Jan 2006 - Mexico File News

DECEMBER-JANUARY 2006
VOLUME XI, NUMBER 4
Izucar de Matamoros –
Boring Town,
Brilliant Art
This is it for picturesque
views of Izucar de
Matamoros, from the balcony
of Restaurante Atoyac Plaza
across the zocalo to the
cathedral.
“urbanites” and the folks living
in the fourteen barrios that make
up the rest of the town.
by Lynne Doyle
Lynne Doyle is a contributing editor to the
Mexico File and a Mexican folk art hound.
Part II of this article will appear in the
February 2006 issue.
About an hour and forty-five minutes
southwest of Puebla lies the bustling, busy,
ugly little town of Izucar de Matamoros.
I’m not going to try to fool you – this is not
a town that draws many tourists, nor does
it pretend to want them. It isn’t even a real
artists’ town since only a small number
of its inhabitants are practicing ceramists.
This is primarily an agricultural community
with an energetic urban center where the
sidewalks are crowded with people moving
quickly (compared to most Mexicans) and
the traffic is bumper to bumper much of the
day. There is a large fleet of taxis, and buses
run every fifteen minutes back and forth
from Puebla all day every day. Also, I hear
there is minimal interaction between the
So why tell you about this
place? Because this grubby little
metropolis is home to some
of Mexico’s most outstanding
and prolific artists, masters of
the honored Izucar tradition
of painted ceramic tree of life
sculptures immortalized by the
late Aurelio Flores and carried
on today not only by his son
Francisco, but also by a couple
of other families that have made
this style famous worldwide. I
have never known anyone who
has ever traveled to Izucar for
any reason other than to visit
these artists, but I have also never known
anyone who was ever disappointed in the
unique and amazing art they found. This
Francisco
Flores
carrying a
large tree
across his
yard for
delivery to
a gallery
in San
Miguel.
His work
is almost
a carbon
copy
of his
father’s, in the same way that
Francisco looks much like Aurelio.
past November, in company with a group
of fellow art-hounds visiting Mexico during
Day of the Dead, I was lucky enough to get
back to Izucar after several years’ absence,
and was struck all over again with the
plethora of treasures produced by the few
artists in residence there.
The art coming from this area is totally
distinct from any other in Mexico and is
enjoying wide popularity these days. There
are three towns in Mexico known for their
Trees of Life candelabra and incense burners
– each very different from the others – but
Izucar is widely considered to be where
the tradition of the tree of life began. At
its origins, the Tree of Life incense burner
was given as a gift to young couples getting
married by the godparents of the groom,
and the candelabra was presented by the
bride’s godparents as a symbol of hope for
a “good harvest” throughout the couple’s
life, both in terms of number of offspring as
well as general prosperity. As the designs
painted on the trees became increasingly
Continued on page 2
One of Francisco’s
huge 30 inch trees
with his trademark
heavy detail, arcs
in varying shapes
and sizes and
surprising color
combinations.
When I look at
these trees, I
often find myself
wondering
how they stay
together. Except
for antique Aurelio pieces, I have not
found any other artists whose trees
are configured quite the same way as
Francisco does his, which is perhaps
where his genius lies.
INSIDE
M á s o M e n o s
A r t e M a g i c o
B o o k R e v i e w
C h o l u l a
6
2
4
4
P a t r i c k E s m o n d e
7
C a n c u n S t a t u s
8
A b o u t M e x i c o
8
Izucar Continued
In the early 1970’s I would travel through
Mexico in a VW bus, and sometimes
by train. The van had the advantage of
mobility, a bed, and enough room to
carry a lot of “stuff,” which was usually a
giant ice chest filled with Coronas. But it
did require gas, spare tire purchases and
untimely repairs. And you had to keep a
sharp eye on the road to avoid bunkersized potholes, mysteriously placed topes
(speed-bumps), wandering farm animals,
sloth-paced vehicles sans tail-lights and
roads that simply stopped. Conversely,
I could jump on a passenger train in the
border town of Mexicali for about $18.00
and a day and a half later disembark in
Tepic, Nayarit’s state capital. Another
day’s travel would get you to Mexico City.
The train cars were ancient, slow, beaten
up, and – fascinating. There was little
doubt that you had entered a very different
world than the one you were leaving
behind.
Unfortunately, the trains were poorly
maintained, and as Mexico’s economy
faltered passenger service was eventually
discontinued except for a couple short
runs (Copper Canyon). The bus lines
became the primary mode of transport for
the masses, with air travel preferred by
those who could afford it.
