Ruminations of an Expatriate

OK, I’m a bit tardy in posting these photos of the November 20th parade but I’ve been busy furthering my self-education in web site authoring. I’ve learned specifically about add-on domains, as I didn’t want the Tavola site URL to include my domain name.

The parade, as it was last year, was composed mainly of school children parading in their school uniforms, performing various drills. One school group performed a stunning drill with yellow, purple and green umbrellas .

There were also groups of adults representing various government departments.

As you can see there were also quite a number of schools whose students, both girls and boys, were dressed as guerrillas and in traditional clothing. One group riding a train, which evoked thoughts of the famous photos of Pancho Villa and his troops on a train. The young guerrillas on the train would periodically disembark and lie in the street as if shooting at the enemy with their wooden guns.

Students and teachers from one of the sports school represented,as you can see in the photo below, pushed their wheelchair bound comrades along the route.

The parade lasted more than three hours, with spectators lining Calle Avilla Camacho, and wended its way past the reviewing stand in front of the state government palace.

It was all quite festive, though most of the children in the parade looked as though they wished there were elsewhere.

I am putting together a website for Tavola Trattoria, my favorite restaurant.  The colonial home in which Tavola is located is red and green also figures prominently into the decor, thus the colors of the website.  The header photo is of the sign attached to the street side wall of the building.

Tavola features jazz music Friday night’s and a variety of music genres Sunday afternoons.

Tavola serves the best pizza I have ever eaten, honestly.   I posted here about Tavola in October.

Today in Xalapa is the Dia de Musica. There was a mini-parade of a couple trucks with marimba bands parading through Centro.

Last February I posted a video of one of the many marimba bands that play on the streets here.

Tomorrow Mexicans will celebrate the 97th anniversary of the beginning of the revolutionary war which ultimately wrested power from the thirty year dictatorship of Mexican General Porfirio Díaz.

The 1910 revolution should not be confused with the revolution which ended Spanish colonialism 100 years earlier. You may read my report of Independence Day here.

Beginning at about 9:00 tomorrow morning the annual parade will wend its way along Calle Avila Camacho, a block down the hill from my apartment. You may find my report of last year’s parade here.

Legions of young folks, enjoying a day away from their school studies, spent today suspending colorful banners across the walkways in Parque Jaurez. Schools, banks, and government offices were closed today, as they will be tomorrow.

Strange to me, anyway.

I ran upon this insect, during one of my daily walks yesterday. It appears to be some sort of butterfly or moth with transparent wings; but, of course, I have no idea.

UPDATE: It appears as though it may be a Glasswing Butterfly, with a range “throughout Central America into Mexico.”

The area businesses get into the spirit of el Dia del Muertos.

This figure is included in the Pre-Hisapnico Dia del Muerto altar. A small sculpture of the figure may be found in the Anthropological Museum here.

Here are a couple of photos of Arcos de Flores (arches of flowers). I don’t know the history, or much of anything else about them, but they may be found in most communities hereabouts.

These two have been brought to Xalapa for display in front of the Centro cathedral, one is from Teocelo, one of my favorite pueblos in the area, and the other from Piedra Paraover, as best I was able to make out the name.

I will appreciate corrections or additional information my readers (of which there has lately been quite an increase) may contribute.

Below is a shot of the plaza next to the Cathedral, upon which today a stage was constructed for the coming celebrations.

It seems to me that folks in predominately Catholic areas celebrate more than do those in predominately Protestant areas. Where in Protestant territory, for example, may one find Carnaval such as is found here and in other Catholic areas?

Debauchery was the order of the day during the Carnaval in Merida I experienced. I had considered myself an accomplished debauchee, but lasted only three days of the week long Carnaval activities there.

One of my readers has notified me that both links I placed in the previous post led to the same post from last year. Duh. And I notice formatting problems and atrocious editing.

I will be taking photos of this year’s exhibits and will do a fresh post.

There was a coffee exposition in Parque Juarez over the weekend, with vendors in booths set up by the City selling coffee, coffee liqueurs, and a variety of other items.

Today the action in the park and within the portico of the state government building has turned to erection of Dia del Muertos alters.

For those interested, here is my report of the day from last year, and here is a post with photos of a number of the altars.

The covered walkway at the front of the state government building, right next to Parque Juarez, often contains displays of art produced by school children.

Today there is a display of murals.   Here’s a shot of my favorite, which received the third place award.

Those who know me know that I am a sucker for children. These shots are a bit on the dark side, as I took them in the dentist office with my cell phone camera.

