Waiting Waiting Waiting

Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico

How embarrassing.

So it’s been over a year since we last did a “regular” blog post.

Though Mark has found things to be curmudgeonly about since. And as he was working on a post recently, Linda noticed that we have badly neglected the blog.

Well, it’s been easy to ignore the blog, since we haven’t been doing much. Covid has definitely put a cramp on our style.

As those of you who do see the blog know, we exited Asia in a hurry, stopped in Hawaii, then headed back to Mexico in July of 2020. And we’ve mostly been in Mexico since, with 3 trips up North of Border in 2021 which is more than usual for us.

What have we been doing in Mexico? Well, a couple of quarantines and such later….

Once a week, we have been volunteering at Lucky Dog Rescue, walking dogs, helping with baths, etc. And there is a bonus of a herd of donkeys on our walking route, that now know Linda’s “burrrrrros!” call and come running for carrots and bananas.

Our pop up at a local bazar (thrift shop)

We also have been helping out the Feria Maestros del Arte folk art organization with a few things. We facilitated a strategy / workplan series with Board. We’ve staffed some “mini-events” and “pop ups” locally here at the lake, as the normal November event has been Covid-cancelled for 2 years. Linda has been helping with getting a new website and ecommerce up…soon….we hope.

 

Lovely copper work from Santa Clara del Cobre

Miniature restaurante

 

Mark has taken up pickleball (of all things) and is playing “old guy softball” both once a week or so. Linda has been attempting yoga at a private class here. Who knew you got so sore from yoga?

Our trips up north involved:

... getting Covid shots

Flu fighters!

...Going on a road trip mostly to see Linda’s family:  California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, back… and using up expiring airline tickets.

Leg of lamb

...Cooking and eating and drinking a lot...

Paella

Ribs Gilbert

Mark, Bob, and BIG Bottles

 

...Going to Aunt Rose’s funeral, and getting a booster shot.

Back in Mexico: We’ve moved to the town of Chapala, which is more Mexican and less gringo. And commensurately more noisy with cohetes (small rockets) and lots of bell ringing, as we are 1 block behind the church!

 

 

Video of a recent bell ringing event 

People keep asking us what our plans are. HAH. Cannot answer that. We should have been on Bonaire, in Europe, etc. etc., but Covid keeps changing our plans for us. So, we’re planning to stay Lakeside Chapala for the time being, maybe taking a short trip to Michoacan in January. THEN maybe we’ll have something new to talk about?

 

                                                                                                                             2021 December 13

Fiesta de San Antonio

San Antonio Tlayacpan, Jalisco, Mexico

The town we live in here on Lake Chapala is called San Antonio Tlayacapan. As we’ve likely said before, many of the towns around here have a compound name – a Spanish / Catholic saint, and a indigenous Nahuatl name associated with the town. Tlayacapan means, more or less, “the limits of the earth” – a lot more interesting than Saint Anthony. There is another Tlayacapan in Morelos state (we are in Jalisco) that is known among other things for being the filming location of Two Mules for Sister Sara. Our town is more known for the Walmart here.

Our hometown Walmart

San Antonio’s saint day is June 13, and like all such days in Mexico, there is a novena (9 days of events) leading up to the main event. It was pretty low key here, marked mostly by the ubiquitous cohetes launched every morning around 6 am. 

Yay, cohetes!

 We decided to take in the events on the final day, and are very glad we did. Along with the cohetes, there was a parade that started about 6 pm. Local lore says that the rainy season starts with an initial shower on the evening of the saint’s day – this time, the shower came earlier in the afternoon, but not bad timing!

The parade started at the east edge of town, and came down the main highway (2 lanes) in town – aka the Carreterra. This road is the main artery between Chapala and Ajijic, and is usually quite busy. But this was a desfile (parade), dang it, and the cars could just wait! And wait they did. 

With baby Aztec Jesus

The parade started with a marching band from Chapala, followed close upon by indigenously-clad dancers. One of the men, in breechclout, gourd-based “bells” on his calves, and headdress with long pheasant feathers danced down the street, carrying – a Baby Jesus with a feather headdress! It was awesome.

Behind the dancers were several pickups with re-enacted scenes from the life of Saint Anthony. One included Nicodemus, which we have not really connected yet to the saint. We have confirmed, however, that he had no connection to Nicoderm, so that helps a little!

Portable Mass 

Rides

What are you looking at?

The parade ended in the town square (where else?), which was clogged with people. There was a big stage for musical acts, a dance stage below it, and the traveling carnival rides that run the saint fiesta circuit. 

One of the dance acts

Food tents closed the street

We bought some 7 peso tacos and 25 peso beers and sat and watched people (and heard lots of drums) for a while. 
 

Beautiful holiday bread

Eventually we toured the rest of the plaza, and got a cantarita for our US friend ("I ain’t no saint") Anthony Russo, the only St Anthony souvenir we could find. Not so bad though, it came full of tequila! (Sorry, Tony, it has been emptied.)

The Blue Door (but green inside) Bar

We visited a couple of new bars with one of our bartenders, Calvin (aka The Calvinator -- we explained later who Lord Kelvin was, and thus his name association with Sears refrigerators), and Dennis (aka Pato since he always wears a California Ducks Unlimited hat), and (Fountains of) Wayne from Canada. Stacey’s mom was not there, however.

Building the castillo (Note the A's jersey!)

The evening ended on the plaza in front of the church, with cohetes and then a very beautiful castillo fireworks tower. 

Viva Mexico!

 (13 de junio de 2018)