Mariachi bands in Plaza Girabaldi

Mariachi bands in Plaza Girabaldi, DF
Originally uploaded by Michael Hollander

My last night in DF, I decided to stray a bit from my hotel (most nights I didn´t go too far from the hotel) and wandered over to Plaza Girabaldi, about a mile away. I´m not sure if this happens every night, but the night I was there, the plaza was completely full of both Mariachi bands and locals hanging out to watch the bands.

The place basically worked like this - everyone hangs around and drinks or chats or eats or whatever, including the mariachis. Every once in a while, someone will pay one of the bands $10 or so and they play a few songs. As you wander around, there is almost always at least 1 band playing if not 2 or 3....

I went alone, but met an awesome
couple at a restaurant-bar and spent the night hanging out with them (Alex and Paul - she is starting at Yale in a few weeks to get an MFA in Acting and he said he "writes a little".) We had some beers, watched some mariachi, and then grabbed a cab home. Not a bad way to end the night!