Rosary in Chacala

I was walking over to the church about 6pm this evening. It was the third Rosary for someone who died on Sunday. I think it was the third one. This man was in his late forties. Very nice man who spends a lot of time at Chico’s. The first year I was in Chacala we both spent a lot of time hanging out with my landlady’s family. Always a friendly smile and funny conversations. I don’t even know he was in the hospital. He died of something abdominal. I can’t believe he is gone. I don’t even remember the last time I saw him. He was usually down around Juan’s tienda in the early evening. The last time we really talked was on the trip to Mexcaltitlan a few weeks ago.I had a really hard time getting thru the sticky red mud when I was walking over to the church. Thank God it wasn’t dark yet. I would have slipped for sure. Between my house and the church, first it’s the paved road, which is mostly flooded and muddy right now. Then I switch to the steep dirt path that goes from the paved road toward the school. Then I walk on a muddy section on the dirt road below the school. But the time I got to Sulma and Alejandro’s house my feet and flip-flops were two big blobs of mud, and I couldn’t walk. I was slipping on my own sandal’s soles.

Laura’s husband, Hugo, was visiting Sulima’s grandparents. He went somewhere and filled a bucket of water for me. I washed off my shoes by splashing handfuls of water on them, and then poured the rest on my feet. Then I used a stick to get the last inch of mud of the bottom of the sandals. And headed toward the church. Everyone’s muddy sandals were outside on the steps.

The Rosary was lovely. I hardly ever go in the Church in Chacala, because I am not Catholic, but I did this time. Berta, America’s mom, lead the service. There were about 14 people, mostly women. The service mostly consist of the leader saying a short phrase, and the group responding. It’s very quickly and repetitive. And calming.

In the middle of the service everyone stopped for a minute. I had the impression they were deciding what to do. I think there was a question about whether they had said the correct number of prayers. And several of the older (70’s) woman, who were behind me, burst into beautiful singing. The whole group joined in. It was lovely. Really beautiful. My favorite moment at the Church in Chacala.

When they are chanting, I think they are saying the Rosary, it sounds like the first words each time at “Hail Mary, full of grace”. At Maria’s Rosaries ( I don’t know if that is the right word) I could see Chata counting on her Rosary. One time, when we were walking home, she showed my how to do the Rosary. I didn’t really understand. I was thinking, that’s a great tool for someone that can’t count. It counts for you.

The church looks wonderful inside. Berta told me after the Rosary that the new priest had painted, or chosen the colors (?). The two half walls behind the altar at a lovely blue now. The altar has a nice fresh coat of white paint. It looks so nice and fresh. Berta pointed out the blue matches the tops of the blue of the new stained glass windows, and the sky, where God is. While the Rosary was happening I had the nicest feeling of contentment.

When I was growing up I lived about 6 blocks from a Catholic church. It’s architecture was “Spanish-style”, and it was open all night. That’s where I would go when I ran away from home. At night the lights were dim, with candles, and the pews were cushioned. It was a quiet, safe place to be

Bugs, Mud, and Black Moths, in Chacala.

Chacala’s been getting a lot of rain the last three days. Actually, mostly in the night, but off and on during the days too. Last night was a big lightning/thunder/downpour storm, but I don’t think the power went out.My roof leaked again, much worse than the previous times. I had to keep moving my bed, and the kittens’ bed, around to avoid the leaks. It wasn’t a good night.

