Gay Pride Parade in Mexico City

An "Opinionated Guide of Mexico City" just published that today is the Gay Pride Parade in Mexico City...........it sure brought back the memory of my arrival last year on this day in DF and sitting on my suitcase on the Reforma for three hours watching the parade cause I couldn't get across the street to my hotel.
It sure was a frustrating day to see all those scantily clad, buff, good looking men and no none of them were interested in me................BIG ha............

The "SWEATBIRDS" are here!

It's been confirmed by visual observation (in other words walking around town) that the "sweat birds" are here. Remember, last year I told you that my hairdresser said, "We get the snowbirds in the winter and the sweatbirds in the summer". With his Mexican accent it was all I could do to keep from falling out of the chair - so I can't claim having thought of the term..........darn.
So here they are, with lots of little "rug rats and curtain climbers and teenagers" ready to do whatever stuff they can find to do til they head back to Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Arizona, just to name a few, for school. Add to that, those without kids, who are just trying to escape the heat - our high today was about 82 with a HIGH humidity of 37%! Oh, and yes, the "beach people" from PV and other beach towns head here in the summer to escape........hear that Bliss, Nancy, Wayne and Steve?
The charities rev up with all kinds of ways to help those visiting gringos and gringas part with their money for one "cause" or another............There are a plethora of art openings, concerts and the International Film Festival plus the Chamber Music Festival.............a whirl of heres and theres to be!
But, I must admit, I sure don't see as many SUVs this year as in the past........hmmm, I'll give it another week and report again.

Generosity

Are you ever just walking around and someone pops into your mind? And you wonder about that person and lots of memories come back? Well, that happened to me this morning. I have NO idea what made Aleyda come to mind - none, nada. But she was a very important person for at least ten years in my life back in the USA. I met her through a mutual friend and she cleaned his house and subsequently mine, and she followed me as I moved around for a few years there in the 90's.........What a delightful woman - hard, hard worker. She came from El Salvador with NOTHING! Worked two jobs every day for at least six days a week and in the ten years I kept up with her managed to pay cash for a house and buy a car. Initially she took three buses to get to my house!
Her generosity was amazing. When my daughter was diagnosed with acute leukemia, she was seven months pregnant. She was induced for a week until little Christopher was born and then started chemo the very next day. I and the "other" grandmother took turns taking care of him when he came home from the hospital plus my being with Jennifer........it was exhausting, to put it mildly - I needed 36 hours in a day. I mentioned this to Aleyda one day and asked if she knew someone who could help with Christopher.................you're not going to believe this...........her mother flew up from El Salvador and stayed with us and Christopher for about three months! Jennifer didn't get to be with Christopher until he was 4 or 5 months because she had a bone marrow transplant so Aleyda's mother was a "godsend".............
Generosity? I see it every single day here in Mexico - it causes a lump in my throat. It's the flower vendor who comes to my house who ALWAYS gives me an extra rose (I now give him a muffin or something I've baked which brings BIG smiles) or Josefina, my maid, who brings me a gift on Mother's Day.........or total strangers being so kind.
So, thinking of Aleyda makes me just that more grateful for the generosity and kindness of those we know, and those we don't! I tried to call Aleyda last time I was in Houston and she's moved and I have no way to find her. I certainly wish her well in her life...........what a woman!

Velcro and the Blog

Two things have affected my life - Velcro, the PREVIOUSLY feral cat and the blog. How you say? Well Velcro (who I wrote about on 11/27/07) has become the "El Jefe", or boss of the house! It is amazing how something so little can impact your daily routine by wanting to come in, go out, want water, more food, have a blueberry muffin in small bites, etc.etc.etc. Pretty darn funny. Oh the latest, is wanting to drink the water out of the sink when I'm brushing my teeth - now understand she has a waterbowl with fresh water, but noooooooo, she want the water out of the faucet!
Then there's the blog, which is consuming more and more TIME! I would hate to admit how much time I spend reading all of your blogs.........it is SO MUCH FUN and helpful. Today I learned about Mexican cheeses from Flavors of the Sun and laughed at Trixie's job interview somewhere on Dreaming of Isla..........and Steve's picture of he and his brother when they were little at Same Life - New Location .........just to name a few. I think it takes me about an hour now to read all of them daily......but heck, I'm retired - what else have I got to do? (As people from other places always like to say)......................
The other GREAT thing that has come from the blog is that it makes me way more aware of little daily activities and incidents............like the fruit frenzy the other day. It is so much fun to share those things with ya'll. Hopefully you like reading those silly things...............

Fruit Frenzy

I pulled myself out of my lethargic slump the other day to DRIVE to Mega (one of the few times I drive in San Miguel) and walked into the store to a "fruit frenzy".
Mega is a large chain in Mexico and we got ours a year or two ago. I hardly go there unless I need something strange - this time, mouse traps! So, I walk in and people are commandeering two and three shoping carts in the produce department. So, I timidly took my one basket and headed over to see what all the fuss was about.
Watermelons (sandias) .50 pesos per kilo, same for canteloupe and white onions were less as were limes! Obvioiusly they had gotten a LARGE shipment from the growers in the area and people were stocking up, and I do mean stocking up. Whole baskets of canteloupes, another of watermelons and little teeny weeny kids carrying whatever their arms would hold for their parents! It WAS a sight. So, one never to be shy, I bought three canteloupes, one watermelon a few onions and a whole bag of limes. Total cost - you're NOT going to believe this - less then $2.00US! But I knew that I couldn't consume or save any more food then that! I've been making smoothies, licaudos, and wonder - could you make a canteloupe pie?
As I drove home, I saw families walking on the shoulder with two or three teen weeny kids walking behind their parents proudly carrying their canteloupes and watermelons.........what a sight and experience! Wish you could have been there...........

