Mummies and more: A visit to Guanajuato

One of my favorite cities in Mexico has to be Guanajuato! The capital of the state, by the same name, is home to a fantastic mix of aesthetic beauty, history, and intrigue.

Silver Riches and the War for Independence

Guanajuato, established in the mid-1500's, is located in a valley, and was an important silver mining town during the colonial era.  While it was originally less profitable than some of it's nearby neighbors, during the early 1700's, two mines of the city discovered very large sliver veins, and the city quickly became the largest producer of silver in the world.  It produced 20-25% of Spain's silver.  Guanajuato was located along the Camino Real, or Royal Road, built by the Spanish to help quickly and safely transport precious metal ore to foundries and then to Mexico City or the coast, for proper accounting and control of the precious metals.  The great wealth that came to Guanajuato through the mines, resulted in the construction of beautiful mansions, churches, theaters, which give the city it's colonial charm we still enjoy today.

Political changes in the later 1700s and early 1800's brought significant changes to prosperous Guanajuato.  Calls for independence and the seeds of change were being sown in the nearby towns of Dolores Hidalgo and San Miguel de Allende.  With the uprisings in this newly beginning war for independence, it was demanded that the crown-imposed head of Guanajuato step down.  He declined and the insurgents brought the battle to Guanajuato.  The forces of the crown and the town's wealthy criollo families (full blood Spaniards, born on the American continent) retreated to the town's granary, La Alhóndiga, while waiting for reinforcements from the crown.  They believed that the massive structure would serve as an impenetrable fortress and the crown's troops fired at the roughly 20,000 insurgents (and those they'd drafted into their company en route) coming over the nearby hill.  

Since the crown closely controlled the availability of gunpowder and arms, the insurgents were armed primarily with slingshots and stones, and a lone firearm here and there. So while they were great in number, the insurgents were at a severe disadvantage when it came to weaponry, especially with the crown's troops safely behind massive walls.  (The damage inflicted to the structures walls by the insurgent's stones is still visible on the building's facade today.) The only way in was to get through the massive wooden doors into the inside of the stone structure.  From here stems the story of Pípila, a hero of Guanajuato.  An indigenous miner known for his tremendous strength, he volunteered to approach the fortress and under fire, light up the doors.  He tied a massive stone to his back to act as a shield and under a shower of bullets, he took a torch to the doors of the granary.  

With the doors burning, the insurgents stormed the granary and a brutal massacre took place.  At the end of the battle, most of Guanajuato's wealthy criollo families had either been killed or had fled.  The brutality of the battle led to a schism within the ranks of the insurgents seeking independence, as some like Ignacio Allende, belonged to the criollo ranks.  The result being that many criollo families who had initially supported the insurgency turned away from it.  Roughly a year later, leaders of this battle, including Juan Aldama, Mariana Jimenez , Ignacio Allende, and later Miguel Hidalgo were captured and sentenced to death.  As a warning to the locals and a deterrent to further uprisings against the crown, their decapitated heads were hung in cages at the four corners of the granary.  The hooks on the corners remain today, and the names of each of these four heroes of Mexican Independence have been inscribed into the corners of the building.

Tunnels and Guanajuato Today

Today, Guanajuato's mines are mostly closed.  However a beautiful colonial town with a large university remains.  We attempted to explore the interior of the most famous building on campus, but it was closed for the holidays.  So instead we took a requisite photo on the iconic steps.  We visited several of the city's impressive churches on our trek through town.  One thing we found interesting, is that on the spire of the churches of Guanajuato, the cross has a double set of arms. 

We also enjoyed a return visit to the beautifully ornate Teatro Juárez, one of the crown jewels of the town's center, which has hosted many important performances and dignitaries.  The theater was originally opened in 1903 and was built in an opulent neoclassical style, typical under the long presidency of Porfirio Díaz.  Díaz himself was present at the theater's opening.  On the exterior of the theater, there are statues signifying the different artistic muses.

Another claim to fame in Guanajuato, is that city is the birthplace of Diego Rivera.  You can visit the home, which has now been turned into a museum.

Guanajuato also had it's own Romeo and Juliet story.  What remains as a point of pilgrimage is the Callejón del Beso (the Alley of the Kiss).  This is a narrow alley way where the buildings are roughly 2 feet apart.  The story goes that Ana, was a well to do young lady who lived in the house on one said of the alley way.  Carlos, a young man of humble means, rented a room in the house across the alley, with the room facing Ana's balcony.  As their love blossomed, Ana's father learned of the affair and prohibited his daughter from seeing Carlos.  The love ended tragically.  Today, tourists line up to see the houses and to give each other a kiss for good luck.  

