Brooms and Mops

Irish saying: A new broom sweeps clean, but the old broom knows the corners.

This year we spent nearly our entire six month Mexico trip in the highland interior, including the fine old cities of Queretaro, Mexico City ,Puebla and Oaxaca. We visited Cholula, Cuernavaca, Patzcuaro, and many smaller towns. Everywhere we watched people busily sweeping sidewalks, businesses and public buildings. Frankly, 20 years ago, many Mexican towns were not so tidy as they are today. Now it seems that the central areas of every town, modest or large, is proudly shipshape. It’s no wonder, people of all ages are sweeping and mopping constantly! 

Morning is the usual time for the first good sweep. In Jocotepec, whenever we had our 20-liter water jug filled at La Purisima in the morning, we’d be sure to see a woman sweeping the sidewalk fronting the home across the street.  If a home has a dirt yard in front, it will be raked or swept, too. Offices and public buildings may sweep a little later, but it’s routine to start the day with a broom. This is commonly followed by a soapy mopping. In a cooperative craft store in Oaxaca, we found all the artisans together sweeping up, and mop water flowing out the front door.                                                       

No matter how daunting, everything must be swept. At the Xochicalco ruins, south of Cuernavaca, I had to call out to compliment this guy - the pyramids were spotless!

Sweepers have to choose the proper location to store the broom or mop in case it’s needed it in a hurry. There’s not much sense in placing the broom where it would involve having to walk very far to get it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paracho shop -- Mexico City performer – Pueblo’s Cultural Center Poblano.

Oaxaca’s Santo Domingo Plaza – and closeup of broom made from traditional materials that blends well in this setting.

 

 

 

 

 

A public storage location can demonstrate diligence. Or maybe, old buildings just don’t have broom closets! Below, Oaxaca Santo Domingo Ex-Convent Museum –- Teotitlan Church made with stones from ancient ruins -– Patzcuaro Once Patios courtyard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below, hoping they put the brooms away before the Tzintzuntzan Easter pageant began –- These folks in Jocotepec may simply be proud of their tools –- Who would put a mop in a dark, musty closet, when they dry best in the sun? Oaxaca Casa de la Cultura.

Traveling vendors bring brooms. During Easter in Patzcuaro, sweet tamale makers camp out in makeshift tents in Plaza San Francisco, where they steam the corn husk-wrapped treats over wood fires day and night. There they are in rows on the yellow tablecloth! -- A pottery display in Jocotepec. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brooms and mops wear out. Fortunately, they’re sold everywhere in stylish bright colors, perfect for any location.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the tienda near the toys –- 0n the street next to the avocados -– At the stationery/crafts store,next to their own handy green broom –- In kid sizes at the plaza – At the hardware store with the biggest selection –- And, handmade brooms on the street in Ajijic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, to make the picture complete:

                                                             Our own handy broom.

 “Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean.” (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German Playwright, Poet, Novelist and Dramatist, 1749-1832)

Leaving Roca Azul

This Saturday we will leave Roca Azul campground after two months and a week, and head down the road to new destinations!

Our goal is Oaxaca, a bit over 600 miles away. Our route will take us down MX15D past Morelia, then to the Arco Norte, a new highway bypassing Mexico City to the east. We are not sure where this grand new road starts, but we will find it! Along the way, we’ll see Teotihuacan - the Big Daddy of Mexican archeological ruins, and also Puebla, a classic colonial city.

First, we must say adios to our fine RV friends, great birding, daylong road trips, team truck repairs, potlucks and morning walks; to the lakefront, hot pool, cold pool, trees, tennis court (we watch) and free laundry.

We also bid Hasta la vista to Jocotepec and to local pals, among them us four who celebrated our birthdays together this month!

And adios! to the new burro down the road. 

We’ll be back to Roca Azul in April. Look forward to the next post from a new location, as soon as we set up our Hughes Internet satellite dish again!

