SPICY!!!

After crossing the US/Mexican border at Nogales, it’s another 14 or 15 hours to Mazatlan, so there’s always a decision to be made as to where to spend the night. There are many small cities along Highway 15 with a wide range of accommodations for sleeping, but there also are a few destinations of interest that are less than an hour off the road. Alamos is one such place that we always had heard about from friends, so one winter we took an extra few hours to fit it into our journey.

We turned east at Navajoa and drove for another 45 minutes before reaching this 17^th century colonial town that is a winter home to many NOB (north of the border) ex-pats. With only a short afternoon and early evening for exploring before heading out the next morning, we did a quick drive-thru on the cobblestoned streets, and then set off on foot to look for some refreshment, sustenance, and lodging.

We eventually landed at Plaza Alameda, and here at this main square we found everything we were looking for. Hotel Los Portales allowed pets (our main criteria), and after getting settled, we found our way to the attached bar, La Corregidora, with outdoor seating overlooking the plaza.

Oftentimes, generous bar owners will bring a small botana with your drinks, typically chips and salsa. In this case, the chips came with a white, spicy spread that both Tom and I liked very much. Of course I had to ask how to make it, and now it’s a regular at our afternoon cribbage games.

I was told to use California (or Anaheim) chiles, but in Mazatlan, the wax chile (a bit hotter) is my choice. I turn on the burners of my gas stove and roast a dozen chiles, turning them until the skins are blackened. When finished, I put them in a plastic bag to cool. I clean them under cool running water (over a colander or strainer) by rubbing the skin, opening them gently and discarding the seeds.

I place the cleaned chiles, two-8 oz. packages of cream cheese, the juice of three small limes and a pinch of salt into a blender, and process until smooth. This is a delicious spread with traditional tostaditas or tortilla chips or even as a celery-filler, and of course a cold beer or margarita is always a perfect accompaniment. At Christmas time, I love to sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top for a festive look.

Our stay in Alamos was short-lived, but this recipe has been enjoyed by us for many years.

CREATING ON THE ROAD

We've taken a road trip this month...three weeks in Guadalajara and a week exploring in the state of Colima. Our goals were to see more of Mexico and to study Spanish. Both objective accomplished! Tomorrow we head back to Mazatlan.

But I can't live without my fabric and needles and thread, etc. etc., so I packed along a basket of supplies to keep me going on my quilt journals and "bird signs". I brought along 10 small pieces of batting and I'm happy to say I have filled them all up. I don't have a sewing machine with me but I did complete all the raw edge applique - and now I'm just waiting for TIME at the machine.
Here are a few of my half-finished creations.

 

 

SOUTHERN SOJOURN (PART 3)

After our final night in the United States, we awakened early for our morning border crossing in Nogales, Arizona. The previous night found us enjoying a recommended Mexican meal in this small border town, and doing last minute shopping for groceries that are hard to find in Mazatlan. The motel manager suggested we use the truck crossing which opened at 6am, so we followed his direction. We were first in line and waited in the early morning darkness as border guards, both U.S. and Mexican, arrived for their shift change. They waved us by at the first gate which put us on the road to the immigration office that all visitors must stop at in 21 kilometers.  Still dark upon arrival at this checkpoint, we were happy to be the only ones there. It was as if the officials were more than helpful to us, just to stave off their boredom. We presented our passports, filled out papers, registered our car, and paid the necessary money for all of the above. Oh, and don’t forget the copies. I had to wake the man in the copy booth to make duplicates of all of our documents. I thought the tiny room was empty until I saw the glow of the electric heater; with a little tap on the window he got up off of his mat on the floor and graciously attended to me.

By this time the sun was up and we were able to take in the surroundings. There is nothing particularly visually outstanding about this northern part of the state of Sonora, but this bright blue welcoming sign was enough to make us feel right at home.

Feliz viaje! Happy travels!