Thanks to Steve, Wayne, Todd and Richard

No these aren't boyfriends, but GREAT friends who have given me encouragement and instructions on how to add links, the blog roll, site counter and who knows what else! I have succeeded, a little, but with GREAT frustration. I have managed to get three blogs on the blog roll and now, no matter how I enter other sites, it won't go to the blog........FRUSTRATION is a nice way of saying I have been tempted to throw the computer out the door! The weather thingy won't move over and it has the wrong time............curses! I do now know how to add a link, so I don't have to type the entire website of the person I'm commenting about, but in my present state of mind, if I did that tonight and it didn't work, I might never blog again.......
Everyone's blogs look so good! Boo hoo...........I must also admit that I am intimidated now that I know how many people are reading the blog in a day - I thought I was a voice talking to the wilderness, but heck there are "beings" in that wilderness reading and not commenting - like over 140 in one day! OY VEY..........do I have to be more careful of what I say? I hope not - cause it sure has been fun to just write what comes to mind and not worry about the ramifications!
Thanks again Steve, Wayne, Todd and Richard for your help in getting me to the next level of this fun endeavor of "blogging"!

Shit Happens!

Now before you go getting your back up, shit in Texas is NOT a curse word. It is actually about 3 syllables and is more like "shee eee t" I'm wondering if it is part of the 7 words that the Supreme Court fined George Carlin for using? If so, we're all going to hell. But, who cares?
I LOVED George Carlin just like I LOVED Tim Russert. Two people so different that it is laughable. But, they had one trait in common, if not more, they were their own people and lived life THEIR way! Loved both of them for that.
I saw George Carlin about 20 years or so ago at the Arena Theater in Houston - a small theater in the round. He did a routine about cats that had me laughing so hard, with tears streaming down my face, that whoever I was dating at the time, was mortally humiliated, I'm sure. The man was a genius with words and I never tired on his take on life. It was so skewed - I related, a lot.
So now two greats are gone.........whew, it's too darn much! The world will be a lot quieter and as "they" say, "The likes of those two will never be seen again".

Closed Doors

While walking into town yesterday, I passed, as always, three churches BUT this time something was different, very, very different! In the past, the doors were always open and the everyday person could slip in to sit, to pray or to just marvel at the beauty. There are twenty two churches in San Miguel - as far as I can tell, without driving by every one of them - the doors are closed!
Back on May 28th, Deb of www.zocalodemexicanfolkart.blogspot.com wrote about the theft of art from Iglesias Santa Ana. They slit the art out of the frames and escaped. That is the reason for the closed doors.
How sad!

A MUCH NEEDED Day of Creativity

My creative soul has been pretty sad for the last few years. I used to have some magnficent project going all the time........but alas, not for the last few years. So, I called on the pro, my friend Anado, who lives with his partner Richard at Casa Las Ranas, The House of Frogs. You can go to www.madebyanado.com and be astonished and awed by his creations.
So I trooped out there yesterday with my friend Gayle, with the admonishment to Anado that I needed help jump-starting my creativity again. If there is any place on earth that that could happen it would be there - you'll understand after you look at his blog and house...........
Well, I must admit, I didn't just sit down and spew creativity.........I was pretty disgusted with what was happening, but slowly and surely, the spark was lit........I didn't finish the nicho which will be a homage to the "Gypsy Kids", but when I do I'll photograph it and share it with you.........it's pretty funny. I need to go out today and find a tiny black dog to include in the nicho.
How do I know that my creative spark has been lit again? I woke up at 3AM thinking of creative projects that I want to get busy on............isn't that amazing and wonderful?

Sopa de Manzana

The meal began with "sopa de manzana" (warm apple soup) at Casa del Conde in Valenciana today and ended with ice cream in frozen shells - that is coconut in a coconut shell; mango in a frozen mango peel but the piece de resistance was mine - chocolate in a cacao bean that was huge! Presentation was magnificent in everything we ate...........it was a necessary "test" for the planning of the meal for the group in August - well, at least that is what I told my friends that accompanied me on this adventure. In between the beginning of the meal and the end there were salads of fresh goat cheese and avocadoes, chicken with squash blossom sauce, well you get the idea. Magnificently delicious! I first ate at this restaurant about ten years ago and NEVER forgot the warm apple soup - have you ever heard of warm apple soup? My friends were ridiculously happy with the fact that I ordered this for them to taste............Ridiculously happy! The house is the former residence of the Count who had the richest mines of silver and gold in the world at one time. If you want to read the story, go to www.condevalenciana.com It is quite amazing!
We finished our comida, I made all the arrangements for the group of 24 in August and then strolled across the plaza to the magnificent Valenciana Church where the altarpieces are covered in gold .........The amount of carving and detailing is hard to believe, and although I had been in this church several times, my friends had not and were awed by it all. It's fun to take people to see something in Mexico that they have not seen before...........

We then left Valenciana, which is a suburb of the City of Guanajuato, one of the top five UN World Heritage Sites in the World, and traveled through the mountains to Santa Rosa.

If you didn't know, you would see this village and just keep going........but I knew........and wanted my friends to see the factory that makes majolica very much like Italian pottery. Also the Mujeres de Santa Rosa where the women sell jams, preserves and jellies to make money since most of the men have left the village to find work in the USA. Well, lots has happened in a year and a half since I took this picture of the little church - they painted the church, darn, and they have paved the two streets in the town! Wow.............But the same people who I've always seen at the factory were there and so happy to see me. They graciously and with pride walked downstairs with us to the showroom where my friends nearly suffered apoplexy at all the beautifully painted plates, trays, vases, large urns - you name it- it is handpainted and fired, but also with raised fruit etc. on these items. It is incredibly beautiful. To give you an idea of quality such stores as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Gumps' carry this product. Here it is 1/20th of the price in the USA..............

I managed to wrestle Ron and Fred out of the factory without buying anything, all the time promising that I WOULD bring them back...........

It was a fun day.............believe it or not there was a couple in the factory from Las Cruces, New Mexico and when the wife found out we lived in San Miguel, her question was "What do you do there all day?" Geez Louise............I had to grit my teeth!