Now I hear that the trains will run again
– and not by left-over train cars recycled
from the U.S. or Europe. Mexico is now
exhibiting a vision that the U.S. refuses
to entertain – high-speed bullet trains.
President Fox has announced plans to
revive train-travel in his country with a
multibillion dollar project, with the first
stage being a 180 mph train to run 360
miles from Mexico City to Guadalajara.
The plans also call for a line running from
the Pacific port of Manzanillo to central
Mexico, as well as electric commuter
trains running 140 miles out from Mexico
City. The Mexico City trains would carry
320,000 people a day, a much needed
relief for the insane traffic congestion of
today.
ornate, the forms evolved to include simple
candleholders, figures in popular Mexican
cultural life, and any other manifestations
of interest to Izucar’s artists.
I’m not sure why these pieces are so
highly regarded by collectors – they are
not made from high-grade, finely molded
clay and they are very fragile, breaking
at the least bump or jostle. However,
the design patterns used to paint these
sculptures, while being distinct from any
other, are also intricate in the extreme and
among the most colorful of all the highly
colorful folk art products of Mexico. In
addition, considering the size and high
degree of embellishment of many of these
pieces, they can be relatively inexpensive
compared to the Trees of Life from
Metepec and Acatlan, depending on the
artist, his relative renown in the Mexican
Folk Art world, and yes – dare I say it – his
level of arrogance.
Alfonso Castillo Orta, the only
one of the ceramists of Izucar de
Matamoros to be included the Great
Masters exhibit traveling the world.
The art objects of Izucar are generally
made of single-fired redware, purchased
from clay dealers in and around Puebla.
(Izucar’s local clay sources have been
converted to agricultural fields, highways
and building sites.) Depending on the
artist, the trunks and branches are formed
and attached to one another with wire
around which the clay is wrapped, and
the tree is laid aside to air dry until the
Standing about 15 inches tall, this
traditional tree of life portraying
Adam and Eve was found in Isabel’s
workshop in November, 2005. Typical
of her current style, it sold for $35.
The first 15-mile phase is scheduled to open in 2007 and the bullet train by 2011. As
Washington continues to debate the necessity of a cheap, subsidized transportation
system, Mexico is looking forward and preparing for the day when oil is no longer a
viable option for any country concerned with self-dependence.
2
clay is strong enough to support itself.
(According to the experts, only Alfonso
Castillo does not use wire to hold his
trees together, but I have broken a couple
of pieces from Casa Balbuena that have
not had wire running through branches.)
At one time, two firings were common,
but these days, most artists consider one
moderately low-temperature six-hour
firing enough, although with or without
wire, the pieces are extremely fragile
and seldom emerge from firing without
breakage. After firing, the breaks in
the pieces are repaired with varying
materials, again depending on the artist.
Some use natural products; others use
acrylic glues. The pieces are then coated
with a thick white paint and all breaks
disappear. At this point, the varying
styles of the artists are expressed as each
has developed his own style of painting
and design. A few of Izucar’s working
artists still use some naturally-made colors
(namely Alfonso Castillo on some of his
work, but not all), but most have switched
to acrylic paints, although some are still
reluctant to admit this (Franciso Flores
remains secretive about his paints, but the
general consensus is that he uses acrylics).
After the design is complete, most artist
use a manufactured furniture varnish to
keep the colors from fading, although
they often fade anyway if exposed to any
amount of sun.
Our little group – consisting of folk art
dealer Phil Saviano from Boston, Mexico
File subscribers, Steve and Linda Cziraki
of California, Dave Keenan from Amherst,
Massachusetts, and myself – arrived in
Izucar mid-morning on the bus from
Puebla after a ride that was not quite long
Continued on page 3
Izucar Continued
One of Alfonso Castillo’s trademark
pieces is this sun depicting both
the life and death sides of Mexican
existence. This extreme closeup
of the 7-inch diameter illustrates
Castillo’s masterful skill and boundless imagination when it comes to
detailed patterns. Luckily for me, I
found this before Castillo became a
Great Master, so it cost me only $40
in 1994.
enough to get all the way to the end of that
movie with Jodie Foster where she loses
her daughter on a plane. There is one hotel
in town – the Hotel San Pedro – where you
can pay $25 a night for a clean single room
with a private bath and no air conditioning
– but only my good buddy Phil has ever
had enough nerve to stay there. He says
it’s not much but all he could find and,
aside from the heat, was comfortable
enough. Most everyone else I know who
travels to Izucar prefers to stay in Puebla
and do a one-day excursion. Most of the
artist families in town live within walking
distance of each other, so a quick cab ride
to Callejon del Partidor will put you in
reach, even though one side of the street is
Barrio de Santa Catarina and the other side
is Barrio San Martin.
