That is the day when the Fiesta de Virgen de Guadalupe is celebrated in Mexico. So, our short trip was rewarded not only with the pleasure of visiting this beautiful little town, but we were able to enjoy their local fiesta as a bonus. This two-part series will first focus on the pueblo itself and the charros and others who gathered for the parade. Part 2 will follow the parade itself. I'm hoping to provide you with a feel for how Mexicans in these small towns celebrate their fiestas. 
17th century aqueduct that once fed water to ex-Hacienda Toluquilla. The little pueblo of the same name is located about 1/2 way between the turnoff of Highway 405 and Concepcion de Buenos Aires. If you want to visit, watch carefully for the sign because Toluquilla itself is almost invisible from the road. The aqueduct can be found behind a gate across the road from the street that leads into the pueblo. Little else remains of the hacienda except a few adobe walls in the town.
How to get there. The route is fairly simple and requires about a 90 minute drive. The roads are all well-paved and quite good. Follow the road from Ajijic through Jocotopec to Highway 15. Then head to Tuxcueca on the South Shore, where you turn right on Highway 405 toward Mazamitla.
Pillars line the arcade along Calle Constitución. Golden winter sunshine bathed the walls and streets, making for great photographic opportunities. The altitude of the town is 2126m (6975ft) which provides for a mild-to-cool year-round temperature. Light jackets or sweaters were all we needed in mid-December. The feel of a 19th century cowboy town was further enhanced by the almost complete lack of motor vehicles on the streets around the Plaza.
Calle Aquiles Serdan, looking west along the side of the Plaza. The mountains all around are thick with forests, so most of the pillars and rafters of the arcades around three sides of the Plaza are made from wood. Most of the buildings around the plaza and the area surrounding it are 1-2 stories, which helps maintain the old-fashioned feel of the place.
A small girl sits in the center of Calle Aquiles Serdan. She sat there for quite a long time, totally undisturbed by vehicle traffic of any sort. This underlined just how quiet the town was when we arrived. The church overlooking the Plaza is the Parroquia Inmaculada Concepción, devoted the the version the Virgin Mary who has the same title.
Calle Constitución, looking east toward Hotel Linda Vista. Only a single motor scooter and a couple of pedestrians break the spell of an old-west movie set.
Plaza Principal, also known as the Jardin Central. The Plaza is spacious, with lovely gardens, fountains, cast iron benches, and the almost obligatory kiosco (bandstand). As was the case everywhere else, it was virtually empty when we arrived.
A motorcyclist passes under patriotic streamers on Calle Constitucíon. The colors are red, white, and green, the same as the Mexican national flag. The Virgin of Guadalupe is a political symbol in Mexico, along with her religious importance. In the distance, we could faintly hear a band playing so we decided to investigate. Mexicans often leave fiesta decorations up long after the celebration, so, at this point it still hadn't dawned on us that this was the 12th of December.
Ermita de la Virgen de Guadalupe. This elaborate monument sits in a small plaza at the south end of Calle Hidalgo, seven blocks south and one block east of the the Plaza. When we looked down the street toward the music, we could see more streamers and a small crowd of people, so we decided to walk down and investigate.
At the monument, charros were gathering for the parade. As soon as we saw the monument and the charro outfits, it dawned on us that we had stumbled into one of Mexico's annual Virgen de Guadalupe events. While vaqueros (cowboys), with their traditions and techniques, have been around since the Spanish Middle Ages, charros are a phenomenon that followed the Conquest of Mexico.
A charro practices his rope work. The practical use of the rope is to capture and restrain cattle and horses. A skilled charro can do extraordinary things with a lariat, sometimes approaching ballet. Completing the charro image is the horse and its associated gear.
What is a Mexican fiesta without the local brass band? A saxophone player tunes up next to a drum. This was one of the fellows who had first attracted our attention. Usually, a band like this marches behind the charro delegation, playing earnestly, if sometimes off-key. The charros train their horses to dance to the music, creating a highly entertaining spectacle.
