The long and lonely highway from San Miguel de Allende to Puerto Escondido!

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Some experiences are so laughable that they should be shared with others.  Our transition from 2014 into 2015 was one of those.  Many friends and acquaintances had done successful house trades and we thought we would give it a try. Looking for an exotic location to bring in the new year, we settled on a place in Puerto Escondido.

Friends of ours were also enthusiastic about a New Years venture so we all packed up our bathing suits, leaving the cold weather clothing in San Miguel and headed for the beach.  Knowing that much of the drive was on winding mountainous roads, we elected to stop and check out Puebla the first afternoon.  Our hotel was only a couple of blocks from the center zocolo, famed for it’s many restaurants and street entertainers.

Down the meridian in front of our hotel we encountered literally hundreds of  people all holding puppies.  Puebla is known for it’s puppy mills, and every Sunday, the vendors had their puppies on display for sale.  Chihuahuas, great Danes, poodles, Shar peis, pit bulls, collies, King Charles spaniels, huskies, labs, you name it, they had them.  My friend almost took home a Saint Bernard baby….too bad she wanted a female and the little guy just couldn’t convince her otherwise!

Off to the famous zocolo for dinner.  Being less than a week since Christmas, the gardens were still gaily decorated with gingerbread houses, twinkling lights in trees, and every street leading off the garden(jardin) was decorated differently. It truly earns its name as a magical puebla, and we look forward to returning to explore this city soon.

Gingerbread houses set up around the Puebla zocolo.

Every street decorated differently.

Early the next morning our real adventure began.  Electing to take the shortest route versus the fastest,  a couple of hours outside of Puebla, we turned off onto highway 125.  Now, regardless of short OR fast route, there are countless hairpin turns going through the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountain range.  Add to these nasty curves, a village every 3 kilometers, each with a set of topes (speed bumps designed to take out your oil pan or your fillings; whichever drops out first is a fun car game to play), and of course the obligatory animals roaming along the road.  The Garmin gps was so confused it had us literally driving out over cliffs, out into empty space and backward.  We went through tiny, small and near medium sized colorful villages, which we all agreed we had no need to see again!  Over and over we would speed up, only to frequently slam on the brakes as we drove through these small villages:

• San Pedro Topiltepec   (trivia: the suffix tepec means “hilly”)
• Santo Domingo Yanhuitlan
• San Juan Teposcolula
• San Pedro and San Pablo Teposcolula
• Santiago Yolomecatl
• San Pedro Martir Yucaxaco
• San Martin Huamelulpan
• Heroica Ciudad de Tlaxiaco
• Putla Villa de Guerrero
• Mesones Hidalgo
• Santa Maria Zacatepec
• San  Pedro Amuzgos
• San Juan Cacahuatepec
• San Sebastian Ixcapa
• La Chuparrosa
• San Andres Huaxpaltepec
• Santa Maria Huazolotitlan
• Santiago Jamiltepec
• Piedra Ancha (wide rock)
• Rio Grande
• Cacalotepec
• Hidalgo

It took us almost 15 hours of these grueling roads before we got to our “paradise”.  Entering the house, it became quickly apparent that there were no screens on windows to fend off the mosquitos….in fact there was no glass in them either.  The dining/living area was outside in the open.  This couple clearly ate out…..Oh well, live, experience and learn.

The beaches are lined with restaurants, and as school was on hiatus, pup tents and young adults were abundant.  After a little exploring, while checking out several beachside fresh seafood eateries, we found a delightful place with killer Bloody Marys.

Best Bloody Mary’s in town….wish I remembered the hotel’s name to give them a plug.

Reservations were made on the beach for New Years eve dinner.  While finishing dinner, we saw dozens of lights sailing up across the water.  Walking over closer, I discovered several people setting off Roman candles.  It made an amazing sight!

Lights, elegant table settings, and many dance floors set up on the beach for New Years.

Roman candles being set off at the pace of about 10 every 30 seconds. Spectacular and eerie out over the water!

Spending New Years day on the beach in a cabaña and having Piña coladas brought out was a perfect end to our stay in Puerto Escondido.  Determined to take the quick route home and check out Oaxaca, we testily endured another 8 hours of hairpin curves.  After checking into our hotel, we headed to the zocolo.  Nearly every major city in Mexico is protesting the president and the government’s handling of the 43 students missing.  Consequently, the zocolo was full of protesters, signs, and police.  What a disappointment.  Choosing only to have a late lunch and people watch, we made plans for the next morning to go to the pyramids at Monte Alban and then head for home.

Monte Alban, just outside Oaxaca City

View of part of Oaxaca from Monte Alban

Popocatapetl, near Mexico City, has been active for some time.  We got a good view of the two snow-clad mountains with a ribbon of smoke drifting across the horizon on one, and a cloud of steam over the other.

