Tag: Costume

Finally Some Oxygen!!

Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia – April 6, 2019

Departing from La Paz, one must always wake up early. Fortunately, when it is a domestic flight, it is not crazy early. Our driver from Mujeres al Volante (Women at the Wheel) was right on time for our 05:00 pick up from home.

When we can, we use Mujeres al Volante to get us around La Paz. As one can tell from the business name, it is an all-female taxi service. We like that idea because it gives women a chance they might not otherwise have. The service operates, in part, via WhatsApp. After arranging for a pickup, the service sends a text message via WhatsApp with the name, photograph, and cellular phone number of the driver. Additionally, one also receives a picture of the vehicle, including the license plate. That allows for confirmation of the ride before getting in the car.

In our experience, each driver is very kind. Each driver is also very conscientious and safe. For example, this morning, our driver stopped at every red light. That may not be all that unusual in La Paz; however, our driver remained stopped until the light turned green. That is a bit unusual. Several other drivers stopped or slowed, only to continue through the intersection. Those few stops did not hamper our progress. We quickly and safely made it to the airport at El Alto by 05:45.

It was quick and easy to check-in for our 07:30 Boliviana de Aviación (BOA) flight. After clearing the security checkpoint, we sat at Uyu café. We both had a coffee. Leslie also had a toasted ham and cheese croissant. She said it was unusually delicious, especially for airport food.

Cloudy conditions did not interfere with the air traffic. We had no problems seeing our BOA airplane arrive at the jet bridge. About 30-minutes after the aircraft arrived, we boarded. Then, right on time, we pushed back from the gate at 07:30.

Our Bolivian Airlines jet approaches the boarding gate.

At roughly 4,115 meters (13,500 feet), there is not an abundance of oxygen. The main runway at El Alto International Airport is 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) long. It seemed our airplane used about 3,990 meters of the runway before finally lifting off the ground. Even jet airplanes have trouble at that altitude. Quite frankly, that is no doubt part of the reason for so many early morning flights. As the air heats up during the day, the lifting capacity of the air diminishes.

La Paz nestles amongst the mountains and cliffs along the west side of the Andes. Santa Cruz de la Sierra, our destination, is about 554 kilometers (344 miles) east and south of La Paz. That meant our flight went directly over the Andes. Seeing some of the highest peaks in Bolivia from the air is beautiful. Two offered some breathtaking views that morning, Illimani (6,438 meters/21,122 feet) and Huayna Potosí (6,088 meters/19,974 feet). Illimani is the second highest peak in Bolivia, Huayna Potosí is the fifth highest.

We landed at Viri Viri International Airport right on time, 08:35. As soon as we deplaned, we both felt like Olympic athletes! There was more oxygen than our bodies had encountered in quite some time! We felt like we could jog to the hotel. A mere 55-minutes later we arrived at the Marriott Hotel…via a van.

The reason for our oxygen “high” was because we were low. In a little over one-hour, we transitioned from 4,115 meters to 416 meters (1,365 feet); about a 90-percent decrease in altitude! We were as giddy as junior high school kids…well maybe not, but we sure felt great!

After brunch at the hotel, we got in a taxi and headed to the Cathedral of Santa Cruz. Our driver let us out on the west side of the Central Plaza. The beautifully landscaped plaza covers one city block, containing many sidewalks. At the center of the square is a statue of Colonel Ignacio Warnes (1770-1816). He famously liberated the city of Santa Cruz in about 1813.

A statue of Colonel Ignacio Warnes in the center of the Central Plaza.

From the moment we exited our taxi, we heard a band playing. As we walked through the plaza, we headed toward the cathedral at the southeast corner of the square. In formation and at the front of the cathedral, was the Banda Intercontinental Poopó (the Poopó Intercontinental Band). The band hails from the Bolivian city of Oruro. The group, formed in 1964, it is famously known for playing Bolivian folk music. Every year the band performs during Carnaval in Oruro.

There were about 50 band members on the steps in front of the cathedral. Their uniforms are distinct, each member wearing a red jacket with gold and yellow accents. The jackets have the name of the band emblazoned diagonally across the chest. Dazzling white slacks offset the red coats. Each side of the pants also carries the name of the group. The white shoes are like none I have ever seen. To top it all off each member wears a brownish hardhat that carries the name of the band.

When we arrived, dozens and dozens of people surrounded the band, enjoying the music. The first song we heard was the Bolivian national anthem. After the anthem, they segued to a Bolivian folk song. We listened and watched for several minutes before entering the cathedral.

