Home Stretch

Two weeks from today I will be with Patrick and Mom and Dad in Pennsylvania watching the Allentown Drum Corps show.  YEEEEYYYYYY!  Can't wait.

I have some catching up to do for the last few days, so here we go.  Basically, I got to test out public transport to get from DF to Tuxpan.  It was an odd experience.

Me at the bus station

There was pretty much no one else on this giant Tour bus for the 6-hour trip.  When Nina and I finally got to Tuxpan, the drivers told us it was the last stop and got off...  Little did we know that there was actually one more stop, much closer to the hotel we were supposed to go to, but luckily Stella figured out which stop we were at and came to pick us up.

We made it though, and Tuxpan was such a nice change of pace!  It was super hot and humid, which normally I would say that I don't care for, but it at least made our stay feel more like a vacation than like work.  There was a great pool and pool-side tables to sit at, and the chef and cooking staff was amazing.  They made really good, home-style Mexican food for us, and they were very accommodating for some of our musicians' special dietary needs.

Pool-side

The concert was really fun as well - the crowd completely filled this open conference center-type room, and though they clapped between movements, they were so genuinely happy to be part of the concert and loved the musicians and their performance.  Many of the musicians (especially the Caucasian or Asian ones...) were being asked for autographs and pictures after the concert.

The next city on the Tour was Huamantla.  There were some, shall we say, logistical issues with this city, so when the musicians arrived to their hotel and the place where we had our dinner, 12 of the staff members (including myself) were informed that our hotel was actually another 45 minutes away, separate from the rest of the group.  We were so tired from the 6-hour bus ride to the hotel where the musicians were, that we just resigned to the fact that we had another van ride ahead of us.  This was by far the worst night I have ever had.  We arrived at the "hotel", which was a very tiny, dirty thing and none of us really got much sleep.

Luckily, the next morning, we found a slightly better hotel which we moved to, and had a much better day the next day.  The musicians joined us for meals; they always have a way of brightening your day, and they made me feel much better after a horrible night without sleep.

Me and my awesome musicians on a slide

The concert that evening was held in a cathedral, and they played some very cathedral-appropriate works like Gabrielli, and some very non-cathedral-appropriate works like Tico Tico, and the packed audience loved it all.

Though it wasn't particularly hot out, the sun was strong in Huamantla.  I put on sunscreen on my face, arms, and legs, but apparently forgot one vital spot...

My sunburned pretzel feet

The next afternoon we moved on to the town of Orizaba, where I am now, which is an absolute paradise compared to my experience in Huamantla.  It is sunny, hot, has beautiful palm trees, a gorgeous pool where the musicians are constantly hanging out in, the food is great, internet finally works in my room, and we will be here for 4 nights, which I am absolutely enjoying.

Tonight is the concert, which I hope will be well attended, despite the short time they have had to publicize the event (as it wasn't confirmed until about 2-weeks ago).  Either way, the musicians will have a good time here, and will have a much needed day off here as well to enjoy some tourist activities and rest.