Mexico is famous for its Mariachi music. In Mexico City one option for a night out is Plaza Garibaldi, where Mexicans go to hire their own Mariachi band.
I visited one weekday night with a boring, non-drinking German woman from my hostel. She took the wrong approach to the night out by treating it as a tourist attraction. But most people who go there are Mexicans out for a night of heavy drinking in the street.
The way for a tourist to enjoy it is to do the same. Buy some mescal or michelada – beer with lime juice, salt, and chile powder, and make friends with the hilariously drunk Mexicans around you. While we did the opposite because of her poor, tourist attitude, I realize this could have been a once in a lifetime night out.
Instead we took tourist photos with some bands and watched from a distance.
I did suggest we at least hire a band for one song but she was strongly against it for some unknown reason. Everyone else was hiring bands in the plaza or for takeaway to a private party at their home. Oh well. It looks like I will have to come back sometime on date like the couple shown below. Nothing shows love more than serenading a woman.
Without further ado, you must listen to my favorite Mariachi song.
When I can’t hop on any international flights
I still manage to take in some latinness. I was actually walking down the hallway in my apartment building
in Philadelphia. This song was blasting from an apartment a group of Latin handymen were renovating. I screamed,
“Vincente Fernandez woo!”
As I quickly hurried away I heard a roar of laughter. It’s even famous in Gringoland.