One Magical Day

Posted on February 2, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

We left our B&B at Santa Elena after breakfast, ready for a day of adventure in our rented car. Good thing we were ready because it was one full day. It seems that everywhere you look in this region you will spot ancient pyramid structures. The town of Izamal has 3 of them in the midst of town – it could be right beside a house!

Our first stop was at Labna, I love the ruins that are so quiet, it allows you to feel the peace, the energy, and to just listen to the birds. This is one site believed to be very important as it housed around 3,000 Mayans in the 9th centre. Don’t miss this on the Ruta Puuc as the architecture is truly Puuc style and very interesting. They were well known for their cisterns, at their peak they had 60 around the city. As many ruins as we’ve seen I’m always impressed with what they were able to do in ancient times with so few tools. There is something about wandering around these structures without crowds of people that allows you to feel the vitality of civilizations past.

Just loved the magnificent old trees, Vivi loved the natural swing!

These beautiful structures were spread over quite a large area, and they haven’t even restored it all. In 2006 they completed the restoration work we were able to see.

No, we aren’t allowed to climb on the structures, but I think sitting for a photo is okay ……

So many years later, the structural integrity of this building was still intact. The only restoration needed was in the arch and stairways. Obviously a brilliant civilization to be able to accomplish all this.

It was hard to tear ourselves away from this beautiful setting. BUT, caves are waiting!

Loltun Caves “Grutas de Loltun” were just down the road, and an amazing experience. That road though! After driving miles in the Yucatan it is so refreshing to drive down a road with something to look at – lined with lush orchards, banana and palm groves.

Yes, we are going down in there. Some of us under duress. (no, I’m not looking at you Vivi)

It is necessary to take a guided tour through the caves. Our guide, Ricardo, was full of information, including the fact that we would only be seeing 2 k of the 10 k trails. They are very protective of these caves, and understandably so as they are the most important cave system in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Can you see why we didn’t want to tell Vivi why we were so far underground? These stalactites were enormous! No stalagmites form here as the minerals get washed away during the flooding in rainy season.

This particular stalactite is hollow! The cave structure received it’s name from this. When you hit it in one area it makes a “lolllll” sound, and a second area makes the “tunnnnn” …. lollllltunnn. We were able to replicate this ourselves, and felt the reverberation right through us.

The light is coming from a hole above. Mayans didn’t live in this cave structure, but rather used it for worship, or protection from either animals or enemies. They would also use it to drive animals to it, who would then fall to their death in order to be eaten. Standing here, surrounded by energies from civilizations past, it was one of those moments both Vivi and I thought would be imprinted on us.

These hand prints on the walls are just some of the evidence found here – a treasure trove for archeological studies. Evidence has been found that has been carbon dated to over 2,200 years ago. That boggles my mind.

Same day, can you even believe it is the same day? We are off to cenotes. You know Grant, when we’ve got a rented car it is not going to sit around …..

Just outside of Izamal is a series of cenotes called Santa Barbara. In the Yucatan peninsula there are over 6,000 cenotes – natural sinkholes. They are formed when the limestone bedrock, forming the roof of an underground cavern collapses, exposes the ground water underneath. Not when a meteorite struck as some believe …..

This one in particular is fun to go to, as you can choose to walk between the cenotes, ride a bike, or get pulled by horse on a rail track. You know with Vivi we are always going to go the horse route, as with Hayley, Sloan and Stella when we were here last.

Seated on a cart, these little horses pull us along at a pretty good clip to a series of 3 cenotes.

The water is crystal clear and so refreshing.

Some cenotes have quite a large opening above to let in light, but others just have an opening large enough to have a ladder going down, and enough room to climb it!

This cenote is largely an open area, just look at the roots on the trees above us stretching for water. In rainy season they are underwater.

At long last we are ready to find a place to stay in Izamal. Only 70 k from Merida this entire historical district is painted with a bright, vivid yellow giving the city a nickname of “the yellow city”. This is a beautifully quiet little place, lovely to walk around. Right next to a home you might see the remains of a pyramid. The town centre has 3 pyramids around it that are easily accessible.

We found an amazing little B&B to stay at. Juan and his staff were amazingly friendly and attentive. Not only was the place a beautiful spot to relax, it was quirky enough to have us wandering around looking at it all!

This Franciscan monastery is at the centre of town. There are so many images of Mayan gods in the town, on the ruins, that it provoked the Spaniards to build this large structure overlooking Izamal.

These beautiful little carts and dressed up horses are available to use as a taxi, or to just have a tour of the area.

