My New Little Friend

I just got back this morning from the 6th Festival Internacional de las Artes de Lerdo. Lerdo is located in northern Mexico in the state of Durango, just a few minutes drive from the big city of Torreon. TUBA JAM played Monday night and I stayed an extra day to take in more of the city and the festival.

Making music with Dan, Laloc and special guest Ken Basman, meeting new friends, eating too much delicious food, exploring a new town, midnight birthday serenades, my little brain starts spinning when I begin to think of where to start.

I guess I'll start with my stomach.

Monday morning Laloc and I were escorted to 1 of the local restaurants that was affiliated with the festival. The restaurant was in an old house that was about a 5 minute walk from our hotel. We joined several of the other festival participants at a large table. I ordered Juevos Rancheros, eggs smothered in salsa with a side of beans. The food was excellent and I returned the next morning for a breakfast of only beans and rice. Some of the best rice I have ever had and all of the meals were accompanied by mouth watering salsa and fresh tortillas. My stomach and I were very happy.

While I was enjoying my first breakfast, Julio Sahagun Sanches, who I would come to find out later in the day is a young payaso or clown from Irapuato, Guanajuato, was speaking about some of the other delicious foods to be had in Lerdo. Julio was talking about the gorditas that are typical to the Lerdo area. They are much larger than the gorditas that are served here in Guanajuato and they are not made from masa or corn but they are made with flour which makes for a more pita bread like pocket. It sounded like something I should try so I kept an eye out for any signs reading Gorditas.

Yesterday, while walking through the jardin that was directly in front of our hotel I spotted my gordita guy.

Look closely, under the restaurant.

The last 1/3 of my piacadillo y papas gordita.

The gorditas was big and yummy. I could have eaten every bit, but what about my new little friend?

My little friend came out from under the restaurant.

Always nice to have a friend help you clean up.

So if you ever find yourself in the jardin in the center of Lerdo, eating a gordita, don't forget to look under the restaurant and see who might be there.

I'll have more posts over the next few days. More sights from Lerdo, stories of making music with my trumpet as well as my 1st midnight birthday serenade.