Christmas in Mexico

Photograph by Crystal Masters

From Northern climes at Christmas where the cold and snow are the norm, the South offers soft sun and warm seas to swim in. Donning a bathing suit and a Tom Robbins novel we head to the ocean outside our door to begin the day with some vitamin D3, a salty cleanse and some rejuvenating tonic made of turmeric, ginger, lemon and fresh coconut water. Together we collage inspirations for a new year, twirling sparklers in the night, around a year end fire.  

Photographs by collective 

Hardly a traditional northwest Christmas. Meditate, yoga and a late afternoon organic salad with fresh caught red snapper and a good bottle of French wine makes this Southern Christmas with friends and family a memorable one. 

Photographs by Crystal Masters

Happy Christmas and Happy New Year
Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo

ARRIVING Nayarit, Mexico

Beach side, that's where we landed. It's a paradise. Our road in negotiates potholes and washouts through the jungle, and then we arrive.
The surf hits the rock formations shooting water upwards, creating rainbows in its sprays.
The sand is smooth and invites us to stroll it's bay. Our Frida Khalo blue house faces north west. In its simplicity it is a mansion.

Photographs by Crystal Masters

We park Trusty Rusty who has brought us safely to our first destination on the only level spot in front of the sea. It is here we will pass our December 2013 into the New Year. Rusty is unpacked of her cargo and we set up our holiday home. First priority is hooking up our stereo to serenade us as we open some chilled white wine, make a salad and slice some home made bread to dip in the cold press organic olive oil we brought in from Valle de Guadalupe.

Is this real?
Yes, very real. 

Photographs by Crystal Masters

Salute

MAZATLAN, SINALOA

Rusty is all cleaned up, shop vac- ed, water bottles filled and re-packed. We have a days drive ahead to reach Mazatlan. Some say 8 hours, we book it through, no traffic, great high-way conditions and reach our destination in 5.5 hours.

photography by gisela marin

We drove headlong right into the madness of a huge street party. Clowns, break dancers, people, music blaring, food and lights all amongst willy nilly traffic and horns honking. A bit much really. I flagged a taxi through the driver side window and Gisela jumped out and asked him to drive her to the Mellville Suites in old town, where we planned to stay....I followed with Rusty.
We parked, took our bags to our room and headed out to find dinner at the plaza. We settled with Pedro & Lola's and sat down to some Chardonnay, tuna tacos and a salad.
To our surprise the waiter tuned in on 3 of us being Canadian and blew our minds when he said he knew Gene Grooms from Salt Spring Island! And that he went there to try the 'brownies' hahahaha.

photographs by gisela marin 

Next big planet small world event was the elderly sax player, Jock, who came to speak with us and said he lives in 3 places...New York city, Mazatlan, and yes you guessed it, Salt Spring Island! He moors his sail boat in Ganges Harbor at the government dock all year. He then played us some songs...beautiful songs. Even Jock teared up when he played our request, "My Funny Valentine".
We feel happy, relaxed and expansive as we chill in the south's December summer night.

video by gisela marin 

Red Hot Chiltepins

photograph by crystal masters

In search of regional chilies, found here in the Sierra Madre mountains we take a

quick stop on our way out of Alamos at a roadside family cocina.

We sit in the early sun eating authentic Chihuahua cheese quesadillas, guacamole, fresh salsa and beans...we amend our quesadillas with kale, parsley and cucumber from our private stock.

photograph by gisela marin

A young Mexican couple held 2 bags of the sought after chilies that they have climbed into the mountains to find at 5 am this morning. They grow on both small bushes or large tree type plants. Their small size is no indication of their big punch. It takes hours to collect even the smallest amount during the season from September to end of November. We are late comers in mid December so these are the last of them. Fresh chiltepins are either red or green in color when picked, dried in the sun, then ground in a small wooden grinder and used sparingly.

photograph by collective

ALAMOS, SONORA

photograph by crystal masters

Cross the border into Mexico, drive 9 hours south on Mexico 15 and you come to Navajoa in the state of Sonora. You take a left and drive east for 50 km to Alamos where John McKay lives in his 241 year old hacienda, Casa Esmeralda. He has generously welcomed us to stay a couple days. A safe respite to rest and relax.