The Poopó Band playing in front of the cathedral.

The band smartly lined up on the stairs.

The pants and shoes are pretty snappy too!

The Cathedral of Santa Cruz, completed in 1915, is also known as the Basílica Menor de San Lorenzo Martir (Minor Basilica of St. Lawrence Martyr). St. Lawrence was a Spanish deacon martyred in Rome in 258. Inside, the altar that is opposite the entry point immediately draws one’s attention. The basilica is all brick and concrete except for the beautiful vaulted wooden ceilings. These vaulted ceilings are over the central aisle as well as the two side aisles.

We opted to walk along the right-side aisle toward the front of the basilica. A typical sight in a Catholic church is prayer candles. However, I have never seen them done as they were in the basilica. At strategic points, there are metal tables. Each table is about two-feet by four-feet with upturned edges. On the flat surface, worshipers place candles. The melted wax gathers on the tabletop without harming anything else in the basilica. In front of a crucifix and depictions of Mary and Joseph were two of these tables. Off to one side of the display is a hinged door with a small slot. Many worshipers place money in the slot while admiring the display.

Jesus on the cross with Mary and Joseph below.

Further along the aisle is a wooden and glass display case. Inside are depictions of Mary, Joseph, and a young Jesus. I am not sure who the depicted person is on the left side of the display. As with the crucifix display, another, albeit smaller, metal table for prayer candles sat in front of the display case. A donation box was also available.

This case depicts Mary in the center and Jesus and Joseph on the right.

The prayer candles in front of the display.

The next display was a life-size statue, possibly depicting St. Lawrence. Just beyond that statue, at the right side of the altar was a depiction of Mary. While we were there, a woman stood in front of the figure the entire time.

A woman standing in front of a depiction of Mary.

When crossing from one side of the basilica to the other, the enormous scale of the altar area is striking. The height and depth make it an expansive space, yet it does seem inviting. Because the Easter Season is approaching, purple draping is behind the altar and tabernacle. That is a pleasing offset to the wood ceilings and the mainly white walls and columns. It also makes the silver tabernacle visually pop from the space.

The base of the altar is unique. It appears to be hand-carved wood bas relief. The scene depicts Jesus among several Latinos. The Latinos are in relatively modern looking clothing, not clothing from their native past. Some of the men sport traditional hats. The lone woman does not appear to have her head covered at all. The painting of the bas relief helps bring the scene to life.

The purple draping in anticipation of Easter.

On the left side of the altar is a statue of Peter, complete with the keys to the Kingdom.

Outside the small chapel is another depiction of Mary and one of Jesus. Both have space for worshipers to place prayer candles. The chapel is small and cozy. The tabernacle is the focus of the chapel as it is in most Catholic churches.

Some prayer candles in front of a depiction of Mary.

The prayer candles in front of the statue of Jesus.

Leaving the chapel area, one encounters another bas relief. This bas relief depicts the Holy Trinity. It looks ancient.

A man and woman stop in front of the side crucifix.

We could hear the Poopó Band during our entire visit to the basilica. When we emerged, we saw some dancers performing between the band and the group of onlookers. At one point, a man from the crowd began dancing to the folk song played at that moment.

At the left is a man dancing to the music of the Poopó Band.

Dozens and dozens of people enjoying the band.

Three members of one of the dance groups.

Departing the basilica area, we opted to walk along the east side of the Central Plaza. Along the way, I spotted the “Barcelona” money exchange. Because of our time in Spain, I just had to take a photograph. We crossed the street and entered a tourist gift shop. After much looking, we spotted a hand-carved depiction of the Holy Family. Carved to appear like native Bolivians, both Mary and Joseph are unique. Even though we have a lot of Nativity scenes already, we could not resist this opportunity. The man that served us was very kind. He also agreed to have his photograph made while he was wrapping our purchase.

The cathedral as seen from the Central Plaza.

Looking south toward the cathedral along 24 de Septiembre.

The man from whom we purchased the wooden set of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus.

Next door was another tourist shop. There we decided we had to have two Bolivian blankets. Much like the other store, the woman serving us was kind and posed for a photograph.

The woman from whom we purchased our “cholita” blankets.

