Tuesday, December 18, 2012

CIRCO HERMANO VAZQUEZ

Trooping it back from a long mission in outer Queens, and back down into Flushing, we were making our
way past the industrial rim near Citi Field where the road becomes dirt and is lined with all manner
of Auto Body shops and Flat-Fixers.
Then, a more-than unexpected sight: this BIG TOP  in the normally empty lot that is
home to the Corona Maintenance Facility.

Circo Hermano Vazquez has been in operation in Mexico for 40 years.  Still, the set-up in the lot
had a sort of bootleg, old-school, travelling circus vibe.  I mean, it is a travelling circus, but the the whole
thing seemed a little on the lawless side.  Like -- let's get in -- and get out.  They didn't have any kind of
brochure or pamphlet about the show, but the Ticket Lady made me out the schedule on a piece of paper
that she cut out from the back of a big envelope.

We left the proper entry grounds and followed the fence that lines the Maintenance lot, which had
all sorts of trailers and equipment for the circus set up for several blocks.  We saw this motorcycle
with training wheels.

It was super small.

Then there was this camel.  A giant, dirty two-hump camel.  You could reach out and touch it.


We also saw this stand that I think is used either with lions or elephants.  Finally, there were some
picnic tables set-up but there were a bunch of clowns eating from Chinese Food cartoons and when I asked
if I could take a picture, one of them threw a ball of aluminum foil at me.