Independencia 2012: Mexico kicks off its fiesta season

A handsome young Charro rides in Ajijic's Independencia parade. Despite legs far too short to reach the stirrups, this tyke confidently and skillfully guided his mount among cavorting horses and a noisy crowd. The village of Ajijic where we live may be small, but it always puts on entertaining fiestas. This one celebrated the anniversary of Mexico's War of Independence from Spain, which began in 1810. A fiesta like Independencia provides great "people watching" opportunities, and I took full advantage of them at the Sunday, September 16 climax of this year's celebration. The activities I showcase here were actually part of a 9 day fiesta which also typically includes the Globos (a hot air balloon launch), a Charreada (Mexican rodeo) and other events. Mexicans are very patriotic but are also great lovers of parties. Put these two together and you get one hell of a blow-out.

Marcos Castellanos was a local hero of the Independence War. The portrait above is part of a long wall mural painted in 2010 by Ajijic artist Bruno Mariscal to celebrate the Bicentennial of Independencia. Like many leaders during the early stages of the war, Marcos Castellanos was a parish priest, disaffected by Spanish rule. Unlike many of those other leaders, he managed to survive the war. Castellanos had sided with the insurgents as early as 1810, but his moment of glory didn't come until two years later. In 1812, local fishermen and farmers rose up against trained Royal troops and repeatedly defeated them with little more than sticks, hoes, and rocks. The Spanish, thoroughly alarmed, mounted a major campaign against them. With Castellanos in command, the insurgents retreated to the tiny Lake Chapala island called Mezcala, located about 32 km (20 mi) east of Ajijic. The island is about 2 km (1.24 mi) off shore from the village of the same name. Mezcala Island is small, only 548 m (600 yds) long and 91 m (100 yds) wide. Here, for an incredible 4 years, 1000 Mezcala insurgents withstood a siege by 8000 Royal troops.  

A small spectator perches on her dad's shoulders under a huge wall mural. The mural above her, showing some of Ajijic's early inhabitants, was painted on the side of Ajijic's city hall by local artist Javier Zaragoza. The faces of the figures in the mural are those of the artist's friends and prominent local people. Meanwhile, back at Mezcala, the Spanish made numerous efforts to dislodge the insurgents, but everything the Royalists attempted ended in ignominious defeat. The defenders even captured one of the Spanish officers who had laid waste to the lakeside town of Tizapan and massacred its inhabitants. He was taken to the scene of his crime and promptly executed. The insurgents left a note pinned to his chest declaring "Here he murdered. Here he died."

A security man keeps a sharp eye on things. Although he was one of the few security people I saw at the event, everything remained peaceful. There have been some incidents of narcotrafficante violence in the Lake Chapala area over the last several years, but they have had surprisingly little impact on day-to-day life. Marcos Castellanos held out until 1814 but finally surrendered due to sickness and malnutrition among the island's defenders. He negotiated the surrender with the Spanish commander, Brig. General Jose de la Cruz, who agreed to allow the insurgents to return to their homes unmolested, provided them with help in rebuilding their villages, and gave them seed and farm animals. Fed up with the long struggle, the Spanish clearly wanted no repetition of the Siege of Mezcala. For a look at Mezcala Island and its Independence War ruins, click here.

An honor guard of young girls marched near the front of the parade. Groups of children from many local schools participated in the parade, as they do every year. In fact, the air of early September echos with the sound of rolling drums and marching feet as the children diligently practice for the big day. You can see by their expressions that most of the kids take this responsibility very seriously, although the young girl on the left couldn't help a smile after she saw me with my camera.

Their turn in the parade finished, these young boys relaxed in the plaza. As I wandered around the plaza, looking for good shots, these guys waved me over, eager to get their pictures taken. Their red sweaters are emblazoned with their school emblems.  Kids will be kids, but foreigners here often remark upon how well-behaved Mexican children are. I think the answer may lie in the close family networks. Even if parents are not around, there are always the grandparents and numerous uncles and aunts to keep an eye on the young ones. The older children are expected to help out with their younger siblings and it is not unusual to see a teenage boy walking along the street carrying his baby sister in his arms. How often are you likely to see that north of the border?