At this point, it was near noon. We saw an Irish Pub on the second level of a shopping mall. It had open windows overlooking the Central Plaza. We decided that was the place to be. We walked upstairs and ordered a couple of beers. Since we had brunch at the hotel, we decided to snack on some French fries. Just as noted above, our server was kind and posed for a photograph. In return, she captured Leslie and me at our very best…

From our vantage point above the plaza, we saw a lot. I think one of the most interesting sights was the two chess tables set up at the side of the square, both occupied by chess players. For the entire time we were in the area, the Poopó Band played. They never took a break. I am sure they were exhausted whenever they finally did stop playing.

White flowers in a tree across from the Irish Pub.

Three costumed girls walking through Central Plaza.

It sounds German, but it is made in Bolivia.

One of the local security people in the Central Plaza.

Detail of the cross atop the cathedral spire.

The Santa Cruz municipal government building. The Bolivian flag is red, yellow, and green. The green and white flag is for Santa Cruz.

After our refreshments, we called for our taxi and returned to the hotel for a well-deserved nap.

The two “cholita” blankets we bought in a store just off the Central Plaza.

Before we departed La Paz, our good friends Joe and Tia told us we needed to eat at the steakhouse, La Cabrera. We made reservations there for our first night in Santa Cruz. Prior to arriving at the steakhouse, we had a glass of wine in the lobby of the hotel. Drinks complete, we got in our taxi and rode to the steakhouse.

The recommendation of the steakhouse was spot-on! The building is two-stories; however, once inside, one can see the steakhouse has three separate levels on which to dine. Our table happened to be on the ground floor. Once seated, the wait staff immediately greeted us and asked for our beverage preference. Oddly enough, we selected a bottle of wine. We had a bottle of Juan Cruz Tannat which was one of the most delicious wines I have experienced.

The bottle of wine we enjoyed with dinner.

For our starter, we selected Provoleta al Orégano (grilled provolone cheese with oregano). It was a superb way to begin our meal. We each chose the half-portion Argentinian steak for our main course. Brought to the table on a sizzling serving platter, it is almost like a fajita platter. The server cut a portion for each of us and placed it on our plates. About a dozen small ramekins containing a variety of sauces and dressings accompanied the steak. A fresh green salad came was also part of the fare. The steak, done to perfection, massaged the tongue with each bite.

I am glad we each ordered a half portion. The steaks were huge! Nearly the size of a dinner plate! I do not know what we would have done with the leftovers if we each had ordered a full steak. As it was, we could barely make it through what we had. Based on the previous sentence, one may wonder just why we ordered dessert…because we could!

Our dessert was some enormous chocolate concoction. While it was good, it was not my favorite. It may have lacked the real chocolate punch I expected. I am sure part of the issue is that I am not a big dessert eater anyway. Regardless, we both highly recommend La Cabrera. It is worth the effort to get there.

On Sunday we walked from the hotel to the Ventura Mall. The mall is an easy walk, only about one-half mile. The first store we entered was Supermercado Tia. WOW! What a grocery store! La Paz does not have that supermarket. It seemed we were in a whole different country.

The store has an entry to the mall. When we arrived, the mall was not yet open. That meant we spent our time wandering through the store. On the street side of the store was a small café. We each had a coffee and watched the other shoppers walk through the store. After our coffee, we joined the wanderers. The store had everything under one giant roof. We saw everything for which we usually shop. That is different than the area where we live. When we go shopping at home, it is not unusual to have to go to between two and four different stores to find everything we want. We made some mental notes of what we wanted to get from the store when we walked back to the Marriott.

When we entered the mall, we saw a modern, glistening, three-story structure. We strolled through every inch of the mall. On the upper level is a large movie theater complex. We almost went in to see a movie…almost. We decided not to go in because we did not see a film that we found interesting. So, we walked through a small hallway and discovered a large food court. There were some vendors we did not recognize, but there were many we did know; Kentucky Fried Chicken, Subway, and Burger King, to name a few.

We had not eaten at Burger King for a long time, so we decided that day was the day. We each ordered a flame-broiled Whopper, fries, and a drink. Leslie found a place to sit while I waited for our meal. That was when I noticed the flame broiling did not take place there. That appears to have happened elsewhere. A microwave heats the hamburger patties before placing them on the bun. The Whopper was ok, but it was not what we were expecting.

Leaving the food court, we stopped at Supermercado Tia to buy a few things and then walked back to the hotel. We spent the rest of the day lounging.

That evening, we had dinner at the hotel. At the entry to the restaurant, there is a large ametrine crystal, about 18 inches wide by 12 inches tall, a purple and white quartz only found in Bolivia, on display. I have no clue about the value of that piece. The stone contains both citrine and amethyst.