Probably first on most people’s list of
famous and respected ceramists in the
Izucar style would be the charming
Francisco Flores. In his seventies now, this
son of Aurelio (considered the father of
the traditional Izucar-style Tree of Life) is
an energetic little man who doesn’t look
his age. He is a hugely successful creator of
these magnificent trees, while at the same
time a sweet and funny man, friendly and
at the same time, a little sad. He has many
children, but all are formally educated so
none are interested in carrying on the family
business, which makes Francisco the last
of his line. His work is very obviously in
the Izucar tradition, but is also unique in
form and painted design. It is, for all intents
and purposes, impossible to distinguish his
work from his father’s except that the older
Aurelio pieces tend to be slightly rougher in
texture with the colors somewhat muted and
faded. Favoring bold color combinations and
seemingly impossible shapes for his trees,
the Flores style is in a class by itself.
On a par with Francisco in creativity and
skill while working with totally different
motifs is the Great Master Alfonso Castillo
Orta, one of the four Castillo siblings famous
for their contributions to the Izucar tradition.
Alfonso and his wife Marta live in possibly
the most extravagant home in Izucar with
spacious, lusciously decorated rooms and
a courtyard redolent with frangipani and
bougainvillea that also houses Alfonso’s
work space. Alfsonso drives a vintage Jaguar
sedan and has the dignified demeanor of the
fine skilled artist he is. In spite of his relative
celebrity, Alfonso is pleasant if a little shy,
and while he greets guests warmly, Marta
takes them into the gallery to show current
items for sale and conduct any business.
However, Alfonso has been known to
disperse an interesting little aperitif of some
kind of fruit juice guaranteed to elevate
one’s mood and loosen the wallet. At the end
of a visit in 2001, I left his home none the
worse for wear after a spirited discussion of
the miniscule brushes he uses to achieve the
incredibly tiny lines in the designs on his
pieces. Most famous perhaps for his Frida
candelabra, Day of the Dead figures, and
what he calls his “ecology pot,” Alfonso’s
work is, I believe, the most expensive
coming out of Izucar today, due most
likely to his inclusion in the Great Masters
exhibition and book.
Across the street from Alfonso is his brother
Heriberto, the oldest Castillo sibling, whose
home and workspace is the polar opposite
of the brother he so closely resembles, but
Isabel Castillo Orta and my good
friend, Phil Saviano, in Izucar this past
November during the Day of the Dead
fiesta. Phil runs the Mexican folk art
website, Viva-Oaxaca.com, where he
sells many objets d’art from Izucar,
Puebla, and Oaxaca.
Another of the Castillo Orta siblings
working as potters in Izucar,
Augustin is one of the nicest and
with his wife Teresa, one of the
most informative in terms of the
ceramic process. Here Teresa
demonstrates the extinguishing
of the fire in her kiln by throwing
several buckets of cold water on
the candle holders being fired. It
seemed to us no wonder that only
occasionally does a piece ever
survive the kiln without damage.
is much more characteristically Mexican.
While on an equally large plot of land,
Heriberto’s home is more typically rural
and visitors need to dodge the chickens,
dogs and goats (and everything that goes
along with having such a menagerie, if
you get my drift) running around the dirt
yard, as well as the laundry lines hanging
everywhere. These days Heriberto
is creating a series of what have
been referred to as hysterical sirenas
– mermaids with electric hair flying in
every direction – as well as many female
figures in varying states of undress, but
in the past, he has done some very fine
trees and candelabra distinct for the
aged golden backgrounds behind very
bold colors. While his current work is
Alfonso Castillo never seems to
tire of depicting Frida Kahlo in one
form or another, but this candle
holder is one of his favorites and
he does it in sizes from 6” to 15”
tall. The swirly leafy green design
on the skirt is
a personal logo
of Castillo’s and
it appears on
just about all of
his ceramics.
The earrings
and necklace
are attached
pieces that are
removable. I
purchased this
one from him
nine years ago
for $65.
Continued on page 5
3
Arte Magico
by Lyneer Turner
Lyneer Turner is a free-lance writer
based in San Diego and has been
traveling to Puerto Vallarta since 1977.