Another one of the intriguing characteristics of Guanajuato is that many of the city roads are built underground.  Under the city, you find a rat maze of traffic tunnels, full of one-way streets, and intersections.  For the uninitiated, it is a little nerve-wracking, as you loose all sense of direction without any queues from the outside world.  Tunnels curve, intersect at odd angles, and signage is virtually non-existent (or at least not obvious to the untrained eye). I was glad not to be driving!  And I enjoyed the thrill of diving underground in one place and re-emerging in another.  Interestingly, the tunnels also have sidewalks beside the road, and it is not uncommon for pedestrians to be walking right along side the vehicles rushing through the dark.  Again, not sure this is the route I'd feel comfortable taking on foot, but there were plenty of men and women doing so.

Mummies

Another intriguing characteristic of Guanajuato are the mummies; including "modern day" mummies, which you can see at the famous Mummy Museum.  Unlike stereotypical mummies of Egypt, the mummies are not embalmed or wrapped in any way with the intent that they be preserved.  In Guanajuato, the natural mummification of the deceased was discovered by accident in the 19th century when several bodies were disinterred in the Santa Paula cemetery.  

The mummification here here is a result of the natural characteristics of the mineral content of the soil soil and dry climate where these individuals were buried, and it occurs regularly and quickly in the town's municipal cemetery.  When an individual is laid to rest, the family has 5 years to finish paying for their plot.  If the family is unable to do so, the body becomes a "cuerpo perdido" (lost body), and becomes the property of the government.  When space became an issue in this cemetery, these "cuerpos perdidos" were exhumed, in order to make room for new "paying customers".  Upon doing so, it was discovered, that the bodies had not decomposed, but rather had been dehydrated so quickly that they had become mummified.  Skin, hair, and clothing are still generally intact.  Mouths are often open, not as a sign of suffering, but rather as part of the natural process of facial muscles having relaxed completely (not unlike someone sleeping on their back with their mouth open).  

In our visit to the mummy museum, it was helpful to have a guide give us these explanations, because without them, the experience of the mummies would have been much more gruesome.  Even so, the visit provoked quite a mix of feelings: curiosity and fear about the generally unknown or unseen and simultaneous sadness and respect for the individuals' bodies and the circumstances of their families that would result in the a body of a loved one being abandoned to the state.  This was particularly poignant when seeing the mummies of babies and young children, or recently exhumed mummies, where it stands to reason, that there still may be close family nearby. 

Christmas Greetings from San Miguel de Allende

I sit here on Christmas Eve morning, enjoying my cup of hot coffee, reflecting on all the joys and blessings bestowed upon us this year, and listening to 3 of the kids playing Minecraft together in the next room.  Alex and Juliana are enjoying the opportunity to sleep in, and I am enjoying the leisurely pace that this morning brings.


We arrived in San Miguel de Allende about a week ago and are quickly getting to know our new adopted neighborhood.  We are staying in a lovely historic building, which used to house the workers of former textile mill across the street.  That factory has since been turned into an artistic center, home to a wide variety of artist studios and galleries.  It's a place you can easily spend days wandering and enjoying the art and the people.  It's difficult to get out of there without spending a few (or a lot) of pesos on very beautiful items.

We have been taking it slow this week: our first night here, all four kids got incredibly sick and we spent all night in the restroom, mopping and re-mopping floors and changing sheets.  Thankful for the washing machine and that we aren't washing sheets by hand (as I did during my college semester abroad).  Little things make a big difference!

After we nursed everyone back to health, we celebrated Miriam's 7th birthday!  To be safe, we spread it across two days - actual birthday for presents and next day for cake (to be extra safe on the recovery of all stomachs).  In the end, it was fun!  And Miriam, the only of our kids who doesn't have a summer birthday, finally got a chance to wear short sleeves outside on her special day!

After birthday celebrations passed, we moved on into our Christmas mode! One of the things we really wanted the kids to experience in Mexico, was how the Christmas season is celebrated.  There are things Alex experienced growing up here, that simply don't lend themselves to the Michigan climate in December: specifically the Posadas.

