Oh, me of little faith! To my astonishment, another remarkable story has unfolded over the last couple of weeks. It all started as I was standing in line at Santander Bank waiting to make a deposit. Suddenly behind me, I heard a distinctly Mexican voice tentatively ask, "Señora Jenny?"
I turned to see a tall Mexican man smiling at me:
"Excuse me," I said, "I don't remember you. How do I know you?"
He told me that in early January he had driven me back from Médica Sur. Then I remembered!
"¡Qué milagro!" — "What a miracle!" I exclaimed, and I meant it.
The truth is I'd been trying to find him for the last couple of weeks. Ever since our visit to Tepoztlán, we've wanted to visit Ajusco Volcano, which is the mountain range separating the Valley of Tepoztlán from the Valley of Mexico [Mexico City], but I couldn't find the card given to me by the taxi driver who'd told me he lives there.
Later, he'd tell me that it was the first time he'd been in that bank. Walking by with his wife, he decided he could get his banking business done in that branch ... on that day. What's equally weird is that Santander isn't my bank either. I was only there to make a deposit in payment for a purchase!
Later, he'd tell me that it was the first time he'd been in that bank. Walking by with his wife, he decided he could get his banking business done in that branch ... on that day. What's equally weird is that Santander isn't my bank either. I was only there to make a deposit in payment for a purchase!
Yes, he was indeed the driver of the taxi I'd hailed on my way back from a doctor's appointment. The way back to Coyoacán features a dramatic view of Ajusco, which rises improbably behind Mexico City's sprawling modernity.
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| On a Clear Day You Can See Ajusco Volcano, Southeast Mexico City Photo: Jenny, leaning out of bedroom window and twisting left, south |
In that first encounter, I remember remarking to the driver how beautiful and dramatic Ajusco is.
"We live there, on the side of Ajusco," he'd replied.
"You're kidding," was my delighted reaction. "My husband and I want to visit, but we need a guide. It's not somewhere to be visited without someone who knows the area."
"I would be delighted to drive you. I'd like you to meet my wife, she's involved with tourist activities," he instantly replied.
That's how it started. When we arrived at our building, the driver gave me his card, which I somehow managed to misplace; hence, my two-week search trying to locate him now, three months later.
After I made my bank deposit, I waited. Writing on the bank's counter, I got his name, Carlitos, and telephone numbers: both cell phone and house line. When we got outside, I met his wife, a lovely woman who seemed slightly baffled, but friendly.
All through the week, I kept checking the weather, which through Saturday was monotonously the same: Clear with 10% Chance of Rain. Sunday's forecast was also stubbornly consistent: Cloudy with 30% Chance of Rain. No matter how many times I checked, the forecast stayed the same.
Finally, Reed and I just kind of looked at each other and said, "Let's go anyway." So I called Carlitos, and we arranged for him to pick us up at 11:00 AM Sunday morning.
After I made my bank deposit, I waited. Writing on the bank's counter, I got his name, Carlitos, and telephone numbers: both cell phone and house line. When we got outside, I met his wife, a lovely woman who seemed slightly baffled, but friendly.
All through the week, I kept checking the weather, which through Saturday was monotonously the same: Clear with 10% Chance of Rain. Sunday's forecast was also stubbornly consistent: Cloudy with 30% Chance of Rain. No matter how many times I checked, the forecast stayed the same.
Finally, Reed and I just kind of looked at each other and said, "Let's go anyway." So I called Carlitos, and we arranged for him to pick us up at 11:00 AM Sunday morning.
Sunday: Cerro de Ajusco
Sunday morning dawned clear. Just a little after 11:00 AM, Carlitos arrived with his wife, Maristel. After a brief discussion to agree on the best route, we set out. By the time we arrived at the first lookout, haze had settled over the Valley of Mexico.
But if haze stopped Reed from taking photos, it couldn't mask the drama of the panorama. Urban sprawl and modern skyscrapers faded to the background, as I was once again struck by the bare bones of the geography of 'the' Valley of Mexico. Later I discovered that the Cuenca de México, catchment area for the chains of cerros, hills, that surround and define this basin is actually comprised of four valleys.
Before the Spanish arrived, the area was a system of lakes, which the Spanish filled in and drained during the first two hundred years of the Colonial Era. But what caught my eye were the extinct craters of volcanoes that had erupted hundreds if not thousands of years ago. Mother Nature at work!
I found this map of the Cuenca de México, the catchment area or drainage basin, that is Mexico City today.
Sunday morning dawned clear. Just a little after 11:00 AM, Carlitos arrived with his wife, Maristel. After a brief discussion to agree on the best route, we set out. By the time we arrived at the first lookout, haze had settled over the Valley of Mexico.
