Well, That’s Just Crazy

Yesterday, here in San Miguel, it was El Dia de los Locos, The Day of the Crazies. Like most other holidays and celebrations here it actually began in the 18th century as a religious observance, but has since morphed into something entirely different.

El Dia de los Locos is held on the first Sunday following June 13th, with the biggest attraction being the parade. However, it is an all day affair beginning about 5:00 AM with the sound of cohetes and the singing of the traditional mañanitas in honor of San Antonio de Padua, the patron saint of San Miguel. This is followed by mass at the church of San Antonio, the Locos parade, an evening of restaurant and bar hopping, street dancing and finally the release of about a million firecrackers from castillos, castles, built for that purpose, and of course, accompanied again by the thunder of the ever-present cohetes (rockets).





This fiesta originally began as two separate holidays. The first was a celebration in May of the Spanish saint, Pascual Baylón, or Bailón as he is known in Mexico. Pascual Baylón was introduced to the newly Catholic Mexicans in the 18th century as the patron saint of field and kitchen workers and they celebrated his feast day by dancing in the streets to pagan music while costumed in the tools of the kitchen or fields. Many of the merry-makers dressed as scarecrows and developed dances deemed “crazy” by the onlookers.

The other holiday was in honor of San Antonio de Padua held in mid-June. This celebration also had dances, but the popularity of the Pascual Baylón dances and processions soon overshadowed those of San Antonio and the two festivities eventually became one.





Clowns replaced the scarecrows and all manor of costumes eventually replaced the clowns until the current Locos Parade was born. Today we see men dressed as women, women dressed as men, parodies of television, movie and political personalities, and almost anything else that creative Mexican minds can produce.





The parade unfolds from Colonia San Antonio and takes hours to wind through the calles of San Miguel to finish at El Jardin, the town’s principle plaza. People from many different neighbourhoods and groups of co-workers make up the “Locos” in the parade, and they dance through the streets, each group providing their own music, to create a cacophony of rivaling tunes.





Trucks decked out as elaborate floats weave between the dancers and throw hundreds of kilos of candies into the throngs lining the streets, many of whom wait with umbrellas turned upside down to catch the dulces, sweets or candies.








Thousands of people turn out to watch the parade and people watching in the crowd is almost as much fun as the parade itself.

Next year this one will be in the parade!

In true San Miguel de Allende style the people here have taken an old tradition and reinvented it, once again incorporating the old and the new and creating something special, and most certainly unique!

 Sights and sounds of the Dia de los Locos Parade

Sticks And Stones

How do you find opals within mountains of rock, cactus and sage brush? How interesting that you should ask, as I recently found the answer to that very question, LOL. Last Tuesday my good friend Joan, Todd and I went on an opal expedition.

Joan makes wonderful silver jewelry with all manner of semiprecious gemstones. She recently gifted me with a beautiful silver pendant inlaid with amethyst and obsidian. One of the stones that she particularly likes to use to create her magic is the Mexican opal. Quite handily one of the best places to find these lovely stones is in the State of  Querétaro, just next door to the State of Guanajuato, where we all live.

I have mentioned before that some wonderful opal jewelry can be found in nearby San Sebastián de Bernal, but we were looking for loose, unset stones which can be purchased a little less expensively closer to the mines. Thus we set off early Tuesday morning for Tequisquiapan ( Te kees kee ah’ pan ). Located in southwestern Querétaro, Tequisquiapan is mostly a tourist town catering to folks from the City of Querétaro and weekenders from Mexico City.

Although it is another rustic colonial town, it offers several really nice balenarios, spas, such as El Oasis, Thermas del Rey, Fidel Velásquez and La Vega. It also has an eighteen hole golf course, an ideal respite for those hardworking folks from Mexico City. However, none of this was the reason for our visit to the area.

On the outskirts of the city, in the municipality of Tequisquiapan, the little town of La Trinidad hunkers below steep red hills riddled with mines. With only 1579 inhabitants, pretty much all of the townsfolk are miners and vendors of Mexican opals. Driving through the quiet cobblestone streets we saw house after house sporting little signs claiming “ Se vende ópalos “, opals for sale!





The elders of this family in the above photo had sixteen children and twenty-some-odd grandchildren so I think they may have had a bit of a monopoly on opal sales. When we stopped to have a look other family members appeared from other houses in the area wanting to show us their wares as well. Competition is fierce in the La Trinidad opal trade!





Our next stop was at the home of a pretty young lady who was stuck out in the sun all day selling the family opals. If you click to enlarge the photo above, you may be able to see the pretty green opal in the center of the display which I purchased so that Joan can make me a ring. In the photo below, Godeta still had a smile for us in spite of the heat, which was hovering somewhere in the vicinity of 34 degrees Celsius.

