If you are not having a great day, sitting at the Ajijic Cultural Plaza will cheer you up. It’s fun to get a snack or cool drink and just watch what goes by. There are the usual vendors who have a lot of exciting things and are always showing something new. People strolling, singing, children playing, and flowers and great foods are a staple.
And then there are the very unique
This man makes a drink called “tuba”. It’s a fermented coconut wine. To start with, he climbs to the top of a tall coconut tree and with his machete in hand he slices off a piece of the center growth (the pure sap of the tree) and transfers the liquid into a container. This liquid gold is the ingredient he needs to make his drink. He sets the stage for fermentation. He uses sugar, yeast and I’m sure other secrets. It is a short fermentation and is meant to be used quickly, compared to other wines.
He sells his drink from the “bule”. This one is colored red, most are yellow or tan.
I loved painting him because of his jolly personality. I don’t know if I captured his sweetness and joy but here he is if you would like to purchase a print.
Painting Mexico 