DISCOVERING MEXICO

By Swarupa N. Ovalekar

Self-Published Edition

Copyright © Swarupa N. Ovalekar 2010

All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of

the copyright holder.

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be

re-sold or distributed. If you would like to share this eBook with another person,

please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this eBook

and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please

return to https://www.facebook.com/TheEpicBookMEXICO or the author’s blog

at https://thegr8wall.wordpress.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for

respecting the hard work of this author.

Warning/Disclaimer

This eBook is designed to provide information about the subject matter covered. It

should be used only as a general guide and not as the ultimate source for

information on Mexico. Every effort has been made to make the content of this

book as complete and accurate as possible. However, there may be mistakes, both

typographical and in content. No responsibility is assumed for errors or omissions.

Please note that much of this publication is based on personal experience

and anecdotal evidence. It contains information relevant only to the period of the

author’s stay in Mexico.

This eBook is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes.

You should use this information as you see fit, and at your own risk. The

author/publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or

entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or

indirectly by the information contained in this book.

Other titles by Swarupa N. Ovalekar:

A Guide To Mexican Cuisine

Mexico: The Country, Its History & The Maya World

The Blue-Eyed Prince of Natlife

For my father

CONTENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v

INTRODUCTION vi

1 My Mexican Diary 3

PART ONE: QUINTANA ROO

2 Day 1 - Arrival in Cancún 92

3 Day 2 - Xcaret 98

4 Day 3 - The Riviera Maya 104

5 Day 4 - The Islands 110

6 Day 5 - Last day in Cancún 114

PART TWO: YUCATAN

7 Day 5 - Arrival in Mérida 118

8 Day 6 - Chichén Itzá & Mérida 121

9 Day 7 - Uxmal & Kabáh 144

PART THREE: CAMPECHE

10 Day 7 - Arrival in Campeche City 160

11 Day 8 - City tour & Edzná 162

PART FOUR: TABASCO

12 Day 9 - Arrival in Villahermosa 187

PART FIVE: CHIAPAS

13 Stunningly beautiful Chiapas 203

14 Day 10 - San Cristóbal de las Casas 210

15 Day 11 - The Waterfalls & Palenque 215

16 Day 12 - San Cristóbal & the Villages 233

17 Day 12 - Tuxtla Gutiérrez 251

18 Day 13 - Tour of Tuxtla Gutiérrez 254

19 Day 14 - Lagos de Montebello 261

PART SIX: OAXACA

20 Day 15 - Arrival in Oaxaca City 266

21 Day 16 - Mitla & Teotitlán Tour 275

22 Day 17 - The Monte Albán Tour 288

PART SEVEN: VERACRUZ

23 Day 18 - Arrival in Veracruz City 301

24 Day 19 - Sightseeing at Boca del Rio 313

25 Day 20 - Trip to El Tajin 317

END OF MY JOURNEY

26 Day 21 - End of my journey 326

EPILOGUE 352

GLOSSARY OF SPANISH WORDS 392

GLOSSARY OF MEXICAN SPANISH PRONUNCIATIONS 406

PHOTO SECTION I 71

PHOTO SECTION II 328

PHOTOSECTION III 387

MAPS

Political Map of Mexico 1

Geographical Map of Mexico 2

Map of the Trip 90

Map of Quintana Roo 91

Map of Yucatán 117

Map of Campeche 159

Map of Tabasco 186

Map of Chiapas 202

Map of Oaxaca 265

Map of Veracruz 300

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Swarupa got into book writing in 2008. This was four months after her return from Mexico

where she had spent nearly nine months, some of them travelling solo across the country. She

dedicated a year and a half to her labour of love – an epic book on Mexico – which she finally

completed in June 2010. Hoping to get her book ‘Mexico’ published in the traditional way, she

waited for over two years looking for a publisher who could do justice to her hard work.

Her book received warm appreciation from H.E. Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico.

While she waited for responses from publishers, she wrote a romance fiction novel ‘The

Blue-Eyed Prince Of Natlife’.

In January 2012, she created a Facebook page for her book, got her book edited and

converted it into a three book series on Mexico titled ‘Discovering Mexico’, ‘Mexico: The

Country, Its History & The Maya World’, and ‘A Guide To Mexican Cuisine’.

In mid-September, she finally decided to self-publish all her books.

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Apart from her books, Swarupa is an intrepid traveller and a polyglot. She speaks

English, Spanish, German, French, Italian and Indian languages like Marathi and Hindi. She is a

passionate foodie, a huge fan of salsa and ballroom dancing and a great lover of history,

cosmology and world culture. She lives in Mumbai.

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR

Facebook: http://facebook.com/TheEpicBookMEXICO

Twitter: http://twitter.com/theepicmexico

Blog: http://thegr8wall.wordpress.com

OTHER TITLES BY THE AUTHOR

Mexico: The Country, Its History & The Maya World

is a comprehensive guide to the diverse aspects of

Mexico, including its indigenous people, its long and

colourful history and the mysterious Maya civilization.

This excellently researched eBook offers a wide glimpse

into the rich and varied cultural heritage of

contemporary Mexico, detailing the country’s history,

from the pre-Colombian period to modern times, and

providing deep knowledge of the glorious Maya culture,

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including the much-famous end of their calendar. With over 75 coloured photographs, and black

and white political and geographical sketch maps of Mexico, this insightful eBook will appeal to

every person interested in learning about Mexico – aficionados, travellers and scholars.

A Guide To Mexican Cuisine is a small no-frills guide with a big purpose: to briefly describe

everything about Mexican cuisine to the readers. Native

Mexican diet, staple ingredients, foreign influences on

Mexican cuisine, daily meals and customs, popular

meals, regional meals, festive meals, drinks and

beverages, desserts and candies, a few popular

recipes…this eBook has it all!

From native Indian cuisine to the current flavours, this

guide tells it all like never before with more than 65

coloured photographs, two extensive glossaries – of

Spanish words used in this book and their Mexican

Spanish pronunciation – and a few simple and easy recipes of popular Mexican food and drinks.

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A girl from Mexico City comes to Mumbai, discovers

the joys of caring and sharing in a large house with

seven other international trainees and falls in love with

her suave Indian boss.

26-year old Mexican, Sara Velasquez, is the new

international trainee at the corporate office of one of

India’s top multinational companies, Natlife. Her blonde

hair and good looks have always made most men treat

her with benign condescension, unwilling to accept her

managerial abilities. Experience has taught her not to

trust men for this reason, but her tall and handsome Indian boss, the 27-year old blue-eyed Sid

Oberoi, is different. He doesn’t question her intelligence only her impulsive nature. She finds

herself battling a deep and irresistible attraction between them only to succumb to it whole-

heartedly.

A past incident has shattered Sid’s trust in women. Whenever his girlfriends get too close or

serious, he bolts. He’s not interested in commitment. So why does he harbour strong, unfamiliar

feelings for the feisty Mexican? On learning about the bitter experiences of her past, he’s

determined to ensure that she doesn’t get hurt again. Why does he feel so protective about her?

When misfortune strikes, it brings them both closer than ever. Sid offers her a job in his new

business and room in his house. But, is he ready to offer her a place in his heart?

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book is one of my three book series on Mexico, a labour of love and dedication that began

in 2008. The long and lonely period of this project saw me working endless hours at the

computer and I owe my eternal gratitude to my family for understanding and accepting this

without a fuss. To my father who made my ‘Mexican Experience’ possible for me, without

which the three books on Mexico would never have been born; to my mother, brother and sisters.

My particular thanks to Shri Krishna Singh for his goodwill and belief in my work.

I’m greatly indebted to H.E. Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico, and the Honourable

Gloria Guevara, Minister of Tourism for Mexico, for their warm appreciation and valuable

support to my project.

The photographs in this book have been used with the permission of their copyright

holders. Credits have been given to all the photographs, except those of my own. My special

thanks to the copyright holders for allowing me to reproduce their photographs: The Mexican

Tourism Board (CPTM), the State Tourism Board of Jalisco (SETUJAL) and Sahid Cervantes.

Last but not the least, thank you to Writer’s Side for editing this book.

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INTRODUCTION

I began writing this book in August 2008, almost four months after returning from Mexico where

I had lived for nearly nine months. The idea of writing a book came about when I realized how

much I missed the lovely country and how little the rest of the world knew about the ‘real’

Mexico. This was my way of thanking Mexico for an incredible period in my life! The warm and

friendly people of this beautiful land showered me with exciting and memorable experiences

which I will treasure for the rest of my life... Total strangers would smile and wish me ‘Buenos

Dias’ or ‘Buenas Noches’ as I wandered around the streets of the cities, towns and villages.

One of the things that I really like about Mexican culture is the feeling of warmth and

hospitability in their customs like greeting or saying good bye to a friend, acquaintance or co-

worker with a kiss on the cheek; saying ‘¡Provecho!’ which means ‘Enjoy your meal!’ to the

people seated at the neighbouring tables as you leave a restaurant; or saying ‘¡Salud!’ which

means health, when somebody nearby sneezes which is a way of wishing health for the person

who sneezed.

Besides the graciousness of the Mexican people, what is impressing is the vitality of

community life there. So much goes on in the plazas and parks, so many activities that bring

people out of their homes and into connection with one another.

Mexican food is spicy and amazing too, thanks to the large variety of chillies (chiles) in

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the country. Although most of their cuisine is based on beef and pork, their spicy seafood cuisine

is very similar in taste to that of India. Like in Indian cuisine, their dishes too are accompanied

by red and green salsas (sauces), lemon slices and a mix of chopped tomatoes, onions and fresh

coriander. Chillies and tamarind are used not only in the preparation of food, but also for making

sweets and candies. Although tamarind candies are very popular in India too, the variety as well

as the extent of their popularity in Mexico is unmatched.

Looking back, I really miss the hot churros, the long stick-shaped sugar and cinnamon

coated fritters filled with chocolate sauce, and the delightful paletas de yogur (yoghurt lollies),

the frozen white slabs on sticks dipped in chocolate sauce, with a sprinkling of a few of the wide

selection of ingredients.

For those who are not much aware of the country, here’s a brief introduction...

Bordered by the United States in the north, and by Guatemala and Belize in the south-

east, Mexico (‘México’, pronounced ‘meh-hee-koh’ in Spanish) has 31 states and a federal

district which is the country’s capital, Mexico City. It is the most populous Spanish-speaking

country and also the second-largest Roman Catholic nation in the world. Mexico not only has

many beautiful beaches, ancient pyramids, natural and ecological wonders, but is also home to

one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and about 24 UNESCO-declared World Cultural

Heritage sites. A majority of Mexicans are mixed-race mestizos, mainly of Spanish and native

Indian ancestry. While there are about 63 legally recognized regional languages in the country,

the official language is Spanish. The fine blend of indigenous and Spanish influences has

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enriched much of Mexico’s art and culture. Ancient indigenous arts such as ceramics, sculpture,

and weaving with intricate designs and bright native colours were blended with Spanish art

techniques to create a unique Mexican style.

I have shared just a tiny bit of interesting information here, there’s plenty more ahead.

Apart from my personal experiences and travels across the country, I have written a travelogue

on my three-week journey through the south-eastern states of Mexico, most of which were part

of the mysterious Maya World. Besides people and their lifestyle, food and culture, tourist

destinations have been covered in detail to let this fascinating country tempt you.

For me, writing this book has been an immensely invaluable experience. I shall now let

you get acquainted with this fascinating country called ‘México’ and to share my wonderful

adventures across this magical land.

I have no doubts that when you have finished reading this book, you will want to enjoy

some passages again. And I’m also sure that you will want to visit Mexico more than ever, to

enjoy your own thrilling adventures. Happy reading!

Mumbai, India

Saturday, June 12, 2010

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POLITICAL MAP OF MEXICO (Map Not To Scale)

GEOGRAPHICAL MAP OF MEXICO (Map Not To Scale)

CHAPTER ONE

MY MEXICAN DIARY

August 15, 2007. 2:00 am, Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai.

Boarding for British Airways Flight 243 to London was being announced. I prepared myself to

leave the country for an internship with a Mexican company based in Guadalajara, the second

largest city of Mexico.

A year had passed since the day I emailed my Curriculum Vitae to the company. I wanted

to experience the life and culture of Mexico, to travel around the beautiful country, and at the

same time, to improve upon my spoken Spanish. So I was elated when I received a reply from

the company stating their interest in recruiting me. An international youth association

coordinated the internship program with the company.

Being the darling of my parents and the youngest child, I knew that my family was going

to miss me very much. As for me, I was quite enthusiastic about staying in Mexico for at least

six months till I felt completely homesick. Anyway, I wasn’t travelling abroad alone for the first

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time – three years ago, I had travelled solo to Spain and France on a three-week trip. And within

India too, I had travelled alone many times to distant places. So I was quite capable of taking

care of myself.

The departure day was also worth remembering for another reason – it was India’s 60th

Independence Day!

Arrival in Mexico

At 7:15 pm, my flight landed at Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport. Some

minutes earlier, I had my first glimpse of the enormous, sprawling metropolis from the plane. It

was like flying over a vast sea of never-ending lights. The time difference between Mumbai and

Mexico City is ten and a half hours when daylight saving time starts on the first Sunday in April

while it is eleven and a half hours from the last Sunday in October when daylight saving time

ends. So even though I left India in the very early hours of the day, I reached Mexico City in the

late hours of the same day. It had been a long, tiring journey. I had spent almost twenty hours in

the air and another six and a half hours at London’s Heathrow Airport, window shopping and

hanging around the cafés while waiting for the connecting flight.

In the Arrivals area, two members of the youth association were waiting to receive me. I

was going to stay with them in their three-bedroom apartment for two nights. It was also

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occupied by four others. One of them, a nice friendly Serbian made breakfast cereal for me the

next morning before leaving for work.

While the others left for work, I left to explore the city centre – known as Centro

Histórico (Historic Centre) or simply ‘Centro’. Armed with a map, I took the convenient Metro –

for a mere two-peso fare, the French-designed trains quickly whisk away passengers to their

destinations from any corner of the city on a given route.

Mexico City, the country’s capital, commonly called ‘DF’ (dey-efe) or Distrito Federal

(Federal District) is a vibrant, charismatic and extraordinary city. It stands at an altitude of 7,350

feet, watched over by two mighty volcanoes. One of the oldest cities in the world, it was built

over the ruins of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlán (then situated on an island in the middle of a

large lake) which was destroyed by the Spanish conquistadores (conquerors) in 1521. Today it is

one of the largest and most populous cities on earth. The Centro Histórico was once the heart of

Tenochtitlán. Since the Spanish conquest, the city has sprawled in every direction and absorbed

surrounding towns, villages and natural areas. The Centro Histórico and the ‘floating gardens’ of

Xochimilco in the southern borough, are two of the city areas which have been declared as

UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

I reached my destination, Zócalo, and walked up and out through the crowded subway to

find myself in the corner of a vast, paved, open square. This was the Plaza de la Constitución

also known as the Zócalo or the Main Plaza. Zócalo literally means ‘the plinth or base’. The

name came about from part of a monument dedicated to the Independence that was planned in

5

the 1840s. But only the statue's base (now no more) was ever built. That, too, was destroyed long

ago but the name has lived on. Since then, the main square in most of the cities and towns of the

country is called the Zócalo. There are over 1400 colonial buildings in this area of over thirteen

acres, making it Latin America's largest main square. The huge plaza, with the capacity to hold

more than 100,000 people, has been a gathering place for Mexicans since the Aztec period. It has

been the site of various social and political ceremonies, including military parades and also

major political rallies. It has received foreign Heads of State and is the main venue for both

national celebration and national protest. In the centre of the plaza, there is a flagpole with an

enormous Mexican flag which is ceremoniously raised and lowered each day and carried into the

Palacio Nacional (The National or Government Palace), an immense piece of colonial

architecture that takes up the entire eastern side of the plaza.

The Palacio Nacional was built in 1563 over the ruins of the royal palace of the Aztec

king Montezuma and the first residence of Hernan Cortés, the Spanish conquistador. It was

initially the official residence of the President of the Republic but now the Presidential residence

is Los Pinos, situated south-west of the city centre. Every year on the 15th of September at 11

pm, the President of the Republic appears on the balcony of the Palacio Nacional to give the

famous Grito de la Independencia or the Cry of Independence (the way it was voiced in the town

of Dolores Hidalgo in the state of Guanajuato in 1810) and finishes with the golden words ‘Viva

México!’ which are echoed by tens of thousands standing in the Zócalo below, in an emotion-

packed traditional annual ritual. This event is televised and broadcast on radio to every corner of

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the nation and signals the start of the celebrations for the next day, the Dia de la Patria

(Independence Day).

Mexico is recognized internationally for the contributions of its twentieth-century mural

artists, who created murals that reflected not only Mexico’s history and culture, but also its

current social issues. These murals grace the walls of public and private buildings throughout the

country. The walls inside the Palacio Nacional contain huge murals by Diego Rivera, the most

renowned Mexican muralist, illustrating the colourful history of the country.

On the north side of the plaza stands the impressive La Catedral Metropolitana, the

largest cathedral in Latin America, which was built in 1563 over Aztec ruins. When I visited it,

the cathedral was being repaired and reinforced as it had started to sink into the city’s soft

foundations (Mexico City is built on the drained Lake Texcoco).

Clockwise round the Zócalo from the Palacio Nacional, on the third side is the

Ayuntamiento, the City Council and on the fourth, the Nacional Monte de Piedad building which

has long arcades lined with rows of shops selling jewellery, hats, etc. Just off the Zócalo, to the

north east of the cathedral, lies the excavated site of the Aztec Templo Mayor (The Great

Temple), part of the sacred complex of Tenochtitlán, which was demolished by the Spaniards.