We loved this beautiful little spot! Viv and Wilson had the blue bungalow, and we had the pink.

The owner, Juan, was very friendly. This is the jungle room, and the entire room is painted like this! Incredible to view, but I’m not sure how restful ….. I might have been apprehensive about getting attacked!

And ….. that’s a wrap on a simply magical day. We finished at Kinich Restaurant, traditional Yucatecan food. This dish of chicken on a white bean puree, with tomato and nut sauce was lip smacking good. That glass of green hovering on the edge of the photo is a Chaya drink, an herb somewhat like spinach. Delicious and refreshing.

Time to return the rental car to Merida, so we headed to Progresso first for lunch, and a search for some flamingo winter resting grounds. We did find them but not close enough to be photo worthy. In spite of that, we loved seeing them in the mangrove – so beautiful and graceful. This was the moment I wished for a real camera instead of my phone! Maybe someday.

The 7 km pier at Progresso is ready to welcome cruise ships …….eek.

I don’t understand why Mike hasn’t insisted I get a selfie stick yet. Maybe because he knows Grant won’t carry it?

Crabster Restaurant – how’s this for a mile high crab & shrimp burger?

After this we returned the car to Merida, staying for one night at a slightly sketchy hotel with a quirky host …… Grant blocked the doorway with his pack! Funniest part was trying to find it, we got to the right address but no hotel. So off we went, walking down the road with our bags. Eventually I phoned the hotel and got an English accented Canadian who said “oh, are you the people with bags that were at the door”???? Should have been our first clue and kept us walking but it all adds to the adventure. Or, so I tell myself. Its time to hit the beach.

San Juan Chamula

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

I love getting a glimpse into other cultures. We always enjoy searching out areas where the locals hang out, and you aren’t quite as likely to run into crowds of international travellers. We’ve experienced Chiapas, Mexico before, but this time bringing along cousins Vivian and Wilson allows us to share with them the magic and beauty of some of these amazing Pueblas. Chamula is high in the mountains, over an already high city of San Cristobal de las Casas. We returned the following day, when it was misty and cloudy, but I didn’t take any photos without a guide to let me know when it was advisable. On that day it was literally like being in a cloud. Just simple mist in the air, clinging to everything, but no real rainfall.

Go to the cross in front of the church, town centre in San Cristobal de las Casas. Look for someone representing AlexyRaul tours. Be there just before 9:30, and you can hook up for a tour to San Juan Chamula, and San Lorenzo Zinacantan. The tour is about 3-4 hours (250 pesos – $17) and is one of the best we’ve ever been on.

Both Chamula and Zinacantan are indigenous villages (populated by the Tzotzil – Mayan tribe) a short distance from San Cristobal. These villages are unique in that they are autonomous from the rules, laws and taxes of Mexico. They govern themselves entirely. One of the things we noticed about that is the cars don’t have any licence plates, and virtually as soon as you can reach a gas pedal you can drive…… Needless to say, this can only happen in your village. Chamula is fiercely independent, and they do not take kindly to outsiders. A man may marry or bring in an outsider (polygamy is acceptable) but not a female. No outside males may ever reside in Chamula. Be very careful taking photographs here, and certainly don’t take ANY of the religious leaders or ceremonies. Our tour guide explained that we were able to take photos of general scenes, and if that happened to capture some individuals, that is the best you can expect.

Arriving in Chamula, our first stop was the cemetery. Not the solemn place we come to expect in Canada. Large family groups gather on a regular basis to visit, laugh, talk, eat and drink with their departed family members. A band is even hired! All those dry pine needles are from previous visits. They will routinely be replaced by fresh needles.

The church, and square is central to all activities. Built as a Catholic Church, it quickly became more Mayan. The decorations are all part of Mayan life, and inside it is an interesting combination of Catholic saints and Mayan worship. You won’t find any pews, or altars, but rather a floor lined with pine needles, candles burning, live chickens and flower petals. Don’t forget the Coca Cola. This pop has a life of its own here – considered quite sacred, used in religious ceremonies and just consumed by the case. We even noted a sign for a village named San Juan Coca Cola. There are family groups scattered around, each with their own healer, performing ceremonies, and praying to the saint of their choice. NO, I certainly didn’t take any photos inside.

Sunday is a big market day, with both Chamula residents, and those from outlying villages offering everything you can think of.