"Labels"

I INTENSELY dislike them, LABELS THAT IS, and I acted like a "smart aleck" as my Mom would have said, when I said something about doubting if Conservatives would read my blog. It was an uncalled for comment and I feel bad for saying it. A comment from a reader reminded me that I really don't think of people that way.
I think I was responding in a way to a comment made a few days ago when I wrote about Tim Russert and I commented about who he would be seeing and "hanging out with" in heaven. The people I named were people I admire greatly - I could have named another 100 people. When I listed them I sure didn't think to myself - "these are Liberals" - although the commenter did see it that way. It irritated me at the time because I don't think of people as black, white, Hispanic, Liberal, Conservative.
So, no more "labels" from me...........I promise!

Happy Birthday Willie

My "Texas" is coming out and I just had to write about Willie Nelson and the fact that it is his 75th Birthday this year.........the actual date has actually passed but, in typical Willie Style, I think he's celebrating the whole year. I adore this photo because it is SO Willie - no smoothing out the wrinkles, no fancy new guitar - he's a "take me the way I am or not at all" kinda guy.........a typical trait in Texas!
The May 2008 issue of Texas Monthly is a homage to Willie. There is an article in that issue that, instead of the staff writing about Willie's accomplishments and escapades, of which there are many, they asked the likes of Kinky Friedman, Jimmy Carter, Norah Jones, Merle Haggard and a few other reprobates to write their memories.
I'm here to tell you, the article is a "laugh out loud by yourself" article! There is an infamous comment by Kinky that has been circulating on the internet.......it is hysterical! I COULD tell you what he said, but the one or two conservative people who read this blog might faint (of course as Liberal and down-to-earth as I am, I can't imagine a Conservative reading my blog)........ha.
So, now that I've got your curiosity wandering, see if you can read it on the web. If not, email me and I'll tell you what he said..........but truly, if you like Willie, you should read the whole article. And then, thank your lucky stars there are still people alive that do it "their way"!

Mexican Mardi Gras - Los Locos Parade

My USUAL Sunday morning is leisurely coffee, CBS Sunday Morning, and a lot of peace and quiet! NOT THIS SUNDAY..........it started last evening at about 5PM with the loudest music (I use that term very, very loosely). It was so loud that my windows were rattling...........lordy, it was terrible. I thought it was some new teenagers who had gotten some new speakers. What I didn't know was that it was the neighbors getting ready for today. The "noise" stopped at 10PM and I sighed............I could not believe that it started again this morning at 8:30!! I thought, "OK that's enough" and I was prepared to go and beg them to turn the music down........I got dressed, hiked down the hill, one block, and voila, there were zillions of people standing around dressed as spiders, bumblebees, roaches, ducks, - you nameit -there they were! I started laughing - what a sight! I came home, got the camera and hiked back down the hill. By that time, they were jiving and ready to take off dancing behind the music truck. I was giddy with happiness at how much fun these people have with handmade costumes. BUT you should see the beautiful paper mache heads they make to hide behind. It all reminds me of New Orleans and the Krewes and the parades that I saw so many times as a child and teenager. With the people jiving behind the floats..... The picture above needs to be clicked on to enlarge - it shows a "sea" of people. I took this picture a couple of years ago as I was trying to "wind my way home" up the hill through the crowds!

This event started originally in the 1700's based on the saint, St. Pascual Bailon who was the patron of orchards.......(Although I was raised as a Catholic and went to Catholic girls school for eight years, I can assure you, I have never heard of half the saints celebrated in San Miguel.)

So, it started out to thank that saint for a good harvest in the orange orchards that used to surround San Miguel. All those orchards were irrigated naturally by springs that were channeled through town - some channels still exist but not the springs. A parade of dancers was started and onlookers began to come. Some of the older people began to disguise themselves as scarecrows to keep the crowd at a distance so the children could dance (The previous sentence from info in our paper, Atencion). So, as the parade became more fun, the people became known as "locos".

Someone asked me yesterday if lots of tourists come to town to see this parade - I was happy to answer, "No this is just for the people of San Miguel"...............

The LAST three!

I promise, these are the last three photos I'll post from the Chiapas trip but these three were sorta special. This first one just cracked me up when I saw the photo. To be honest, I don't even remember taking it but I must have subconciously laughed cause the look on Senora's face is priceless. Wouldn't you love to know what she was thinking? Like, "Is he really going to sweep?" or "Where does he think he is going with MY broom?" or YOU fill in the caption! This was Victor our guide and the Senior Senora! This next photo was taken in the gardens of Na Balom. You can't tell it from this photo but the gardens covered at least two blocks and were just like being in the jungle, without the animals. I saw flowers, such as the one with the little flowers, that I have never seen before..........and I'm an avid gardener! If you click on the photo you can see that they have taken clay pots and turned them upside down to make light fixtures!

This last photo sums up Mexico in so many ways for me. This bench was in a teeny, tiny village named Teatepec (I think). I mean a teeny, tiny village and yet their jardine was an oasis. I've only seen tiled benches like this in one other place in Mexico (I'm sure there are zillions) and that was in Actepec in the State of Puebla. To me the benches symbolize that everyone should take a minute to pause, sit and SEE the world around. To breathe deep and smell the flowers To see the birds and nature.............

I DID that as I leapt out of Victor's car to take this picture and then I turned around, sat down and watched the locals stare at me like I was crazy..............Ain't life grand?

Tim Russert

I can't get him out of my mind! I loved his Irish happiness - his sense of fairness, honesty and pride in his country. I LOVED his quick wit and intelligence. He always made me sit up and take notice because while he was giving numbers or statistics - he was also giving what we called in high school "Government classes". He was "one in a million".
When someone dies suddenly like Tim did I ALWAYS think, "Wow, if he had known this was his LAST day, would he have done anything differently?" " Wow, if he had known two months ago, what would he have done? That's the millon dollar question, isn't it? My heart goes out to his wife and son...........sudden deaths are surreal. You NEVER really accept that they are gone..........
So another "one in a million" has gone to the happy hunting ground - he's gone to where Molly Ivins, Ann Richards, Barbara Jordan, John Kennedy and his brother Bobby are.......THEY all sure could set up a grand "Meet the Press" wherever that might be!
Adios Tim............vaya con dios, and I'm sure you have.