I talked to my landlady this morning, and she appeared to think I was responsible for repairing the roof. I was pretty upset about the prospect of a leaking roof. There are enough un-fixed problems at this house without water on my bed.But then, when I came home late in the afternoon, there was a pile of repair materials sitting outside. And my landlady’s son told me he would fix the roof as soon as the sun comes out. I was really, really relieved. I didn’t have a clue about how to deal with the situation without paying for the roof repair. That’s how I have solved the problems at this house in the past. But the roof will cost too much.We are being invaded by various insects around Chacala. Tiny little crabs, about 3/8th of an inch, are everywhere. They are blanketing the ground, especially toward the southern end of Chacala. When you look at the ground it looks like the dirt is moving. Really creepy. They don’t seem to be interested in crawling across your feet or up you legs. I am happy for that.I met some gringa volunteers from Mar de Jade this evening, at Las Brisas. They are volunteering in Las Varas. They said the tiny crabs are coming up the stairs at Mar de Jade. I hope they don’t do that here. The little black moths are bad enough. There are thick clouds of them outside on my patio. They are drowning by the thousands and their bodies are covering my tables and the floor on the patio.They want to come in at night, when my lights are on. When Gracie, the mommy cat, wants to come inside after her hunting trips, she meows at the door. Then I turn off both lights and put the computer lid down. Then I let her in, and turn the lights back on. The moths still get in. I swept up a dustpan full of dead things from the floor of my room this morning. UGH!!!!

There are lots of birds hanging around the flooded areas between the paved road and the beach road. A few days ago some boys were throwning rocks at the crocodile that comes there in the summers. Their father saw me watching and told them to stop. But when i first arrived he was throwing rocks too. My neighbor came upstairs with me this afternoon. The patio floor was absolutely covered dead moths, and there were thousands of flying around the edges of the patio. I was horrified. She keep saying that they would only be here for a few days. She has lived here all her life, so she must know. I hope she’s right.The spring water from the hotel parking area, along with the rain, has completely flooded the road in front of the house. We laid brick stepping stones today, but they are already conversed with water. I got home after dark tonight. It was tricky to get to the steps up to the house. I was wading in shin-deep water part of the way.The five of us at this house stood there is the dark, admiring at the mess. I mentioned I have a pick and shovel. Tomorrow morning “we”, hopefuly the guys, are going to try to drain the road. By cutting down the side of the road that faces the ocean. It’s downhill and it shouldn’t be too hard to dig a little trench. We’ll see.Next day. We did work on the road, but the runoff from the hotel is horrendous. All the hotel run off ends up right here, in front of the house. Plus the underground spring that was uncovered during the construction of the hotel runs constantly, keeping the road muddy whether or no there is rain.

I like it that vehicles has to slow down to get thru the mess. But it gets hard when I have to wade thru calf deep water to get to our steps. I have taken to walking home thru my neighbor's yard and avoiding most of the mess.

From Chacala to Guanajuato

38 (mas o menos) Chacalenos climbed abroad a big rented tourist bus this evening, and headed off to Guanajuato for a road trip. Two nights traveling on the bus and two nights in a hotel. I think I have that right.Viki, Administrator of the Bibliotecha program, lead the way. I think there were about 10 parents/grandparents along for the trip. Viki is just amazing. It’s hard to imagine being responsible for all those kids, ages 8 thru 20 or so, off in some city somewhere. Great experiences for the kids. Not many kids from towns like Chacala get to go off on this kind of adventure.Everyone was gathered at the intersection next to the primary playground by about 7:30pm. The bus arrived at 8pm. On time (amazing in Mexico). There was a pretty big crowd gathered to say goodbye.This is the 3rd summer bus trip for the kids and families that I can remember. I think the first trip was to Mexico City and Guanajuato. Last year was Morelia, Patzcuaro, and Urupan. There may have been another trip in there. I can’t remember.Viki told me the kids wanted to return to Guanajuato, since their first visit there was short, and they really liked it. It’s a very fun town. There is a University there and there are lots of musical and theatre events. Very lively place. And the center of town is very concentrated in a small area, so the kids can run around and explore some on their own.Viki also told me that this is a slightly shorter trip that usual because the State of Nayarit is putting on a special weekend program in a town near here. For Chacala kids and some kids from some other towns around the State. I didn’t understand what the actual event was going to be, but it sounded like it was going to be a big deal.