The drum corps prepares for action. For all the marching and drums and flags, Mexico is not a very militaristic country. Although its long history contains plenty of internal strife, there are few if any instances of Mexico invading its neighbors. To the contrary, since it became an independent nation in 1821, Mexico has been invaded three times by the United States (1846-48, 1914, 1917), and once by the French (1862-67). The US invasion of 1846 resulted in the loss of half of Mexico's territory, and was denounced as shameful by a young congressman named Abraham Linclon. In addition to invasions, there is a long history of US tampering in Mexican internal affairs, including complicity in the murder of President Francisco Madero. All of this explains a lot about Mexico's prickly reaction to any perceived transgressions against her sovereignty. In the immortal words of Pofirio Diaz, the dictator overthrown by Madero, "Poor Mexico, so far from God, so close to the United States."

Hi Mom! In the midst of a solomn group of marchers, a girl waves gaily to her family. Virtually every school kid must wear the approved clothing of his/her school, such as the white shirt, blue sweater, and plaid pants/skirts seen above. The effect of this is to reduce invidious differences between students whose parents may be able to afford expensive "designer" outfits, and those who can't. The flip side is that all the parents must purchase the approved clothing and this can be a real struggle for many low-income Mexican families who can sometimes barely afford to put food on their tables. Affluent foreigners in the Lake Chapala community sometimes help out families they know by paying for school clothes and books for the kids. Other help comes from charities established by the foreign community.

After the kids came the Charros. This pair led the mounted part of the parade, carrying the rawhide banners of their Charro association. The presence of the foreign community has helped develop a fairly sophisticated infrastructure in the small lakeside pueblos. There is widespread use of cell phones, computers and internet cafes. However, rural Mexico is still all around us. Most Charros are not well-to-do owners of expensively-bred horses. I doubt that any had a dressage horse performing in the Olympics, for example. Some Charros own small ranchos, while others simply work as cowboys. They are the "real deal", and exhibit excellent horsemanship.

A Charro parade is never complete without a marching band. A number of bands like this one participated. They are essentially neighborhood folks who get together to practice when they can. At events like this there may be two or three such bands, all playing different songs at once, and all slightly off key. Once your ears get used to it, the effect is hilarious and quite entertaining.

Other entertaining features of a Charro parade include dancing horses. This high-stepper was dancing to the music provided by the band you can see behind in the distance. A still photo cannot begin to do justice to this spectacle. Under the direction of their riders, the horses dance forward and back and sometimes sideways, their metal shoes clashing dramatically on the cobblestones. Charro horses are highly trained and pampered by their owners. Often they will sport intricately braided manes and tails, as well as elaborate saddles.

Gettin' 'em started early. Local children with access to horses learn to ride at a very early age. Their fathers love to bring them along to Charro events. As you can see, the horse is not the only one dressed up for the parade. The little boy's dad wears a classic Charro outfit, with gold embroidery decorating his jacket and extending down the sides of his tight-fitting pants. He also wears the famous wide-brimmed sombrero, with embroidery around the rim. The Charro has become one of Mexico's best known symbols, based on a tradition reaching back to the 17th Century. Along with mariachi bands and tequila, Charros originated here in the State of Jalisco, arguably the "heart" of Old Mexico.

Silver spurs are a prized piece of the Charro outfit. They are more than decorative, since they are used to guide the horse. The star-shaped spikes are called the rowel, and jingle pleasingly when the Charro is on foot. Spurs go back at least to the Roman Legions of Julius Caesar.  Some have been found in ancient Roman military campsites in Great Britain. Spurs were a sign of rank in the Middle Ages, and when a squire was raised to the position of knight, he was said to have "earned his spurs". The large rowels of Mexican spurs are a tradition brought over from Medieval Spain.

This silver mounted saddle horn caught my eye. The Charro obligingly quieted his mount so I could get a nice shot. Some Americans may be surprised to learn that the first true cowboys were Mexican vaqueros (literally "cow worker"). The earliest versions of saddles were developed around 4000 BC by the Chinese. Saddles really gained importance when the stirrup was invented by a Central Asian people called the Sarmations. The stirrup gave a rider the stability needed to use the horse as a fighting platform. The saddle, as we know it today, originated in Mexico and was developed by combining the features of two different models imported from colonial-era Spain called La Estradiota and La Jineta. A saddle horn is not just decorative, but also has an important practical function. When a Mexican vaquero or American cowboy ropes a steer, he quickly loops the lasso around the horn so that the horse can help bring the steer under control.

La Princesa poses during a break in the festivities. I encountered this lovely young woman in the Centro Cultural adjacent to the plaza. Every year, Ajijic elects a queen and two princesses who add some grace and style to the various fiesta parades. She appeared a bit pooped from all the waving and smiling, but she gamely jumped up and posed when I asked for a photo.