The residents of Chamula speak Tzotzil, and wear traditional clothing all the time, not just on festival days. The black skirts are woven from the wool of the black sheep you see grazing on the hillsides all over the place, while the men wear the white tunic primarily in the warmer weather, but a woven black coat in the winter. Black sheep are so predominant here that if a family member causes trouble, they are considered the “white sheep”. Not the best photo, but I had to crop from a large “scene” photo.

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The women often have a scarf or shawl on their head, perhaps to keep the sun off?

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We had taken the tour with Alex and Raul tours about 7 years ago, and returned the following year so Mike and Hayley could experience that. We have visited the villages since, but with Vivi and Wilson along, we wanted to have them get the same information. It is really refreshing to find a tour guide that has such respect for the areas we are allowed into. He also took us into a “holy” home, where some religious ceremonies were performed. Needless to say, no photos were allowed, but how I wish I could have recorded that room with the incense and smoke absolutely filling the space, such that it was difficult to see across. The floors are covered with pine needles, and the saint is protected from view by multiple levels of foliage. The elders and religious leaders were praying and the musicians kept up a steady beat. It is literally impossible not to be moved in such a setting. Alcohol plays a large part of the ceremonies too, with them consuming “poxx” or “posh”. Over 40% alcohol, it is distilled from sugar cane and helps, with the repetitive music, take them to a “higher level of consciousness”.

These women are selling fleece recently sheared, for the woven garments.

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The women of Chamula gather to socialize on market day.

Can you even imagine how warm these woven wool coats are? Note the 4th man, with the “rifle” over his shoulder?? That indicates he is a policeman. They carry sticks, to represent rifles, and travel in pairs throughout the village. That wheelbarrow is full of bags of freshly cut coconut and mango, just waiting to be drizzled with hot sauce. Delicious!

When you return from a visit to these villages, it is with a sense of experiencing the surreal. A guide allows you the comfort to see the areas you wouldn’t otherwise be able to. We don’t often hire them, but when we do, it is to make sure we are understanding the cultures and customs of a region without offending. These indigenous villages are that situation, and when I get home, I often drift back to these moments, with a sense of privilege that we were able to experience this. I want so many more photos than I take, just to memorize the images of such beautiful faces, unadorned with makeup and certain on their path, unchanged for generations. We did notice certain differences this time, in that more people had cell phones and I can’t help but wonder how that will change their future.

San Lorenzo Zinacantan

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

Zinacantan is an Indigenous village outside San Cristobal. We recommend you tour this village with a guide (we suggest Alex and Raoul Tours). In combination with a tour to San Juan Chamula it will take about 3-4 hours. Just meet up with Raoul or one of his members at the cross in front of the church in San Cristobal. Be there any time between 8:45 – 9:30 in the morning and you can join in with a group. What is really impressive about this tour is that they are so respectful of the villages you are going to visit. We really enjoyed our time with Raoul Jr, and loved the way he interacted with the elders of the villages.

You might wonder how you will find one of the tour guides here ….. but you will.

Zinacantan is similar to San Juan Chamula only in that it is an autonomous village, exempt from the taxes, rules and laws of Mexico. This village is supported by the flower industry, and arriving in the village you see miles and miles of greenhouses, sometimes on the most impossible slope and you have to wonder about the logistics on managing those. Flowers are evident everywhere! They are all over their clothing and the buildings. It is such a colourful village. I wish I had been able to take photos inside the churches – they were absolutely beautiful with archways of flowers and banana plants. Slightly different from Chamula, these churches had altars and a few pews. Behind the altar though, was an astonishing array of flowers. You simply can’t believe the colourful display.

Part of our tour took us into a weaver’s home, where they showed us how labor intensive the weaving is. Literally days worth to create a shawl. THEN, they start the embroidery.

CORN. Part of everyday life, in all its varieties.

This is life in the village. We were so fortunate to have this family prepare a snack for us in their kitchen, Blue corn tortillas on the comal (flat cooking surface) over a wood fire. Can tortillas ever taste better? I don’t think so.

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If this is what the entry to church looks like, can you even imagine the interior? It was stunning.

We were in Zinacantan during festival days (no accident, you know Grant looks up all this extensively!)

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All in traditional clothing, they are chanting and dancing their way into the church for blessings before carrying on with the next stage of the festival. (All stages include lots of moonshine!)

Hard to imagine all the colour ….. these are the men involved in the ceremonies.

The flowers themselves are stunning, but the artistry in the arrangements really is amazing.

Just look at the embroidery on the clothing – this is everyday wear!

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The colours are brilliant. It’s hard to imagine how many hours of embroidery go into the daily clothing for both males and females.

