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.

An extra day of vacation

As it turns out - there is no school today. Our friends found out from a cab driver that the secretary of education declared today the official holiday to celebrate the first day of spring since we were all on vacation on the first day of spring so we couldn’t take the day off.

Instead of school, Mikko has been conducting battles. (And photographing them.)

Matthew went shopping and has almost completed his Herod outfit. (Inspired by Jesus Christ Super Star.)

And I have spent the day beading and blogging.

It’s stinken’ hot today. In the 90s. so of course we needed to have a water fight as well.

¡¡Estamos a Casa!!

Mikko and I arrived home Wednesday night after a mellow day of air travel, with our new six month visas in hand. Maria picked us up from the airport in Leon. She gave us big hugs and told us that we can’t go back to Portland, she will be too sad. It felt like a real homecoming.

Mikko and I were both ecstatic to be back amongst the dogs and roosters, in our own little house and sleeping in our own little beds.

We have mostly just been hanging out with our computers and toys and games.

I would just like to point out that Little Maggie kicked Mr. Burns’ arse!!

We were shocked yesterday afternoon to walk into town and it was packed. It is Semana Santa, the week before Easter and everyone is on vacation, so the town is full of tourists.

This is the first time I have seen papel picado in Guanajuato.  I had been told that it creates too much litter and because this an UNESCO site, there are rules against it.  I guess Jesus’ rebirth trumps the UNESCO regulations.  Right on Jesus!

We were also shocked to find that our favorite little restaurant on the jardin, Pengüis, became a clothing store while we were gone.  (Update, it has only moved and is now closer to our house!!)  The good news is: a movie theater has just reopened in town, right next to the university, so it is an easy walk from home and back.

The new theater is right around the corner from here.

4 days in TJ

This is a bit of an epic post, but Tijuana is a bit of an epic place. It is all so big and heavy. I have just barely scratched the surface. Our friend that we stayed with has a blog about living there.

We traveled up Baja through miles and mile of this type of landscape .

This is the first of 6 military checkpoints that we had to stop at. They just chose a few random suitcases to go through, then showed the crowd pictures of things: drugs weapons etc. that they have gotten at that particular checkpoint. I got reprimanded for taking this picture, but he didn’t make me erase it.

At about 2 in the morning they made a bunch of people, including Matthew get off and frisked them. Mikko and I were sleeping like babies, so missed the whole thing.

When we woke up the ocean was right outside and the hillsides were covered with wild flowers.

Jesus was there to welcome us at some point. He’s such a nice guy.

I was very attracted to the dashboard of our bus.

It was much colder, so far north, than we were used to. (Mikko was still a little sick too.)

We were greeted, at our friends’ house by their nine month old Chihuahua, Xoloitzcuintle, Xolito for short. He was a sweet companion, when he wasn’t humping your arm.

Our friends live less then a block from the beach, about 5 or 6 blocks from the border.

This fence runs all the way along the border, so basically is the northern border of Tijuana.

This was a park that represented the friendship between Mexico and the US. They started building the fence just before NAFTA, long before 9/11. The powers that be knew how NAFTA would trash the Mexican economy and that people would be coming north to look for work - so we had to be sure to lock them out.

Families used to picnic on either side of the fence. There were always vendors on the Mexican side selling delicious things, so people would pass food through this hole to the US side where they were miles from a McDonalds. La Migra closed the hole though. There is no one on the US side anymore, except immigration police watching the fence.

The wall has become a site for a lot of art. This shows how once the wall was built and the doors were locked it forced people to risk their lives crossing the desert.

On a lighter note- we went to a soccer game on Sunday. The Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente. (Xoloitzcuintle, is that crazy looking Aztec, hairless dog, BTW.) This is a shot of their fans. They were as loud and rowdy as the Timbers Army in Portland.

And one crazy Mexican hotdog. The Xoloitzcuintle colors are red and black which is why the hotdog comes in a red tortilla, of course.

Unfortunately, they lost. Which was a big deal - I blame myself. Generally when I go to a Timbers game their winning streaks come to a halt too. Sorry.

Another picture I wasn’t supposed to take - so I’m posting it even though it doesn’t really show anything. According to Lynn, the new soccer stadium and everything around is owned by the ex mayor of Tijuana. Including his own private zoo, pictured here. (We could hear lions getting intimate, I believe.)

