Shadow Shot Sunday 7 - Coyoacan

Colonia Coyoacan (Place of the coyotes) used to be an outlying village South of the city, but now it has been incorporated into the urban southern sprawl of Mexico City itself. It is a beautiful barrio with quiet cobbled streets, plazas with gorgeous churches and colonial architecture, and weekend craft markets, but at night it has a lively vibe with many atmospheric cafes, bars and restaurants. It was also once home to Frida Kahlo and Leon Trotsky, and you can now visit their homes which have been restored as museums. Kahlo's blue house is a popular tourist spot, but make sure you don't miss Trotsky's time-warp house which has not changed at all since Stalin's agent Ramon Mercader inflicted damage with the notorious ice-pick.

Coyoacan is served by at least two metro stations - Coyoacan and Viveros. If you get off at Viveros ( plant nurseries ) you can spend a pleasant hour wandering through the shady park admiring the wide variety of different plants, shrubs and trees. The Colonia of Coyoacan is well worth a visit especially on Sundays.......For more shadow shots don´t forget to check out Hey Harriet by clicking here...

Murder, Mayhem, and Machetes in Marble

No! I am not writing about the latest drug cartel violence to hit Mexico ( there is more than enough written about that, plus plenty of other lurid scaremongering tales about the dangers of Mexico City); rather this is a post about the latest theatre production to grace the stage at Bellas Artes... and what a unique stage it is; the marble bathrooms no less - both the Ladies and the Gents.....

The tiny audience is firstly divided into two groups, then frogmarched and lined up by two very bossy wardrobe girls in either the mens' or the womens' adjoining marble bathrooms, and then the action unfolds - two twenty minute simultaneous scenes, so it doesn't matter which bathroom you visit first, but whilst watching one scene you also eavesdrop on the other!! The experience is an intimate voyeuristic paradise with villains pulling guns and munching sandwiches under your very nose, and heroines / heroes looking right through you to apply their make-up or adjust their hats in the mirror. Indeed some of the action has to be viewed in the mirrors themselves, and enjoy the moment when as the machete blow is struck, the lights go out and the audience is sprayed with what surely feels like blood!! Here is the final scene that takes place in the Ladies...

A true voyeur always sneaks her camera in and takes the shot after everyone else has departed! The original play, "Ladies and Gents" by Irish playwright Paul Walker, was commissioned by Theatre Company Semper Fi for the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2002. It went on to win a Fringe First Award at Edinburgh in 2003, and here the spanish translation is directed by Enrique Singer as "Los Banos".

The palatial marble bathrooms are a microcosm of one of Mexico City's most beautiful buildings. Here is the rest of the Palacio Bellas Artes which serves as concert hall, exhibition space, and display area for some of the great Mexican muralists, namely Rivera, Orozco and Siquieros. It also boasts a fine stained glass Tiffany stage curtain in the main auditorium.

The white marble Palace was finally completed after the Revolution in the 1930s incorporating wonderful art deco design features, after the earlier shell of the 1905 building subsided into the city's soft subsoil....

"Los Banos" plays on Saturdays and Sundays at 12 noon and 1pm until April 12th. Be sure to book in advance, and don't miss this unique theatrical experience in a unique place!! Check out other places by clicking here for MyWorldTuesday posts...

Shadow Shot Sunday 6 - Tepoztlan

Shadow shot sunday has rolled around again very rapidly, and this week's contribution was taken at an outdoor garden cafe in Tepoztlan, only an hour away from Mexico City. It is a scenic and picturesque Mexican pueblo, a perfect weekend retreat, but imbued supposedly with a special spiritual energy as it is located on a lay line. There have allegedly been many UFO sightings here, lots of New Age shops and businesses have sprung up, spa treatment hotels, and you can even have your aura photographed. But underneath it all, like so many places in this country, it fiercely remains a traditional and typical Mexican village, with its markets, festivals, locals hanging out in the plaza, street stalls and vendors. The pace of life is slow and the atmosphere is tranquil.