 

We were so happy to be in Mexico, heading towards our destination of Mazatlan.  As with anything, it’s only natural to focus on the positives of something, someone, or someplace you haven’t seen for a while…and then reality hits. In this case, it was the huge amounts of trash along the side of highway 15. It’s such a distinct difference from the roadsides which for the most part are quite clean in the U.S. Our years of litter consciousness has instilled in all Americans (and Canadians) to take care of their garbage. And don’t forget the hefty fines for offenders. We have been well trained. But to me it seems that this concept is still in progress in Mexico. Not only are there copious amounts of trash on the roadsides, but it’s dirty and dusty trash! There are signs like this to encourage travelers, but sadly I think much of the problem is due not just from the vehicles, but from the local residents. And let’s not forget that the presence or absence of garbage cans does a lot to change this issue.  As with anything, education makes a big difference, and we see many young Mexicans who are keenly aware of environmental issues, but some of the older generation still fall into their default mode of throwing their trash on the street.

In Mazatlan we have street sweepers, which are both a help and a hindrance. These low paid workers make their daily rounds keeping our streets clean, but sometimes I wonder if the locals feel they can toss their candy wrappers, etc. because someone will be by to sweep it up.

As they say here in Mexico “poco a poco” – little by little. That’s how change happens… at least that’s how it seems in the case of garbage awareness.

 

We pass through two Mexican states on our drive down Highway 15: Sonora and Sinaloa. This highway passes through some large towns (Hermosillo, Los Mochis, Culiacan, and others) and the link between these towns is either via a free road (libre) or the toll road (cuota). The cuotas are clean, fast, and relatively free of distractions like speed bumps, civilization, etc. (except for gas stations), and fast. The prices range from 30 to 100 pesos for each section ($2-$8 US) and collectively we pay somewhere around $80 US for the entire trip to Mazatlan. When you pay at the toll booth, you receive a little receipt that reportedly insures you for any damage you may encounter on that stretch of the road. Needless to say, we always use the cuotas.

All the along the cuotas, there are telephone booths for emergency calls. I didn’t really pay much attention to these until we were about two hours north of Mazatlan, in the state of Sinaloa. Every kilometer there not only was a telephone station but also this trio of cans, which was such a pleasant surprise after the reality of Mexico’s garbage issue confronted me yesterday. In my view, this is fantastic progress.

You also occasionally see the green government trucks that travel along the route to help stranded vehicles (known as "green angels”). We used them once about five years ago. We were driving north on a hot April day and got a flat tire. We changed it, continued driving another 30 minutes when another went flat. It wasn’t long before the green angel came to our rescue, drove me to the closest town where I bought two new tires (at an inflated price, of course) and returned me to Tom and our vehicle. Soon we were on the road again.

 

MOSAIC WORKSHOP

Last week I went on the most wonderful retreat with a group of girlfriends. We loaded in one van (6+driver) and drove north one hour from Mazatlan, turned off at the “59” marker, then wound around on dirt roads for another twenty minutes until we landed at Barras de Piaxtla, the site of our three day mosaic workshop. Gail Blackburn, owner and creator of her resort, La Rosa de las Barras www.larosadelasbarras.com, was not only inviting us all to stay at her wonderful ocean side retreat, but also to learn about making mosaics. For inspiration and ideas, we didn’t have to look far - they were everywhere: showers, tabletops, doorsteps, sink tops, etc., all produced by multi-talented Gail. We shuttled up the hill to her home and studio which she shared for our workshop, and after a brief intro to the craft we were off and running to producing our own creations. With the sweeping view of the Pacific in front of us, along with her hillside organic garden below us, we happily worked (and played) for 3 days on our individual mosaics.

For sustenance we were treated to amazing meals of her local cook extraordinaire, Judith (pronounced Yoo-deet) and cared for at the resort by another local, Carmen. (I really wanted to take these women home with me.)

 Each evening we gathered at the shore for a beautiful sunset, and gathered again in the hot tub just before retiring.

