gong

Here are a set of pins I made for my friend Hugo and his Gong event that happened in Rome this September. I used vintage images that I thought would go with the gong theme. I used the typewriter for the text, manually cutting the individual letters to glue on to the images. I wanted the pins to depict something unusual and a bit strange, but with a sense of humor. I mailed a set of these pins to Rome so they could pass them out during the event. It’s great to know that these pins are residing somewhere in Rome now.

Cosmos

There’s plenty of work I’ve done lately that I need to share. Here are some that I worked on recently. The images are from a series of books I acquired, which involve children visiting a number of different work places. Farms, post offices, factories, etc. I had all these images for a while but was not sure what text to associate with them. Once I stumbled onto a spiritual book I had my answer. The innocence and ambivalence of the pictures were a perfect match to the spiritual wisdom.

Two for One

My second trip out of Mexico City was to the state of Michoacan. My first stop was the city of Morelia. The bus ride from Mexico City was not too long. Once at the bus station, I took a cab to the hotel. The first thing I notice as the cab starts driving through the city is the abundance of graffiti. As we get closer to the historic center, I notice how the city seems to clean up. I found a hotel that was right by the main cathedral and had called them from the bus station to reserve a room.

As I check in, they explain how the hotel used to be an old house. Easily it must be over a hundred years old. It’s always exciting to know you’re in such an old building, but I also feel a bit uneasy when I think about all the old stories that must have been trapped there. There’s some life-like painting of the original owners in the courtyard, they explain, and I try not to think too much about it as I walk to my room. The room is great, and there’s a side view to the main plaza.

As I step into the city, the first thing I see is a demonstration outside the Palacio de Gobierno. I’m not sure what it’s about, but there seems to be a lot of tension in the air. I proceed to explore the beautiful Catedral and the adjoining Plaza de Armas. Using a map, I start walking the streets. I walk for a good while, my eyes taking in every single detail. The streets are pretty narrow for traffic at times. There are actually hardly any stop signs at the intersections and somehow this seems to work effortlessly. I pause to take pictures on occasion. Older ladies didn’t seem to like this, since I got more than a couple strange looks from them.



As I’m walking the streets and start to see more grafitti, I wonder how far I should stray from my starting point. I see a street blocked off by a slick cop and his parked motorcycle, which is causing some tension with some of the drivers who have to detour. I see a commotion on that street, so I decide to check it out. It’s a student protest and from the look of it, it has been going on for a while. There are cops everywhere and I try to sneak in a picture or two.




After all the walking it’s time to eat. I had seen a few places to eat, but I was clearly not in the right area. I needed more options. I start heading back and find myself outside the local mercado. I spotted it when I saw guys carrying the heaviest-looking pieces of meat I have ever seen, all on their backs. As I step into the mercado, I realize I must be there at the wrong time. Most of it is empty. I go upstairs and find plenty of places to eat, though. I settle for a place and have a simple but satisfying meal. I overhear the gilrls talking about the “man with the flowers” and how someone beat him up yesterday, as they look down to the first floor. The idea of someone beating up the man who sells flowers makes me feel pretty uneasy.



I explore some more churches and then go to the Museo de Arte Colonial, which has an impressive collection of Christs. It was almost surreal to be able to see the all the detail of the sometimes very bloody depictions of the crucifixion. After this museum visit, I decide to visit the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo. I know it’s a walk based on what I see on the map, but of course it ends up being a lot further than I had anticipated. It was mainly another excuse to explore the streets of the city.

The museum is adjacent to a park, which I visit briefly. I see a handcuffed young man with a beat up face sitting in the back of a police truck. His friends are searching his pockets, pull out a cel phone and are having a back and forth conversation on what number to look for. This is probably not the best place to be hanging out, so I decide to head into the museum, which had a very interesting exposition on women.



I start walking back to the hotel, tired and starting to feel very hungry. I step into a church on the way back while they were having mass. The chuch was small and there were only a few people in attendance. I wasn’t sure who was leading mass, as I couldn’t see anyone standing up front, but the voice came through the speakers was loud and clear. They had some electronic red candles up front that made the mysterious voice a bit surreal. Someone started singing and playing guitar through the mic and I decided to sit for a bit longer. I found the music very soothing and it helped me relax.