I had a lot of fun taking photos, and Viki asked me to email some to her. I have been trying to take photos of various kid activities, and then passing them on to her. But sometimes I forgot about the event, or the photos aren’t that great.I got about 20 barely decent photos tonight. It was turning into night as we stood around, and I haven’t read my instruction book for night shots yet. So I had a bunch of dark shots.I am been thinking a lot about moving to another, larger town, in a different part of Mexico.
And sometimes I really miss the stimulation and conveniences of city life quite a bit. Especially books in English and a delicious variety of food in markets and restaurants. And the company of writers and artists and musicians. And people who are concerned about the environment and the impact of tourism on the culture and the environment. And gardens and gardeners. And lovely old buildings, and plazas, and museums, and galleries.However, I loved this evening. Everyone talking and visiting. Lots of excitement. The giant bus pulling up. Everyone saying goodbye and waving. I love it that I knew almost everyone there. And who is related to who. Lots of people were posing for me, and laughing and waving. How long would it take me to know most people in a new town, or neighborhood? I love being known by most people in Chacala. At least to say hi to and visit with. And to know what they do, who their family is, and where they live.It doesn’t seem likely I would have this kind of experience in a larger town. A chance to get to know people, and to feel like in some small ways I have a role here in the community life. A very peripheral role, but still.But maybe that’s okay. It’s very scary to think of taking off to somewhere I never been before. I can’t afford to make two round trips: one to find a place, and the other to move there. So I would be taking off without knowing where I was going to end up. Actually that idea kind of appeals to me.

Living Where I Live, in Chacala

I have lived in this particular Chacala rental for about 16 months (6 months, then 1 month, and currently, for 9 months. The things I love about my place here are:
- the location (less than two blocks to the beach and stores, next door to my first friends in Chacala),
-the light in my room and the cross-breeze
-the view (one of the really good ocean views in Chacala), and being on the second floor (the whole second floor). My bedroom and patio and bath take up the upstairs. So there are no side or above neighbors, and it feels pretty private.
-And I am surrounded by greenery, on the three non-ocean sides.This is a cement water tank where the new downststairs neighbors wash their clothes. Before that is was where water was stored before it was pumped up to the tinaco. Full of small dead animals and crud of various kinds. Absolutey disgusting. After three year, it was finally cleaned out last month. The day after my landlord's husband pumped the filth up into the brand clean tinaco I had just cleaned out (first time in five years) and filled with clean water.

There are two rooms downstairs, with a shared bath between. The local family that built this rental with a loan, labor, and guidance from Techos de Mexico program, lived in the downstairs rooms until this past winter. Those rooms have rough cement floors, cement bath, no tile, toilet doesn’t’ function no screens, no fans, and it’s generally dirty. One of the walls was bare brick (lots of hidey holes for insects, etc) until a couple of months ago. Then the wall was plastered with cement. No paint. Not very appealing place to live.This is the water barrel for flushing the downstairs toilet.

But more and more Mexican working people are looking for places to stay in Chacala. So places that no one would have considered living in before are now being rented. In the past the two lower rooms at this house were very rarely rented. Really only during Semana Santa and Christmas week. To large families who weren’t fussy about bathrooms, etc. But this past month both rooms have been rented, probably for the long term.It’s pretty hard to live here sometimes.

I have to remember, I am very lucky. The rent is affordable and the downstairs rooms are rented to two very nice and very hard working and clean young couples. They call their partners esposo and esposa, (husband and wife), but I suspect they are living together and not formally married. That doesn’t seem be an issue in Mexico. My impression is you are novio /novia (boyfriend/girlfriend) until you are keeping house together and sharing resources. Then you are esposo/esposa. I think some people get married once a baby is on the way. But I am not sure about that.

The couple right below me sells pineapples on the beach. They are cut and sliced like little boats, and other fruit is added. They are served on flat Styrofoam plates, which of course, end up on the beach. I picked up 27 yesterday, walking home along the beach.
This morning Sulma, the young girl, asked me if I had a piece of rope to dry her laundry on. I found a piece and we wandered around behind the house, looking for a place to make a clothesline. We finally tied it from the hammock tree to the bogeda door. I gave her some extra clothespins and hangers too.Zule is 20, and is an actress. Juan, her esposo is 26, and is a musician. He makes instruments. Maybe drums. I am not sure. They both dress is a very artistic style and look wonderful together. I think I actually have a photo of Juan from the La Penita market last winter. Playing a drum.