Check√  these places off our list of places to see!

 

Return to San Miguel

Being away  in Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovenia for several weeks, familiar sounds distinct to San Miguel ensure my psyche that I’m back home again.  Ringing church bells, pre-dawn fireworks, (two sense arousers not always welcomed by light sleepers and jittery dogs), and the clanging kettle bell signaling the trash truck is close by.  Sanmiguelenses, oftentimes along with visitors, can distinguish the differences in the noises arising from the calles.  Have you heard the shrill whistle?  It’s not Zamfir’s pan flute, rather the knife-sharpener on his bicycle.  There’s the certain sound of a pick-up truck with a horn signaling the delivery of unpasteurized goats’ milk.  Walking to yoga close to school pathways I hear the chirping of commuting students.  Just before or just after class, the pounding of drums and flurries of bugles indicate marching drills are going on, remnants of past Spanish and French Colonialism.

In the Jardin, you may watch the adventurous pre-schooler charging a flock of foraging pigeons; the entire flock lifts in one motion to fly away with the sound of flapping unison.  Sit on a bench listening to the morning chatter among residents, mostly in Spanish.  During early evening hours, if there is any doubt you are in Mexico, the mariachis in traditional outfits break out the brass.  Violins merge with trumpets and guitars, as exuberant male voices serenade jardinenitos.  Across the Jardin, often in front of the Parroquia, we will find students dressed in 16th century Iberian style clothing, with valor singing out to those gathered.  The players strum their vintage stringed instruments to our delight.

From late June until early October, decibel-wise, fireworks can be trumped only by the thunderous thunder we get in San Miguel during pre-sunset or pre-dawn storms.  Walking on some of the main thoroughfares, our reverie is interrupted by the growl of the brick trucks often making it difficult to carry on conversations over the grinding engines.  Tuesdays, as I head to the open-air  tiangius for our fresh fruit and vegetables for the week, the way up the caracol is punctuated by the roar of the 18-wheelers down-shifting to brake their descent often drowning out conversation and causing me to grip the steering wheel tightly.   Vendors at the market cry “Barato! Barato! Cheap! Cheap!”.  Another inquires if I want a slice  of heavenly smelling pan de zanahoria.

Hombres trudge streets with Pavarotti voices calling out “Elote! Elote!”   Young women carry huge armfuls of long-stemmed roses in every imaginable hue shyly inquiring if I’d like some.  Roosters cockle-doodle-doo near the break of dawn and long beyond.  Rooftop dogs add their cacophony to the mix, along with the sound of vehicle tires going over cobblestones.  Occasionally we will awaken to hear the clip-clop of horses outside our windows, trabajadores on their way to work.  The slower clip-clop sound of the dirt or firewood merchant’s donkey slides under our doorway causing our puppies to let them know whose territory this house is.  Almost daily at sunrise, the whoosh of the hot air balloons is noticed as they glide across our rooftop as part of their journey above town.  Multitudinous birds vie for a space at our feeders, in the trees, the wall, any perch will do.

Toward twilight, it gets really quiet and peaceful (unless there is a birthday fiesta or a heavily followed fútbol team is winning…) and one can admire the postcard picturesqueness of the cityscape with spot lights reflecting off churches as a starry sky spreads overhead.  My favorite kind of San Miguel sound!

(Sorry no pictures, the ear canal is tough to take a selfie of!)

The Jose Cuervo Tequila Express-Guadalajara to Tequila!

 

The Tequila Express

After talking about taking the Tequila train from Guadalajara for a couple of years we finally rolled into the train station parking lot with a group of friends.  Upon arrival in the lounge area, we were treated to various Mexican punches and a table laden with pastries.  Oh yum, just what we needed to start our day!  After wandering down the tracks to our car, we discovered we were to be attended to by a delightful hostess and waiters with a desire to pour as many margaritas, tequila sunrises, salty dogs, or pure shots, as we could possibly consume. Each car had it’s own bar, hostess and servers to be sure we were happy and wanted for nothing on this 2 hour journey from Guadalajara to the town of Tequila.

It’s a long train, winding it’s way through the mountains.

Always attentive, the waiters made sure we were very, VERY happy!

As far as the eye can see for miles, geometric blue fields of agave grow for 8-12 years before harvesting.

Our long black train wound through the mountains covered by millions of blue agave plants.  Although there are around 200 varieties of agave plants, only the blue agave is used for tequila.  These succulent plants require no watering, growing only from the nutrients in the soil along with any annual rainfall they are blessed with.  Plants are not harvested until they are between 8 & 12 years old.  Maintenance is simply to hack off the ends of each leaf as they can grow to 3 meters (almost 10 feet).  Only the base, or the piña…pineapple, is used for the tequila; the remainder is used for propagation, and the pulp to make baskets and paper.