On a recent trip to Puerto Vallarta I had
the great pleasure of discovering a style
of art that was totally new to me. These
days, Vallarta has developed an active and
interesting art scene. Starting in November
and running through the high season,
art galleries are open for art walks every
Wednesday from 6 pm to 10 pm. There are
so many galleries in the area these days
that you need more than one Wednesday to
cover them all.
During one of these walks, I happened
in to Arte Magico Huichol – and the rest
of my trip changed into a fact-finding
mission.
The work
that captured
my imagination is called
Nierika.
These are
wild and
wonderful
yarn
paintings done by Huichol Indian shamans.
I stood in the gallery, flabbergasted that I
had been unaware of this style of painting
until now. I had admired the bead work
that the Huichol Indians are so well known
for, but for some reason the yarn paintings
just had not registered with me until now.
I ran back to another gallery, grabbed my
wife and dragged her across the street,
babbling all the while that she had to see
these paintings – and that we had to have
one for a freshly painted wall in our house.
We spent the next hour looking at and
learning about these mysterious paintings.
A kind gentleman by the name of Maho,
who runs the Arte Magico Huichol, began
to explain the history and meaning of the
various works in his gallery.
Basically, the artist / shaman depicts
various peyote ceremonies that are a
critical part of the Huichol religion in
the yarn paintings. The Huichol Indians,
because of their location in the rugged
and remote area of Nayarit, were ignored
by the Spanish and were able to maintain
their nature-based religion that is guided
4
by shamans. It is difficult to describe the
explosion of colors that each of these
paintings contain. This style of art was
developed in the late 1960’s and early
1970’s, so there is a modern sensibility,
that uses
tradition,
but also
looks
contemporary and
abstract.
The artist
/ shaman
covers a
board with
beeswax, designs a story that makes up the
painting and then meticulously uses small
pieces of yarn to bring the story / painting
to life. Looking at one of these pieces from
more that a couple of feet away, you would
be hard pressed to figure out that yarn was
involved at all.
But like any art, it is not the technique
itself that is the key – it is the creativity
and talent of the individual artist. As Maho
showed us the works in his gallery, he
introduced us to the art of several of the
major artists / shamans who work in this
medium. The artist considered one of the
originators and the master of this style
is Jose Benitez Sanchez. At first glance,
many of the works look very similar, but
as you look closer, the ability of the artist
to convey the story through the use of
traditional icons from their religion and the
use of color and detail, along with a sense
of drama, separates the artists from each
other. The Sanchez pieces exhibit a level of
detail, composition and use of colors that
stand out, even among other top artists.
While enjoying these works, I was also
intrigued with the fact that they are done
by a shaman who is attempting to recreate
a vision that occurred during a sacred
peyote ceremony.
A quick web search of the name Jose
Benitez Sanchez will take you on an
interesting journey. This is exactly what I
did the morning after my first encounter
with Nierikas. Like they say, a little
knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
Since we still had almost two weeks left
in Vallarta, I spent a good amount of time
searching down other places that had
Nierikas. This is when I really learned
that it is the artist – not the medium – that
makes all the difference. Now that they
were on my radar, I was able to spot
Nierikas in various locations all over the
town. Much to my surprise, I saw them in
many places I had been before. But after
being spoiled by the quality of the pieces
at Maho’s gallery, I began to see that many
of the lesser artist’s works really look like
novelty items. Some of the places that sell
these pieces will actually take you into
a room with a blacklight and pitch the
“psychedelic relic” aspect of these works,
which I found hysterical.
So the moral of this story is that not all
Nierikas are equal. During this quest I
would return to Arte Magico Huichol
every couple of days to sit and admire the
works and see if they still spoke to me
the way they did that first night of the Art
Walk. Much to my chagrin, they did. The
problem with this is, of course, that you
actually have to pay for this sort of thing!
These paintings come in various sizes,
from as large as 48” x 48” and as small as
12” x 12,” with the prices depending on
the size, the artist, and who you’re buying
them from. As you can probably tell, my
story has a happy ending. After much
hemming and hawing, I chose to purchase
two pieces from Maho’s gallery – one by
Jose Benitez Sanchez and another by one
of his ex-wives, Maria de Jesus Rivera
(he does have several ex wives – he is a
shaman after all and I think they play by
different rules). And as luck would have
it, Maho was making a trip to San Diego
to visit an old friend at the same time we
were returning, so he brought my paintings
with him and we didn’t have to deal with
transporting them. And as a bonus, he
had two more Jose Benitez Sanchez yarn
paintings available in San Diego that he
was going to take back to Mexico with
him, and I bought one of those as well. So
now our freshly painted wall has three 24”
x 24” Nierikas - and yes, they still speak to
me. Thank you, Maho.