We had an excellent dinner topped off with Flor de Caña 18 rum…my kind of dessert!

A huge specimen of ametine at the Marriott.

An after-dinner drink of Flor de Caña 18.

On Monday, one of my tasks was to view the local Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) office. APHIS is a part of the United States Department of Agriculture. It was at that office I saw the most unusual wall painting. In the corner of the front garden is a 3-D mural. It depicts the mission of APHIS. The mural focuses on animal husbandry and wildlife from the high mountains to the lowlands, including farming, and then on to the big cities. According to the locally employed staff member, the mural, completed by a local artist, cost only US$200 nearly 15-years ago. I am sure I will never see another wall like that one.

Thursday morning, we boarded a plane to return to La Paz. The BOA Boeing 737 we boarded that morning was unusual. A sign at the front entry to the plan proudly announced, “Pope Francis flew in this aircraft from Quito to La Paz and from La Paz to Santa Cruz on July 8, 2015.”

Our plane waiting for us to board in Santa Cruz.

This sign as we entered the airplane read, “Pope Francis flew in this aircraft from Quito to La Paz and from La Paz to Santa Cruz on July 8, 2015.”

The flight to La Paz was quick and uneventful. Once we were on the ground, our bodies screamed that we seemed to have left a lot of oxygen behind! Even though we were only absent from La Paz for five nights, our bodies had to reacclimate to the thin air of La Paz. Regardless, it was good to be back home. We like the weather in La Paz much more than Santa Cruz. La Paz is cool and dry. Santa Cruz is hot and humid.

A worker’s legs dangling through the trellis at the pool area.

A panorama of Santa Cruz, looking east from the swimming pool deck at the hotel.

Holi – Phagwah

New Haven, Guyana – March 17, 2014

The ancient Hindu spring festival of colors is known as Holi or Phagwah. In those countries which celebrate Phagwah, one risks getting smeared with colors if leaving the house; especially when wearing light-colored clothing.
The festival date can move from year to year based on the vernal equinox. The real themes of Phagwah are spring and the victory of good over evil. The last full moon of the Hindu month Phalguna sets the event.
The eve of Phagwah begins with what is known as a Holika bonfire. Holika was the evil daughter of an evil king. He was evil, in part, because he thought he was the only God and should be worshiped by all. One of his sons refused to worship him, so the king punished him. Somehow Holika was able to trick the son into sitting with her on a pyre. In the end, the fire consumed her but not her son. The Hindu God, Vishnu, killed the evil king. So, the bonfire symbolizes the victory of good over evil.
The following day, Holi or Phagwah gets into full and colorful swing. The colors used symbolize spring’s emergence in all of its beautiful glory. To celebrate, people throw various colors onto others. Some even use the ashes from the previous night’s bonfire for the black color.
The day before Holi, Leslie and I noticed people making a large pile of what looked like old palm fronds in the vacant field across the highway. It dawned on me we had “front row” seats for that night’s Holi bonfire.

The large bundle of dried palm fronds to the right of the white canopy would later become the Holi night fire.It was just after 19:30 when we stepped onto our front terrace to watch the festivities. One of the first things I noticed is there was a full moon rising through the clouds. The other thing I noticed was the sounds of drums coming from under the tent which had been set up at the site. The sound of the drums seemed to be at a constant crescendo. It kept us on the edge of our seats for quite some time.

There was a full moon for the Holi night.

I passed my time “painting with light” as cars drove on the highway between our vantage point and the bonfire location. The crowd for the bonfire continued to build as did the sound of the drums.

Cars and pedestrians pass by the fire location.

Finally, at nearly 20:20, a group of men gathered at the base of the soon-to-be bonfire. The drums were beating steadily. We could hear the crowd that had gathered. The horns of the passing vehicles further punctuated the din. Straining to see, I could make out the start of the bonfire at the bottom of the pile.

People preparing to light the Holi fire.

In no time at all, the fire engulfed the pile. At its height, the flames had to have been nearly 45 feet tall. I imagine the heat was fairly intense for those in the crowd. We could not feel the heat from our terrace. However, we could see the embers. Luckily, many of the structures nearby are concrete block with metal roofs, so there were no other fires in the area.
As the fire died down, we decided to call it a day.

The fire begins rather small.

The Holi fire quickly grew in intensity.

The height reached by the flames was incredible.

Vehicles continue to pass by the Holi fire.

One can only imagine the heat generated by the Holi fire. It is surprising that the white canopy did not catch on fire.