The Ajijic Plaza was packed by the end of the parade. On the second floor balcony of the Centro Cultural, I was joined by Norm Tihor, a Canadian who lives in Ajijic full time and creates beautiful photographic art. The two of us ordered coffee from the second floor restaurant and enjoyed the swirling show below as we sat at our table, leisurely snapping shots as opportunities arose.

Panchita Villa rides again! Wandering around the plaza again, I spotted a Mexican family on a bench. Several generations were present, including this abuela (grandmother). She held the colorful sombrero in her lap. I approached and asked for a photo and she started to put the hat on her little nieto (grandson), thinking I wanted a photo of him. I had all the kid shots I needed by then, so I stopped her and indicated that my deep desire was a photo of her, topped by the sombrero. She laugh heartily, and then, when she was ready for the photo, gave me this demure, Mona Lisa smile.

Another little princesa and her proud dad. I was trying to get a shot of the little girl's be-ribboned hair, done up in the red, white, and green national colors. Her dad noticed me and immediately turned around so I could get a better shot. I thought this photo captured the warm family feeling of the event.

A patriotic banner dangles in a blossoming tabachine tree. The triangular banner displays Mexico's coat of arms: an eagle sitting on a nopal cactus while eating a snake. This comes from the Aztec origin myth. During their long wanderings, the Mexica (Aztec) tribe received a prophesy that they would encounter an eagle in this posture when they had arrived at their final destination. According to legend, they stopped at an island in a large lake and saw just such an eagle and on that spot founded their capital city, Tenochitlán (today's Mexico City). Below the emblem is a portrait of Miguel Hidalgo. In US terms, Hidalgo combines the attributes of George Washington (Father of his Nation) and Abraham Lincoln (Emancipator of the Slaves).

This completes my posting on Ajijic's 2012 Independencia Fiesta. I hope you have enjoyed seeing the fiesta as much as I did attending it. I encourage feedback and if you'd like to comment, please do so in the Comments section below, or email me directly.

If you leave a question in the Comments section, PLEASE leave your email address so I can respond.

Hasta luego, Jim

Ajijic's Annual Charro Parade

Charros originated in Jalisco State. Every year, during the 9-days of the Fiestas de Independencia, charros from Ajijic and throughout Jalisco State and elsewhere in Mexico participate in an event in Ajijic that is beyond colorful. It begins with a special Mass for charros at the Parrochia church near the Plaza. Scores of beautifully groomed and saddled charro horses fill the Parrochia courtyard, waiting for their masters. After the service, the charros mount up and parade through the streets of Ajijic, ending at the Lienzo, or charro ring, for rodeo-style events. The whole event has the feeling of the 19th or even the 18th Century

Making ready, a pretty girl requires a little help with her outfit. Following the service, there was a flurry of activity as final adjustments were made in costumes, saddles and equipment were checked and re-checked, and photographers like myself scurried about trying to capture as much as possible.

Proud charro sits easily on his mount, waiting for the parade to start. Some of the charro outfits were exquisite, like the one on this rider. Horse, saddle, and clothing can add up to quite an expense. Being a charro is a way of life, an identity. The term charro comes from Spain, meaning a native of the province of Salamanca. Probably the first charros came from there and settled in the Jalisco area. Jalisco also originated mariachi music and tequila.

Beautifully braided main. The young girl on this horse told us that she and her mother worked hard on this special effect for the parade.

Young senorita waits patiently on her colt. Young children participate in the activities in a variety of ways. Kids learn to ride at a very young age. This senorita looks very serious here, but just wait!

The charro has become a symbol of Mexico known around the world. Charro events tend to be very patriotic, and Mexican flags were at the parade in abundance. Independencia, the 199th anniversary of the beginning of the War for Independence from Spain, is celebrated on September 15-16, only a couple of days after the Charro Parade.

Two pretty members of the Escaramuza Charra. For a long time, male charros objected to the idea of women participating in charro events. However, women finally broke through with teams of female riders doing highly skilled choreographic routines. All this is done while riding side-saddle. The two women above are part of a team that won the National Championship for Escaramuza Charra. Even though the women I saw were quite young and slender, they were without a doubt true athletes. And they have beautiful, winning smiles.

What would a Mexican parade be without the local brass band? These guys were proud to be in the parade, and what they may have lacked in skill, they made up for in volume.

The senorita in purple again, but this time with a smile! Once the parade started, the little girl beamed in every direction. I thought she might strain her neck as she mugged for the cameras.