The site contains the bare ruins of the foundations of the great temple and one or two

surrounding buildings. The site came to light in 1978, when electricity workers unearthed an 8-

tonne stone disc of Coyolxauqui, the Aztec moon goddess. Further exploration revealed that

there was an entire archaeological wonder lying beneath Mexico City's streets. After a special

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decree was passed by the government, many of the colonial buildings that stood above the ruins

were torn down to reveal the ruin of the Templo Mayor – and the place where it is believed, the

Aztec saw the sign given to them by their gods: an eagle perched on a nopal cactus, devouring a

snake. Even today, it is treasured as the national symbol, and adorns the flag of Mexico. The site

museum displays all the excavated artefacts and a detailed model of the old city. The Templo

Mayor, one of Mexico's most important archaeological sites, is maintained by the Instituto

Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) or the National Institute of Anthropology and

History, the government organization responsible for the management of the country’s cultural

and historical heritage and its archaeological sites.

To celebrate the country’s Independence Day in the following month, the public

buildings in Zócalo were dressed in patriotic decorations of greens, whites and reds – Mexico’s

official colours! Walking along the nearby streets was a rich, new experience for me. It was

amazing to find the place flooded with thousands of people, even on a normal routine day. I

shuddered to think what the street scene would be like on Sundays, or on days when there were

rallies or other major events taking place in the plaza! Walking further, I reached the La Merced

market located east of the Zócalo.

The La Merced market is the city’s largest traditional retail market for a wide variety of

everyday products like fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, toys, clothes, flowers and candy.

Although the market is held in several huge buildings, the unofficial market continues outside on

the sidewalks and streets between the market and the Zócalo. It is illegal, but peddlers pay bribes

8

to local bosses, who in turn pay bribes to local officials. The market place was colourful and

bustling with activity. Street stalls and wandering vendors were touting everything from food and

curios to hi-fi equipment. Vendors tried to call me over with ‘Pasele’ (come this way) or ‘A sus

ordenes’ (at your service), hoping that I would check out their goods and buy something.

Mounds of dried chiles (chillies), all kinds of beans, fresh luscious fruits and a wide variety of

vegetables greeted me. I walked on and on. Till then, I was not aware that the market area is also

known for flagrant prostitution – women can be seen soliciting at all hours of the day and night. I

walked further down the street to the Sonora witchcraft market, which offers all kinds of cures

and enchantments, from herbs to voodoo dolls, to something for all those seeking wealth, or to

keep a loved one from straying.

I retraced my steps back to the Plaza. I had seen so many amazing things in the course of

the day which had left me completely overwhelmed – even doll shops, selling all sizes of

dresses, shoes and fashion accessories for dolls. The Plaza was filled with the pounding of drums

and other types of instrumental music. Since the late 1980s, due to efforts to revitalize the

downtown area, the Zócalo has become the scene of a number of artistic and cultural events.

Street singers, musicians and entertainers take over the place in the evenings. There are daily

impromptu shows of Aztec dancers dancing to drums, wearing feathered headdresses and anklets

made of shells.

The next morning, I took a taxi (a green and white VW Beetle!) for Mexico Norte bus

terminal, from where buses left for Guadalajara. The huge bus terminal resembled an airport

9

terminal. Inside the terminal, ticket desks belonging to different bus companies had long queues

before them.

Mexico City is a central bus hub for many destinations in Mexico with its four main bus

terminals connecting travellers with all the regions of the country. Since passenger transport by

train is almost non-existent, travel through Mexico is mostly by bus, car or air. With a number of

excellent long-distance bus lines which are comfortable, frequent, reasonably priced and connect

the major cities, bus travel is very popular. Large cities have centralized bus stations used by

many bus lines, sort of like an airport terminal. On the most frequented routes, there is a choice

of three service levels: De Lujo or Ejecutivo (Luxury or Executive class), Primera clase (First

class), Segunda clase (Second class). The Luxury and the First class buses transport customers in

comfort and safety, on high-specification, quiet, modern, air-conditioned buses for as little as

10% of the equivalent flight cost. These buses run on time and only travel on the toll-roads,

making the journey fast and efficient. The Luxury class buses offer the latest in bus technology

and comfort. They have 24 wide, comfortable seats on a 2+1 seat arrangement. Like in

airplanes, each seat is equipped with blankets, back cushion and earphones for those interested in

watching movies or listening to music. There are flat screen TVs after every four rows, which

play Hollywood movies dubbed or subtitled in Spanish during the entire course of the journey.

While boarding the bus, the passengers are provided with complimentary snacks and a cold drink

as well as tea or coffee sachets to enjoy a hot beverage on board. Luxury class buses run non-

stop to their destination; First class buses make an intermediary stop at a major town or city en

10

route; while Second class buses stop almost everywhere. First class buses provide many of the

services offered on the executive service including an on-board toilet, but the seat configuration

is less comfortable as there is less room for stretching out.

I had read a lot about buses in Mexico before my arrival in the country so I already knew

by which bus I wanted to travel. I went to the ETN ticket desk, bought my ticket and checked in

my suitcase. The baggage check-in service is offered only by ETN to its passengers. It is the

most upscale line, charging some 20% more than other lines for identical routes.

Soon, I was on my way to the culture-rich state of Jalisco, famous for being the cradle of

tequila, mariachi music (the emblem of Mexico’s cultural traditions), sombreros, charreadas

(Mexican rodeos) and the jarabe tapatio (Mexican Hat Dance). Jalisco’s biggest pride is its

capital, Guadalajara which has bestowed upon the country most of the images which people

worldwide associate with Mexico – like the famous wide-brimmed Mexican sombrero and

mariachi music.

Located at an altitude of 5000 feet, Guadalajara is the ‘most Mexican of all cities’ and

embodies the soul of the country because of its rich, traditional culture and the typical Mexican

ways of its people (called tapatios).

One of the wealthiest urban centres in Latin America, the city was a colonial centre of

considerable religious, cultural and architectural importance. It was the centre of the Cristero

War (1926 – 1929), a rebellion by Catholic guerrillas against the secularization reforms of

President Plutarco Elías Calles. Today, Guadalajara is a major hub for commerce and industry.

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Many hi-tech companies have made their presence in this city which is also called ‘the Silicon

Valley of Mexico.’ Many Mexico City residents (called chilangos) most of them tired of the

traffic, pollution, crime and the high-paced life of the capital have made their homes here. The

city’s surrounding areas boasts of well-known places. The famous town of Tequila, from where

the world-famous tequila liquor originated is 65 km away from Guadalajara while the country’s

largest freshwater lake, Lake Chapala is just 50 km away.

The 465 km-long journey from Mexico City to Guadalajara was completed in seven

hours by the ETN bus. It was evening when I hopped out of the bus at Guadalajara’s long

distance bus terminal, La Nueva Central Camionera, a huge complex with seven terminals, each

playing host to the arrival and departure of two or more different bus lines. The terminal was 9

km away from the city centre but there was a bus service just outside.

The house meant for foreign interns was fully occupied, so the local member of the youth

association had arranged for temporary accommodation which was only available for three days.

There was a party at the house of the foreign interns, so I ended up passing my first night

partying into the wee hours of the morning.

The important things in my to-do list were – to purchase a SIM card for my cell phone, to

register my entry permit at the Immigration Office once my accommodation was fixed, and to

open a bank account. So at mid-day, I left for the city centre to purchase the SIM card. Stopping

by a nearby convenience store, I learnt my first typical Mexican expression, ‘hacer compas’,

which means to make friendship. The amiable store owner gave me the directions to the Centro

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and explained the bus routes, making it easy for me to find my way around.

The green and white minibuses called micros are very convenient modes of public

transport. At 4.50 pesos one can travel to any place on its route. There are also other local buses,

some air-conditioned, which operate on specific routes. Both, micros and local buses display the

route and major stops on the front windshield. At the bus stop, one has to wave at the bus for it to

halt. Since the ticket is issued on boarding the bus, it is better to have loose change on hand to

move in quickly. There is a stop button at the rear exit, and one can also get off from the front by

telling the driver ‘La esquina, por favor’ which means ‘The corner, please’ or ‘Aqui, por favor’

which is ‘Here, please.’

The Centro attracts major tourist activity and is one of the most densely populated areas

of the city. Still, most of the attractions lie within close range and it is a pleasure to walk around

the area. One of the main landmarks of the area is the city Cathedral, known for its emblematic

twin steeples. The surrounding plazas and parks provide plenty of opportunities for food, leisure,

shopping and entertainment activities. The city’s main cultural arts venues, the monumental

19th-century building Teatro Degollado and the impressive regional museum, Museo Regional

de Guadalajara, are located here. So also, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Instituto

Cultural Cabañas and the beautiful 70,000 square metre Plaza Tapatia comprising of a central

esplanade, plazas, narrow cobbled paths and beautiful works of art.

Guadalajara is the place where the mariachi tradition began, with musicians dressed in

silver-studded charro (Mexican horsemen) outfits – usually black – and matching wide-

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brimmed hats, playing melodies and singing traditional folk songs. The mariachis are hired to

play in plazas, at parties, restaurants and weddings; to sing Las Mañanitas (the Mexican birthday

song); and during occasions like a quinceañera (a girl's fifteenth birthday celebration which

follows the colonial tradition of a coming-out party for girls). They are often hired to serenade

women, as many of the songs are very romantic. The Plaza de Los Mariachis is a small

triangular plaza in the Centro where one can be serenaded while relaxing at one of the small

cafés or restaurants. The ‘original’ mariachis play only stringed instruments and sing only

traditional Jalisco folk music. However, many mariachi songs today are accompanied by at least

three violins, two trumpets, a Mexican guitar, a vihuela (a high-pitched, five-string guitar) a

guitarrón (a large acoustic bass guitar) and occasionally, a harp. They also play music and folk

songs from all across the country.

By the end of the second day, I had learnt to move around the city with familiarity. The

next morning, I took a micro to another popular zone, the Minerva-Chapultepec area where an

important city landmark is located – the Glorieta de La Minerva, a big statue of the Roman

goddess Minerva surrounded by a large fountain. The city store of Librerias Gandhi, one of

Mexico’s leading bookstore chains was just nearby so I spent some time there.

Earlier, somebody had told me about a Hare Krishna temple in the neighbourhood that

also had a vegetarian restaurant in its premises. I reached the place after a long search covering

the entire residential area. To my surprise, I discovered that the more than 30-year old temple

was run by Hare Krishna monks of Mexican origin. The idols were housed in a small room.

14

Another room housed a souvenir shop selling various Indian arts and crafts including idols of

deities and incense sticks. The food served inside the dining area was simple and pure

vegetarian, prepared by one of the resident monks. But at the entrance of the main door, there

was a kiosk selling non-vegetarian savouries.

Like all the ISKCON temples around the world, this temple too hosts a free vegetarian

Sunday feast for all, personally cooked and served by the senior resident monk who founded the

place. The Sunday programme includes chanting of the holy names of the Lord (Hare Krishna)

and a Bhagavad Gita class during which philosophy is discussed. I enjoyed the simple Indian

meal of chole (chickpea dish) and rice, followed by gulab jamun (a sweet dish) served by a

female monk, who told me a bit about the tight-knit Hare Krishna group and their religious

activities. She invited me to join them in the celebrations of their annual fall festival, Ratha

Yatra, for which they had lined many programmes including outdoor processions, music,

costumes, devotion, dance, theatre, and free vegetarian feasts. Besides the few Indians who live

in the city, many Mexicans visit the temple because as the monk put it, ‘Guadalajara is more

open than other parts of Mexico.’

Later, in the course of my city exploration, I realized the truth in her words. Despite its

predominantly Catholic population, Guadalajara has many yoga and Buddhist centres. After two

days of travelling around the city, I had learnt a lot of things which widened my insight. I had

also experienced my first rain in Mexico. Fortunately, I had carried a pocket umbrella with me

since Mexico, like India, has a rainy season from late June to early September.

15

The following Monday, I was ready for my first day at the office. I was looking forward

to working with the globally well-known nutritional supplement company, part of a huge

conglomerate of 30 companies in Guadalajara and ranked as one of the 200 top corporations in

Mexico. I had ‘googled’ the company in the internet before leaving India and had discovered

quite a lot of interesting information which left me totally impressed. I learnt that the company’s

more than hundred natural dietary supplements were distributed in 22 countries worldwide

through a person-to-person multi-development system comprising of around 4.5 million people.

Besides manufacturing proprietary nutritional food supplements and cosmetic products, the

company’s sister companies were dedicated to the field of education, soccer, cinema, music,

insurance, multimedia, charitable foundations, art, etc. It boasted of a 750 million-dollar Culture,

Convention and Business Centre on the outskirts of Guadalajara and was also the proud owner of

one of the city’s soccer teams – a national favourite among all the soccer teams of the Mexican

First League Division – and a few international clubs.

On arrival, I was given a tour of the sprawling premises and introduced to some of the

more than four hundred employees. The sprawling office had a large canteen which served

different types of dishes, including a wide array of salads. The food came from the central

kitchen located in the premises of the company’s educational institution, an exceptional place

providing wide facilities and opportunities for children. The employees enjoyed many benefits

and conveniences including in-house yoga classes and haircut services.

I was to begin work in September. Till then, I had to attend training and discussion

16

sessions to acquaint myself with the company’s business, its diverse activities and the group’s

responsibilities, in general. The training sessions gave me an opportunity to meet the various

Department Heads and their personnel and learn about the work carried out by each department

of the company. The induction training also included visits to the different offices of the

conglomerate, its factory, centres of distribution and various group institutions in the city. With

me, there were other new recruits too, including some from South American countries.

Thankfully, my new ‘paying guest’ accommodation was fixed by the end of the three-day

period. By the following week, I had registered my entry permit at the Immigration Office and

opened a bank account, all by myself. One Saturday, I went to the soccer match at the Estadio

Jalisco with a few office colleagues. The match was between the company-owned team and

another local team. The atmosphere was incredible. Our seats were quite close to the field. It felt

exciting to be among the thousands of soccer fans drinking beer and munching on popcorn and

potato chips topped with lime and chile. I got to see how soccer can emotionally divide the

country, especially when rivals meet each other. The biggest rivalry in Mexican soccer is the

Clásico de Clásicos, the football match between Chivas (‘the goats’) or Club Guadalajara and

Las Aguilas (‘the eagles’) or Club América from Mexico City, which attracts the biggest crowd

and the most attention. Both teams share the distinction of being the two most successful

Mexican soccer clubs.

One day, during the week, the head of the HRD introduced me to the founder and

chairman of the huge conglomerate. He was hardly around in the office, as his job kept him in

17

business meetings or travelling to different places around the world. So I was lucky to meet the

dynamic leader, an overwhelming and captivating personality, in his simple yet very tastefully

done office.

Time passed very quickly and by the end of the month, I had attended around four

parties, including an office party with sushi dinner. Mexicans are party-lovers for whom music

and dance are an important element in their daily life. No party is complete without a pulsing

dance floor. Nightclubs are allowed to serve drinks all night and people start arriving only after

11:00 pm, to leave between 5:00 and 7:00 the next morning.

Music, like food, is a mainstay of Mexican social life. Besides mariachi music,

traditional music styles include banda which uses brass instruments and cumbia, which is

heavily influenced by music from the Caribbean islands. Internationally popular Mexican songs

like Bésame Mucho, Cielito Lindo, El Rey, La Bamba, and many more are part of the Mexican

culture. But when it comes to popularity, Ricky Martin is everyone’s favourite. Top Mexican

singers include the iconic Luis Miguel, the flamboyant Alejandro Fernández and bands like

Maná, Timbiriche, Belanova, among others. English tunes are immensely popular too with the

music band U2 topping the list of favourites. Most of the popular English songs also have

Spanish versions which are quite a hit with people of all ages. Still, the youngsters are very

passionate about traditional music.

Most of my Sundays went by in shopping, especially, at the nearby commercial centre of

Plaza Patria through which I passed every day on my way from the office. I often stopped there

18

for a mouth-watering hot churro, a sugar and cinnamon coated fritter in the shape of long stick

filled with chocolate sauce. On few Sundays, I pampered myself at the beauty salons. The first

time I visited a beauty salon, I was quite surprised. I expected the Mexican salons to be well-

versed with the Indian practice of shaping eyebrows with a twisted thread; but to my surprise,

Mexican women used either wax or tweezers, they had never heard about ‘threading’! So I ended

up getting my eyebrows waxed – for the first and last time!

The streets, too, provided a colourful insight into Mexican life. Peddlers trying to sell

their wares to cars waiting for the next green signal, are a common sight, like the windshield

cleaners. Likewise, clowns and acrobats enact short performances before the first row of waiting

cars before approaching each car for tips. Slow-moving cars blaring advertisements over tiny

loudspeakers mounted on their roofs, or through a megaphone from the window, is another

common mode of publicity and information dissemination.

On the last day of the month, there was an annual company event, attended by more than

3000 distributors from the American continent. I was one of the volunteers who assisted in

giving them a tour of the entire office premises. I had the novel experience of being besieged by

requests from excited distributors to stand beside them for a photograph, even when the

chairman was around. Some requested me to speak a little about India in Hindi for their video

shoot. The next day, my ethnic Indian wear – a beautifully embroidered black salwar kameez –

and the stylish black ‘bindi’ on my forehead, attracted plenty of attention.