Posadas occur nightly from December 16 through Christmas Eve and are essentially a parade of people revisiting of the pilgrimage of Mary and Joseph into Bethlehem and their search for a place to stay.  Some Posadas are private events, held by a specific church parrish or neighborhood.  And there are also centrally sponsored public Posadas, which are held in different parts of the city center.  Here, the place (usually a church) where any given Posada ends one night, is the place where it will begin the next night.

We participated in a Posada that began in the block behind our house and ended at one of the churches downtown.  Leading the parade was the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe (patron saint of Mexico), young people dressed as María (riding a donkey) and José (Mary and Joseph), a group of children dressed as pilgrims and shepherds, and a group of musicians who led the rest of the public in song.  Lyrics were handed out so we could all participate.  Then our procession wound through the city streets, with traffic cops managing the cars along the way.  In different places, the crowds along the route threw candy or goody bags to the participants in the Posada, called aguinaldo.  The Posada ended at the door of the church, where María and José and ask for posada (a place to stay).  After it is eventually granted, the crowd celebrates with a "ponche", a hot Christmas punch and song.  In many cases, the end also includes the breaking of a piñata, filled with sweets, fruit, and baby jicamas.  More bags of aguinaldo are handed out to all participants. Of course the kids found this to be fantastic fun, as they were loaded up with bags of goodies, and we proceeded to the main city square, which was crowded with families enjoying the music, food, and fun.


Another tradition we have had the opportunity to enjoy are the Pastorelas.  This is a Christmas pageant which includes a high degree of Mexican humor and often some sort of twist.  You can attend many and they will all be different.  Even with limited Spanish, the kids were doubled over laughing the whole time!  We found one by accident, as we were wandering the streets and found an angle peeking out of a door in the wall around a church.  We asked if they were going to do a Pastorela, and were immediately invited in.  The kids concluded that if we find another, we are definitely going!


So today we will continue our explorations to see what we find... We will go to a mass at one of the many beautiful churches in our downtown.  And we will see what other exciting events we discover downtown. Merry Christmas to all! May we all bring peace and joy to those around us in this year ahead!

Ticking off things on the family bucket list

It’s been an exciting and incredibly busy year since my last post.  After we got home from our last trip, we promptly began putting things in place to finally fulfill a life dream of an extended trip to Mexico so that we could immerse the kids in the language and culture of their heritage.  So a lot needed to be done in preparation.  Deciding what to do with the business ventures at home.  How to address healthcare for the family at home and abroad once my COBRA coverage ended.  Budgets to keep saving for the trip (which we have been doing for years) and making sure we could also cover the costs that remained at home.  Learning a bit about the homeschooling rules in Michigan so that we understood our rights when pulling our children from school. Partnering with each school so that they would be supportive of our trip, in the event that the kids would return to the same school after the trip.  Similarly, finding out what key materials would need to be covered for each child, so that they could proceed into the next grade in the fall.  We all recognize that a long-term trip like this is highly educational in and of itself, and we also want to be sure that we keep the kids in synch with their classmates on key subjects.  We are so fortunate to have very supportive schools and teachers, and they really helped tremendously by providing key support materials and tools to help us in our adventure.

Then after managing the logistics, preparing our tax returns as best possible with preliminary numbers, and automating as many logistics as possible, we were on to packing our lives into 6 suitcases, not to exceed 50 pounds each. This was quite the process too, as we needed to pack for all climates and seasons, include school materials, some gifts (birthday for Miriam and Christmas for all kids), as well as a handful of toys and games to keep everyone busy for the next few months.  We packed, culled, and repacked.  I was thankful that we had time.  I thought of refugees who maybe have an hour to pack their lives into a bundle that they could carry and flee.  It must be a gut-wrenching process.  I have the security in the knowledge that I can return home, and I have a high level of certainty that the belongings that I leave behind will still be there.  We are travelling under very different circumstances, and pray for those less fortunate.

OK back to the lighter side of things…Since this was a year long process of preparation, we took a few needed breaks along the way.  

Over the summer, we ticked another bucket list box and visited San Francisco and northern California.  It was chilly, especially when compared to Michigan temps in July, but absolutely gorgeous.  We were awed by the gentle giants in the Redwood National Forrest.  The rocky, misty coast was magical, and the vistas of Yosemite National Park were breathtaking.  The kids kicked up and down numerous paths through the forests, mountains, along streams, and through city scapes.  They saw elk and sea lions in their natural habitat.  We even thought we caught a glimpse of a whale as we stood on the Golden Gate Bridge and peered into the waters below.  This quickly became another place on the list to come back to.

