Jala, Home of Two (Three?) Giants

We took the local bus to the nearby small Magic Town of Jala and its neighbour Jamulco. Jala is a pretty town with cobblestone streets, colonial-era homes, and a very interesting Basilica, which features a four-colored stone facade (green, yellow, pink, and brown). The houses are painted in vivid colours and many of the old colonial mansions have been fixed up and are presently hotels or restaurants.

There are two giants here, possibly three…

Giant #1 - Jala lies at the base of the Ceboruco Volcano, or the Black Giant.
With an altitude of 2,280 meters above sea level, El Ceboruco is an active stratovolcano. Its last recorded eruption was in 1870. Indigenous and Spanish writers reported its violent activity in the 16th century, when its eruptions lit up the skies. We hiked to its craters a few days ago so I won’t go into any details about it.

Giant #2 - Jala is known for producing the world’s longest ears of corn. The native Jala maize landrace thrives in the volcanic valley at the foot of the Ceboruco volcano.

Under ideal conditions, a Jala corn plant can reach up to 5 meters tall, and its ears can grow between 35 and 60 cm long. Because of its size and specific needs this variety must be grown by hand and matures slowly. The volcanic soils in Jala provide nutrients and minerals that seem critical for its exceptional growth—a factor that makes reproducing this maize elsewhere extremely difficult.

Every August, Jala holds a Corn Fair (Feria del Elote) where farmers compete to present the longest ears. This festival draws visitors and raises awareness about preserving this native variety.

Giant #3 - Chris and I visited the tiny Ahuacatlan museum where there was a photo of a man carting a giant skull in a wheelbarrow. Apparently, the skull of a giant man was found near the volcano. I’m not sure what happened to it but the docent there said that giants lived in this area…Leggi altro