photographs by crystal masters

This is cowboy country, endless mountains piled atop each other, painted nature green below big skies and fresh air. The Sierra Madre Mountain range where the Yaki Indians roam and the land where Pancho Villa and his revolutionaries rode horseback, fighting the gringo.

photographs by crystal masters

We Love You John McKay 

photograph by collective

Thank you, Muchas gracias

Leaving 

Photograph by dawna masters

Woke up in Venice Beach to a marathon running by and the pouring rain. It never rains in California. We are packing up 'Rusty' the Westy, Our van is loaded to the max with supplies for Hotel Cielo Rojo my girlfriends hotel in San Pancho and more goodies for our little sea house where we are living until the New Year in Nayarit Mexico. Bedding, linens, cushions curtains, candles, french presses, lights and lamps, books, vintage rugs, hammocks, a Yamaha stereo and kick ass speakers. Yoga mats, teas and spices. Heading Eastward on the 10. Mapquest says Tuscon Arizona is 8 hours away.

Photograph by dawna masters

Love the road. Love to be out here with my daughters and girlfriend. Come ride with us in Trusty Rusty.

Meet Trusty Rusty

road trip 2013

Photograph by Gisela Marin

S/he is androgynous, s/he has the energy of a big white dog with rusty flecks. A perky dog is s/he with long floppy ears, big galloping paws, a brown patched eye. Trusty Rusty is getting all cleaned up, enthusiastic to go on a road trip loyally carrying four women to their destiny.

Photograph by John McKay

Meet the four women
Crystal, Genevieve, Dawna, Gisela

Chicken bus

"Blue bird, blue bird , painted so fine, Guatemalans re design"

Photograph by Crystal Masters

We are accompanied by our Guatemala family, down the streets of San Marcos, to the dock for departure on the 9am boat that leaves at 9:22 or so. I walk with my hands, shoulders and back free of any bags at all! They are all being carried by Pedro, his son Milton, and the brother Augustine. Even my leather shoulder bag is carried by 6 year old Williston. We walk through town saying our goodbyes to the merchants who have been supplying us with fruits, veggies and goodies over the past 3 months. We are hugged, wished safe travel and promised loyally that they will wait for us to return in November. 

Photograph by Enrique Orozco - Our Guatemalan Family

The ride over on our boat is filled with indigenous and expats alike, the lake flat calm, the sun shining.

In 30 minutes or more.... we arrive in Panajachel to disembark and roll along with our troop of 5 for a few blocks looking for the Chicken bus to Antigua where we will stay for the night. We will fly out of Guatemala city for Mexico city the next afternoon.

Photography by Crystal Masters - Lake Atitlan 

Chicken buses have a style all of their own. They are often yellow Blue Bird buses that most of us as North Americans rode in as kids going off to school. They are painted lavishly with folklore, stories and graffiti done incredibly well and each has been given a name that is painted on the bus...ours is Bebule. The luggage is passed up top the blue bird and we circle town a few times over the next 40 minutes picking up cargo, tying it atop our chariot and eventually departing Panajachel on the 11am bus that leaves at11:40 more or less!

Photograph by Dawna Masters - Chicken bus

The journey is colorful as we collect passengers along the way mostly in random spots along the roadside, adding more cargo. A wooden table, textile bundles, some 2x4's, sacks of textiles. Where there are towns we stop in, vendors come aboard calling out their specialties," papas con chile, chocobananos, tamales, tres por cada uno, mango con limon." Then they are off the bus, and we roll on, with the bus tooting and honking it's own language code that I am not privy to.

Any and all delays are made up for as the driver expertly maneuvers the bus at top speed, running through the gears smoothly up ad down the hills and double clutching into the corners weaving from the inside to the outside lanes like Mario Andretti would have in a race. The views are enriched with farm plots, various stages of house construction, families watching, sitting, walking, street dogs in search of food, the odd horse packing fire wood, or even women with bundles of wood on their heads.

Comedors (roadside restaurants), ready for lunch with their steaming pots of beans, tamales, tortillas, meats and chicken dishes facing the passing public along the road. Each village has their clothing colors represented by weaving fine wool or cotton into colorful patterns, their hand work proudly embroidered into designs. Young mothers have babies tucked into large pieces of fabrics tied to their bodies while others balance large baskets atop their heads.