As we huffed our way into the station of Pueblita Magico de Tequila, (the magical town of Tequila) established in 1752, we found it to be a small town of only 42,000 residents and 27 distilleries.  Like France’s regions  of Champagne and Burgundy are proprietary of their champagne and burgundy. all tequila agave  must be grown and processed in this region to legally carry the name.  The quality standards are extremely high.  Inferior production can be found along the roadside very inexpensively.

Cuervo is Spanish for crow, thus the Jose Cuervo distillery uses it for their logo. Statues of the big black birds are everywhere, including a live one that we swear was at least 3 feet tall, looking sinister in it’s huge iron cage.  An annual procession through town is held from the various distilleries to the local cemetery to “bury bad humor”!   Obviously with the rise in popularity for tequila worldwide, there should be absolutely no reason for bad humor!

Cuervo meaning crow, is the logo for Jose Cuervo.

Antique distribution trucks

Antique distribution vehicles.

Paper and baskets made from the pulp of the agave pineapple.

Tequila town center

A tile mural in town square

Wandering through this charming town, we found shops selling by-products of the agave, along with artisans’ crafts, and many tequila tasting shops and the ever-present mom and pop restaurants.

Completing our day in Tequila before heading back to the train, we were treated to a dance performance by a brilliantly dressed, accomplished Mexican dance troupe, while we were served the smo-o-0-o-o-o-o-thest añejo tequila Cuervo makes.

A full day, completed by Mexican dance troupe.

Ancient bingo boards

The train journey back included more tequila drinks and sandwiches, while our hostess passed around old Mexican bingo cards which were the identical ones used in schools by one of our companions 75 years ago.  It was way too much fun for everyone on the train.  This was yet another terrific adventure in Mexico!

GIFF- Guanajuato Film Festival

The 17th Guanajuato International Film Festival is currently underway with thousands of people from around the world surging into our fair city.  The objective of the festival is to provide more opportunities for the exhibition and appreciation of films, rewarding their quality to allow the artists to continue producing film. At the same time, newcomers are brought together alongside the industry’s most seasoned professionals.  

Entered in the competition are both short or feature length film documentaries,  short or feature length film in experimental or fiction, and animated films. This year’s tribute was to Poland, with Roman Polanski honored, therefore, several award winning films by Polanski and other Polish artists were shown.  Admission is free and all films are shown twice in San Miguel and then move on to be shown twice in Guanajuato.  Venues here were set up in the Jardin, Biblioteca Theatre, Angela Peralta, and Cinemax in the Lucierniga Shopping Center.  We found films to span a wide range from great, to bizarre, poorly acted, and just plain nuts…….guess that is the experimental film!  Recipients of the festival’s prizes in the categories of Short Fiction and Short Animation will qualify for consideration in the Short Film category of the Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Ca.

 

A call went out for residents to host these film directors, producers, technical people, etc., and we volunteered our casita.  We understood two people were coming on Saturday, but in fact, 3 people arrived on the Thursday before.  They worked with the technical side of film making, their specialty “fiddling around with the color”….?  One gentleman, from Santiago, Chile  we found to be very respectful and helped me sort through a future trip to Patagonia, Chile which he claims is comparable to nothing! 

Two queen beds and a blowup mattress worked well, although these people sleep very late and are up all night.  The first night two came in at 2:30, the other one at 5:30 with a girlfriend, spouse?  We never knew, and only saw a nice red car sitting out front of our house next to the other cars both two following mornings.  Of course, our little pooch, Sadie, let us know they were home each and every time!  No exceptions!  They depart tomorrow and we will have a full nights uninterrupted rest.  

In lieu of the coveted red-carpet, by-invitation-only opening ceremony, we attended our housekeeper’s eldest daughter’s quincera.  THAT will be my next story……..

 

Return to Troncones

Having been in Troncones in February, we loaded quantities of books onto our readers, threw sunscreen into our bags, along with plenty of hot weather attire. Some of our friends had already arrived and were off in Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa getting the lay of the land(or maybe it was getting more tequila, I forget).  After unloading enough food, drinks and other supplies to last us a month, we headed for poolside to await their return. Recalling the reason we avoid the tropics in the summertime, my whining soon led to us learning the Spanish word- bojorno – which means  steamy or hot flashes!  Gathering in the pool was someone’s brilliant idea where trays of shotglasses and tequila awaited along with fresh shrimp, guacamole and other tasty snacks.  Here we stayed until long into the evening.

Bacon wrapped shrimp, empanadas, and more. Every meal different and hand crafted by these two sisters.

Two of the casitas next to the infinity pool and ocean. Tiny frogs swam with us in the pool at night, proving extremely difficult to capture in your hands.

