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Over the last few years I have taken photos of various posters, street stuff, etc.  It has absolutely zero value, unless you find a bit of humor herein.  All are self explanatory, except the license plate, which illustrates an india ink history of infractions so that as the notations increase it costs more to get you plate back from the Mexican police.

CUY : Its whats for dinner (AKA Guinea Pig)

CUY: Its whats for dinner

In some countries guinea pigs are kept as pets, known in Spanish as mascotas. Not so in Andean South America where they are dinner.  Several years ago we joined an Overseas Adventure Tour of Perú.  On the tour agenda was dinner in a very basic private home near Ollantaytambo in the Andes, where you guessed it,  only one main course available.  Inside the home there were many guinea pigs roaming freely underfoot. One poor soul was selected and the woman of the house adroitly and quickly dispatched said cuy and then demonstrated how to prepare the main course.  

Step one was to shave the fur off the squirrel sized creature (think Gillette), followed by removing the inner parts,  and then preparing the cuy for cooking over a wood fired stove.  I watched my fellow travelers facial expressions as dinner was served and remembered being in Japan and watching face colors change when live jumbo prawns were placed in front of friends.  In the case of cuy all were able, to a greater or lesser degree, eat what was placed in front of them.

And how did it taste?  It reminded me growing up when we used to hunt and eat squirrel.  Not much meat, bony, and I wouldn't order cuy again no matter who prepared it!

As an aside, Perú is a top five destination for me.  It rates up there with Southern Africa (Namibia, Botswana),  Scotland,  México, and a few others.

Zarzuela: A Spanish tradition

Zarzuela:  An old Spanish Export

One of the oldest art forms Zarzuelas are live lyric type opera, that also involves spoken dialog, and dance.  According to Wikipedia it began under King Philip IV of Spain with a new comedy by Pedro Calderón de la Barca. The origin of the name isn't clear, however one theory says it stems from the Palacio de la Zarzuela near Madrid, which contained many bramble bushes and had many live performances.  Thus they became known as Zarzuelas.  Spanish speakers will associate the word zarza (bramble) in Spanish, with blackberries known as zarzamora.  As Spanish culture flourished in the 17th and 18th and 19th centuries,  Zarzuelas became popular in Cuba, Philippines, México  and other places within Spanish influence.   El Paso TX as recently as 1996 was putting on Zarzuela festivals.  Today some think it is a dying art form.

I attended a Zarzuela performance at the National Zarzuela Theatre in Madrid several years ago.  With its humor and rapid fire dialogue/singing, I gained little understanding of what that particular zarzuela was all about.  Maybe it is like trying to read Don Quixote in old Spanish?

Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan

"Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan", written by John Lloyd Stephens, with illustrations by British architect and artist Frederick Catherwood, tells the story of uncovering many of the Mayan ruins in the early 1840's (Cobán/Palenque and some 50 others)

Lacking knowledge of the area, President Martin Van Buren dispatched Stevens on the 7 or 8 month information gathering trip.  Catherwood, a British architect, is noted for the artwork contained in the two volume work mentioned at heading.
About twenty years ago I was fortunate to see the Catherwood Maya etchings at a NYC museum.  Astoundingly beautiful art work.  On the other hand I knew a woman who had the first edition "Incidents" valued at several thousand dollars 35-40 years ago.  I have read the unabridged republication of the 1841 release.  This edition is currently in print.can still be found in bookstores.

John Lloyd Stephens was a successful NY lawyer having enrolled in Columbia University at age 13,
followed by law school and a legal career.  The link to his fascinating life is found below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lloyd_Stephens

El Mentor y El Protegido: La Historia de Los Presidentes Calles y Cárdenas

Reseña:  El Mentor y El Protegido: La Historia de Los Presidentes Calles y Cárdenas

Esta novela de ficción histórica  acerca lo que pasó a mi ver.  La novela fue escrito por Ralph Goldman, Doctor en Ciencias políticas por la Universidad de Chicago.  Compré el libro en COAS Bookstore, Las Cruces NM por $1!  Hubo muchas ejemplares del libro, y no tenia mucha confianza que seria un libro tan interesante de punto de vista histórica.  Sabiendo poca de la presidencia de Plutarco Calles, el libro sobrepasó lo que esperaba..informándome de la importancia de Calles en resolver la Revolution Mexicana, y la situación política durante los años treinta-hasta que Cárdenas fue elegido a la presidencia en 1934.  