My daughter is either laughing or smiling, expressing! " this is so amusing and fun!" For 36 Quetzals, (4.80 each), I couldn't think of better value or be more entertained. I love to see Crystal's joy.

The assistant to the driver is possibly the most versatile participant. He hops on and off the bus at every stop, running back to get packets passed up to the roof, helping passengers get on board quickly as the bus never really fully stops and waits for no one. The accompanero runs to the door to reboard and join the ride. With each new group of passengers he then takes charge of collecting the fee to ride. We travel with the door open most of the time, while he looks out for random roadside passengers for pick up, dials the cell phone for the driver, passes packages to waiting store owners all while we are rolling by.

Photographs by Dawna Masters - Aboard The Chicken Bus

He pulls the line to honk a warning sound as we round corners at top speed drifting to the outside lane that slides us across our seat, fist one way, then the other. We are hanging on so as not to fall into the aisle. The drivers grey ing hair makes me feel safer as I trust the years of experience he must have. Even though I am not religious the sign reading, " dios nos acompane", ( god accompanies us) doesn't hurt either!

If you don't think passing up hill in a corner with an approaching bus showing up in the oncoming lane is your cup of tea, you can always get a shuttle for triple the price and 1/10 the exhilaration.

Photographs by Dawna Masters - Extra Life

We arrive in about 3 hours, collect our 4 suitcases from the roof and load them onto a man drawn cart who for 20Q (2.70), takes us to the Hacienda that was recommended to us as a great place to stay for the night.

Photograph by Dawna Masters - Man wheeling our bags to our Hacienda in Antigua 

                High on Santa Cruz

We hired the 3 wheel taxi called a TucTuc to drive us to the top of Santa Cruz's main village about 700 feet, pretty much straight up above the lake and etched out of the mountain side.

Photography by Crystal Masters - Santa Cruz Church

At the top is an open plaza where a school, some other very large unidentifiable buildings and a very old unassuming church are found. Our friend Enrique has invited us to this wondrous architectural antique church described by him as a must see! We open the small iron gate and step back in time as the dark coolness invites us in from the burning bright southern sun. The 25 foot ceiling stretches above, plain and humble without any hints of Michael Angelo's paint strokes, just beams and boards hiding the tin roof above it. 

Photography by Crystal Masters - Enrique and the Santa Cruz Church from the inside 

We share the rectangular room with the ancient wood carvings of various saints standing shoulder to shoulder on a ledge that lines the walls on either side of the uncomfortable pews. Each statue stands at least 3 feet tall, missing color details, arms and bits and pieces from the once perfectly painted replicas of Saints long past. They are eerie and beautiful. We visit each one and imagine their creators. Encased in special glass are some life sized saints as well, one called La Reina de Santa Cruz. It's crude, simple and wreaking of stories untold.

Photography by Crystal Masters - Wood carvings in the Santa Cruz Church

We depart closing the iron gate behind us and decide to walk back down to the dock but not before taking a quick look at the artisan workshop, cliff side, overlooking the lake and beyond. Today the room of sewing machines and looms are covered and still, the culinary school is open without a single customer save a young boy on his computer while his young aproned mother stood in the kitchen. We took some time to enjoy the birds eye view of the scape over the lake from so far above it, truly unusual.

Photography by Crystal Masters - Leaving the Santa Cruz Church

We zigged and zagged our way back down the mountainside taking in Santa Cruz lifestyle on our way past this mountainside community until resting at the shore of the lake awaiting the next boat to San Marcos.

Baking with Francisco

Photography by Crystal Masters - Francisco and family with Dawna and pizza 

Francisco, our neighbor, the Panadero (baker) invites us to make bread and pizza this morning in his adobe oven. We experience the true essence of community as we enter his bake shop behind an old wooden door. The huge outdoor adobe brick oven takes up at least 1/3 of the total area and a lightly framed room in another corner houses a long wooden table covered in flour. A wall of shelving that holds the ready to bake products. All this amongst what looks like wreckage of a half built wall, a couple of trees and a lot of unfinished cement and re-bar!