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There were all sorts of activities going on for the festival that involved the horses, but we never did catch the race this year.

Residents of Zinacantan aren’t quite as upset about getting their photo taken.

This guy loved having his photo taken, wish I’d turned it to video as he and his horse danced around. See the school in the background & the cow grazing. No need for a lawn mower here.

All the guys with black painted faces are panthers, the beak guys with corn in their mouths are crows, and well…. the others are jaguars. The panthers climb that stripped tree, with the dissected squirrels (real ones, but stuffed) and throw them down to the hunters who race around trying to collect them. We waited for hours, but no one ever seems to know when something is actually going to transpire!

Look at all that embroidery, even the youngest wear the traditional clothing.

You know right away this family is from Chamula by the black wool skirts. (and the suspicious look at my phone)

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If you have time on your vacation to tear yourself away from Mexico’s amazing beaches, we heartily recommend you go inland …. the culture, food and sights you see are well worth it.

Mexico City bites

Posted on January 14, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

We arrive in Mexico City late, and won’t even be there for 24 hours before flying out to Tuxtla ….. this presents a real dilemma for us, requiring us to narrow down the places we eat. We’ve eaten our way through CDMX more than a few times, and on a restricted time frame, but this will be the shortest eating walking, walking in order to eat stop. EEK. I’m already dreaming of the places to quickly stop for a bite.

Churros are a natural start for us! This place, El Morro, is one of the oldest Churreria spots in the city, and they are delicious. It is usually easy to get a table early in the day, but you should see the lineups late afternoon and into the night!

Next head to a mercado – the food is always amazing in the markets, and once we’ve had our coffee and churro it is time for a savoury bite ….. how about carnitas? These tacos are mouth watering pork goodness.

Every bit of the pork is waiting to be chopped up and served in a taco. We loved the tortillas they made at this stand, they have fresh herbs in the tortilla masa and added so much flavour.

No shortage of amazing toppings for your taco.

It’s hard to only eat a couple of tacos at this place, but so many more steps and bites to come …

Time to lighten things up a bit …. how about some fruit? These cups of fruit and vegetables are available everywhere and bursting with freshness.

Look for these vendors on the streets – you can choose whatever you want in your cup!

Don’t miss the mango!

How about a little ceviche next? So refreshing and absolutely delicious.

When you walk this much, your little 5 year old legs need a boost from big sister …..

La Docena – our favourite oyster bar. These blue crab tostada’s with habanero foam are the bomb! Served with a crisp white from the Baja region its a perfect bite.

Crunchy oyster croutons served with fresh greens and creamy avocado – love this salad.

Save room for dessert – these pastries are a great way to finish off a day.

Less than a day to eat, so many bites waiting …… we will get off that plane with an appetite and start walking!

Mexico City, revisited!

Posted on November 26, 2016 by Chatty Kathy

Mexico itself is a country full of contrasts, and truly evident in the city. Grandiose architecture and magnificent art galleries alongside signs of poverty. In that I am sure every major city in the world is similar. What is very different are the smells – walking down any given street you have the contrast of delicious meat grilling, fresh cucumber being sliced or …….sewage.

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The contrasts between old church spires, modern buildings and electrical mayhem are everywhere!

If you haven’t been to Museo Soumaya yet, then please try to get there. Built by Mexico’s wealthy Carlos Slim in honour of his wife the entire structure is amazing itself, but once you get in and have the opportunity to view the largest collection of art work you simply won’t believe it. His son in law designed the place and it is as elaborate inside as out. The different floors wind up along inside the building so you are either slanting in or out, depending on which floor you are on. The displays change somewhat too, the last time we were here an entire floor was devoted to Sophia Loren. Better still, it is free admission!

Sculptures by Rodin, paintings by Van Gogh, Renoir & Matisse to name a few, you can wander here for hours.

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The “Gates of Hell” was a particularly masterful piece, and just huge.

We were pretty fortunate to be in the city for longer than we have before so thoroughly enjoyed both eating out and touring art galleries and museums. It is literally impossible to not eat well in Mexico City. From spending mere pesos for a street taco to dining in one of the more elegant restaurants it is always less than we would spend at home and the food is fantastic.

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Try a roadside tostada, in this case shrimp ceviche.

Or – if you are fortunate enough to have a cozy place like we did, just pick up a rotisserie chicken for dinner. This Columbian chicken dinner was 110 pesos, and fed us for 2 nights. Not only that, it was incredibly delicious. Under the skin they had rubbed an amazing herb blend and that skin was something Auntie Brigitte would have fought for ….

