Last week on November 2, Dia de los Muertos in Mexico, I followed the throngs who were streaming down the street. In Coatepec’s large, old cemetery, hundreds of people were gathering around the gravestones and tombs of their ancestors, whole families bearing flowers and decorations and food to spruce things up. It was a bright, [...]
This week in Coatepec is the Festival San Jeronimo, a week-long celebration in honor of the town’s patron saint. In English we know him as Jerome, c. 347 – September 30, 420, an early translator of the Christian and Hebrew scriptures. As I write this, fireworks – really big, loud ones – are exploding somewhere [...]
I was in Xico today and didn’t realize it was a fiesta day until this parade came up the street – they do this kind of thing a lot, at least once a month if not more. I grabbed my camera and took three short videos, all worth watching for a taste of “deep Mexico”. [...]
This past weekend I went with my neighbor Nilda to Teocelo, a little town in the mountains a few miles from Coatepec. At the home of Nilda’s friends, a big extended family, three or four generations, many of whom are lifelong residents of Teocelo, we had a lovely meal of chicken mole, black corn tamales, [...]
My landlords invited me to their daughter’s birthday party the other night, held in the garden of their party-cabaña (a little place they use “only for relaxation!) They served homemade torito, cerveza fria, and tacos al pastor. The garden at my landlords’ cabaña The cooks serving the tacos al pastor – roasted pork served on [...]
Masks02Originally uploaded by Patty Ayers My friend Imara and I and friends, last night at a party-music jam session in Tulum. We’re the ones in pink. I’m not going to attempt any further explanation but I think you can see that we were having fun with some crazy people. And here is a video of [...]