Today we opted for something a little different and with the help of our superb host, Alfonso, managed to find a small local rodeo at a ranch on the southern outskirts of the city.
We were well rewarded with a magnificent fiesta in what seemed like a throwback in time (if you ignore the iPads and smart phones that is!) It was the second day of a three day event, so the session that we got to see was that of las charras, or the cowgirls.
Girls from the various ranches competed against each other in a couple of events. The first one was to ride the galloping horse at full speed and then skid the hind legs of the horse as far as possible. The second was where eight riders from each ranch would ride in formation. It was pretty spectacular, particularly when the riders would converge in the middle of the ring, missing each other by centimetres.
After, we returned for the kids to have a play and came across a bar called ‘Tane Mahuta’ which was a New Zealand themed cafe. This was quite remarkable given that almost all of the other restaurants we’ve seen are Mexican, which reflects the remarkably homogenous ethnicity of the population. For this reason, we felt compelled to go in for a feed of fish and chips and pie!
The opening ceremony
