Little Red Riding Hood Comes to Mérida
As you wander the streets of Mérida's "centro histórico" you will see on many street corners little plaques with a picture and a caption. These date back to an era when many people were illiterate. The signs would refer to an old street name or a nearby landmark, and the pictures would help those who could not read to find their way around the city. Some of the signs are obvious, such as the one which says "Teatro" on a corner next to the Peón Contreras Theater. But others are more obscure, and I am sure they refer to some anecdote from the city's past. Yesterday I took a picture of one of the most baffling of all. The caption says "La Caperurcita Roja"... Little Red Riding hood.
If any residents reading this blog, happen to know the story behind this sign, please let me know.
It would make a fascinating book if some local historian would compile a catalog of all these signs with the explanations behind them. Perhaps someone already has.
This sign dates from Mérida's long-ago past, and was conceived to help wolves (which were common in the city at that time) to find Little Red Riding Hood.
ReplyDeleteFortunately for her, the wolves were all from northern spots such as the northern USA and Canada, and as such, could not read signs in Spanish. They also weren't particularly clever at icons, either.
And thus, Little Red Riding Hood was the first Gringo expat to buy an old, dilapidated colonial house, restore it, and live happily ever after SOB.
Saludos,
Kim G
Boston, MA
Where we could swear we just heard some kind of huffing and puffing.
LOL. At first I thought you were giving me a legitimate answer. It wasn't until the end of the first sentence that I realized that your comment was a put-on!
DeleteI almost fell too...
ReplyDeleteAt least I'm not alone!
DeleteI don't know the story behind this one, but I know the house, which is a couple of blocks from where I live. The resident is a friendly retired teacher. I am sure if you see her when passing by that she would be happy to explain the story to you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Marc. I don't know if I will get a chance to talk to her since tomorrow is my last day in Mérida. But I will keep that in mind for a future trip.
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