St. Patrick's Day in Mexico!

church tower with teenage boys ringing
the heck out of 3 levels of bells!

Mike eyeing up his blue
margarita for St. Patrick's Day

view of the square from on high - thousands of attendees

yea! we're on the ferris wheel

the "castillo" of fireworks 

several workers making the crazy fireworks "castillo"
- a layered amalgam of flaming shamrocks and rockets!

...and outside, shamrocks abound 

We celebrated St. Patrick's Day in Melaque, Jalisco, a bustling, small pueblo next to the village of San Patricio - part of the same St. Patrick's parish. They put the Irish to shame with their 10 days of festivities, culminating in a parade with an interesting Catholic and indigenous Indian mix, crazy ground-based fireworks that spray into the crowds, a street festival, and carnival where Mike and I rode the ferris wheel. After our small group of 6 swore it wouldn't be a good idea to take a carnival ride in Mexico, we hopped onto the fastest ferris wheel that did at least 50 rotations! We were quite done but the ride was not so we enjoyed the views: full moon illuminating, the bay the city square, the other rides and the thousands of people. Festivities were serious, then religious, then fun, mariachi bands competing with banda music pouring out of loudspeakers, and local versions of not-so-nutritious carnival food.

new tractor - float says "ejido de
St Patrick"
(community of sorts)

The joy of receiving communion

cardboard sign says 'the joy of
Simeon and Sta Ana in the temple'

another dance troop: traditional
native costumes and shells
noisemakers on their ankles

the church was filled
with flowers 

Karaoke to go - with loudspeaker

mariachis walking to the church

and no parade is complete
without banda music and a tuba

St Patrick on his float