A Mariachi Band In A Mariachi Van

One of the Missions Alex presented me with was to get a photo of a Mariachi band. The story behind the photo is far better than the photos them self, I’ll leave it up to Alex to accept everything as fulfilling the Mission.

As we ate dinner at one of the restaurants just off the plaza I heard the brief timbre of trumpets. Our eyes scanned the plaza searching for the source of the music. It was gone and we could not pinpoint where it originated. We finished our meal and paid la quenta. Again, we heard the sound of music, but this time the direction and source was clear. There was a Mariachi band in the church service. Immediately Linda said, “You can’t take pictures in the church service!”

We wandered into the plaza keeping out eye on the church. For desert tonight we both agreed on churros and we walked over to the churro cart on the corner. We ordered uno bosa each and spotted a bench in the park where we could sit, watch the crowds, and eat our sugary snacks.

Tonight the plaza was packed. Kids were playing with the new toys they had received for Christmas, young adults were dressed in their tightest new outfits, mothers and fathers were escorting grandparents; all is a whirlpool parade of color rotating around center plaza.

We watched it all from our cement park bench, each little event in the lives of the parade participants bringing smiles to our faces. Suddenly Linda’s attention turned to her left, directly over my shoulder. “MARIACHI” she exclaimed. I was caught off guard and was a bit confused. I scanned the plaza trying to figure out why there would be a Mariachi without the wonderfully exciting sound of the music they play? Linda punched me and told me to get my camera out.

Over my shoulder stood a van, and as I searched for my camera, low and behold a true Mariachi band was loading into the van. No pomp and circumstance, no music; just instruments, sombreros and traditionally dressed Mariachi.

I hesitated, then I tried to get the correct setting for my camera, and then the moment was gone and all I could do was hope that I caught some of the moment so I could fulfill my Mission. I submit these photos as fulfillment of Mission 9. (Note in one photo you can make out the gutar and stand up bass.)