I step out of the church energized and ready to start the night. I walk back to the main plaza and find it packed with people. There’s a band playing and everybody seems to be dancing. I hung out there for a good while, enjoying watching the people rejoice with the music. The dance floor was packed and no one seemed to leave to sit down. They just kept dancing.



I have dinner close to the dance and then head to the hotel to relax for a bit. I looked online for some bars and leave the room after a good rest. I had a gaspacho, which I had been craving. It’s basically a huge fruit cup. I then go to a bar and sit in the patio along with the locals. I order a beer and they bring me too, but only charge me for one. I take them, a bit confused, and start drinking. I only stay there a while, I was mainly killing time before going to the local gay bar I had read about.

I walk into the bar, not expecting much. The place was very crowded and although it wasn’t officially a gay bar, they certainly weren’t fooling anyone. I go to the bar to order a beer and get two again. I must be dreaming or this must be my lucky day. Men were fashionable (I spotted a guy in MC Hammer pants) and the DJ was great. After a while I find myself buying another beer, which of course turned into two. I leave the bar pretty drunk and decide to have some tacos. Of course they also had a 2x1 special and I end up with four tacos when I ordered two. My stomach didn't agree with the tacos too much, as I had a stomach ache later that night, times two.

Dancing Dora

On my first full day in Veracruz I had breakfast next to the hotel (a very bland American breakfast came with the room). I wanted to go to the beach that day. The city is a port, so the good beaches were a 10 minute cab ride going south. I had one beach in mind and asked the guy at the restaurant about getting there. You could take a cab, but you could also take a local bus. I opted for the bus. I asked around and figured out which bus to take. It was a great feeling being on the local bus, carefree and listening to the loud radio. I was starting to feel part of the city.



The bus left me a few blocks from the beach. There was a large aquarium, and to the right there was a small beach area. The beach didn’t look that big. As I descended the very uneven ground to get to the beach, I saw a number of small boats and restaurants. I was immediately approached by a lady who was offering me a seat at her restaurant. Telling her I just had breakfast, I asked about the boats and how this beach compares to the ones further south. She said most of these beaches were the same and that the boat ride was worth it. I decided to go for it and pay for the boat ride, telling her I might eat something once I get back.

The boat would do a tour of Isla del Sacrificio, the local island. I didn't really ask much about the tour, I figured whatever I saw would be interesting. I took my shoes off and got on the boat, along with three girls visiting from Monterrey. Three other people would join us before parting. A couple of guys were guiding the boat. It was great to feel the cool air as the boat parted, leaving the city behind us. We finally stopped close to the island and the younger guide shares some of the history of the island (there was a very good reason why it was named Sacrifice Island).



Next we made a stop in the middle of the ocean. We were told the water was shallow and we could walk around. It was hard to believe this could be true, but we could see the ground a few feet below us when they stopped. I was wearing my regular street shorts (didn't know I would end up in the ocean). We get off the boat and start exploring the area. I was very excited as we see a school of beautiful yellow fish approach us. The guide would also bring us random starfish that we could touch.

We ended up staying in the area more than 20 minutes. By the end I had taken my shirt off and everything out of my pockets. I just laid there in the water, completely relaxing as I watched the fish swim around me. I also laughed as I watched the younger guide flirting with the three girls.

After a good twenty minutes in this one spot, we returned to the mainland. Once back at the beach, I was approached by the same lady at the restaurant. It was now around noon and I sat in the shade, facing the ocean. She proceeds to tell me everything on the menu and I order a large shrimp cocktail and a couple of Coronas. As much as those Corona commercials bug me, I felt like I was part of one.



