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.
Some of you may know that part of my goal of being in Mexico is to learn about the school systems here and the lives of teachers and students involved in those systems. Making contacts has proved to be a bit of a challenge but things are finally taking off and I have done a number of interviews with parents, teachers and students.
A fellow I worked with in Portland got me in touch with his cousin who is a first year English teacher at the University of Guanajuato. She has been a wonderful help, introducing me to professors, taking me to libraries, and this weekend she took me home to Salamanca to meet her parents who are both public school teachers in rural schools around Salamanca. Not only was it great to make the contacts for my project, it was wonderful to get to spend some time with a truly lovely family.
This picture is taken from the bus. You can’t see it well from the haze, but in the distance there are a mix of refinery and church towers, mostly refinery.
Salamanca is a smallish, very industrial city in the valley just south of Guanajuato City in the state of Guanajuato. Salamanca started as a small agricultural community in the 1600s and stayed small until a refinery, now PEMEX, moved there in the 1950s. Since then the city grew rapidly without a plan and with very little focus on quality of life. PEMEX and a thermal electric plant are the main industries and employers there now. Jessica told me that respiratory problems are very common and also asked me to let her know if I got dizzy or nauseated as many first time visitors do. I didn’t, but my eyes did sting. I heard that birds have been known to fall dead from the sky - the pollution gets so bad.
On the outskirts of town there are acres and acres of these huge complexes of tiny apartment houses.
Jessica’s family lives in one of the older neighborhoods, which she says is also known as a poor and dangerous neighborhood. She has lived there her whole life and has never had a problem with crime. This is right outside her door.
And a main street, a few blocks away.
Inside their garden - it is so sweet and cozy.
We went to the market, early Sunday morning. So early that it was just opening up.
When we got home everyone gathered in the kitchen for their traditional Sunday of cooking a big breakfast, and then cooking for the week. (Two sisters aren’t shown.) I got to slice nopales just like the ladies in the market do - and learned the word for slimy, boboso. I also learned that for better flavor you should make salsa with a mortar and pestal - with the tomatoes on the stovetop there are chilies roasting. They are all for the salsa.
After breakfast I finished my interviews. They are both very enthusiastic, creative teachers who have huge hearts and love for their student and both have been teaching for over 25 years! I am planning to go back soon and spend a day with one of them in school.
It was also excellent to get to speak so much Spanish, with a mix of English and support from Jessica.
The xmas eve mole dinner was delicious. I think it was the best I’ve had. Unfortunately the preparation of it attracted every bee in the neighborhood into our house, and I had to perform the ritual xmas eve bee slaughter. They were cooperative enough. They came in, landed on the windows, I would wack one with a newspaper and go onto the next one. We closed the balcony doors, but soon realized that they were coming under the door. It all worked out and no one got stung, but it did get a little too warm and stuffy in the house with the doors closed.
To continue from the previous post. Santa seems to have come AFTER I fell asleep to the what sounded like artillery fire off the balcony. I woke at 4 am or so to the baby swinging song being sung over and over in a nearby house. It was beautiful, accompanied by fiddle, base and guitar. I fell back to sleep, and woke again at 6 when Mikko woke up looking for signs of Santa. That sneaky fellow seems to have come during one of my brief episodes of sleep.
We had a lovely xmas morning. The grandparents came over around 9 and we opened the heaps of presents, which was fun and fruitful. As you might imagine, it was a lucha rich xmas. Mikko and I both got eachother Lucha rings and guys. We ended up trading rings because the one he got me was bigger and more utilitarian and the one I got him was smaller and more decorative.
We had a delicious eggs and bacon breakfast and then just hung out.
At around 3 pm Anna, our land lady and her friend Annie, came by and picked me up to go for a horseback ride on the ranch before the big xmas cena. We were all invited to come to the ranch, for tamales, pozole, ponche and baby swinging, but it turned out that everyone else in my family was too tired and stayed in town. So I was the sole Portland/Sequim representative out there.
This is Dulcinea, the sweet horse I rode.
The ranch from the top of the hill.
We rode for about an hour, maybe less, down to a river bed, with a bit of river running through and had some iced coffee. A goat herd came by just as we got there with a fellow on a donkey herding them.
I sure love goats.
My legs were super sore, having not ridden for more than a few minutes in close to 30 years!!! But after our little rest and chat at the river I was fine.
Dulcinea, the horse I was riding was super sweet and perky and responsive to my will. We even cantered a bit. We headed back as the sun was setting and got back just in time for the odd uncertain waiting time that seems to accompany most functions here in Mexico. Dinner was delicious, and then it was time to swing the baby.
Some of you may wonder what it is I speak of when I say swing the baby. Well, in every nativity, which is in most every house, there is of course, at least one baby Jesus.
Each baby Jesus has a set of godparents who are responsible for clothing and caring for the baby for the next three years. During this period of Christmas families and friends gather to rock the baby in a pretty cloth. That is the godparents’ job. Everyone else gathers around with candles and sparklers, throwing confetti and streamers and singing a very pretty song that goes for a very long time. I didn’t catch all the words, but the jist is that the baby has come to earth as our salvation and we love him and he loves us and stuff like that. After the song, the godfather takes the baby around and everyone kisses his little head. Last night there were three babies to swing. They each got a new outfit put on them by their godparents, then they were taken outside in their little swings and we started singing.
I’m getting a face full of confetti at the end of this video.
After we each kiss the baby the godmother comes around and gives everyone a little goody bag snacks and/or candy.
And then it is time for the piñata.
The piñata is made of clay, so my big concern was that an innocent, blindfolded child would get knocked out by the piñata, but everything unfolded with no injuries.
At about midnight, the three of us squeezed back into Anna’s little two seater porche and headed back into town. I shook as much confetti as I could out of my hair and crawled into bed. (I did find one last piece of confetti in my belly button as I drifted off to sleep.)