A suicidal canine. I spotted this small dog trotting around between the legs of the assembled horses. Some of the horses were moving, and some even dancing to the band music. I couldn't believe the dog could survive all those hooves clashing against the cobblestones. But he ducked and weaved, and appeared to be having a great time with his game.

Escaramuza Charras lead off the parade. As National Champions, the Charras took the position of honor in the lead. The parade wound from the Parrochia down Hidalgo street, past my old house, to Seis Esquinas and back along Ocampo street to the Lienzo.

Asociacion de Charros de Ajijic was not far behind the Charras. This is the local organization of charros. The charro banner is made of rawhide, painted with the emblem of Ajijic's charros.

This fellow had a great time at the parade. Here he gives a ride on his burro to a little girl, possibly a relative. At other times I saw him giving rides to Fiesta Princesses and other pretty girls. The burro was apparently a real asset (pun intended). The burro looked bored by the whole thing, but then it's pretty hard to impress a burro (unless you have a piece of celery).

And the band played on... The band kept up a steady beat, led by these two beefy drummers. Band members seemed to be having a good time. Many of the charros have taught their mounts to dance to the music, quite a sight to see.

The real thing. I was impressed by this trio, who seemed to have just ridden in from a 19th Century hacienda. They were older than most of the charros in the parade and looked very commanding in posture and dress and manner of riding.

A lucky young charro. Each of the three Princesas Fiestas Patrias rode on the lap of a handsome young charro. The charro maintained a serious mien, but I suspected he was enjoying every minute of it.

A cold cerveza, just the thing for a hot day. This pair stopped off at a tienda along the way to buy a couple of ice-cold cervezas. In typical fashion of cowboys everywhere, they never bothered to dismount, but did their business from the saddle and rejoined the parade. The one on the right seemed to be especially jolly.

The Lienzo, scene of charro exploits to come. A lienzo is a rodeo ring shaped like an old-fashioned keyhole--a round hole with a rectangular slot below. The events generally begin at the bottom of the slot and proceed to the ring. The bulls or horses brought out for the events exit through the red doors near the entrance to the ring. Just to the left of the red doors is a narrow walk-way that extends around the inside of the ring. Charros and spectators line the barrier wall separating the ring from the walk way. Occasionally a bull or horse will jump the barrier and run the length of the walkway, much to the delight of the spectators in the stands above. Occupants of the walkway come popping out of the slot like popcorn out of a popper as the angry beast thunders by. For a look at what happens at the Lienzo during a Charreada, click here.

This completes my posting on the Annual Charro Parade. I hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to pass on the link to this blog to friends and family. If you'd like to leave a comment, either do it in the comments section below, or directly by email. If you use the comments section to ask a question, be sure to leave your email address so I can reply.

Hasta luego! Jim

Independencia Part 2 - Charreada!

The moment of truth. A charro, lariat at the ready, pursues a galloping horse around the ring at Ajijic's Charreada. A charreada is the Mexican equivalent of what US and Canadian residents might think of as a rodeo. The charros, and the charreada, originated in Salamanca, Spain in the and took root in Jalisco State in the 1500s, before becoming popular all over Mexico. Jalisco has many ranches on which young men (and some women) work cattle and horses, honing skills displayed at the charreadas. For more detailed information on charros and the charreada, click here.
Each year, during the week-long celebration of the Independencia Fiesta, Ajijic's charros hold their Charreada and invite other charros from Jalisco and elsewhere to compete. I was fascinated by the similarities and differences between charreadas and the rodeos I had seen around Oregon, another place full of skillful young horsemen (and horsewomen).

Charros on parade. The Ajijic Charreada begins with a parade of charros from different groups from Jalisco State and elsewhere. The charros wear beautifully stitched and ornamented outfits and I was a little surprised that they would risk them in the always muddy and sometimes dangerous events. The outfits did provide a lot of class to the Charreada, however.

The events take place in an arena that looks a little like an old fashioned keyhole. The keyhole consists of a long rectangular chute about 20 yards wide by 75 yards long, which opens out into a circular ring about 75 yards across. Many of the events begin at the far end of the chute and end up in the middle of the ring. The spectators sit in stands that surround the ring, or lean over the walls of the chute on either side. The Charreada was very informal and I was able to wander freely with my camera where ever I wished.

Showing off.  A charro rides around the ring showing off his beautiful horse and riding skills. Curious about the unusual shawl he had draped over the neck of his horse, I tracked him down when he left the ring.

