Thursday, November 27, 2008

Día de Acción de Gracias


Over the past few days we have had our great friends here, Pete and Angie. They flew in on Saturday night and we had a fun time catching up that evening with cerveza, tequila, and tacos. The following day we visited the tianguis (market) and headed to the main plaza to see the CODENI kids painting panels in celebration of the birthday of José Clemente Orozco.


Angie with some of the kids (Angel, Alex and Nacho) from our photo class

Inside the Institute Cultural Cabañas, flanked by Orozco paintings



Later in the day we all went to a Lucha Libre fight in an old arena close to the center. This was a crazy spectacle with various fighters such as El Terrible, and El Shocker and El Veerus , who each entered the ring to theme music and had a specialized mask and uniform. We each gripped onto our 24 ounce beers in anticipation as bodies flew through the air and the fighters smashed into each other. Venders buzzed throughout the arena selling cueritos (unfried pork skin, named after little pieces of leather), jicama, fresh doughnuts, and potato chips soaked in lime juice. At one point a fighter came very close to kicking the tray of doughnuts up into the air as he flew out of the ring and by the vender. In the end, El Blue Panther, the oldest of the fighters, triumphed over all.

On Monday after spending the morning researching our options for a 2-day trip, we decided to rent a car and drive to the coast, just south of Manzanillo. We drove past volcanoes and salt flats and made our way down just west of Colima to the town of Cuyutlán. It was a strange town with a whole lot of hotels and buildings, but nothing was open. We walked out onto the beach and, much like San Blas, hardly anyone was there. The sun was setting and the waves were beautiful but we decided to head south to the next town after an elderly townswoman confirmed that yes, indeed, no hotels or restaurants were open in that town. Paraiso was what we found next. We checked into one of its only hotels that was open and went out in search of fish for dinner. Sitting right next to the ocean we enjoyed Huachinango (Red Snapper) and ceviche (shrimp marinated/ cooked in lime juice). We seemed to be the only customers at the only open kitchen in the very small town. Afterward we went to a small bar and enjoyed beer and tequila with the town's mayor, lifeguard, a fisherman, and a mechanic from Colima. We were out late, and at the end of it all, the fisherman (Cande) invited us to go out fishing with him the following morning. Morning arrived quickly and we were all a bit sore from sleeping on lumpy beds and the aftereffects of too much to drink the prior evening. Despite the aches, this, again, was a simply wonderful experience. We helped the fishermen push their boats out to sea and then hopped in with Cande and two other fisherman.


Cande timed it perfectly and managed to avoid capsizing us in the huge swells that were crashing into the beach.


Once past this danger zone we visited four separate nets and watched as the fishermen pulled in beautiful fish and conch shells. They worked quickly and efficiently and managed to pull in their fruits in less than two hours. Pelicans floated beside us the whole while, waiting for handouts, which they occasionally received. The way back in to shore was just as thrilling and scary as the ride out, as once again the timing had to work perfectly between swells.













After breakfast and a little recovery from sea-sickness, we spent the day on the beach. The waves were huge and a little scary at times and each of us had the experience of getting pummled into the sand after timing entries and exits wrong. We ate lunch with Cande (the fish we caught earlier that day), collected volcanic rocks, and just relaxed.





That evening we went in search of coconuts and drank their juice beside the ocean.


Yesterday we made the drive back to Guadalajara to meet our friends Bety and Adriana (neighbors to Angie and Pete in San Luis Potosi, Mexico in 2007). It was a relaxing day that involved visiting the city center once again, and dinner in a favorite restaurant.


This morning Pete flew back to the states to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family, and Bety and Adriana headed by bus back to SLP. Angie, Josh and I rode up to Cerro del Cuatro to meet with the cooperativa women. It has been such a terrific week enjoying our experience here with friends. Tomorrow we will have one more day to spend with Angie before she flies back to Virginia early Saturday morning.

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