Arte Magico Huichol
Corona #179, C.P. 48300
Puerto.Vallarta,.Jalisco, Mexico
Tel.01-322-222-30-77
  
Book
Review
Head for Mexico:
The Renegade Guide,
by Don Adams, 2003, $23.95, 351 pages,
paperback. ISBN: 1553695623.
Reviewed by Ingvald Mjonerud Hansen
I promised the author nearly a year ago that I
would write a review of his book. However,
I broke my promise to the writer of this
outstanding book on traveling and retiring to
Mexico. I had several really good reasons.
Honestly!
It was not my fault, but the book’s fault. My
wife and I have been planning our retirement
in Mexico for several years. We have one
entire bookshelf full of the most popular books
written about retiring to Mexico and additionally
thousands of copied pages printed from the
internet which fill two and a half drawers of
a filing cabinet. These resources cover every
possible aspect related to retiring in Mexico. But
Don’s book was different from the whole lot.
Instead of reading the book in preparation for a
review, I read it avidly as one who is planning to
make the move of a lifetime.
I’ve read this book three times from cover to
cover, because, really, it is three different books
in one. The first time through, I read it for its
wonderful entertainment value. Don is a first
rate story teller. He has a gift for spinning a
funny yarn and providing useful information
at the same time. I found myself laughing out
loud and rereading certain passages to my wife.
Packed between the pages is his strong personal
philosophy regarding those who retire in Mexico
and how they behave once they have settled
into their new environment. The book reveals
a wisdom learned by someone who has been
in Mexico for a while and has taken the time
and effort to integrated into the community and
individual lives of Mexicans he has come into
contact with. He has insightful and practical
advice to help anyone who wants to make a
happy and fulfilling adjustment to the Mexican
community.
The second reading was to glean from the stories,
poetry, and wisdom the information that one
would need to make their Mexican move.
I armed myself with colored highlighters,
note cards, and pencils. I read through the
book again more carefully, looking for that
information that would help facilitate my
permanent move. I highlighted everything
that I thought I would have to know. I made
notes in the margins about the websites Don
recommends for further information. I also
used colored PostIts for anything I felt was
of particular significance. I made sure to
keep the book handy since there was always
some question I wanted to check out in the
index.
The third read-through of Don’s book was
the final planning stage. I used his book as a
practical planning guide. I listed all the page
numbers on the inside of the jacket cover
that contained recommendations that I had
to complete before I could make the move.
As I finish this review, my wife and I, along
with our dog, are planning to be on the road
within twenty-four hours, driving, this time,
to Mexico for the first time. Don’s book
will be the last thing we pack so that we can
retrieve it quickly when needed. I am sure it
will be needed.
  
Izucar Continued
not high on my list of things I can’t live
without, Heriberto is nevertheless a kind and
welcoming man and a stop at his home is
always an adventure.
The lone female in the Castillo hierarchy
is Isabel whose home is a few steps down
the street from her brothers. I love to visit
Isabel’s studio as it is a real family affair
– two of her sons, Jorge and Hugo, are
continuing in the family ceramic tradition,
daughter Isa has taken charge of the business
end and her husband Gustavo can often be
found wrapping purchases and stocking the
shelves that are always overflowing with
beautifully painted figures both small and
large. This time, the whole family was there,
including Isabel herself, which doesn’t
happen all that often. Everything here is very
reasonably priced, even the large one-of-akind pieces, and shopping is always fun as
you juggle for space with other buyers and
several generations of Isabel’s family milling
around. Although she is not well these days,
in the past Isabel has been generous with
her time and talent, holding workshops in
colleges throughout the US. The first time
I met her, she was up to her elbows in clay
conducting a demonstration at Dartmouth.
She is as tiny as her brothers are large and
is perhaps a little reserved, but nevertheless
For such a young woman, Virginia
Morgan Tepetla has completely
mastered the Izucar style, while at
the same time making it her own.
This photo, taken in her studio,
shows a typically traditional Izucar
Tree of Life depicting Adam and
Eve in the Garden of Eden. It stands
about 10 inches tall.
a charming woman prolific in her art. In
my view, her extravagantly painted Day
of the Dead candelabra reflect her most
distinctive work, but lately she is also
doing lovely Virgen of Guadelupe figures
as well as smaller typically Izucar-style
trees with hanging fruits and vegetables.
