ome
Ondas del Lago
Contributed Content
Steve Sleightholm
Steve's Venezuela Memoirs
Cock Fights
Steve Sleightholm's Venezuela Memoirs
Cock Fights
Speaking of "cock fights".....
Back to Tia Juana and this time to Campo Rojo. Remember we think of Tia Juana as
where the Americans lived and then later native V's who had higher level jobs
such as teacher, doctor, etc. -- that was Campo Verde. Campo Rojo was right
across the road (Carretera Nacional) and that brings back several memories not
involving killing of animals for the sensitive readers. Campo Rojo was for the
native workers. If you rode into the camp you found a scene resembling our
current view of Tijuana, Mexico. The camp consisted of single-story homes.
Instead of beds in the bed-rooms there were hooks in the walls to accommodate
hammocks and several people could be stacked into a room. There yards were
barren of grass in most cases and full of potted plants and then broken down
cars. Multiple families lived in the home of anyone with a job with Creole. The
Creole employee supported all those living in the house. I knew families with 14
kids who slept and ate in shifts.
Anyway, in spite (I use the word a lot) of the poverty by our standards, the
people were happy, clean and really enjoyed life. And Saturday nights they cut
loose. Campo Rojo for those who do not know had a club though not as fancy as
ours, but what they had what Campo Verde did not have was - "music". For years I
used to lie awake listening to the Latino music going into the wee hours of the
night. The music is embedded in my memory but I can't hum a tune if I tried.
Well, that brings me to the original subject "cock fights". I used to go over to
Campo Rojo with friends and we would go to the cock fights. We drank Cuba Libres
and some smoked and we watched the bloody fights. The feathers flew and the
cocks struck and the chicken blood flew. It was a great time. Campo Rojo did not
have a swimming pool but they something more -- spirit and a love of life.
Previous
Page Next Page
Index