19

September

On the first day of the month, I began work in the Department of Ethics, which dealt with the

handling of any unethical practices carried out by distributors. We had to contact those

distributors, seek a written clarification from them and if found guilty, warn them against

carrying on with the malpractice in the future. If the warning was ignored, they risked the

revocation of their contract which entitled them to be independent distributors. The entire

process required co-ordination with the distributors (both, the complainant and the person

charged), the centres of distribution (of the products) and other departments in the office. We

worked in a totally computerized environment where all the data and actions taken had to be

entered in the system.

During the weekend, I saw long colourful parades and floats passing along the road with

men and women on horseback, dressed in colonial-style dresses. They were the participants of

the two-week long Encuentro Internacional del Mariachi y La Charreria, an annual celebration

of mariachi music and charreria, a traditional custom and sport. There was excitement all

around as people stopped to greet and wave at the participants who had arrived from all over the

country. I was looking forward to the charrería whose central component is the charreada, a

festive event that incorporates equestrian competitions and demonstrations, specific costumes

and horse trappings, music, and food. The male participants called charros compete in roping

20

and riding events while the women execute daring feats and precision maneuvers while riding

sidesaddle.

By the end of the first week of September, the rains had stopped. It was time for a change

in footwear. So one evening, I shopped at Galeria Del Calzado, an upscale footwear mall, not far

from my office. Tempted by the beautiful variety of shoes, I ended up buying a pair of high

leather boots and two pairs of high-heeled shoes.

Guadalajara’s modern shopping malls and specialized malls had begun to impress me so

much that I found myself spending a lot of my spare time doing window shopping. A visit to the

Centro was always a colourful experience, especially during festive celebrations. During the

Independence Day week, the main squares, commercial centres, etc. were covered with green,

white and red coloured decorations. I could see the patriotic passion people displayed by

flaunting green-white-red Mexican flags on their cars even weeks before the D-Day. On that day,

the streets in the Centro were closed to traffic for the Independence Day parades and floats.

Thousands of people had gathered around to watch the exciting event.

On the day of Ganesh Chaturthi, celebrated in India in honour of Lord Ganesha, I

distributed my preparation of ‘gajar halwa’ among the people working on my office floor (over

60 of them!). The previous evening, I had shopped for the ingredients at Wal-Mart and a grocery

chain store called Mama Coneja. The latter sold various kinds of spices normally found in Indian

kitchens including turmeric powder, jaggery, bay leaves, etc. I had to grate almost three kilos of

carrots, although the preparation was easy requiring just sugar, milk, cardamom, saffron and

21

almonds. There were mixed responses to my sweet preparation – some liked it very much while

others found the new flavour strange.

By the third week of September, I had shifted into a new accommodation in one of the

best posh localities of the city (and one of the quietest too!), surrounded by plenty of greenery.

The condominium was beautiful and so was my room in the two-storied house. My new address

was all thanks to Alejandra (‘Ale’), my wonderful colleague-cum-friend, and her mother. The

house was occupied by the landlady and her son. Although the rent covered the use of the

kitchen, including gas, I didn’t fancy cooking after a tiring day. I lunched at the office, so for

breakfast and dinner I had milk, fruits, cereals or healthy oat biscuits and bars. Besides, the

neighbourhood had many nice restaurants and there was a Soriana supermarket just two blocks

away for my monthly purchases. Just down the road, there was an Oxxo, the country largest

convenience store chain. The state governor’s residence, a huge sports centre, a very good

hospital, many clinics and the pharmacies which doubled up as convenience stores were in the

neighbourhood. And, the house was near to my office – I couldn’t have asked for a better

location!

For over a week after moving into my new residence, I started suffering from very severe

insomnia. It was a very serious problem for which I had tried various remedies from counting

sheep to reading boring books in bed. Finally, I decided to get out of the city for a change of air.

On the last Saturday of the month, I took the early morning bus to Chapala, leaving from the old

bus station in the Centro. I stayed at the picturesque town of Ajijic in the Nueva Posada Hotel,

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one of the fanciest hotels located alongside Lake Chapala. This beautiful town has a thriving

community of American expatriates (who are called ‘gringos’ in Mexico), mostly retired. There

were many shops and boutiques selling beautiful designer beaded jewellery as well as stylish

dresses made from manta cloth. Manta is a traditional hand-woven cotton fabric and is the pride

of the Mexicans just like the people of India take pride in their hand-woven cotton khadi cloth.

The next day, I took a tourist car to the pristine village of Mazamitla located high in the

mountains.

The beautiful journey from Ajijic to Mazamitla passed through Jocotopec, a town known

for beautiful resorts and spas. Mazamitla is an amazing hill station. I walked for hours through

the beautiful wilderness to reach a lovely waterfall. By early afternoon, I was back in Chapala. I

did a walking tour of the main area and then boarded the late evening bus back to Guadalajara.

Thankfully, the trip helped in curing my insomnia.

October

My birthday was at the end of the first week of October. I wanted to celebrate it at one of the best

discos in the city. I zeroed upon one which played Cuban salsa music. It was a Friday night and

by midnight, there were around fifteen of us enjoying the beautiful atmosphere. There was a

superb Cuban salsa show after which the floor was flooded with dance lovers. I had great fun and

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the time passed rapidly till it was time to leave, around 2:30 am. Among the birthday gifts that I

received was a bottle of Ponche de Granada (Pomegranate Punch), a local aperitif which tasted

somewhat like port and sherry.

From the first Saturday of October, Guadalajara celebrates its annual Fiestas de Octubre,

a month-long period of fun, entertainment and all kinds of cultural and artistic events running till

the first Sunday of November. I was told that the cultural events included traditional music and

rock concerts, dance performances, special movie shows, art exhibitions, ballet, workshops and

traditional cockfights, among many other activities. The popular attractions also included games,

food, exhibitions, sale of products and arts and crafts, sports activities, the coronation of the

Beauty Queen, an Agriculture Expo, a monumental and impressive parade, extreme games, and a

huge ice rink.

I visited the funfair with a friend and her little sister. I had never taken a ride on the

Russian Mountain, but that day I was game for it. I thought it was going great, till the carriage

started rolling up and down. From then on, I couldn’t stop myself from screaming throughout the

ride! When the ride came to an end, I realized that my voice had become hoarse! I tried my hand

at one of the games and won a stuffed toy, a big white cuddly rabbit which I gifted to my friend’s

little sister. There was plenty of food (some very oily and unhealthy!) and entertainment around.

We took in a bit of everything around from music and dance to just window shopping. It was a

commercialized event that had all sorts of fun activities for all ages and tastes, including late-

night strictly adult entertainment shows as well!

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In October, Guadalajara also attracts religious worshippers from all over the country.

People crowd to the Zapopan municipality (the largest in Jalisco) which is one of the most

important religious centres of the country. Most of Guadalajara’s attractions are actually in

Zapopan. Its centre, dominated by the beautiful Basílica de Zapopan and the lovely main plaza,

witnesses great festivities. At the beginning of every rainy season, an image of the Virgen de

Zapopan, the patron saint of Jalisco, is taken to Guadalajara on a tour of all the 130 parishes in

the metropolitan area. This is believed to protect the city against heavy rains and floods. Then,

on October 12th, the image of the Virgin is brought back home. On her return, a large crowd

(over a million people) gathers to welcome her back to the church with a large festival.

One Sunday, I visited the nearby district of Tlaquepaque, a shopper’s paradise designed

to look like a Mexican village. This highly fashionable district boasts of trendy shops, sidewalk

or patio cafés and restaurants lining colonial-style streets and alleys, plazas and gardens. The

main shopping area is closed off to traffic and with good reason – there are over three hundred

quaint shops with an incredible variety of quality handmade goods, including traditional arts and

crafts, pottery, decorative home furnishings and everything from fine blue blown glassware (for

which Jalisco is very renowned) and hand painted tiles, to up-market furniture and bronze

sculptures. I satisfied myself with doing window shopping since the place was the ultimate

destination for furnishing and decorating homes, restaurants or hotels and I didn’t own any of

them in Mexico.

I passed by a large plaza called El Parián, flanked by columned arcades and surrounded

25

by many restaurant-bars. In the centre, there was a traditional kiosk where most of the mariachis

gather to play for their patrons. But they are also found in many of the restaurants and

plazas. Luckily for me, it was a festive day when I visited the suburb. There were numerous

groups, each dressed in traditional colourful feathered costumes and headdresses. The air was

filled with the continuous beating of drums and folk music. After performing their dance, each

group moved in procession towards the church to pray to the Virgin. The place was throbbing

with excitement and enthusiasm. Strangely, on the same day in India, people were celebrating

Dussehra, the last day of the nine-day Navratri festival dedicated to the worship of Goddess Kali.

The coincidence was very touching and I was glad that I visited Tlaquepaque that day.

Right after my arrival in the city, I had purchased road maps of Guadalajara, Jalisco and

Mexico; a thick book containing the complete city information; and the visitor’s guide of Jalisco.

Along with all these guides, travelling by bus got me acquainted with the different parts of the

city. I was always on the move. When I wasn’t working, I was always out exploring the city or

visiting the plazas, attending parties and other social occasions. So, in no time I knew more about

the city than my Mexican friends and colleagues! At the office too, very soon, I became very

well-versed with the new work. Many times, I felt like I was treated like a Mexican employee

rather than an international trainee. However, what irked me was that I was doing plenty of

work, but I was getting paid half the salary of the employees since I was an intern. Besides doing

the departmental work, I was also doing Spanish-English-Spanish technical translations and

interpretations. I used to return home from the never-ending, heavy workload. Since my arrival

26

in Mexico, I had been communicating with people only in Spanish and, speaking in a foreign

language throughout the day can be very tiring!

At first, I could not understand Mexican Spanish because some of the words used were

new to me and people generally used typical Mexican expressions while communicating. My

Castilian Spanish (Spanish spoken in Spain) was sometimes confusing to them too. I

misunderstood what people said and they in turn misunderstood me. But I soon got the hang of

the Mexican words and expressions and was using Mexican colloquialisms like esta padre or

chido to mean ‘it’s fantastic.’ I was well-versed with Spanish cuss words (the ones normally used

in Spain), but in Mexico I learnt many more which were much more colourful than the ones from

Spain. Then, there were verbs like ‘coger’ and ‘agarrar’ both meaning ‘to take’ in Spanish. But

in Mexico, the first word is a bit vulgar and the second is commonly used, whereas in Spain it’s

the opposite. So I often had to mind my language. There were many trying times and experiences

of being ‘lost in translation.’

Mexican Spanish makes frequent use of diminutive suffixes such as -ito/ita to indicate

affection. Ahora (now) is ahorita, poco (little) is poquito... Even names get transformed – Sara

becomes Sarita and Carlos becomes Carlitos. I learnt another thing -- when asked how long it

will take to get something done, people generally respond with ‘en un ratito’ Literally, it's a

diminutive of the word rato which means in a short time. If you are lucky to meet the right kind

of people, it will be done in a short time, literally. Otherwise, it is usually implied that the thing

will be done when the person feels like doing it – after a long time, or perhaps, never.

27

Meanwhile, I was beginning to miss my salsa and ballroom dance routine which I used to

follow in Mumbai. So I signed up for a two-month belly dancing course, twice a week, after

office hours. It was fun and kept me slim and slender for the next two months. But I didn’t feel

like renewing it because the dance studio was far from my residence. From my office a colleague

would drop me till the place, but after the class I had to walk for some twenty minutes to reach

the bus stop and then I had to change buses twice. Sometimes, I would reach home past 9:30 pm.

The high bus speed, the dim-lit empty roads and the dark surroundings would often make it

difficult for me to sight my bus stop. Once, I even lost my loose change pouch in the bus in a

hurry to reach for the exit door before the bus moved on.

My Diwali Mandap

A new Managing Director had been appointed by the company sometime in August. By mid-

October, a wave of changes had been implemented in the company to cut down costs and

increase operational and process efficiency. Many of the directors were getting sacked and there

were major reshuffles in each department. As the days passed, people would wonder who would

be the next person to get axed.

Then, one day, the Director of Commercial Operations asked me to organize a small do

for the Diwali festival which was in November. He wanted me to share with the office staff a bit

28

of the colourful Indian culture which he had experienced during his two-year stay in India in his

younger days. To present Indian culture and traditions to the more than 400 employees seemed

like a challenging task so I was very enthusiastic about the whole thing.

I thought about putting up a Diwali mandap (altar) in the reception area of the office for

the 9th of November, the day of Lakshmi Pooja – the day during Diwali when Hindus worship

Goddess Lakshmi. I planned to conduct a pooja (worship) ceremony at 9:30 am on that day.

There were many things to be done – the layout and designing of the mandap, sourcing idols of

Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi, purchasing decorations, flowers, fruits, candles, lighting,

etc. But I was determined to create a very rich and classy looking décor for the mandap, to

convey the message that India was not just about poverty and cow-worship. Very few knew

about India’s rich cultural heritage.

Three weeks before the event, an e-invite was circulated within the office. Information on

the importance of the festival was uploaded on the company’s website. I made arrangements

with the company’s central kitchen to serve Indian vegetarian food on that day. For that, I had to

translate the recipes of the starters, main dish and dessert into Spanish, and explain the

requirements of the taste and flavour to the kitchen in-charge.

The company had authorized a budget of six thousand pesos to cover all the expenses.

Unfortunately, just two weeks before the event, the Director of Commercial Operations was

relieved from his job. Many others gradually followed, but I was assured that there would be no

change in the plan to hold the event.

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Finding Indian goods in the city proved to be a tough proposition! I would spend my

weekends visiting the various commercial centres and shopping zones for stores selling Asian

items. This helped me discover various hitherto unknown barrios (neighbourhoods) of the city.

One day, I remembered the visiting card that a shop owner in Ajijic had given me. She regularly

sourced Asian goods from someone in the city. I contacted her and got the details of a shop in the

Centro which sold many items from India. I managed to persuade the shop owner to rent me a

few of the displayed items for the day. I selected two beautiful bronze idols of Lord Ganesh and

Goddess Lakshmi, four Pashmina shawls, a batik bed sheet, two decorative traditional hangings

and a long metal necklace.

With Christmas just two months away, stores selling decorative goods had stocked

various types of eye-catching items – I purchased sandalwood incense sticks (which are very

popular in the city), a cascade-style decorative lighting, plain candles, floating candles, feng shui

crystal hangings, a small bronze bell and a small beautifully carved bronze ashtray (it was perfect

as a pooja thali to place in front of the gods, with a lighted candle and a few flowers around), red

chart paper, crepe paper, red & golden decorative sticks, red chenille fabric and red satin fabric.

A day before the special day, I visited the wholesale markets at 7:00 am to shop for

lovely colourful flowers and luscious fruits. Later in the day, my Departmental Head let me off

two hours early so that I could start with the mandap work. The important part was building up

the structure as per my design, so that I could start with my work of putting things together. The

guys from the office maintenance department worked on it and did a perfect job. Two tables

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were tied together while bamboos were placed at the four corners and on the top, to create the

roof for the mandap. The tables were covered with red chart paper. Square blocks covered with

red chart paper were used to create two levels. All this was then covered with red crepe paper.

The roof was covered with the red batik bed sheet and the decorative lighting was then tied

around the roof so that it fell in a proper cascade. It was 6:00 pm by the time all this was

completed and my efficient helpers had to leave for home.

I was left alone, with plenty of work to complete. I had made two-coloured decorations

from the different shades of crepe paper, which I hung inside the mandap along with the other

decorative hangings. Two red Pashminas were spread on each level and the idols of the two

deities were placed on the top level. I had taken coloured print-outs of the Indian map and some

beautiful photos of India – snow-capped mountains, sandy desert, white beaches, wildlife, dance

and yoga – I stuck these on the beautiful red satin cloth which was the background for the

mandap. The Indian flag, two photo frames of the deities and two traditional dupattas formed

part of the décor.

Friends and colleagues helped me by lending a few items like a broad round glass stand

to place the floating candles, a glass fruit bowl and vase for the long-stemmed, beautiful flowers.

One colleague (a devotee of Shri Sathya Sai Baba) had a small jar of red ‘kumkum’ powder,

which she had purchased on her trip to the famous god man’s ashram in India. She lent me the

jar for the day so that I could adorn the foreheads of the two deities with kumkum. Another

colleague lent me her incense stick holder for burning the sandalwood incense.

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I made garlands of yellow and purple Aster flowers and arranged red Hibiscus flowers

and yellow flowers neatly around the idols. Some red and yellow flowers and rose petals were

laid out into the water-filled glass stand, along with the floating candles. With white ‘rangoli’

powder, I made the religious symbols of ‘AUM’, ‘swastika’ and some decorative designs on the

red layout.

It was past midnight when I added the finishing touches to my mandap. I experienced a

deep feeling of joy and happiness when I saw the beautiful vision before me. It looked so

magical! The illuminations glowed softly on the beautiful red mandap bedecked with flowers;

the gods were seated amongst the loveliest flowers surrounded by luscious fruits; while the

beautiful floral arrangement, colourful garlands, candles and floating candles added a

picturesque touch to the ethereal scene.

When I started work on the project, I fervently prayed to Lord Ganesh to help me put up

the most beautiful mandap. The task was a bit difficult and I was falling short of time in making

all the arrangements. Burdened with plenty of office work during the day, I used to spend the rest

of my time thinking about great ideas for the mandap. Only two months had passed since my

arrival in the city and organizing something grand required information of the best and the right

places to shop and look around, especially items from India. But I had deep faith in the Lord and

knew that he would make the perfect altar for me, in spite of the limited time on hand. The final

result was all out there for everyone to admire, on the day of the event.

