Most people would respond - why on earth should anyone want to take a trip out to Texcoco?? Well true, it can be seen as a sprawling, ugly, industrial town not far from Mexico City full of factories, mechanic workshops, prowling mangy mutts, beat-up old bangers, landfills, and junkyards - plus of course Cimmyt - the Centre for the improvement of wheat and maize where a number of our students live and commute to school two hours each way...
But in the company of an artist friend of mine, a whole different Texcoco looms into view. The junkyards become funky works of art...
Old run down farmhouses riddled with mice in the adobe, become des res homes with the addition of a little colour, style and unique works of art...............
Check out that wild chandelier...
which was especially designed and commissioned from the glassware factory in town...
And who could resist buying some of this beautiful pottery from La Taller de Ceramica San Germain.... 
So poke beneath the surface and look what beauty can be found. Texcoco is just 35 minutes North East of Mexico City, and if you take a bus from TAPO bus station, you will get there for just 25 pesos. Where have you found beauty beyond a surface of initial ugliness and ordinariness??
5 comments:
Texcoco looks interesting enough and I just love those potteries. My World is here.
That was a very interesting take on industrial towns and I loved it. As someone who lives in an industrial area here in London, I totally appreciated the aesthetic approach of your post.
Many thanks.
As for Chapingo, you were close. If you take the last five letters of the word and turn the 'o' into an 'a' you will have a very strong swear word for 'penis' in Cuban Spanish. I believe that Colombians, Venezuelans, Puerto Ricans and Dominicans use the same word and since we have similar accents, it makes sense. But not to worry, you can still say Chapingo. Now you know that if a Cuban laughs it is not out of malice :-).
Greetings from London.
For me the name itself would be a reason to go if I were around. It's great that You take your time there to the fullest seeing all possible places.
Marites - Mexico is full of wonderful ceramics..
Cuban - thanks for enlightening me...I will be very careful to emphasise that o at the end of Chapingo!!
Koala - there are some wonderful names in Mexico
ps Cuban - just out of interest what industrial part of London do you live in??
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