Upon our return from Quépos, our good friend and neighbour, Alfredo clanked on our patio door, shouting,"Upe, Upe!" We could sense Alfredo's excitement; he seemed to have big news to share, and big news it was, indeed: tomorrow, he was an entrant in a prestigious dance competition, and we were on the exclusive list of invitees.
He and his dance coach, Marcial, his younger brother, had been tirelessly training and felt anxious, yet quietly confident at Alfredo's chances of finally receiving the coveted Medalla de Oro.
I could see the steely determination and competitive drive in the eyes and posture of Coach Marcial and the almost casual arrogance of Alfredo (El Lobo), his student.
The road to success, however, would be longer and more filled with obstacles than we expected. On our way to the venue, the streets were overrun by horses off all shapes, colours and sizes ridden by outiftted cabarellos- El Tope, or horse parade, that featured over 1,700 entrants.
Some of them foreshadowed the dancing to come,
others preferred a more comfortable and relaxing mode,
and there were those who made sure that they took advantage of every refreshment stop along the route.
As El Tope drew to an end,
we made our way to the ballroom where Marcial gave final instructions to El Lobo, who was engaged in last minute relaxation techniques.
Finally, the moment we had all been awaiting with growing anticipation arrived-the performance,
a dazzling display of artistic delight, each series of steps and moves enthralling the audience as the performance built to its breath-taking conclusion.
Another of many remarkable days in San Ramón.
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