Calles fue el mentor de Cárdenas  por años, empezando cuando Cárdenas fue promovido como oficial del ejercito mas que una vez.  Calles instaló Cárdenas como gobernador de Michoacán, el estado natal de Cárdenas.

La separación política entre los dos empezó en los años 1934-1938 cuando Cárdenas comenzó su presidencia. Calles siguió controlando la política moviendo los hilos a pesar de no ocupar la carga presidencial( "Jefe máximo de la revolución").  Calles mismo originó el apodo "Maximato" para reflejar su importancia.

Cárdenas siempre quiso ayudar el pueblo, distribuyendo la tierra a muchas personas sin tierra, tomándolo de la iglesia.  La revolución resultó en el sistema ejidatario, el mecanismo para dar tierra a los campesinos.  Claro que la expropiación de las empresa de hidrocarburos fue lo que los historiacos dan énfasis (Pemex fue formado),  sin embargo la relación Cárdenas tenia por el pueblo es lo que me fascina. 

Cárdenas en fin exilió a Calles, una decision difícilmente implementado, dado que los dos han sido amigos por muchos años.

Un libro bien escrito, investigado, y puede ser leído por los que sean hispano hablantes nivel no avanzado.

Lázaro Cárdenas

Calles foto:

San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, México

San Miguel de Allende (aka SMA)

This is one of those rare towns that has been able to preserve its historic center, in spite of its population increase from 21,000 when we visited in 1968 to over 100,000 today.  It is my favorite city anywhere, sitting at roughly 6,300 feet above sea level.  It is a town rich in the arts, blending  retirees  from the México, USA, Canada and Europe into a committed population.  How are these retirees different?  Commitment....commitment to help other people, whether it be a neighboring pueblo, starting tax exempt companies, educating children, or any of dozens of other ways.  

Background

SMA got its start due in the 1520's when it was settled by Franciscans led byJuan de San Miguel.
Ignacio Allende, who led the independence insurgency against Spain, added his name to what is now known as San Miguel de Allende.  The "ruta de la independencia" is the real beauty of colonial Mexico often over looked by tourists interested in the many Cancuns found in Mexico.

Noteworthy
During the late 1940's The SMA Art Institute was on the approved list for GI bill post WWII educational reimbursement, hence many Americans began living there during this period.  Any blog reader familiar with the Jack Kerouac book On The Road will recall the lengthy passage resulting from the "beats" visit there. The Kerouac fellow beat Dean Moriarity died in San Miguel after a drug laced bout with booze he was found in a coma on railroad tracks outside of town and never recovered.

More importantly the "bible"of life in San Miguel was written  several decades back:  "On Mexican Time: A New Life in San Miguel" written by Tony Cohan is a highly regarded narrative.  It  remains relevant today for anyone relocating to SMA as well as a good read for tourists.

Little known is the SMA story of a retired American Marine who died in the cantina El Gato Negro (La Tenampa). The establishment owner appealed to the Boro to cremate the body as no one came to claim it.  It was approved and on my last SMA visit in 2018 the ashes were still kept in an urn behind the bar.  The owner retains the boro approval receipt, and the history, which he allowed me to read.

For readers interested in current information subscribe to Atención the weekly newspaper including the arts, community, events and other useful information.

My personal photography website:  website contains many portraits of the street people in SMA.
No profit motive to it, but if interested in photo stories from the plaza take a gander.

Hacienda Jaral de Berrios

Jaral de Berrios

Many folks associated with Mexico and or booze are well aware of the high quality mescal,  Mescal Marquez Plata and other liquors made by Jaral de Berrios due to having received many international awards.  That, however is not the purpose of this blogpost, rather it is the history of the hacienda, which once employed 6.000 obreros in its heyday that interests me.  It is located at 6,800 ft in the small pueblo of San Felipe, Guanajuato.  

Andres de Berrios took ownership in 1694, and a much later de Berrios, Juan, became the richest man in México of his generation, leaving large land tracts for most of his 99 children. (Source: Trip Advisor)

I was able to get into the building several years ago (think$).  Tourists are not allowed in, as it is unsafe, with floors caving in, etc.  I later learned that a friend from Guanajuato, Gabriela H had family records indicating an undefined partial ownership in Jaral de Berrios.

For more information: https://www.mexconnect.com/articles/4268-beauty-among-the-ruins-hacienda-jaral-de-berrio