Friends of ours asked if we wanted to join in on a Bocce game in the park. We had never played Bocce but evidently one could play with no experience and no special outfits, so we agreed that Friday afternoon around 1:00 we would meet at our place and drive out to the Las Canteras park, play a game, picnic lunch, and enjoy the fine February weather.
The Las Canteras park is new to Ralph and I, so we drove over in advance to check it out, have a cigar (Ralph) and maybe find a new running location (Me) at the same time. Armed with a print out of the Google map, we drove over and parked and tada! discovered a fabulous park. It is the old mine for the Oaxacan green stone which is used in many of the public buildings around town. After all the stone was mined, it ended up being a bit of a landfill, until several years ago the city thought to turn it into a park. It is a lovely park with lots of places to sit and gaze at the cliffs and ponds. Still a work in progress, but lots of fun potential already.
Friday the weather was perfect, and we found a nice spot with some shade to play bocce. After the first trial toss of the balls, we divided into teams and quickly discovered that tossing took only one hand and we could hold the beer we brought with the other. Crack open the Corona, people!
A few ends in, and the local police wander over. Not to throw my fellow players and friends completely under the bus, but they scattered like marbles when the "Policia" approached. I walk over, beer in hand, smile on my face. "Buenas tardes."
The policeman explains to me that we are not permitted to enjoy beer in the park. As the rules are the same in Canada, I get it. I was wondering what the rules were here, so good to know that we need to pick up plastic cups for the next event.
In Canada, though, this discussion would be followed by the police confiscating the open beer, and perhaps asking to inspect our cooler bags for more of the substance, maybe asking us to put the unopened beer into our car.
In my best Spanish, I asked if we could finish the beer we had on the go, and Of Course! Yes! Just no new beer.
Right. No problem at all, we can totally work with that. We laughed that only in Mexico would the police be so reasonable.
My team won the Bocce game, in case you were wondering... Here is a pic of Ralph measuring out the distances, just to make sure...
The Las Canteras park is new to Ralph and I, so we drove over in advance to check it out, have a cigar (Ralph) and maybe find a new running location (Me) at the same time. Armed with a print out of the Google map, we drove over and parked and tada! discovered a fabulous park. It is the old mine for the Oaxacan green stone which is used in many of the public buildings around town. After all the stone was mined, it ended up being a bit of a landfill, until several years ago the city thought to turn it into a park. It is a lovely park with lots of places to sit and gaze at the cliffs and ponds. Still a work in progress, but lots of fun potential already.
A few ends in, and the local police wander over. Not to throw my fellow players and friends completely under the bus, but they scattered like marbles when the "Policia" approached. I walk over, beer in hand, smile on my face. "Buenas tardes."
The policeman explains to me that we are not permitted to enjoy beer in the park. As the rules are the same in Canada, I get it. I was wondering what the rules were here, so good to know that we need to pick up plastic cups for the next event.
In Canada, though, this discussion would be followed by the police confiscating the open beer, and perhaps asking to inspect our cooler bags for more of the substance, maybe asking us to put the unopened beer into our car.
In my best Spanish, I asked if we could finish the beer we had on the go, and Of Course! Yes! Just no new beer.
Right. No problem at all, we can totally work with that. We laughed that only in Mexico would the police be so reasonable.My team won the Bocce game, in case you were wondering... Here is a pic of Ralph measuring out the distances, just to make sure...
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