A newcomer to the parade of the Feria de las Flores

A newcomer to THE PROCESSION OF THE FLOWER FESTIVAL

Emilio Alberto Restrepo Baena. emiliorestrepo1@une.net.co

About a year ago, a good friend convinced me to join him and his group, every Thursday evening at the parade that started from a stable of Sabaneta and traveled for some rural areas of this and other municipalities in southern Aburrá Valley. At first I did it some curiosity and snobbery and not without some trepidation that assists the city has been extreme and city from earliest childhood. It was a group of professionals, most retirees, which is routinely taken from his room to be in a group of single men, initially with their wives preventing dangerous smelling circulating estrogens in all activities of their spouses and then a sleepy resignation of them, like when they chip activates the football or business or politics that almost all males are inserted into their DNA.

The first days were amazing. Interesting conversation, hilarious sketches, music and taste in batches, without fanfare, liquor in the right dose, exquisite viands, environment, natural color, nature trails, zero display, claiming the word and enjoy the simple things life. I was very lively for a while and could not wait it arrived on Thursday to socialize with my buddies, so relax and forget both obligation and stress of everyday life. What nice people, looked honest, decent, dignified and polite as they were.

For professional matters I miss the city a few weeks and I learned that back in next weekend would be the famous ride of the Feria de las Flores. Without much thought, I accepted the invitation of some friends from work, other than the group on Thursday, we get excited, we joined, we rented horses and prepare for what would be an unforgettable evening.

That Saturday was one of the worst of my life. For several hours I tried to spot crossing my colleagues and I could not find any. The cell lines were saturated and there was no connection and when this was achieved, it was impossible to hear because the noise was unbearable, the stridency was deafening, everyone was shouting. The midday heat beat us mercilessly hard shoulders and our heads seemed ready to burst. There were thousands, read well, thousands of horses with their riders, all apeñuscados, in a cramped up not allowing a fluid, cement and buildings on all sides, no fresh air and greenery around, horses snorting, sweating heavily and throwing slime at the mouth. But what struck me was the characters that were around me. All uniform with hat, poncho, sunglasses, plaid shirt and long sleeves and blue jeans. Chains and notorious brand watches display. Bebeto compulsive liquor in all its presentations and combinations, vulgar and ordinary language, in unintelligible howls and laughter for no apparent reason, insults when friction between the pairs had beast-beast, which was every two steps.

All around, the world's highest concentration of beautiful women, but all the same: long hair, blond force of dyes and freshly brushed cowboy hat since the first time, huge boobs about to burst very likely source siliconudo , tight pants, denim boots purchased the day before, make black lenses, usually on the hat, eyes not as expected. Almost all equally loud and drunk, equally boastful, equally mostronas, it was almost obvious that the majority was the first time they rode. I was powerfully struck by the absence of wives, who at that time should be watching the parade on television. Then a friend took me out of ignorance and said that these mannequins are the nickname of "grid? and at public events often accompany the big shots amazed me so much. I did not know, but I was amazed to see them together its volume, its amount, but then I made them realize that Medellin say "Lobolandia? and here in the thousands.

In any case, my task became a nightmare. Once put into the bloodstream of animals and horses, could not get out. I mentioned a thousand times the mother messed me of drool, sweat and horse manure, vomit drunk, I still hurt INSOL and thighs and waist to strength. The fungi that left me in the groin of both mushrooms and sweat seemed little remains raw. If I had seen the back and lower back where it ends, I would think on a cruise with a group of Scandinavian sailors who had finished lubricant. There were threats, fierce eyes, joy by decree, riot artificial, false euphoria and one of the most exhausting evenings I live in, not to say decadent and boring.

I knew that in other years there were drunken fights, dead horses, fainting, horses uploaded to the subway, brawls, trash all sides, traffic chaos, run over, but had never lived so close. At the top of the blessed ride, there was a scuffle apparently out of passion-alcohol in the main square which resulted in several murders.

Nowhere I could not help recover the playful, pleasant nature, the fluidity of a spontaneous day looking landscapes and a good conversation basking in the warmth of good drinks and a nice meal. I found only appearances and vulgarity, meanness and aggression, drunkenness bad, the ugly vanity, poses and tricks, superficiality and posh beauty. I believe in me, I have enough reason never to return.

When I asked the group why not Thursday gone, surprised me, I was told that all of that, that pure horsemen, years of experience, equestrian training ancestor, ancestry, taste and conviction, never paid for such a riot, that this violated all norms of respect for animals and for others and that the cement detracted from the real meaning of a green parade in its purest aesthetic and philosophical concept. I retaliate with indignation that occurred to me how even think they were going to such a monstrosity that prostitutes pure conceptual meaning of the ride as such, do not count on them to lend itself to such a device of ostentation, careerism and superficiality. That truth riders, who loved the art of horsemanship, never saw them in such a grotesque media.

With the shame of a newcomer who commits a blunder through ignorance, I realized that I deserved what I went through and chose filipichín embelequero and change the subject.