But if haze stopped Reed from taking photos, it couldn't mask the drama of the panorama. Urban sprawl and modern skyscrapers faded to the background, as I was once again struck by the bare bones of the geography of 'the' Valley of Mexico. Later I discovered that the Cuenca de México, catchment area for the chains of cerros, hills, that surround and define this basin is actually comprised of four valleys.
Before the Spanish arrived, the area was a system of lakes, which the Spanish filled in and drained during the first two hundred years of the Colonial Era. But what caught my eye were the extinct craters of volcanoes that had erupted hundreds if not thousands of years ago. Mother Nature at work!
I found this map of the Cuenca de México, the catchment area or drainage basin, that is Mexico City today.
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| Legend (Click to Enlarge) Dark Green: Cuenca, Drainage Basin or Catchment, of Mexico City Brown Triangles: Principal Mountains [At edge (periphery) of Catchment Area] Turquoise Blue: Lakes Existing in 21st Century Gray-Green: Lakes in the 16th Century [When Spanish Arrived] Brown-Red Circles: Principal Population Areas Yellow: Metropolitan Area of Mexico City |
Getting back in the car, we began the climb up the side of Ajusco along its only road—a modest two-lane road that passes through three pueblos, each with its own small parish church.
Fiesta in Pueblo of Santa María Magdalena Petlacalco
At the second pueblo, we were in luck. It was their Fiesta associated with the First Friday of Lent. Located on a rise, the church was built during the first third of the 18th century. The Fiesta is in honor of The Lord of the Column (Señor de la Columna).
Fiesta in Pueblo of Santa María Magdalena Petlacalco
At the second pueblo, we were in luck. It was their Fiesta associated with the First Friday of Lent. Located on a rise, the church was built during the first third of the 18th century. The Fiesta is in honor of The Lord of the Column (Señor de la Columna).
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| According to legend, the carved wooden statue of El Señor de la Columna was found by a peasant early one October morning on the shore of the Pacific Ocean in Lurín, Peru (Photo: Internet). |
Much of the Fiesta takes place in the Atrium, a large square in front of the Church. Small as this pueblo is, its Fiesta has all the traditional elements and conveys the intense energy of these liturgical celebrations. Here's my loose translation of the schedule:
It was hard to believe that we were still in Mexico City, the Federal District of the Republic of Mexico ... because the Ajusco region is puro, puro, puro [quintessentially] pueblo ... indigenous abuelas, grandmothers, wrapped in their rebozos ... chickens in the yards, men and boys riding horses ... cows ... wide open panoramas of this incredible countryside ... rows of mountain chains ... extinct volcanoes ... manicured fields surrounded by stone walls reminiscent of the New England countryside. ¡Ay, México, lindo y querido! Mexico, beautiful and beloved!
Comida Mexican-Style
After our tour, Carlitos and Maristel invited us to have comida, dinner, at their home on a country lane in the pueblo of San Tomás Ajusco. Their house is large by Mexican standards and extremely comfortable. We loved its large windows. We spent our time in the diningroom, which has large windows along one side and French doors opening to the yard on a second side. Mexican-style, we sat and talked ... and ate ... and talked some more ... for lord knows how long ... three, four hours???
From the beginning, I'd had a good feeling about Carlitos, whose intelligence and professional bearing foster confidence. As it turns out, both he and Maristel graduated from UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico, one of Mexico's premier universities): Carlitos in accounting; Maristel in administration.
Carlitos told us that accounting and administration students take the same classes for the first-year of their programs. They laughed when I quipped, "But one year was enough...."
Their 21-year old daughter is now studying Biology at UNAM; their 18-year old son is studying Veterinary Medicine (first year) and wants to migrate to Australia. Their 12-year old daughter wants to be an actress. Given her science-oriented older sibs, why am I not surprised?
Carlitos just gave up his accounting office because the landlord was asking exorbitant increases—sound familiar to Jenny's readers? He has also owned and run a Papelería, Stationery Store. Clearly, Carlitos is an entrepreneur at heart. I suspect the taxi might be a placeholder while he figures out what he'd like to do next.
Maristel is currently taking part in a research project to explore the tourist potential of Xochimilco, famous for its floating gardens. But Maristel told us that Xochimilco's rich prehispanic history invites development to grow the economy by increasing tourist activity. Needless to say, we are eager to explore those sites with her!
For their part, the entire family was clearly taken that we USers were so enjoying their hospitality. For our part, we simply appreciated having the opportunity to spend an afternoon with an extraordinarily nice family ... including young people who actually talked to us!
