Images from Tula de Allende Mexico

Wikipedia infromation on Tula De Allende

Toltec Art Object

Toltec Head

Toltec Statues

Toltec Art

Standing with the Toltec Statues

View of the City

Walls around the Cathedral

Hotel where we stayed

Cathedral

River Tula

View of the city

Sri Lanka MIhintale

Xochimilco

While visiting our niece Natalie in Mexico City, Cynthia, Natalie and I took a trip to the canals of Xochimilco.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xochimilco

Located in the southern part of Mexico City, the canals are all that’s left of the ancient lake Xochimilco that once covered parts of the city.

When we arrived I was amazed by the bright colored boats with beautiful enchanting designs, each with their own name, like Lupita, Maria, and Queen of Hearts. We boarded one of these boats called trajineras that are pushed along with wooden poles by men standing on the back part of the boat or rooftop.

Once we were on the water we realized that there weren’t just a few of these boats, but there were hundreds of them. Going and coming from all directions, they seemed to be everywhere. They all moved along slowly, bumping into each other and making their way along the canal. The mood was festive, with food, Mariachi music and the colorful boats.

We enjoyed roasted corn on the cob and homemade potato chips sold from one of the passing food boats.

In addition to food boats there were boats carrying well dressed Mariachi musicians singing and playing guitars, violins and trumpets. There were even boats selling potted plants in case you needed one.

There was so much going on around us we just sat back and enjoyed the hour long colorful ride. We searched for boats named after Cynthia’s siblings. Patricia and Sandra were easy to find, but we had to settle on Theresa for Terry.

At the end of the ride we walked around a park with food venders and restaurants and while eating our delicious quesadillas and tacos, we watched the costumed Voladores (Indian Flyers) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danza_de_los_Voladores_de_Papantla,
while they wound there way down the tall pole to the sound of flute and drum music.

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After lunch we boarded another boat for another hour of boats, music and great fun. It was a wonderful afternoon that I will always remember. Thank you Natalie.

Nopal Festival

The first Nopali festival in San Miguel was a vibrant little display of what one can do with the versatile cactus called Nopal. With displays showing nopalis jammed, pickled, juiced and also napolis made into syrup, liquor, flour, chips and dips, soaps, shampoo and body oils, I was thinking it is a mighty plant to have around the house. It seems whatever you can imagine to make from the hallowed plant might be possible. I watched a guy cut a large cactus “leaf” on edge and stuff the leaf with meat, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and cheese, tie the opening shut and put the whole thing on the fire. I would have to call it a Mexican calzone. Yummy!

After listening to wonderful live music and tasting everything that was offered, I left the festival with a greater appreciation for the plant called Nopal.

Tolantongo

Last week Cynthia and I went on a road trip to the waterfalls, caves and hot springs of Tolantongo.

3 hours from San Miguel by car, and located in the state of Hidalgo, Tolantongo is at the bottom of a box canyon with a cave at the end where warm water pours out and cold water falls from the cliffs overhead.

The minerals in the water make the water look blue and I call it one of the umpteen million wonders of the world.

Only 30 years ago one would have to take a mule down a dirt path on a trip that lasted many hours to get to the falls.

When I visited 13 years ago, I took a microbus down a winding dirt road that brought me to the entrance and at that time there were only four small hotel rooms and camping. The only food was from small food stalls run by the local Otomi people who live there. When the sun set so did the place, and there were no lights around except for a few across the canyon marking the houses there. It was, at that time, the end of the road.

Today, its still the end of the road with a hundred hotel rooms, a tent camping area, two restaurants, lighted paths, and the road is now being paved. Cement stairs have replaced dirt walkways, and beside the river there is a new swimming pool. With all It still has amazing natural beauty, and its all run by an association of 200 Otomi families.

Water is flowing from every “nook and cranny” and the sound of the river is a relaxing sound herd all around the canyon. The first night there I had many dreams.

We spent two days listening to new sounds, eating good food, exploring around the canyon, and soaking in the warm waters in the cave and river. We had way too much fun!!!

http://www.grutastolantongo.com.mx/

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otomí

After a long absence and many technical glitches I have a post. Enjoy!

Teotihuacan

The walk to the pyramids from the entrance at Teotihuacan Mexico is a long one. It’s two miles in all. Here I realized how enormous this place is. The walk to the “Sun” pyramid includes walking up and down stairs entering a courtyard, walking through the courtyard, and climbing up and down stairs to leave the courtyard. Little did I know that there were five such courtyards to climb through to get to the first pyramid.

While walking along the “Avenue of the Dead” I tried to imagine the peoples who have lived here, the Olmecs, the Aztecs, and later the Spaniards. I wanted to imagine what kind of life went on around this place. It felt as though for centuries the winds have swept the memories away, and what’s left are only organized stones, theories, visitors, and venders selling crafts. The design and purpose of the place is still a mystery, and most of what is known about it is from the Aztecs, who arrived after it was already abandoned.

Climbing the 248 steps to the top of the “Sun Pryamid” was strenuous because the steps are very steep, but it was well worth the effort. I spent a long time sitting at the top enjoying the view, contemplating what might have happened here, thinking about how it was that I was here. The overall view from the top was enchanting.

Another enchanting part of my visit was the stillness of the place broken up by musical sounds that different venders were making. Some were playing small clay ocarinas that sounded a high pitched 4 note song. Others had a clay jaguar head that when blown into sounded like a growling jaguar. The two kinds of sounds were woven into the silence throughout the long walk and set a soulful mood for the place.

The enormity of the place and the mystery of its origins makes it an enchanting and wonderful place.

Click On this link to see more pics and a panoramic view from atop the Sun Pyramid:

http://rgravelin.com/teotihuacan.htm

Postures

In honor of Felicitas Goodman, a Hungarian-born linguist and anthropologist who explored ritual body postures found in ancient art. Her theory was that the postures were used to connect with the spirit world. At the time of reading her book I was a big fan but never was able to explore more fully. I am including these images found in the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City for any fans of her work

who might be interested

in such things. Enjoy

Link for more info:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felicitas_Goodman