Day 47: Shindig!

José, from Seville, was the one who organized Pepelu's (from Jerez) birthday while he was away. He got the keys to his house and filled it with people on a Friday night in October. I don't know if he intended to surprise him; if so, he succeeded, but not exactly as he expected. When Pepelu arrived from the station, he had a big look of surprise on his face, but not because of the party, which could be heard three blocks away, but because his house was full of people he didn't know.

But Pepelu, despite himself, knew he was the host of the party and behaved as such. He hopped in the shower, washed away his tiredness and sweat, and came out ready to enjoy the party… because it was his party.

I, who had arrived at the same time as the guest of honor, was doing my own thing during the party, playing foosball or practicing my fledgling German: Mein deutsch ist sehr arm.

That's why I didn't notice when a bunch of Andalusians arrived with their instruments on their shoulders. When I became aware of the music, they had already established themselves in Pepelu's room, which was as big as a living room. They were in a circle, and everyone around them was singing and dancing. Pepelu was playing the Spanish guitar (I'll make a small digression: I have never seen anyone play the guitar better. Incredible!) and his friends were playing the cajón, bongos... Here is a sample of the music from that night, which Héctor recorded with his mobile phone:

But they didn't just bring their instruments. The Andalusian musicians came with boxes and boxes of Alhambra beer (Where did they get it?) and little bottles of Luis Felipe brandy. Actually, we all brought something to share without being told. I brought a lot of beers and some chips (a fact: in this country chips are much more expensive than beer). So the party continued until the wee hours. The next day I sent Pepelu a message to help him clean the house, but he didn't reply. I guess he was resting.

Anyway, it was a very enjoyable night where everyone had a great time and got to know each other a little better. A group is starting to form, and I'm realizing that I need a bicycle to get around the city, because at night there isn't much tram frequency and it took me almost an hour to get home.

Next post: Day 52: Rower on Land

Previous post: Day 42: Trip to Rostock