Crime in Mexico

I want to put the myths to rest. I read an article about a year ago in a Canadian newspaper that said crime in Mexico was 32% higher then the US.......WHOA......THAT got my attention and I said to myself, "Self, are you living with your head in the sand?" So I decided to "get the facts".
Thank goodness for the internet............it's a marvel............
So I found out the number of homicides in Mexico for 2005 (the latest statistics) - it was like 4500 for the year for the entire country. Then I went to the FBI information and found out the homicides in individual cities because I could not find homicides for the entire USA. I put in NYC, Detroit and Oakland - just those three cities combined had more homicides then the whole country of Mexico!
So, Mexico gets a bum rap, in my opinion, and all the "press" about how dangerous it is, how many people are murdered, how unsafe the roads are, in my opinion are just to sell books, newspapers etc.
The US government perpetuates this also with their "Travel Advisories" about Mexico. I read them and say to myself, "Have these people EVER been to Mexico or do they just read the papers?" "Have they ever driven the beautiful highways of Mexico and met the kind and generous people or do they just read the papers?"
Cause I'm here to tell you - it's POPPYCOCK, baloney and falsehoods. I've driven these roads alone for over 20 years - I've been all over this magnificent country - NEVER, I repeat NEVER have I had someone be rude, discourteous OR EVER ask for a bribe! I can't be the only person that experiences this - there are lots - but the ones who tell "bad" stuff and perpetuate the myth are the ones who get the press.
I hope this blog is read and believed - let go of the myths. WHEW I feel beter for getting THAT off my mind.

San Cristobal de las Casas

I've probably already said this, so pardon me if I'm repeating myself, but I have to say the trip to Chiaipas was only second to my trip to Guatemala three years ago. The State of Michoacan has always been my favorite place in Mexico, and still is close to my heart, but for sheer beauty and cleanliness and exquisite terrain - Chiapas is it!
The similarities of Michoacan and the villages around Lake Patzcauro to Chiapas are the indigenous peoples. I love seeing them and it is something that I miss seeing in San Miguel. All of the people dress Western in San Miguel. But, with that said, the people, the culture and all the stuff that there IS to do in San Miguel will keep me there for as far into the future as I can see.
So, of course I had to start the tour of San Cristobal with the Mayan crosses which were in the yard of the Church of Santo Domingo. At the time I took this photo I had no idea that everywhere I went, I would see these crosses. They ARE the symbol of Chiapas and the Mayan peoples!

In my opinion, the Spaniards didn't do much of anything right as it relates to the peoples of Mexico but they sure did give them the gift of jardines or zocalos. This beautiful jardine in the centro of San Cristobal is a gathering and meeting place for everyone just like in every city and small village throughout Mexico. No one in Mexico should ever feel isolated as people do in the USA. They always have a jardine to go to "to meet and greet".............and they do.

Another thing the Spaniards gave to Mexico was magnificent architecture - everywhere - and this portal is just one example in the city.........isn't it magnificent? This has a Moorish influence.

And, in San Cristobal, as in Antigua Guatemala, Tequisquiapan and Queretaro and many, many other cities and villages - pedestrian streets! San Miguel SO NEEDS these. The quality of life and enjoyment is elevated because of this factor....maybe some day.

I took so many photos of architectural wonders, but I HAD to show you these exquisitely carved wood doors on a church. The wear, the coloration, the sybolism - breathtaking.

Quirky architecture that reminds me of some of the Spanish Arte Deco seen in Miami Beach! It now houses the Burger King - on another pedestrian street - the cross streets allow traffic, as you can see.

Aaah, and then the markets. This was near the Santo Domingo church but there were many. Don't you just love how they display their goods? A feasat for the eyes. According to Patrick, the city has tried many times to "run off" these merchants and have them display inside buildings - thankfully they keep coming back. I am saddened that the artesans of San Miguel are confined to a "stalled" mercado and not out on the streets as they used to be around the jardine.

And now the "quiz". Where are these women from? Remember? I saw them before I had ever gone to their village and was dazzled by their "fuzzy" skirts and unusually colored rebozos. After this day, I saw them EVERYWHERE!

These photos and this blog are the culmination of the eight days in Chiapas. I certainly have enjoyed sharing it with all of you. I do have a few photos that didn't fit anywhere but that I think I'll save for ONE MORE blog - just so you can enjoy them too...............Stay tuned!

Houston Art Car Parade

Houston is a wild, wacky, liberal and accepting city with a BIG heart! If you doubt any of the aforementioned just go to these two sites to see the Houston Art Car Parade which is held every year and has grown and grown and grown...........it's a blast! I never missed it and the pre and post parties when I lived there............The people who have these cars and put on this parade are the group I have coming to San Miguel in August for an Eyeopener Tour.
www.picasaweb.google.com/eschipul/houstonartcarparade2008 (344 photos) and www.picasaweb.google.com/eschipul/houstonartcarpeople2008 (78 photos).

"If it's important enough, you'll figure out a way"

Those words were uttered by my son 25 years ago when I was bemoaning the fact that he was going to Europe for the second time and I hadn't EVER been. I went the next year.
I have used that phrase when I really, really want to do something that seems not possible and then I "dig in" and try to make it happen. I ponder and plot but, not always does it work........
As in the latest thing.........(I guess you can tell that I have a gypsy soul). I have just returned in the last month from "the beach" and then Chiapas. I'm ALWAYS ready to go.

Bali, Bhutan and Cuba are HIGH on my list..............and the opportunity to go to Bali on short notice reared its ugly head two days ago with total payment necessary by mid July. I tossed and turned Monday night trying to figure out HOW I could do the trip. It was for three weeks........the places to travel to were breathtaking..........the cost was relatively reasonable. The people going are great! I even said the ultimate question to myself which is "What if you only have a few months left to live?" Yup, that one usually gets me moving..........

BUT reason does have to prevail once in a while. I reasoned that I really can't afford it this year and I'll try to go there next year............Living on a fixed income is a new reality for me - well it's been eight years and I still have a hard time remembering that..........

So, I won't be blogging next fall about Bali - but who knows, maybe I'll be blogging about something better.

