Canary of Opportunity

Last week we were assigned to different Peace Corps sites in Mexico to “shadow” PC Volunteers and learn about their jobs and lifestyles and practice using public transportation. We were also given an allowance to cover meals, transportation and hotel. I was assigned to a volunteer who works at a nature preserve. It was a fascinating three days.

I and three other trainees went with several volunteers to see the preserve, which is in a volcanic area and traversed by hot springs and rivers. The preserve is doing a feasibility study to harness the geothermal heat from the hot springs to generate electricity, and some of the volunteers are assisting in the research. My volunteer has been constructing bike trails in the preserve, and is also working with local organizations and women’s groups to help them market their wares. The temperature was around 90, and the hot springs added to the heat and humidity. We walked down to the river and along the shore, crossing over rocks at various points, careful not to fall in the hot water. The altitude was around 6,500 feet, which made exercise even more grueling.

Later that evening we went to Zapopan to see a Basilica where a statue of the “Little Virgin” has just returned after touring the countryside for the past year. We stopped at several outdoor restaurants for drinks and dinner, then headed home. After the march through Hades and the cross-country hike to Zapopan and back, I barely had energy to crawl into bed.

Saturday we headed for downtown Guadalajara. We found a street vendor standing next to a small table on which sat a small, brightly painted wooden birdcage with a canary inside. Beside it was a box filled with little folded squares of paper, a tiny bell, some birdseed and a sign that read, “Canario de Oportunidad.” The man said that for 20 Pesos (about $1.75 U.S.) the canary would choose my fortune. I said yes. (Who wouldn’t?) He opened the cage and the bird picked up the bell in its beak and rang it, drew two fortunes from the box, then ate the bird seed. We each took a fortune and agreed to translate and share them.

We stopped at an art exhibit at the Hospicio Cabanas, a former orphanage and hospital. The “El Arte de la Arquitectura” exhibit showed modern buildings from around the world that combine sustainability, urban planning and function in artful ways. It was beautifully constructed and designed, and used wall-sized photos of the buildings, along with scale models that were works of art in themselves.

The weekend ended too soon and I’m still amazed at my fortune – canary notwithstanding – at having such a wonderful opportunity.

This week was Semana Santa, or holy week, in Mexico. We had a glorious four days off. On Good Friday the people in my neighborhood re-enacted the Stations of the Cross. My house was Station Number 8! My host mother converted her garage into an altar, and about 100 people converged upon our garage to pray. I was introduced to the priest, then we all kneeled and prayed. It was very moving and I was deeply touched to be included as a member of the family.

Later in the day a group of us watched the Procesion de Silencio, or “Procession of Silence," in downtown Queretaro. People wearing pointed white hoods with the eyes cut out (for anonymity and to prevent interaction with the crowd) walked through town barefooted while carrying crosses on their shoulders. I doubt the KKK had any knowledge of the practice when they chose their “costume” or they probably would have made a different fashion choice.

You can check out my new photos on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/20264995@N07

Stunning Guanajuato

I wanted to tell you more about my trip to Leon and Guanajuato. As you can see from the photos I uploaded to Flickr,( http://www.flickr.com/photos/20264995@N07/ )
Guanajuato is a gorgeous place. It’s a cultural heritage city of Mexico and, like Queretaro, is remarkable for its Spanish colonial architecture. The basilica, theater and other buildings rival those in Europe. None of us expected the sight we encountered when we drove up to the lookout point, and were stunned by the beauty of the place.

We stayed at the Hotel de San Diego, which is in the heart of the city center and next to Jardin de la Union – a beautiful garden surrounded by outdoor restaurants and shops. Tunas, a fraternity of musicians dating back 800 years (no connection to the finned variety) roam the streets in troubadour costumes, along with the ubiquitous street vendors who urge you to buy their rugs, fabrics, handicrafts and Chiclets gum. As I was eating dinner at an outdoor restaurant I watched a rug salesman demonstrate to two prospective buyers that a rug was real wool: he burned the edge with a lighter, then blew the acrid smoke in their faces. They were convinced, but didn't buy the rug. (Maybe that's why "smellavision" never caught on in the U.S.)

The museums, gardens, churches and shops are all within walking distance of the hotel. We visited the museum and home of the Mexican artist, Diego Rivera, who was born in the late 1800s. His work is remarkable and spans a broad range of techniques, from his early works that were cartoonish, to impressionistic, realistic and surreal. The trip to Guanajuato would have been worthwhile for that visit alone.

Leon was less remarkable – more modern than Guanajuato and not what I would describe as beautiful, except for occasional churches. Leon is famous for its leather goods and exports them worldwide. We stopped at an indoor mall that sells only shoes, bags and other items at wonderful prices. I bought a leather overnight bag for a fraction of what it would cost in the U.S.

I passed my first Spanish test! Hooray!!! We have all noticed that as we learn Spanish it’s getting harder to find English words. As one woman put it, “I’m not learning Spanish, I’m losing English.” We are all changing teachers and classes on Monday to shake things up a bit.

We went to dinner at the home of the country director Friday night. They rent a beautiful house in the center of town with an interior courtyard and a killer view of the city from the rooftop terrace.

Last night I attended a fiesta at a fellow volunteer’s host family. It was her 50^th birthday and she invited all the volunteers to come and help celebrate. I learned how to make tortillas on the grill. They buy the tortilla dough at the market already prepared (arena maize, or corn flour, and water), then make a small ball the size of a golf ball, press it into a tortilla with a hand press, then grill it on a flat, ungreased griddle over the coals. They also served guacamole, grilled churizo (sp?), nopales con papas (cactus and potatoes), grilled hanger steak, and, yes, margaritas. There was also a light, rose-colored drink made from hibiscus flowers. I danced the Polka in their back yard to Mexican music and during a brief, out-of-body experience wondered, “Where the hell am I, and is it time to wake up yet?”

Off to the market now and to enjoy Sunday in the town square.

Photos

Hello everyone:
I uploaded some photos of my trip on Flickr, which is easier than adding them to this blog. You can find them at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/20264995@N07/

They include a visit to Guanajuato, brief stops in Canada and Hercules (MX), my neighborhood and downtown Queretaro.

I'll write more about my trip to Guanajuato, which is beautiful beyond words.

Donna