For more information and photos of Tepoztlan click here and here, and don't forget to visit hey harriet on Sunday for more showy shadow shots.

Spring has sprung..... and Mexico is in bloom.

The Spring Equinox is almost upon us, and around Mexico at the sacred archaeological sites all kinds of equinox ceremonies and festivals will be taking place at the Pyramids, including the optical illusion of the serpent shadow snaking down the stonework of the Chichen Itza pyramid. Mexico is always pretty and full of flowers, but at this time in Spring it is truly magically in bloom, and at its best. The purple jacarandas and red colorins are in full display in Mexico City, and elsewhere floral treats abound at every twist and turn...

Most of these flower shots were taken in the garden of my favourite cafe in the village of Tepoztlan. It is a beautifully peaceful and tranquil spot to sit and read, have lunch, and even better a real English afternoon tea with scones, cream and jam! It is a Literary garden cafe called La Sombra del Sabino, so in addition to great quiches, salads and other home made baked goodies, it also stocks a wonderful selection of both Spanish and English titles, hosts readings and other literary events, plus you can also trade in and swap second hand books. Here is the lawn where you can take your tea....

And here is the overall gorgeous garden setting. Doesn't it just ooze serenity???

You can find Cafe La Sombra de Sabino at Av. Revolucion, No.45, Tepoztlan. It is open Thursday to Sunday from 11 am - 7pm. Enjoy!!

A long weekend at El Tajin and Tecolutla....

Located in the heart of Veracruz State is the beautiful classic archaeological site of El Tajin dating from AD600-900, presided over by the wonderfully named Totonac leader "Conejo 13" (Rabbit 13), with its piece de la resistance, the incredibly well-preserved " Piramide de los Nichos".

It is believed that there were originally 365 niches and that the building was some kind of architectural calendar. The extensive site covers some 10 sq km, includes at least 17 ball courts, and was eventually abandoned around AD1200. Some of the stonework, with its Grecian designs, is very reminiscent of the Oaxaca site at Mitla.

El Tajin ( the name means thunder in Totonac ) is situated 6km West of the town of Papantla which is home to the ritual of the "voladores". Five men in ornate ceremonial costumes climb an extremely tall pole, and then whilst one stays at the top playing a drum and flute, the other four descend to the ground by revolving upside down attached to ropes. It is both an ancient fertility rite and a marking of the weeks of the year as each man revolves 13 times totalling 52 revolutions. Here are the elaborate costumes...

And here they are perched at the top of the pole getting ready to descend...

To make a varied long weekend, head to the coast to the tiny seaside town of Tecolutla. Forget impersonal, upmarket Mexican beach resorts, this is an unpretentious spot where working class Mexicans go for their holidays. It is full of old-fashioned first-class family fun. Even on grey days the beach is crowded, teeming with families burying each other in the sand, swimming in the sea with all their clothes on, building elaborate sand structures...pyramids of course...

And feasting at the biggest beach banquets ever from the freshest of seafood... crab, oysters, prawns, octupus, ceviche...all dispensed from the most delightful of food carts that trawl their wares all day up and down the thin strip of beach...

Indeed the beach becomes the site of "Battle of the Carts" as numerous ones selling food, photographs, beachwear accesories, and inflatables all compete for space and business...leading to some very surreal sights on the strip...

Papantla is 6 hours and Tecolutla 7 hours by bus from Mexico City from Terminal Norte Station. Beware!! The weather can be very wet and windy with grey overcast skies and no sign of the sun!! For other windows on the world this week click here for MyWorldTuesday....

Shadow Shot Sunday 5 - Zacatecas

Mexico is blessed with fine colonial towns and architecture the length and breadth of the country, and Zacatecas is indeed a jewel in the crown. It has a fine pink cathedral with ornate stone carvings on its facade, infinitely colourful charming streets, and wonderful museums and art galleries - one of the best being the mask museum. It is a cultured and sophisticated place boasting a fine Easter Arts festival involving a wide array of eclectic music performances and exhibitions ( many of which are free)

Historically, it is a former silver city located in the Northern deserts of the country some nine hours away from Mexico City, and in its heyday managed to produce 20% of Nueva Espana's silver from its mines. The Eden Mine is well worth a visit for its store of history, but also if you fancy a unique evening out, as it boasts its very own nightclub, Disco El Malacate, deep, deep underground, with amazing acoustics!!