Day's End
We had left at 11:00 AM and arrived back home at 7:00 PM. Dare I admit to dozing on the ride home ... Mexico City is 7,000 ft. ... the pueblo of San Tomás Ajusco is at 10,000 ft ... the peak of Ajusco Volcano is 13,987 ft—almost another 4,000 ft above the pueblo.
Both Reed and I seemed to have suffered some of the effects of high altitude, but we had such a memorable day, it was more than worth it. Moreover, Carlitos and Maristel are eager to show us other parts of the outer reaches of Ajusco, Milpa Alta and Xochimilco—all of which, believe it or not, are still within the boundaries of the Federal District, Mexico City. We can hardly wait.
Still Curious?
Here's Reed's photo album of the day: Fiesta in Pueblo Santa María Magdalena Petlacalco. Spoiler alert: I borrowed a couple of his photos.
While writing this post, other of Jenny's posts kept popping into my mind. Here are the best ones:
- First Friday: The fiesta begins with a traditional pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of the Señor de Chalma (outside Toluca), another miraculous manifestation of the Suffering Jesus in the days before the Crucifixion.
- Afternoon: Procession of "El Señor de la Columna" tours the entire pueblo in the afternoon and evening along streets adorned in purple and white bunting, with runners laid down for the miraculous image to travel on.
- Saturday: Pilgrims returning from Chalma are received at the entrance to the pueblo and greeted with the traditional Dance of the Chinelos; the word "chinelos" derives from the Nahuatl word “zineloquie” meaning “disguised.”
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| Dance of the Chinelos (Photos: Reed) |
- Day: The Atrium of the Church is the "site of much joy and traditional dances";
- Night: A party with bands and dancing, the sky is lit with the burning of Traditional Castillos [literally "Castles," but also Fireworks Towers].
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| Castillo, or Fireworks Tower |
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| Castillo, Ready to Fire! |
- Sunday: Rocket salvos and traditional dances "fill the Atrium with joy."
- Holy Mass: Celebrated for First Sunday of Lent, with traditional Dances of the Chinelos.
- Afternoon: Traditional Jaripeo (Rodeo).
- Night: Another display of Traditional Pyrotechnics [Castillo] and Band Music.
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| One of several bandas, bands, featuring trumpets |
It was hard to believe that we were still in Mexico City, the Federal District of the Republic of Mexico ... because the Ajusco region is puro, puro, puro [quintessentially] pueblo ... indigenous abuelas, grandmothers, wrapped in their rebozos ... chickens in the yards, men and boys riding horses ... cows ... wide open panoramas of this incredible countryside ... rows of mountain chains ... extinct volcanoes ... manicured fields surrounded by stone walls reminiscent of the New England countryside. ¡Ay, México, lindo y querido! Mexico, beautiful and beloved!
Comida Mexican-Style
After our tour, Carlitos and Maristel invited us to have comida, dinner, at their home on a country lane in the pueblo of San Tomás Ajusco. Their house is large by Mexican standards and extremely comfortable. We loved its large windows. We spent our time in the diningroom, which has large windows along one side and French doors opening to the yard on a second side. Mexican-style, we sat and talked ... and ate ... and talked some more ... for lord knows how long ... three, four hours???
From the beginning, I'd had a good feeling about Carlitos, whose intelligence and professional bearing foster confidence. As it turns out, both he and Maristel graduated from UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico, one of Mexico's premier universities): Carlitos in accounting; Maristel in administration.
Carlitos told us that accounting and administration students take the same classes for the first-year of their programs. They laughed when I quipped, "But one year was enough...."
Their 21-year old daughter is now studying Biology at UNAM; their 18-year old son is studying Veterinary Medicine (first year) and wants to migrate to Australia. Their 12-year old daughter wants to be an actress. Given her science-oriented older sibs, why am I not surprised?
Carlitos just gave up his accounting office because the landlord was asking exorbitant increases—sound familiar to Jenny's readers? He has also owned and run a Papelería, Stationery Store. Clearly, Carlitos is an entrepreneur at heart. I suspect the taxi might be a placeholder while he figures out what he'd like to do next.
Maristel is currently taking part in a research project to explore the tourist potential of Xochimilco, famous for its floating gardens. But Maristel told us that Xochimilco's rich prehispanic history invites development to grow the economy by increasing tourist activity. Needless to say, we are eager to explore those sites with her!
For their part, the entire family was clearly taken that we USers were so enjoying their hospitality. For our part, we simply appreciated having the opportunity to spend an afternoon with an extraordinarily nice family ... including young people who actually talked to us!
