A Charming Little Junkyard

We got a later start today for all the right reasons. We slept in and had a simple breakfast at home, although simple may be the wrong word. There isn't any skim milk in this world and so our cereal swam in what seemed like heavy cream. The first thing to catch our attention was within feet of our doorstep. Right around the corner from the casa is a junkyard; the man collects mostly used building materials: there are stacks of cement blocks and piles of wood and a very small shack-like building in front of which we've seen him sitting each time we've walked past. This morning, he was alone in his yard, eyes closed, head thrown back in reverence, listening to Ave Maria playing so loudly that everything else along the street seemed to stop making any noise of its own. Lovely.

We headed to the main square again to book a trolley tour of the city. While we are getting our bearings because Chris is good with a map and cares where he's at, the city sprawls and we thought a motor might help. Unfortunately, the shady lady we talked with yesterday who said we only needed to give her an hour's notice and she could find someone who spoke English to accompany us and translate wasn't actually able to do so today. We'll go tomorrow.

We tried to get back in the cathedral today, which we didn't go into yesterday because there was a mass going on each time we walked past, but there were back-to-back weddings today so again we didn't enter. We did sit in the square for a long time watching as one bridal party departed and another arrived and the wedding bands (mariachis) milled about and as florists switched out one set of lavish arrangements for another. The first wedding was rather subtle but the second was flashy: bright red floor length gowns on the bridesmaids with black bras and sheer black shawls. One of the girls had her hair streaked red to match the gowns. All of this may have been more interesting to me than to Chris but he's a sport.

There was a small church to the left of the cathedral which we did go in and this had a similar mural to the one I described yesterday. Chris took some pics of it and I'm sure he's putting them here. This church also had a statue of Judas and one of St. Divas, who I have never seen mentioned before but it is in keeping with the attention Calvary is paid in this area. I wouldn't even have known who he was except yesterday as I was describing the three crucifixions I wondered if I should know the names of the two criminals with whom Jesus was crucified and so checked online for their names. (I was relieved when I didn't recognize them at all; it made me feel like a less bad Catholic.)

As we have walked along the streets, I've been quite taken with the door knockers, which come in all shapes and sizes and simplicity and fantasy and so Chris has begun to photograph them for me. He has posted a few. Right now, the frog is my favorite, but we saw a lizard this evening that I think might beat it.

There are crosses and religious statues everywhere, embedded in the architecture, making me wonder if the original purpose for all of these buildings was different or whether it is simply a style. We have to find a Florinda to ask all of our questions!
Our interest is piqued so we climbed high in the city towards a chapel dedicated to Calvary but unfortunately it was closed today. We'll return. On the way back, we stopped for lunch at a little spot that was literally little: at best I would say 15 feet wide by 25 feet deep, including kitchen which was in the same room. There were two tables and we sat within arm's reach of the stove and our tortas and sopa were delicious.

We came back via the Benito Juarez Parque which is like Garfield Park Conservatory but outdoors. It goes on for blocks and the foliage is so lush and dense that the quiet makes it hard to believe that you are still in a city. Between there and home we found a little vegetable market that has what we will need to dine in and an ice cream shop that has what we will need to have ice cream whenever we want. Blackberry today; amaretto tomorrow.

I had an assignment due for my class today and so Chris made dinner while I begrudgingly read articles on the academic effects of having teens complete summer reading assignments. While it isn't my favorite thing to do in Mexico, at least I'm in Mexico. We had cucumbers with basil and blue cheese which were the perfect combination of sweet and salt and spaghetti and fresh bread. Chris played his guitar for a time on the porch until the rain came and now, I think, it is time for bed. Tomorrow we plan to do new things and more things and fun things and be happy.