On Monday we planned to go to some museums to see some artwork of a friend and just generally do some touristy things. Little did we know it was the official holiday celebrating the nationalization of oil, so everything was closed. We saw some pretty park benches though.

The next day we ventured across the border to do a little shopping. I guess I wasn’t supposed to get this picture either.

Ah the beautiful US of A.

And a good ol’ American hotdog.

We found good sushi in Tijuana the next day.

And dropped by a workers’ rights office.

So nice to be around some radical politics, after the ultra conservative GTO.

Though why peace, workers rights and the environment are radical is a mystery to me. (Actually, unfortunately it isn’t a mystery, just a travesty.)

Then on Wednesday we got a ride to the airport, past our last glimpse of the wall, and the art on it. Each cross represents someone who has died making the crossing. At this point more people have died than in 9/11 or US casualties in the Iraq war, since the wall was built.

Guest Post: Cabalgata Cubilete 2008

Our landlady, Anna Troutner, is from the US and is a horse lady. She has a partnership with a family here who have a ranch. She has her horse out there with theirs and gives riding lessons and is very close with everyone in the family.

She had been telling me about this amazing event coming up - and afterwards sent me pictures and the story she wrote about it. It is all so amazing, I wish I could have gone. Maybe some day.

Here’s a picture she just sent of me on Dulcenea, on Xmas day. This way it looks like I was there - but I wasn’t.

These are Anna’s pictures and Anna’s story.

CABALGATA CUBILETE 2008
We have returned from our big ride. WOW! January 5th, we drove to Rodeo, about 15 miles from Guanajuato (Mexico), and saddled ElPinto and Atajo, our horses, before dawn. Then as the sun rose, we heard thousands of horse hooves clopping on the pavement. We could see the highway at a great distance, with the police escort coming from Sauceda,, followed by all those riders. We mounted and our horses were excited. We joined in at the end of the group. I rode quietly and was quite content thinking about what we were about to achieve.

We rode to a designated meeting point off the highway in the campo, where more horses were waiting to join the cabalgata. Women had trays of hot coffee in styrofoam cups and two steaming tamales in plastic bags handed up for our breakfast. All these riders stayed on their horses and ate, drank and listened to the bullhorn. Someone explained how we would ride through the communities, until we met with a police escort on the highway, again. And how we really needed to stay together in twos, and be considerate of each other and the other horses to stay safe. Then all these riders threw down their plastic bags and cups and walked their horses on out, pairing up with their friends and family groups. We rode with Bernardo and a dozen others.

I saw all men, mostly campo types, whose horses were for working, not leisure. The purpose of the tack was understood, although the martingale could be made of a fairly strong plastic string, tied to the halter that could be made of hand woven agave fiber, tied to the breast collar or cinch that could be made from a woven plastic bag.
We rode and rode and rode. We followed in the rear of thousands of horses, mostly lined up in pairs. Annie, my friend visiting for the holidays, and I threw wrapped candies from our saddlebags, to the myriads of children waiting with their mothers along the trails and rural roads. We signified the three King’s traveling to the savior, Christ the King (Cristo Rey), bringing gifts for tomorrow’s Epiphany. Mass was held in a couple of specific chapels along the way, which rested the horses. The final mass was at Cristo Rey, on the mountaintop. It is also called Cubilete, and is considered the geographic center of Mexico and a popular pilgrimage destination.

We came to the first watering trough at the base of the mountain, with all the horses pushing and crowding, to suck up the water. There was a line of thousands of horses leaving and arriving. We began the accent, on the treacherous cobble stone road. These horses have come a long way. Some were from Salamanca, Joventino Rosas, Dolores Hidalgo and San Miguel de Allende.

They camped last night in Sauceda, and began riding this morning, to camp on the mountaintop for the Epiphany. A few riders were from the United States, and Annie was from Croatia.
We continued up the long cobble stone road of seemingly endless switchbacks to the top. As the horses neared, the chapel bells gonged, announcing our arrival. It was now late in the afternoon. We turned away from those riding to mass, and set up our camp, while listening to mass projected from the distance. We got the horses unsaddled, situated and fed alfalfa. Then we made a fire and heated the pozole, tamales and ponche that the women, Lidia and Chuya, brought in the truck, along with the camping gear. We set up our bedding on level ground, near our horses tied to the few opportune places. We ate by the fire and sat under the stars and looked at the 75 foot Jesus statue, right in front of us, lit against the night sky. The King’s had arrived.