In Part 3 of my 2012 Sierra del Tigre series, I show ex-Hacienda Toluquilla, and detail some of its 19th century history, along with how Concepción de Buenas Aires was founded on its lands. The hacienda was begun by Don Alonso de Ávalos, a captain under Conquistador Hernán Cortéz. The descendants of Ávalos eventually sold it to the Echuarri family, one of the three richest in Guadalajara during the 18th century.
The Echuarris held it as part of a mayorazgo (entailed estate) for about 150 years from the beginning of the 18th century until 1853. A majorazgo was a hacienda (or collection of them) which couldn't be broken up but had to be passed intact to a designated heir. This was a strategy to avoid the fragmentation of estates that was a common problem during the colonial era.
Among the various estates within the mayorazgo, the family also owned Hacienda San Francisco Javier, near Tizapan on Lake Chapala's South Shore, and Hacienda San Jose de Gracia, on the far side of the mountains that rim the South Shore. Both are sites that I have visited over the years.
After ascending the South Shore mountains, you descend into a valley where you turn right at the sign for Concepción de Buenos Aires. When you get there, you will see a large colorful sign on your right with the name of the town. Continue for another 7 blocks to Calle Constitución. Take a right and go 4 blocks to the Plaza Principal, also called the Jardin Central.
A saddled horse waits patiently for its rider in the Plaza. This town could almost be a movie set for a Clint Eastwood western. I was reminded of one of those scenes where a gunfight is imminent and the whole town seems eerily empty. The word that always comes to my mind in describing Concepción de Buenos Aires is "pristine".
A town right out of a cowboy movie
Corner of Calle Constitución and Calle Ignacio Silva Romo. The old-fashioned building above is the Hotel Linda Vista. When I occasionally stay in a small Mexican town, I will often seek out an old hotel like this. The amenities are often limited, but the atmosphere is wonderfully antique. I have found the owners of such places always eager to tell stories about their hotel's history. Soon it is a case of "mi casa es su casa" (my house is your house).
Gathering for the Virgin of Guadalupe Parade
Ironically, although charros are respected and honored today, the term was once one of contempt. It used to mean uneducated, unpolished, rough, rustic, clownish, and ill-bred. The term probably originated from Arabic or possibly from the Spanish Basque term txar.
It first appears in 1627 and it wasn't until 1803 that it began to have a more neutral meaning. The status of charro steadily improved during the 19th century, particularly during and after the War of Independence, when charros played key roles as mounted militia organized by hacienda owners to fight against insurgents and bandit gangs.
The distinctive charro outfit has become a symbol of Mexico. It is worn not only by horsemen, but mariachi bands and others seeking to invoke the tradition. The most obvious part of the charro outfit is the wide-brimmed sombrero. Its high crown and the up-turned edges of the broad rim are often embroidered. Tight-fitting shirts or jackets, along with tight pants, are often adorned with silver trimming. Tooled leather boots and jangling spurs complete the picture.
The man who legitimized charros more than any was Emperor Maximilian, who was installed by France between 1862-67. He both admired charro horsemanship and sought to ingratiate himself with the people. Later in the 19th century, the dictator Porfirio Diaz recruited charros into his rurales (rural police) to chase down bandits as well as workers fleeing debt-slavery on haciendas. The association with the rurales conveyed manhood, strength, and nationhood.
Everything you see above was invented by the colonial Spanish and 19th century Mexicans long before the first Texan pulled on his spurs. American cowboys were truly "johnnies-come-lately" and borrowed virtually their entire tradition and technology from Mexico. You would probably never get them to admit it, though.
This completes Part 1 of my series on the fiesta at Concepción de Buenos Aires. In Part 2, we'll follow the parade as it makes its way to the Parroquia at the Plaza. I hope you have enjoyed Part 1 and, if so, you will leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly.
Hasta luego, Jim
Excellent as usual. I enjoy reading your posts, from Merida. Note that the name of the town is Buenos Aires with an "o" and not Buenas! Saludos!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the editing tip. I always welcome such corrections. Jim
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