Looks like a lot of work. When I finally got up close, I realized that the shawl was actually an intricate weaving of the silvery mane of his horse. It must have taken hours, but was certainly eye-catching.  Oddly, the rider himself was not particularly dressed up.  He must have exhausted his sartorial creativity on his horse.

Lariat practice.  Numerous events featured fancy work with the lariat. This charro practiced his moves prior to using it for real to capture a fast galloping horse. In one popular event, a charro stands in the ring performing rope tricks, seeming to ignore his fellow charros as they chase a horse around and around the ring behind him. At the correct split second, and without looking, the charro whips the rope behind him to lasso the leg of the fast moving horse. Astonishing!

Charros do everything from the saddle. Without dismounting, a charro accepts congratulations from his friends on his performance in an event.

Dancing with horses. Between formal events, the charros like to show off a little. This one danced his horse across the ring to demonstrate his control over his mount. By lightly slapping the horse on the rump, the charro signaled his horse stop and rear up for the crowd.

Four Sombreros on a sunny day. These stylish charros bellied up to the ring's safety wall to catch the action at close range. A few moments later, as you will see in the next picture, their dignity was put to the test.

Bull in a pedestrian chute. Sometimes the charreada animals got back a little of their own, much to the delight of the crowd and the discomfiture of the charros. This young bull, apparently tired of being chased around the ring, suddenly leaped the safety barrier which runs around the inside of the ring just in front of the stands. This is an area where charros and some spectators gather for a close up view of the action. The bull charged down the narrow passage, causing all in his path to leap out of the slot like hot popcorn out of a pan. Finally, with much waving of broad sombreros and other encouragement, the bull trotted through the open gate and back into the ring. He was not further molested while he took a victory lap and strolled out the exit ramp. Score one for the bull.

Skid marks are the point of this event. The rider begins at the far end of the chute and gallops full tilt toward the broad ring at the end. When the horse enters a certain area, the rider brings it to a sliding stop, with the horse literally sitting on its hind legs and leaving long parallel skid marks in the dirt. The length of the skid marks (the longer the better) and whether they stay within a certain area from side to side determine the score. My photographer friend Jay and I were somewhat mystified by this event until Jay (who speaks excellent Spanish) questioned a nearby charro. This dignified and resplendently-dressed gentlemen was very happy to explain the intricacies to the two puzzled Gringos.

A bronco bucks to unseat its rider. The charro holds on for dear life as the furious horse attempts to rid itself of its unsought burden. Unlike some US rodeos I have seen, the charro has no saddle. The only thing he can hold onto is a rope around the horse's chest. Another charro races up to help in case the bronco rider gets into trouble.

And they're off! The bull launches himself down the chute with the charro in hot pursuit. The charro must quickly reach down and grasp the bull's tail. A miss on this will cost him many points in the event. Part of the scoring is for how quickly the charro can accomplish this ticklish business. The bull, obviously, is not interested in cooperating.

The push off. The charro, after successfully grasping the bull's tail, winds it around his leg and uses the leg to push against the bull's hind quarters as the huge animal thunders down the chute. This push helps tip the bull's balance and sets up for the next step. You can see how fiercely the charro concentrates on this split second effort.

The critical moment. With the bull's tail still wound around his leg, the charro steers his well-trained and fast galloping mount off to the side, pulling the bull off balance. The artfulness and dexterity of this maneuver are part of the scoring of the event, along with how short a distance it takes and how (and whether) the bull falls.

Down goes el toro! The young bull tumbled over a couple of times, and then clambered up and trotted off to the exit chute, apparently none the worse from his experience. I suppose there are some in the animal rights community who might find this sport offensive. However, unlike formal bull fights where the animal is nearly always killed after considerable torture, the only thing injured in the bull toss appears to be the bull's dignity.

Picture of the future. Charros and the charreada are an important part of Mexican culture, especially here in Jalisco, their birthplace. This young boy, practicing his rope skills on the wall of the ring, symbolized to me the future of the colorful charreada. Even at his young age, his skills were impressive. Many children take part in the events, if only as tots perching atop mounts many times their size. If children truly are the future, then the future of charros and the charreada is secure.

My last posting on the Independencia fiesta will focus on the Globos Fiesta and the Rebozo Fashion Show. Both were full of color and drama, but in a different way from the Charreada. Please feel free to post a comment (see below) or email me directly with any thoughts. I love hearing from people who have enjoyed these postings.

Hasta luego! Jim