On day 2, Gail took orders for manicures/pedicures/massages by Benita (at nominal prices), and many of us took advantage. This was a fantastic (5 star!) vacation full of creativity, relaxation, great food, pampering and best of all, friendship. Thank you Gail for providing this time for us!

Construction of my journal quilt: This little quilt fits under the theme of “just stitching”. I knew I wanted to use a solid color but didn’t have any idea of the content until I was looking at Gail’s brochure the other day. On the front is the prominent lighthouse that graces the point and defines this beachfront community. It was the perfect icon to remember my Barras de Piaxtla experience.  I chose a navy blue, solid hand-dye and marked where I wanted to stitch with chalk. To keep with the nautical feel, I trimmed it in red. Sweet and simple!

MY LITTLE BIRDS

I’ve been quilt journaling since 2008. My 40+ collection of 8 ½ x 11 inch tiny quilts represent my hearty participation in this wonderful group of creative quilters who have signed on to share their quilt stories with each other. Early on in this journey, we had up to 13 members in our “Cybre Fibres” group, but slowly it became clear that for some of these women, their intention was greater than their abilty to produce. This past December we all made it known to what degree we were committed, and now we are down to eight. Our initial system was set to cycle through the list of women who would present a quilt journal theme for the month, and the circle would go round and round. With each completed quilt journal, we would send them, via internet, to the collective group with the story of their construction or of their inspiration (or maybe even both!). We now have changed this to each of us coming up with a theme for the YEAR (8 themes per year), and perhaps expanding on one or two of these themes.

With our Cyber Fibre changes, we quickly came up with our individual themes which are now giving us much food for thought. Here they are for 2012: Tree of Life, Light and Shadow, Finding Perfection in Imperfection, Mapping, All That Sparkles, Black Matters, Public Art, and Whirlwinds. Isn’t this a wonderful list?!

On my recent trip to Chiapas, I became familiar with the artist, Kiki Suarez, German-born but now living in San Cristobal. I quickly connected with her work: simple, bright, colorful, lively. www.kikitheartist.com I knew I had found new inspiration for my fabric work.

Birds had been on my mind, and I loved the whimsical birds I found in Kiki’s book. I thought I’d try out a few, and consider them to be a part of “The Tree of Life”.

CHIAPAS - PART TWO

I am back home now and spin-drying the full color memories of my trip to Chiapas. These are guaranteed to be color-fast, not to fade easily.

We were on the go each of our twelve days, either on our own, roaming the streets of San Cristobal de las Casas, or with our guide, Alex(www.cieloytierratours.com), exploring the ruins,

or the villages, or popular “water” spots:  Sumidero Canyon, Agua Azul or El Chiflon.

Since Chiapas provides 35-50% (two different figures I heard…take your pick!) of Mexico’s hydroelectric power, you can imagine how much water there is in this southernmost state of Mexico. Supposedly the rainy season is from May through October, which adds up to big rivers, big waterfalls, BIG water. And with big water comes amazing GREEN, particularly in the lower elevations.

Most amazing were our visits to the indigenous communities. With Alex we felt comfortable, rather than intrusive gringas. Under his direction, we put our cameras away, and tried to respect these villagers' requests to not be "in their faces” with our pushy western ways. San Juan de Chamula was the most unique village and certainly the strongest in their desire to retain their culture.

They have created their own religion (within the structure of the Catholic Church) and use this building as a gathering place for worshipping in their own way. The priests have been kicked out (except for baptisms) and it is common to see healers of all types at work, along with hundreds of candles burning (different colors for different requests),
pox and coca-cola being consumed (burping up coke is a way to rid oneself of the bad), groups or individuals chatting, all dressed in indigenous clothing that is the norm. As I said before, it was like stepping back in time.

All throughout these Mayan lands (from the Yucatan down to Honduras) there are many ruins of ancient sites. On this trip we visited three: Palenque, Tonina, and Tenam Puente.

