Flamenco and Fandango

Paula and I left work early yesterday to head to check out the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe before watching Emiliana's last Flamenco performance in Mexico (at least for a while). After an amazing demonstration of Flamenco genius, she came to meet us and her crowd of admirers outside and we headed en masse to the goodbye afterparty, to wish Emiliana well in Spain. I finally got to meet the boyfriend, Enrique, I'd heard so much about.

With no idea where we were heading, Paula and I happily followed down the metro, on the train and out to Coyoacan. In the end we were less than 10 who made it back to Sylvia's home (a beautiful one floor apartment), where we spent the next few hours talking and brainstorming Ventures over tea and pasta.

When the time came to head to the mysterious after party, we found ourselves driving a few minutes away to a small lot among dilapidated houses where we entered a traditional Jarocho fandango in the middle of Mexico City (a block from a mall, 4 blocks from our old office). A group of 15-30 people encircled a small wooden platform, playing small guitars and other instruments, while people took turns dancing a traditional zapateo from Veracruz. I didn't have the right shoes for the occasion (character shoes with taps), but I'm not sure my feet could move that fast, anyway. I don't have the eloquence to describe the freestyle strumming and singing (seemlessly moving from one person to the next across the circle), but I wish you could have been there. We almost didn't feel the cold of being in the open under the smoggy, but starry sky. Here's a glimpse:

note: guys dance, too, with slightly different shoes. it was just too crowded to take pictures later on