Sunrise found us climbing into the back of a pickup to head for Manzanillo Bay lagoon to kayak with our local oceanographer and wildlife guide Alejandro.

5 in the front, 5 in the back….typical Mexican mode of transport!

Where the lagoon meets the surf!

Fallen coconuts starting new life.

Brahama Mama watching tiny piglets rooting in grasses along lagoon.

Of course, fresh coconut milk every morning purifies the body and spirit so tequila can be honored at night.

Green iguanas, black iguanas, big ones, small ones, and the every present geckos. The crunching and burping noises heard at night is a gecko snacking on mosquitoes!

This pet love bird has a good grasp on the situation.

During turtle egg laying season, the village tortuga sanctuary collects each batch, numbers them with date and # of eggs, and places them together  under a netted tent.  After 44-45 days, the eggs begin to hatch.  At this time, that particular batch is dug up and carried within yards of the ocean where it is a delight to all observers to watch the little buggers waddle toward the water.  Those wanting to briefly hold one of the turtles, is given a hand sanitizer and cautiously craddles the baby before returning it on it’s journey. Unbelievably, of the  1000’s sent on their way, only 3% will survive to return in 15 years to lay their own eggs.

Several nights a week during hatching season, kids from the village (and us big kids) wait for the batch of newly hatched turtles to scramble toward the ocean.

We found dinner…..fresh from the ocean.

Hurricane Dean descended on us rapidly, bringing pounding rain and lightning, along with thunder.  Being the strongest storm seen in the area since the early 60’s, we were not surprised to see rain washing into our houses.  Two separate earthquakes also rocked us while in Troncones, one a 6.0 and the other a 6.8.  We were standing in the artisan’s market in Zihuatanejo the next morning, where two feet of flood water still stood in the booths, when suddenly the hastily constructed buildings and pavement began to roll.  The  streets were still belching water up out of the storm drains from the remains of the hurricane the previous night. All morning and all afternoon, water and mud were swept out of the booths.  By evening, all was calm and normal.

Sunsets here are stunning, the people friendly, as in countless places in Mexico, but the humidity makes us completely understand why our Mexican Riviera friends head for San Miguel de Allende this time of year!

 

After the storm, calm water and blue skies!

A perfect sunset for another perfect day in un lugar bello con bochorno.

 

 

Pena de Bernal

El Portrero Chico, near the city of Monterey, is considered to be the best climbing rock in Mexico. To the south of Mexico City is the huge cave at Chontacoatian that has some of the hardest sport climbs in Mexico. Closer to Mexico City there is the excellent sport climbing at Jilotepec and Los Dimamos, with Aculco offering the best trad (traditional) climbing. For longer multi-pitch routes then Pena de Bernal and Chico National Park are the best areas that are situated to the north of Mexico City. Chico National Park is also the best bouldering area closest to the capital. Further north near San Luis is the excellent limestone sport climbing area of Guadalcazer with many overhanging routes with huge stalactites, tufas and pockets.

Now that I have impressed you with my limited knowledge of rock climbing, don’t begin to think I have adopted yet another new sport. Rather, we traveled to Bernal to spend the day wandering through the village, admiring the skill and creativity of the local rug artisanos. Intending to have one of their creations for our next houseguest to leap out of bed onto, we were admitted behind the counter to the “back room” where one alcove led to another, and another, and another, each accommodating an artisan positioned at a large wooden loom, working on custom designed area rugs of every hue and size. Most of the looms looked to have been originally constructed at the turn of the century, fittingly similar to the wizened men and women who were studiously working the looms, with an occasional shy smile tossed our way.

Bernal has become a tourist area for weekenders who like to hike or climb, much as it has become for Agua Caliente and those who wish to hike Machu Picchu. Numerous shops of artisan crafts meander up and down quiet cobblestone streets. We turned down one street toward a small restaurant flaunting sidewalk tables and lavender checked tablecloths. (someone had traveled recently to France…) Clearly that “someone” had a sense of humor regarding the entry door decorations!

After paying a deposit for my 400 peso ($34) area rug, I was told it would be ready in 22 days. I needn’t call to confirm, just return to pick it up in 22 days. When we return, we intend to check out the winery there which is highly  of. Then perhaps we will hike up Bernal as far as the path leads before needing ropes, caribiners, harnesses, and whatever other hardware and thingymajigs are required.

Zihuatanejo

The first of the month we took off for Zihuatanejo, a fishing village next to Ixtapa.  The roads getting there are all well maintained 4-lane “cuotas” (toll roads) which is both a blessing and hinderance as you don’t get to pass through the villages along the way.  Determined to take in more, we got off the toll road in Uruapan and had the opportunity to see many beautiful buildings and surrounding orchards.  Uruapan is a crossroads between the mountains of northern and eastern Michoacán and the lower Tierra Caliente (Hot Country), near the Pacific Coast. Around it are miles and miles of avocado groves as far as you can see, whose fruit is exported principally to the United States, Japan and other countries.

