Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Bachata Pre Party
So today we got up for breakfast and at 12 o'clock duly went over to the Sheraton to register. There were only a couple of other people doing the same so we anticipated a quick in and out after which we could look round a bit more of the city. However after asking if we were dancers or spectators (obviously we and everyone else who came after us said dancers) they couldnt find our names on the list and we stood around waiting for them to get themselves organised for 15 minutes before I got annoyed at being ignored and loudly asked what was going on...it seems if you speak English things get done wheras if you try and speak spanish they ignore you. So after eventually deciding we were spectators they found our names and gave us our wristbands. We then had to ask at the desk opposite about the party that night as the staff doing the wristbands clearly didnt know anything about the congress! Eventually we found out where the pre-party that night was taking place, it is not where it is advertised on their banner or website....then left to get a coffee and but some Redbull for the congress. We went for a look round other than at the shopping mall and found ourselves in a large market type place but that was full of printing stalls, we debated going back and telling the staff at the congress about it as they didnt have any programs to pick up at the registration. There were so many printing machines that the noise was quite immense and it was a superb spectacle to see all from the very modern, high tech computerised presses to ancient, hand fed, turn the wheel manually type, all of which were working busily. We went back to the hostel to get out of the heat as it was another scorching hot day and eventually got ready to go to the party which we were especially looking forward to as it was supposedly a bachata party! We took a metro bus some way then walked a couple of blocks to the Barranco Bar and with our wristbands got in for free to find quite a large hall with a big stage and a reasonable sized dancefloor. There were already quite a few people there and we took a seat at the edge where I changed my shoes and we bought a bottle of water each, surprised at how cheap it was, only S2 which is less than a dollar, unusual for a club! After listening and watching for a couple of songs to get the feel of the place, we got up and had a couple of dances (salsa) finding that the floor was incredibly good, no slopes, no ridges and spinny yet with a slight stickiness just enough to feel secure that your feet aren't going to disappear from under you! The place gradually filled up and we could tell some of the performers from their dancing and others from the fact they all wore the same t shirts and only danced with each other! Neither of us got asked to dance all night even though we asked a few people ourselves and had some ok dances, but really we didnt care as it was so good to be back dancing in a place with different music and amongst other people who can actually dance :) At about 11.30 an announcement was made and we all cleared the floor for the shows...they were all bachata even if the music the rest of the night wasnt. They started off with the student groups and gradually progressed up through the ranks until finally we watched an incredible show by the couple ranked 3rd in the world who truly deserve their title as they were so polished and so good!! During the evening I had the opportunity to speak to Sarah Paddy Jones, the English lady who is in the Guinness book of records for being the oldest salsa dancer. She is lovely and lives not far from Birmingham so we were able to chat about home for a while, nice as neither of us speaks much Spanish and so can sometimes feels a bit left out of things. After the shows there was more dancing and we were some of the last to leave at the music changed to club stuff for the final 15 minutes.. We jumped in a taxi who only charged half of what we were expecting for 4 in the morning and when we arrived back at the hostel collapsed into bed with sore feet and aching muscles but smiles on our lips.
- comments