Orizaba: the hut and the camp

Finally, Sunday afternoon, after the communal breakfast, and the loading of the jeep, and the long conversation about gas, and paying for the rooms, in case we did not return, watching the parade, we talked them into sending us up in the first jeep, el blanco, piled high with our gear.  On the way up it just stopped, as the abuelo driver ground the gears and smoke began coming into the cab.  We all got out to let it rest, then, miraculously, it started running again, it truly sounded like it was not going anywhere.  After driving further, it went up a hill, but then the transmission gave way, and it started to head back down, for some reason the brakes were not working, and we were heading backwards down the mountain with no brakes, wondering if we should jump out and get run over, or stay in and get crushed when the car rolled.  But finally he was able to turn it so it stopped, we all go out again, but this time we decided to walk the rest of the way to the hut at 13, 980 feet. We packed up everything we might need for the night, and walked up the beautiful mountain, to the hut. I camped not far away on a soft bed of grasses.

 The next morning everyone set off up the mountain, the rest of the group was carrying supplies up higher, Spence and Don and I were going to make a high camp.  After a few hours, the others went down, we worked our way through what is called the labyrinth, really not a problem, there were many ways to get to the top of the ridge, and decided to camp under two crosses in the snow.  It was a beautiful spot at about 16,100 feet. I was worried that we were going too fast to properly acclimitize, but there was nothing to be done, we had to climb the peak tomorrow and get down to meet el blanco jeep.

Orizaba: Tlachichuca

 Tlachichuca and preparation for the big parade. They spent hours Sunday morning working on the streets, then when it was done, everything was swept away, just like a sand Mandala.

 amazing masks designed to scare the children.

d

dog on the roof, actually there were many dogs on this roof. In the restaurant there were several festive altars, where the specialty was mole poblano, which was invented in this region of Mexico.

Orizaba: Tlachichuca

 the kilns outside of Tlachichuca, there were many vendors along the road selling ceramic figurines and vessels, also the cactus fruits. And a little more close view of the volcano Orizaba. We passed a few other volcanoes along the way, including Popocatapetl, went over a high mountain pass and through some beautiful mountains.  We found Tlachichuca, stopped at the only gas station in town and eventually found the hotel Gerar.  Geraaldo Claudio ran it with his family, it was still under construction, but they were very nice to us and let us park the car inside the courtyard.  Lots of amazing little houses with dogs on the roof, blue and white flags waving in preparation for the big fiesta.  We wanted to head

 up the mountain that afternoon, but after a few hours of repacking, it was too late, and we settled down to wait for the rest of the group and explore the town for mole poblano, which we found in a little restaurant.

 The streets and outside of the houses are pretty drab, but inside the wall there is all kinds of color and interesting things going on.

 For the festival day, which really got underway on Sunday, they decorated miles of streets with flowers, colored gravel, and painted stones. This involved letting off fireworks all the night before and throughout the ensuing day.  There was a big parade with a virgin Mary float and people dressed in all kinds of costumes.

In this area there are giant Aloe plants and other cactus, also it was time for Christmas decorations.

Mexico and Pico de Orizaba: LAX to MEX

 Cactus farm on the road between Puebla and Tlachichuca. A cactus farm!
Also airport in Mexico City, where I arrived at 5:30 AM. Except the escalators are from LAX, where I spent another 4 or 5 hours exploring airport architecture. I found Don and Spence from Brighton, who had arrived earlier, rented our small car and headed out into the chaos of Mexico City, only to be stopped by a policeman.  He was a traffic policeman, I think, or at least had a traffic police costume, he asked me to pull the car over, I started to give him a story in Spanish about Mexican American relationships, but he wanted to look at my license.  Compliant citizen that I am, I handed it over, then realized,

 he was not going to give it back until I handed over 3800 pesos, which is at least 300 dollars.  We bargained for awhile,  I should have just driven off, but I kept thinking I needed my license back.  I eventually gave him $100 and a bunch of pesos...very aggravating beginning of some serious traffic, but soon we were on the highway, which, instead of rest stops, had little vendor villages and people who would run up to the car and offer to sell you refreshments when the traffic got slow.

LAX escalators, distant view of the Orizaba and a little house in Tlachichuca

Las Vegas

 Las Vegas palm trees against golden hotel facades ancient Egypt and turquoise pools artifice, a paper moon, perhaps,  a metaphor perhaps for  our distant Babylonian hearts

paintings and granite

Himalyan clouds

 cracks in the granite, little cottonwood