 

This family also had some opals in settings for sale.

Finally we arrived at the home, showroom and workshop of Hector Montes. It was actually Hector that we had specifically come to see as he has a widespread reputation for having the finest Mexican opals.






An ex-miner, Hector worked the mines in their heyday, when opals fairly fell out of the walls of the mines. Back then there were hundreds of mines in the area, but due to over mining most of those mines have been closed for years. Now, that’s not to say that opals cannot still be found “in them thar hills”, but simply that it is no longer quite as easy to do so. Hector however, really knows his stuff and if anyone can find opals, it will be him.

 

 

To me it is fascinating how Hector knows which rock will contain opals, or for that matter, how he even knows when he has found them! The raw opals bear little resemblance to the finished stones that we see in his showroom. 

 
 

Joan asked Hector if we could see his workshop and much to our delight he agreed. A very kind and patient man, he not only showed us his work space but explained how the opals are formed over millions of years and how he can tell by the texture, the porosity and the look of the rock in the mines where he is most likely to find opals. 

 

 

Taking a small raw stone, he proceeded to scrape and polish it, under water, until it began to take on a smoother, brighter surface. He then continued to work the stone, explaining the process and answering all our questions, until it gleamed a bright cherry red. He then moved on to another area of the workshop to his finishing equipment.

Lighting a small alcohol lamp he heated some adhesive and stuck the little opal to a stick so that he could continue to smooth it with a sander and a leather covered tool that brought out it’s iridescence. He then carved a little “V” shape in the top shaping it into a heart, which he then gave to me. I was touched and delighted by his generosity and this beautiful little gift.

 

 


 

Hector also works with several different types of stone as well, carving beautiful little animals, some with opals, and fabulous stone eggs of varying sizes. Todd bought a few of these to use in his magic. He is a very accomplished magician and likes to do magic illusions for kids. I purchased a lovely blue pendant with a ripple design, that I think he said was a kind of agate, that he had carved with the motion of the sea in mind.

Shannon with her new amigo Hector

 

Below is a short video of Hector at work.

What More Could You Ask?

 

 

What more could you ask of a Saturday afternoon in the beautiful town of San Miguel de Allende that is. The weather was spectacular, hot and sunny, with a lovely breeze. We packed up our little travel Yachtzee set and parked on the rooftop patio at Hansen’s bar and grill. That patio, of course was full, the people happy and the company good.

 

 

This was actually the first time I had dragged myself (and my walker) up the three flights of stairs to the roof. It was well worth the trip. Six cold Mexican beer awaited us in a bucket of ice and the view from the roof is wonderful. The sun sparkled off the windows of the multicoloured houses on the hill above the restaurant and the only thing that could have improved the view was if the giant jacaranda tree across the street had been in bloom.

 

 

Now that I have made my way to the roof, I know where the special Saturday prime rib is created. Hidden away in a tiled alcove on the roof are 3 ceramic ovens. They are so heavy that they require a pulley system to raise the lids. As you arrive on the rooftop patio you are greeted by the smell of slowly roasting prime rib.

 

 

Even though I am not a huge prime rib fan, that looks pretty good to me and the smell that permeates the air is incredible. We spent a relaxing afternoon drinking beer, chatting and playing Yachtzee. I won three games in a row. “neener, neener, neener Todd” Yes, I am channeling my inner child, and it feels good!

 

Marina

 

Our waitress Marina, who is as charming as she is beautiful, even brought me a crème brulee for winning the Yachtzee games. She always has my back. Usually the only special is the prime rib on Saturdays, with chicken parmesan until 5:00 PM when the prime rib is ready. Yesterday there was also Tuscan Chicken and Rib Eye Steak.

 

Pollo Toscano

 

My meal of chicken and pasta in a beautifully seasoned fresh tomato sauce, was wonderful and I will still get 2 more meals out of what is left in the fridge.

 

 

Rib Eye

 

Todd said the rib eye, which looked like it came from a mastodon, was perfectly cooked. The steak came with fabulous whipped sweet potatoes and was so huge even Todd couldn’t finish it.

 

You just gotta love San Miguel!

Inspiration

 

 

 

 

It is interesting to me how often we find inspiration in the most unlikely places. Yesterday I was in need of some inspiration and lo and behold it was offered to me on a silver platter. Well, not literally but it  felt very much that way.

I was having lunch with a couple of lady friends in a new restaurant, handily located two doors down from my where I have my Spanish class, at Juan’s Café. We had just ordered and were chatting while we waited for our lunch, when an elderly lady walked in to the restaurant. She didn’t stay, I guess she realized that it was new and just wanted to look around.

As I watched her walk in I experienced the strangest sensation. She didn’t exactly walk with ease, but neither did she use a cane or walker which is quite common here with all the uneven cobblestone streets and sidewalks. She was just relaxed and looking around. I really don’t think either of my companions even noticed her.