To imagine what these sites must have been like 12 or 13 hundred years ago, with their incredible architecture and connection to the planets and the stars, seasons and their mathematical mastery is truly mind-boggling.

Another interesting aspect of this area was the recent revolution of the Zapatistas against the government. We saw two good movies on these revolutionary events that began in 1994, and although there is little that we witnessed on our trip besides signage along the roadsides and souvenirs in the shops, I believe it’s not over yet. The government has been more responsive to the Chiapanecans, but there’s a long way to go for the indigenous people to have their basic needs met.

Our travels in Chiapas once again confirmed that we are living in a truly amazing country with gracious people, fascinating history, and interesting culture. We never felt unsafe, as the northern media would like travelers to question. Go, visit, travel, search and find. All of Mexico is a jewel, waiting to be discovered.

AN INAUGURATION

The economic rug has been pulled out from under the lives of many Mexican people. The drug war and reports of violence have warded off many potential tourists, and in our town, Mazatlan, it has even brought a stop to the cruise ship industry…hopefully only temporarily. The effects of all of this can be seen everywhere, and our group of snowbirds scratch our heads in wonder as to how many locals can survive in this horrible economy.

Sometimes hard times bring unexpected situations. This is certainly true in the case of Mazatlan’s “sewing ladies”, a group of 12 local women who have been organized through an umbrella group, Pro-Mexico, for over a decade. They create an array of items: placemats, tote bags, table runners, aprons, dolls, wall hangings, napkins, etc., and sell them at venues such as rv parks, the cruise ship terminals, and local hotels. As you can imagine, these selling spots have diminished with the lack of tourists.

Today their new storefront in the Golden Zone (hotel zone) was inaugurated with a ribbon cutting and lovely reception. One of Pro-Mexico’s founding members generously has given this shop to the women rent-free, allowing them to set up their wares in one spot where the tourists that ARE here can buy their products and support them. It’s a great opportunity for them, jumping them up to another level of merchandising, and giving them the experience of running their own store and problem solving , with the help of Pro-Mexico members and some gringo volunteers, to make the most of their new shop.

These women are skilled, honest and hard-working. The community of Mazatlan wishes their group much success. And we all hope that Americans and Canadians AND the cruise ship industry will realize that life is good here in Mazatlan, and will take advantage of an amazingly beautiful and welcoming Mexican destination to spend their vacations.

MAZATLAN HOMECOMING

Here we are…another winter season in Mazatlan. We migrated (via Alaska Air) five days ago and have been busy cleaning out the dust bunnies from our open-air home that takes a bit of a beating during the rainy season. Washing walls, cleaning out cabinets, unearthing treasures…slowly but surely we are reacquainting ourselves with our Mexican hacienda.

But that’s not all we’ve been doing. This is a diverse city of close to a half million people and after spending close to ten winters here, we have gotten to know many aspects of it. First of all, there’s our neighborhood (barrio). We live on a very Mexican and family-oriented street, and happily I can say that with every year that passes, we feel more and more accepted. There were hugs and hellos and many stumbles with our rusty Spanish.

Beyond the barrio (about three blocks worth) is the larger area we live in called Centro Historico. Of course we’ve been curious about any changes that may have taken place in our eight months absence. Without a car, we walk most everywhere, and these first few days we have been criss-crossing the area, catching up with familiar faces and places.

A constant question we hear up north is “aren’t you afraid in Mexico?” The answer we give is always a “no” but we also say that we make sure to be cautious with carrying valuables and where and when we walk.  Use common sense we say. With the economic crisis (“when the U.S. gets a cold, Mexico gets pneumonia”), petty theft is up and in the past few years we have known a friend or two who have had purses and jewelry stripped from their bodies.  Added to these questions are the constant media reports we hear about more and more violence here, so of course we have also been checking out the pulse and the feel of Mazatlan during these first few days of our homecoming.