Zupe came up to my room to see the kittens, (now 12 days old, with eyes open). She was very interested in my work area. Especially my beads, and shells and oyster shells. And little this and that’s. She showed me the earrings of oyster shell she was wearing. A friend of hers made them.

So far, for five days, Juan and Zule have been very pleasant neighbors. They even have an old Datsun pickup, which they load with their fruit stand business supplies every morning, to take down to the beach.

The other couple, Susie and Luis, is older, but also clean and hardworking. And quiet. Of course neither couple seems to have a boom box or TV. It might be a different story if they did. Susie and Luis work endless hours at Las Brisas. I would be curious to know what they are paid. I think meals are included.

So far we are all being careful with the water. I am trying to accustom myself to showers mid-day, leaving the tinaco water for them before and after work, when the town water isn’t on. It’s only a problem if I am going to town ( and want an early morning shower), but I only do that once a week or less. I was so anxious about the water, but it seems to be working out.

My landlady and her husband were at the house at 7am. For their once a month sweeping of the front steps. I don’t think they realize that I daily sweep, fill the water containers and pick-up the trash. And provide a trash container, pay for it to be hauled away, and pick up the trash from the construction trucks (bottles and wrappers mainly) along the road in front of the house. And generally keep things going.

A few day ago a friend of mine who speaks Spanish and English went over my list of repairs for this house with my landlady. She was not interested at all in any repairs, and seemed amazed that someone might think she was responsible for them. But she did tell my friend she wished I would paint the house (and buy the paint).

She is not interested in a installing an additional or a larger tinaco, providing a trash can, fixing the downstairs toilet, fixing the water supply line to the tinaco, having the septic hibe pumped out, fixing the staircase to the upstairs (it’s breaking away from the house), fixing the leaking roof and bathroom ceilings, or installing a regular electrical connection.

Well, the upside is, the problems here probably keep the rent down for me. I have shown this place to many potential gringo renters over the past three years, and they almost always say, “I don’t think so”.

Anyway, aside from my anxiety about the water supply, so far I am enjoying my new neighbors. Time will tell I guess. And I love my view and privacy, and location. I am trying to remember that, and sometimes that's hard.
Here are photos of Gracie's kitties. Their eyes are open and they are 13 days old.

Spoiled Gringa, in Chacala

Even though it's sunny and green in Chacala, and there's a nice breeze, I have been crabby and whiny for several days. The tinacho at this house does not store enough water for more than three people to take showers and to flush one toilet occasionally. The downstairs toilet is bucket flushed from a barrel I refill once or twice a day for the downstairs neighbors, a nice young couple. They are working at Las Brisas 12 hours a day and aren’t home when the town water is on (about 10am-4pm).
This is the tinaco at the house where I am living. It is perched on the roof of my bathroom, under a tile roof. Wasp and insect heavon. The hose is the hose I use to fill the tinaco. I run anotherhose up from the street facuet and then hook the two hoses together.

Anyway, a few days ago my landlady rented the other downstairs rooms another nice young couple. The only problem is that there isn’t enough water for five people to take showers unless they do it during the day, when the town water is on.

The water in the tinaco has to last from 4pm to 10am the next day, or later. The town water goes off at 4pm, so you can’t refill the tinaco until 10am the next day. But there isn’t enough water in the tinacho for even five quick shower. I have a hard time waking up not knowing if there is water for a shower, or flushing. (Which I don't do very often, maybe twice a day). It’s very sweaty at night here, even with a fan pointed right on your naked body. I love showering in the morning.

The following photos are of other tinacos in Chacala. They are on every roof except for those of inventive gringos who think they have invented a better system.My rent is due tomorrow, the 12th, and I have been looking around and talking to people, trying for find a better situation. And there just might not be one.