Suddenly I was overcome with emotion. I was very, VERY close to tears. I guess it was just the way that this person took for granted her ability to walk unassisted.

For those of you who may not know, I had a very serious accident three years ago. A ladder slid out from under me and I fell 7 meters to a tile covered concrete floor, on top of the ladder. I cracked my skull open and sort of exploded my left leg. Now since that time I have been somewhat in awe of the fact that if I had fallen on my head first instead of my leg, I would very likely be dead or at  least paralyzed.

The fact that I was so incredibly lucky has managed to sustain my positive outlook. After three years and seven operations people often say that they are amazed at how I manage to remain so upbeat, and usually I really do. Three months ago we bought a little ultrasound machine that my doctor recommended to stimulate bone growth, and I had some pretty high hopes that this would be the thing that finally made the difference in my recovery.

Two weeks ago I went to Queretaro to see my doctor and get new ex-rays. We all sat down to look at them with great anticipation. Only to discover that there was not a significant amount of new bone growth and also that there were 3 broken screws in my leg. I have to go back in four weeks for another ex-ray and if there are any more screws broken the doctor will have to go in again and replace them all……

At the time all I really thought was “Oh crap”, here we go again, and dollar signs were rolling around in my head at the thought of yet another surgery. I guess emotionally it took it’s toll though.

I imagine the sudden wave of emotion I experience yesterday was simply a moment of grief over the loss of my mobility and independence. Although I am usually a pretty positive person, I don’t think this was really abnormal, but what surprised me was that it stuck with me. All yesterday afternoon and evening that feeling kept returning to me. I even woke up with it this morning.

Then I decided that I would do some painting and while I was getting all my equipment together I came across some old photos that I had stuck in with my painting stuff. Not just sure why, but there they were.

The pictures were of Harold. Harold lived about a half block from where I worked in North Vancouver. It was a medium care facility for old folks, and actually my dad had lived there for a while too. One day he walked into my cosmetic department and said “Can you make me look like a Samurai?” He was 94 years old, hunched over with a skin condition, like dermatitis or something.

I laughed, and said that I wasn’t sure but I would be happy to try. The picture at the top of the post is the result. After that I saw Harold quite frequently. As it turned out he had always wanted to be an actor but first parents, and then wives and kids had gotten in the way of that dream. Then at 94 he decided that he could still have some fun. He loved to dress up and for every holiday he would go to a costume shop and chose something to wear at the old folks home. Then he came to me and told me what kind of makeup we would be doing that day. The folks at the home loved it, and loved Harold.

I also loved Harold. He was a great inspiration, not only to me, but to everyone he met. He was so happy and alive. He told me wonderful stories of his life and although he didn’t get to do what he really wanted, he made the absolute most out of what he had. It has been over eight years since I have seen Harold, and I suspect that he has gone on to amuse folks in whatever plane of existence comes after life.

Finding those pictures this morning put me back on the right path. It seems that Harold can still inspire me. I am leaving you with some photos of Harold’s great exploits.

 

Mae West

 

Irish milk maid

 

Cleopatra

 

Dance Hall girl?

 

Thank you Harold

Spring Is In The Air

 

 

In his recent post about Spring, housman takes a drive, fellow blogger Steve Cotton left us with a poem by A.E. Housman. Not wanting to be outdone, I offer the following prose.

Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where the birdies is?

Yes, alright, I was outdone. And the birdies is in an enormous tree growing directly behind the wall encompassing our back yard. From their constant vocalizations I would venture a guess that there are about a hundred of them there at any given time. This is likely why Scooter, in the picture above, is positioned on that very wall.

Spring has come to the Bajio Mountains of Central Mexico and with Spring comes the rainy season. And with the rainy season come the mosquitos. It is still very early on in the rainy season, we have experienced only two rains and una gran tormenta, a fierce and wonderful thunder storm. The mosquitos, however are already firmly entrenched.

The doors and windows of our rented house here in San Miguel open outward, which makes having mosquito screens a little difficult. Up until now we have had to rely on “bug plugs”, the little gadgets that plug into a wall socket, heating up a small cardboard plaque inserted inside, and emitting noxious fumes, killing an insufficient number of mosquitos and leaving me wishing I had a gas mask.

Then Todd discovered the Raid Automatic Advanced Multi Insect Control System. Now that’s a mouthful! But it really works. Every seven minutes this little unobtrusive cylinder spritzes out an odorless spray that kills mosquitos and just about any other insect species within it’s range. Got cucarachas? It kills those too. So far I haven’t seen any scorpions here, although another blogger friend Barbara, Siege of Scorpions, has had issues in her house here in San Miguel. I’m not sure if it would be effective for scorpions or not, but it would be interesting to know if it is.