The Devil’s Knee (la Rodilla del diablo) is a spring which is the source of the river flowing through the city and out toward waterfalls on the southern side of the city.   Uruapan means “where the trees always give fruit”, or by some “water jug”.  A green lush area, we marked it on the map as a place to return to for more than just a drive-through.

Playa de Ropas, Zihuatanejo

I played in a pro-am golf tournament in Ixtapa many years ago, and had taken a taxi over the hill to Zihuatanejo when it was just a small Mexican fishingvillage.  Remembering their night market where I’d had a simple dinner of the fresh fish catch of the day, I was amazed to see how this tiny village had grown.  Many hotels and resorts had popped up along with numerous tiendas around the harbor selling local wares.  A giant Mega store (co-owned by Costco) had been built and had become the landmark for anyone giving directions.

Upon checking into our 5 star timeshare “home for the week”, we set out to take a walk on the beach.  There were 147 steps to the beach and down was always easy!  At the foot of the 147th step, tables were being set up for a “market to table” dinner which seemed to be a good idea to make reservations for.  Along the beach were several massage stations set up under tents.

Perfect location, gazillions of steps

The second day we met new friends who share their time between Canada and Hemet, California, so we had much in common to talk about.  Deciding it would be fun to hire a boat to go exploring, ice chest and snacks in tow, we left the pier and headed out into the ocean where we encountered one of the fishing boats responsible for that night’s  dinner.  The waters of the Pacific are deep blue, not the beautiful turquoise of the Atlantic side, yet I am always a little disappointed when I drag our snorkel gear many miles just to experience another dismal coral reef and fish parade.  The beer and company of our friends, however, was great!

Friends Coreen and Peter Sawden

Heading up to Troncones, a little over 22 miles further north, we located the beautiful house we are going to be returning to in May for a wonderful friend’s 75th birthday.  Individual thatched houses flank a huge thatched roof entertaining center which looks over a vanishing edge pool, which disappears into the edge of the ocean.  To the right of the house are many custom vacation homes; to the left a yoga center.  Stopping for lunch in the village, we watched as the tortuga (turtle) protection group marked nests in the sand, surrounding them with fencing to keep out predators.  Not much to do in Tronconces except unwind, read, walk the beach, and enjoy the fresh local cuisine.  With only a 20 minute cab ride to busy Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, we are looking forward to being tortugas in May.

Paradise scheduled for May

Tortuga preserve in Troncones

May 2014 destination

Many of the locals had suggested we drive further south into the plantations to the peninsula of Barros de Potosi.  Thousands of coconut groves competed with avocado groves for sunlight.  Stopping on the water’s edge, we meandered into a local beachside restaurant with the best seafood dishes and quesedillas with hand made tortillas.  A local family makes their living either fishing, running a  restaurant, or making handcrafts.  I bought a double hammock from a budding entrepreneur, William, (William for short is Memo),whose papa’s name is William, and abuelo also is named William….. 

Beautiful waters, snorkeling only so-so

A beautiful spot to vacation, 150 miles north of Acapulco, the locals are friendly and eager to please.  We may return next year if time and travel gods permit.

Our last travel for 2013

Days fly by quickly and we have discovered how true the words “time waits for no-one” really are when we are living in such a lively spot in the center of Mexico.  Time to continue our explorations further south.

It was like stepping into another era altogether when we and a group of friends landed in the town of Villahermosa in Chiapas, which is the southernmost state of Mexico before Guatamala.  Many languages are spoken in Chiapas: Tzotzil, Tzoltad, Tojolabol, Ch’ol, but most understood a smattering of plain old Español.  First on our checklist of places to experience here in the Central Highlands amidst the Lancandon Jungle and rain forest, was Palenque and it’s ancient Mayan ruins dating back to 226 BC.  After it’s decline, it melted back into the jungle, made up of cedar, pine, oak, mahogany and sapodilla trees.   The area that is  presently discovered is only 10% of the estimated total area of the city, with more than 1000 structures still covered by jungle.  With an average of 85 inches of rain per year,  uphill battles to uncover the remaining structures  will keep archaeologists working for years!