Day's End
We had left at 11:00 AM and arrived back home at 7:00 PM. Dare I admit to dozing on the ride home ... Mexico City is 7,000 ft. ... the pueblo of San Tomás Ajusco is at 10,000 ft ... the peak of Ajusco Volcano is 13,987 ft—almost another 4,000 ft above the pueblo.
Both Reed and I seemed to have suffered some of the effects of high altitude, but we had such a memorable day, it was more than worth it. Moreover, Carlitos and Maristel are eager to show us other parts of the outer reaches of Ajusco, Milpa Alta and Xochimilco—all of which, believe it or not, are still within the boundaries of the Federal District, Mexico City. We can hardly wait.
Still Curious?
Here's Reed's photo album of the day: Fiesta in Pueblo Santa María Magdalena Petlacalco. Spoiler alert: I borrowed a couple of his photos.
While writing this post, other of Jenny's posts kept popping into my mind. Here are the best ones:
- A description of the Dance of the Chinelos was hard to come by. A friend who lives in Tepoztlán kindly sent me this one, which first appeared in Jenny's post The Sacred Valley of Tepoztlán.
"Cortés defeated the Aztecs in 1521. By 1870, the Spanish colonists in Nueva España were organizing elegant dances for the Carnaval (Mardi Gras) that precedes Lent, but only peninsulares, those born on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain, could attend. Tired of being excluded from Carnaval, a group of native-born young men organized a cuadrilla ['posse'], disguised themselves in old clothes, covered their faces with pieces of manta, Mexican muslin, and began to shout, whistle and skip through the streets of town, mocking the Spanish, calling them huehuenchis, "old uglies" or "people who dress in old clothes.
"The first local celebration was so successful that the following year the young people organized another cuadrilla. To represent the Spanish, they added beards to their masks. In 1872 the young people again took to the streets, this time accompanied by a wind band whose members were disguised in masks that not only had exaggerated beards and mustaches but blue eyes, in order to further ridicule the Spanish in revenge for the humiliations they had inflicted.
"As the party became increasingly popular, its character gradually evolved and became ritualized as a subtle and fun way to protest. Then people decided to hold their own celebration. The corno, horn, was a constant in a mix that blended ancient rituals with those of the new, imported Spanish culture. The end result was pagan-religious or religious-pagan events, depending on who was in charge.
"The dance—fun, festive, cheerful—keeps rhythm with the humorous notes of village bands. The colorful dances hustle and rumble like the cohetes, rockets, launched incessantly. All this energy culminates in the famous "leap of the chinelo," which is the typical dance of Carnaval. Performed on several occasions throughout the year, the dance has changed little for more than a century.
"The dancers' garments are richly decorated with multi-colored sequins and beads. The cone-shaped hats are fully embroidered and decorated with faux pearls in an apparent nod to Arab-Moorish-Spanish ancestry."
Yet another reminder that Moors from Northern Africa occupied the Iberian Peninsula for eight hundred years, during which time the primary occupation of Spanish nobles was warfare that finally succeeded in 1492. Riding high from the victory at Granada, Ferdinand and Isabella agreed to finance Christopher Columbus's voyage West into the setting sun. The rest, as they say, is history.
Spanish evangelizers used the story of the Moors' ultimate defeat to impress on the indigenous peoples of Mexico what would happen if they refused to submit to the Spanish king (Crown) and the Christian God (Cross). One of the dances of the Purhépecha people of Michoacán is the Dance of the Moors.
Here are the two short [One 1:17; Other 1:05] YouTube videos I made of the Chinelo dancers we saw at the fiesta in Santa María Magdalena Petlacalco.
- Pilgrimage is a tradition with very deep roots in Mesoamerican culture. An earlier post, Pilgrimage, describes Mesoamerican pilgrimages as
"...collective endeavors for guaranteeing the continuity of the universe against catastrophic dissolution in an unstable world.assure ...."
The tradition of pilgrimage remains strong throughout Mexico. Here, the pueblo's formal reception of its returning pilgrims on Saturday morning reinforces the essentially collective nature of pilgrimage that is still alive.
- Cohetes (rockets) are such an integral part of Mexican culture that it's impossible to imagine Mexico without them. Not a day goes by in Mexico City that we don't hear cohetes going off! Here's a great post from MexConnect: Cohetes: A Mexican Tradition.
Usually coheteros are older men, but these jóvenes, young men, were having a high old time setting off rockets right in the street.
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| Cohetes, rockets |
- Jaripeo (Bull-Riding) is also a strong pueblo tradition that developed around the bulls brought to Nueva España by the Spanish. Here's Jenny's post: Mexico Traditions: Jaripeo.
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