Amatenango del Valle, a Village of Potters

The drive from Tuxtla Gutierrez (where we landed) to San Cristobal is through mountain passes so it was a true surprise and delight to see the valleys on our trip to Amatenango del Valle. It was green, lush, forested and to me, like a scene of paradise. It was nice to have someone else driving and I could just enjoy the scenery. I chuckled at this "topes" sign which indicates what we call in the US, a "speed bump". Topes are EVERYWHERE in Mexico and trust me, you never want to hit one going 60 mph. I did once - not a pretty sight.
But, usually it is a traditional standard road sign and these hand painted ones, to me, are just a delight! Notice in the photo the bicycles leaning against the tree - the primary means of transportation, and the truck, which is how they get their crops and handicrafts to market, if they are very, very wealthy. Typically the people travel either on buses or standing or sitting in the back of pickup trucks with their bolsas of merchandise - packed in like sardines - but it IS a ride, rather then a walk.

As we approached Amantenango, we were looking down into the village and had to turn off the main road onto a dirt road and drive through corn fields to get there. The corn was higher then our van! A gloriously beautiful sight. But, contrary to the corn fields in the midwestern part of the US, none of this corn is sweet corn but the corn they use for livestock and their food that they prepare. (I DO miss sweet corn!)

As we rolled into the village, the ubiquitous Mayan cross greeted us, but this time with a shed and some decorations to enhance it. Our driver was grinning to himself at my enthusiasm of "oohing and aahing" at the tope sign, the corn and then this! I could see his face in the rear view mirror. A penny for his thoughts.........

So, Victor, our guide, drives down the dirt roads of this village and we stop and walk through a wooden gate into another world - a world of creativity, skill and beauty. We could have walked through that gate 500 years ago and I doubt the women would have been making their pottery any differently..............

Immediately as we entered the courtyard, an elder was sitting on the ground working on this pot almost as large as she. Notice her bare feet and her beautiful huipile (blouse). Also notice the color of the headdress..........the color signifies the family, I believe. These people did not know we were coming so they just continuede with their work..........The view below shows how big this property is and there are four houses on the land within one common wall. The open space is where they fire their pottery on an open fire. - no kiln!

Below is a woman who came to greet us. Her name is Simona Gomez Lopez. I know this because I later had her sign her photo in a book on Chiapas that she had never seen. Her work is in the Smithsonian and a museum in NYC. She was very shy. Her headdress is the same color as the elder.

This young lady was hand painting one of the jaguar pots. When I expressed an interest in buying some of the pottery, although there were senior women around, she was the one who got up to help me and show me pottery scattered around. I later saw some of her work in the finer shops in San Cristobal. To me, the thrill is meeting the artisan and seeing the process. Knowing who the creator is is the "essence of collecting" rather then buying something in a shop. So whenever this kind of opportunity occurs, I'm in my "element"! Notice her headdress is a different color of cloth............

Below is the pottery ready for firing! Such a simple process, but crucial because if it isn't done properly the pots will break.

I had read prior to my trip a book about Chiapas published by Telmex (the telephone company of Mexico) and it had beautiful photographs and an article about almost every village in Chiapas. If you come across it in a store, BUY IT. I intend to see if they have published one on each state because it is SO MUCH better then any tour guide I have ever seen. On this village was a photo of a woman with pots in front of her and Yup, it was Simona. I wish all of you could have been with me to see the look on her face when she saw the book and herself - it was priceless. Her surprise, her shyness, her pleasure all flashed over her face. When I asked if she would sign her name on the photo, she hesitated, giggled and did sign it. All of the women came over to see this "wonder"! To bring this "wonder" to these women was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

So, here are some of the pots to buy that were laying around. Two of the roosters are now safely in San Miguel on a windowsill in the kitchen, where I can look at them while drinking my coffee every morning. A great reminder! Getting them home was another adventure, but I DID.

While walking around the grounds and watching the women, they ALL were wearing beautiful huipiles which Chiapas is known for. The young girl was wearing a "modern" huipile Victor told me and the older women were wearing the "traditional". I thought it so interesting that when they launder these that they turn them inside out. All of the embroidery work is done in naturally dyed yarn and is not color fast, hence the inside out process.

I have never entered any home in Mexico - rich or poor - that did not have an altar of some kind. This was what greeted us immediately upon entering the property. Enlarge if you wish by clicking on the photo so you can see all the little animals and things propped in among the saints. I would love to be here for Day of the Dead some year to see their form of celebration.

By the way, this is a Tzeltal community and is different from Chamula and Zincantan which are Tzotzil villages. It is another dialect of Mayan - no Spanish spoken here.

There has been much discussion of late in San Miguel about adobe versus concrete block and while in Chiapas I witnessed many homes built out of adobe - their indigenous type of home. I have been told that some of the people feel it is more modern to use concrete blocks versus the old style adobe but what they a re finding out is that the concrete block is cold in the winter and hot in the summer, while the adobe is just the opposite.

That is the dialog in San Miguel as homes are built in the campo in a program called Casita Linda. A group of architecture students from Rhode Island School of Design came down recently and built a home out of adobe at the urging of a US architect. The great thing about adobe also is that no support is needed in the construction such as rebar as the adobe can go to heights well over 20 feet, if done properly, and even supports the boveda ceilings! Of course it is much cheaper because it is made from clay, dung and straw................

I have a friend who built out in the country out of adobe and if I told you the cost of her 2,000 sq ft house with solar panels that allow her to live "off the grid", you wouldn't believe it possible. Isn't it interesting that the ancestors knew best?

I hope you've enjoyed these blogs about my adventures in Chiapas - one more to go - San Cristobal...............Enjoy!