   

In Michigan, we took a fall escape to the north to enjoy a weekend on Mackinac Island.  We hadn’t been there since Juliana was 1, so it was great fun to pack up the bikes and explore the island with our dear neighbors and friends who joined us for the trip.  The year was also peppered with various get-togethers with friends and loved ones, making it a truly wonderful time, filled with memories for everyone in the family. 

And now for this jump into a sabbatical for parents and children, to explore life in Mexico.  With a mid-December departure, our first stop was with family in Temixco, Morelos.  We got to spend time with Alex’s parents and his grandmother.  The kids spent quality time playing with their cousins, and parents got to catch up with Alex’s brother and wife.  It was a great way to jump start into Spanish and enjoy some much needed “down time” after the stress and packing that predicated our departure from Michigan.  The temperature change was welcome too!  Michigan was boasting temps in the single digits and low teens when we left, with lots of snow and icy roads.  Arriving in Temixco, we shed our winter coats and hats and put on shorts, more in line with the temps in the mid-80’s.

 While in town, we took the opportunity to visit the grave-sites of Alex’s 3 grandparents who have passed over the last few years.  We brought flowers for the kids to decorate the grave sites.


 We also took some time to visit the fields of roses that the family here tends.  They ran along the edges and between the rows exploring the different colors.  Of course, they ended up with flowers in hand and scrapes on the legs from the thorny plants.  At home, the kids were amazed by the mountains of flowers in the coolers, waiting for a trip to the market.  December is a good month in the rose business, as people celebrate the Virgen de Guadalupe mid-month, and then the Christmas season.  The roses still in the fields are being tended in preparation for Valentine’s day.

We ended our brief time in Morelos by visiting the ruins of Xochicalco. Construction at this site began around 200 AD and was at its height around 700-900 AD, and was likely used as a fortress to protect trade routes in the region.  Since the area is not very good for farming, it is believed that the population engaged largely in craft production and long distance trade.  Xochicalco is a wonderful little site that is easily explored in a couple of hours.  Since there weren’t a lot of tourists there, the kids could really enjoy running around the site and climbing the various pyramids.  A few things that we found interesting about the site were the numerous ball courts of different sizes and in different cardinal directions.  We also enjoyed the Templo de la Serpiente Enplumada (Temple of the Feathered Serpent ) which is extraordinarily well preserved. 

Our last stop on the Xochicalco site was to go inside the Observatory.  To access the Observatory, you go by small group through a series of tunnels and pathways under the site until you reach an round room where there is a shaft of light that reflects on the floor.  The bottom of the shaft enters through a cupola style dome in the ceiling. Above it is a hexagonal shaft where the hexagon is shaped to twist a bit as it rises.  Since we came in winter, we had only a little daylight come through the shaft.  Even so, we were able to observe multiple visual phenomena with the light and shadows.  Beginning April 30 until about mid-August, direct sunlight will come through the shaft at different angles and degrees, creating different geometrical shapes in the shadows of the floor each day.  On the summer solstice at mid day, a full stream of light will come through the shaft, which is angled at 2 degrees, to illuminate the entire room like a waterfall of light.  Our guide explained that the priests at Xochicalco used the patterns in the light and sun to guide the people on when to plant, when to harvest, and so on.  This observatory is the only one currently open to the public.  There are a handful of other archeological sites that have similar observatories, but they are not publicly accessible.  We felt fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit this one!

We wrapped up our time in Temixco with dinner with the family, more playtime for the kids, and a dance performance by the girls.  We will miss each other and hopefully will get to see each other again sometime further along on our trip.  On the morning of the 17^th we boarded a bus to our next stop: San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato!

The cascades at Agua Azul and Misol Ha, Chiapas

In addition to being rich in Mayan cultural heritage, the state of Chiapas is also rich in natural resources and wonders of nature. Up to this point, we had seen crocodiles, howler monkeys, flocks of parrots and toucans all in their natural habitats.  For this portion of our adventures in Chiapas, we headed to El Parque Nacional de Agua Azul (the cascades of Blue Waters National Park) and the Misol Ha waterfalls.

