Lorenzo Lemaur Santana
(Documentarian: Cristina Marrero Morín, Licensed in Hispanic Philology)
With Cristina (acting as a friend and documentarian) I agreed to tour Arrecife to see the bonfires of San Juan. Natacha, also a friend and colleague from the Titerroy Neighborhood Association, joined the expedition. I dressed in old clothes, a notepad and pen in my pocket, and left home around 8 in the evening. I wanted to take a walk through Titerroy first to see where, in my neighborhood, the kids had set up bonfires.
Remembering when my friends and I, as young people, burned our bonfires, I headed behind my house. I headed towards the 100 houses, those on Luis Braile street, there, Jorgito with 4 or 5 other friends from the neighborhood, were peeling pineapples for their particular barbecue, Jorgito also told me that they would grill sardines, although I didn't see them, nor did I smell them. I commented that the pineapples seemed very tender to me but Jorgito quickly replied that they would wet them in salt water and that wrapped in platinum they would be delicious. But hey, they know. Jorgito also told me that he would sit and watch the Maneje bonfire burn, located just across the ring road, in the open space in front of Los Andes street.
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On the way to the 100 houses I passed through the lot between Ciudad Real and El Rafael streets; there, two kids, very well seated on an old sofa, were guarding their bonfire, quite large by the way. To my question they answered: "at twelve". They lit it at that time. Jorgito later told me that he didn't like it, I didn't quite understand the reason, "I prefer to see that one, (he said pointing towards the one in Maneje), here quietly".
Responding to the invitation of my colleague Pastoriza, just at 10 o'clock at night, we went to the barbecue of the Los Alonso patron saint festivities, San Juan. Upon arriving, in Cristina's car, we found parking right in front of the Sociocultural Center, as if it were reserved for us. We entered and there, among a lot of people, was the Mayor, María Isabel Déniz, with 3 other councilors from her group. Blas Cedrés, president of Altavista, and Mariló, president of Tinasoria, were also there. We had agreed to go and support our colleague Pastoriza, president of Los Alonso. I saw him very happy. Everything was going well for him. Everyone, some and others, danced to the rhythm of a small group that entertained, or ate their chop. Party, yes, party atmosphere. The three of us also ate our obligatory chop.
Upon leaving the Los Alonso Sociocultural Center, where the barbecue was taking place, I saw "El Sargo" - whom I had seen before with Jorgito in the 100 houses - organizing some boys. Later, when we returned to the 100 houses, as I had promised Jorgito, he told me that "El Sargo", who lives in Los Alonso, was there "the boss, the one who lights the bonfire".
From Los Alonso we went to the Tenorio neighborhood. From afar, as we left José Alonso street (the first inhabitant of the neighborhood that gives it its name) we saw a large bonfire, located in front of Guipúzcoa street. Upon arriving we could see people on the facades of the houses, sitting in their chairs and tables, with their food, looking at the bonfires. In addition, a lot of cars were parked in the area. Good atmosphere, in a garage, another group even had music. When we passed by the smell of grilled sardines was so intense that Cristina ordered me "that too", so that I would write it in my notepad. A lot of people looked at us strangely with a ¿what are these people doing here? face. Upon leaving the neighborhood towards León y Castillo street, someone with a camera was recording the bonfire. He looked like a professional.
It was 11 o'clock at night, when also in Tenorio, in front of Bilbao street, a group of people were looking at their small fire, while they were working on their food table. We stopped to take note and they also looked at us with a who are these people? face. A lady, from her window, was also watching the fire.
Following the route we passed through Tinasoria, where its bonfire, located next to the court, between the two neighborhoods, was not yet lit, children and young people hurried to load wood. Then we passed through Altavista, there, in the upper area, in front of Temisas street another one was already burning, small, and with its typical barbecue. In the lower area of that same street a larger one was also burning. Along the way we saw many other small bonfires, for example on La Joaquina street, already in Titerroy, even before twelve o'clock at night. The one on Ciudad Real street had not yet been lit, of course, at twelve o'clock, the guardians made it clear. Another small one was burning next to it, and many people were waiting around, on José Pereyra street and in Los Geranios square.
Without leaving Titerroy we still saw two other bonfires, in the area of the barracks, one in front of Lanzafrut and the other in the lot in front of Félix Pérez Camacho street. We continued the route towards San Francisco Javier. As soon as we entered, on Carlos V street, a small one with its barbecue and then, inside the neighborhood, we saw, at least, two others, also with their respective family barbecues. Two other good bonfires were already burning in Las Salinas, in front of Garajonay street.