Ann Troutner

National Geographic article about last year’s ride:

Xmas day 2007

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.)

People don’t move here for the quiet

Or if they do, they are sorely disappointed.

It is 1 a.m. Christmas morning. Mikko and I are sleeping upstairs in hopes of catching Santa red handed. I’m not hopeful that Mikko will because it sounds like there is a battlefield just outside our door and he has been fast asleep for hours. The fireworks have been going all night, but they really picked up about midnight. The whole basin that is Guanajuato is filled with smoke. My eyes are actually stinging and I am sitting inside on my couch. There are m80 type explosions as well as those whistling kind and even sparklers that people throw from their rooftops. I’m glad that the building material of choice here is concrete and stucco. The sounds of the blasts echo back and forth between the basin walls.

Here is a video I took at 12:20. The noises you hear are not me tapdancing, they are the fireworks. There continues to be that much if not more noise, as I write. Cheeze!! They are SO LOUD. And the poor dogs are barking up a storm.

The people down below are swinging the Baby Jesus and singing him a special song. It is what people do the last night of Posada now that Mary and Joseph have finally found their stable and the baby has been born. Carlyn was in town today and saw many people carefully carrying around their Niños. Unfortunately we made it through the whole nine days of Posada and never happened upon, or were invited to a Posada. We will be going out to our landlady/lord’s ranch today for a little Niño swinging, so all is not lost.

Well, I uploaded the wrong one. I had a better one of the Niño swinging but you get the idea. It is loud and there is a lot of activity into the wee hours. It is 2 am now and things have died down a tiny bit. But I do hear a party across the way and lots of loud little kid voices sailing into the basin. Maybe I will try to get some sleep. Still no sign of Santa.

the nativity is where it’s AT

The nativity is everywhere!  And now I’m off to make mole poblano for x-mas eve dinner.

The Pastorale that the teachers at Mikko’s school put on the night of the last day of school.

Xmas images from Central Mexico

Our lady of Guadalupe

Yesterday was the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe or Our Lady of Guadalupe, or La Virgin Moreno (the dark skinned virgin.) She is the most important religious icon in Mexico.

This is what I learned in my culture class (with a little help from Wikapedia):

In the 16th century the Spaniards were struggling to convert the indigenous people to catholicism. Luckily a Nahuatl fellow, Juan Diego, who was one of the first converts, and very devout, met the Virgin Mary on a hill outside of what is now Mexico City. She told him to tell the church to build a temple to her on that spot. When he told the bishop, the bishop didn’t believe him and said he would need a sign. Juan went back and Mary told him to pick flowers to show the bishop. It was December so flowers were out of season, but when he went up the hill there were Spanish roses blooming. Mary placed a bunch of roses into Jaun’s poncho type thing called a tilma. He took them down to show the bishop. As the roses fell out of his tilma, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared on the cloth.

What makes her special and what seemed to win over a lot of people is that she is dark skinned, she is pregnant and there are many other symbols in the image that match the indigenous religions of that time.

This was supposed to have happened over the days of December 9th to the 12th. The 12th being the day the image appeared. Therefore the 12th is super important. Everyone goes to the temple of Guadalupe, (I believe most towns have one,) to give an offering. Many women and children dress in traditional indigenous outfits, I’m not sure why men don’t. The little boys get mustaches and sideburns painted on them so they will look like Juan - though, I don’t think indigenous people had facial hair… hmmm. Well that’s what people do anyway.

We walked up the road to the temple with a whole passle of kids and the rest of the town. My mother and stepfather just got here, so they got to experience the whole thing too. Of course the way up was full of vendors, selling all the delicious food, cheap plastic toys, tee shirts and baskets of fruits and vegetables for the offerings.

All along the way there were these beautiful backdrops set up so that people could get their pictures taken with the virgin.

We didn’t make into the temple. The crowd action was just too… crowded. And by that time the baby had fallen asleep in my arms, which was amazing considering the crush of people I was making my way through.

So we found ourselves a place to sit in the shade, past the crowds, then headed back down to town on a different route.

And my camera ran out of battery.