Na Balom - The House of Jaguars

Na Balom was HIGH on my list of places to visit while in San Cristobal de las Casas. I had read about Danish archaeologist, Frans Blom and his wife Swedish photojournalist Trudy Blom who built Na Balom out of an abandoned and crumbling monastery in San Cristobal in the early 50's. Frans had an illustrious life and was responsible for the exploration of Palenque which he did under the auspices of Tulane University at which he was a professor. Later his digging and research was done both under the auspices of the Mexican government and Harvard University.
He also mapped the State of Chiapas for the government!
Trudy was responsible for the discovery and protection of the Lacandon peoples in the 1950's. They are one group that has remained "pure" and had not become Westernized by the fact that they lived, at that time, deep, deep in the Lacondon Jungle in the Southeast corner of the state.
Trudy gained their trust, photographed them helped them and to this day any time a Lacandon is in San Cristobal they have a free place to stay at Na Balom.
Na Balom is a place of lodging for any who are interested in Mexico, archaeology, the sciences, etc. and the "long table" established by Frans and Trudy, lo those many years ago, for the exchange of ideas and theories still exists and is used on a nightly basis. A restaurant is adjacent to feed the minds and bodies of those who are there.
I became enchanted with the Lacandons when I met Ruth Lechuga who was an amazing photographer and collector of Mexican folkart. She took the above photo in 1962 on a trip to Na Balom and a subsequent journey to the jungle. Many, many books have been written about Ruth who passed away a couple of years ago and the Bloms who died in the 20th century. Fascinating reading............
Two extraordinary circumstances added so much to the visit to Na Balom. The librarian Lisa Kleinfeld, who was the librarian there in the 60's told us many, many personal stories and introduced us to the grandson of Chan Kin Viego who was "the spirit holder" of his peoples. He is the man facing the camera in the above photo. He passed on in 1996 at what was said to be his 116th year. His grandson had some tiny wood carvings of animals and some jewelry made from beans and seed pods.......needless to say, I brought some back to San Miguel.
If you go to Na Balom the photographs taken by Trudy are eye-opening as well as all the artifacts of Fran's travels and Trudy's wardrobe.
Next trip I WILL get to the Lacondon jungle but it is a long trip and I needed more days then I had to go and stay there this time. I can't begin to imagine the beauty of the area.
I will end this blog with something said by Chan Kin Viego - "The roots of all things are connected. When a tree is cut in the forest, a star falls from the sky". Eighty percent of the rainforest has been destroyed in the Lacandon area in the last 65 years. How can that be?

Rain, Tuba bands in the night and scantily clad men!

I must digress from writing about Chiapas to tell you about the activities that began with the wondrous rain that started about 3 yesterday afternoon and continued til about 8PM. A blessed rain that the people have been praying, dancing and chanting for, so they can plant their fields. Halleluia! It certainly cooled things off and it was in the mid 50's during the night. Sleeping was perfect, until 6:01AM - I know the time exactly because I was blown out of bed by the first volley of fireworks, bombs, about 10 feet from my bedroom. Scared Velcro as much as me and she went into hiding...............
THIS was the culmination of the drums, the dancing and the swords that I wrote about a few days ago when I said, "Que pasa?" I don't know if it is a celebration for rain or what. BUT it sure got my attention for an hour this morning. I finally got up, went upstairs to look out the dining room window and there was a gaggle of teenagers lighting rockets and fireworks, continuously- did I mention for an hour? A friend of mine on the other side of town called a while ago and she said all she could see up here was smoke - yaaaaaaaaaa - me too. But then I climbed to the roof to see ALL the activity - the tuba band which consisted of 5 horns, 2 drums and a tuba. Their repertoire was the same melody (I use that term very loosely) over and over and over again - the people with all their candles and the statue of the Virgen at the edge of the canyon with flowers everywhere. It took my breath away to look down and see this beautiful, innocent display of devotion right outside the walls of my house. I witnessed this once before and wrote about it in "The Virgen and the Tuba Band" in a blog on 7/14/07.
So, after all the excitement was over I DID go back to bed and even fell back to sleep - an almost never experience. When I finally got up for coffee and to cook my Sunday breakfast of homemade biscuits, eggs and bacon with fresh orange juice, I heard another commotion outside and walked to the window to see. Yikes about 30 scantily clad men in shorts and tank tops - runners! Be still my racing heart.
Geez, never a dull moment in my little hilltop hideaway! ALL this before noon............

Patrick

Or, more appropriately, Patricio Murphy Ruiz - tour guide extraordinare. We met Patrick our first day in San Cristobal when he took us on a city walking tour. Yes, he gave us facts and figures but more then that, he gave us the background on what the people really think..............what the Zapatista movement was really about......what is really happening in Chiapas and many more insights. It was fascinating, to say the least! When the tour was over we asked him if we wanted him for other tours would he be available and he said yes. He was with us for trips to Chamula, Zincantan, and for those who went to Palenque. He was the most knowledgeable guide I have ever met.
Patrick was with the Zapatistas but left "the movement" about four years ago when his life was threatened. He had nothing good to say about what either Fox or Calderon's administration has done for the people of Chiapas. He also had nothing good to say about NAFTA which surprised me because I think NAFTA has done more for Mexico in the last 15 years then any other single thing. More is exported out of Mexico to the US then is brought into Mexico.........well, that's another blog, isn't it?
So Patrick's story is that he was born in Chiapas to a Mexican mother and an Irish father from Chicago. Patrick grew up in Chiapas and then graduated from Berkley in anthropology. Sub-Comandante Marcos, I was told by someone in our group, graduated from Yale. According to Patrick many of the men in the movement were very well educated but took their orders from "the people" of the area because they could articulate the needs of the people to the government. That is why Marcos was called Sub-Comandante because he was NOT in charge, but the people were. The many stories Patrick shared with us were eye-opening and great explanations for the reasons and methods of the Zapatistas. It truly made sense to all of us. That too would need to be another blog..............People in Chiapas are very proud of the "revolution" of 1994. Now they try to work within the system.
Thanks to Patrick, Chiapas was very personal and not just facts and figures. Mil gracias Senor Patricio!

