Mexico
The gazebo in the Jardin is seldom empty. The creche from Christmas was replaced by a statue of Ignacio Allende, but now that his birthday has passed, the statue has gone to where ever it lives the other 50 weeks a year, and the youthful breakdancer of San Miguel have made it their stage.
I think we saw this guy hurt his wrist the night before, but it obviously has no deterrent value.
This afternoon, when the sun was well to the west, and I was heading out of Mexicito, Santuario Hogar Guadalupano, the boys orphanage where David and I have helping out, my eye was drawn to the blue glass panes over the door of the chapel.
My previous visits had never taken me there so I decided to investigate. What a delightful surprise. A simple world of stone, was bathed in a stunning blue light from three domed windows in the ceiling. The back wall was lit with a celestial blue I never seen on stone before.
The celebration of Candelaria begins this weekend with Parque Juarez filled with flower vendors from all over Mexico. Early this morning many were still setting up. But more than a few took a long break to enjoy the zumba class taking place in what is normally the basketball court. For this two week celebration the area becomes a stage surrounded by the “maceta” or flower pot vendors.
Zumba is very popular in Mexico. Over 100 people, young and old, male and female, Mexican & gringo were up and dancing at this 8:00am Sunday morning class.
I don’t know why, but the Spanish word for firefighter –Bombero -always makes me smile. And this weekend los Bomberos were out in style for the parade celebrating Ignacio Allende’s birthday. There were all the usual fire trucks and rescue vehicles you would see in any American parade. But the brilliantly painted Bombero volkswagen with its firedog beagle was uniquely San Miguel.
Every morning, Señor Silva rolls his newspaper cart towards to the Jardin. He is a fixture there, selling papers with his booming voice providing a steady baritone in Jardin soundscape.
The broken windows in the parking garage across the street from our house, provide a study in line, form and shape.
Most mornings, on my first break in Spanish School, I hotfoot it down to Reloj to La Comela, better known as the Blue Door Bakery to get a cinammon roll. Along with caffeine it keeps my brain going.
As I approached the corner this morning there was a racket- whoops, whistles, cries of “eeieee eeiyee” and sirens. I arrived in time to see about a 100 school kids on bikes careening down the street on bicycles with what I am assuming were parents and teachers running along side, shouting encouragement. There was also a police escort with sirens wailing.
The tail end of the group were the youngest kids who clearly were finding the it a challenge to keep their balance on the cobbles. You just never know what you find on your 10 minute study break…..
I walked out of a gathering in a coffeehouse at 4:30 on a Sunday afternoon to a most unexpected winter event - rain, or more accurately a sprinkle from an errant cloud. The sun shone while the stray raindrops fell, not living long enough to fill the many indentations on San Miguel sidewalks.
Music surrounded the Jardin and a crowd gathered to watch people dancing in Halloween type costumes to a Spanish "rap cha cha cha" sort of music. They are known as Los Locos. Then the drums started beating on the other side of the square and 25-30 people in indigenous dress started dancing. This little girl was determined to learn the dance....
On the Festival of Three Kings - traffic stops as the parade with the virgin is followed by children and the Three Kings who bring up the rear.
The bulk of the tourists in San Miguel de Allende for the Christmas & New Year holidays have departed. No more beautiful young women trying to negotiate the cobblestone streets in their beautifully stylish 4” heels: no longer are the streets clogged with cars and buses moving at a snail’s pace.
So the other day, I went for a long stroll down one of the main thoroughfares. My goal was to acquaint myself with the shops along the way and also to exercise my eyes. I scoped out some agaves that would be lovely to photograph when the sun was in a different part of the sky and I had almost walked completely by a closed gate when I found myself advancing backwards to look again. It was one of those slow processing moments where at first it didn’t register what I was actually seeing.
As I began to tune into the details of the tableau in front of me, I began to smile. There was a whole world of flora, fauna and family all made of old auto parts at 19A Ancha, the shop of Mecanico Hermilo Tovar. Is it any wonder that I felt I was in the presence of a kindred spirit? As a person who can imagine a six foot hummingbird from waving ornamental grasses, I loved seeing the work of a man who could envision the human form in a rusty gas tank and winking eyes in worn old gears.
Senor Tovar was a great mechanic in his day and an artist as well. His widow was kind enough to bring me inside and show me some of the “family” still living among his collection of old car parts. I hope you enjoy his artistry and humor.
As we approached the main square in town after another great foreign film – Jean de Florette Part 2, we were surprised by the excellent sound quality coming from the band on stage. Often, the music being played is marred by poor quality speakers but on this evening the singer was great and the sound was clear. In a tight leopard patterned outfit, the lead singer was belting out I Will Survive in a way that would have made Gloria Gaynor proud.
Standing tall in the enthusiastic crowd was a big, proud papa with his daughter high on his shoulders and the two of them were swaying to the disco beat- the little girl’s pony tail going in one direction, while the tail on her animal back pack completed the arc in the other direction. You couldn’t help but smile….