This place has a lot of problems. My toilet does flush, but you have to get to make sure the float seats every flush, because you just never know when a little stick or pebble or something will keep it from seating. The septic tank has been full for more than a year. The water from the showers and toilets sits on top, like a lovely little pond. The electricity is a long extension cord from the neighbors light fixture. My roof leaks in the rain, and the tinaco on the roof leaks into my bathroom. I have to fill the tinaco once or twice a day from the town water facuet at the street. When there is town water. That's because the filler pipe was blocked with something months ago, (ask my landlady's husband about this), and my landlady doesn't want to have it repaired. Whatever.
My landlady just doesn’t see not having water is a problem. Cultural and class differences, I guess.
The winter I camped at the beach the water tank in the shower/toilet area was usually full, and usually muddy. And my first winter at this house, a couple of years ago, the water was disgusting. Green and icky. It was stored in a filthy tank, and then pumped into the tinaco. I bought 5 gallon jugs of water for washing me, my dishes and my clothes. And used the house water for flushing. Ugh.

Looking back, this isn’t so bad. At least when there is water, is clean looking. Plus, when I have whined to my friends around town about the water thing at this house, they just look at me. I am such a spoiled gringo, expecting clean water on demand. What a baby!!!!Meanwhile. I am going to take a shower, while everyone is at work and I have filled all the water containers here: tinaco, cement lavanderia, 20 gallon flush water, and my five plastic buckets for washing clothes and dishes. And there is still another hour or so before the town water goes off. So I can refill the tinaco.This is one of the huge trucks hauling dirt in the gated development. They're back again. Ugh.

In a Valley, Far From Home, and NOT Chacala

Here in Chacala I often run out of books in English. That’s something I really used to dread. Going to the used book-exchange bookstore in P.V. is expensive and so I almost always run out of bedtime reading material before I am ready to make the trip.

It’s probably not such a bad thing to run out of reading material. I get a lot more done when I don’t have books to get lost in. Many of the books I have reading in Mexico are just kind of mindless and entertaining books. English mysteries, etc.

If someone asked me what I missed the most from the U.S., I guess it would the library system, and bookstores. Of course, certain foods and restaurants are probably what I really miss the most, but books come in as a close second.

But this time, when I was looking thru my little stash of “Book to Keep” I found a book I ordered from Amazon last year. Someone had mentioned this book to me, and I looked for it on Amazon, and found a used copy for $3US. I had them ship it to my son’s house in the U.S., and he brought it down when he came to Chacala last Fall.

He and the book arrived during a pretty intense hurricane alert in early September. We didn’t get a hurricane, but the lights went out during rainstorms most nights, and reading was difficult. I liked the book, but usually I was reading it at breakneck speed, before the lights went out again.

The book is called “In a Valley, Far From Home”, by Catherine Palmer Finerty, published by the University of Arizona Press, in 2000.

It’s the autobiographical story of a woman about my age, who, after a very successful career, came to Guadalajara in retirement. It sounded as though she wasn’t up for the “Wealthy-Gringa-Social-Butterfly” boogie that her friends enjoyed. She ended up living most of the time in a mountain village with Cora Indians and mestizos. She did some medical volunteering, and made a place for herself. She also took photos, which sadly weren’t included in the book.

I love her writing style, and her observations. I especially enjoyed it when she wrote about something she discovered or observed that sounded a lot like life here in Chacala.

This was a very different kind of village than Chacala though. At that time there were no roads. She flew in on small commercial planes, or those owned by the Church. Landing on a river bed or pasture five miles from the town. Very primitive and poor. No electricity, clean water, ice, but lots of life in a beautiful, religious, and often dangerous setting.

I found her attitude and fortitude very inspiring. At least part of the time she seemed to be getting by on their diet. Beans and tortillas and an occasional piece of meat. And some greens or fruit sometimes. And cinnamon tea. And warm sodas. Her comments were never judgmental, and almost always reflected her curiosity about the culture and the history of the people living in her village, Jesus Maria, in the mountains above Tepic.