On that grand day, I arrived at the office at 8:00 am, dressed in my favourite red and gold

32

sari which my father had couriered to me from India along with matching coloured bangles,

earrings and a necklace (the jewellery never reached me due to pilferage in the passage!). One by

one, I lit up all the candles and at the end of it all, the mandap looked so breathtakingly beautiful

that I couldn’t take my eyes off it! When I burned the incense sticks, the rich, earthy fragrance of

sandalwood wafted through the air. It was absolutely lovely!

Everyone including the company chairman stopped to admire the glowing mandap on

their way into the office. I had made arrangements for background music to be played throughout

the day. The soulful music and the powerful mantras of the Gayatri Mantra CD were very well

appreciated by all.

A colleague had brought a few boxes of Mexican milk sweets (which taste just like the

Indian pedas!) which I arranged in a glass dish to be placed in front of the deities as an offering.

At 9:30 am, I started the pooja and recited a few aartis (prayers). All those present stood in

solemn silence, patiently listening to my ten-minute aarti recital, without understanding a word

of it. After the pooja, as is the Hindu custom, I let each of them lightly touch the flame of the

candle in the pooja thali. The milk sweets were distributed and then everyone returned to their

work.

Everything had gone well including the special Indian lunch which was also well

appreciated! Besides the usual wide array of salad, there were stacks of corn tortillas. Tortilla is

Mexico’s traditional daily bread made from corn or wheat flour. The wheat tortillas are the same

as Indian ‘chappatis’, but most Mexicans prefer corn tortillas over wheat tortillas so I settled for

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the corn ones. The starter was a delicious lasagne dish of corn and spinach, which was followed

by the chickpea dish, ‘chole’ and the cumin-seed flavoured rice ‘jeera rice’, ending with ‘shahi

tukra’ (a rich dessert of bread and nuts).

Some of the directors in the commercial area had travel plans for the week including the

day of the event. But strangely, the trips got postponed and that day, almost all of them were

present in the office. And to my pleasant surprise, even the chairman! Since the mandap was in

the reception area, everybody stopped to have a look at it and I received plenty of compliments.

The next day was Saturday; I had to return the rented items. I felt terribly sad while

undoing, one by one, all the hard work which I had done during the last two days. The photos

and the video of the ceremony were the only reminders of the beautiful experience. The total cost

for putting up the mandap was 3063 pesos (around 300US$ in those days), barely half the

amount which the company had sanctioned to me. This was because I had got each item at a very

good bargain! I was glad to have spent the company money very carefully, resulting in the

refund of almost half the amount allocated to me for the festival.

November

One of Mexico’s most important religious holidays, celebrated throughout the country, is the Dia

de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). The roots of this tradition go back to ancient times. The 1st of

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November commemorates the deceased children, while the 2nd of November honours deceased

adults. On both these days, the graves in the cemetery are cleaned and adorned with offerings

while in homes, altars are erected, decorated with offerings and food such as caramelized

pumpkin, pan de muerto (‘bread of the Dead’) and small sugar candy skulls called alfeñiques or

calaveras de azúcar. The decorations include all kinds of skeletons, intricate tissue paper cut-

outs called papel picado, elaborate wreaths and crosses decorated with paper or silk flowers. The

favourite things of the deceased including trinkets, food, candy, etc. are placed on the altar. The

traditional decorations are the orange Marigold flowers called cempaxochitl, or Flor de Muerto

(‘flower of the Dead’). Although the day is passionately celebrated throughout Mexico, the

traditional fervour is high in small towns. Pátzcuaro, a town in Michoacán, celebrates this

religious event in a very traditional manner, attracting visitors even from abroad. Oaxaca City is

another place which attracts many visitors on this day. I got an opportunity to witness the

festivities during an event held at the company’s educational institution. The students had made

very attractive presentations for that day, with skeletons and creepy, scary themes. And I was

even gifted a big alfeñique with my name painted on it!

I spent two consecutive Sundays watching bullfights at the Plaza de Toros (Bullfighting

Ring). This sport attracts thousands of enthusiasts, many of them attired for the occasion

cowboy-style, complete with hats and boots. When I watched the show for the first time, seated

in the upper stalls, I found it very exciting. The atmosphere surrounding the bullring was

amazing and typically Mexican. The charros and the mariachis performed during breaks, and

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food (including botanas – savouries such as spiced, salted peanuts and cashew nuts, etc.) and

beverages were available in plenty. The funny comments and the jeers of the audience were

amusing. But the second time (also the last time!) I watched the show, I was seated in the front

row. I shuddered each time I heard the painful cries of the bleeding bulls and felt very

uncomfortable watching the scene. By then, I already knew the intricacies of the sport.

Each bullfight is divided into three suertes (acts) or tercios (thirds), each signalled by a

trumpet blast. During the first tercio, several toreros or bullfighters with large capotes, capes that

are a pinkish-mauve colour on one side and yellow on the other, tire out the bull in preparation

for the picadores who, from their mounts atop heavily padded and blindfolded horses, attempt to

force a lance between the bull's shoulder blades to further weaken him. The toreros then return

for the second tercio, in which one of them (and sometimes the matador himself) will try to stab

six metal-tipped spikes, called bandilleras into the bull in as clean and elegant a manner as

possible. Exhausted and frustrated, but by no means docile, the bull is considered ready for the

third and final tercio, the suerte suprema. The matador continues to tire the bull using the

muleta, a red cape draped from a stick, while pulling off as many graceful and daring moves as

possible. The crowd, sensing the bravery and finesse of the matador and the spirit of the bull he

is up against, shout ‘olé’ which reverberates around the stadium with every pass. Eventually the

matador entices the bull to challenge him head-on, standing there with its hooves together. As it

charges, he thrusts his sword between its shoulder blades and, if it is well executed, the bull

crumples to the ground. It may seem gruesome, but successful matadors are awarded with a

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bull’s ears or tail, based on their skills and consistency during the bullfighting season.

Mexico celebrates 20th November as Dia de la Revolución Mexicana or the Mexican

Revolution Day. The day fell on a Tuesday, so we had a puente (literally meaning ‘bridge’); this

means that when a holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday, the Monday or the Friday is also

taken as a holiday which results in a four-day long weekend. I had been under severe stress and

was looking forward to a long holiday. Since I wasn’t allowed any leave, I was glad to get the

lucky break. I had planned to visit Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Dolores Hidalgo and

Leon in the state of Guanajuato. So on Saturday morning, I took the bus for the state capital,

Guanajuato, one of the most charming colonial cities in Mexico. On the way, while nearing the

city, the girl in my neighbouring seat pointed out a hill, crowned by a large bronze statue of Jesus

Christ. ‘It’s the world's second largest statue of Christ, after Rio de Janeiro,’ she said. I had read

that the statue was one of Mexico's most important religious monuments and that the area

supposedly marked the geographic centre of the country.

On reaching Guanajuato, I realized that the entire city had been overrun by tourists. For

an hour or more, I looked around for hotels with available rooms. Walking along the narrow,

cobbled, pedestrian-only streets was a pleasant experience as each of them opened onto

charming, fountain-filled plazas. Due to the long holiday, this charming colonial city was now

overflowing with people. At one of the hotels, a manager told me about an old lady who let out a

few rooms in her house to tourists. We left for her place immediately after I had booked an

organized tour for the following day. The tour covered the surrounding areas including the

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nearby cities of Dolores Hidalgo and San Miguel de Allende.

The house was located in a nice, quiet alley. The price was good too, so I took the room

and later left for my exploration of the city. Initially, the intricate and complex network of

cobbled streets and narrow alleys got me confused but later with the help of a city map obtained

from the tourism office I managed to get around quiet well. There were no traffic lights or neon

signs and the streets were impeccably clean. At each corner, I sighted a church. The city amazed

me with its beautiful atmosphere. No wonder many Mexican as well as foreign couples come to

get married here, in this city which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site!

Situated at a height of 6649 feet in the silver-mining highlands of central Mexico,

Guanajuato is known for its rich history and cultural heritage. The city as well as the nearby

cities of Dolores Hidalgo and San Miguel de Allende, were centres of the revolutionary

independence movement. Today, the high population of students and youth has resulted in a

young and vibrant atmosphere in Guanajuato. In October, the city holds the annual international

cultural festival, the Festival Cervantino, which attracts thousands of young visitors, mostly

artists and musicians, from all over the world. Guanajuato also boasts of several museums,

including the Diego Rivera Museum (the city is the birthplace of the internationally renowned

muralist).

I boarded a bus for a quick look around the city. Beneath the city, the bus passed through

a series of amazing underground tunnels connecting one side of the town to the other, creating

subterranean thoroughfares. This left the cobbled streets traffic free. Sometime later, I took

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another bus to visit a strange and unique museum, Museo de las Momias where more than a

hundred mummified human corpses exhumed from the local public cemetery, are lined up

against the wall in glass cases.

When I reached the place it was late evening and the thought of looking at dead bodies

made me hesitate at the entrance door. But I carried on and joined the people waiting for the tour

of the place. A guide led us through the dark passage with just enough light to see the exhibits on

both sides and creepy music filling the air. We were told that the mummies were formed

naturally in the local cemetery due to the area's arid climate.

The mummies were residents of Guanajuato who lived roughly from 1850 to 1950. There

used to be a law in Guanajuato in those times which required family members of the deceased

interred at the cemetery to pay an annual fee. If the fee was not paid for five years in a row, the

body was exhumed and the crypt would be re-used. In 1865, cemetery workers exhumed the

remains of a body and discovered that it had not decayed, but had mummified. Over time, more

bodies were found in this state, and they were placed in the cemetery's ossuary building. As word

spread, people began to visit the mummies and the museum was set up.

The mummies ranged from children to adult men and women, some of them having their

clothing intact others with just their socks on. But the museum’s pride was ‘the smallest mummy

in the world,’ a foetus. It was truly a strange sight! I didn’t spend much time around and quickly

left the place.

The bus ride back to the Centro was hilarious too. I got a free tour of the town in a local

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bus, courtesy the driver, before his duty for the day ended at 7:00 pm! This was after I told him

that I had missed the last tour bus of the day for the tour of the town. Back in the Centro, I was

surprised to see thousands of people on the streets. It was as if the entire town had got down to

the streets and not without a reason - there were food fairs, and many more activities happening

in every nook and corner of the town. I sampled few of the dishes and basked in the party

atmosphere.

When I returned back to the house, I met my landlady’s daughter, Laura, who had come

over to stay with her mother for the long holiday. The cool and stylish girl in her 30s, offered to

show me the attractions of the Centro, including its nightspots and acquaint me with the city’s

main tourist draw – the organized callejóneadas or walking tours. I was thrilled! We walked

around for almost three hours and I discovered many interesting things about the city and its

landmarks. The uniformly colourful-dressed student minstrel groups called estudiantinas led the

callejóneadas singing and performing rituals along a traditional route winding through the side

streets and back alleys. This is a daily happening started in 1962, by a few local youths who were

inspired by the centuries-old estudiantinas of Spain.

The city’s nightlife was booming. We entered a popular disco for some drinks and

partying. When we left the place past 2:00 am, I was surprised to find people still on the streets,

some gathered around the charming small plazas dotting the town.

The next morning, I took an organized tour of the surrounding areas including Dolores

Hidalgo and San Miguel de Allende. The parish church of Dolores Hidalgo is of great

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significance. On 16th of September, 1810, it was here that Father Miguel Hidalgo raised the

‘Grito de Dolores’, the cry of rebellion against the Spanish, and with 80,000 armed supporters,

commenced the independence struggle. Apart from being known as the cradle of the

Independence movement, the place is also famed for its Talavera pottery. I also remember the

place for its mouth-watering ice creams which are sold around the centre square. Besides the

various fruit and nut flavours, I sampled some unimaginable flavours like tequila, cerveza (beer)

and jalapeño!

A short distance away from Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende is a beautiful colonial

city with the highest influx of foreign expatriates (mostly gringos) in Mexico. The charming city

has all the trappings of a genuine tourist destination with narrow, cobbled streets, lovely tree-

lined squares, a stunning colonial architecture and elegant colonial-style houses and patios. Like

I had seen in the town of Ajijic, in San Miguel too, there are many beautiful spas, art and

language schools, chic boutiques, classy restaurants and numerous art & craft outlets, all thanks

to the high population of American expatriates. To me, San Miguel seemed to be a truly beautiful

place to live. I really felt disappointed at being able to spend just a few hours here.

When I returned back to Guanajuato at night, I was fascinated by the party mood of the

city. In addition to the activities of the previous night, there were rock concerts, and firework

displays. Thousands of people flooded the streets. The restaurants were overflowing with people,

the plazas were overcrowded, deafening rock music filled the air and beautiful firework displays

covered the skies.

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That night, I met up with a local member of the youth association, a young girl called

Laura. When I recounted to her my previous day’s experience of not finding a good room in any

of the good hotels she told me that I was lucky to get a room in a nice house as most houses

which let out rooms to tourists also ran out of rooms during the holidays. I wasn’t surprised

because all the rooms at my landlady’s place had got occupied by the first night itself and she

even had to turn away a young English family due to lack of space. The previous night, Laura

had told me that hundreds of late arrivals in the city sleep in their vehicles or on the streets due to

lack of accommodation. Even the luxury hotels face the problem of unavailable rooms during the

holidays.

Next morning, I witnessed a parade of little children and youngsters in colourful

costumes with music bands, dancing and more. The entire town was in a celebratory mood.

Laura had offered to take me to the 18th century church, Templo de San Cayetano de Valenciana

known for its extraordinary architecture; and the Boca Mina San Ramón, one of the oldest silver

mines open to public.

Guanajuato was for centuries the wealthiest town in Mexico – silver was discovered here

in 1548 – its silver mines pouring out the bulk of silver that was sent to Spain for royalty. I

bought a few crystal and other stones from a rock-seller; and a silver pendant in the shape of an

eagle at a shop near the Boca Mina San Ramón. The mine had some wonderful displays and

pieces of old mining equipment, but the most exciting part was descending the steps into a mine

shaft 60 meters deep.

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Guanajuato is an extremely enjoyable and peaceful place, yet bursting with plenty of life.

Even after a three-day stay, I longed to return back for more! The large city of Leon is located

between Guanajuato and Guadalajara. So I took the bus till Leon, deposited my bag in the

luggage storage room at the bus terminal, and went to shop for leather goods -- the city being

Mexico’s number one destination for leather goods. Just opposite the terminal, there were special

malls and numerous shops selling all kinds of leather accessories. I purchased a mustard leather

jacket, black knee-length leather coat and matching gloves for the cold winter.

Back in Guadalajara, my social life was going very well. Between attending small get-

togethers and visiting discos, I had also become part of the soccer-crazy world. Sometimes, I got

to watch the matches at the Estadio Jalisco when the company-owned club was playing.

My most memorable day in the country was the 24th of November. At the invitation of

the director of one of the company’s charitable associations, I had attended the inaugural

function of the Feria Internacional del Libro (or FIL for short), the International Book Fair of

Guadalajara at the Guadalajara Expo Centre.

Started in 1987, the nine-day FIL is the second largest book fair in the world after the

Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany, attracting more than half a million visitors, nearly two

thousand publishers, and hundreds of authors. Held every year from the last Saturday in

November, it is the largest and most diverse international offering of publications in Spanish

language and the most important annual event of its kind in the Spanish-speaking world.

Traditionally, a country or a region is made the FIL guest of honour, giving each an opportunity

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to display the best of its cultural and literary heritage. And that year, the guest country of the FIL

was Colombia.

I was thrilled to get the opportunity of attending the inaugural function which was open

only to a selected audience. The previous day, I had heard that the prestigious book fair was to be

inaugurated at the hands of the Mexican president – a first in the fair’s history! What I didn’t

know then, was that I was going to greet the President with a peck on his proffered cheek!

Besides the Mexican president and his wife, the important dignitaries to be present at the

function included the state governor, the internationally well-known Columbian writer and

Mexico City resident, Gabriel Garcia Márquez (affectionately called ‘Gabo’), leading Mexican

writers (including the internationally renowned author Carlos Fuentes) and educationists.

I was glad that I was going to sit in the special enclosure close to the podium. However,

there were many early arrivals and I ended up getting a seat in the last row in the special

enclosure. It was a blessing in disguise because when President Felipe Calderón entered the hall,

he chose to walk his way to the podium right through the passage which separated the last row

(where I was seated) of the special enclosure from that of the rest which included other invitees

and the press. I was naturally thrilled to see the president in such close proximity. And more so,

when he caught my eye and gave me a sunny smile.

Being a little over enthusiastic about taking photos, I was ready with my camera when

President Calderón rose to deliver his speech. I had already taken permission from his security

staff who allowed me to go close to where he was standing. I was the only lucky person taking

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photos of the president at close quarters while the press photographers clicked from their

enclosure.

After all the speeches were over, I wanted to take a close-up photo of the president while

leaving. So when he walked down the other aisle, I quickly rushed over to that side to stand close

enough to do a video recording of him as he approached closer, greeting the organizers standing

to the opposite side of me.

And then something happened that I never could have imagined in my wildest dreams. A

gentleman standing next to me called out to the president as he neared us. President Calderón

immediately came over to our side and shook hands with the gentleman. When he came to my

side I too extended my hand and greeted him with a sweet ‘Buenas Tardes, Sr Presidente’.

Accepting my hand, he greeted ‘Muy Buenas Tardes’ and did something which took me

completely by surprise!

