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.
These musicians can be heard in various venues around Ajijic. Their music is very pleasant and rich. I love the combination of instruments. They come in and do their thing while people enjoy, converse and eat. I noticed that generally people don’t seem to listen much…maybe that’s my personal opinion. But I loved the mix of instruments and above all, the way they communicate with each other; and that comes back to us, filling the room with music.
Listening to them reminded me of many nights going to little jazz clubs years ago in Los Angeles. It was so easy to drift into the music and lose your daily woes. It gave me the opportunity to get lost in the moment where music can allow you to raise your presence from your body to a higher level.
I am happy to say those memories are renewed here in Mexico.
So the original is SOLD and now in a new home in Jojotepec.
print available for purchase Jimmy loves her orchids, her garden, her life. Orchids to her are more of a life-style than a hobby. So when she invited me to her home to see them, of course I was eager. It was a treat. I wish I could remember all the names and things she told me about them, but I can’t.
There are three gardens. First there is the front garden which you see when you enter through the black metal gates. Then there is the orchid garden which is an enclosed patio from the house and lastly, there is the fruit orchard and flower bed garden at the back.
When you are walking through San Antonio, (an area in Ajijic) you see many sets of metal gates. You really can’t guess what lies behind them. There are homes and gardens of unimaginable intrigue and beauty. I love Mexico for all its surprises
Jimmy is a walking encyclopedia about orchids. It’s a full time job to keep everything watered and pruned and looking happy and pristine. I don’t know how she racks up the energy, walking with her cane, to do all of her daily chores to maintain this lifestyle.
Here is the beautiful orchid herself “Jimmy”. She told me there were no boys in the family and she was the last one, so they named her Jimmy after her father.
When you enter the house, you see a table, a mirror and a collection of hats that she makes. It’s a welcoming site.
She makes hats and knits for babies for charity and does much more.
My favoritething she told me was when she went to elementary school in a one-room school house. She always asked a lot of questions, to the annoyance of adults around her. One day a new teacher told her she could ask as many questions as she liked. She jumped for joy and went home saying, “My teacher said I could ask any questions I wanted.” She said it was the happiest day of her life. She still is an independent spirit.
Painting Mexico 
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