It feels quieter. Some storefronts are empty, and our local plaza, typically a thriving place, is sleepy at best. But other than that, there are impressive signs of life. Cultural events at our local performing arts theater (Angela Peralta Theater) are plentiful.  Mazatlan Film and Theater is an active group that provides great classic movies and also frequent playreadings. Over 200 people wandered the streets last Friday for First Friday Artwalk. A new beautiful gallery has opened its doors. The Mazatlan Marathon drew a group of participants that nearly filled all of our hotels. An amazing skateboard park located on the waterfront opened last night and was buzzing with activity. The locals are as friendly as ever and the gringos we have come to know continue to return. The tempo is upbeat, and our slice of Mexico feels as magical as ever.

Our little street saw two big parties this Saturday night – one on each side of us. (Two parties = two karaoke machines!) One was a 40^th birthday celebration and the other was an early Christmas posada and each lasted until 4 or 5 in the morning. Our bedroom is located on the street side so you can imagine the noise level throughout the night. Typically we close our windows, put in earplugs, and TRY to get some shut-eye. But this night, we joined the birthday party until midnight, then came home and went to bed with windows OPEN and without earplugs. Unbelievably, we slept well.

There are those who can’t get past the media reports about Mexico. They truly are missing out on a wonderful experience in this beautiful country with our neighbors to the south.

MI MEXICO

The big feathered serpent called Alaska Airlines leaves today at 1 and takes us to our northern home. As we prepare to depart Mexico after another winter season, passing through the neighborhood to say our goodbyes, carefully storing my quilted works to protect them from the elements, we reflect on another special moment in our lives.

The warmth of the Mexican sun touches our souls. We carry the warmth of the Mexican people in our hearts. It will last forever.

This recently completed piece, save for the button on the eye of the serpent, was created in response to the trip I took to the Mexico City area this winter. I was moved by the idea that Quetzlcoatl, the winged serpent, was a part of Aztec legend that was long awaited for by the people. What arrived instead, and was sadly mistaken as Quetzlcoatl, was Cortes in his winged sailing ships, followed by his complete takeover with the Catholic Church at the helm. My friends and I climbed the Pyramid to the Sun, raised our hands high at the top to see who was the tallest, and felt the energy of being at this sacred place. 

I hand painted the background, found interesting hand-dyes for the serpent and pyramid, added the sun and feathers, and proceeded to stitch away. Skulls in the pyramid (a common theme), details on the serpent and feathers, and an attempt at the Aztec calendar inside the sun were bleached out.

This 32" x 50" piece is now displayed above my bedroom doorway.

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

Last week Santa arrived at my doorstep with a special present, simply wrapped in plastic and bubble wrap. Santa's name was really John, and he was the kind messenger who delivered my new foot pedal to me. Of course I was getting nervous about whether or not he was actually going to make it out of Sea-Tac airport with all of the snow, cancelled flights, etc. After sitting on the plane for 3 hours, waiting for the de-icer, he and his family finally took off, leaving the snowy, ultra white state of Washington (and beyond!) behind, and headed for a warmer destination in Mexico. I'm not sure who was happier, he and his family to be here, or me with my new foot pedal. My projects were stacked high, waiting for binding, quilting, piecing, etc. My hand work has seen its limit for awhile and now I have my sewing station is back in action.
Christmas here was a quiet event and with mild weather, unlike many other areas north of us in the U.S. and Canada. A nice dinner with friends on Christmas eve followed the Mexican tradition of celebrating on the 24th and relaxing on Christmas Day. The local parties on our street went until the wee hours (5am) and we happily stuffed our window wells in our bedroom with classy 2" pink styrofoam that is our new sound barrier! It helped immensely and we'll be using it again on New Years. Parties among the ex-pat community have been abundant and we've had a wonderful share of holiday cheer and good food. Now back to sewing!
I send wishes for a happy, humble, healthy and humorous 2009 to all my family, friends and fellow quilters. We all need lots of laughter these days. And may projects abound!
(The rooster above was an attempt to use a good amount of hand stitching while I waited for my foot pedal. I had to try lots of steaming and stretching and gathering to size the finished product into something that resembled a rectangle. So much for my stitching, but once again there are lessons to be learned. He now resides above my kitchen sink and brings happiness to my home.)