Photography by Crystal Masters - Community making

Today is special because he is making pizza, not to sell, but for his family to enjoy along with his regular baking. Francisco is a father to 11 children! and husband to a beautiful wife. 5 of the 11 are with us today. The younger 2 are mostly watching and minding the smallest one, Pancho while the 2 older ones, Mario and Betty help their father prepare the bread today and 2 other times a week. Other family members attend the small tienda (store) at the corner where the bread is sold.

Photography by Crystal Masters - Panadero and baked goods

I bring along my own vegetarian toppings; sauted onions and garlic with organic tofu which I found in Solola, fresh chopped tomatoes with garden basil and oregano with pepper. Francisco offers some fresh mozzarella. As he prepares 4 other grand pizzas, with ham, fresh pineapple and his own home made tomato sauce, he gives instructions to his kids all the while smiling proudly, enjoying himself, and the task before him.

Photography by Crystal Masters - Pizza

Just as we are readying to bring the trays of languas (tongues) gallinas ( chickens), palomas (doves), bolios (buns) and the pizzas to the waiting oven, an elderly man arrives and greets everyone with grace. The Padre has come to pay a visit to Francisco from Panajachel and bless him and his baking with a long prayer. Francisco is touched and sheds a heartfelt tear. In assembly line style we begin to pass the trays from the prep area to the Master baker himself who carefully places them just right in the oven with his long handled paddle. Francisco has been baking bread since he was 10 years old, his father taught him. That makes his career as a baker already 37 years long. This is not his only skill, he is also a stone mason, and carpenter.

Photography by Crystal Masters - Assembly line with Padre

Within 3-4 minutes the first batch is ready to come out. Francisco pulls each tray out with the well worn paddle and his son Mario skillfully pours the bread off the trays and into a huge locally woven carriso basket and the next batch of trays are ready to enter the adobe oven along with the pizzas. Again, in about 4 minutes, out they come, the bread in the basket and the pizzas to the shelves in the prep room. The aroma of fresh baked bread fills the air. With all the baking complete, Francisco instructs Mario to find a bag and bring it while he selects several pieces of warm bread for the Padre along with a cold Coca Cola brought for him from their store.

Photography by Crystal Masters - Community baking 

Our pizza is cut and transferred to a wooden bread board, steaming and inviting. I offer to make some coffee for Francisco and he gladly accepts, however he does not want to try any of my pizza as he is truly wanting to gift it to us from him and his family.
Upon delivering the coffee I ignore his insistence and bring a plate with 3 pieces of pizza topped with avocado and tell him it's "Canadian style". He smiles graciously and accepts.
As we are enjoying our fresh baked pizza at our kitchen table Francisco returns our plate, now filled with an assortment of gallinas, langues, and palomas for us to sample.

Photography by Crystal Masters - Veg pizza Dawna style

We are filled with gratitude for our little community of friends who treat us like family and share the richness of their lives.

So much more than a Farm Tour

How do I shorten a long interesting story and not lose its elements? I hope i can convey the inspiration and knowledge that was gifted to me today and keep you reading.
From 8:30 am this morning when bumping along the mountain edge bordering lake Atitlan in a Tuctuc to Tzununa, the village 5 km to the east of San Marcos, until about 3pm, five of us were engaged in the wisdom spoken by Shad Qudisi, owner and hands on operator of Atitlan Organics. We began with hugs and immediately went to work separating the pink shafe from the amaranth grain by blowing it from a bowl into the wind. The variety name is worth mentioning, "Love lies Bleeding." Shad tells us it's not the best variety for these parts but still, that name......

North South Photography by Crystal Masters - cleaning amaranth, unrefined honey, avocado starter

Shad originally met his wife Colleen Donovan, a teacher at the Waldorf school in San Marcos back in 2006 at college in Baltimore. They reunited when they worked for the same company, but soon both quit to persue their personal agendas, hers to travel and his to farm. That was a reason for heading to Belize together with an intended South American travel blitz and to farm along the way as Woofers.
After Belize they headed to Lake Atitlan, Guatemala and landed on the shores of San Marcos la Laguna, one of many villages and centers around the lake. Once here they took on Hotel Unicornio and successfully ran it for 2 years. In October 2009 they bought a farm in neighboring Tzununa upon a mountain, by a river in pursuit of a vision to grow a family and live off the land. In February 2010 they moved full time onto Atitlan Organics, a 2.2 acre farm of rock, scrub and weeds, living in a mud 8x8 shack for 5 months 

North South Photography by Crystal Masters 

before building a one room homestead based on permaculture practices. They have since developed the original space adding a covered verandah, big bedroom with adjoining bathroom using bamboo, adobe, stones and wood some of which came from the land.

