Carnival

The town festival is in full force; there are many activities including a parade of queen candidates, a carnival, music and events in the town square.

Tonight, Brad, Travis and I are having dinner with some new friends, Jim, Karen, Alec and Maureen.  We are going to a rib place in town.  We are lucky and find a parking spot on the street, across an “interesting” looking place called “Hangman”.  Now I am already freaked by the whole “night of the living dead” obsession that they have down here but there is a stuffed dummy hanging from the tree which towers over the courtyard of the restaurant.  Story goes; the proprietor loved the tree and the location before he knew the history surrounding that particular tree and the town.  Without going into too much detail before dinner, that is where the capital sentences were exercised; so the name was born.  To my relief, we are eating across the street.

Inside of Dante’s, you are met with an eclectic mix of old Mexico and 80’s tavern.  Along the back wall is a quaint wood carved bar, framed on both sides with flat screen TVs playing a Janet Jackson video featuring a cartoon character, I think Taz.  The tables are covered with red and white checked table clothes and there are four tables pushed together in the center of the room waiting for us. We are meeting one other couple who are staying at a different condo.

On one end of the room is a pool table where two young boys and their sister are playing pool.  The little girl, who is barely taller than the pool cue, makes an great shot.  “Minnesota Fats, eh?”

The beer was ice cold, the place is quaint and comfortable and to my surprise, shrimp tacos are on the menu.  The conversation was enjoyable and the food, AWESOME.  Thanks Travis, so nice of you to treat!

After we eat, we are off to the Carnival. The families file-in, all dressed up in starched white shirts and fancy dresses.   It was so much like like any carnival in any city in the world; vendors selling balloons and blinking widgets for the kids, deep fried everything, games of chance and rides, rides, rides.  

 

Another day comes to a close as we head home and settle in for the evening.  The sounds of the city go on and on.  We hear them way into the wee hours of the morning.