Tuesday 15 June JALAPA
Our young American jazz pianist from Puebla had recommended this city for its range of activities including jazz. We wondered if it would please after Vera Cruz but we should not have bothered, it's hard to think of anywhere on our journey in southern Mexico that disappointed - we have not ventured north of Mexico City.
Although described as often misty and wet up in the mountains we we enjoyed a sunny day. We booked into Maria Victoria a modern five floor hotel for two nights, we have a fine view over Xalapa which contrary to the guide book is the spelling used here. The square is full of trees and flowers, the cafe at the end of the Arts Complex (Agora) has views and good coffee. The art gallery at the other side of the complex was unfortunately closed to prepare for an exhibition the following week.
Wonderfully restored narrow street of traditional houses adopted as a work of art in 1995
We booked an evening concert by the singer Alexandra Robles, sometimes harsh voiced flamenco style at other times gentler french chanson, with a band consisting headed by a saxophone and french horn with a backing of celtic harp, keyboards, double bass, guitars, drums bongos and pitchers. Afterwards the audience was invited to free drinks. A fascinating combination of voice, instruments and experience.
Wednesday 16 June 2004
Yet another sunny day, glad to be out of the rainy season. We went to visit the Cultural Centre - we've rather a lot lately! There was a series where an artist had painted her own naked body with paint and then laid down on fabric to create a series of six impressions of her body in various poses with written prose in charcoal which unfortunately Joan records not being able to translate so she wrote down the poem in Spanish, her writing is probably recorded somewhat in error so where I use appropriate Spanish words where writing not clear.
Esta piel es casa y caracol
Esta sangre es yo que fue
Esta cuerpo es dolor porque no es me desollo
Me arranco (pull out) de mi
Me deshago (dissolve) para no ahogar (drown)
Me huyo (avoids) para ver mi
Me alejo (move away) de la muerte
Me bano de sangre y de luz renazco (reborn)
Eres
Que quede (remain) huella (footprint)
We spent the rest of the day visiting the beautiful small town of Coatepec where Joan hoped to see an orchid garden - but we found it closed. She concluded that it was outside the main flowering season. However there were some spectacular orchids in the nursery next door
There we bought the wonderful expensive wooden spoon which is now the favoured bat of our baby great grandson Owen. They had a table also carved from two different dark hardwoods dovetailed together - but there was no room for that in our rucksacks!
A note in Brian's sparce records gives the lighter wood madera clara as Cueramo, the darker madera oscura as Cocabolo completes the impression his records are mainly aimed at extending his Spanish vocabulary!
The square was very colourful in yellows and blues and a picture of a church, St Jeronimos we were told. My main memory is of an oldish lady with a bucket of soapy water blowing coloured balloons to entertain the children.
It was a delightful small town which oozed a feeling of a close community, for instance Brian wondered if several people including the balloon payer were not supported by the local establishment. Before leaving we had coffee in a beautiful old house with an inner courtyard full of flowers.
On returning to Xalapa we took advantage at 6:30pm of the little cinema to see Hable con Ella a film by Amadovar. It was completely free, because by not charging for entry to the DVD showing they did not infringe copyright law. A pleasant experience but the Spanish was beyond both of us.
17 June Bus to Mexico City
Over five hours on a bus to Mexico city through mountains and pine trees with lush green pasture with cows, horses and sheep. Past a mountain lake edged with white rocks in the crater of an old volcano. A gradual descent to flat arable lands around Puebla with vast fields which even in the mountains are used to grow maize, plus the occasional field of broad beans or cabbage.
Having taken a taxi to the Cathedral hotel we noticed that much of the roadwork for sewerage renewal had been completed. Off for dinner yet again in the Tecuba and serenade by guitarists as described under all our four visits to Mexico city at the start of this deliberately chronological blog of Joan's diary.
Our young American jazz pianist from Puebla had recommended this city for its range of activities including jazz. We wondered if it would please after Vera Cruz but we should not have bothered, it's hard to think of anywhere on our journey in southern Mexico that disappointed - we have not ventured north of Mexico City.
Although described as often misty and wet up in the mountains we we enjoyed a sunny day. We booked into Maria Victoria a modern five floor hotel for two nights, we have a fine view over Xalapa which contrary to the guide book is the spelling used here. The square is full of trees and flowers, the cafe at the end of the Arts Complex (Agora) has views and good coffee. The art gallery at the other side of the complex was unfortunately closed to prepare for an exhibition the following week.
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| JUST BELOW ZOCALO |
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| Callejon Jesus Protects you |
Wednesday 16 June 2004
Yet another sunny day, glad to be out of the rainy season. We went to visit the Cultural Centre - we've rather a lot lately! There was a series where an artist had painted her own naked body with paint and then laid down on fabric to create a series of six impressions of her body in various poses with written prose in charcoal which unfortunately Joan records not being able to translate so she wrote down the poem in Spanish, her writing is probably recorded somewhat in error so where I use appropriate Spanish words where writing not clear.
Esta piel es casa y caracol
Esta sangre es yo que fue
Esta cuerpo es dolor porque no es me desollo
Me arranco (pull out) de mi
Me deshago (dissolve) para no ahogar (drown)
Me huyo (avoids) para ver mi
Me alejo (move away) de la muerte
Me bano de sangre y de luz renazco (reborn)
Eres
Que quede (remain) huella (footprint)
We spent the rest of the day visiting the beautiful small town of Coatepec where Joan hoped to see an orchid garden - but we found it closed. She concluded that it was outside the main flowering season. However there were some spectacular orchids in the nursery next door
There we bought the wonderful expensive wooden spoon which is now the favoured bat of our baby great grandson Owen. They had a table also carved from two different dark hardwoods dovetailed together - but there was no room for that in our rucksacks!
A note in Brian's sparce records gives the lighter wood madera clara as Cueramo, the darker madera oscura as Cocabolo completes the impression his records are mainly aimed at extending his Spanish vocabulary!
The square was very colourful in yellows and blues and a picture of a church, St Jeronimos we were told. My main memory is of an oldish lady with a bucket of soapy water blowing coloured balloons to entertain the children.
 |
| BLOWING BUBBLES |
On returning to Xalapa we took advantage at 6:30pm of the little cinema to see Hable con Ella a film by Amadovar. It was completely free, because by not charging for entry to the DVD showing they did not infringe copyright law. A pleasant experience but the Spanish was beyond both of us.
17 June Bus to Mexico City
Over five hours on a bus to Mexico city through mountains and pine trees with lush green pasture with cows, horses and sheep. Past a mountain lake edged with white rocks in the crater of an old volcano. A gradual descent to flat arable lands around Puebla with vast fields which even in the mountains are used to grow maize, plus the occasional field of broad beans or cabbage.
Having taken a taxi to the Cathedral hotel we noticed that much of the roadwork for sewerage renewal had been completed. Off for dinner yet again in the Tecuba and serenade by guitarists as described under all our four visits to Mexico city at the start of this deliberately chronological blog of Joan's diary.
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