North South Photography by Crystal Masters 

Soon Shad and Colleen realized there needed to be an adjustment to their ideals if they were going to be sustainable. They became a 'for profit farm'. Shad offers " We need to produce something of value and not be afraid to sell it." Hence, they came up with a 3 point philosophy for Atitlan Organics. One, to grow clean healthy food for sale to their community. "we need to value ourselves and our contribution." Two, be bio diverse, by trying new things to find what is going to contribute most and produce high yields. Three, offer training and education through community garden projects and higher education.
Shad is doing just that at 4 community garden's where he brings transplants, seeds and teaches seed saving methods, earthworm bins, and composting skills. He is involved in co teaching courses offered by the recognized certified body of permaculture educators of Guatemala called EMAP along with Ronny Lec an indigenous Maya native. Shad is sharing knowledge about food production, water saving, swails to bring up the water table, soil building and food forests. He humbly says, " I am still learning, we are all capable but we must be willing to get out there and try and fail, then make it better."

North South Photography by Crystal Masters - pond systems 

Over horehound, lemongrass, violet, orisis, comfrey and purple basil tea we learned that Atitlan Organics has bee hives producing honey that will be made into honey wine and honey for eating. We enjoyed chewing some samples from the unrefined bucket of honey that included beeswax and even some bees. Delish! We learned that being a bio dynamic farm involves having plants, animals and fungus to create a balanced Eco stable farm. As we walked around the mountainside farm with the rivers song in the back ground we witnessed the plant nursery, where plant species are started, observed and nurtured until they can be integrated in the farms gardens. We toured the 'closed system' chicken/rabbit sheds that co exist as a 'multi species' housing dynamic to create the natural circle of life and its propensity to want to find balance..food in, waste out, parasites, bacteria, nitrogen that adds up to an active decay system that is healthy and self sustaining. We understood the importance of swails to keep all available water on the land, pond systems that house carp and frogs and other plant life.

The founder of bio dynamics, Rudolf Stiener fathered a wholistic approach from educating children to natural medicine, to farming sustainably by simply watching nature and mimicking environments. Colleen is a teacher at the Waldorf school whose education model for children is fashioned after these principles.
We ended the farm tour and what I would say was more a workshop, by helping pull up the chia plants that are dry on the stalk and ready to collect for that very popular super food in the health stores these days.

North South Photography by Crystal Masters - harvesting chia 

We head lastly to the goat pen, housing 10 females, 2 babies and one 'Billy'.
It's the time of day when they are chewing their cud after grazing in the mountains where they roam with a Shepard daily after the morning milking.

North South Photography by Crystal Masters 

Atitlan Organics represents a lifestyle and message that today's world needs to model more than ever. One that sustains life by growing healthy clean food, produces organic chicken and rabbit meat, fresh eggs, goat milk, kefir and cheese while teaching us to trust and buy local. Shad encourages, "Positive change can be made by each and every one of us through the food we eat and grow."

North South Photography by Crystal Masters - Shad Qudisi 

Organic food markets:
Thursday's at the Waldorf School in San Marcos 11am ish to 12:30pm. Atitlan Organics donates 10% of its proceeds to the school. On average they are supporting one child's education each month.
Saturday in Santa Cruz 10:30am to 12:30pm
Several local farmers gather at Iguana Perido right at the dock, to sell fresh produce, socialize and to enjoy community while snacking on veggie tamales, eclairs, fresh baked bread and locally grown coffee.

