Real Mexican Hospitality

August, 2012.  We are traveling in Mexico, searching out fine artisan crafts for Chiripa.  We are now in the beautiful colonial city of Puebla.

Puebla Street

Miguel Paredes has a lot of skeletons in his closet: amusing and mischievous little skeletons made of clay and wire. The skeletons appear in all kinds of garb, and act out all kinds of scenes from ordinary (and not so ordinary) life. The skeletons remind us, in a fatalistic but most humorous way, of ourselves. They are big favorites at Chiripa. Miguel is constantly inventing new things, like this skeleton Jack-in-the-Box:

Miguel with Skeleton Jack-in-the-Box

Miguel has a whimsical sense of humor and a love of invention. He also has a deep love of art and humanity, and a profound appreciation of Mexican culture and traditions. He has painted the walls of his house with beautiful murals, representing religious, historical and traditional themes. The house is filled with fine artisan crafts from all over Mexico.

Miguel, with small friend, at home

Miguel lives in Puebla, Mexico, with his charming wife Liliana and his son Daniel. The family operates a tiny retail shop in the city, where they sell skeleton figures and other items made in the equally tiny workshop behind their house. Miguel and Daniel are the artisans (Daniel, who just turned 20, is also studying ceramics and painting under a renowned master craftsman from the village of Azucar de Matamoros). Liliana does the many other tasks needed to manage the family business and household.

Daniel, Miguel and Liliana

On our last day in Mexico, Miguel, Liliana and Daniel invited us to their home for a special seasonal meal of Chiles en Nogada (chiles with a special filling made of nuts and other ingredients, and covered with bright red pomegranate seeds). Liliana prepared the special meal to mark a saint’s feast day, as well as the 20th birthday of son Daniel the following day. We were honored to share in this special family feast.

Chiles en Nogada

The mid-afternoon meal began with a savory bowl of fresh home-made vegetable soup, then on to the rice course and the Chiles en Nogada. This special recipe is made only at this time of year, when the chiles and other fresh local ingredients are available. We were already stuffed when we moved on to a dessert of special fruit gelato, homemade custard tarts with chocolate and fresh fruit, and then fresh local plums and coffee. It was all we could do to stand up from the table.

Homemade custard tarts with chocolate and fresh fruit

Miguel and Daniel were recently invited to demonstrate their work at the Day of the Dead exhibit at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago. They were eager to pick up their visas in the nearby town of Cholula that afternoon, so we went with them. They took the opportunity to show us around Cholula, which is reputed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Americas.

Cholula has many churches, and one of them is built atop an enormous pre-Columbian pyramid that is reputed to be bigger than the great pyramids of Egypt. In 1519, Cortes destroyed Aztec temples here, and put the city to the sword as part of his campaign to conquer Moctezuma’s empire. 

Cholula church built in 1552

We visited one of the churches built by the Spaniards in 1552, shortly after a disease epidemic had decimated the indigenous population. Miguel pointed out a whipping post, just outside the church, used to inflict punishment on native residents who failed to conform. This Spanish church had already been standing for more than 70 years when the Pilgrims landed in North America. But the indigenous American community had called this place home for far, far longer. - JM

Amiable guides, ancient place

The Paper Chase

Musings from the February, 2011 Chiripa buying trip.

These days, the city of Puebla depends heavily on the production of German cars (Volkswagens). But in the old colonial heart of the city, the buildings speak of a different age.  The imposing cathedral, started in 1550 (just 60 years after Columbus), features the tallest bell towers in Latin America.
 

Puebla is a magnificent, refined city – more Spanish in character than some cities in Mexico. It is here that the highest quality (and most expensive) Talavera ceramics are made. The exterior walls of many colonial buildings are covered with Talavera tiles that glow in the morning light.

Last night we were looking for humbler, but still beautiful, items – brightly colored paper lanterns that create a warm and festive glow wherever they are hung. In Mexico, the lanterns are traditionally used during the Christmas season (Navidad), but you can use them any time. On a warm Spring evening, they will add magic to your patio.

We weren’t having much luck with our search, until a passerby came to our rescue. She was a high school math teacher, on her way to the conservatory where her daughter was taking flute lessons. Like most teachers, she was smart, friendly, helpful and dedicated. She knew just where the lanterns could be found, and offered to take us there – even though it was far out of her way.

She set off at a brisk pace, chatting the whole time. The streets were filled with pedestrians poking into dozens of little specialty shops that offered ceramics, hardware, shoes, dresses, household goods and candy (special dulces for which Puebla is famous). Many of the shops sold paper, but not the special lanterns that were the object of our quest.  Fortunately, the friendly teacher guided us to exactly right place, a hardware store – and there we found the illumination we sought. Thank you teachers!