If you can’t find what you need at a mercado, then you either don’t need it, or you aren’t in the right mercado. Smiling vendors are raring to sell you whatever you need, at a very reasonable price and guaranteed to make you smile too.

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In case you haven’t tried it ….. these large sheets below are pork fat. Yep, pure pork fat fried up in all its goodness. Mexicans eat it by the sheet, and as tasty as it is, we find a few crumbles on guacamole or in a soup are enough to hit the spot.

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Palacio de Bellas Artes – or the Fine Arts building. Inside it is even more impressive with murals and incredible art galleries. We have yet to make it to one of the traditional folk ballets they feature here, but one day ….

Viewed from what was at one time the tallest building in the Americas, the Latin America building:

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Take the elevator to the top of the Latin America building and you just won’t believe how far you can see – particularly on a clear enough day when the smog isn’t too troublesome.

Is there anything better than travel with family? We think not! Our youngest granddaughter Liv is already loving Mexico City as much as we do…

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Take some time at Chapultepec Park and Castle, well worth it to wander around, enjoy both the park and the walk up to the castle.

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These little guys are everywhere, hoping to catch the popcorn or peanut you drop.

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At the top of Chapultepec Park is the Castle, as you can see not an especially brilliant day – smog combined with cool cloudy weather.

Not sure if I was meant to live in a more elegant time or not, but I sure could have become accustomed to my bedroom and bathroom looking like this ….. Who am I kidding though, I would have been one of the servants!! ha ha

Imagine playing hopscotch or soccer inside these hallways … the stained glass is just incredible.

Museum of Anthropology …… take a day. In just over 3 hours we managed to view one side of the 3 you see here…. it is a touch overwhelming, but absolutely amazing and a must see.

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The reproductions of actual structures of ancient cities are so well done it is easy to imagine civilization as it was. Just love the colours – and can picture how vivid the homes were.

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Amazing murals everywhere telling the stories of each civilization.

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And …. once you are worn out from walking your feet off (on this particular day we walked 13.3 kms….) it is entirely justified to stop and have a pastry … our favourite is La Boheme, situated next to Mercado Roma and serving up the most amazing pastries along with a perfectly Vivian size mug of hot chocolate.

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In Mexican culture, the mid day meal is very important … they linger over it, usually taking hours, and they certainly enjoy their alcoholic beverages along with it. In fact, in a busy lunch spot like this, I think we were the only table without!

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Hungry for a light lunch or just a snack? This tuna tostada is light, refreshing, and absolutely delicious. Contramar is one of the seafood restaurants in Mexico City that you must try to get in to. Like many great places, they are only open for the main meal of the day, from noonish until 6ish. Yes, that is how long lunch can be ….

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Oyster Bar in Mexico City? Definitely!! La Docena Oyster Bar has an impressive array of seafood choices and these oysters were so fresh and sweet we had 2 plates. Incredibly delightful and this plate of raw oysters probably cost about the same as a small plate of chicken wings at home. The crunchy oysters on top of the salad were a perfect crouton, and the sandwich a treat.

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Reforma is one of the busiest streets, and yet every Sunday morning they close it to vehicle traffic and it is full of Mexican families out exercising, bike riding, roller blading or doing dance classes. Such a great idea, and I just wish we thought to do that in some of our major cities as well.

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Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are much loved in all of Mexico, and the museums dedicated to their lives and art are plentiful. This particular one is in San Angel, which is a beautiful neighbourhood in the city, very artsy and upscale. Saturday market holds some of the most tempting pieces you will find anywhere.

necklaces made of ribbon and corn or beans

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Every neighbourhood has a spot like this to sit and enjoy peace and quiet.

The Frida and Diego museum is actually one of their former homes- in this case they each had their own home, created by an architect friend. See the walkway above to join the two? Small bedrooms but huge art studios! (Frida’s house was the blue one, no surprise there, given the Blue House Museum in Coyoacan)

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Time for another snack in the park ….

Well, it’s taken me some time to get this blog on Mexico City completed, but it is time to move on to the beach at Puerto Escondido. We always seem to find a lot to do in DF, so I’m sure we will be back.

Oaxaca

Posted on November 15, 2016 by Chatty Kathy

Oaxaca is a beautiful city, full of amazing restaurants and many beautiful buildings. The zocalo always has something happening. Whether it is families socializing or protests underway it is lively. We’ve been a few times now, and will be a few more I’m sure.