This shadow shot shows one of the appealing winding streets in Zacatecas, and I was somewhat intrigued by why this young man was walking along with a cardboard box totally covering his head and chest!! Any ideas??

For more shadow shots click here on Sunday

Nieve at the Nevado de Toluca - Snow in Mexico

I have been reading so many blogs recently with great descriptions and photographs of snow, that I was feeling a little left out. So I decided to join in and write a post about SNOW in MEXICO in the month of MAY!! Yes here it is... the ocular proof and only 90 minutes away from Mexico City, at the scenic location of one of Mexico's volcanoes - Nevado de Toluca.

As you first ascend the weather is mild, the sun is shining, the sky is blue, the clouds are fluffy....

and not many layers of clothing are needed...

But as the rough rugged road twists round and round, and climbs higher and higher, and the altitude (4690m) starts kicking in, boy does the weather get wilder and wilder... first the cloud cover..

Then the fog....

Next the hail....

And as the temperature drops, and the icy hail rains down unrelentingly, the layers go on...

And finally after sun, cloud, fog and hail, comes the sprinkling of snow....in all its pristine beauty..

Once up at the crater, there are two lakes called El Sol and La Luna, and there are infinite trails for some tough intrepid hiking, or softer clambering over rocks and boulders....

Don't fancy anything quite so strenuous?? Simple.... hop a cab in this drive-through crater... there is always a friendly VW beetle taxi absolutely anywhere in Mexico!!....

If you don't have a car, the easiest way to get to the crater is to take a bus from Mexico City to Toluca (Observatorio Bus Station - one hour ) and then negotiate with a taxi driver. They will drive you up to the crater, wait while you hike about for two or three hours, and then bring you back for 800 pesos per cab ( $80 before the devaluation!)

Now when I check out all the MYWORLDTUESDAY postings this week in Finland, Norway, Winnipeg, USA etc, I won't feel so left out. Don't you just love the diversity Mexico has to offer??

Shadow Shot Sunday 4 - Copper Canyon

I am lucky that I live in a world of strong light and vibrant colour, so I didn't have to travel far to take this week's shadow shot. it is simply the rays of light from my balcony striking the open venetian blinds and hitting the bed. The piece of fabric covering the bed, however, has travelled a great distance; all the way from the Copper Canyon in the far, far north of Mexico.

It is the work of the indigenous Indian people called the Tarahumara who still live traditional lives in the isolated canyons; many still in caves and log cabins. They wear and produce brightly coloured, patterned textiles, and are famous for their long distance running ability. Running is central to the culture, and they still play a gruelling type of ball game, which involves marathon footraces through the canyons without stopping, kicking a rough ball ahead.

The Copper Canyon is a series of breathtakingly beautiful canyons - about twenty in total, which together are larger than the Grand Canyon; and nine are deeper. The way to see these captivating canyons is to take Mexico's last great train ride - the Ferrocarril Chihuahua - 655km from Los Mochis on the Sea of Cortez, to the city of Chihuahua itself in the deep heartland of Northern Mexico's interior. It is indeed a most scenic journey, with many enchanting little stops along the way, where you can hike, trek and go horseriding deep into the canyons.

For more shadow shots visit hey harriet by clicking here

The Art of Sign Language and Hand Signals......

Mexico is a country where so much is still done by hand.... be it the hands of local artisans, craftspeople, artists, repairers, musicians, tailors, street stall cooks; it is indeed a labour intensive country. Here are the sign painters at work in Ajijic, near Lake Chapala, Guadalajara....

Their efforts produce a stimulating rich and colourful environment to enjoy on a daily basis, whether it is displaying all the different ice-cream flavours for sale on a market stall in Oaxaca....

The wide variety of lurid drinks on sale on Sundays in Chapultepec Park, Mexico City.....

