South Side of Lake Chapala

This was another outing to explore rural Jalisco.  Our first stop was just 20 minutes from our house at the hacienda San Martin.  Originally this hacienda was owned by the Avelos family who  were descendants of the Spanish conquistador, Hernán Cortes.  Their land holdings were so large that they covered the area of the modern state of Jalisco, and originally it was known as the province of Avelos.  Typical of many haciendas, the current owners only visit occasionally.  

We met Maria, who has been the caretaker for about 40 years. She was cooking beans for lunch  We couldn't go inside, but we enjoyed to walk around the grounds.  

The rooster is a prominent symbol of Jalisco and they are often seen strutting around the yards.  

As we were leaving, I noticed a great rural scene of a little old lady herding her few cows up the road.  Of course I headed closer to get a good picture, but then one of the cows (the big one with horns) started to charge me.  I didn't have much confidence in the little lady throwing rocks and yelling at the big animal, but I wasn't sure if I should freeze or run.  Fortunately her rocks did divert the cow's attention.  

Our next stop was the village of San Cristobal Zapotitlan, with a population of less than 1000 people.

 

A distinctive feature of this village is the woman's co-operative located here.  Three generations of women have built this cottage industry to support their families.  From bleached palm leaves and dyed corn husks, they create amazingly beautiful baskets, flowers, dolls and other handicrafts.  I bought a lovely doll at their shop, but they can be found for sale in many markets and stores in the Lakeside area.  

Through the connections of our group leader, we were fortunate to visit a couple of the homes and see the women at work.  The first lady, Doña Julia, is one of the original founders of the co-operative.  Those gnarled hands must have made a lot of baskets! 

The kitchen is the heart of any home, and a look around provided insights into their daily lives.  

It is the season for harvesting the brightly coloured corn and we watched this lady skillfully detaching the kernels from one husk by using an empty cob.  Her fingers also flew at her work in the courtyard of her home.  

Mount Garcia is the highest peak in Jalisco and at its base is a tiny pueblo named El Sauz (meaning Willow Tree).  Here we discovered a quaint, but dusty little Mexican village with only a few houses.  

The agave plant is used to harvest tequila.  This view over Lake Chapala is looking toward where we live on the north side of the lake.  

Our last stop of the day was at the cemetery of the village of San Pedro.  Cemeteries here seem to be a disorganized array of old and new graves, but almost all of them are marked with brightly coloured images, shrines or crosses.  Corn is sometimes planted near a grave as a symbol of new life.