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The zocalo is the heart of all Mexican communities, big or small. Families gather, young people “court”, vendors sell necessities like balloons and ice cream, and music is everywhere. At any time of day the zocalo is entertaining, but Sundays are particularly lively.

We had a great place to stay in Oaxaca this time, loving AIRBNB for granting us access to these places – so nice to have a place that feels like home to relax and enjoy while being able to explore whatever area we are in.

We have explored the ruins of Monte Alban a few times, and are always amazed at the sheer size of it all. Originally home of Zapotec people, these ruins are still being uncovered. This visit we explored Atzompa, newly discovered! Seriously, Mexican officials and archeologists must be suspiciously looking at every hillside and wondering what is underneath.

We took a collectivo taxi up to this area, about 8 km from Oaxaca itself, and then continued uphill to explore the ruins. It is crazy that every time you think you have reached the top you only uncover more terraces.

From here you can look across at Monte Alban – they were all part of the same community, and the vantage point is incredible.

The ever present ball court …. maybe we find them so fascinating because of the soccer similarities … you can use any part of your body except your hands. Authorities are divided on whether the loser or winner was sacrificed ….. it is a great honour to be sacrificed though so I guess it is all depends on your point of view.

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The flora …… Honestly I don’t often take so many photos of flowers in Mexico but the flowers alongside the ruins and the road leading up to it were just stunning, and I couldn’t help myself.

From the site, we walked down the road (2 km) to the nearest town in order to get a taxi back to Oaxaca. You really don’t ever know what you are going to encounter along the roads in Mexico.

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From livestock to world renowned potter …. this roadside gallery was a real surprise.

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It was only 2 km from the archeological site to the town, but it was hot!

Every year we try to bring back a couple of “Servin” mugs … the pottery is a marvel – wonderful to hold, perfect for coffee or tea and so beautiful. fullsizeoutput_4759

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It seems like there is a cathedral on every corner in Mexico, and it is likely true. They are absolutely beautiful, and regardless of your religion it is a wonderful spot to just sit and take a moment … maybe just to realize how lucky we are to travel.

We toured the Cultural center and once again, we marvel at both the building and the art it houses.

This is the ceiling …. seriously …. this much effort going into the ceiling.

Yes, more ceilings …. how on earth did they do this?

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Every floor had an area where they had outside space – no doubt to reflect and appreciate your environment. This one overlooked the ethnobotanical gardens below.

As for the food ….. oh my goodness …. eating in Oaxaca is a foodie dream. We had outstanding food here.

Origen Restaurant – the food here is without doubt picture perfect and the flavours live up to the image, I’d encourage anybody to eat here.

In fact, every meal we ate in Oaxaca was outstanding. We kept saying “that was the best, I’d like to eat here again!” We need more time in Oaxaca to do that.

However, it is time to move on ….. time for Mexico City!

San Pedro Cholula

Posted on November 13, 2016 by Chatty Kathy

Once upon a time San Pedro Cholula was a city with evident boundaries … now it is hard to tell where Puebla ends and Cholula begins. The largest pyramid (by land mass) was only discovered after the Spaniards decided to build a church on top of the best vantage point. During construction they found artifacts suggesting previous inhabitants of the land ….. sure enough, the whole hillside is a pyramid. The church remains, but it is now possible to go in through tunnels and come out the other side. Interestingly enough for me, on another of my visits to this area I discovered my little brother Bruce is afraid of heights! And this wasn’t even from a high vantage point, ha ha. Still love you anyway Bruce.

Another beautiful cathedral in Mexico, each with their own beauty. I seem to photograph a lot of them.

Wilson: You take a lot of photos of churches because it is all about you.

Me: Blank look

Wilson: You know …… Kathy-drals …..(yes, cathedrals) yuk yuk

No matter what church you find to photograph, you are also certain to find some sort of festivities going on. Who knew what this one was, but they sure were loving it.

The view from the grounds around the church. It is easy to understand why the spaniards chose this location to build on … the vantage point is incredible. In the foreground is an ex-convent.

The ex-convent is a beautiful spot to tour also, huge grounds and so peaceful inside.

Cholula is a short distance from Puebla itself and well worth the trip out for a few hours. From the church grounds you also get a great view of the voladores climbing up their tall pole.

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These guys fling themselves off the top of the pole, backwards and with a rope wrapped around one ankle slowly spiral all the way around the pole, lowering themselves to the ground. Not sure what their Workers Comp rates would be, but it would never fly in Canada!

