at the Camino Real Hotel in Mexico City, by Agustín and Carmen. They took us to the Historic District of Mexico City (UNESCO World Heritage Site) where we had lunch on a terrace with a margarita, under a parasol in the sun. It is such a beautiful city with many parks, trees and green planting; paradise.
After lunch we did walk around for some shopping together, for us CD's from the three tenors and organ music from Bach which we could not find at Schiphol/Amsterdam airport.
After a rest period back in our hotel, Agustín and Carmen picked us up again at 21:00 to go to Plaza Girabaldi where, according to the old Spanish tradition, the Mariachis still serenade. The idea is that you will listen in the square and pick out a group for taking to your home for serenading your wife/girlfriend/lover...
What a display!
It's like being in a live operette with such beautiful costumes!!!
Beautiful trousers with those gold decorations along the side of their legs. The length is also perfect; nice and long down to their booties. Very slim cut and higher waist, as in the movies used to be. Also with hats on, and they use violins, bass guitars, trumpet and a unique instrument the Vihuela (a 15th-century fretted plucked Spanish string instrument).
Agustín bought a group, for three songs; dedicated to Carmen and me.
That was very special!
Of course, the audience could also enjoy it.
WISH we'd had our iPhones back then...!
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