We spent a good hour with Isabel and
her family as we waited for each other to
complete purchases.
Most of the best-known artists in Izucar
are older, with children contributing
in one way or another to the family
enterprise, but one of the nicest surprises
is a younger woman named Virginia
Morgan Tepetla, most distinctive in the
Izucar tradition for her charros. She also
does trees and candelabra, but it is her
catrina figures of cowboys and senoritas
that I find the most noteworthy of her
work. A short walk down the street from
Isabel, Virginia’s home is teeming with
small children and animals, and Virginia
herself is a sweet, quiet woman, but
more than willing always to discuss her
painting techniques. I think because
of the many demands of her family,
Virginia is not as prolific as some of her
colleagues, but I like knowing that she
will be around for a long time, working
and creating her special little figures.
While we were there, Steve separated
one of Virginia’s dogs from a lizard he
was carrying around in his mouth, just
Continued on page 8
5
Cholula
by Lynne Doyle
Lynne Doyle is a longtime Mexico File
subscriber and contributing editor from
Maine. The object of the Las Joyas de
Mexico feature is to highlight for MF readers
some of the lesser-known but most rewarding
of Mexico’s geographic, human and artistic
treasures. Lynne can be contacted at
[email protected].
About ten or fifteen minutes outside of
Puebla is the colonial town of Cholula.
Most of us know Cholula as the place
where the big yellow church sits on top
of the massive unexcavated pyramid,
but there is much more to this little town
than meets the eye as you pass by it on
the highway. In spite of the fact that in
land mass, Cholula is actually larger than
Puebla, the population has been a constant
200,000 for the last century, as young
people do not want to continue the town’s
agricultural focus and continue to leave for
the United States at regularly increasing
rates. One of the town’s largest and
steadiest sources of income is the money
sent by these youngsters, although few of
them return.
You can take the bus from Puebla several
times a day for about $1.50, or if you
prefer, there are three-hour tours from
Puebla that run fairly often for $15. Of
course, of primary interest is the yellow
church, La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de
los Remedios. I know I was fascinated
A view of the domes of Nuestra
Senora de los Remedios from the
road on the way up to the summit.
6
by the idea that while it was common for
the Spaniards to raze major indigenous
temples and build their own cathedrals
with the stones from those temples, for
some reason, this pyramid was left and
the church constructed on top of it. The
Conquistadors flattened the hundreds of
temples and other structures they found
in this once large religious center, but the
Great Pyramid – the largest in the New
World – remains. Visitors are welcome to
follow tunnels to the inside of the pyramid,
but having experienced the dampness and
humidity inside El Castillo at Chichen Itza,
we were more interested in getting to the
top of it.
While standing around up there soaking
up the outlook and the sun, some local
people stopped to point out to us the many
cathedrals below and tell us that Cholula
has 108 churches, although only three of
them have full-time priests. For the rest,
priests come in to perform communions
and confirmations, baptisms and weddings
as needed. We were also told that there
are many pre-Colombian ruins buried in
and around the Pyramid and throughout
Cholula, but the natives are so attached
to their churches that they refuse to allow
the Mexican government to excavate for
fear of causing damage to their colonial
structures such as has occurred in Mexico
City with the construction of the subway.
Therefore – with the exception of one
authentic temple platform next to the
Great Pyramid that suddenly appeared
after a particularly intense rainstorm
– all the “ruins” visible in the area
are reconstructions designed to draw
tourists. I was impressed that Cholulans
are determined not to risk their colonial
heritage even in the interest of the tourist
dollars that would surely result from
excavation of the site considered to once
have been the religious capital of highland
Mexico.
Continued on page 7
The facade of the Mexican Baroque
cathedral Santa Maria Tonantzintla
consists of gold and terra cotta
stucco decorated with thousands
of Talavera tiles. The design is said
to be completely Mexican with no
Spanish influence.
The bumpy road to the summit is a mean
walk, but the breathtaking view once
you get there makes the effort seem
inconsequential. The church is lovely,
as is the view of Cholula to the rear and
side, and Puebla to the front, but the best
part for me was looking into the face
of Popocatepetl. On the day we picked
to visit, the sun was brilliant and Popo
was puffing a little, so its snow cap was
covered with ash and not clearly visible,
but it was still a thrill for me. When I
was a child living in Cuernavaca, visitors
were still able to climb to the top of
Popo and look into its crater (which
my parents saw to it that we did at least
every six months or so), but you can no
longer get that close, so while it is always
memorable for me when I see the top of
Popo from a plane, or passing by in a bus
or car, this up close and personal view
was particularly meaningful.
