La Rica Comida Mexicana

Mole verde con pollo

During our stay in Mexico we've been spoiled daily by the delightful menu from the kitchen of Cindy's mom. We captured a few photos of some favourites but in all honesty the menu is an endless supply of delicious family secrets.

Entomatadas

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the whole process is venturing out to the markets to gather the ingredients required for each meal. There are always heaps of fresh fruit and vegetables, in  addition to chicken, eggs, cheese and more. These markets provide high quality food for a good price, are easy to access and the proceeds go directly to the local farmers that transport their goods into the city.

 

Picadillo

Picadillo. One of my favourite hearty meals. If the family is short on ideas I often volunteer this option. We had a weekly picadillo tradition going until someone other than myself put an end to it. Chale!

Tacos dorados de carne con caldo de res

Tacos dorados is another common plate but like everything else it is never perfected to the same degree in restaurants as it is in house. I rarely stop eating these until I've hit double digits.  

La Chef Elena - Cindy's mom

Finally, the person responsible for the majority of the feasts we've been having. Sra. Elena works fast and fluid. It is easy to get left behind in the kitchen if you don't have your wits about you. She has been a gracious hostess and even let me in on a few of the family's secret recipes. I've also had the opportunity to apprentice under Sr. Andres on occasion. He doesn't have recipes and never makes the same thing twice. Spaghetti Bolandres and 'salsa roja' are among his many specialties.   

Las Mariposas Monarcas

Lookout Point

Oyamel Fir Forest

 After about 3000 curves and more than 3 hours in a beat up ford van we arrived at this lookout point. I was a little green in the gills by that point but managed to hold down my breakfast. Soon after we arrived at the gates of the El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. It was an opportunity we had passed up in previous years but we were happy that we had finally made it. We began our ascent winding through the oyamel fir trees that make up the unique and delicate habitat for the butterflies. The oyamel forest ecosystem is  Mexico's most endangered.

Monarch Butterflies

The temperature was dipping noticeably as we climbed but it was perfect hiking weather. I was already feeling much better and enjoying the fresh air despite the increase in altitude. We were soon rewarded further as the sun began to poke out of the clouds and the trail levelled out. We passed through some meadows and up a steeper, more rugged section of trail and were informed by the guide that we had arrived.   

Female Monarch Butterfly

The monarchs had been evident earlier in the day and we had spotted a few at the lookout point. Throughout our ascent the numbers steadily increased. We still weren't exactly sure what to expect but as we gained the maximum elevation allowable in the sanctuary it became clear that it was certainly worth the trip. There was a grand finale after all. We had arrived at 3600 m. and butterflies filled the sky. After some time, increased cloud cover caused thousands to swarm into the trees. 

Male Monarch Butterfly

The male monarch butterfly is easily distinguished from the female by the black spots that are visible on the hind wings. 

Dia de Muertos

El Día de Muertos

November 2 is 'The Day of the Dead' in Mexico. It is a national holiday that focuses on remembering family and friends that have passed away and is celebrated on November 1 and 2. It should not be confused with halloween which is also celebrated just days earlier.

Tradición Mexicana

We spent the evening visiting many traditional altars of death. We were just a few of the hundreds of people that gathered at 'la calzada' which is a wide stone walkway that is lined by trees on both sides near city centre.  

Morelia, Mex.

Catedral de Morelia por la noche

Catedral de Morelia

Morelia, Michoacán is the beautiful city that Cindy´s family adopted as their home since moving from Monterrey, Nuevo León, where she was born. Morelia is the colonial capital of Michoacán State. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is most well known for having hundreds of historic buildings, most of which are built out of pink quarry stone.  

Fuente Las Tarascas

The historic centre is packed with fountains, small plazas, attractive gardens and an abundance of well preserved architecture. The spectacular Fuente Las Tarascas is one of the most iconic landmarks in all of Morelia. We didn't resist the urge to wade into traffic to snap photos to the dismay of several 'taxistas' in the area.                        

Templo de Las Rosas

This interesting temple is an ex-convent from 1590. Inside you find the magnificent altarpiece (left). Apart from the lavish interior of the main sanctuary we found the adjacent confessional somewhat mysterious. We could only catch glimpses of the courtyard that led back towards the monastery.    

Los Arcos

"Los interminables arcos" of Morelia is one of the most beautiful and important aquaducts in all of Mexico. Since being built in the colonial period the arches have endured multiple changes and modifications. However, it is perhaps considered to be the most important civil construction project in city history. Currently the arches are purely decorative.    

La Boda

Marco y Marce

La Boda de Marco y Marce

We were invited to the wedding of one of Cindy's cousins Marco and his new bride Marce. It was held at the beautiful Hacienda La Laborcilla. The restaurant and bar are located inside an original hacienda from the XVIII century. The majority of the architectural characteristics including the central patio, hallways and arches have been conserved. We sat next to a pool which runs through the centre of the main reception area. We enjoyed the food, drink, and venue in addition to the celebration that went on until past 4 a.m. inside the adjacent bar.       

Querétaro, Mex.

We spent the following day wandering around the attractive city centre of Querétaro. We enjoyed    some live music as we ate breakfast and visited a market in the main plaza. In the afternoon we located a fellow artist and friend of Cindy named Walter. He had recently moved so we saw his new place. After a brief visit and a look at some of his more recent paintings we headed for Morelia.
                                                                                     
                                                                           

Xalapa, Mex.

Posada de la Mariquinta

We landed in Xalapa, Veracruz after spending five days in Cancun. The bus trip to Cordoba from Cancun was 20 hours plus direct. The bus was first class with ample leg room and multiple bathrooms. I avoided the typical drama of a long bus ride through the night with a few pills, waking up long enough to note that Cindy was comfortably sleeping and to pop a couple more dramamine. We took a second bus 3 more hours from Cordoba to get to Xalapa. We found some modest accommodation close to the centre of the city in the form of a 212 year old hacienda. We learned that a feature typical of the Xalapa style hacienda is the beautiful courtyard within its walls that the rooms open to. Our kind hostess seemed only mildly impressed that my parents home was only 100 years old. 

Fachada antigua

We spent a few days walking around and exploring    the city. We visited several of the landmarks near city centre. The Xalapa Cathedral, Palacio de Gobierno, Palacio Municipal, Parque Juarez, Templo del Beaterio, Mercado Jauregui, Mercado San Jose and Parque del Los Berros to name a few.

  

 Parque de Los Berros

We spent one afternoon in this beautiful park. It is the largest and oldest green area in the city. The towering trees and their impressive root systems dominate these grounds.