As I was eating my meal, I was approached by some lady who offered to read my palm. She said it would be 20 pesos. Now this is something I've never done before and I figure why not. She sits to my right, takes my hand, and starts reciting a number of things about what she's about to tell me. Most of what she told me is now a blur. She was close on some of the things she said, but she was off on many others. My hand was in an uncomfortable position - my arm was twisted to my right and my hand was suspended mid-air. After a few minutes my hand started to shake because of the uncomfortable position, making the session very awkward. I was glad when she was done and I could get back to my meal.

I finished my meal while engaged in a conversation with the restaurant lady. It turns out she had a fear of boats and rarely had been on one. As much as I changed the conversation, we always seemed to come back to that. It was a good conversation though. I spent another hour or so walking along the beach, hoping my shorts would dry soon and wishing time would slow down so I could stay there longer.



I took a bus back to the hotel, showered and relaxed for a bit. I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening walking around, taking pictures, visiting the Mercado again, etc. The humidity and the heat were always present. When I decided to visit a museum, my back was itching and I noticed it was because of some insect bites. Great, it must have been where I had just had a meal. The museum was empty, so I spent most of the time standing in front of a huge fan, hoping my tourist wounds would stop itching.




During the evening, I went to the Malecon, a very touristy area. There you could buy all sorts of souvenirs, including the expected silly t-shirts. There were some buses that offered a historical tour of the city. There were a few buses parked, waiting for people to load. I get on the one that should be leaving soon and go to the second story and wait. The buses have cheesy dance songs playing full blast. Not only that, but they had people in costumes dancing to the music, inviting the people on to the buses. I had Dora the Explorer on my bus, later joined by a very upbeat Goofy. Kids seemed to be hypnotized by Dora, as they waved incessantly from the sidewalk. Once the tour started, Dora and Goofy got off and we listened to pre-recorded bits of history as the bus drove through the streets. The weather was very cool now and we could see a thunderstorm in the distance. This was my last night in Veracruz and I was as happy as Dora and Goofy appeared to be, showing their dance moves on that bus.

Midnight Tacos

The hotel I picked in Veracruz was right on the Zocalo and was founded in 1794 (they say it's the first hotel in America). It has an elevator with a plaque that states it was the first elevator in Latin America (the plaque has one of the worst english translations I have ever read). The girl at the counter had a very soft voice and laughed a lot. I was just never sure what she was laughing at. I asked her if I could get a room with a view to the Zocalo and she said it was more expensive than the regular one. Meanwhile, I had started feeling a weird itch on my legs, close to my ankles. I was wearing shorts and I realized I had been scratching my ankles with my shoes. I told her I would take the room with no view, wondering if it was the right decision. The itching was getting worse, so I couldn't even think straight. Plus the room with the view might be very loud.

I take a shower and notice red marks on my legs. It must be mosquitoes. I started walking around the city. It was very hot and I was hungry. I wanted to go to the mercado to find something to eat (I just love going to mercados). I asked a police man and he gave me a super detailed explanation on how to get there. I find him very friendly and thank him for his time. His directions were perfect, I got there no problem. As I get close to the mercado, I pass another plaza, this one a lot less touristy than the main one.

The mercado seemed to be endless. I walk around the food area once to get a feel and sit at a place that sells shrimp cocktails. They have cocteles for 15 pesos and they say they come with two shrimp. I think they mean two kinds of shrimp, but at that price I have to wonder if it's just two individual shrimps. There were plenty of shrimp in the coctel, thankfully. I also ordered a Pepsi (pronounced Pecsi by the guy taking my order). They were playing some salsa song that kept on repeating "hazme olvidarla, hazme olvidarla..." (make me forget her). The sounds of salsa music made perfect sense there. I was humming that tune all day long.



I walk around some shops outside the mercado and get some t-shirts. I was able to find shirts that were my size, thankfully. There were stands and shops everywhere, you could get lost shopping there. I also stop at a guayabera store to buy a guayabera (got a strange look from the man when I told him I wanted to buy a shirt, not a guayabera). I continue walking around the city and head to the zocalo. By this time it's starting to get dark. There's a live band at the zocalo and it's packed. There are many couples dancing danzon, old and young, so I stay there for a while. It's still very hot and humid. Now I understand why women are always holding a hand fan while dancing danzon.