Cholula and a Slow Bus South

From the log JM kept on the Chiripa buying trip in Feb/March 2010.

February 28, 2010. Before continuing our journey from Puebla to Oaxaca, we took a short side trip to the town of Cholula. Cholula is the site of an enrmous but unexcavated pre-Columbian pyramid. They claim that the total volume of the pyramid exceeds that of the Great Pyramid in Egypt.


A colonial church now sits atop the pre-Columbian ruins, and from the church there are fine views of snow-capped volcanoes:

The smoking Popocatepetl (17,802 ft.) and its dormant companion Itzaccihuatl (17,342 ft.).

Local artist Jesus Garcia demonstrating his popotillo (Mexican Straw Art) at the base of the pyramid.

They say that there are 365 churches in Cholula--one for each day of the year--including this sweet little church designed and decorated entirely by indigenous artists.


A more elaborate church was preparing for a wedding with lots of fresh flowers.


The fast first-class bus had already left, so we booked on a slower second-class bus to Oaxaca. It offered no movies, so we were free to enjoy the spectacular scenery along the way. The sun was setting, and a big pale moon rose over the wild landscape. White mist floated over themountains. Far away, a luninous white church stood alone in the vast and somber land.

Late in the evening, after several stops, the bus finally dropped us at an unfamiliar station near the gritty Abastos Market in a poor area of Oaxaca. We collected our baggage and tried to get our bearings. A friendly shopkeeper gave us directions, and we walked through dark streets to our hotel near the Zocalo (not our usual hotel choice).

We arrived at the hotel just as a busload of Mexican tourists pulled in, and we were engulfed in the chaos (five young women complained of being assigned to a room with 2 beds). But, at last, the harried desk clerk got things sorted out, and we were shown to our modest lodgings. We had a good supper at Los Cuiles, and managed to get a little sleep despite the noise resonating in the stairwell for much of the night.

Packing Tape and Treasures

The doors are famous in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico

From the log the JM kept on the Feb/March Chiripa buying trip to Mexico:

We spent the morning packing and labeling our delicate San Miguel treasures for shipment. It was the usual desperate struggle with boxes, tape, stickers, bubble wrap and packing lists, but finally we had everything packed and ready for delivery to the familiar little freight office of the estimable Sr Victor Manuel Torres y Osuna. Sr. Torres will ship the items to our export shipper in Guadalajara.


We made a final stop at the Rocio craft workshop, which makes hand-painted nichos and etchings that you will treasure. Then we started our long bus trip to Oaxaca in southern Mexico. We changed buses in Queretaro and Mexico City, and made an overnight stop in Pureble--two hours east of Mexico City over the mountain pass traveled by Cortes at the time of the Spanish conquest. Puebla is a large industrial city, but the old city center is a well-preserved colonial treasure that features Talavera tile facades.

The Hotel Colonial entrace in downtown Purebla

When we are in Puebla, we always shop for a few skeleton nichos and other small treasures at the shop of our friends Miguel and Lilia. Their creations always make us smile, and you will smile, too.

Skelton Skier, $20 available online or call 866-244-9510

Gallery Night, Friday October 2

Enjoy extended hours and refreshments on Friday, October 2 from 5 until 9 p.m. as Chiripa participates in the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art’s semi-annual Gallery Night.


One of our featured pieces will be this painting by Gregorio Mendez. We met Sr. Mendez in February while traveling to remote Cuetzalan, Puebla, Mexico.

Take this opportunity to bring in friends who’ve never been to Chiripa. We’ll be on hand to talk about the people who make the fine artisan crafts that we sell and to give information about the places where the art is made. With winter just around the corner, perhaps it’s time to plan that warm weather trip to Mexico. We’ll help you pick the spot.

A Stop in Puebla

A post from the log that JM kept on the August 09 buying trip to Mexico for Chiripa. -kl

"A late afternoon shower welcomed us to Puebla, and the air was cool. We checked into the comfortable old Hotel Coloniál (the hotel building has been on the city map since 1668), then walked to the tiny shop of our friend Miguel.


Miguel, his wife Lila, and their son Daniel were there to greet us – as were a crowd of humorous little skeleton figures that Miguel and his wife produce in their home. Skeletons on skis, skeletons playing tennis, skeletons at work – seemingly as alive as you and me (maybe more alive than me). You can see them for yourself at Chiripa.