President Calderón turned his right cheek to me in an open invitation to plant a cheek

kiss. Well, it’s a Mexican custom to kiss the right cheek of a woman (or man) in a greeting or

goodbye. I was numbed for a second and almost kept the president waiting! Mustering my

courage, I lightly brushed my cheek against his proffered cheek. I guess at that moment I must

have caught the attention of almost everyone present in the hall.

The state governor, Emilio González Márquez, who was walking behind in the

President’s entourage, also turned to greet me with a smiling hola while passing by! It was also

at this event that I met two lovely people who soon became my wonderful friends – Consuelo

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‘Cony’ and Roxana ‘Rox’.

After the inaugural function, a banquet lunch had been organized for the special invitees

at the Hilton Hotel which was just opposite the venue of the book fair. A sumptuous eight-course

Colombian lunch had been specially prepared by some of Colombia’s finest chefs who were

going to present their country’s specialties during the festival.

At the banquet, I got to meet Gabriel García Márquez (Gabo). Just a year and a half ago, I

had been assigned to prepare a presentation on the acclaimed writer when I was pursuing my

advanced Spanish language studies in Mumbai. So I was quite well-versed with his life history

and literary work. Gabo was Rox’s favourite author so we both were equally thrilled to meet and

take photos with him.

On leaving the banquet, we were presented with a bag full of Colombian souvenirs which

included among other beautiful things – a pack of Colombian fine coffee. We returned to the fair

venue to visit the various stalls and take a look at the available book collection and get an overall

view of the books displayed in the fair. And of course, we purchased a few books too. Later, we

attended the press conferences given by Mexico’s top literary figures including Carlos Fuentes. I

felt really lucky that day! Cheek kissing the Mexican president, meeting international writers,

literary stalwarts...and all this at a prestigious international book fair!

Rox was from the city of Pachuca in the state of Hidalgo and it was her first visit to

Guadalajara so she wanted to see a bit of the city. But since it was night time, we could only visit

the city’s second largest mall, Plaza del Sol, which was near her hotel. Later however, we had

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great fun at a really different sort of night club where people were swinging to a dance set to

banda music. Looking at the place and the ambience, for the first time I felt that I was really in

Mexico. It was like a scene straight out from the Wild West movies of Clint Eastwood or John

Wayne. Although I had watched the songs on TV many times over the past few months, and

even knew the lyrics to most of them, the dance was new to me. There was no shortage of

partners, all of whom looked like typical hot-blooded latinos. I got the dance movements right

pretty soon – very Mexican-ranchero (ranch) style, the ‘swing’ dance is all about twisting,

turning, swaying, lifting and spinning. The girls are lifted and spun around like dolls, but it was

fun. I was very sure that many of my Mexican friends themselves were not well-versed with the

energetic dance.

The next day we went sight-seeing around the city. Rox wanted a ride in the horse-drawn

carriages called calandrias, so we took a forty-minute colonial-style tour of the city. We visited

the Mercado Libertad, the largest enclosed market in Latin America. Popularly known as the San

Juan de Dios market, this multi-storeyed market houses all sorts of merchandise and almost

everything saleable under the sun including a butchers’ aisle where every part and organ of the

animal is displayed for sale – head, intestines, feet, etc. All this under one large roof!

The huge food court has numerous stalls offering a variety of Mexican dishes including

the city’s favourite tortas ahogadas which are bread rolls stuffed with pork dunked in a savoury

chile-tomato salsa (sauce), pork stews like birria, carne en su jugo and pozole; the immensely

popular corn tortilla-based antojitos (‘appetizers’) like tacos, smallish tortillas topped with meat

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and garnishing, and the deep-fried tostadas with toppings; shrimp cocktail and seafood dishes;

and fresh fruit water drinks called aguas frescas and popular drinks including the horchata made

of rice, sugar and cinnamon.

Outside, there are booths selling all sorts of birds and assorted small animals. There are

over 1000 vendors in the vast market. It was my third visit to the place, but still I had the feeling

that I had not covered everything.

December

By the beginning of December all the commercial centres and the public buildings, especially in

the Centro, were flaunting the Christmas look with brilliant decorations and illuminations. Huge,

colourfully decorated Christmas trees were common sights in plazas, shopping malls and some

of the larger markets. The commercial areas were thumping with activity and the main streets

were often blocked by traffic. Finding a parking place had become a very difficult task.

The city looked beautiful flooded by night illuminations. During the first week, I caught

up with Cony at Sanborns, a popular department store-cum-restaurant chain. We passed a

splendid evening sharing entertaining moments over a bottle of fine wine. The restaurant was

holding a lucky draw with a rich plum cake as the prize. Much to our joy, I won the draw.

By then, I had grown very well versed in the matter of shopping areas both for high-end

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shopping and for getting cheap bargains. My favourite department store was Fábricas de Francia.

This was where I splurged on Chanel perfumes and cosmetics, mainly because the saleswomen

offered me plenty of free goodies. Besides Galerias Liverpool, my other favourite mall for

shopping was the Gran Plaza.

On Sundays, in any Mexican city or town, it is common to find a tianguis, a street

market, with a great variety of things like clothes, pottery, belts, bags, wooden furniture,

handicrafts, toys, food, tools, footwear, on sale. Some of these street markets also sell all kinds of

used things. The markets are held in various barrios of the city and are open from 7 am to almost

3 pm. The city’s most popular tianguis for garments and footwear is the Tianguis de Santa Tere.

The most popular shopping zones in and around the Centro include the Zona del Vestir for

fashion wear and the Calle Obregón near Mercado Libertad for imported products. Located

close to Guadalajara is the pottery centre of Jalisco – Tonalá. Its famous outdoor market held on

Thursdays and Sundays attracts large crowds shopping for a wide variety of handicrafts at great

bargains. The shopper’s paradise for clothes at reasonable prices is Zapotlanejo, located at an

hour’s drive from Guadalajara.

One day, at the office, I received a terrible jolt. I had made the detailed expense statement

for the Diwali mandap with all the bills attached to it, including the taxi charges. Unfortunately, I

was not aware that in Mexico, receipts without the ‘RFC’ number (an ID number for taxation) of

the payee are not valid for accounting and tax purposes. Nobody had mentioned this to me

before. I had shopped at eighteen different places all over the city, so it meant that I would have

49

to visit all those places again and get a new receipt from all of them with the RFC number of the

company mentioned on it! I took the company car and spent the whole day travelling from one

place to another – I prayed that nobody would have any issues in giving me fresh receipts! But I

needn’t have worried because the people still remembered me and were very warm and eager to

help me out. I returned to the office at 7:30 pm, totally exhausted, but it didn’t matter when I

compared it to the warmth and help offered to me by so many people in a single day. At the store

selling illuminations, the young shop owner even gifted me a Christmas tree hanging – a golden

angel!

On the 12th of December, Mexico celebrates the Fiesta de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Day

of Our Lady of Guadalupe). Although it is not a public holiday, it is the country’s biggest

religious event of the year. The day is marked by mass and celebrations in honour of Guadalupe,

Mexico's patron saint, whose image is found everywhere – in churches, houses, taxis, buses,

hotels, restaurants, bull rings, etc. In Guadalajara too, in the Centro, the Santuario de la Virgen

de Guadalupe is normally visited by 500,000 worshipers. I accompanied my landlady and her

son to church in her BMV SUV. All the surrounding roads were closed to traffic and the area

was flooded with people. After a long time spent in searching for a parking space for the

expensive BMW and getting an assurance for its safety, we walked a long distance towards the

church. We were lucky to quickly squeeze into the church and out without having to wait for a

long time in the queue. Outside the church, the place was lined with food stalls selling Mexican

sandwiches, savouries and sweets including the popular crunchy, sugar-coated wheat fritters

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called buñuelos, caramelized camotes (sweet potatoes) and fruit-flavoured ice popsicles called

raspados. Then I saw something that completely took me by surprise – vendors selling colourful

dried sago wafers! There were others who were selling them freshly fried. Even in my wildest

dreams, I wouldn’t have imagined finding these crispy delights in Mexico! The surrounding

restaurants were packed with people and there was hardly any place to move around in the

congested area. After watching a traditional firework display, we returned to the car.

The Christmas shopping season was in full swing. The red Poinsettia, native to Mexico,

and known there as Flor de Nochebuena (Christmas flower), is one of the symbols of Mexican

Christmas. It blooms mainly in December and hence the name. Along with Christmas trees, these

plants too are rapidly sold out at Christmas markets.

In Mexico, the Christmas party scene starts early in the month and continues right till the

Dia de los Santos Reyes (Three Kings' Day or Epiphany) which is celebrated on 6th of January.

A traditional nine-day celebration of Las Posadas (The Inns) starts from the 16th of the month.

On each of these nights, processions go from door to door to re-enact Mary and Joseph's search

for an inn, with local communities arranging for one of the local houses to be the inn that accepts

– while children travel from door-to-door in traditional costume, holding candles and singing a

traditional carol, requesting a place to stay. Eventually they get to the arranged house where a

piñata (a papier-mâché figure filled with sweets) is strung up outside. The traditional piñata is a

seven pointed clay model which symbolizes the seven deadly sins. A grand party begins inside.

Long Christmas sparklers are lit and sometimes there is a display of fireworks. Before sitting

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down for dinner, each one is blindfolded and takes a turn hitting the piñata with a stick. When it

breaks, they all rush to collect a share of the candies that rain down from above. On the other

hand, the modern Posadas are more like a get-together, full of fun, food, music and dance.

In the company, each department organized their own get-together starting from the first

week of the month. I attended three Posadas – the Posada of the Human Resource Department

(HRD) and the Commercial Department and the grandest of them all – the company Posada.

These were fun-filled parties complete with music, dance, games and a lavish dinner. The

Posada of the HRD incorporated an element of suspense and excitement. Some days before the

event, each employee of the HRD had to select a paper chit which contained the name of the

person for whom they had to get a gift on the day of the Posada. They also had to send that

person small gifts every day, if possible. To my immense joy, every day I found a packet or box

full of chocolates and a variety of sweet, sour and spicy Mexican candies on my table. Most

Mexican candies are flavoured with chile and tamarind!

The identity of my secret gift-giver was revealed at the party. The sweet guy also gifted

me the most beautiful things – a lovely necklace with a clover leaf pendant and a crystal-studded

watch. The chit I had selected contained the name of the HRD director of the company-owned

soccer club. I gifted him a wall photo-frame. The party was organized in the huge premise of a

restaurant which had been booked in advance for the day. At the party, I was given the honour of

hitting the piñata with a stick. It was great fun!

The Posada of the Commercial Department was fun too with music, dance and great

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food. It was held in a large private garden of a department staff member. But the grandest event

took place on the 15th - the company Posada! Held in the beautiful sprawling lawns of the

company’s school, it was attended by over 2500 people, including the chairman.

My friend, Rox, had invited me over to her hometown in Pachuca for the holidays.

According to the company rule for the holidays, all those taking a day off on the 24th for

Christmas had to report for work on the 31st and vice versa. I worked on the 24th as I wanted to

celebrate Christmas in Guadalajara and took the New Year holiday to visit Pachuca in the state

of Hidalgo. At the office, everyone exchanged gifts and candies. At home, the landlady had put

up a nicely decorated Christmas tree and organized a special dinner with red wine, almond soup,

French bread, roasted turkey, pork loin and flan. It was just the four of us – the landlady, her two

sons and I. After exchanging gifts, we had a quiet dinner. Then, Ale came over to pick me up for

the Christmas party at her place where I had a great time partying right till 4 am.

Four days later, I was in Pachuca, 90 km north-east of Mexico City, almost 1.5 hours

away. Rox and her husband had just shifted into their new house and had kept a guestroom ready

for me. Rox showed me all the city sights and took me to the nearby mountain-side town of Real

de Monte, a thirty minutes drive away.

Pachuca and Real de Monte were culturally influenced by Cornish miners who

immigrated there in the 19th century; some stayed back to form well-known Cornish-Mexican

families. At 8,800 feet, Real de Monte (also known as Mineral del Monte) is one of the highest

inhabited places in the country. This small and charming town was once the richest in the state

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where mining for gold, silver and other minerals was carried on for more than 500 years. Today

all the mines are closed. The development of silver mining in Pachuca-Real de Monte region was

thanks to a Cornish firm which ran the mines. They were also the first to introduce soccer to

Mexico. The national game was first played in the country by these miners at Pachuca, making it

the birthplace of Mexican soccer. The country’s first soccer club, the Pachuca Athletic Club, was

founded in 1901. Paste, a semi-circular turnover filled with a variety of sweet or savoury fillings

is the regional specialty which was again introduced by the Cornish miners. The shape and pastry

portion of the turnover have remained the same but today, the fillings have changed giving it a

Mexican flavour.

I was completely charmed by the beauty and the quiet surroundings of Real de Monte.

The steep streets, stairways and small squares lined with low buildings, date back to the colonial

times. The Cornish influence is visible in the architecture of the village where houses have high

sloping roofs and chimneys. It was very cold in the evening but the serene atmosphere was very

inviting, with bakeries and quaint little shops selling souvenirs, silver and clothes all across the

main street. Rox took me to her beautiful office in the sprawling campus of the University of

Fine Arts where she worked as the administrative manager. She took me around the nearby areas

where her ‘artist’ friends lived and showed me their works. It was a small place and she knew

most of the people around very well.

The next day we visited the archaeological zone of Teotihuacán in the state of Mexico,

some 48 km north-east of Mexico City. Teotihuacán, which means ‘place where gods were

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born,’ was an important place of pilgrimage during the Aztec period. The Aztec believed that

gods created the universe here and identified it with the myth of Tollan, the place where the sun

was created. Today, it is one of the most important and most visited archaeological sites in

Mexico.

We reached the site very early in the morning to avoid exploring the place under the

harsh sun. When I reached to the top of the immense Pyramid of the Sun (the third-largest

pyramid in the world surpassed only by the Great Pyramid of Cholula and the Great Pyramid of

Cheops in Egypt) I got an amazing view of the place. It was a tiring climb so Rox preferred to sit

and wait downstairs. There were few tourists around me. One of them, a Japanese girl, told me

that Teotihuacán is also a very spiritual place for those who observe the pre-Hispanic traditions.

It is believed to be a place of great energy. For this reason, every year on March 21, at the time

of the spring equinox, thousands of visitors descend on the site to absorb its strong energy. Like

all the other tourists around me, I too spread out my hands to absorb the rays of the early

morning sun.

Later in the day, we visited Mexico City where I wanted to check out a few Indian

restaurants, the directions of which I had downloaded from the Internet. International cuisines

like French, Italian, Japanese and Lebanese are very popular in cosmopolitan Mexico City so I

wanted to review the Indian cuisine scene. To my disappointment, we discovered that two of the

restaurants in my list had shut down their business. One was a bit far off from our location. So

we lunched at the fourth one. The owners of the place were from Pakistan. One of them brought

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us a rajma dish which he had personally prepared in the kitchen, and wasn’t on the menu. The

restaurant had received good reviews, but being an Indian, I found the food to be lacking the

typical Indian flavours. But then, one really can’t expect authentic Indian cuisine in restaurants

abroad. It’s always a fusion cuisine catered to suit the taste buds of the foreign palate. The semi-

circular shaped ‘samosas’ were too bland for my taste. I was pleasantly surprised when Rox told

me that in some parts of the country a similar preparation of freshly rolled corn tortillas folded

over a savoury filling and deep-fried are called quesadillas. Till then, the only kind of

quesadillas that I had eaten were corn tortillas folded over a filling of cheese and heated on the

griddle till the cheese melted.

Mexico City is a gastronomic Mecca with its countless markets, restaurants, and street

vendors. The culinary traditions of the entire country can be found here from pre-Hispanic and

traditional food to the upscale nueva cocina which combines native Mexican ingredients, recipes

and techniques with those of international haute cuisine.

The cosmopolitan city has more than 15000 restaurants excluding the innumerable

taquerías (taco vending stalls or restaurants), torta (Mexican sandwich) shops and eateries

offering comida corrida (‘daily special’ fixed price meals served between 1:00 – 4:00 pm).

There are all sorts of restaurants from the barbacoa (barbeque) and pozole eateries to the plush

nueva cocina dining spots; as well as traditional bars like pulquerias or pulque bars and cantinas

or bars that offer botanas or savouries with each drink.

After lunch, we visited the beautiful Castillo de Chapultepec (Castle of Chapultepec),

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now a museum, and once home to Emperor Maximilian and his wife, Empress Carlotta. It is

situated high above a hill, overlooking the Chapultepec Park and the numerous surrounding

monuments and museums, including the National Zoo and the National Museum of

Anthropology. At the entrance to the Park, there is a Monumento a los Niños Heroes with six

columns representing the six heroic cadets who gave up their lives for their country. According

to legend, six young cadets based at the Castillo (then a military academy) refused to surrender

to the invading American forces that had surrounded the castle above, choosing instead to wrap

themselves in the national flags and jump from the castle walls to their deaths. The monument is

Mexico’s bastion of patriotism.

The days passed very quickly. I spent the New Year with Rox and her family at their

family home. Then, it was time to return to Guadalajara.

January

On the 6th of January, Dia de los Santos Reyes, an office colleague brought the Rosca de los

Reyes (‘King's Loaf’), an oval loaf of sweet bread which has little plastic figurines of baby Jesus

hidden inside. By tradition, all those present have to cut a slice of the Rosca and the ones who

get the slice containing the little figurine have to host a party and serve the traditional ‘tamales’

(‘tamal’ in singular, corn husk-covered corn dough packets wrapped around a sweet or savoury

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filling and steamed) to the rest on Dia de la Candelaria which takes place on the 2nd of

February. This day is celebrated nationwide with dance, food and music as well as other local

festivities to mark the passing of winter. I was the first to cut a slice of the Rosca. It had a little

white plastic figurine inside! Seven others also found the little figurines in their slices of bread.