Or the fruit juices and ices available from this cart on the streets of the port city of Veracruz....

Beautiful hand-painted signs are used to advertise the beer available in this bar in Ensenada, Baja California....

And the hand-made tortillas available at this shop in the pueblo of Tepoztlan....

Most shops and services in both large cities and tiny pueblos still retain this appealing tradition of informing their potential customers via hand-painted signs. Check out this vet surgery in the city of Chihuahua.....

And this butcher's shop and herb shop in the heart of Creel in the Copper Canyon, far Northern Mexico.....

Who can fail to be charmed by the fetching and refreshing naivety and simplicity of such signs, that help to create such a feast for the senses in the most unremarkable and ordinary of things??...making daily life in Mexico an infinite visual treat so inspiring for any creative spirit..

So a big hand and round of applause for all these talented and skilled labourers in Mexico who work so hard to produce such a rich and visually appealing environment for us all.....

Penitence, Prostrations, and Pilgrimages...

As Lent begins, so does the season of Pilgrimages and Penitence in Mexico, proving a constant reminder of the strength of ancient and religious traditions in this country, that are still so strictly and respectfully observed today. A frequent sight on the roads of Mexico right now are pilgrims on foot....

or travelling in huge convoys of highly-decorated, ancient trucks...

or even the modern family vehicle which will do the job just as well...

This particular group of pilgrims were passing through Tepoztlan last Sunday, on their way to the Sanctuary of "El Senor de Chalma" in Cholula, State of Puebla, and it is often this juxtaposition of old and new Mexico, cheek by jowl, that makes the country so fascinating. Take the Sanctuary of Atotonilco for example, which is a penitent shrine adorned with the most vibrant of folk murals, and just a ten minute ride from the upmarket shopping, gallery, and restaurant culture of hotspot San Miguel de Allende. Yet really it is a million miles away when you browse the market stalls outside with their penitent accessories of self-flagellation whips and cords...

and actual crowns of thorns to purchase...

For an atheist outsider, it can be hard to understand rituals that may appear on the surface Medieval. The pilgrimage season culminates in the traditions of Easter. On Good Friday in the grounds of the Templo de San Francisco in Tzintzuntzan, shackled, hooded, and chained penitents crawl on their knees to reach the church to pay homage to the much revered image of Christ. Devout worshippers were so convinced that they witnessed Christ's feet pushing against the end of the coffin, that a glass extension was added to the case.

The Good Friday Passion Play here at Tzintzuntzan, is extremely elaborate and realistic, and wholly convincing with a devout set of worshippers following the young man elected to play Christ for the day enduring real beatings and flagellation beneath the burden of the heavy cross..

These traditions are still the bedrock of life in modern-day Mexico, and I don't think I have ever lived in a country whereby the connections between past and present, ritual and change, old and new are so seamless ; indeed that connective thread has been severed in so many other places long ago...

For more windows on the world click here.

Shadow Shot Sunday 3 : Real de Catorce

More colours from Mexico this week!! This shot was taken at a remote village up in the desert on the fringes of the Sierra Madre Oriental. It was a two hour hike along a desert trail out from the former ghost town of Real de Catorce which itself is remote enough. Real de Catorce used to be a rich silver-mining town until early last century, and for many years since it has been deserted; its cobbled streets lined with dilapidated and abandoned buildings.

Recently, however, it has been undergoing a Renaissance with artists, craftspeople, photographers, and film-makers all moving in to take advantage of the strong desert light and inspiring environment. The surrounding desert is also the spiritual homeland of the Huichol people who make an annual pilgrimage here to carry out rituals using the hallucinogenic cactus called peyote.

Like all truly wonderful places, it is fairly inaccessible and takes an effort to get here - four buses from Mexico City - the last through a one-way 2km tunnel which is the only route into town. If you make it this far, and it is well worth a visit, be sure to stay at the renovated 19th century bank called "Meson de Abundancia" which was once the Treasury of the Town - a sign of our times, too, it seems.

For more shadow shots click here for hey harriet