"In the evening, we strolled around Puebla’s beautiful colonial zócalo (central plaza). Across from the cathedral, workers had cut down a huge old tree – the patriarch of all the trees on the zócalo (other trees also seemed to be in bad shape). The benevolent old tree had looked down on generations of strolling lovers, beaming parents, and chattering children chasing pigeons, but now it was just a carcass lying in the street. Workers with chain saws hacked at the outer rings of its huge trunk – like the crew of the Pequod hacking at the carcass of a giant whale.

"There is a new sculpture in the zócalo – a kind of white illuminated maze with trees wrought in iron. At its base is a quotation that goes something like this: “It is true that we must all leave this life. But the works that we labor to create, with all our strength and determination, will endure forever.” That may or may not be true, but the kindly old tree is definitely gone." -JM Aug 4, 2009

A "Free" Trip to Mexico

We laugh when people wink and say we get to travel for free. It's true, Chiripa buying trips to Mexico are a business expense. In order to help you, the reader, understand what happens on these trips I'm going to follow the itinerary of my partner Beth who is traveling with JM and KZ right now.

The goal of these trips is to find great Mexican crafts that we can import and share with our customers, both in our brick and mortar shop and online. The beauty of the transactions is in the relationships we build with the artisans. In the next few days I will follow their trip and explain where they are and who they might be visiting on any given day. Real communication from them, as it relates to artisan crafts, will be shared. They aren't traveling with a computer, so, contact will be sporadic, at best.

Today is Tuesday, Aug. 4. I'm writing from Madison, Wisconsin.

I got up at 1:35 a.m. to be able to pick up Beth and crew at her house at 2 a.m. so that they could meet the 2:20 a.m. VanGalder bus at the UW Memorial union. This would put them at O'Hare around 6 a.m. for their flight to Mexico City at 7:45 a.m. They would arrive in Mexico around 11:45 a.m. and catch an airport bus to Puebla. (I think that's about a two hour ride.)

They will stay in downtown Puebla (I'm not sure which hotel) and hit the Artisan Market where they will visit with Miguel at Casa de las Artesanias.


Miguel Parades, his wife Lilia Cruz Ruiz, and their son Daniel have a workshop that makes skeleton figures and nichos with little skeleton scenes. These are very popular at Chiripa. We have requests for larger figures. We're also hoping that Miguel has some Chirstmas ornaments in the works. Whatever Chiripa purchases will probably be neatly boxed and will be carried on to Oaxaca where it will be consolidated with the Oaxacan purchases. (More on that later.)

B, JM, and KZ will have a nice dinner and turn in early, I'm sure. It's been a long travel day! And it's only day 1.

Cuetzalan, Puebla, Mexico

The Chiripa February 2009 buying trip to Mexico included a side trip to explore a new landscape and new crafts. We set out by bus from Puebla (the city) to Cuetzalan, a small town in the mountainous north part of the state of Puebla. We were prepared for a long bus ride and it was (about four and a half hours).

The Puebla bus depot is airy with numerous services for travelers.

The trip starts out on super highways that get smaller and smaller until you are on the winding roads in the mountains that have almost no shoulder. Looking down was scary--but beautiful!

The zocalo in Cuetzalan (with the pole in the background).
People swing by their feet!

After many Mexico trips to dry, dessert landscapes it's startling to find a lush rain forest with ferns as big as trees. We hired a guide who took us to a beautiful waterfall and a cave that wouldn't have met OSHA safety standards. Our local bus ride to the waterfall was the back of a truck.

The local bus.

One of the draws of this town is it's Sunday market. We weren't able to fit a Sunday into our schedule, but their Thursday market provided a taste of the bigger Sunday event. The vendors set up their wares on the steps that are on one side of the zocalo. The Sunday highlight that we missed was the men who swing by their feet from a tall pole. Next time. . .

Intense midday sun require numerous tarps over vendors.
The steps are an indication of the steep streets in Cuetzalan.

The man in white is wearing the traditional clothing of the region.

Flowers are abundant!

The primary crafts we found were backstrap-loomed shawls and scarves and jewelry made from local seeds. The knotting is exceptional. We enjoyed the local museum with natural history and fine art. The regional artisan market is just across from the museum and provides daily access to crafts.

We carry the shawls made by this artist.

Cuetzalan was a nice diversion from our normal treks.

Small Things in Puebla and The Road to Oaxaca

NEWS FLASH: The truck is getting closer. We'll let you know when to expect to see new product from Mexico on the Chiripa floor!