Those of you who read my report on my trip this week to the dentist to translate for my gringo neighbor will remember that I mentioned the one year old daughter of the dentist and his wife was in the office with them. Her domain is a makeshift playpen in the corner, against the windows looking out on a balcony and Calle Clavijero.

Again, during the interludes of my translation duties I engaged in the typical type of mugging an adult (and with respect to myself, for the record, I use the term very loosely) performs for a one year old.

The little girl has a cell phone so I held my hand to my ear and said “Hola, Alexis”, to which she responded by putting the phone to her ear and speaking in Spanish baby talk with her normal wide, two-toothed smile.

Meanwhile, the dentist, Doctor Raul, took impressions of my neighbors teeth for production of a new bridge. I also learned that the young woman in the office, Alejandra, who I had assumed to also be a dental medicine professional, is actually trained as an attorney but doesn’t like working in litigation, thus her presence there. Though she seems to me to know quite a bit about dentistry, as Doctor Raul often asks for her opinion and assistance.

Assuming each offers a competent dentist, given the choice between a sparsely furnished office with a playpen in the corner and those in the USA with which I am accustomed, I’ll take the one with the child.

Another note on prices. I forget the name of the procedure, where the dentist excavates the horrible substances which have accumulated on teeth below the gum line, but it costs $700. pesos (about $65. USA).

The Museo de Fuana at the top of the park, which you may read about below, includes a nice collection of raptors tethered along the sloping front yard of the museum.

The birds have at some point been injured and rehabilitated; but are, for one reason or another, unfit for reintroduction to the wild.

The bird at left is a Caraca, of which I saw a number in a very rural part of the Yucatan, a few miles inland from the North coast.

The white bird at the right is a Gavilan Nevado, the most endangered bird in Veracruz.

The bird at left is a Cetreria.

I learned at the museum that Veracruz is home to 720 species of birds and 171 species of mammals.

I also learned that the mammal called a Zorra here is a fox, which is also a term applied to men who, I suppose one could put it, enjoy an active social life with the opposite sex.

I’ve been here in Xalapa for fourteen months and had not yet visited the Cerro de Macuiltepec park. This morning the shame of this fact overcame me, so I headed uphill. The park has a website.

The park constitutes the very top of the hill upon the slopes and at the base of which resides Xalapa. And it is indeed entirely uphill from my apartment, which I suppose sets about half way up the hill. Here is a shot of Pico de Orizaba, Mexico’s highest peak, I took during the hike up.

The park comprises 310,908 square meters (about 77 acres for those who, like me, don’t speak metric); the highest point exists at 1586 meters (5,203 feet) above sea level, and an average of 1514 milimeters (59 inches, for those keeping score) of rain falls upon the park in a year.

I was a bit surprised to learn that Xalapa gets about the same amount of rainfall over the course of a year as does the area of Coastal Washington where I spent most of my life. It just doesn’t seem like it rains that much here.

One traverses the park along a labyrinth of switch back lanes paved with cobbles, of the volcanic rock ubiquitous here, which wend their ways through the dense vegetation to the top. Additionally, there are very steep stairways that climb between the switched back roadway. Did I mention it was uphill all the way?

There is also in the park a narrow, fairly deep ravine flanked by shear volcanic rock faces rising perhaps 120 feet above the floor. A soccer field, with concrete bleachers, and a children’s playground have been constructed upon the floor of the ravine. The nice stone kiosk shown above sets at the entrance to the park one takes to visit the ravine.

At the top of the park is a tower structure, of mortared stone and concrete, with a spiral staircase which climbs perhaps 30 or 40 feet up, above the tree tops, affording grand vistas.

There is also located upon the very top of the hill the Museo de Fuana with a nice collection of fuana, including a variety of snakes, toads, iguanas, and lizards; and a nice butterfly/moth display. The museum contains a nice photo display of the nine ecosystem regions comprising the state of Veracruz, from the Mangrove dominated coastal areas, through the tropical forest and the high desert above, to the alpine forests flanking Pico de Orizaba.

The park offers a refuge from the noise and action of the city and a visit there provides a real work out. Did I mention it was uphill all the way?

Late yesterday evening the wind kicked up and blew all night to the point that my ill-fitting front door and bathroom window rattled most of the night. The Diario reported that gusts of the Norte reached 100 to 120 kmh (62 to 74 mph). By morning it was actually cool. It feels to me quite refreshing.

This evening I walked the six clocks to Chedraui, with the temperature in the low 60s; and note that jackets, sweaters, and mufflers are out in force, though I saw no mittens.

I note for those keeping track that tonight I will be sleeping under the down comforter for the first time since last January or February.

Yesterday morning I had breakfast at the Villa Las Margaritas with four other gringos in celebration of the seventy some birthday of Dorothy, a hard boiled Texan expatriate who has resided in Mexico for many years and who evokes in me thoughts of Ann Richards and Molly Ivins.

