Second Issue

Beware Women Selling Flowers: A Cautionary Tale

According to the Sur in English the San Miguel Fair in Torremolinos is one of the province´s most popular fairs. I was among the approximately 230,000 people attending the romeria, a type of parade which is the precursor to the feria, in Torremolinos on September 20th. I really enjoyed the spectacle of caravans decorated in fabric and flowers pulled by pairs of oxen or tractors followed by groups of people. Each caravan and its entourage form a team, and huge efforts are made to bring pride to one´s team by decorating the caravan extravagantly and by dressing in traditonal flamenco-style garb.
Some teams had musical instruments, others had music played over loudspeakers from the caravan. One cart was decorated with flowers and fans made from newspaper. A sign on the back stated that they didn´t have money for flowers! There were even a couple of decorated shopping carts. From what I could tell the main purpose of the caravans/carts was to carry food and drink for the team members. There was singing, dancing, drinking, eating and generally lots of merriment.
I was interested in seeing one particular cart as an aquaintance of mine was part of that group. While I waited for ´Los Pinillos´ to pass, I was approached by two ladies carrying red carnations. They asked me if I wanted to buy a flower and being naive to the ways of Spanish festivals and flower sellers, I thought it was part of the spirit of the romeria. Well my dear readers, it is not. These ´ladies´are extremely talented sleight of hand artists. They are such skilled magicians that they could work in Las Vegas. All of the money was removed from my wallet without me even having a clue. This was not the clumsy purse-snatching one would find on the streets of North America, nor was it the bag-slashing that is common in Central America. This was a well rehearsed performance. Had I watched it happen on a stage I would have applauded.
The police were not surprised, in fact they seemed rather blase about my predicament and provided me with a telephone number where I could call and report the crime. After having done this, I went to the local branch of the National Police to sign my report and receive a copy. The very helpful officer at the Benalmadena branch was also not surprised. In fact, the only thing that surprised the Spanish people was how much money I was carrying with me. I have learned my lesson and want to share it with you.
Where ever you may be, enjoy yourself but be cautious!