Palenque- Mayan ruins

Palenque Ruins

Palenque Southern Temple

Misol-Ha meaning “Broom Waters” and the Cascadas de Agua Azul (Blue Water Cascades) gave us the opportunity to hike up behind one of the waterfalls.  Due to recent rains, unfortunately the crystal blue waters were crystal beige.  None-the-less, the hike up around the surrounding ruins and trails through the jungle were nothing short of spectacular.  Leaving Misol-Ha, we stopped and scrambled through the caves, Las Grutas deRancho Nuevo.  As I am not yet proficient at underground photography, this link will give you a mini-tour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HQ8MS1DChUg

Cascadas del Agua Azul

An information packed ride another couple of hours through jungles with hairpin curves and infrequent signs posted “Zapatista territory, we govern and take care of our own” (or some form of that), brought us to San Cristobal de las Casas, known by it’s Tzotzil name of Jovel, and was established in 1528.  Considered the cultural capital of Chiapas it was named Pueblo Magico (Magic Village) in 2003.  Fresh, clean mountain air, lush green vegetation surrounding us, we took in as much of the local culture as we could absorb.

Amber and Jade are mined nearby and exquisite pieces were displayed in stores in many different forms of jewelry, and other handcrafts.  Posh,  is a fermented drink made from sugar cane and was a novelty for some along with saffron tamales.  Restaurants abound with Italian, Chinese, Thai and fusion cuisines.  As this town is becoming a popular tourist area for well-heeled estraños, a steady trickle of French, Italian, Canadian and a few Americans have taken up permanent residency here in the past 5 years.  Prior to that, the town was very closed and suspicious of strangers (estraños if you didn’t already know that word), and have recently begun welcoming and catering to tourists.

Local fashion for women is the huipil, a beautifully handcrafted embroidered blouse.  Each village has it’s own design and colors and they are worn with either a heavy black fur-like  wrap-around skirt, or heavy wool skirts banded with ribbons  gathered together at the waist with a bright sash.  Men often wear the black or white fur-like shirts, but do not follow any other dress custom. Huipil designs trace back through many ancestors and a person in the know can read the village history through these patterns.

3 of the village’s traditional wear

The colorful huipil.

Casa Na Bolom, now a museum, hotel and restaurant was a very interesting place, built as part of a seminary in 1891, and in the 20th century it became the home of a Danish explorer/ archeologist and a Swiss Journalist/photographer. The couple spent 50 years collecting tools, crafts, archeological pieces, and clothing relating to the Lacandon Jungle and it’s people.  The Dane displayed his  lifetime of drinking by lining the lush botanical garden pathways with literally hundreds of upended wine bottles.

Casa Na-Bolom

Botanical gardens of Casa N-Bolom with wine bottle pathways.

San Juan Chamula, a little over 6 miles from San Cristobal Las Casas, was founded in the early 1500’s and as they have their own police force, no outside police or military are allowed in the village. Photography is difficult as it is believed that to take a picture is to steal the soul of the subject.  You can be thrown out of town, or put in jail if you violate this rule.  The main plaza is surrounded with open stalls of the tiangius (open market) filled with produce, beans, and handcrafts.

San Juan Chamula

At the head of the plaza is the famous San Juan Chamula church.  One of the first things you notice, once your eyes adjust to the light, is that there are no pews in the church. Instead the ground is covered in green pine needles and soda bottles (mostly Coca-Cola) and the ceiling has great swaths of jewel colored cloth hung from side to side. The church is filled with thousands of candles, and smoke from burning copal resin incense, commonly used throughout southern Mexico, burns your eyes and nose. Along the walls of the church, as in many Catholic churches,  wooden statues of saints are elaborately dressed up and displayed  in large wooden cases, many wearing mirrors to deflect evil. The local form of Catholicism is a blend of pre-conquest Maya customs, Spanish Catholic traditions, and subsequent innovations.

Curanderos (medicine men) diagnose medical, psychological or ‘evil-eye’ afflictions and prescribe remedies such as candles of specific colors and sizes, specific flower petals or feathers, or…in a dire situation…a live chicken. Families with bags of snacks and chickens enter the church regularly and set up their altars on the floor. They spend hours praying in their local language, which sounded nothing like Spanish, rocking back and forth and, often, socializing and laughing loudly with other church-goers,completely ignoring us.  Next, they would all drink and share a bottle of an artisan liquor drink called pox, as well as Coca-Cola, which is apparently a big part of their everyday religious activities. They even gave some to young babies. It also explains why 80% of the town was drunk by noon. Although we did not encounter the actual chicken ritual, if instructed by the medicine men, those afflicted would hold their chicken by the legs and move his head over the flames from the candles, or alternatively break its’ neck with their bare hands to remove the bad spirits.

It is said that they believe, by drinking Coca-Cola, they are forcing themselves to burp (a lot!) and in turn, release bad spirits from their bodies. Some families would drink some pox and then spew it out onto the candles in front of them. Maybe they liked the effect of the flames spitting and intensifying?

