Taxco by way of Jungapeo

The tepid springs at Agua Blanca

 

Valle del Bravo

Yes, Elyse. We did.

Los Arcos Hotel. One steep block from the plaza. Delightful.

There were hundreds of these little faces, each one unique.

Pipe organ brought to Taxco from Germany, via Veracruz. On the backs of burros.

Unverified. Only known painting of a pregnant Mary.

I saw a magazine picture years ago (Years! Ago!) of a dining room table. On the table was a basket of pine cones, and in that basket was a three dimensional antique sterling silver sacred heart. You know the ones I'm talking about-the ones with flames coming out of the cleavage. I never forgot the image.

Taxco is about 6.5 hours from our home if you take the toll roads. It's a colonial town noted for its history of silver mining. In my always optimistic mind, I was going to waltz into Taxco with my mental image of a puffy flaming heart and magically make my dream come true. To quote Evboy, "disappointment burger."

In true Sewellian fashion we took the back roads. Why take the toll roads when I can be barfy on the mountainous curva peligrosas? (see images above and see why) It was a quick two hours on the highway to the cut off for Los Azufres, an area in Michoacan where cracks in the earth's crust spew delicious hot steam. Balnearios are frequently signposted. Then a two hour drive on narrow mountain roads until we found Agua Blanca, our thermal pool resort home for two nights in the podunk town of Jungapeo. The resort was lovely, the employees did everything they could to make our stay wonderful. We were the only ones there and they made us whatever we wanted to eat. The water? Tepid. Thermal does not equal hot. Thermal means something entirely different in Mexico and I'm still not clear on what that is. We climbed a pyramid, clambered down to the Tuxpan river from the hotel grounds and generally relaxed. Vacation from our life of perpetual vacation, if you will.

Wednesday morning we left for Taxco. Why backtrack, he said. It'll be a beautiful drive, he said. You packed snacks we can eat, he said. It WAS an interesting drive, I did enjoy looking at life in the small towns, and the wildflowers were unbelievable. We saw fields and fields of marigolds and red cockscomb almost ready to harvest for the Dia de los Muertos festival coming at the end of this month. On the back roads, you get to see stuff and smell smells you would never see on the toll roads. I loved it. All 8 hours of it. Thank God for the barf watch.

Taxco. Google has a bunch of "blue dot problems" in Taxco. Right off the bat, I navigated Evdad into an alley so narrow, and so steep and twisted even a donkey would have problems turning around. In all the years he's been my chauffer, I've never heard Ev say the words "I don't think I can get us out of this" But he did. We wisely parked the car in the parking garage and didn't get it out again until it was time to leave. We had a tour of Santa Prisca, a tour of a historic colonial home, some people shopped for silver, and some watched the people. Taxco, I hope to see you again. What a remarkably well preserved unique environment you are.

It's late September and I'm really glad I'm not in school.

The rhythms of the year are finally becoming familiar. I know that August brings cooler temperatures, membrillo harvest, the bluest skies, night rains and more avocado and mango than we can possible eat. Walks are finally pleasant again and not at dusk or dawn. By September, the corn is tall, humidity is high, lightening is prevalent in the late evenings and the flies are finally waning. When the pomegranate split, they're ready to pick and it's time for Chiles Enogada and independence day festivities.

Gram was here, we made chutney with the mango, played in the women's bodega and did a lot of sorting of essential beads and buttons. She started a quilt for Harvey made of blue jean pockets. The whir of the sewing machine and her muttering to herself about corners not meeting perfectly were background sounds as I prepped for my English classes.

Elyse brought Harvey down. It was like we were in suspended animation for a week so we could cluster around and watch him learn and laugh and grow. We swam almost every day and our routines were all around his naps. A well rested Harvey yields harmony in the home.

These were good months. I'm grateful for the years my schedule revolved around school, but uber grateful to be retired and living life at a slower pace.