A wider view of the Holi fire and spectators.

As the fire began to die down, embers were carried away by the wind. Luckily, no other fires started as a result of the embers.

The next morning, Phagwah, we both dressed for colors. Each of us had on a white top. That is like shouting for others to pelt you with colors.

Mid-morning, we headed to the Indian Cultural Centre. Unfortunately, I had been shown an incorrect location a few days before. We sat in the car at that location for nearly an hour before we decided to leave. On one street, we found a woman staffing a booth selling colors. We stopped and bought five boxes. They were about $1 per box, or $200GD.

As we were driving toward our home, we stumbled across the Indian Cultural Centre. That worked out to our benefit. Unlike last week, this time we arrived after the President of Guyana instead of waiting for him to arrive.
Shortly after we arrived, we were both doused with a white powder. That made it challenging to take a photograph of a dance troupe. Luckily I had prepared for the worst. I had covered my camera with a plastic grocery bag, leaving a hole for the lens. Even still, I did end up with some color on my camera. I was ultimately able to clean it off.

A Phagwah dance troupe was kind enough to pose for a photograph.After the photograph, we made it to the colors table. When we got there, we donated the boxes we had purchased. At the same time, we were both getting pelted with colors by those we knew and by strangers.

Leslie adding our color purchases to the community color palates.

A large tent had been set up. We found some seats near the front. The program began with a group performing a spring-themed dance. As they spun their white and gold dresses billowed at the bottom. It was a beautiful sight.

A band of musicians performing during Phagwah ceremonies.

The following group of dancers also had a spring theme. Additionally, their costumes were much more colorful. Even though I do not understand the Hindi words, the program was terrific to watch.

As one can see, Phagwah is a very colorful celebration.

The last performance we watched was a musical duo. One man played an instrument that seemed to be a combination of an accordion, a piano, and a wooden box. I don’t know what it was, but it had a unique sound. They sang as they played.

The performers under one canopy and the spectators under another canopy.

Leslie before departing the Phagwah ceremony.

You humble author a bit more colorful than when he arrived.

When we made it back to our vehicle, we opened the doors and carefully retrieved the towels we had brought with us. Since our backs were not too bad, we placed the towels in front of us to keep from coloring our seat belts.
Cleaning up when we arrived home took a little doing. As I write this, we both still have some residual color on our skin. We threw our old, stained clothing into the garbage.
Happy Holi!!

Diwali Motorcade

Le Ressouvenir, Guyana – November 2, 2013

In honor of Leslie arriving home, there was a parade — not quite. It was the Diwali motorcade. We would probably refer to it as a parade; however, here in Guyana, it is known as a motorcade.
The motorcade is the culmination of the Hindu celebration of Diwali. Diwali is an ancient Hindu celebration that came to Guyana via the indentured servants that were imported from India to Guyana during the 18th and 19th centuries. While there are several interpretations of the reason for the celebration, the focus seems to be on the legend of the marriage of Goddess Lakshmi to Lord Vishnu. During the festival, Hindus celebrate the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace, and prosperity. The lights and the fireworks demonstrate their thanks.
The motorcade travels for some five miles along the East Coast Highway to the community grounds at La Bonne Intention (LBI). The highway is the central east/west, two-lane road in the area. So, while the motorcade is in process, there is no regular traffic going either direction. That leads to inevitable traffic snarls.
During the clearing of the road, before the motorcade, there were ambulances and police vehicles speeding back and forth. One can only assume their actions were aiding in the clearing effort.

An ambulance passing by before the start of the motorcade.

A police car going the opposite direction just before the motorcade began.

Before the motorcade arrived at our viewing location, many vehicles parked along both sides of the road, each one disgorged multiple passengers, everyone looking for the best spot from which to watch. Many children across from us passed the time waiting on the floats by playing a game of jump rope.

Across from us, some young people jumped rope while waiting for the motorcade to begin.

Finally, after much waiting and anticipation, the first float arrived. The occasion reminded me of a parade of lights one might see in Anytown, USA, during the Christmas season. The only difference was it was not freezing, and there were quite a few wide gaps between many of the floats. From that first float to the last, was a constant stream of people walking alongside the floats, all heading to the conclusion at LBI.
The floats were stunning in both the lighting and the costumes of those on the floats. It was a very festive atmosphere.
In true Guyanese fashion, the music on many of the floats was loud enough to trigger avalanches in the Andes!
Nearly every passing float had a young woman posed as Lakshmi, in each case, sitting on a full-bloomed lotus flower. Most of the women held up their right hand, palm facing forward. That position signifies that one can gain wealth by worshiping her.

