‘Pueblo Magico’- Magic Town.
Explored Real Del Monte for the first time today, one of Mexico’s ‘Pueblo Magicos’, or ‘Magic Towns’, and was invited. with the Cornish Delegation, to a ‘Charro’ or Rodeo.
Its a fascinating place, a layered landscape, with the old mines embedded within the landscape rather than dotted around separately. Its a rich and complex landscape.There is corrugated iron everywhere, following the contours of the buildings.There are over 100 pasty shops, and Cornish flags and union jacks everywhere. Its fascinating, this strong and alive connection between the UK and here. And here is proper Mexico-not the Mexico of the tourist, or the tourist cliche, not Mexico City either. Its the Mexican heartland of the ‘charro’ and the big hat, the Mariachi Band and proud traditions.We were saluted at the Charro, and it was quite a moving experience, with Cornish and UK flags leading the horseback procession out into the arena. Pork and pigs faces were served out of a big bucket. Bought mining souvenirs from market stalls-little mining scenes costing about £1.50.You could buy a whole mine for a bit more.