MY MONDAY MORNING

Every Monday morning, I head out to the local pharmacia and wait for a ride to a community center located on the outskirts of town, about 20 minutes away. The driver's name is Toy and she is a 70-something powerhouse who has been committed for years to a local group of women, Mujeres Trabajadores (Working Women). For me, their group's name is the Sewing Ladies, as sewing is their means of financial support. They meet once a week at the community center, and up until this year, their Monday meeting consisted of some sort of sewing lesson/tip, an English lesson, an Al-Anon meeting (as most have some sort of dependency issue happening in their family), and organizing their one or two selling ventures (at the cruise ship terminal or a local hotel) for the week. I have been involved with them for the past two winters and I have been trying to get them to step out of their comfort zone of placemats and aprons and add a bit more personal expression to their work. This year my friend Bev (their English teacher) and I have returned to find them immersed in personal development classes, with choices of art, cooking, singing, etc. They are loving these opportunities, and when we arrive Monday morning they are busy at the table with their paints and papers at hand. We observe from afar and chat in our simple Spanish with the the one or two stragglers who arrive late or who decide not to partake that day. OR Velma arrives with her new baby girl and we get to hold her for awhile. When the art teacher terminates the class for the day, they scramble with their stacks of donated fabric, plan projects, divvy up the pieces, and sign up on the schedule to sell their wares. Even Toy's Al-Anon meeting has taken a back seat. Perhaps in the new year we will be able to get back on track, but for now we are there as friends and supporters. Every week I am awed by their fortune to have been organized over ten years ago, and now they have evolved into a strong and sustaining network devoted to financial advancement, skill development, spiritual quest and friendship. It's inspiring to watch!

AN INTERESTING MEDIUM

Our nearby plazuela (Plazuela Machado) is once again the home of a most interesting creative endeavor - sand sculpture. These artists take this once sand castle activity to new heighths with their representations of lovely scenes that capture one's imagination and gives every viewer a sense of awe over the craftsmanship displayed.

This year we are blessed with a nativity scene, complete with rats and chickens and angels and perfectly crafted bales of hay. A week ago, the sand was delivered to a corner of the plazuela by dumptruck, and slowly the artisans sculpted, with spray bottles and delicate scalpels, this lovely scene. We watched the process with wonder and amazement. Now our nightly pass through the social scene of historic Mazatlan always includes a stop to see what new embellishments have been added. And every morning the scene is just as it was left the night before; daily we see grafitti added at every street corner, but this is left untouched.

Last year we were honored with a pirate/buried treasure scene. I think this rat was there too.

And what will next year bring?

It is interesting to think about working with a medium that disappears over time. It seems to me that for these artists it is all about the love of creating. It reminds me of another place I lived that touted a similar "disappearing" medium - the ice sculptures of Fairbanks, Alaska. Here today, gone tomorrow, never to be forgotten, and always viewed with awe and appreciation.

MAZ-BONITO

Our southbound migration is now complete and we have arrived in our winter's nest.
Mazatlan. Beautiful Mazatlan.
The sparkling water greets us with each lap at the shoreline.
The doorways and arches of the resident architecture beckon us to enter.
The swaying palms wave us closer with a rhythm that says "slow down".
Our friends, neighbors and local vendors call out their welcoming words:
"hola", "bienvenidos", "great to see you", "estoy feliz a verte".
The banners and flags announce the pulse of the city: fiesta, dance, love, family, happiness despite adversity, music, food, celebration.
Mazatlan. Beautiful Mazatlan.
We are welcomed by your spirit.
We are welcomed by your beauty.
We are welcomed by your people.