Mexico
Mascota

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    • Day 22

      Rain, Rain and More Rain.

      January 1, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

      We went out for a quick breakfast, along with lots of other people, to a restaurant in the Mercado.
      And as we were coming home it started to rain, and man did it ever rain! It didn’t let up for 22 hours. We were so happy that we had good books to read and enough food for meals.

      The roads here are cobblestone and there are no sewer grates. The streets have been built so that the water runs down in the streets in rivers to other streets and then down to the river. At cross roads, the streets become little lakes. It was something to see. Chris said he wanted to look for an ark.

      As we didn’t have any sun, it got pretty cold too. Our apartment has solar panels so we didn’t even
      attempt to have a shower. Brrr.
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    • Day 23

      Last Day in Mascota

      January 2, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

      Well, today is our last day in Mascota. There are several places that we would have liked to have visited but we can’t do everything that we’d like to do, in three weeks.

      The Sierra Lago resort, high in the mountains sounds like a gorgeous place to visit with its lovely cabins and beautiful mountain top lake. The little town of Navidad with its famous homemade ice cream and people of French background. The 7 hour circuit through the mountains to all sorts of hidden towns, lakes and volcanoes. Also to San Sebastien, an old mining town, that has been left behind in time with its mountain and mirador called La Bufa. The verb bufar is the sound that bulls or horses make, a kind of snorting sound. It is called La Bufa because when the wind blows in the mountains there, it sounds like snorting.

      We walked to the bus station and bought our tickets to Puerto Vallarta, where we will meet our friends before taking a taxi to Chacala, Nayarit. Then wandered around to say goodbye to Silvia, our maid, Andreas in the coffee shop, the pharmacist who walks his dog up the mountain to the cross every day, Manuel, the tourist information guy in the centro, Ruben the belt and saddle maker, the tortilla ladies, the ice cream maker on the corner, and so many more. It has been easy making friends with the warm and friendly people who live here.

      While we were in the centre, we met an artist from the States who was looking forward to teaching a landscaping course in Mascota, Thomas Van Stine. He won’t have trouble finding beautiful places to paint!

      Fifteen minutes later we met Jonathan Dahl, an editor and chief of the Wall Street Journal, who was on tour from Vallarta to Talpa. The tour group had an hour stop in Mascota and we think that in the short time that Jonathan was here, he fell under Mascota’s charm, as we have.

      Chris did a last walkabout, while I cleaned out the fridge and did some housekeeping, and then we went out for a dinner at our favourite restaurant, El Tapanco (the loft). The owner is Italian so we had his tasty lasagna with a salad, and a beer for $7 Cdn. That included the tax and tip. Where can we get a delicious meal for that price at home? Even making it at home would cost more!

      We have really enjoyed being here and wish Mascota and its residents a prosperous New Year!

      But we are looking forward to a new adventure with our friends Pat and Gail in the small beach
      town of Chacala in the state of Nayarit.
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    • Day 6

      Santa Came Today

      December 16, 2019 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

      In Mexico, Christmas is celebrated from December 12th to January 6th.

      Today, December 16th, is the day that children start the 'Posada' processions. (Posada means inn or a lodging) For nine nights, posadas are held. These celebrate the part of the Christmas story where Joseph and Mary looked for somewhere to stay. For the Posadas, the outside of houses are

      often decorated with evergreens, moss and paper lanterns.

      Families hold candles and walk in a big group down a streets. They knock on the houses of friends and neighbors and sing a song at each home. The song they sing is about Joseph and Mary asking for a room in the house. But the children are told that there is no room in the house and that they must go away. Eventually, on Christmas Eve, they are told there is room and are welcomed in! We haven’t seen a posada in Mascota yet, but we probably will see one in the following 8 days.

      We have already seen some nativity scenes, known as the 'nacimientos', set up in the town. There is one in the centre of the town’s plaza. These are very popular in Mexico and some of them are very large, with the figures being life size or bigger. Sometimes a whole room in a house is used for the nacimiento. The figures are often made of clay and are traditionally passed down through families. In other parts of Mexico, we have seen these scenes with the traditional figures as well as camels and elephants, women cooking tortillas and some places even have flamingoes. Here, so far, we have only seen traditional figures in all sizes.

      At 8 p.m., children performed dances to upbeat Christmas carols, on a stage set up in the square.
      The weather is cool at night but actually quite pleasant at night so hot cinnamon drinks were sold to warm us up.

      Wouldn’t you know, a skinny Santa arrived in a truck with flashing lights and handed out chocolates with a flourish. So funny. His beard kept falling off as he lifted up kids and hugged them.

      There is a type of humorous Christmas play performed here, known as Pastorelas (The Shepherds). It tells the story of the shepherds going to find the baby Jesus. Along the way, the
      Devil and his troupe of devils try to stop the shepherds by tempting them in various ways. But in the end, the shepherds find the manger, often with the help of the Archangel Michael, who comes and beats the devil. The high school kids performed this play on the stage after the dancing.

      We returned home and heard some great drumming getting closer and closer. Then a band started playing and car horns were beeping. Santa (this one much fatter) and a full band were coming down the street in a trailer pulled by a truck. They stopped right beside our house, got out and played some great (loud) music for 1/2 hour. Then fireworks and dancing with Santa ended the program! They piled back into the trailer and they drove off.

      Christmas traditions here are a little different from what we have experienced in other places in Mexico. We are interested in seeing what happens during the next 9 nights.

      the end, the shepherds always find the manger. The local high school kids put on this play on a stage set up in the centre square.

      the help of the Archangel Michael, who comes and beats the devil!
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Mascota, MXMCA

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