Later that night I walk around and look for bars that I had listed down. Most of them were closed or no longer existing. Great. It was Thursday night, and the bar I did find open was pretty empty. The bartender told me that Friday was a better day for the bar. Not a problem, since I was staying until Saturday. There was a guy next to me, and he paid no attention to me while I was there.

I have a couple of beers, then walk out looking for a different bar. It's close to midnight. It's really nice outside, so I decide to hang out and leave the bars for the next day. I look for some tacos and find a place right away. It was a stand on a busy corner, although at this time it was pretty slow. I order some cochinita pibil tacos. The tacos are in a rolled tortilla and you eat them with a spoon (I didn't know that until he handed me the spoon). Then I notice a guy eating there, with tattoos all over his face and arms. He looks very menacing, but his conversation sounds like nothing out of the ordinary. I sit there, both afraid and excited, to be eating next to such a character. I wonder if he's part of the Mara Salvatruchas.

Once he left I ask the guy in charge of the tacos what those tattoos on the face meant. Just to see what he would say. He looks at me and tells me they don't mean anything and that the youth today don't value anything anymore. He goes on to tell me he was crazy during his youth and almost got a tattoo, and that he used to sleep in the jungle by the rivers and all sorts of crazy things. The story went on and on. I should have kept my mouth shut. Meanwhile, the guy that was next to me at the bar was now having some tacos and kept on looking at me, obviously interested in me now. It almost made me uncomfortable, but I kept on acting like I was into the conversation.

I went home after all that and went to bed, excited to have a full day of Veracruz ahead of me. I had been wanting to go to Veracruz for so many years. It was great to finally be there.

What to Eat

I woke up early in the morning to walk around and take pictures around Papantla before heading to Veracruz. I was a little hungover from the night before, but these were my last hours in Papantla and I was going to make the best of it. I started walking around and bought a cup of fresh sliced mango to start the day. It was already hot, so I needed a drink after the mango. I walked into the mercado and had a papaya shake. I had a conversation with the owner about typewriters and their future (he fixed old typewriters).



Still feeling hungry, I went to a different mercado and bought some fruit and a tamal. The man I talked to the previous night told me where to get good pork tamales. I took the tamal back to the zocalo and planned to eat it. It was intricately wrapped in banana leaves and very slippery. I struggled for a few minutes and decided I was going to have to eat it with my hands. Just then a man sitting on the shoe shine chair approached me and handed me a spoon wrapped in a napkin. He said a customer had left it with him and he hadn't used it. He noticed I was struggling so he wanted me to have it. I was so touched and thanked him with a huge smile. I ate my tamal, which was delicious, and put the spoon in my bag. I thanked the man again as I left the zocalo, feeling good all over.

I walked around for the next couple of hours, taking pictures and enjoying my last moments in the city. I wanted to eat something before the bus ride, so I went to the taco place I had been to the day before. I had seven tacos (the are tiny) and a soda. I wasn't sure were this hunger was coming from, but I was enjoying every single thing I ate that morning. A man sat next to me and started talking as if he knew me. I thought maybe I had talked to him the previous day. I really could not understand most of what he was telling me, but soon realized he wanted me to give him money. It made for a very uncomfortable meal, but he left pretty quickly.



I walk to the bus station and bought my ticket for Veracruz. The station was very small, so I waited outside for the bus. I leaned against the wall and noticed a spider eating a fly in a little hole in the wall. I fixated on the scene for a while, remembering that poor dog that had been run over. I felt very alive and a lot closer to nature than I normally am.

I get on the bus and start my trip to Veracruz. There's some ridiculous movie full of warlocks and horses playing on the screens, full volume of course. I wonder if I'm the only one who thinks a movie about warlocks is the furthest thing from reality for the people on the bus. Once that movie is over, it's on to Flubber. Thankfully, there were plenty of interesting things to see outside the window. The bus was riding along the coast, so I was looking at the endless line of businesses (hotels and restaurants of all types) and houses by the ocean.