In San Pedro Chenalho’, the local school with its large gymnasium is the center of all activities. Despite the type of event, the same scene takes place: huge cases of Coca-Cola are piled outside the door as the audience and participants arrive.  Volunteers proceed to pass out liter bottles of Coca-Cola provided by City Hall, to adults and children alike. They are required to drink all of it and as they are often almost bigger than the child, sometimes mothers pour it into baby bottles to make it easier for the toddler to handle.  Next, kids go to center court where they dance around the Coca-Cola brand painted on the floor. 

The colors red and white stand out against the lush rain-forest landscape.  Almost all of the shops are painted red and white as the paint is given to them free by  Coca-Cola Femsa (the Mexican subsidiary that is Coca-Cola’s largest bottling  plant in the world, with nearly 3 billion cases produced annually and which supplies all Latin America) knows these poor indigenous areas are a highly important market……Do you think?

Back on the road again, we passed the local caballo traffic getting onto the main highway. Heading over the mountain, we were stopped at a roadblock by local villagers who were protesting the illegal deforestation in their community. Over 80% of this rain forest has been destroyed; they have good cause! They were trying to raise awareness, gave us a flyer, and we were soon on our way again. 

Merging traffic onto main highway

Local protest against illegal deforestation

The last segment of our journey was to Chiapas de Corzo and the Sumidero Canyon.  A small, sleepy, but pretty little town on the Grijalva River, we hired a boatman to take us up the canyon.  Heading north up the river, we soon were between cliff walls 1000 meters high with waterfalls, hot springs and wild birds.  Christmas Tree Falls looked exactly like a snow-laden blue spruce tree.  The canyon so reminded me of kayaking the Colorado River between Hoover Dam and Willow Springs.

Sumidero Canyon

Our hotel in Chiapa de Corso

Once we get all of the places in Mexico checked off that we want to see, San Cristobal de las Casas is a town we’d definitely like to return to. 

Seems I’ve been remiss….

Hmmm, we’ve been on lengthy vacations to both France and Peru  since I deserted my post here.  After receiving inquiries ranging from “who tied my fingers in knots so I couldn’t type”, to” how severe is my writer’s block”, I’m back pounding away at the computer.

As one of the most unique and beautiful experiences of our collection of travels, Peru seems the natural place to resume our adventures.  After working for a couple of months with a friend’s nephew who is a travel agent in Lima, our travel plans were confirmed.  We set out with backpacks and Nook/Ipad’s in hand early morning mid-May from the San Miguel bus station en route to Mexico City where we would catch a flight to Lima, Peru .  The Mexico City airport is either a 20 minute taxi ride from the bus station or a 60 minute ride depending on the time of day.  Having been in taxis in many countries, I always thought taxis in Shanghai were the worst…….until Mexico City!  Careening down a 4 lane one way street at breakneck speed, suddenly our driver wanted to turn left from the right hand lane which caused tiny black spots before our eyes as we found ourselves hyperventilating!  Of course, the driver couldn’t see the other lanes as he had hung a towel from his window to keep the sun out of his eyes.  No problem really, as all the other taxi drivers merely leaned on their horns, safely guiding him to where he wanted to go.

Lima is a subtropical city which  sits atop 1500 ft cliffs at the edge of a desert, and is sheltered from the trade winds being in the middle of the Humboldt Current.  Hundreds of meters of mosaic walls created by local artists, meander along the cliff edge above the ocean.  Dinner at Nautica Rosa on the pier.

The old town center with their wooden balconies.  Watching the changing of the guards at the Presidential Palace across the square.

As we wanted to acclimate to the 13,500 altitude of Cusco, the Sacred Valley at 9,000 was our next destination. Taking an airplane over the Andes is amazing!  Of course, having posted this picture I took from the airplane window on Facebook, I got messages back from family about “airplane lost over the Andes….mmmm….barbeque!”  I asked my brother if he would head up a search party but my email came back “person unknown”.

We got a taste of climbing steep ruins at high altitudes at Ollantaytamba, watched the local women weaving their beautiful textiles:  rugs, shawls, blankets, etc.  Of course, there were plenty of girls in full local dress with lambs to take pictures of for about 3 cents.

Wanting to be up the mountain and see the sunrise above Machu Picchu the morning after the full moon meant getting up at 4:30.  It was worth every second! The mountain shrouded in swirling fog began to lighten gradually as the sun made it’s way out from the highest peak which was 12,500 feet.  Within minutes, a baby llama was born; within an hour it took it’s first wobbly steps. 

We hoped all these school kids slept in……we didn’t see the little yappers again until almost noon the next day, having the ancient mountain to ourselves.

From the Sun Gate high above Machu Picchu….another hour and a half climb above the ancient city.

Cusco at 13,500, a city we could have spent another 3 days in.  We explored many ruins above the city, including Saqxyhuaman, pronounced Sexy Woman.The gates of Saqxyhuaman.