Agua Azul National Park

The cascades known as Las Cascadas de Agua Azul are in a national park located about an hour outside of the town of Palenque, and are one of the most picturesque set of cascades I have ever had the opportunity to see.  Dry season (basically November-April) is the best time to see the cascades, as it is when they are at their most beautiful in terms of color: a surrealistic turquoise blue.  Rain churns up more sediment in the water, so they can look more brownish.  In our case, the conditions were not perfect as it had rained a lot in the previous 48 hours, but the cascades were still incredibly beautiful. 

The added bonus, is that there are a few areas where swimming is allowed.  One is near the bottom of the cascades where the river continues in a more lazy fashion.  The second is higher up, near the top of the tourist section.  Of course, you can hop in and get wet lots of other places, but it is 100% at your own risk.  We opted for a quick swim at the upper portion of the cascades.  It was quite refreshing (and a little chilly for some), and long overdue for this trip!

After our swim, we headed to the obligatory fresh coconut stand for nourishment.  This is a tradition for our trips to Mexico, and there are those in our party (Josh!) who cannot complete a trip without at least one fresh coconut someplace along the way.  Mission Accomplished! 

Cascada de Misol Ha

Continuing with our aquatic theme, after our stop at Agua Azul we took a quick detour to see the waterfalls of Misol Ha.  They are nearly 100 feet tall and their jungle atmosphere make them incredibly beautiful.  If time permits, you can swim at the base of the waterfall.  We didn’t do so, as we wanted to beat the approaching darkness and opted to walk the path behind the waterfalls instead.  The roar of the falling water is impressive.

Even more interesting is a spot behind the waterfall where another water source exits the mount in a smaller set of cascades.  For an extra 10 pesos per person, you are given a flashlight and can walk through a series of unlit caves, sometimes over rocks, sometimes through shallow water, to a larger cavern several rooms back where another subterranean waterfall pours into a large pool.  In that cave, if your flashlight is strong enough, you can see bats resting on the ceiling of the cave, as well as a glittery show of wet smaller stalactite formations.  As you pick your way back over boulders and through the exiting stream, you give thanks that this is “dry season” as I suspect that it may be difficult or impossible to experience the internal waterfall during the times of abundant rainfall.

Yaxchilan & Bonampak, Chiapas

Our next set of destinations were in the Lacondon rainforest, on the border with Guatamala.  The Lacondon rainforest is the largest rainforest in North America, and the second largest in the Americas in general (behind to the Brazilian rainforest).

Yaxchilan

Yaxchilan is located on the Usumacinta river which divides Mexico and Guatemala.  The site is located on a tear-shaped peninsula, which is only reachable by boat as there are no roads leading to the site.  The boats are long narrow canoes powered by an outboard motor.  After balancing out our party so as not to tip our transportation, we commenced a nearly 45 minute ride to the archaeological site.  On the way, we saw several crocodiles sunning themselves on the Guatemaltecan side of the river, as well as numerous howler monkeys in the trees.

Yaxchilan was a powerful city on the river for roughly 400 years, as it was one of several who could control trade up and down the river which runs all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.  The site is divided into three main areas: the Great Plaza, the Grand Acropolis, and the Small Acropolis. 

One of the interesting features we noticed about the structures in this region, different from those encountered on the Merida region, were the roof combs.  This site also retains some beautiful lintels in the structures, and a variety of frescos and mural remnants.

Bonampak

After Yaxchilan, we traveled further into the Lacondon region, to Bonampak.  The archaeological site of Bonampak is administered by the autonomous Lacondon peoples.  It is such that you can near the site, but then park your vehicle, and hire Lacondon transportation to the site.  The natives then also have the opportunity to sell their beautiful wares in the entrance to the site.  They make incredibly beautiful jewelry from the wide variety of seeds that can be found in the rainforest.  Additionally, you can find hand carved figurines and kitchen utensils made of the local mahogany wood, called Caoba.  Given the repression they have suffered over the years, we were happy to provide economic support through our visit.

Bonampak was inhabited as early as 100 AD , and its habitation ran roughly through 600-800 AD. Surprisingly, it is believed that there was an amicable relationship between Bonampak and Yaxchilan, just 12 miles away, as the rulers at one point were brothers-in-law and joined forces in at least one battle. 

What Bonampak is perhaps most well-known for are its lintels and the murals that adorn the interior of Temple 1.  Each visitor has the opportunity to spend up to 3 minutes in each room and no more than 3 people are allowed in a room at a time.  But the wait is definitely worth it!  The site of the murals and the stories they tell are quite impressive.