Puebla

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Chatty Kathy

One thing is constant in Mexico, and that is cathedrals – each area uses the stone from that region, so they all have a slightly different colour to the rock but in all cases, they are beautiful.

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We have just missed “Day of the Dead” celebrations, and everywhere is evidence of the festivities. Really, it might sound morbid, but it is a lovely and fascinating way of celebrating all those that have passed before us. Family and friends gather to discuss and remember the loved ones, their favourite foods are cooked and the parties are endless.

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Our 3rd time in Puebla, and I finally bought a small piece of the pottery Puebla is famous for, Talavera Pottery. The clay is sourced locally and most colors are also found naturally in local areas. Blue is the only colour they import, from Morocco. All colours are made from natural and traditional dyes. They have over 100 employees in this building – we did a tour and the place just went on forever. It takes about 8 weeks for each piece of clay to become a piece of pottery, get fired numerous times, painted, glazed, hand marked with the year and then prepared for sale. I asked about seconds, because I didn’t see any in the shop, but they don’t sell any seconds – instead the pottery is broken up and sold by the kilo for work in art pieces.

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Inside the Uriarte Gallery – established in 1824, and specializing in certified Talavera Pottery. Until very recently it was exclusively managed by the Uriarte family, however recently it has been bought out and is now owned by 3 Mexicans and 1 Canadian.This large stone goes around the rocks to crush them (in this case the blue stones) and once it is a fine powder they add the water to get their colour. This stone is now powered by electricity but for years it was by a donkey going in circles. Poor guy.

Clay work stations, small pieces are created by hand on the wheel, (anything that is in size from fingertips to elbows) and larger pieces are created with molds.

Pieces air dry first, before being fired in the kiln – now heated with gas where it was previously wood or coal.

After being fired the pieces air dry again.

Once fired, there are a couple of guys that spend all day correcting minor imperfections by sanding. Before glazing anything they test each piece to see if it has survived the firing without any damage to the piece – the sound is amazingly bell like on a good piece, and very dull on a piece with a hairline crack that the eye can barely see.

This guy attentively dips every single piece into the glazing. We couldn’t believe how quickly it dried onto the pottery. After this it is ready for another firing.

Talk about dedication – this sole employee is responsible for hand signing (with a donkey hair brush) each and every single one of the pieces produced.

First painting – then more firing. The firing changes the colour significantly – the light blue turns very strong, and the orange turns yellow.

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This definitely requires attention to detail.

We loved the tour and each came home with a small piece. Difficult when travelling – it would have been nice to come home with more!

Puebla is known for food, and one of their specialties is the cemita. A sandwich, to end all sandwich dreams.

Piled high with (traditionally) pork Milanesa style, avocado, cheese, lettuce, onions and served in a special bun, which is what makes it a cemita, other than a “torta” (sandwich).

upscale-cemitas

Fusion has hit Mexico and these are upscale cemita’s. Served with some delicious dipping sauces that really hit the spot.

table-sauces

Moles are another big thing here, and I don’t mean little critters. Pronounced “molay”, it really just means sauce.

fullsizeoutput_46f9 Enchiladas tres moles. Means, enchiladas served with the 3 traditional Mole sauces – the red is Colaradito pepper sauce, the black is mole negro, made typically with leftover tortillas cooked until they are black and ash like and chocolate. The green is a pipian mole, made with pumpkin seeds. That sounds simplistic and it certainly is not a simple sauce. Each one has many many ingredients, and every cook/chef is very protective of their recipe.

fullsizeoutput_46fa Mixiote (pronounced misheeote). Really fabulous meat dish cooked low and slow in parchment paper, in this case lamb. The flavour is out of this world. In days gone by the parchment paper would have been ant larvae, but now they settle for parchment.

fullsizeoutput_46f8 Tinga. Sounds easy, and looks kind of boring, but one bite and you will wake up. Honestly, so frickin delicious.

fitbit Yes, that really does say we walked 15.89 km in one day. At that rate we can eat and drink whatever we want!!

churro-lineup So, needless to say in Mexico, that means Churros. This place had a line up every night and it was easy to see why. Delicious, no really really delicious.

got-the-churros Finally made it to the front of the line.

churros-yum The best …. sorry, photo is blurry.

Taken through the window, this guy works incredibly hard hand stirring this massive pot of churro dough – SUPER impressive.

If you haven’t done enough walking in a day, there are always other snacking options too ….. every street will have vendors selling fruit or vegetables. Our favourite is jicama and cucumber, sprinkled with salt, lime squeezed over and lightly drizzled with hot sauce.

snacks Puebla is a beautiful city, in fact probably one of the cleanest and home of the most courteous drivers! They stop for yellow lights and pedestrians…. amazing.