Sadly, it was not possible to organize a party on the 2nd because of a major annual company

event. The following weekend, I decided to visit the colonial town of Zacatecas in the state of the

same name. Aware of the low winter temperatures there, I geared myself up with the warmest

clothes.

Zacatecas is located at a height of 7,500 feet in a valley between two hills. It was founded

in 1546 and grew into a rich and elegant colonial city thanks to the region's mining boom. A

UNESCO World Heritage site, the architecture here is immensely attractive. The town’s

Cathedral which was completed in 1750, has the best façade among all the cathedrals in Mexico.

The city’s silver mines were among the richest in the country in the colonial period. An

old silver mine, called Mina El Eden (it stopped production in 1964) is one of the major

attractions of the place. There were originally seven levels in this mine of which the fourth level

is open to visitors. A train ride takes visitors wearing yellow safety helmets, some 600 meters

deep into the mountain, Cerro del Grillo. The train stops inside and the rest of the tour is

undertaken on foot deep into the mines, as a guide points out major points of interest, relates

legends and myths, and explains how the miners of the earlier times worked to get gold, silver,

iron, copper and zinc out of the rocks. Inside, there is an amazing museum housing a stunning

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collection of precious metals and gems from all around the world. The tour was an amazing

experience! Another unique feature of this mine is its night club, the only night club in the world

to be totally underground, with a capacity to hold 240 people! From the mine, I took the elevator

straight up to the entrance of the cable car station. A seven-minute cable car ride across the city

brought me to the Cerro de la Bufa, the highest peak in the area. During the ride, I was treated to

a magnificent view of the city. After walking further and climbing up some steps, the road opens

to a large open area holding a church, a museum and a monument with statues of three of

Mexico’s revolutionary heroes, one among them being, the famous Pancho Villa.

Like in Guanajauato, a famous Saturday night ritual in Zacatecas is the ‘Callejonada

Zacateca’, which begins at around 9 pm with a walk around the city's alleys, passageways and

plazas with enthusiastic people singing, playing instruments, dancing, drinking and having a

great time! Later, I went to the nightclub at the Mina to enjoy the simply cool experience of

partying beneath the earth’s surface. The place opens only late at night and was freezing cold,

but I enjoyed each moment to the fullest.

The next morning, I had breakfast at the luxurious Hotel Quinta Real which is

constructed around the ruins of the old bull ring in such a manner that the centre of the old

bullring is now the centre of the hotel’s courtyard. An old aqueduct runs past. It is fun exploring

the town, walking on cobbled streets and climbing up the steps leading to narrow paths and

alleys, which curve around to a new street at a higher or lower level, which in turn open out into

colourful plazas and courtyards. The cuisine is very special too. I remember having tasted Asado

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de Boda, a pork dish which is traditionally served at wedding feasts; delicious spicy Enchiladas

Zacatecanas (Zacatecas-style rolled tortillas stuffed with chicken filling, covered with red salsa

and baked) and Mezcal, a popular drink. There are some nice museums around – the Museo

Rafael Coronel is famous for having the largest display (over 2000) of traditional masks in the

country.

On my return from Zacatecas, due to the change in the weather from freezing cold to

pleasantly cold, I developed flu. It was the first time that I had been ill in Mexico. Besides taking

antibiotics, I used to have seafood soup at the nearby Japanese restaurants in the evenings. In

spite of having high temperature, I reported for work. I had never bunked office even for a single

day! In the mornings, on reaching office I used to take some lemon slices from the canteen and

add them to lukewarm water along with a spoonful of honey from the bottle which Ale had

brought for me. After two weeks of illness, I was back to my normal self.

After my belly dancing lessons got over, I got myself enrolled for Argentinean tango

lessons at a dance studio in the neighbourhood. It was fun and offered a diversion from the daily

routine. Then I learnt that the huge Colomos Park located in a forested area in the neighbourhood

offered horse riding activities. The following Sunday, I visited the place and selected one of the

finest horses around. After spending two hours in the forested area, I was at bliss with nature. It

was a wonderful place with separate areas for jogging or walking around and picnics or family

outings.

On the last day of January, the three-day annual extravaganza event of the company

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witnessed the arrival of more than 5000 distributors from all over the world. It gave me a major

thrill to welcome the visitors and give them the tour of the office all by myself speaking in

Spanish. They were equally excited at meeting a Spanish-speaking Indian. At the venue of the

event, I wore my black salwar kameez again with a bindi on my forehead. Everyone went crazy

over my bindi and I soon ran out of the two-three packets I had carried with me. Then, I took to

painting my creative designs on their foreheads with eyeliner. By the end of the day, I had

painted my creations on more than twenty foreheads! Besides getting bombarded with questions

on India, for the first time in my life, I was asked for autographs! I happily obliged them with it

and that too on the company’s magazine.

February

The following weekend, I travelled to the state of Michoacán and had a great time exploring the

beautiful state capital of Morelia and the nearby town of Pátzcuaro. Morelia is just 3.5 hours

away from Guadalajara. On reaching the city’s modern bus terminal (with an airport-like look

and feel), I deposited my bag in the luggage storage room and took a bus to the famous town of

Pátzcuaro, about 45 minutes away.

Pátzcuaro was the ceremonial centre of the native Purépecha or Tarasco culture before

the arrival of the Spaniards. The distinct blend of colonial and indigenous culture is visible in the

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beautiful Centro Histórico with colonial buildings, mansions and courtyards built around the

large main square, La Plaza de Quiroga (also called La Plaza Grande). The plaza was originally

planned as a tianguis, or Indian market. So it is surrounded by picturesque hotels, restaurants,

cafés and shops instead of government buildings and the cathedral, which is the typical layout of

the main squares all over Mexico. Combi buses or colectivos, which are minibuses

accommodating about 10-12 people at the cost of two pesos each, provide a cheap (if not always

direct) mode of getting around the area. These rustic vehicles run throughout Pátzcuaro and to

the villages around the Lago de Pátzcuaro (Lake Pátzcuaro).

After a quick look around the Centro, I boarded a combi going to the pier, to visit the

volcanic island of Janitzio, the main island of the huge lake. The fishing industry in this region is

quite significant. On the way, I saw fisherwomen seated on the ground, selling fresh fish as well

as dry fish on white boards placed on baskets in front of them. The scene was exactly similar to

that commonly seen at fish markets in Indian towns.

The way to the dock was lined by food stalls and restaurants and shops and stalls selling

footwear, souvenirs and various arts and crafts. A boat was already waiting to carry the excited

passengers on a thirty-minute ride to the island. There were many oohs and aahs over the lovely

views and bird sightings during the ride. From far, we could see the island’s main attraction - the

40-metre enormous statue of the country’s Independence War hero José María Morelos, located

on the island’s highest point.

Janitzio is like a mountain in the lake. With fishing becoming less viable and almost

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negligible arable land, the 2000 or more indigenous inhabitants of this conical, car-free island

have to rely increasingly on tourism. The Dia de los Muertos celebrated on this island is unique

and like nowhere else in the country, attracting the maximum number of tourists, both domestic

as well as international. The whole island, which has many tombs around, is decked with

decorations. Boats that come to and from this place are also decorated with lanterns as part of

their remembrance for the dead.

The lake's other attraction is butterfly net fishing. Local men demonstrate this old way of

fishing with special butterfly shaped nets at the first sight of tourist-laden boats. As our boat

neared the island, these men in tiny canoes with nets resembling wings gave us a short

presentation of their skills, and at the end of it, paddled towards us to collect their tips.

On reaching the island, I could see that there wasn’t much to be seen around. I started

walking up the path that led to the island’s highest point, to the enormous statue of Morelos. The

long way up was lined by souvenir and handicraft stalls as well as food stalls offering fish

delicacies and refreshments. After a long and tiring climb under the afternoon sun, I reached to

the top. The views from here were great so I expected a fantastic sight from the top of the

towering statue.

Inside the statue, its walls are covered with murals painted by some of Mexico’s great

muralists depicting the life of Morelos. Climbing the staircase steadily, I reached the top of

Morelos’s head from where the views got better. From here, the climb up to the highest point –

the giant raised fist of Morelos – is not advisable for the faint-hearted. The steep staircase is bi-

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directional and narrow in places, with only a metal banister as a support to prevent a freefall. I

carried on and was rewarded with a spectacular view of the lake and its surroundings from the

wide peepholes in the giant fist. The steep climb was well worth it!

The return boat ride was entertaining with snacks and drinks on board along with a band

of folklore singers belting out popular melodies. By the time we reached the dock, I was hungry

for lunch. I had been advised to keep away from lake-water fishes as they could be unhygienic

and polluted. I had followed the advice when I had stayed in Ajijic, close to Lake Chapala. But

after passing by the fish market, I had got the desire to eat some fish. I had read that the local fish

delicacies included pescado blanco, a small white fish, about one third of the size of sardines and

a minnow-size charal, eaten either deep-fried or in tacos. Throwing caution to the wind, I asked

for the two. The boy who was taking the order just smiled and suggested that I try something else

which was fresh and delicious. So I ended up having a lunch of soup and vegetables instead!

After lunch, there was just a little time left for window shopping. A quick look at some of

the arts and crafts made me realize that they were similar to those crafted in India. I recollected

something that I had seen in a popular souvenir shop in Mumbai when I had visited it for

shopping for gifts to carry to Mexico – cute-looking tiny wood boxes with a colourful spider

inside which wiggled on being shaken. As I passed by one of the stalls, I saw the same cute

things on sale! But what left me totally wonderstruck at a footwear shop was the sight of

familiar-looking leather slippers neatly displayed for sale – Kolhapuri chappals! I was about to

ask the shopkeeper about them when a combi stopped by to collect passengers. I had planned to

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take a bus back to Morelia from the Centro not knowing that there was a shared taxi service too.

So when the bus driver told me about it and suggested that I board the vehicle which was going

to pass by the taxi stand, I readily accepted.

During the journey, I couldn’t stop thinking about the Kolhapuri chappals in the shop and

wondered how the famous Indian footwear originating from Kolhapur in the western state of

Maharashtra could find its way in this small town of Mexico. Moreover, this region has a

growing leather and shoe industry second only to Leon, which I had already visited.

Furthermore, the woven-leather Mexican sandals called huaraches seen throughout the country

are exactly the same kind of sandals seen in India too. One of my co-passengers in the taxi told

me that the native Purépecha people prefer to wear light footwear and hence the leather slippers.

‘Cheap slippers from Asian countries are a big import too,’ he said. That explained the presence

of the Kolhapuri chappals and also the cute spider things!

By taxi, I reached Morelia sooner in the evening. Collecting my bag from the bus

terminal, I took a taxi to a hotel close to the Centro Histórico where I had planned to stay.

Morelia impressed me with its elegant colonial architecture featuring pink stone and baroque

styles. This aristocratic colonial city stands in stark contrast to the rest of the state which is

largely indigenous. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s a great place for just walking around. I

reached the Centro Histórico just in time to catch a wonderful display of fireworks followed by

the illumination of the impressive pink stone cathedral. The cathedral dominates the main plaza,

and is surrounded by beautiful colonial buildings including the majestic Palacio de Gobierno.

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The following morning, I continued my exploration of the city, wandering around the

main road, Calle Valladolid. The cathedral and the areas on either side of it: Plaza de Armas and

Plaza Melchor Ocampo, with its tree-lined passageways, and an elegant bandstand in the centre

looked equally beautiful in daylight. Within a ten-block zone more than four dozen impressive

edifices relate the story of the city’s colourful history. Many of the old historic buildings have

been converted into government offices, museum, banks, and up-market retail stores. One of the

most prominent architectural wonders is the long, impressive Acueducto (Aqueduct) which was

built in 1785 and served as a water source till the early 1900s. The Palacio Clavijero with a

beautiful fountain in the centre of the patio was a school, a warehouse and a prison before

hosting the offices of the State Government.

I visited the Museo del Dulce, an amazing and unique place which was first established in

1840 as a candy store. Besides selling a wide variety of Mexican confectioneries and fruit

liquors, the place also hosts a small museum on confectionery and an auditorium where the

history of the city and its confectionery is presented to visitors. At its French-style café,

waitresses dressed in colonial dresses serve the regional delicacies in the beautiful patio. In a

beautifully decorated traditional kitchen, a demonstration is given on the preparation of ates, the

traditional sweets made from fruit paste. It looked just like the Indian sweets called ‘halwas’.

The entire procedure, right from processing of the fresh fruit to the finished product is shown to

the visitors, tempting many to purchase the various kinds of ates displayed beautifully in the next

room. After the tour of the place, I went to the small café and tasted two of the local specialties –

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chongos (made from milk, honey and cinnamon) and corundas (pyramid-shaped tamales with

cheese/meat filling). At the store, I couldn’t decide which of the sweet goodies to purchase as

they all looked very tempting. Finally, I purchased a few ates (fruit pastes), rollos de membrillo

(rolls of quince), rollos de guayaba (rolls of guava), small jars of honey in different flavours, few

cocadas (coconut fudge candies), a large pack of glorias (sweets made of cajeta, the traditional

confection of sweetened caramelized milk) and a gordita de nata (half-inch thick pancake made

with heavy cream and sweetened with sugar). By the time I reached the payment counter, my

two baskets were heavily laden with sweet goodies.

Many of the city’s numerous tourist attractions are concentrated in the Centro Histórico.

These include Casa Museo de Morelos, the place where Morelos lived as an adult; Museo del

Estado (State Museum) which displays the archaeology, history and contemporary life of the city

and the state; Museo Regional Michoacano (Regional Museum of the State of Michoacán) which

displays pre-Hispanic and colonial artefacts and contemporary art and the 18th century

Conservatorio de las Rosa, the oldest music conservatory in the Americas which today houses

the internationally renowned Coro de los Niños cantores de Morelia (Boys’ Choir of Morelia) in

addition to the Music School. Adjacent to it is the beautiful plaza, Jardin de las Rosas famous

for its cultural environment and artistic surroundings, as well as for its many coffee shops and

galleries. The Monarch butterfly reserves located about four hours away from Morelia attract

numerous tourists between November and February, who come specifically to watch millions of

Monarch butterflies before they fly off on their northward migration around March.

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The regional cuisine is simply delightful. I will never forget the sensational taste of the

spicy and lip-smacking Enchiladas Morelianas made of chicken and potatoes. Besides its

gastronomic delights, the state is also one of the country’s main centres for folk art and crafts.

But after splurging a lot on sweets and candies, I didn’t fancy the idea of purchasing anything

else.

I was back in Guadalajara but still harboured a desire to travel again. My stint with the

company would soon be over and I would have to return to India. But I couldn’t dream of

leaving the country without exploring it to the maximum. For a long time I had yearned to travel

to the southern Mexican states. So, my top priority now was to plan and undertake the journey as

soon as possible in order to be back before the start of the Easter holidays.

Like the Christmas holiday season, the Easter holiday season too, keeps the entire

country on the move. It is a time when people travel to be with their families, and it’s also the

most popular time of year for family vacations. Many Mexicans living in the United States return

to their country for the holidays. All the country’s popular retreats and tourist attractions during

this period are deluged with people. Hotels remain fully booked at high season tariffs while

airports, bus stations, and the interstate highways around the principal locations are perpetually

busy. It’s also the most expensive time of year to vacation in Mexico. Mexico City, on the

contrary, wears a deserted look during the Easter week as people go on vacations. The

metropolis takes a break from the hustle and bustle of twenty-two million people going about

their daily routine. Buses leaving the city at the start of the holiday and returning to the city at the

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end of the holiday travel at full seat capacity. With fewer cars on the road, distances

that normally take two hours to cover are completed in thirty minutes flat.

I spent three whole days working on the computer in the library of the Universidad

Autónoma de Guadalajara A.C. (UAG), Mexico’s oldest private university and also the first of

its kind. The vast campus is an amazing place for students. The UAG soccer team, Los

Estudiantes (previously named Tecos) is one of the three clubs representing the city of

Guadalajara. Their home stadium, the Estadio 3 de Marzo is located inside the University

campus. The library had a large three-dimensional map of Mexico which gave me an idea of the

topography of the states which I planned to visit, that is, Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Campeche,

Tabasco, Chiapas, Oaxaca and Veracruz. I wanted to visit the state of Puebla too which was

conveniently located between Veracruz and Mexico City but this would have extended my three

week trip right into the Easter holidays, which I was trying to avoid. So I postponed the trip to

Puebla and Acapulco. The University campus was a great place for me and helped me in many

ways. I had lunch in the sprawling canteen and took printouts at the campus stationery store for

information downloaded from the internet.

Along with the downloaded information, I got some tourist pamphlets and brochures

which helped me with the planning. Finally, I made the bookings at a travel agency in my

neighbourhood. The owners were a warm couple, Maria and her Portuguese husband Paulo, with

whom I bonded very well. My itinerary was well planned. I was going to begin the trip by flying

to the world-famous beach resort of Cancun and from there I was going to travel through the

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seven states and back to Guadalajara by bus. I had selected accommodations at some of the good,

centrally located hotels for all the destinations. For my convenience, Maria had provided me with

all the information on the buses operating on my travel route along with the bus timings and

journey duration.