But the big one, the biggest one, the most crowded one, was the one located in La Vega, below the César Manrique institute, on one side of Triana street, towards San Francisco Javier. Everything very well organized, well fenced, for security, with fireworks that were launched 10 minutes before 12 o'clock at night, as a warning that it would soon be lit, and with a luxury food for the organizers, which, as Cristina later confirmed to me, was the murga Los Gorfines. At 12 o'clock at night a firecracker warns that they would set it on fire. At that time many people had already gathered, entire families, many cars, so much so that it seemed that we were going to see the San Ginés fireworks; well, the truth is that not so many but quite a few people. Cristina and I were surprised, but Natacha already knew about it. The bonfire was about 9 meters high, made mainly of pallets, so it burned with pleasure.
While we were watching it, a great glow caught our attention, looking towards Argana Baja, we presumed that another great bonfire had been lit in Las Maretas. Meanwhile, in just 2 minutes, that entire open space in La Vega had been illuminated and at that moment, about 30 members of the organization took a photo for the memory, when the fire was at its peak. After about 7 minutes the heat was noticeable in the surroundings, even in the upper area, where we were, from where the wind was coming, all surrounded by people and cars.
Families sitting, with children, watching the fire very attentively, from all over Arrecife, although I could recognize many from the surroundings. In 10 minutes the largest of the San Juan bonfires in Arrecife was already collapsing and people began to parade, little by little but in a contagious way. The cars too. We could see up to three ambulances in the area. Caution. Later we also saw a Civil Protection van circulating. At twelve twenty the car on which we had leaned to see the bonfire more comfortably left, so we started. By the way, small traffic jam to get out of the area. As I said, many cars.
Under the tunnel we went towards Argana Baja, we had been struck by the bonfire that we presumed in Las Maretas. Indeed, there, even though it was almost half past twelve, it was guessed that it was big. In front, a group of neighbors with the typical barbecue, from which, by the way, the unmistakable smell of sardines reached us as we passed.
Then to Titerroy again, to go to Maneje, we wanted to see the same bonfire that Jorgito, if he didn't fool me, was watching while he ate his grilled pineapple. Along the way, on Félix Pérez Camacho street, in front of one of the two that we already mentioned, we saw quite a few people in the street, sitting with their little tables and their dinner in the open air. We went straight up to Maneje and, indeed, Jorgito was still in the back of the 100 houses with his buddies. The Maneje bonfire, in front of Los Andes street, gathered many neighbors, they had even put a caution sign in the street. Very good. Leaving the neighborhood was when we crossed paths with the Civil Protection van, when we were going towards Argana Alta. Going up Tenderete street, on the left, in front of Torriani street, another bonfire and again the smell of grilled sardines. How delicious! We saw another one in front of the soccer field. Also, in the upper part of the neighborhood they lit several small ones, at the very top, in front of Virgen de las Nieves street. As always, a small group, in this case young people, with their set up. We saw some more bonfires in Argana Alta.
We finished the excursion and headed to El Reducto, to see what the atmosphere was like. Little thing, some, few, bathing and a few others watching, almost no one walking. Nothing caught our attention so we continued towards Valterra. We saw along the way, where the Charco de San Ginés, in front of Ginory's bar, another large bonfire. Then, in the seafaring neighborhood par excellence, another one. From the remains at that time, past one o'clock, it must have been quite large. It was on one side of the Medular, where the old soccer field was. Cristina was surprised, she liked it so much that she exclaimed: "it looks like a volcano!", and she repeated it several times.
We decided, yes, to conclude the walk and go for a drink at the Brewery. On the way, when passing in front of the Rocar, we saw El Charco beautiful, but not a soul. At half past one we finished the job and sat down to have a drink. I also ate something, the only thing they had, little, because Cristina who had said she didn't want to ended up cheering up and left me halfway. Well, I allow her to. While I was eating, quickly so that Cristina would not finish all the ham, we commented that we had not appreciated anything of the rituals so commented about the bonfires of San Juan, of course that was in Arrecife, I do not know how it would be in the rest of the island, without ceasing to consider that many people from Arrecife went to barbecues outside the municipality.
Then, in the morning, Arrecife was almost deserted. To be graphic, in Calle Real not even the Cafetería San Francisco opened, although some clueless, to call it benevolently.