Chiapa de Corzo

Often it's the things you DON'T expect that are better then the ones you're counting on! I have to admit when the itinerary said Chiapa de Corzo was where we would spend our last night in order to ride a boat in a canyon, I thought "Uh, do I want to do that?" Of course I had NO idea what I was thinking.........as usual. So we take off, leaving San Cristobal (I'm saving San Cristobal for the last blog) and the only thing I was thinking about, since we had had tons of rain the night before from Hurricane Arthur, was that we get through the mountains without mudslides, rockslides or blocked roads. Instead we had fog as bad as I've ever seen. BUT we had a most careful and cautious bus driver, thankfully, and we got through the mountains without any mishaps. WHEW!
So we arrive in this tiny, tiny town and the first thing I see in their zocalo is this magnificent Pila
or fountain. It was built in 1562! It is brickwork in the best Hispano-Arabian style called Mudejar. Many things were very Moorish or Arabian in style including some of the clothing used in their ceremonies! It is heralded by experts in Muslim art as worth coming to Mexico just to see this structure. Who knew?
Add to this delightful discovery the fact that I have tried to track down, all over Mexico, literally, the gourds as seen in this photo below and I find out that they are made in this village! I collect them. Here in Chiapa de Corzo they are used in the Fiesta honoring San Sebastian on January 14th - one of the largest festivals in Mexico (which is saying something) and in Oaxaca they are used in the Gueleguetza celebration. I looked all over Oaxaca for them to no avail, nada. And I almost had apoplexy when I walked in shop after shop here and saw zillions on shelves everywhere. Luckily I had almost NO money left and NO room in my suitcase, so was only able to buy one magnificent one. There is always another day..............I truly found the "mother lode". In this town they are called "toal" like the tolework done in the New England states and in Oaxaca they are called jicapextles. This is probably too much information. Aren't they wonderful? The dresses are all made in this village also and "magnficent" is not strong enough for the beauty of all the embroidery work and

detail work done on each one. I intend to return here for the Feast of San Sebastian. Below is the hotel we stayed at which was lush and tropical. It is called La Ceiba because of all the big ceiba trees in this town. It was lovely.......One of only two hotels.

So, then came the reason for the overnight in Chiapa de Corzo. We walked down to the dock to get in the boats to go up the canyon. The land around this area of entry was relatively flat so I wasn't sure what all the fuzz was about............I soon learned. After donning life jackets, taking hats, sunglasses and anything else that could fly off of our bodies, we took off. I use that term loosely, because we truly were flying across the water. YIKES! Once we reached the canyon however, we slowed down and the boat, all of it, was in the water.........WHEW! There are no words to describe the majesty of this place. It is a sacred place to the people and I certainly understand why. The cliffs were so high we were like a speck on the water. There are waterfalls, caves, outcroppings, birds, flowers and NO development. It took us two hours to go the length of the river. NO development. And then we turned around to come back. Oh, I forgot to tell you one of the funniest things that happened - well it's funny now. Midway down the canyon it started to rain, HARD, really, really HARD and it was getting cold, really really COLD. So they stopped the boat - took a giant tarp, stretched it over all of us (about 20) and we all held on for dear life both to the edges and to with our arms straight up so we didn't suffocate from "tarp". It was a hysterically funny sight. We stayed in this position for at least a half hour and were relieved when it stopped raining............well stopped for a while. What an adventure! I'm sorry I don't have a picture to share but both hands were busy.................

I wish I could post all of my photos that I took because I probably took at least 20 . It was hard to get the scale of it, but if you click on this picture and look in the right corner you'll see how tiny the boats are in relation to the cliffs. This scene appears on the emblem of the State of Chiapas. Spectacularly beautiful isn't it? This is called the Sumidero Canyon.

Chamula

Chamula was ALL I hoped it would be and more! I had read for months about the different villages and this was HIGH on my list. I read that inside the church that the floors are covered with pine needles and candles and that description immediately brought to my mind's eye the vision of Chichicastenango in Guatemala that I will NEVER forget. It had a HUGE impact on me............So, the FIRST image when arriving in Chamula was the cemetary and the old church which is no longer used. Notice all the Mayan crosses on each gravesite. I was enchanted with this image.
I must say I am the most "alive" when I'm in the villages and interacting with the people. I love to see how they live and I'm always delighted to learn something new about the beautiful people of Mexico. This village was no exception.

Walking to the "new"church on a street I passed these black sheep right in the village - isn't it a pastoral scene? And look at how they have put the fence together! One of the BIG impressions of Chiapas was the use of so much wood and that it is so forested. Although I did read that the jungle has lost 80% of its trees - darn.

I wanted to include this picture because thos black sheep are a huge part of the economy of Chamula. The men wear these shirts of black wool (notice how fuzzy they are) and the women and girl children wear the black fuzzy skirts. Kiddingly we referred to them as the "fuzzy people". Actually when the rains from Hurricane Arthur came to San Cristobal on Friday and Saturday I would have liked one of those black fuzzy shirts to keep me warm.

The "elders" or officials of the town were in the church when I arrived and were helping to move statues and tables. I couldn't resist this photo, but' if you notice, I almost always take the photos of the people from behind so as not to compromise their belief that photos steal their souls.

I purposely didn't crop this photo because I wanted you to see how large the church yard in front of the church is......the Spaniards did this purposely because initially they didn't allow the "savages" into the church - only the Spaniards. Almost never will you see a church without a large front churchyard. It still makes me mad and sad that the people were treated so badly. BUT on to the experience of being inside the church.

First of all when trying to enter, we were stopped and it was necessary to have a 30 peso ticket to enter (only for tourists) and again, this is used to maintain the church which is no longer associated with the Catholic diocese. So, that accomplished, I stepped into another world. A spiritual world that was full of incense, smoke, candles for as far as the eye could see on the floor and chanting by the people. It was surreal, moving and incredibly beautiful.

Groups of people had tapers (thin candles), candles in glass containers, bottles of cold drinks and sometimes food displayed on the floor where they kneeled to pray. No pews in this church - everything, with the exception of the statues were on the floor. The statues of the saints were encased in glass and wood nichos on tables and there must have been several hundred statues.

I managed to step around and through people, always being careful not to disturb anyone to wind my way to the front altar. It was a continuation of all I had seen before. The chanting was private by each group but the groundswell of the rhythm was mesmerizing. I had recently read articles on Bhutan and I thought, wow this could be anywhere in Asia..........

As I left the church I literally had this loss of energy and sinking feeling and had to go get something to drink and sit down. I was shaking. So were many of the people in our group and I don't know what THAT was about.............