Cancun 
Puerto Vallarta 
Mexico City
  Puebla

Izucar de Matamoros
 Oaxaca
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Patrick Esmonde
(Esmonde Photography,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
by Lynne Doyle
This is the grave of a 28-dayold baby named Jesus. Patrick
spoke at some length with the
baby’s mother and three other
children – they expressed to
him that the Day of the Dead
was indeed a celebration
of the baby’s short life and
that having tourists come,
take photographs and learn
the stories of deceased
relatives was considered by
the Mexican people a way of
keeping their loved ones alive
and not forgotten. They are
so right – who is ever going to
look at this photograph and
forget this child?
During this last trip to Oaxaca, through a
series of serendipitous circumstances, I had
the extreme good fortune to meet Patrick
Esmonde, a brilliant young photographer
from Phildelphia who had come to the city
to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos. Inspired by
a National Geographic article he had seen
when he was 8 years old, this recent Drexel
graduate had finally found the opportunity
to come and see for himself. Since Mexico
File is always looking for especially talented
people, we decided to treat our readers to a
couple of Patrick’s extraordinary photos of
Panteon Viejo in Xoxocotlan, Oaxaca. It is
my thought that Pat’s pictures are a reflection
of his very personal approach to this work
– he spoke personally with each family
whose ancestral grave he photographed,
learning the stories of the deceased. His
other photos of Mexico, Peru, Argentina and
the US can be seen and purchased from his
website, www.EsmondePhotography.com
and he can be contacted directly by email at
[email protected].
This photo was
taken in the
Panteon Viejo
in the village
of Xoxocotlan
outside of
Oaxaca.
Patrick stayed
very late
waiting for all
the tourists to
leave and was
able to get this
long shot of
one end of the
cemetary.
MF
THE MEXICO FILE
The Newsletter for Mexicophiles
THE MEXICO FILE
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The Mexico File’s contents are intended for the independent traveler. The information given is believed to
be reliable, but cannot be guaranteed for accuracy due to constant changes that occur in a country this size. 
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to be returned.  This publication may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the editor and the author of the article.
Editor: David Simmonds
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Contributing Editors: Lynne Doyle, Jane Onstott  Design/Layout: Paul Hartsuyker www.hartworks.net
Cholula Continued
The day
we visited
Tonantzintla,
the church was
celebrating
the Feast of
the Virgin of
Guadalupe as
represented by
the white and
turquoise paper
picado. I loved
the way it all
looked in the
sun and the wind.
After navigating the walk back down
the hill, which was perhaps even more
challenging than getting to the top, we sort
of aimlessly wandered the city, looking
at as many of the great cathedrals as we
could find. Luckily for us, an exceptionally
friendly street vendor finally told us that
we should not miss the Mexican Baroque
church of Santa Maria Tonantzintla (Place
of My Little Mother) and gave us directions
to get there. This magnificent structure
was under construction from 1550 through
1702 and we were told that it is considered
to be of entirely Mexican design with no
Spanish influence. This is certainly the
case inside, where the saints represented in
the imposing ceiling and along the walls
have a definite indigenous appearance,
but I found the preponderance of gilt and
ornamentation decidedly Spanish in origin.
Still, its stucco and tile façade has an
atmosphere and aspect that is truly distinct
from the other churches in the area, as well
as from most Colonial-era cathedrals I have
seen.
Cholula is so close to the city of Puebla that
it is well worth an afternoon of exploration.
It is an exceptionally clean, picturesque
town with – it seemed to us – very friendly
natives anxious to discuss and show off
their town’s attributes. There are plenty of
Continued on page 8
The
ceiling of
Tonantzintla
is covered
with many
saints, but
one that
caught my
eye was this
representation of San
Diego with
his cross.
The faces
seemed
more indigenous-looking than those
seen in most churches in Mexico.
7
Cancun’s Status after
Hurricane Wilma
destinations in Mexico, or in the Caymans
or Dominican Republic. But also look for
real deals while the reconstruction is taking
place.
Jeanine Kitchel is an expat living in Puerto
Morelos. She is the author of Where the Sky
is Born: Living in the Land of the Maya.
The weather is the usual, warm and sunny.