I think that what I resonated most with was her sense of never quite being sure what was going on. And always finding out the missing pieces of information much later. During her whole time in at Jesus Maria she was searching for a curando, a natural healer, to work with. And she thought she never found one. But right at the end of her more than seven years is Jesus Maria, she found that a man, Pancho, who often brought her to the homes of sick people, was a curando. She knew nothing about him. His home, his family, nothing. Finally, one time she arrived at the home of a very ill person she had been treating, and a curando was there. She was amazed to see it was Pancho. He said to her “How did you think I always knew who was sick?”

Anyway, I am appreciating this books even more the second time around. That’s one good part about having a weak memory. I can re-read a book within a year, and a lot of it seems brand new to me. I had the impression she flew out to her home in Guadalajara for a week every month, to check on her house, and her renters. And then returned. I can appreciate wanting a break from a pretty primitive lifestyle in the mountains.

I looked at my new map, and there is now a road to Jesus Maria. So, of course, I am plotting a trip to that area. According to the author, the Cora Indians are very religious and traditional. No druggies there, except visiting gringo youth looking for the Huitchols.

I would love to meet her. The book says she lives in Pomona now. I wonder if she is still alive. I think I will Google her tomorrow.

I often think that because I have internet access here in Chacala, with email, and Google that I am kind of cheating. If I had been living here ten years ago, with no internet, no phones, and a really crappy Mexican mail system, my life in Chacala would have been a lot different. I am so lucky, in so many ways.

Primary School Graduation in Chacala

I visited the primary school in Chacala yesterday with two visitors who are school teachers in the U.S. It was the last day of the school year. There was a lovely graduation ceremony.We toured the two Primary classrooms. Chacala also has a Kinder, and a Telesecundaria for 7th and 8th grades. Telesecundaria seems to be Mexico's answer to cheap education. The kids watch videos of all the subject matter. A kind of para, a monitor, acts a teacher. Exteremely inadequate method of education in my very opinionated opinion. Mexico uses is for indigenous and poor students in rural areas.The two teacher/visitors were as shocked as I was to see a very high-tech (at least to me) piece of equipment in the 4th,5th and 6th grade classroom. I can’t remember what it’s called, but it’s a giant computer screen that you can work on just like a laptop. It projects onto the white board at the front of the room. At least I think that’s what it was. The teacher showed off the equipment and the kids seemed to be very familiar with it.

There are two new teachers (below) as of the middle of the past school year. A definite improvement, according to local gossip. The guy who teaches the older kids has alot of enthusiasm and some computer and technical skills. The woman told my friends she had worked in the the schools in S.F. California. Probably as a para, since she doesn't speak English.
The classroom was a total mess. All the trash for the year was piled along one wall, and all the desks were dragged out onto the playground for the ceremony. But I know, from past observation, that the parents and kids get everything cleaned up. The State provides the building and some equipment, and the parents are responsible for everything else in the rural schools. Water, power, TP, cleaning, trash removeal, painting and reparing the buildings,etc. We also toured the Bibliotecha computer lab. They were six brand new computers, with those large freestanding screens. They looked great, and there were kids at every terminal.As the ceremony began, a bunch of guys were sitting over next to the Bibliotecha, in the shade. When the sixth graders started the flag ceremony, the woman teacher stepped up to the microphone, and insisted that the group of “cool” guys stand up and honor the flag.My bet was they were stunned that someone was calling them on their disrespectful behavior, and they slowly stood up. I doubt it anyone had ever told them to shape up and show respect in years. One of my favorite moments in Chacala.It was really hot and humid, but there was a great turnout. The ceremony included lots of dancing. Including dancing pencils, I think. The kids were just beautiful. And all the little brothers and sisters ran around climbing trees and darting in and out of the dancers.I loved whole morning. After everyone had received their certificates, all the parents, kids, teachers and parents group members and town officials came out in the center of the playground, and shook hands with each other. I love how the children, even three year olds, shake hands when introduced or when greeting an adult.

I personally was dying of the heat, and we walked over to Angeles’s store for cold water. There wasn’t any, so we settled for ice cold Cokes.