After a number of hours, I start noticing the city approaching by the increased occurrence in graffiti. Soon enough we were in the bus station. I didn't have a hotel reservation, just the name of a hotel. I call to make sure they have rooms and then take a cab to downtown. It was hot, just like Papantla, but this time I felt the sun burning my skin. I get in a cab and am welcome by the AC, something that would be very important in this city, I would notice later.

Hot Weather and Smiles

I was up early in the morning to catch the 9 AM bus to Papantla. Much to my delight, the movie of choice was High School Musical 2. Great. Good thing I had my headphones and the outside view. There were beautiful landscapes everywhere, and I started noticing an abundance of palm trees as we got closer to Papantla. When I got off the bus, the heat was too much for my light jacket. I got my bags and asked around to find the hotel. The hotel was only a few blocks away, but it was all uphill and I took plenty of wrong turns.

I got to the hotel, feeling exhausted from the hike. I know I was sweating profusely. It was very humid, so I took a shower before heading out to the archeological ruins of Tajin. Tajin was the reason I went to Papantla. I had some tacos at a local market, which were 3 pesos each. They were tiny, but they were still 3 pesos. I took a local bus to Tajin, which took me through many hills and plenty of curves. It made me feel very much like a local.

Once at El Tajin, I step out of the bus and start walking. The bus had stopped right next to where a dog had been run over, lines of ants and flies were already all over the body. It was a shocking sight and it stayed with me for a while. The walk was about 15 minutes, but it was so hot and humid that it felt longer.



Once at the ruins I was lucky to see the voladores de Papantla. The voladores climb a tall pole, then descend by spinning around the pole with rope tied to their feet. I then entered the ruins and was impressed by the beauty of it all. The area is huge, so there was plenty of walking around to do. I probably spent two hours there, enjoying every minute of it. Oh yes, sweating every minute of it too. My mind was just flying imagining how people used to live in the now ruins, so many years ago.

As I left the ruins, I prepared to walk back to the bus stop by the road. I bought a raspado to cool off and start walking. The bus ride felt a little faster this time, and I got off next to a big church. I walked in to the empty church and took a few pictures, noticing that there was a huge metal fan near the altar. I felt it looked odd next to the Christ statue, but after that day's heat I understood why that fan would be necessary.




I got back to my room and showered yet again. I went to hang out in the zocalo, just enjoying the people-watching. I see an older man walking with a megaphone, selling newspapers and reading the headlines of the day. There were plenty of shoe-shine chairs lined up along the sides. There were kids feeding the pigeons, people talking and relaxing. The zocalos are always a good place to relax after walking around all day. It's as if time slows down when you're there. One thing to note is that there was plenty of security around the zocalo (as in most of the zocalos that I've been to). Some of it was police, some military.



I proceed to have dinner in a place next to the Zocalo. I picked a dish but was regretting it later, as it was super spicy (I should have expected that since it had the word 'chile seco' in the title). I had a couple of beers to help with the spices. There was a novela playing on the big screen next to me. Right before I finished, they changed it to the soccer game (Mexico vs Honduras). I was one of the last people in the restaurant, so I decided to go to a bar instead. There was excitement since this was one of the last games that would decide if Mexico would be in the world cup.

I walked around and saw a bar that sounded pretty loud. I walked in to the packed bar, not seeing a place to sit, and stood next to the bar. People were glued to the TV. I ordered a beer and noticed they were 12 pesos. By the decoration, I could tell the bar had been there for decades. I found a table later on and watched the game next to two locals. The game was very intense. There was so much tension in the air, and there was complete relief when Mexico won by a penalty kick near the end.

I walked out of the bar after a number of beers and decide to have some ice scream at the zocalo. There I was approached by an older man in designer jeans. We talked about many things (he was the one talking most of the time, since I was exhausted). I got the feeling he was hitting on me (maybe the jeans made me think so), but allowed myself to enjoy the chat. It had been a wonderful day and I was headed or the city of Veracruz the next day, although part of me wanted to stay in Papantla longer.