And the ocean has never been bluer. So
some things, even after Wilma, still remain
the same.
Three months after Hurricane Wilma
ravaged the Quintana Roo coast for 60
hours with 150 m.p.h. sustained winds,
Cancun’s hotel zone is still struggling to
recover from the worst hurricane in history.
  
by Jeanine Kitchel
Mexico Wants Montezuma’s
Headdress
The bejeweled headdress thought to have
been worn by Montezuma II has been
in an Austrian museum since the 16th
century and now Mexico wants it back.
President Fox has already asked Austrian
president Heinz Fischer to return the
artifact in 2005, but is now being more
insistent in his request. The headdress
is nearly a three feet wide and is made
from more than 450 bright green feathers
from the elusive quetzal bird in a gold
encrusted crown.
Absentee Voter Drive
Mexico has passed a law allowing its
citizens living abroad to vote in the 2006
presidential election, but so far only
18,600 people have applied to do so out
of around 4 million potential voters.
It was expected that 400,000 would
take advantage of the opportunity. The
process requires a complicated set of
rules and forms to be filled out, possibly
explaining the lack of interest. The
Mexican government spent nearly $12
million promoting the absentee vote.
With Mexicans having sent $16 billion
back to their hometowns last year, it was
expected that the interest in voting would
be significant.
Mexicana Airlines Sold
Grupos Posadas, owners and operators
of 64 hotels in Mexico, including the
Fiesta Americana, has agreed to pay
$165 million for Mexicana Airlines,
Mexico’s second largest airline behind
AeroMexico. Including debts and
liabilities the sale is valued at $1.46
billion. The Mexican government,
through a holding company, are the
sellers of the airline that has been a
financial drain for years. It is expected
that AeroMexico, also owned primarily
by the government, will be sold in 2006.
8
Although President Vicente Fox announced
after the storm that all of Cancun hotel
zone’s 20,000 rooms would be fully
operational by January 15, at present only
a handful are up and fully functioning.
Most of Cancun’s hotels are projecting
opening dates, like the Ritz Carlton, of May
1. Others, like the Gran Melia and Fiesta
Americana Condessa have locked horns
with their insurance companies and have
not yet begun reconstruction until monetary
issues are agreed upon.
Puerto Morelos, just coming into its own
as a tourist destination, lost Casita del Mar,
and Hacienda Morelos is unsure if it will
reopen. La Ceiba Spa is closed til next
November while Secrets, Amar Inn, Posada
Amor and Ojo de Agua are open. Meter
for meter, Puerto Morelos may have been
harder hit than any other area on the coast.
Playa del Carmen, on the other hand, was
up and running a few days after the storm.
Points further south like Akumal, Tankah
and Tulum Beach Road resorts suffered
sporadic damages. Cozumel and Isla
Mujeres also suffered heavy damages.
Best to check local Mexico and hotel web
sites before planning vacations this winter
and spring. More accurate expectations for
the general area are predicting all will be
well by next high season, 2006-2007.
Now scurrying to undo what Wilma has
done, the one constant on the Riviera Maya
Coast these days is the sound of tapping
hammers and breaking of concrete, as
many beaches are strewn with debris and
rubble left from the storm. Gone from
the landscape, for now, is the lush foliage
usually associated with Cancun.
Ticketing changes have been common and
can be expected for the next couple months
while tourists who booked at all-inclusive
resorts are shuffled to more amenable
Izucar Continued
in time for one of her cats to then give
chase. It’s a chaotic, funny little space,
but Virginia and her children are terrific at
making even big groups feel at home.
Part II of Lynne’s article on Izucar de
Matamoros will appear in the February
2006 issue.
  
The Blue Lady
is probably my
favorite of all the
Isabel Castillo
pieces I have
collected over
the years. Done
in the early ‘90’s,
this 14 inch Day of
the Dead candle
holder is only one
of two I have ever
seen done in this
minuscule style. Its detail is heavily
reflective of Isabel in her prime.
Cholula Continued
interesting-looking restaurants, although we
had a lunch of rotisserie chicken and Coca
Cola Light at an outdoor sidewalk table,
and we saw several souvenir shops selling
much the same products as those found in
Puebla at slightly reduced prices. But above
all, that view of Popo is something to see.
Although it was barely visible the
day we were there because of its
smoke, Popocatepetl as seen from
the top of the Great Pyramid and the
gate to La Iglesia de los Remedios.
It’s truly a breathtaking view, one I’d
like to see on a clear day.   