Good reading:
One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Sukuoka
any Biodynamic living references by Rudolf Stiener
You Can Farm by Joel Salatin
Barefoot Architect, by Johan van Lengen

www.atitlanorganics.com

       North South photography by Crystal Masters - Yos and Dawna

Life on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Meeting Yos from San Diego was a bonus when he introduced us to Shad, the guy with the organic farm in Tzununa. Not only does he and his wife Caleen grow good greens, but they have goats to make cheese from, they make goat yogurt/kefir that is a wonderful addition to smoothies, with granola, to drink with grated organic local cacao or like last night, add to borscht as a creamy condiment.
Shad comes to San Marcos from Tzununa, the next village over every Thursday with fresh products from his farm. We caught up with him at the Waldorf School under the big bamboo forest. He had 5 bags of mixed salad greens left and 3 goat yogurt/kefirs. Between Yos and I we bought what was left. Many more seekers of good organic food came to buy, but for this week, that was all he had.
I overheard a mom of some Waldorf students ask if Shad would harvest an organic chicken for her family, but he had only organic rabbit to offer. She declined saying "my children are enjoying the tale of the tortoise and the hare, so I'll pass on rabbit, thanks."
We are invited to the Atitlan Organics farm tour which Shad and Caleen give each Friday at 9:30 to 12 noon.
I have a hand drawn map that Shad patiently draws out for each and every interested farm tour participant as to how to get there. In a nutshell you either take the launcha (boat) or a Tuctuc (3 wheel taxi)  to Tzununa, cross the blue bridge and then walk up the mountain trail for 5-7 minutes staying right, then staying left until you arrive at Atitlan Organics gate. There you will be greeted.

Shad and Caleen-Atitlan Organics 479 530 49

North South Photography by Crystal Masters




South to Tulum


This year we decided to travel south through Quintana Roo, Mexico instead of our usual route through Nayarit. I cashed in my air dollars with WestJet and booked out on February 10th. The winter cold, rain and that West coast grey had me craving some Southern Sol. Our 5.5 hour flight routed us through Toronto, over the United States and right into Cancun. Our dear friend Patrick met up with us there, he flew in from Mexico City. For the past few years we have made our migration to Guatemala together, enjoying the same lifestyle, foods and friends makes this traveling partner a gem.



Together my daughter Crystal, Patrick and I boarded a transit bus from the Cancun airport and two and a half hours later we were in Tulum, beautiful Tulum. A Russian friend, Masha, recommended El Zapote with host Marela in the centre of Tulum as a good place to stay to get ones bearings and make a plan for how to stay on the beaches of Tulum for a reasonable price. It takes some inside info which I would love to share with you as others did for me.
We worked out some good places to eat salad, get me a rich full bodied coffee, find fresh juices and got some rest from the travel day.
My other sweet daughter has spent some time in Tulum and sent me a most helpful list of resources for a place to stay on the beach, a couple good places to eat Dawnaesque style, where to rent bicycles and snorkels, her favorite Cinote to swim in and must see spots. Trusting her judgement we took a taxi to the beach to find Los Arricifes, (the reefs) Genevieve's first recommendation. After talking with Boni the manager and dropping a few names we arranged a beach front room for 650 pesos per night, with 2 comfy beds, hot shower and a hammock on the terrace. This we later learned was a super good deal as most places along the beach front start at 150usd in this season. If you stay longer, maybe a week or more, most places are willing to deal so don't be afraid to ask.
We moved out from Tulum central to the clean white coral sand beaches lapped by warm turquoise water. Wow is a good description.
The days ahead take us away from any remnants of home on Salt Spring, rain, cold grey...except of course the plumbing problem on the home front that found me in my Tulum paradise. But somehow here in the warmth of the sun and the beauty of nature, it didn't seem like such a big deal.







El Zapote accommodations with Marela in central Tulum ranges up to 500 pesos per night for 3 people (45usd) with kitchen.

www.elzapotetulum.com
She has other room scenarios depending on your needs for different prices.




El Zapote - Mayela




Canadian airline WestJet does NOT land in the USA for those of you that prefer not to!

Flight time 5.5 hours with a short layover in Toronto. A good deal is around 340 to 360 Cdn




WestJet - SunSet






Bus from Cancun airport to Tulum is 2.5 hours with a short stop in Playa del Carmen cost: 178 pesos or about 15 us dollars per person in 2013. Buy your own ticket from the ADO bus ticket booth and ask for the direct to Tulum or you may have to switch buses in Playa.




North South Photography by Crystal Masters - Patrick and Dawna






Los Arricifes: beachfront w. 2 beds for all three of us. cost: 650 pesos per night (59$ usd)




North South Photography by Crystal Masterts

North South Photography by Crystal Masters
~Central coast California~