Petroglyphs and more

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Chatty Kathy

We decided that we really had to do a bit of exploring in this area, particularly knowing that a short distance away, and a very decent hike …. are petroglyphs over 2000 years old.

Heading towards Alta Vista we set off on a 3 km hike into the jungle. This area is unbelievably lush, and once you get off the beach I think the vines would threaten to cover everything if left unattended. I truly expected Mowgli to come along, swinging from the tree tops on those long vines. Vivian was more than a little nervous …. a few squeaks out of her as she claimed that she was WAY out of her comfort zone. I think she was afraid that it would be Ka she saw, not Mowgli.

We were very happy that it was a bit overcast today, and we were thankful to be in the jungle for enough of it that we weren’t collapsing with the heat. (just the humidity)

The trail led us through citrus groves and guava orchards – incredibly beautiful.

The most colourful butterflies kept us company along the way.

Love the way this little guy blends in with the flowers.

Orange trees everywhere.

We did try one that LOOKED ripe …. it most definitely was not.

More than a few cows wondered where we were going …

It was 3 km in for this hike, and so lush in that jungle setting.

These “strangler” trees wrap their way around other trees until they have virtually taken over!

Some of the petroglyphs were moss covered, others very easy to visualize.

So many spots in Mexico contain areas like this – something created by the human hand thousands of years ago – still here for us to view.

Hot, tired and happy – perfect photo opportunity.

It was quite a strange feeling in this area, where people lived and worked thousands of years ago, and it still contains a bit of that mystical feeling. This is certainly one of those moments that stays in the memory bank.

We really had to wonder if an earthquake sometime in the past scattered all these boulders.

This area is well known for pineapples, bananas, and salt production …. the sea salt definitely has the taste of the ocean, unlike sea salt we have purchased in the stores at home.

Just as critical as salt …. sweet!! Mexicans love their sweet treats and they are in abundance everywhere.

Sweets galore, mostly made of coconut or tamarind.

Bags of sea salt for sale.

I forgot … limes also! They are growing everywhere.

Far off in those hills they also have coffee plantations. We bought some today that was roasted last night!

Fresh pineapple here never seems as acidic as it is at home.

If you haven’t had fresh ceviche at a beach, or beach town … what are you waiting for?

We’ve certainly had a few adventures trying to find beaches ….. signs stating that a beach is ahead, however we come to a locked gate or such a big puddle we can’t progress any farther.

I think we we would all agree that Chacala is a wonderful destination for a relaxing beach holiday. If you do happen to see a beach vendor, go ahead and buy those peanuts – they are amazing!

This is a very small village, our casa is right beside the kindergarten – naturally a family lives there also.

These kids are probably 6 and 4 – they have been busy folding their own laundry off those clotheslines!

After tonight it is time for us once again to say:

Hasta la vista la playa (see ya later beach) and head back to a cold winter at home …. until January!

Beach life at Chacala

Posted on November 26, 2015 by Chatty Kathy

Life at the beach quickly settles in a rhythmic system ….. it goes something like:

Casa Monarca, Chacala, Nayarit, Mexico ….. Our home for 8 days and a great place for relaxation.

Wake up, make coffee and breakfast and relax

Sit beside the pool and read and relax

Go to the ocean to bob in the waves, read, maybe have a soda water and relax

This beautiful bay at Chacala is perfect for bobbing in waves, with water as warm as the air. Sometimes the waves get a big bigger when the tide is coming in, but overall a relaxing place to swim – yep, even for me.

Head back to the pool for a refreshing dip, (pool water is cooler than the ocean), read and relax

Yes, by this time of day we are relaxing with wine …

Make guacamole and salsa to enjoy on the rooftop deck and relax

Fresh salsa and guacamole on the rooftop deck, with an incredible view of the ocean – fabulous sunsets.

Prepare and eat dinner in our well stocked kitchen

I know, you are probably thinking that blender is whipping up margaritas, but nope. So far it has been used for salad dressing, achiote marinade for pollo pibil, and salsa roja.

Go for a post dinner walk and an ice cream bar

Come home to relax before bed

Repeat that again the next day ……

If we break out of our relax mode we might just make it to the petroglyphs and the major market in La Penita … stay tuned (I know, you are on the edge of your seats). We have to be on the edge of our seats, it is too hot to be anywhere else, we stick.

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Tag Archives: Mexico