Yesterday I walked into the centro just to stroll around the Jardin and look at the Lana & Laton Feria. Or the Wool and Brass Fair. It is an annual event here in San Miguel but they have been setting it up in the Civic Plaza which really doesn't let the vendors show their wares to the best advantage. In the Civic Plaza the booths were smaller, darker and there wasn't much of an aisle through the wren of stalls. It really didn't invite you to "shop."
This year the booths are set up around the Jardin and it add a bit of excitement to the Jardin. There were lots of people strolling from booth to booth. Seems like I saw more people sitting in the jardin eating an ice cream cone or eating outside at the restaurants. I also think I'm seeing more gringo tourists in the streets with a guidebook or map in hand. As much as I like the town nice and quiet, I know that having the tourists return is a good thing for San Miguel.
The San Miguel Festival is over for this year. Today San Miguel was taken out of the Parroquia and he was taken to visit some of the other churches in the centro. San Miguel can't go without an entourage. He had a full compliment of dancers, drums and bands although I don't think it was quite as elaborate as the last few years. Certainly the number of angels was down. Sometimes we have lots of them walking and some riding on a flat bed truck/float. Today we only had about five little angels. Maybe another sign of the economic times. But it was a beautiful procession.
I've always loved fairs. The concession stands, the stock shows, the rides....all of it. The San Miguel fair has "all of it" and the citizens turn out in droves. The cost is 10 pesos to park and a 25 peso entry fee. After you are inside, there are a few rides that have an additional cost, some of the entertainment requires an ticket and some of the tickets are a bit expensive. Then of course there are charges for the food but most of it was quite reasonable. We had four tacos pastor for 28 pesos. Last night as we were leaving about 9:30 PM people were pouring through the gates and there was a line of cars lined up all the way back to the round-about. But while we were there, I only saw one or two other gringos.
There was some question about whether or not the San Miguel treasury had enough pesos to pay for the Independence Day Celebrations but everything seems to be going on schedule. Many events during the last week and last night was the Grito and fireworks. This morning was the parade although the endless groups of school children was much shorter than I remember in the past. This year I don't think that the parade included children from the campos. Maybe there wasn't enough money for the buses to bring them into town.
We did have the military in the streets with tanks and armored personnel carriers. This year I heard a few flutters of applause as they passed by and it just reminded me that I don't think I've ever heard the Mexicans cheer or clap when the military has been in a parade. Strange now that I think about it as compared to the way we Americans usually cheer on our troops.
And of course no Mexican parade would be complete without beauty queens and beautiful girls on horseback.
Tonight was the Posada on our street and the street behind us. Mary and Joseph and a shepherd were in the lead, followed by music and singing and the neighbors, many of them carrying candles.
They stopped several times looking for someone to take them in for the night but were turned away. Finally they found a place to stay and the everyone was offered food and drink. A good time was had by all.
A band was setting up to take over for the strolling musicians so the party may continue for a while. I'm sure we will hear it.
The fireworks and bells started last night and continued through the night for the Festival for the Virgen of Guadalupe. I knew that today there would be a procession from out on the highway into our Colonia church that would include many people carrying their pictures and statutes of the Virgen so I planned to leave in order to be at the church when they arrived. I had already decided that I'd shoot the procession moving into the church with my 70-200mm lens. I was ready.....but not quite. Just as I was getting ready to leave, Ned called to me from downstairs that the bells at the San Antonio church were already ringing. I grabbed the camera and hotfooted it the four or five blocks over to the church. Sure enough the procession had arrived early and about half of it had already entered the church. I wandered around the crowd and did get some shots.
Thanksgiving dinner on the terrace of friends here in San Miguel. We managed to pull together all the fixins; Turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and rolls. Then we retired to an open Sala for desserts, apple pie and pecan pie. Delicious.
Yes, it is a Jack O'Lantern on the grave decorated for Dias de los Muertos. We are seeing more and more crossover of our US Halloween customs. At one place, Uricho, the families were coming into the church courtyard with their young children dressed in typical Halloween costumes.
When I first bring in images and upload them to the computer or scan holga negatives, I always label or mark a bunch of them that I want to process. Since August I've gotten behind in processing them. So much has happened.....Guatemala, Texas, Mexican Independence Day, the San Miguel festival, and now Day of the Dead in Michoacan. Lots of Gigbytes of stuff. I haven't worked on many of them so today I was looking back through these folders and the labels on the ones I want to process was reduced. Once I get away from the excitement of the event and I can look at the file more objectively, it is easier to discard the almost-but-not-quite-good-enough image. This is a good thing but it is a little depressing too. So many don't stand the test of a little time. Why do I shoot so many almost-but-not-quite-good enough images?
A few weeks ago when I was back in Texas, I drove through the cemetery where my parents and Ned's parents are buried. The cemetery is beautifully landscaped and tranquil and I stood at the gravesides for a while remembering loved ones. It had been a while since I stood there. I was also remembering how we use to gather up the children and go to the cemetery at least every Easter and Christmas to put flowers on the graves.
Traveling in Mexico is always an adventure, especially travel by car. Yesterday we set off expecting about a 3 hour trip to Patzcuaro on the new toll road. Just as we were saying that we didn't think we would see a sign when we got to the overpass of the road that leads to the new toll road, there was a small sign. But of course it didn't mention Morelia or the new toll road. Just the next town down the road.
So back on the road again. When we got to the last toll booth, there was a long line of traffic and lots of people milling about the toll booths. We are trying to figure out what is happening and then we see a sign strung across the toll booth but it is facing away from us, so we are not sure what it says. After a while the traffic from our direction is waved through the booth but when we got to where we would pay, the men who were standing around were shouting "gratis, gratis, gratis" We think that some demonstration had taken over the toll booths and the demonstrators were now letting cars through for free.
We never seem to be able to figure out the whole story but Mexicans have their own way of letting the government know when they don't like what is happening. As I said Mexican road travel is always an adventure.
The peso has weakened against the dollar. I don't understand it when all you hear is the gloom and doom of the financial markets in the USA on the TV. But I guess that it is just more proof that the financial situation is global. In a way, this is good for us as we are getting 12.5 to 13.1 pesos for each of our dollars so long as we buy in the Mexican markets. We haven't been shopping at Costco or Walmart or buying anything imported, so I'll have to see how that is going to affect us.
This weekend is the Day of the Dead celebration and the preparations have begun in San Miguel. Marigolds have been planted in the plazas and in our "traffic" pots. "Traffic pots" are much more attractive than barricades. In a few days this street and all the other streets around the Jardin will be decorated with flags and sawdust street altars.
Two friends waiting to participate in the parade on Sunday during the San Miguel Festival. Made with the Holga.
Wow! What a weekend. I'm still not over it yet but it was fun. Overall the Festival seemed smaller than last year but at the same time, the citizens in San Miguel didn't miss anything. They turned out for every parade and procession. There were also a lot of tourists...both Mexican and Gringo. I've looked back at what I've written about the last three Festivals and I don't have much new to write about.
One thing that was a bit different were the castillos (fireworks). This year they were more sophisticated with layers and moving parts. Surprisingly enough, they even roped-off an area around the castillos. Usually there isn't a 'fall-out' zone. Of course the roped off area wasn't big enough to protect those in the front of the crowd from flying sparks. Between the sparks falling and a bit of wind carrying them over the crowd it isn't unusual to get a few burn holes in your clothes. I think my sweat shirt survived this time.
