Dia de la Independencia

Spent a good chunk of the day dining with friends - I love a long talk over a long lunch - and made it back to the center of town in time for yet another parade. Being Dia de la Independencia, this was a historical parade, conducted partly by costumed horsemen portraying figures central to the rebellion charging down the street at full gallop and partly by plenty of people walking at a rather slower pace. If you're not familiar with the story of Mexican independence, there's a great video here showing the entire story, as told by schoolchildren. And I mean the entire story, including hobby horses and a ribbon that just won't come off the very important scroll. Go watch it.

I missed the activities at the little escuela, so I watched the parade itself. As always, click the photos to see them larger.

I'm fairly certain this guy is supposed to be Juan Aldama. The scabbard in his right hand seemed very close when he galloped by.

Ignacio Allende reins in his horse.



Post-parade traffic jam, San Miguel de Allende style.

UPDATE: More fireworks tonight, but I wasn't at the Jardin for them. I heard them going off and ran upstairs to shoot from the roof. Not a great shot, but it'll give you an idea of how the festivities ended for the evening.
Red, green and white fireworks over the Parroquia.