The breakfast was very good, but the colonial mansion in which the hotel and restaurant is housed, at the corner of Lucio and Carillo, is truly astounding.

The restaurant is located in a two-story interior courtyard/atrium, with hotel rooms surrounding on both the lower and upper levels.

The second floor balcony which provides access to rooms, and is accessed by the sweeping staircase shown above, is supported by thick, artfully done columns which extend to arches (I think they would be considered Roman arches) which support the roof structure.

If you’re in Xalapa try out the Villa Las Margaritas. Though not offered yesterday, due to technical difficulties, there is normally a Sunday brunch.

It is really a wonderfully beautiful place with good food and service. A room can be had for as little as $700. pesos per night.

There is a great trattoria type restaurant in the neighborhood which recently moved from a rather sterile, commercial type building, a couple of blocks South of my apartment, to a really nice colonial home a couple of blocks North of here (on the Northwest corner of the intersection of Azueta and Victoria, for you locals).

The food and service are very good, there is a good wine selection, there is jazz on Fridays, and the woman who owns the place lives across the typical colonial interior courtyard from the restaurant, so her kids hang out in the restaurant and courtyard.

Another really nice feature, which I have never previously encountered in  a restaurant, was a fellow who arrived to entertain the restaurant’s young patrons with juggling and story telling. The children and I were enthralled.

The proprietor has removed the plaster from the walls at this corner as an esthetic effect, but it shows the typical historical construction here.

The older buildings here, as in Merida, are constructed of unreinforced mortared stone. Newer buildings are generally reinforced concrete columns and beams, with the area between the columns filled with concrete block or brick. The walls are typically plastered and the floors and roofs are generally of reinforced concrete, often with an additional roof covering of tiles or various types of membranes.

If you’re in the neighborhood do yourself a favor and stop into Tavola for a bite and libation.

The American Heritage Dictionary informs us that an epiphyte is “A plant, such as a tropical orchid or a staghorn fern, that grows on another plant upon which it depends for mechanical support but not for nutrients. Also called aerophyte , air plant .”

Epiphytes, especially orchids and ferns, are pervasive in trees hereabouts. This specimen, an orchid I think, apparently wasn’t able to find a tree so attached itself to a mortar patch on this building wall.

Downtown Xalapa is adorned with red, white, and green flags, banners, and tinsel hanging from building and across the principle streets. Red, white, and green, for those who don’t know, are the colors of the Mexican flag.

The photo above shows the adornments to the city’s main cathedral and, in the distance, city hall.

September 16 is a day of celebration, which actually begins the night before, to commemorate Father Miguel Hidalgo’s 1810 issuance of his famous El Grito, or call to arms against the Spanish colonialists, from a balcony in Dolores, a town which now carries his name. Within a couple of weeks Guanajuato became the site of the opening battle of Mexico’s ten year war of independence, with the successful rebel attack on the Alhondiga de Granadies.

Each year on Independence Day the President of the Republic rings Hidalgo’s bell, now located in the National Palace, and reenacts issuance of El Grito de Dolores.

I have found that local bars are good places to practice Spanish, as the patrons and proprietors are generally friendly and ready to strike up conversation.

You may remember my periodic reports from Jose’s cantina in Merida, which I would visit a couple of times each week. Jose’s is what I would call a very funky place, others would probably think it seedy, and still others disgusting; and I couldn’t honestly argue with either point of view. After all, it rained almost as hard in the bathroom as it did outdoors and Jose was often exceedingly drunk. One night, in fact, he was so drunk that he walked around his place apparently unaware that he had pissed his pants. Shortly thereafter he took one of his periodic rides on the wagon.

I have been visiting the bars in my neighborhood here in Xalapa and have found a few that I enjoy. The other day, however, I hit the jackpot just a couple blocks from my apartment, when I stumbled upon Cantina La Negrita. Stumbled upon, because, like many of the bars in town, from the outside La Negrita carries no indication that there’s a bar inside. The other day as I walked pass I heard accordion music emanating from the doorway so walked in.

Here is what I found.  You can certainly tell that I’m a videography neophyte.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fek–tGe4Us]

Los Amigos Del Taconazo play Norteno music, which features a diatonic (meaning a different note results from a pull on the bellows than from a push) button accordion (in this case a Hohner Corona) and usually a guitar and bass. The bass in the video is 90 years old, and really, really looks it. Los Amigos, who have been playing together for twelve years and play every afternoon at La Negrita, told me they dream of going to the USA to play.

Another serendipitous occurrence in Mexico.