Next stop was Uros Islands, the floating islands made from reeds.  Each little island has anywhere from 1 to 5 families, each with their own hut.  If they don’t get along with one another, they simply cut the island in half and hook it to one of their little boats and drag it across the bay to another location.

Amantani Island in the middle of Lake Titicaca, halfway to Bolivia on the east, Peru on the West.  We stayed with a local family on the island.  The granddaughter’s pet chicken kept her entertained while she entertained us.  Climbing almost another 1000 feet to the top of the mountain, we had a fabulous view of Bolivia’s glaciers from one side of the island, and a beautiful sunset on the other.

Beautiful country, beautiful people.

Veracruz Regatta / Laguna de Sontecomapan

Kayaking is kind of like any other sport, you get out of it what you put into it. Our group of 8 had been working on increased speed, technique and endurance and were ready for the annual 18K (11.2 miles) regatta to be held in Veracruz. Lashing my kayak on top of our new built for adventure Outback, we headed over the high desert and mountains to the Gulf of Mexico.

The following morning, after a frenzied shopping spree for things our little town doesn’t have, we donned our racing attire and headed south to La Laguna, a village along a sheltered bay just off the ocean where dozens of cars, trucks and trailers were unloading kayaks. The morning  weather forecast indicated 8 mph winds, but by the time of the race at 4:00, winds were starting to pick up.  Halfway through the race, they were blowing at 15 mph. In these tropics, that kind of wind is usually welcome to combat the high humidity. They are not appreciated if you are going to be paddling across water that is being whipped into whitecaps that wash over your kayak sideways pushing you backwards!

On your mark, get set, (notice the blue sky ?…)

Starting to get ugly and it’s still only 8 mph wind..the blue sky has gone down for the count!

Over 100 entrants began the race, 40 finished….the top young super-heroes last year finished the race in 74 minutes. This year their fastest time was 2 1/2 hours. Jim was in one of the “rescue” boats picking up those who couldn’t go on or had capsized one-too-many times. I finished 2nd in the women’s division, while my compadre, Holly took first place. Four of the men in our group finished, two with first places and one with second. Graciously accepting our medals, our silent communication between each other said “I’m  going to have my brain check before going through this again!”

Morning brought a brilliant blue sky under which we headed south a few hours where we treated ourselves to a relaxing couple of days to a lagoon on a beautiful  peninsula, Laguna de Sontecomapan, which lies within the Los Tuxtla forest range. Putting kayaks in the water, we paddled across the lagoon to Los Amigos, a locally run property with tin-roofed cabins that zig-zagged up the hillside .  The ocean waters here are fed by crystal clear fresh-water from the surrounding lush hillsides.

Los Amigos, our lodging in Laguna de Sontecomapan

Afternoon siesta from my hammock perched on the front porch of our cabin with a view of the lake.

After taking to hammocks for a quick snooze, we got into our kayaks to go exploring the different little waterways that fed off the sides of the lagoon. Within the mangroves, yellow grasshoppers over 6″ long with black spots, lazed on water lilies in the shade, blue crabs sat at water’s edge on mangroves roots, exotic flowers hanging from trees dropped spent petals all around us, parrots screamed at us from high perches, huge multi-hued butterflies flitted along around us as we craned our necks to not miss anything.

Many of these friends of the lagoon flashed ahead of us seeming to lead us deeper through the mangroves.

Pods hanging from mangrove trees, a slight tap or two and presto, floral feather-duster.

Grey herons are also very prolific here.

Blue crab hiding in mangrove roots waiting it’s turn on our dinner plate.

Hiding places for blue crabs and other fresh-water fish.

The shores were heavily pockmarked with these shy crabs who would pop back down into their dug-out at the slightest provocation. Creepy curiosities, but harmless.

The biggest grasshoppers we’d ever seen. Hope I didn’t get one in my luggage or my tomato plants are a goner!

While out on our mangrove excursion, our host Valentina, went out in search of our dinner of fish, blue crab and langostina.  By the time we returned, the most scintillating smells drew us toward the kitchen under the heavily thatched palapa where cocktails awaited us.  Sitting down to eat at a long table created from polished tree planks, balanced upon whole tree trunks, we listened to the awakening of the night jungle around us.  Our feast did not disappoint us!

Heavy thunder and lightning storms interrupted our sleep each night as it thundered onto our corrugated tin roof, leaving mornings fresh and clean.  In a palapa high atop the hills above us, daybreak yoga class was conducted by Valentina amidst a flock of parrots who screamed hysterically as we attempted to bend our bodies in unnatural positions.   Infused  with a calm new energy, early the morning of our departure before sliding kayaks into the water for our return to the main village and then home, we were stopped by another stunning display of dawn in our adopted country.

Daybreak just before we paddled back across the lagoon to head home

Our next adventure to another magical place is already on the drawing board.

Hasta la Vista