 

Raid Automatic Advanced Multi Insect Control System

 

Another thing that comes with the rainy season is an abundance of flowers. Our little back yard is transformed by an infusion of colour and sound.

 

 

 

The enormous tree is home to numerous Great Tailed Grackles with their loud, raucous calls. Also vying for position are the Inca Doves, Pigeons, Barn Swallows, House finches, Sparrows, and occasionally a Gold Fronted Woodpecker, voices all raised in a great cacophony.

 

 

Vermillion Flycatchers swoop by, hopefully eating mosquitos, while bees creep among the bougainvillea and Violet Crowned and Broad Billed Hummingbirds hover about the canna lilies.

 

 

It’s 4:26 PM and as I sit here I am noticing that the sky is clouding over. It’s that time. It is unlikely that it will actually rain again so soon, this early in the season, but it looks as though it could. I hear a little distant thunder. Not only does the precious little rain we get here in the desert revive our lawns and gardens, it reduces the dust in the air and leaves the incredible smell of damp earth that comes only in the Spring when the land has been so dry for so long.

 

 

Between rains the scent of Jasmine permeates the yard. The air is still and heavy. It definitely could rain.

 

 

Although the cacti don’t require as much rain as some of the other plants, they definitely respond to it with a riot of blooms.

 

 

 

It’s hot now, 31 degrees C. and actually humid, a rarity in this climate. I think Spring is my favorite time of year, a kind of renewal after so many long dry months. If the colour and life in my back yard today are any indication, I think that this year is going to be a very good one.

I Left My Heart In Michoacán

 

 

Mis amigas Patzcuarenses

 

Last Wednesday my good friend Alejandra was having lunch for some ladies at her beautiful home on Lake Zirahuén. I was invited, as this was the same group of women with whom I had had lunch every Tuesday in Patzcuaro for several years. Initially I thought, that’s kind of a long way to go for lunch, as Zirahuén is about three and a half to four hours from San Miguel, in the state of Michoacán.

Then Alejandra and her husband Enrique said that I could stay in their casita. Well that clinched it. I was off to Zirahuén for lunch. Alejandra and Enrique bought their little house about two years ago and since then have renovated the once sad little cabin-like abode into a thing of rare beauty.

 

Before

 

After

 

The house overlooks the lake. The WHOLE lake. The property is just outside the little pueblo of Copandaro and sits high on a hill with a breathtaking view of the lake and surrounding area. The pristine lake is usually clear blue, although it can change colour with the weather and it’s mood, sometimes appearing gray or even emerald green.

 

 

Lake Zirahuén, Michoacán

 

The town of  Zirahuén is in the Municipality of Santa Clara del Cobre, about 20 to 30 minutes by car from Patzcuaro, and is largely overlooked by tourists. It is quaint, rustic and home to about 2,500 people, most of whom have lived there all of their lives, as did their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. Unlike most of the other small towns in the lake Patzcuaro area, Zirahuén did not develop a craft unique unto itself. They do make wooden toys, spoons, trays and colourful tablecloths, but most people consider the music of 20 plus bands that exist in the area to be their special craft.

The property called “El Alto Lucero”, The High Bright Star, was large enough that when Alejandra and Enrique were renovating their house, they decided to add a casita as well. It is separated from the main house by a high hedge offering complete privacy and a spectacular view. The front of the casita, like the main house, is all glass opening onto a lovely terrace above a small yard with a built-in brightly tiled barbecue.

 

 

Casita

 

Night-time on the Casita patio

 

As you can imagine from seeing the pictures, one day wasn’t enough, and at Alejandra’s kind offer I decided to stay another night. Although once I was at El Alto Lucero I didn’t really want to leave, we did do a little driving around the lake to the home of another friend, Debbie, who also lives in Zirahuén. Debbie made us a wonderful brunch and we all spent a very pleasant afternoon together catching up.

 

Ale, enjoying Debbie’s hospitality

 

I really am enjoying living in San Miguel, and I also still have a lot of travelling to do before I have seen all of Mexico, but I think a little piece of my heart will always be in Michoacán. The mountains and pine forests are very reminiscent of my youth in North Vancouver. Perhaps that has something to do with it, although I believe there are many reasons why Michoacán captured my heart.

 

A new addition to Copandaro

 

All of the house, casita and lake photos are compliments of Enrique and Alejandra, as I was having too much fun to take many pictures. The photo above is the only one that is mine and it’s blurry. In my defense, it was taken from the car and the burros were a long way away.

I am adding a link to the website for “El Alto Lucero", and anyone who would like a truly wonderful vacation in the casita, or is looking for a home to rent in the Zirahuen area should contact Alejandra or Enrique there.

 http://www.zirahuen-elaltolucero.com.