The Gappy Bar, a piece of Nirvana in Gomez-Farias, Tamulipas...

It's hot, dusty work walking the streets of Gómez-Farías, taking in the sights and sounds of the 136th anniversary celebration, and after a while, we developed quite a thirst. Jerry was happy with his sickning sweet sugarcane drink, but Rodolfo and I craved something a bit more conventional, namely a beer. We couldn't find any vendors or stands near the parade, so we asked our friend Grady Snell where the nearest bar was. Actually, Grady was thinking the same thing too, as he and some of his friends were getting thirsty. Gómez-Farías is a small town, and has just one bar in town, The Gappy Bar, and its co-located in the same building with a restaurant named El Retiro. With Grady and his friends in the lead, we hiked the three short blocks to The Gappy Bar.

Left: Grady Snell, the tall guy with the cowboy hat, is just entering The Gabby Bar. Right: My buddy Rodolfo relaxes at the table and enjoys a cold Corona, as WWII veteran Juan looks on. Juan claims to be 81 years old, and says that he has fought the Japanese during WWII. I believe him. Yes, Mexico fought on the side of the allies during WWII.

As you walk in the door of Gappy, the first thing you'll notice is a large stand-up cooler that's full of beer, and Gappy sells Corona beer, exclusively. If Corona isn't your brand, then you're out of luck, as that's all Gappy sells. If you look to your left, you'll be looking into the kitchen of Restaurant El Retiro, and you'll get to say "hola" to María, who runs the restaurant, and to your right you'll see a long wooden table, with six chairs. The restaurant and the bar share the same table. That's right, no barstools, just a plain wooden table and six straight-back wooden chairs. Juan, the co-owner, and bartender, sits at a chair near the door, next to a stand-up fan, and appears to be half asleep most of the time. The plain, wooden walls are painted blue, and the windows don't have any glass or screens. Oh yes, don't even look for a cash register, because Gappy doesn't have one. You simply pay Juan in cash, and he will make change from bills and coins that he keeps in his pocket. Gappy Bar is not fancy or high-tech in any way, but you must remember that you're in Gómez-Farías.

Gappy Bar is a mom and pop operation, as Juan is the bartender, and María runs the restaurant, and both restaurant and bar are co-located in the same building. As in keeping with most mom and pop restaurants in small Mexican towns, El Retiro doesn't have a menu, and María will fix what you want with whatever ingredients that she has on hand. I was tempted to order a taco or two, but my main mission was to power-down a few Coronas in a small amount of time.

Left: Inside of Gappy Bar, with a peek into the kitchen of El Retiro, as Rodolfo does what he does best: Talking to the locals and drinking beer, and talking to the locals. Right: Check out the prices of beer at The Gappy Bar; I could spend all day at this place, and if I have to buy a few rounds, oh well...

What caught my attention was a homemade sign, posted on the wall next to the beer cooler, advertising a bottle of Corona beer for MEX $6.00! Holly cow! That's only about fifty cents a beer! I knew that I had found a piece of Nirvana in the small town of Gómez-Farías...

It's always been my observation that if you want to get to know the locals, and if you want to feel the pulse of the workings of a particular area, head into a small-town bar, and sit down with the locals. Gappy Bar is no exception to that rule, as its where the locals like to gather and discuss politics, town gossip and a host of other topics.

Left: One of the home boys sits next to me and enjoys the round of beer that I just had bought for the house. Right: Juan, co-owner of the bar/restaurant, sits in his chair next to the door. He was always happy to provide me with another Conora when it was needed.

Naturally the first thing I did was grab a Corona, and asked Juan to keep a tab for me, because at the price that he was charging, I was going to buy everyone a round, in order to establish a connection with everyone. Sitting next to the cooler, on another wooden chair, was Juan, who claimed that he was 81 years old, and claimed to have served with the Mexican army and to have fought the Japanese during World War II. Needless to say, Juan was a rather interesting character and quite a conversationalist, especially when he had a bottle of beer in his hand.

After buying a round for the house, Roldolfo and I sat down at the table and swapped stories, gossip and lies with the locals. A couple of locals at the bar were very amused that I can speak Spanish, and they made comments about how few gringos visit Gómez-Farías, and how few of them come to Gabby's and how few gringos socialize with the locals. In my humble opinion, half the fun of visiting a small town like Gómez-Farías is visiting with the locals!

Left: If you're looking for the restroom, this is the sight that greets you as you walk into the room. Juan said the restroom was to the left, well, I don't see it... Right: There it is, just inside the open door. Oh boy!

After I-forgot-how-many-rounds of beer, it became quite apparent that a trip to el sanitario was needed. I asked Juan where the bathroom was located, and he pointed out the window, down the hill, to a nearby building, which appeared to be a garage or workshop. He said to go in the front door, and the restroom would be in the last room to the left. Ok, I was able to do that, despite the fact that I had numerous Coronas under my belt. So I left the bar, and picked my way down the path to the adjacent building and opened the door. What a surprise, as cases of beer, junk, household items were stored everywhere. Near the rear of the building there was a door, which appeared to be where the restroom was located. Much to my surprise, the only fixture in the room consisted of a cracked toilet, with no seat or tank, and no plumbing or water! That's right, where the water normally empties from the bottom of the toilet, there was no plumbing, only a bit of daylight, as the building was built on the side of a hill and the place where the toilet was located was on the down slope of the hill. I guess that gravity takes the place of plumbing or water!

Left: María relaxes in the kitchen of El Retiro, as its past lunch time and the boys are drinking beer. Right: Juan relaxes in his chair by the door as Rodolfo, Jerry and a couple of local guys swap stories and enjoy cold Coronas.

All good things must come to an end, and after who-knows-how-many beers, it was time to leave, as despite the fact that we'd belted down a few beers, or stomachs were yearning for food. So Jerry, Rololfo and I bad a fond farewell to our new buddies, and left the building. Rodolfo, being a proud member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or P.R.I., naturally had to promote is cause among the good citizens of Gómez-Farías, and his entourage followed us out of the bar and into the street.

Left: Roldofo and the author of this web site, enjoy swapping lies and powering down cold Corona beers, at Gappy Bar. Right: Rodolfo manages to get the whole staff, and the patrons of Gappy Bar outside to allow me to snap a "politically correct" photo, after he had just delivered a speech in support of the P.R.I. I guess everyone is entitled to his passions...

The couple of hours we spent at Gappy Bar provided a good insight into small-town Mexico, and particularly, it gave me a greater insight into the life of the ordinary people who live, work and play, in the small town of Gómez-Farías. It's an experience that I'll long remember...

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