The first Lakshmi we saw.Another recurring theme in the motorcade was two elephants. They signify the attainment of spiritual and material prosperity.

Elephants on the front of an approaching float.

Part of the celebration includes sharing candy and cookies with others. While I was busy trying to photograph the scene, one of the participants gave Leslie a couple of sweet cookies of some sort. Unfortunately, the author received neither. Regardless, Leslie said they were delicious!
I hope the reader enjoys the following captures of the motorcade.
Happy Diwali!!

A family on the side of the road watching the motorcade.

A group across the street setting off fireworks.

A group of people walking along the road in between floats.

A very colorful float with multiple representations of Lakshmi.

Another Lakshmi from the community of Mandir.

Lakshmi as presented by the Lakhan family.

Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi from the Success Hindu Temple.

One of the taller floats in the motorcade.

There was dancing on the Edward B. Beharry and Company float.

A Lakshmi with a thumbs up while listening to Legend Sound.

Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi on the very front of a truck.

A young man seems very happy to be near so many Lakshmis.

Bee Festival

Palisade, Colorado – April 13, 2013

We decided to go to the bee festival in Palisade, Colorado. Leslie had noticed it in the newspaper a day or two ago.

The town is about 20 miles east of Fruita. It is the epicenter of Colorado’s wine industry. The festival was slated to start at 11:00. But, as is the Vice tradition, we were there by 10:30. We parked right by the railroad tracks. That provided a good view of the mesa to the north.

View to the north from the parking area at Palisade, Colorado.

Since we were a little early, we decided to get a cup of coffee. That would hopefully allow the vendor booths to get fully open and operational. We stumbled upon the Slice O’ Life Bakery on 3rd Street. Just as we entered the door, we could hear guitar music, and then we noticed it was live. The man playing was a little older than Leslie and me. As we sat there enjoying the music and coffee, he played the John Denver song, Country Roads. He played several other tunes from the ’60s and ’70s. Leslie sang right along with each song.

This guitar player did a lot of John Denver songs.

View out the door of the Slice O’ Life Bakery.

Emerging from the coffee shop, we walked to Lupita’s Bizarre Bazaar, Too. Hillary had been there before. She told us that in a former life, the store had been a bank. At the rear of the store was a vault. Inside the vault is a safe that they supposedly do not have the combination for opening. They invite customers to try their luck. Tyler did not get it open when he tried.
Lupita’s store windows and The Blue Pig Gallery provided some excellent photo opportunities.

Walking around the festival, we did see some adults and children wandering around in bee costumes.
We stopped at The Zesty Moose booth. The couple, Brian and Diana, make all of the spice mixtures and rubs. We bought three different jars to take back to Guyana; Rack Ragin’ Cajun, Twigs n’ Stix Southwest, and Willow of a Dillo Dilly. They all smelled great. We are excited to try them.
Another booth demonstrated how workers remove honey from the hives.

Part of the Bee Festival on West 3rd Street in Palisade, Colorado.

The Blue Pig Gallery on the corner of Main and 3rd.

A stretch pickup truck limo…only in Colorado!

The booth for The Zesty Moose seasonings.

This vendor was explaining how honey is extracted.

By about 11:30, we were done walking around the festival. Earlier in the day, someone mentioned that The Hot Tomato in Fruita was an excellent place for lunch. Since it was that time of day, we decided we would try it out. We walked back to the van and pointed it back west.
On Interstate 70 there is a turn-out that truckers use often. I pulled over quickly so I could take a panorama photo of Mount Garfield. At two miles and 2,000 feet elevation gain, Hillary said it is one of the toughest trails in the area.

A panorama of Mount Garfield.About 15 minutes later, we were at The Hot Tomato. It was packed, a good sign. Leslie and Tyler had a slice each of pizza with pepperoni, black olives, green peppers, and onions. Lorraine and Aunt Arlene shared a chef’s salad. Hillary and I opted for calzones. She filled hers with pepperoni, black olives, and artichoke hearts. I filled mine with a manly mixture of pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and Italian sausage. It was delicious!!
The restaurant touts its pizza as being made with love. All of the pizzas are hand-tossed. The dough used is made from scratch, not frozen. It all makes for a very fresh, delicious meal. If Leslie let me, I would go there five times a week. For anyone passing through Fruita, this is a must stop!

Tyler preparing to enter the Hot Tomato Cafe.