Blog Launch with Holiday Wishes

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!
Hello, everybody! Today we are wishing you the very best holiday celebrations ever, from Jocotepec, Mexico!

Our new C & G CHRONICLES blog is being published TODAY as our surprise to you. Our hope is that it will entertain, and will help us to stay in better touch across the miles. We'll talk about the present, and tell a few stories of our sailing days. Throughout the year, if you should have the fleeting thought...”I wonder where Chuck & Gigi are?” or “What are those nuts doing, anyway?” you may stop by to take a peek and find out! The blog starts with a few background entries. We’d be delighted if you would also like to leave us a note or make a comment (just click the purple comment link)!

The Christmas season has recently begun, with a tree in the plaza, in front of the Jocotepec Municipal building, and crèche in the Cathedral plaza.    
Did you see the Devil watching in the background?

             


Until the 15th, everyone was busy with a 12-day celebration honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe, who is central to the history of the Mexican Catholic Church, and a symbol of Mexican nationalism and patriotism. Her image was exhibited in all churches with the Mexican flag, and  in displays in and outside homes.                                                        
                                        
Though we did not participate, we were well aware of the goings-on at our closest church because of the Mexican version of “Get Me to the Church On Time”… which begins about 5 am with thundering thuds spaced a few seconds apart. These are cohetes: home-made gunpowder rockets-on-a-stick, launched by hand at some risk, producing a loud Boom. BOOM. BOOM. Boomboomaboobooboom! It may be a designed to wake the congregation, but it must do a good job of shaking the whole town up and off into their day. We’re almost a mile away. I fumble to reach the ear plugs. Zzzzzz. 

During the last few evenings, booths with food and games were set up, and the darkening street was filled with families and music. And cohetes. One night in the dim light, we had to detour our truck around dancers in Indian dress. It was just one of the interesting surprises that occur so often in Mexico!

So, now, the Mexican Christmas traditions begin. The veggie market has pinatas. Tiny handmade figurines are offered for household tableaux.

     

                                   

And, look at these cuties are outside our gate, living the life of pampered gluttons. Sadly, we expect their numbers will dwindle during Christmas celebrations. Who can tell us: Are they sheep? or goats?

Roca Azul, at Last!

Driving into Roca Azul campground is kinda like our sailing into an anchorage in the old days, sanning the tethered rigs to see who might be here. Look! Once again, our friends have saved for us the same site we’ve occupied for the past three years! We feel totally at home, and it’s great to be back. That’s us, with Chuck’s HAM antennae on the roof. Roca Azul Resort and RV Park (check out their website) is located in a quiet neighborhood on the western shore of Lake Chapala, Mexico’s largest lake. We have a lake view from our back window.

The resort has a kids’ playground, swimming pool, hot spring pool, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, and soccer field where a Jocotepec team practices enthusiastically each Tuesday evening. For those of us less athletic, there's a lakeside lighthouse where campers gather for an occasional sundowner. There’s a clubhouse, Wi-Fi, and gated security. Around us are agricultural fields, lakeside cows and a bird population that could be the subject of a whole ‘nother post!

A third generation of the Sanchez family now manages Roca. They're just great. A few days after our arrival, Arturo and Rafa treated 12 of us to a “Mexican barbeque!” The onion is the chef's secret: grill it a bit first, and it will prevent other items from sticking. This is a good start to our winter!

Our local town is Jocotepec, a very traditional Mexican town of about 16,000, with historic roots and traditions. In contrast to Ajijic and Chapala, which are farther east on the north shore and have many thousands of American and Canadian residents, few extranjeros/outsiders live here. Marilyn, a long-time friend of Gigi’s, does live in “Joco,” and introduced us to this wonderful region in 2005. We’ve spent time here every year since. We enjoy the friendly residents, local events, and restaurants and shopping that meets our everyday needs. We’ll be in Mexico into May. We will visit other locations, but could stay here a couple of months.