Only six and a half months had passed since my arrival in the country but I already knew

more about the country than the average Mexican. I knew that I had plenty in store for me ahead

on my three-week journey through territories yet unknown to me and I was eagerly looking

forward to discovering each and every detail of the places on my itinerary.

The evening before my departure, I booked a taxi from the neighbourhood taxi sitio

(official taxi stand) for the following morning. I felt very content and slept soundly. At 5:30 am

the next morning, I started out on my trip while half the city slept.

The adventures of the lone ranger through southern Mexico were about to begin!

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La Plaza de la Constitución or Zócalo, the Main Square of Mexico City, with a tall flagpole inthe centre.The enormous Mexican flag is ceremoniously raised and lowered each day and carried into thenearby Palacio Nacional (National Palace).Taken through my cell phone camera, this was the first photo that I clicked in Mexico on the dayfollowing my arrival in the country.

El Palacio Nacional, Mexico City Way to the Metro station in the Zócalo ofMexico City

La Catedral Metropolitana of Mexico City, the largest cathedral in the Western Hemisphere

Torre Mayor in Mexico City, the country’s La Torre Latinoamericana in Mexico Citytallest buildingPhoto credit: © CPTM: Foto / Ricardo Espinosa-reo

In front of the Monument to Benito Juárez in Alameda Park, Mexico City

El Ángel de la Independencia, Mexico City The Mexican Stock Exchange, Mexico City

The Aztec Calendar Stone or the Stone of the Sun (left) in the National Musuem of Anthropology,Mexico City. A scenic view (right) from the Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City

MAP OF THE TRIP (Map Not To Scale)

YUCATAN*Map Not To Scale

CHAPTER EIGHT

DAY 6 – CHICHEN ITZA & MERIDA

My day began early at 5:30 am. There was nobody around when I proceeded to the breakfast

area, where a continental breakfast awaited me on a long table. A large basket laden with

assorted bizcochos (variants of croissants and cookies) was placed in the centre of the table. I

prepared a cup of coffee and skipping the bread basket, chose a few bread slices for the toaster.

In a bowl, there were some boiled eggs but I longed for Huevos a la Mexicana, the Mexican-

style scrambled eggs with tomato, onion and green chile. My very light breakfast consisted of

orange juice, toasted bread with jam and butter and, some coffee.

I was very eager and well prepared to climb the umpteen steep steps to the top of the tall

Maya pyramid at Chichén Itzá. The tour guide arrived at 7:30 am. He was very surprised when

he saw me. Either he expected a man or he didn’t expect a single young woman! He escorted me

to the tour van. Luckily, I was the first guest onboard so I took the front seat, next to the tour

guide who was also the chauffeur.

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The van went from one hotel to another, picking up the other guests booked on the tour.

My co-passengers included a middle-aged Mexican woman, five members of an American

family, an old couple from Argentina, and a middle-aged Japanese woman. Manuel, the tour

guide cum chauffeur, was an amiable guy, well read and with wide knowledge of the historical,

geographical and archaeological importance of the Yucatán State, all of which he shared with us

during the trip.

There is a funny story as to how Yucatán got its name. According to the first letter

written by the Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortés to the King of Spain, ‘Yucatán’ represents a

misnaming of the land by his political antagonist Diego Velazquez. Cortes alleged that when

Velazquez initially landed in the Yucatán and asked about the name of the well-populated land,

the indigenous people answered, ‘We don't understand your language.’ This was rendered as

Yucatán by the Spaniards, who were not used to the phonetics of the Maya.

The first expedition authorized by the Spanish crown to conquer and colonize Yucatán

landed in 1527, led by Francisco de Montejo. While the chiefs of some states quickly pledged

allegiance to the Spanish crown, others waged war. Montejo was forced to retreat from Yucatán

in 1528. He came back with a large force in 1531 and briefly established a capital at Chichén

Itzá. But he was again driven from the land in 1535. He turned over his rights to his son, also

named Francisco, who invaded Yucatán with a large force in 1540. On 6th January, 1542, the

younger Montejo set up his capital in the Maya city of T’ho, situated on what is now the Zócalo,

which he renamed as Mérida. T’ho had been a centre of Maya culture and activity for centuries.

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Because of this, many historians regard Mérida as the oldest continually-occupied city in the

Americas. It was one of the four main Spanish towns, along with Valladolid, Campeche and

Bacalar, on the Yucatán Peninsula. After the conquest, priests and monks soon set forth to bring

the population into the fold of the Roman Catholic Church. The first Bishop of Yucatán, Diego

de Landa, burned alive many of the Maya and destroyed all their ancient scriptures saying ‘they

contained nothing but the lies of the devil.’ He suppressed any remnants of pagan beliefs with

such vigour that he was for a time recalled to Spain to answer charges of improper harshness.

Due to its geographical location, Yucatán has traditionally been isolated from the rest of

the country. Until the mid 20th century, most of the contact with the outside world was by sea.

Trade with the USA and Cuba, as well as Europe and other Caribbean islands, was more

significant than that with the rest of Mexico. In the 1950s, the Yucatán was linked to the rest of

Mexico by railway, followed by highway in the 1960s, ending the region's comparative isolation.

Being enclosed by the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, and with poor land

communication with the rest of Mexico, Yucatecan Spanish has preserved many words that are

no longer used in many other Spanish speaking areas of the world. The Spanish spoken here is

heavily influenced by the Yucatec Maya language, which is still spoken by a third of the

population of the State, although mostly in smaller towns and villages. The Maya language is

harshly melodic, filled with ‘x’ sounds (‘x’ is pronounced ‘sh’ in the Maya language) and very

full throated vowels. Even if fewer younger Yucatecans are fluent in the Maya dialect today, it is

still the second language of the State. Also unique among Yucatecan speakers is the heavy use of

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diminutive language that shows affection towards even mundane objects. However, with the

improvement in transportation and especially with the overwhelming presence of radio and TV,

their isolation has been eroded, and many outside elements are now slowly but consistently

permeating the local culture and language.

The northern and central area of the Yucatán Peninsula is a porous limestone shelf devoid

of surface rivers. Instead there are subterranean rivers, sinkholes, and caverns which were

formed over the passage of millions of years when water dissolved the porous limestone. The

natural treasures of Yucatán, these water-filled limestone sink holes called ‘cenotes’ were very

sacred to the Maya. Their cities were usually located next to the cenotes. Magical, enigmatic and

unique in the world the cenotes were the only resources for fresh, sweet water. There are four

different types of cenotes – those that are completely underground, those that are semi-

underground, those that are at land level like a lake or pond, and those that are open wells. There

are over 3000 cenotes, but only about 1400 of them have been actually studied and registered.

Some are well-kept secrets while others are promoted for tourism. Besides the crystal-clear

turquoise waters, the stunning stalactites and stalagmites inside these million-year old cenotes

attract many visitors from all over the world. The Maya considered the caves, caverns, and

cenotes as entrances to the underworld. The Xcalah cenote at the Mayan site of Dzibalchatún, the

massive Zací cenote at Valladolid and the Ik Kil cenote near the ruins of Chichén Itzá are few of

the most beautiful cenotes. Other cenotes are hidden from view within underground caves like

the breathtakingly beautiful Dzitnup cenote which is a short drive from Valladolid. Among the

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caves the most famous are the Grutas de Balankanché (Balankanche Caverns) and the Loltún

Caves.

Lost in the interesting details, we didn’t realize how soon the time had passed. The

distance between Mérida and Chichén Itzá is about 120 km and now we were almost nearing our

destination.

We made a brief stop at a hacienda in the small town of Pisté. Inside its souvenir shop, I

had my first taste of the ancient Maya mouth freshener, chicle (rhyming with ‘tickle’ which the

Spaniards pronounced as ‘cheek-lay’). It is made from the gum of the ‘chicozapote’ (sapodilla)

tree whose delicious fruit is called zapote in Mexico and – ‘chikoo’ or ‘sapota’ in India! This

gum ‘chicle’ was used to develop the first modern chewing gum in the US in the 1860s, before

chemicals took over.

Soon, we were back in the van. The road was excellent. Manuel was driving at break-

neck speed which was thrilling for me but not for the others. Finally, we reached Chichén Itzá.

Chichén Itzá

Chichén Itzá, declared as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in July 2007, is rated

amongst the most important archaeological sites of the Maya Civilization and covers an area of

approximately six square miles where hundreds of buildings once stood.

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Chichén Itzá in Maya language means ‘the mouth of the well of the Itzá’. The place was

first occupied as early as in the fifth century AD but was apparently abandoned thereafter.

During the flourishing phase of the Classic Period (600AD – 800AD), arts and sciences gained

prominence here. It was also at this time that Chichén Itzá became a religious centre of

increasing importance; this can be seen from the buildings constructed during this time: the Red

House, the House of the Deer, the Nunnery and its Annex, the Church, the Akab Dzib (‘Temple

of Obscure Writing’), the Temple of the Three Lintels and the House of Phalli. Toward the end

of the Classic Period, the foundations of this magnificent civilization weakened, and the Maya

abandoned their religion centres and the surrounding rural land. In the 10th century, the city

came under the rule of the Itzá, a migrant Maya tribe from the Petén rain-forest around Tikal in

Guatemala. Some experts claim that they may have been a mix of highland Toltec and lowland

Putún Maya, a tribe thriving on trade between the different regions of the area.

Around 1000 AD, the Itzá allied themselves with two powerful tribes, Xiu of Uxmal and

Cocom of Mayapan, both claiming to be descendants of the Toltec. This alliance was favourable

to the Itzá for about two centuries. As the political base of Chichén Itzá expanded, even more

spectacular buildings were added to the city: the Observatory, the Pyramid of Kukulkán, and the

Temple of the Warriors, the Ball Court, and the Group of the Thousand Columns. Some time

between 1194 and 1204 AD, Mayapan broke the alliance. In 1250 AD, it conquered Chichén Itzá

and drove away the Itzá, who fled to Guatemala where they kept their traditions alive in their

kingdom on the Lake Peten Itzá (the last independent Maya city) before finally surrendering to

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the Spaniards in 1697.

Chichén Itzá was gradually abandoned and remained only partially inhabited until shortly

before the Spanish invasion. In the mid-16th century, Francisco de Montejo used the site as his

headquarters in his attempt to conquer the Yucatán Peninsula. Again it was dormant until the late

19th century, when few excavations began. The structures of Chichén Itzá were overgrown with

jungle and slowly decayed reducing to mounds till major archaeological excavations began in the

1920s.

Archaeologists have thoroughly excavated about thirty of the several hundred buildings,

which are now open to the public. The remaining structures, resembling mounds are yet to be

explored. The ruins are divided into two groups. One group belongs to the 7th and 10th century

AD, the Classic Maya era when the city became a prominent ceremonial centre. This ‘old’

southern zone consists of purely Maya buildings with Puuc architecture. The other group

corresponds to the Maya-Toltec Period, from the late 10th century to the early 13th century AD.

Most of the outstanding and well-known ruins which show distinct Toltec influence fall in this

northern zone.

The Toltec-Maya architecture combines Puuc construction methods with designs of

Toltec or Central Mexican origin. Toltec elements at Chichén Itzá include stepped-pyramid

temples, long colonnades, low detached platforms faced with carved panels, doorways formed by

twin descending feathered serpent columns, altars with figures, carved skulls and crossbones,

marching felines, canines and raptorial birds devouring human hearts, and warriors in typical

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Toltec garb.

Exploring Chichén Itzá

Numerous tour buses filled the parking area of the archaeological site at Chichén Itzá and the

place was bustling with tourist activity.

‘This is a daily scene,’ laughed Manuel, ‘Tour buses bring hundreds of tourists here every

day from Cancún.’

We remained close together in a group, not wanting to get lost in the sea of humanity

flooding the place. At the entrance, there was a large visitors’ centre with a museum, restaurant,

bookstore and restrooms. There was no time to have a look at the site museum. Manuel checked

whether the identity bracelets were on our wrists – these were, after all, our entrance tickets to

the archaeological zone.

We had the choice of the Spanish guided tour or the English one. I was not quite sure

whether I could understand the history and the importance of the site very well in Spanish, so I

opted for the guided tour in English along with the American family. Our tour guide began with

a brief history of the place. After listening to his heavily-accented English for five minutes, I

realized that my Spanish was most definitely better than his English. So, I looked around for

Manuel who was leading the tour in Spanish. It was not an easy task to locate him in the vast

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area teeming with hundreds of people. But with the help of some people who knew Manuel, I

found him below a tree with his group, explaining the finer aspects of the site.

I was totally disappointed when Manuel told us that visitors are no longer allowed to

climb the Pyramid of Kukulkán also known as El Castillo meaning ‘The Castle’ in Spanish. This

world-famous structure and many other structures on the site are now roped-off. Manuel told us

that apart from safety, the major reason for this was to protect the monuments from vandalism as

many people used to carve their initials and scribble graffiti all over the heritage structures.

The Pyramid stood right across the main entrance in the centre of the vast open court.

Dedicated to the Feathered Serpent God Kukulkán, it is composed of two structures

superimposed on one another, with the later larger pyramid built over an earlier original structure

that is dated before 900 AD. The newer pyramid is about 55 metres (180 feet) on each side and

has nine stepped terraces rising up to 24 metres (78 feet) with a small temple on the top.

Archaeologists believe that the nine tiers symbolize the ‘Region of the Dead’ to the ancient

Maya.

The architecture of El Castillo is full of symbolism, particularly with reference to the

important Maya calendar. The four stairways leading up to the central platform each have 91

steps, making a total of 364; if the central platform is added to this, it equals the 365 days of the

solar year. On either side of each stairway are nine terraces, totalling 18 on each face of the

pyramid, which is equal to the number of months in the Maya solar calendar. On the face of the

terraces there are 52 panels, representing the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious

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calendars become realigned.

The base of the northern staircase is made up of two colossal carved heads of feathered

serpents which are aligned so that a special effect occurs on the Spring and Fall equinox. On

those days, 20th / 21st March and 22nd / 23rd September at about 3 pm, the sunlight creates a

series of seven isosceles triangles of light and shade on the ramp of the northern staircase – this

creates the impression of the body of a slithering serpent 37 yards long that creeps downwards

until it joins the huge serpent's head carved in stone at the bottom of the stairway. This

symbolizes the descent to earth of the Feathered Serpent Kukulkán, and also the beginning or

end of the agricultural cycle, according to the Equinox (Spring or Autumn).

El Castillo testifies to the supremacy of the Maya as builders and mathematicians. Inside

this grand structure, there is another temple, a red throne or altar in the shape of a jaguar intact

with jade spots and inlaid eyes; it also once housed a sculpture of Chac Mool, a male figure in its

typical half-reclining position, with its knees drawn up together and head turned up to one side

with a vessel held between his hands over the stomach. This has now been moved to the Museo

de la Antropologia, the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. Chac Mools are found in and

around temples in Toltec and other Post-Classic central Mexican sites as well as in the Post-

Classic Maya civilization with heavy Toltec influence. Chac Mool is not to be confused with

Chac, the Rain God whose masks are featured on the temple on the top of the Pyramid. The

entrance to the inner temple is through a small door on the northern side which is now closed to

public.

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Hundreds of cameras flashed at the pyramid, each taking dozens of photos from different

angles. The heat was getting more oppressive. It was very tiring to walk around under the

punishing midday sun without a sombrero. Fortunately, Manuel would always lead us to the

shade of a tree near each structure to give us the historical details. After that he would give us

about 15 minutes to explore the place and take photos.

We turned towards the Ball Court which is the largest and best-preserved Mesoamerican

ballgame court in the Maya world. It measures 545 feet long and 225 feet wide. The walls on

both sides are carved with scenes depicting Maya figures dressed as ball players and decked out

in heavy protective padding. There are plenty of carvings showing the violent end of the game,

which included human sacrifice. One shows a player holding the severed head of a captive. The

stump of his neck spouts serpents – symbols of the spiritual life force contained in blood – which

transform into water lilies, showing how the sacrifice opens the way to the spirit world.

Yet, it is not clear whether it was the losing or the winning team that had to join the gods

after the end of the game. The ball game called pok-ta-pok in Maya language, tlachtli in Nahuatl,

and juego de pelota in Spanish, played an important ceremonial role in Maya society. There are

thirteen ball courts throughout the site. Apparently, only the most skilled players were allowed to

play at this important religious centre. I imagined myself throwing a rubber ball weighing 4 kg

using my forearms or hips through the hoop which was high above and realized how difficult it

was!

The Ball Court is another example of the Maya’s highly evolved building skills. The

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acoustics of the ball court are so good that you can hear someone talking in a normal voice from

one end of the 168 metre long court to the other. The number seven was very sacred to the Maya.

There were seven players in each team, the rings were seven metres high and if you clapped your

hands or shouted on the court, the sound would echo exactly seven times! The carvings on the

stone walls depict seven serpents emerging from the neck of the beheaded team captain. The true

mystery behind the ball court at Chichén Itzá is the Maya prophecy that on 21st December, 2012,

the Feathered Serpent Kukulkán will rise from the ground beneath the playing field and end the

world for good.

There is a temple at each end of the Ball Court. The North Temple has carved pillars,

sculptures, as well as some murals which are now in bad condition. Near the south-eastern corner

of the Ball Court is the Temple of the Jaguars, a small temple with serpent columns and carved

panels depicting warriors and jaguars.

We walked towards a low platform called Tzompantli (‘Wall of Skulls’). The word

‘Tzompantli’ comes from central Mexico. Its meaning is related to the rows of skulls carved into

the stone platform, which represent the heads of sacrificial victims. When the victim's head was

cut off, it was impaled on a pole and displayed on racks erected to display the severed heads and

skulls of human beings that had been sacrificed.

