This tiny rustic ranch town in the mountains was nestled in a pristine desert surrounded by peaks and mesas. The residents were a bit shy, staring over walls and fences as I don't think many Americans have visited before. The children ran away but in time - and with the help of the LCD screen - they would go bonkers and pile on me petting my hair and calling me, "Pelo Oro" or Golden Hair - so cute!
I stayed with a very welcoming family in their courtyard style home. Here life is simple and it was refreshing to see that some people still live free from consumerism. There was no running water, heat (I froze at night), shower, hot water, air conditioning, and privacy does not exist in a household of 12. The toilet room was located outside off the courtyard, no lights and only a curtain. You do your business and fill a bucket with water and pour it in the toilet.
The bathing room was separated from the living room by a curtain. I had to heat water over an open fire outside and pour it over myself with a cup. Simple, but quick, as it was freezing and the family was ten feet and a curtain away watching the four channels on TV.
Dogs love me. Plenty of dogs roamed the streets and warned if I came too close to their territory as I wandered (which took all of 20 minutes to walk all the streets). The roosters are quite another story. They are blind, and rude. It was about 3:30 am and still dark when they decided to wake me up from my hard, springy attempt at sleep. Then the donkey answered the rooster, and all the dogs within a mile joined the chorus with the pigs, until I had enough and just went to the roof to soak it all in. It was very cold and the sunrise I hoped to catch was no where to be found. It was all clouded over and even started to rain. A peaceful, cold desert rain sprinkled down as the sleepy ranch came to life.
Many of the people I met were very friendly and invited me into their homes to meet the rest of their family. My first evening there I attended two Christmas festivities called posadas. Friends, family and anyone from town who wants to all gather at the host family's house. They have statues, pictures and dolls of Jesus, referred to as "Niños," around their nativity scene. Sometimes four or five Niños. They all recite prayers (rosary at one and Novena to Christ at the other) then sing songs. They pass out candles and/or sparklers which are lit as the Niños are carried from person to person. You kiss the Jesus, and are promptly given a piece of candy for each Niño. More songs, then the host family hands out a bag or two of candy and serves whatever else they prepared: coffee, rolls or tamales. In all it took about 1 1/2 hours each and every house does this on their chosen night during the Christmas season.
The following day would leave it's mark for the next two weeks. After taking up an invitation to join a boy in a tree, I insisted on riding the horses. Little did I realize that the effects of riding a malnourished horse for two hours - bareback - would create such physical pain. I could show you what happens...just think of it as being beaten with a metal pipe down there. I limped for the rest of the trip rendering the bus rides and rappel harness a killer good time. But, who wants to just ride a horse when you can stand on one. Another great idea of mine. While pushing the horse into position so I could run up and mount him, he kicked me in the thigh. My fault, I must have tickled him. And I definitely don't have trust issues - it takes a lot of trust to stand on a beast which at any moment could take one little step, and...
While climbing up one of the peaks outside of the town, I asked if the mountains were volcanoes a long time ago and was told no. However, the volcanic glass and bubbly geode-like rocks I found are strong contradicting evidence. (They now are resting among the other small sentimental rocks I've gathered) On the way to the top, we had hand-made slingshots. While participating in shooting contests, I loaded mine with a rock that was too big. It went straight into the knuckle on my left hand. Immediately it swelled to twice it's size and blood was dripping down my hand. Ah, but what's a little pain, and now I have a permanant souvenir in the form of a scar.
