Week 16 + Adventures

 Over the past couple of weeks, we have enjoyed the company of friends from los Estados Unidos.  Just when we were starting to lose our last healthy hair trying to learn orthographic stem changes in Spanish, we were given a reprieve from lessons to share time with our friends.  Chris and Bruce Maxson arrived with the dawn light, although  not before Pepe’s morning sound-off, and Betty’s pre-walk somersalts and Upward Betty calisthenics. 

Upward Betty

After throwing together a Mexican breakfast for them, we headed for the inner courtyard to chat awhile before it was necessary for them to fall face down in a pool of drool in exhaustion.  As we have taken that same midnight flight several times after being up since early morning, encountering cold airplanes, the two hour time change, and an additional  1-1/2 hour drive to our hideaway, we understood the need for a siesta, shower and change of clothes. 

First stop upon awakening, central San Miguel; second stop, a margarita in the Jardin. Over cobblestones, into doorways, around fountains and through other wandering pedestrians, new discoveries were shared.  Arriving home, we headed for the sunset terrace for hors d’ oeuvres and wine to watch the sunset.  We have a French expat who makes wonderful appetizers, main entrees, quiches and desserts.  These are delivered by motorbike hot within minutes.

 

 

Bruce & Chris- something was very funny up on the sun terrace!

 

 

Another beautiful sky!

Early in the  morning we shared breakfast out in the courtyard to the extremely loud and annoying sound of Pepe letting us know he was supposed to be fed first.

Our adventure for the day was to go to the taller (workshop) of Dan and Nisha Ferguson of DaNisha Sculpture.  This multi-talented Canadian couple moved family and businesses down here over 8 years ago.  Dan led us through the workshop explaining the entire process for his ceramic sculptures.  He makes each design by hand from clay,  forms the negative mold (which often can be up to 24 pieces), and pours the slip creating the greenware.  Nisha’s creativity now comes into play as she etches her designs by hand into each unique piece.  As her brain starts to trip merrily along forming new artistic effects, what emerges are beautiful and whimsical ceramic bowls and sculptures unparalleled by any we’ve seen elsewhere.

Nisha of “DaNisha Sculptures”

As though she’s not busy enough as mom, wife, artist and home builder, Nisha squeezes in a little more activity into her busy schedule with her  acrobatics school  “Gravityworks”, which lies twenty feet above the workshop.  Her troupes perform in many events in San Miguel and surrounding cities in Mexico.  Their website for  ceramics, bronzes, paintings and Gravityworks is www.danishasculpture.com  and has better pictures of their work than mine!                                                                                                                 

Next stop was to ride mexican-style in Dan’s pickup up into the foothills where they are building their own self-sustaining compound.  Their home, a house for Dan’s mom, another for Nisha’s sister & brother-in-law, and a guest house were all being constructed at the same time with 3 separate crews.    Two brothers from one of the crew live in a make-shift campsite on the property to prevent tools and materials from walking off into the night of their own accord. Included in the construction is solar energy,  large enough cisterns beneath each house to sustain them through a mild drought, energy efficient windows, recycled cabinetry, and a very old but lovingly maintained O’Keefe and Merritt gas stove.  A nearby neighbor, a transplant from New York 20 years ago, was  was assisting with the efficiency projects.  Tales of his journey from New York to Mexico were both humorous as well as awe-inspiring. 

Bruce and I discover "Air travel" in Mexico.

 It is customary for new construction to be blessed by the albanillos (stone masons)  This typically is done with the property owner throwing a big party, including lots of cerveza, and a priest being called to bless the structure while affixing a cross.  The saying here is “no cruz, prohibido entrada.

Dan explaining the blessing and the cross.

 

Ferguson compound/ a brick boveda ceiling being covered with 6" of cement.

 

Crew's campsite for 10 months of construction!

 

Arrangements for dinner that evening took us to the Mirador which overlooks all of San Miguel.  As usual, the sky went from brilliant to pastel watercolors in minutes.  A perfect ending to a perfect day! 

Dinner at El Mirador with Dan Ferguson

 Every Sunday morning the Biblioteca holds a “House Tour” of 2-3 beautiful homes in San Miguel.  Although we head out at noon, a local mexican group serenaded us in the interior courtyard of the Biblioteca during our wait.  One home we visited was over 100 years old featuring ancient twisted mesquite beams which held up the hacienda porches.  Rare mesquite doors with shutters fit perfectly into old stone doorways making you feel you had stepped back in time.

Casa Zazula-Home Tour of 100 yr old colonial home

 

Casa Zazula windows

 Between the two houses on the home tour, the bus suddenly ground to a halt in the middle of the street.  Coming toward us were many types of costumed dancers and characters.  We were told people were practicing for the “Pres Loco Parade” to be held on June 19.  This parade is very large, and for weeks ahead of the event, participants practice so that everyone knows just how much time it takes, where and when to stop, etc.  It was amazing to see the extent of the costumes…just for practicewhich was in 105 degree heat! (Note the babies being carried asleep on mom’s backs.) 

Pres Loco Parade

Pres Loco Parade

 Following the parade, we met with artist Gerry Gill and toured her beautiful B&B “Casa Granada”  (Pomegranite House) which sits on one of the upper roads circling Centro San Miguel.  A hand-painted “Michaelangelo ceiling”  and a very old sculpture were discovered in the dining room.  Gerry has added countless personal touches with antique Mexican furniture, giving the place a simple elegance that makes you wish for a book and a margarita while looking out shuttered windows at the magnificent views.  Being a resident artist for over 25 years, Gerry has explored numerous medias:  encaustics, oils, bronze, watercolors and most likely many more that I haven’t seen.  Her most recent work, shown below, reminds me of Betty and was in fact her little pooch.

Gerry Gill, artist and owner of La Granada, B&B extraordinaire!

Guanajuato certainly has it’s own unique charm and nearly everyone who visits wants to experience it.  Therefore, off we headed to the breathtaking city with every intention of crawling down into one of the silver mines.  We were not disappointed and were glad we took our friend and maestra, Laura, along to translate the tour guide’s commentary.   The Valencia silver mine is still in operation and extends ten stories beneath the ground (each story being about 9 ft).  The section we were allowed to tour is no longer active.  With 150 very steep winding steps straight down into the cave with only minimal lighting, we certainly could appreciate what these miners were subjected to many years ago, when carrying 16 kilo bags (35 lbs) on there backs up those uneven wicked steps multiple times a day.  Theirs was the easy job, however.  Usually two other men spent the entire day at the bottom of the cave, lighting fires to heat up the rock surface.  With pick and axe they worked on extending the tunnel, following the vein of silver ore in the cave wall.  We were shown the streaks of ore and were surprised to find that silver in it’s raw state is black, and gold is usually found along side it.  Being subjected to absolute darkness all day, surfacing into brilliant sunlight at the end of the day, made blindness a very common issue, along with deaths from lung disease and overextertion. 

Valencia silver mine in Guanajuato

Lunch in the Jardin with Chris, Bruce & Laura. We had our first taste of huitlacoche, made from fungus grown on corn. Really quite good!

Our last day we spent buying all of the paper roses the flower lady on the corner of the jardin had in her baskets.  Chris and Bruce headed home arms laden with huge bouquets.  I’m sure they made quite a stir walking through the airport!

 As I’ve some catching up to do before our friend, Judy arrives, hasta la vista!