[Continuing journal written by Chiripa partners on a recent buying trip.]

August 22: Small Things in Puebla

This morning, on our short stopover in the beautiful colonial city of Puebla, we walked a few blocks from our hotel to the little shop run by our friend Miguel Paredes and his wife Lilia Cruz Ruiz. Today, Miguel’s school-age son Daniel is helping at the shop (Daniel, a friendly and bright kid, attends school in the afternoon).

Miguel is a perfectionist with a sense of humor, and an eye for detail. In his home, he makes miniature clay scenes in little glass boxes. The scenes feature amusing skeletons engaged in everyday activities. The skeletons appeal to Mexicans’ black sense of humor: indeed, we all feel like walking skeletons sometimes.

Miguel Paredes with his skeletons at Casa de las Artesanias, Puebla, Mexico.

We picked out some pieces we liked (many Chiripa customers also like skeletons). Miguel carefully wrapped each small piece, and put it in a box (Daniel made several trips for packing supplies). When the box was full, Miguel started to wrap it with packing tape. He did not stop after he had sealed the top. No, he continued wrapping until he had covered every square inch of the box with packing tape (as we said, Miguel is a perfectionist). Then, with Daniel’s help, he wrapped it 6 more times to create a convenient handle for carrying the box (we will take it on the bus with us to Oaxaca).

When we got back to the hotel room, the phone rang. It was Miguel. He had discovered that he inadvertently short-changed us by 8 pesos (about 80 cents). He felt bad, and said he would return the pesos to us. We told him to keep the change.

August 22: The Road to Oaxaca

Today, something unusual happened. When we arrived at the bus station in Puebla, we had to wait a couple hours.

The Mexican bus system is a miracle of efficiency – moving millions of people every day with a minimum of trouble and fuss. In our experience, you can usually walk into a bus terminal without prior reservations and, for next to nothing, you can usually climb on a bus to the destination of your choice within 20 minutes (quite often within 5 minutes). But today, we had to wait.

Late in the afternoon, we finally boarded for the 4-hour bus trip to Oaxaca (Wo-HAH-cah) in southern Mexico. If you can ignore the U.S. movie shown en route, the trip from Puebla to Oaxaca is wonderful. There are 5 major volcanoes near Puebla, and on a clear day you can see some of them as you pull out of the city and head south (including Popocatepetl, spewing smoke at 17,802 feet, and Orizaba, Mexico’s highest mountain at 18,880 feet).

A view not from the bus!

On the outskirts of Puebla, as in other Mexican cities, you pass a lot of industrial and commercial flotsam – junk yards and facilities selling cement, tires, auto parts, construction supplies, bottled gas, and car repairs. Between these gritty places there are scores of taquerias, carnitas stands and other open air eateries where people gather to eat at all hours. Trucks and bus roar past, belching fumes.

Eventually, you emerge into the countryside and glide through farm and ranch land green with recent rains. About halfway to Oaxaca, you enter a wild and seemingly uninhabitable mountain area. The land is crumpled and tortured, and a vast forest of 20-ft. tall cactuses covers the landscape. As you climb along sheer canyon walls, and cross a bridge suspended a thousand feet over the river below, you find yourself thinking of earthquakes and landslides. But you never doubt the skill of your bus driver.

Even here, there are some signs of human life. A shepherd stands near his lonely tent, watching the flock below. And at a high scenic turnout, there is even a little comedor selling tacos, carnitas and other muy rico (very rich) and exquisite treats.

Later, the road drops into a slightly more inhabitable landscape of arroyos and running streams. Campesino huts blend into the natural landscape, and hand-planted milpas (corn and bean fields) cling to terraced hillsides. Smoke rises from the little huts, and families head home from a long day of hand-cultivation.

Finally, we drop into the broad, beautiful Oaxaca valley (still high at 5,070 ft.), which has nurtured humanity for thousands of years. The spectacular pre-Hispanic ruins of Monte Alban sit high over the modern city of Oaxaca. Rural Oaxaca state is very poor, but the city of Oaxaca is a colonial gem that draws tourists from all over the world. The site of recent political turmoil, the city is now quiet.

When we arrived on Friday night, the streets and cafes were alive with people – including visitors from Germany, France, the U.S. and other places. As usual, we walked the mile or so from the bus station to our hotel (carrying the box from Miguel’s shop in Puebla, as well as our packs).

Las Golandrinas, Oaxaca, Mexico.

Later, we enjoyed an excellent and inexpensive dinner in a candle-lit courtyard restaurant. We felt glad to have arrived.