While sitting and having an orange drink these two little boys came up and were hungry and wanted food...........of course I bought food for them.........I saw a lot of hunger in Chiapas among the street children and couldn't resist any hungry child I saw. Some got food and one little girl got an ice cream cone from Burger King - I wish you could have seen her smiling face. It reminded me of Creel where the children were not only hungry but cold. I'll never forget that and I still send "Coats to Creel" every year. Behind the boys you see the market which was mostly fruits and vegetables BUT I managed to find a few artisans and I did help the economy of Chamula.

One of the few photos I took from the front, but I couldn't even see this woman's face and I loved her radishes. Wonder if she knows about the "night of the radishes" in Oaxaca? Ha.

Heading out of town, beautifully displayed on a wooden cart on the street, was platanos, lychees and tuna, which is the fruit of the nopal cactus. The beauty of the displays made in the mercado could put merchandisers in the US to shame............You'll see what I mean when I post some photos of the mercado in San Cristobal.

By the way, upon meeting each other in Chamula, people greet you with "How is your heart?" not how are you? It is a very, very spiritual place!

Que pasa?

For the last two nights as the sun sets, fireworks that sound like bombs, have been set off about 10 feet from my patio door. The first one ALWAYS makes me jump and then, if I listen carefully, I can hear the zzzzzzt before the boom and I'm prepared.
As soon as the zzzzzzzt and boom start happening, I've been hearing drums and dancers coming up the hill and tonight, the swords that they use when they are "doing" the dance of the Indians and Spaniards. Are they practicing for the Locos Parade? Is this some feast day that I can't find out about? Are they honoring the new holy place at the corner of Cuesta de San Jose and Montitlan?
IF anyone out there knows, I sure am curious!
Oh, and by the way, remember two weeks ago when I wrote about the parade of tractors into the jardine? I didn't know if it was for a blessing or what. Well, now I know. The farmers and residents of Cieneguita (about 10 miles from here) rode in to thank the municipal government for road and bridge work that is being done in their community. Way cool........

Zincantan Chiapas

I knew that this trip was going to be an "adventure" but nothing prepared me for the beauty of the surroundings and the people, the sophistication and European feel of San Cristobal and the magnificence of the Sumidero Canyon.
The "adventure" began about 2 1/2 hours into the bus trip to reach Toluca where it was intended for us to catch a plane to Tuxtla Guiterrez, the capital of Chiapas. We were on the toll road and ready to pay the toll and the bus driver pulled over on the side of the road, took off his tie (a BAD sign) got off the bus and ran across 8 lanes of traffic to a "parts" store. He came back and said one of the belts was not good and we could not use the a/c - no problem, we opened the vents on the ceiling of the bus and off we went. However after about another hour, the bus just died and sputtered. The driver did get it started and NOW we were allllllll holding our breaths.
About 20 minutes before we were at the airport in Toluca the police stopped the bus - why we never knew. The driver told the police about our dilemma and they turned on their lights and escorted us to the airport! Can you believe that? We credit the police for the fact that we made our plane............
Interjet is a new (about 1 year old) "no frills" airline that flies only in Mexico and Guatemala. I have flown on planes in foreign countries where I was sure I would die, but NOT this airline. Brand new Airbus A 320, great service, spotlessly clean aircraft - haven't seen anything like it in 20 years. AND the cost round trip, $140 US. Saved us a 12 hour drive and we were there in one hour. WOW!
I have realized as I look at all the photos that this trip is going to be blogged in many installments because I have a LOT to share with you.
We arrived in San Cristobal de las Casas - my expectation was a rustic, relatively small, ..........I was SO wrong. Beautiful architecture, world class restaurants, pedestrian streets, NO other gringos, but mucho Italians, French, German and Norwegians and of course the indigenous Mayans. It is paradise! BUT more on San Cristobal in the next blog.
Right now I want to share with you the village of Zincantan. It is a Tzotzil village meaning they speak a dialect of Mayan and NOT Spanish.
Upon arriving in this village one day with the group, before we could enter the village a fee was charged of each person - something like $2 US - SMART. They use the money to maintain the church and for festivals for the people.
We parked and walked to the home of some weavers of the rebozos worn by the women AND men in this village. Each village greets you with a Mayan cross and they are very firm in letting you know it is a MAYAN cross that is for earth, wind, fire and sky not Christianity...........although they do have churches that are former Catholic churches and some are Catholic churches that they have their ceremonies in on a regular basis.
Trust me, these girls don't wear these only when "visitors" are around but DO wear them all the time. They are SO beautiful but they even wear them when tending sheep or working in the fields.

The "old" tradition was that the rebozos for this village were red but some time ago the women decided they wanted to be more distinctive and came up with the purple, green and navy colors. I have never seen this color combination in any other part of Mexico. So you immediately know that those wearing this color are from Zincantan.

These are the traditional rebozos and the "modern" ones. It takes weeks to weave the background cloth and then embroider the flowers and symbols on them. They are as beautiful on the back as on the front. They sell for about $50US each..........

Here is a woman demonstrating how they weave the fabric on the loom! I think the Mayans hate to wear shoes as much as I do - you'll see what I mean as you see the various villages and the women weaving or making pottery.

The photo above is Patrick our guide and a woman in our group modeling the wedding clothes for the Zincantan. The white dress has feathers embroidered into the dress.

We left the home of the weavers, after they offered us food and ponch, a drink that can change the sound of your voice!

When we arrived at the church we were cautioned NOT to take ANY photos of the church yard, the people around the church or, of course, the inside of the church. DARN because they were playing marimbas in the church yard and the church was exuberantly colorful with more flowers (they grow all kinds of flowers in this village for export) and all of the statues were dressed in rebozos and clothing of the Zincantan people. I've never seen that before.

The sign on the front of the door cautioned that if caught taken photos, your camera WOULD be taken and you WOULD be put in jail! Even those in the group (2 women) who thought that rules didn't apply to them, paid attention.

It seemed like we were back in time 5000 years and a long journey from civilization, but in actuality we were only about 30 minutes from San Cristobal.