Shrines

I decided to take pictures of shrines this trip. Not hard to find. They are in every bus station, most neighborhoods and many houses. This is just a small sample:

Xilitla

So my friend, Tom, and I decided to go on a trip. We both have been wanting to go to Veracruz, so that was our destination. I have been very curious about Las Pozas, a surrealist sculpture garden in the jungle outside of Xilitla (hee leet la), and it was kind of on the way, so we went there first.

It turns out out it required a somewhat circuitous bus route from Guanajauto to Leon to San Luis Potosi to Ciudad Valles to Xilitla. This is the landscape we were driving through in the morning:

And after arriving around 10 at night, this is what we woke up in the next day:

Xilitla is a beautiful little town nestled in jungle hillsides. It was hot and humid, but the green was so welcome to me I didn’t complain too much. We woke up in the wee hours to the Sunday Market being set up right under out window. Tom had dreamt all morning about someone dragging a huge blanket around. You know how much noise those blankets make.

These birds also made their fair share of riotous racket, right outside our windows for much of the night and morning. It was remarkable.

After wandering around town a bit we headed to Las Pozas. It was a couple mile walk out of town.

It was a pretty amazing place, with all of these poured concrete structures inserted into the jungle.

I just kept imagining being there for a fancy cocktail party.

The best part, by far, was a stream and waterfall and pools where you could swim. I ended up swimming in my clothes because I could not have lived with myself had a walked away from such luscious pools.

We trekked back to town, (me all refreshed, and poor Tom, sweating like a horse in all that hot humidity) where it is equally interesting and beautiful.

I have approximately a jillion more pictures, most of which I have put into flikr so I will figure out how to make that public, sometime soon.

Random Pix from last week

An excellent trash fence that rivals the genius of the one outside our door.

Lone deliciousness.   A mixed fruit cup at the end of the day.  Eaten with chili and lime and it is sooooo good.

The Morning Butt - (Matthew took this.)

I observed a first year Special Ed. teacher training class.  My project is finally picking up.

I’m off on a little trip to Xilitla, the surrealist sculpture garden in the middle of the jungle, and Veracruz.

Puppy Update and home

Unfortunately there is no puppy progress to report, but many have asked. Right after the last visit (and my post) one of the Friends of Animals ladies went to Canada for a few weeks (and is not responding to email), and I don’t know how to get in touch with the other one. We haven’t gone to visit the puppies lately, since everything is up in the air. Hopefully something will happen soon.

Also a number of people have asked when we are coming home. We are hoping to find a car that we can drive home in early July, arriving home mid July. It is a little nerve wracking to have the end of this time here so solidly in sight.

I will be very happy to see everyone and my house, but I think it is going to be really hard to leave this place. Guanajuato for sure, but really it is Mexico that I have found a deep love for and feel so good in. I keep having to remind myself that a few months (that we have left,) is still a long time. Some people’s big multinational experience is a few months total- so…. There is still a lot to do and see and learn and acquire etc. and there is still a lot of time to do it.

Meanwhile, back at el Rancho there was a wedding

The big exciting thing coming up, has been the wedding of one of Maria’s aunts ( who I believe is about 5 years younger than Maria.) The big day was Saturday and my friend Tom, (of penpal fame, who has come back to GTO for a visit,) and I went to it.

We took a city bus out to Yerba Buena, a community on the way out of town, and after asking directions a few times and, of course walking quite a ways, we found the church. Once we were there, we waited for a while - of course.

It was a long mass with lots of sitting down and standing up. We were standing in the back, so we could relax.

I kept trying to focus on what the pastor said, but soon realized even if it was in English, I probably didn’t have the attention span to follow along, so I spent most of my time looking at cute babies, trying not to eat their pudgie little hands.

After the ceremony we squeezed onto a bus that they had hired to take people from the wedding to the reception at El Rancho, (the home of Maria and her family).

Once everyone was there, we sat under tents and tarps, listening to live musicians ( a guitar and a bongo player,) sing love songs.

And waited for the fellows to cook this wheelbarrel full of meat.

It was served with mole, rice and tortillas and mmmm, was it good.

It had been a very hot day, but the wind began to blow and it started to cool down. It was quite wonderful.

We decided to go before the cake, and the dancing. I don’t think anyone missed us.

More walks in good ol’ Guanajuato

Just some more pix from some more walks.

dinner with a view

Last night our friend Patrick invited us over for dinner. He works at Alma del Sol, a beautiful bed and breakfast owned and run by another friend, Hugo.

This is the view from the dinner table. Isn’t that crazy?

That’s all.

Solemne Fiesta al Patriarca SAN JOSE

On Sunday Quince and I went out to Rodeo de San Jose, the little town near Maria’s family’s ranch because it was their patron saint’s day and there was a big celebration that would culminate in eating the most delicious mole in Mexico, which Maria’s mother, Lidia, makes.

We took the city bus way out into the country outside of Guanajuato and got off at a little dirt road. We followed the road which soon became paved and found ourselves in a little tiny town, festooned with papel picado and all the vendors who are generally out for any celebration

There were lots of cowboys of all ages.

The main event while we were there was this jousting/golden ring type event where two guys race at a time and try to get a golden ring onto a stick off of a rope that they ride under.

When someone gets the ring they take it over to the queen and all the princesses who are standing on the back of a truck and give them the ring and give the queen a kiss. They were all a’twitter when this rotund fellow got the ring.

And a little more positive twittering when this handsome young lad got it.

Everyone else watches. Quince and I were wandering around poking our heads in the crowds trying to find good view spots that weren’t too crazy sunny and hot. A few times we found good spots just to decide to move away because of the super drunk fellows that would come and try to talk to us in no comprehensible language. I think we were the only gringas around.

We eventually found Lidia and joined her and a large group who walked across the road to the ranch to sit in the shade and eat the most delicious mole.

This last week…

has been lovely with the Aunties here AND I have been teaching English at Mikko’s school. We planned the Aunties’ tourist week around meals, at favorite restaurants and at home. Therefore, we have eaten very well and had some good card playing time as well. One of the best meals is a city bus ride away at Tamales Purupecha. It is Michaocan style tamales, pozole, and corundas, which are kind of like mini tamales that are wrapped in chard and covered with salsa verde and crema. Oh Yummmm.

Quince and I took nice long walks early early in the mornings. It has been great after my long break from walks during our trip.

Then I took Mikko to school, and generally came home to putter until around 11 when I would go back up and teach. It felt good to be back in the classroom. Everyone should get to take a year off, so they can miss their job, and remember how much they love it. (I have probably said that before and will most likely say it again.)

There were two scorpian sightings, one disturbing one was floating dead in the water that I had just washed my clothes in by hand - which makes me think it was alive in the pile of laundry as I was carrying it around.  The other was up near the ceiling on the wall.  Matthew squished it handily with a book.

Here are some random pictures of the week:

This is right around the corner from Mikko’s school. It has been a good week for burro sightings.

It was the hottest week we have had so far - in the 90s most days. Matthew bought a package of balloons for water balloons - and he Mikko and Mikko’s friend Adam managed to involve the boys across the callejon in some good water balloon fights. Notice the orange blob flying towards the boy in the bue shirt

No puppy news yet.

An Afternoon in Dolores Hidalgo

The Aunties and I decided to spend the afternoon in Dolores Hidalgo. It is known as the birthplace of Mexican Independence from Spain and is just an hour busride away. It is also a lovely little town to shop and take pictures.