Here, Manuel explained the finer details of the general administration of the Maya

civilization. He described how the age of the Mayas could be determined on the basis of the

dental decorations on their front teeth; he talked about the Maya human sacrificial rituals, along

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with photographic evidence of some paintings. The details were horrible, especially the part

where the beating heart of the victim is yanked out by a specially appointed priest! According to

Manuel, it was not clear whether the priest yanked out the heart or the liver. This savagery

reminded me of the cruel Viking custom called ‘the blood red eagle’ meted out to their enemies

in which the ribs of the victim were cut out and the lungs pulled out and spread over the body!

Next to the Temple of the Skulls, lies a small ‘Platform of the Eagles’ which has relief

panels showing eagles and jaguars clutching human hearts in their talons and claws, as well as a

human head emerging from the mouth of a serpent. East of El Castillo is one of the most

impressive structures at Chichén Itzá: the Templo de los Guerreros (Temple of the Warriors),

named so because of the carvings of warriors in bas-relief. It is famous for the statue of Chac

Mool found in front of the entrance at the top of the temple. Rows of columns continue in the

adjacent structure of the Thousand Columns which is thought to have served as a market area.

Beyond the temple and the market in the jungle, are mounds of rubble, parts of which are being

reconstructed.

One of the structures on the site dedicated to Venus is the Platform of Venus. In Maya

and Toltec mythology, a feathered monster or a feathered serpent with a human head in its

mouth, represented Venus. This structure is also called the Tomb of Chac Mool because of a

Chac Mool figure discovered ‘buried’ within the structure.

From the Platform of Venus, an ancient sacbé, or ceremonial causeway heads north to the

Cenote Sagrado (Sacred Cenote). This open well measuring 60 metres in diameter, was used for

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ceremonial purposes. In order to obtain rain, sacrificial victims were hurled into this deep natural

well together with copper, gold, and jade offerings. Bones of both children and adults were found

in the well, along with a fortune in gold and jade. These were dredged out by Edward Thompson,

the American consul in Mérida and a Harvard professor, who purchased a hacienda which

included Chichén Itzá, for just US $75 early in the 20th century. A lot of gold and other artefacts

were recovered from this cenote when the dredging work began in 1904. This cenote was

reserved for rituals involving human sacrifice for invoking Chac, the rain-god. The victims were

not only young women, but also children and elderly men and women.

Manuel gave us the liberty to decide whether to follow him to El Caracol (the

Observatory) or to proceed on our own to the Sacred Cenote. I thought it would be better to have

a guided tour of the Observatory and rest of the group too followed suit.

The Observatory is part of the buildings in the Southern Section. On the way we passed

several buildings, some of them unexcavated. The buildings in this section are mostly Puuc style,

with carved facades of animals and flowers. We trudged past the numerous stalls run by Maya

families selling souvenirs crafted from stone, obsidian and wood – Chac Mools, Maya calendars,

masks, pyramids, jaguars, pots, key chains as well as brightly coloured striped Mexican rugs,

shawls, garments, belts and bags. I decided to purchase a small obsidian Chac Mool on the way

back.

On the way to the Observatory, Manuel confessed that it was not possible to cover all the

structures on the site in half a day. We passed by the enormous Edificio de las Monjas (Nunnery)

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constructed in Puuc style. Some archaeologists believe that the Nunnery, with its many rooms,

was actually a palace for royalty but for the conquistadors, it resembled a European convent and

so it got its name.

Also near the Nunnery lies Akab Dzib which is believed to be the oldest building in

Chichén Itzá. Above a door in one of the rooms are some Maya glyphs, which gave the temple

its name (the writings have yet to be deciphered), while in the other rooms, traces of red

handprints are still visible.

The Observatory or El Caracol which means ‘conch’ in Spanish, is so named because of

its interior winding staircase leading up to the top. The 10th century Observatory is quite unique

in Maya architecture and one of the most important buildings on the site. Through slits in the

tower's walls, Maya astronomers could observe the cardinal directions and the approach of the

all-important Spring and Autumn equinoxes, as well as the Summer solstice. Visitors may climb

this structure which gives a fabulous view of the site below.

After taking a look around the Observatory, I checked out the crafts at the various stalls

and purchased a small Pyramid of Kukulkán, a Chac Mool made of stone and a small painted

mask magnet. At another stall, I bargained and got six key chains of obsidian Maya heads for

100 pesos – I was happy because she sold five of them at the same price to an Argentinean man!

I was so immersed in window shopping that I completely lost track of the time. When I

checked my watch I realized that I was ten minutes late. I hurried towards the entrance and saw

Manuel waiting patiently at the gate. The rest of the group was seated in the van. Still, Manuel

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was not angry. He was pretty impressed by me. As he told someone in the van later, ‘She’s very

brave and courageous, so I waited for her – otherwise I don’t wait for late-comers.’

Return to Mérida

We stopped for lunch at the hacienda where we had briefly halted in the morning. It was a buffet

service with a wide variety of traditional Yucatecan dishes like the cochinita pibil – suckling pig

dressed with a marinade of mild achiote paste (made with the ground seed of the annatto plant,

garlic, peppercorns, oregano and cumin), onions, tomatoes, sour orange juice, and salt, and then

wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in a pib, basically a pit in the ground – and Poc Chuc, a

Yucatecan Maya version of barbecued pork with tender slices of pork marinated in sour orange

juice, served with a tangy sauce and pickled onions.

At the table, there was an enthusiastic discussion on the different places visited or yet to

be visited, as each one related his or her experiences. Travellers normally keep Mérida as their

base to explore the surrounding tourist areas – villages and colonial towns, Maya archaeological

zones, haciendas, beaches, etc. Those who had visited Uxmal were unanimous in recommending

this archaeological site for its exquisite Puuc architecture.

Some had been to the colonial towns of Valladolid, Mani and Izamal which were built

over the ruins of Maya cities. Izamal is also known as ‘The city of three cultures’ referring to the

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presence of Maya, Spanish & Mestiza (Hispanic culture formed from a mixture of Maya and

Spanish cultures) cultures in the city. Mani is known throughout Mexico as the site of the

infamous auto de fé of 1562 (the public torture and the burning at the stake of people for heresy)

of 1562 which witnessed the burning of valuable Maya codices and manuscripts by the monk

Diego de Landa.

'In Izamal there is an old Franciscan convent which was built in 1623 over one of the

destroyed Maya pyramids. It is famous for the monk Fray Diego de Landa, its founder, who

burned all the Indian scripts, and then, feeling remorse for what he had done, tried to rewrite all

he could remember of the ways of the Mayas,’ explained one of the gentlemen.

‘After the conquest of the city by the Spaniards, the monks in their eagerness to convert

the Maya to Catholicism gave the city its religious distinction,’ someone added.

‘Has anyone been to the Biosphere Reserve of Celestun yet?’ inquired a middle-aged

lady seated alongside her husband. This natural habitat of the pink flamingos is the only

flamingo settlement known in North America. Apart from this, it is home to over 70 bird species

and a variety of reptiles and fishes.

Many had taken a Puuc route tour, while others had been to places like the archaeological

zones of Ek Balám, Dzibilchaltún, Xcambo and Mayapán; and the beach of Progreso. The

conversation gradually receded as all attention was diverted towards the folklórico dance called

Suerte de la Vaquerias performed by nimble dancers balancing bottles and later, a fully loaded

serving tray, on their heads. The men were dressed in white with red kerchieves and white

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panama hats, while the women were dressed in huipil, a traditional Maya blouse.

After lunch, Manuel took us to the nearby Ik Kil Eco-archaeological Park to see a

beautiful cenote where one could swim.

On the journey back to Mérida, I voiced my disappointment at not being able to visit

Uxmal. ‘I have time just for the city tour tomorrow morning because I am leaving for Campeche

at noon.’

To my joy, Manuel found the perfect solution for me!

‘You can take the city tour today when we return, and then, tomorrow morning you can

leave for Uxmal along with your luggage. The tour guide will place your luggage in the vehicle

and drop you off at the bus terminal on the way back,’ he said.

There were two city tour buses, I was told, a red double-decker Turibus and a

Carnavalito bus.

‘Take the Carnavalito bus. It’s a better option,’ someone said from behind.

Manuel dropped me at the travel agency to make the booking for the Uxmal and the

Carnavalito city tour. He had a word with the person at the booking desk requesting him to guide

me to the Santa Lucia Park from where the Carnavalito bus departed for the tour.

I thanked Manuel and had a quick exchange of goodbyes with everyone before the van

left. A feeling of contentment overcame me. Everything was working well!

After making the booking, I was escorted to the Santa Lucia Park where the bus was

parked. To my surprise, there were just three tourists in the bus. The tour guide, a young girl,

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boarded the bus and began with the city introduction.

Discovering Mérida

The bus passed through the colonial Centro Histórico which is the largest in the Americas after

Mexico City and Havana in Cuba. Till the mid 19th century, Mérida was a walled city intended

to protect the gachupines (those born in Spain but living in Mexico) and criollo (creoles, born in

Mexico of Spanish blood) residents from periodic revolts by the indigenous Maya. Several of the

old Spanish city gates have survived till today. The cathedral, situated on the east side of the

Plaza Mayor (Main Plaza), is only one of Mérida's many interesting buildings. It is the oldest

cathedral built over the foundations of a Maya temple. Directly across the Plaza is the Palacio

Municipal, the city town hall. In the city’s history, there were three Spanish conquistadors –

Francisco de Montejo ‘El Adelantado’ (father), Francisco de Montejo y León ‘El Mozo’ (son),

and Francisco de Montejo ‘El sobrino’ (nephew). On the southern side lies the Casa de Montejo,

the home of Francisco de Montejo y León ‘El Mozo’ (son) which was built in 1542. Today, the

building is occupied by Banamex Bank. To the north of the Plaza lies the Palacio de Gobierno

(Governor’s Palace) which houses murals by Fernando Castro Pacheco illustrating the somewhat

violent history of Yucatán.

Although, Mérida is called ‘the white city’, the exact reason is unknown. Perhaps because

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of its white-washed old buildings (though today the buildings are not all white!) or the fact that

the residents keep the city particularly clean or that it was named after the Spanish town of the

same name. Thanks to its tranquillity and cleanliness, this city of around one million inhabitants

has become a popular place for families from the other states. It has the lowest crime rate per

capita in the country. My hotel, like most of the other buildings around, did not have any security

staff or system. Anybody could just walk in through the doorway. Yet, it was very safe.

One of the major influences on Yucatán history is the henequen plant, also known as

‘sisal’ (named after the Yucatecan city of Sisal from where the shipments left the continent).

Henequen, a variety of the agave cactus, became known as verde oro (green gold) for the wealth

it lavished upon the haciendados or hacienda owners who produced rope from this plant which

was exported for the booming shipping industry.

In the early 20th century, as a result of the henequen or sisal trade, Mérida became home

to numerous millionaires who built their lavish homes along the elegant main avenue, Paseo de

Montejo, and constructed impressive haciendas throughout the jungle surrounding Mérida. It is

said that at one point of time, Mérida had more millionaires than any other city in the world. The

result of the concentration of wealth can still be seen today in Mérida. Many large and elaborate

homes and mansions still line the main avenue and the city streets, though few are occupied

today by individual families. Many serve as office buildings for banks and insurance companies.

Our tour guide pointed out three mansions with different architectural styles located close

to each other on a stretch of the Paseo de Montejo – French, Arabic (Lebanese) and Mexican.

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They all looked beautiful! When the bus halted near a park, I took the opportunity to get down

and buy a cup of esquites (made of corn, mayonnaise, cheese and chile) from a street vendor.

‘Extra chile, please.’

‘It is very spicy, señorita,’ said the vendor, looking worried. I grinned. How was she to

know that I was accustomed to eating spicy food, being an Indian!

After the end of the tour, I spent some time at the Plaza Mayor. Mérida celebrates an

intense cultural life 365 days of the year. It is one of the music capitals of Mexico, with

performances every night in the squares. The Centro hosts cultural events including

performances of the traditional Trova, Jarana, Son, and Bolero. The week’s events include art,

music, dance, cultural presentations, etc. which are publicized in advance. On Sundays, the

streets are closed off to traffic to provide space for live music, outdoor handicraft markets, street

stalls and public dances like the traditional Vaqueria.

I did a lot of window shopping at the shops lining the streets and at Casa de Artesanias,

the souvenir store. The exquisite huipil and terno Maya embroidery is famous throughout the

world. Colourful flowers are the main motif of this native craft practiced by women since the

Pre-Hispanic times. Mérida is the best place to buy Yucatecan arts & crafts, particularly, Panama

hats and hammocks. The city markets offer some of Mexico’s best panama hats (hand-woven

from jipi palm fibres in the underground caverns of the town of Bécal, which lies between

Mérida and Campeche) and world-famous hammocks. Most of the hammocks sold in the country

are manufactured in Yucatán. The hammock is an essential part of all homes – from the rural

141

thatched-roof cottages to the modern city mansions. Weaving hammocks is part of the daily

chores of thousands of families throughout the state and the most common traditional craft.

Many claim that the hammock came from the Caribbean islands, whereas others state that it

came from Asia, and was brought here by the Spaniards.

I wandered around for a while before stopping for a quick bite. The popular local food

includes papadzule, rolled up tortilla stuffed with chopped hard-boiled egg and covered with

green pipian salsa (made using pumpkin seeds) and tomato salsa; panuchos, fried tortillas filled

with black beans, and topped with turkey or chicken, lettuce, avocado and pickled onions; and

salbutes, soft-cooked tortillas topped by lettuce, tomato, turkey and avocado. After tucking into

the local fare, I regained the energy to walk around for some more time.

I had read somewhere about the popular local shirt, guayabera. This short or long sleeved

shirt has four large pockets, two sets of either pin tucks or embroidery patterns in front, and three

sets of pin tucks or embroidery in the back, all running from shoulder yokes to hem. Apparently,

at the end of 1800s, the Yucatecan upper class used to wear guayaberas, which they bought on

their frequent trips to Cuba. Later, when Fidel Castro assumed control during the ‘60s, this was

no longer possible. But recognizing the local market demand, a group of Yucatecan

entrepreneurs, decided to manufacture guayaberas in Mérida and so the city became the centre

of the guayabera industry. Since, Yucatán is much too hot and humid for traditional menswear,

the guayabera was the perfect alternative, fitting a certain lifestyle and image while providing a

degree of comfort in the oppressive heat.

142

Curious to have a look and know more about it, I entered a shop which had a wide variety

of guayaberas on display in its window showcase. The salesmen very eagerly showed me the

different styles. Thanking them for their efforts, I left the shop. Walking through so many streets

and alleys, I often found it difficult to retrace the way back. But, asking for directions whenever I

felt lost, I reached my hotel by 10:30 pm, which by all standards, was quite early in Mérida

where the music and festivities extend way past midnight.

143

GLOSSARY OF SPANISH WORDS

A

A sus ordenes: At your service

Achiote: The seed of annatto tree commonly used for making achiote paste, a seasoning mixture from the

Yucatán region

Acueducto: Aqueduct

Adobo: Spicy marinade

Aduana: Customs

Agave: A succulent plant from which drinks like tequila and mezcal are produced

Aguacate: Avocado

Aguamiel: ‘Honey water’ extracted from the bulbs of the agave plant

Agua de Jamaica: A popular refreshing drink made from the dried calyces of the hibiscus flower

Aguas frescas: ‘Fresh water,’ healthy non-carbonated drinks of fresh fruit water

Ahorita: Now

Al mojo de ajo: In garlic sauce

Alebrijes: Brightly painted wood carvings of animals, plants and mythological creatures

Alfeñiques: Small sugar candy skulls

Alegrias: ‘Happy,’ traditional sweets made from amaranth grain

Amarillo: Yellow

Antojitos: Traditional corn dough-based appetizers or snacks

Añil: Indigo plant

Aqui, por favour: Here, please

Arbol de Navidad: Christmas tree

Arroz: Rice

Asada: Steak strips

Ate: A fruit paste sweet

Avenida: Avenue

Ayuntamiento: City or Municipal Council

392

GLOSSARY OF MEXICAN SPANISH PRONUNCIATIONS

A

A la Veracruzana: ah lah veh-rah-crooh-sah-nah

A sus ordenes: ah soohs ohr-deh-nehs

Achiote: ah-chee-oh-teh

Acueducto: ah-kweh-doohk-toh

Adobo: ah-doh-boh

Aduana: ah-dwah-nah

Agarrar: ah-gah-rrahr

Agave: ah-gah-veh

Agua de Jamaica: ah-gwah deh ha-mai-kah

Aguas frescas: ah-gwahs frehs-kahs

Aguacate: ah-gwah-kah-teh

Aguamiel: ah-gwah-myel

Aguascalientes: ah-gwahs-kah-lyen-tehs

Ahorita: ah-oh-reeh-tah

Ajijic: ah-hee-heek

Al mojo de ajo: ahl moh-hoh deh ah-hoh

Alebrije: ah-leh-breeh-heh

Alegrias: ah-leh-greeh-yahs

Alfajores: ahl-fah-hoh-rehs

Alfeñiques: ahl-feh-nyeeh-kehs

Amarillo: ah-mah-reeh-yoh

Anáhuac: ah-nah-hwahk

Angel: ahn-hehl

Animalito: ah-neeh-mah-leeh-toh

Antojitos: ahn-toh-heeh-tohs

Antropología: ahn-troh-poh-loh-hee-ah

Añil: ah-nyeel

406

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