This is the house where my dad grew up. As you can see, it sits at the top of the hill where the vistas are a treat to the eyes and the air is so clean as there is no smog.
On day three while at the town we visited my mom's sister. Tia Emma is quite a character, she is a smart hard working woman that many years ago created her own world. We would ask her questions which she immediately answered and then she goes back to her world again. Miguel, her son is four years younger than I am and when I lived in Mexico him and I were like brothers. Seeing Miguel again after forty years was a highlight for me.
Migue was happy to see us too, that afternoon he drove his family to Santa Maria for an afternoon of drinking and some good ole reminiscing. We talked and drank for hours, it was already dark when he asked me to go with him to visit an uncle of ours that makes mescal at home. My uncle said hi to me and when Migue asked him if he could guess who I was his immediate reply was "Don't tell me this is Fidelito". Again, I was totally surprised to hear how this humble people don't forget.
During the next two hours I got a tour of his operation and got to sample some of the best mescal I have tasted to date, including one that tasted like pure fire. We said goodnight and headed for my uncles house, we were walking in the dark when the search party approached. Yes, my mom was so worried that I would get totally wasted as I normally don't drink that she sent my cousins to pick us up.So, day four I thought would start with a huge hangover but as much as I drank the previous night I never felt or acted drunk, and there was absolutely no trace of me drinking, no headache, no upset stomach, nothing I was fine as a fiddle and ready to go visit my aunt Ofelia.
The anticipation of going to tia Ofelia's house was too great. This is the house where my grandparents lived most of their lives and this is the house where they died. This is also the house my father grew up in and the one we would stay on our yearly 1-week vacation. The house sits at the top of the hill and is located on the best land, it also has the best view imaginable, it's truly breath taking.
Seeing her after so many years was such a wonderful event, all of a sudden I felt as if I was nine again as again not much changed. My uncle changed the house a little but for the most part it was the same and the things they had back when I was a kid where all still there, it was as if time stood still. The only sign of evolution was the fact that there is electricity now, but everything else remained the same.
Another view from my tia's house. This one is truly breath taking. There are over 3000 maguey plants that my uncle planted that eventually will be turned into either tequila or mescal.
My tio took this opportunity to take us on a tour to see our land. My grandfather was owner of many acres of land which got divided amongst all the brothers and sisters. My grandfather willed this land to them while he was still alive and it was my dad that decided who would get what location wise. My dad's land is on the hill, it's acres and acres of land rich in wood and good for farming. It is now our land, but when you live so far away from it, it's hard to know what to do with it. Selling it is out of the question unless you sell to the family so for now it just sits there beautiful and untouched.
Going to the restroom at tia Ofelia's is something you do al fresco. My tio disappeared the whole day on day three and the reason was that he built this masterpiece of a restroom for us. My mom, my sister, and my niece are not used to not having one and this provided them with much needed privacy. Me, nah, I didn't need it. To get water they must go to a nearby hole. I remember as a kid that it was far but it's only a good 2-mile hike down the hill and through a prairie. My sister, my niece, and I decided to go see it again so we asked my cousin Hector to take us there. To go to the water hole we had to pass through tia Amparo's house and tio Nacho's house too. They were so happy to see us and kept feeding us all kinds of freshly cut fruits. They really made us feel welcome.
Inside that little hole sits water that to me looked dirty and yet it is the good water that is used to drink. Some of the wells have gone dry but not this one.
Leaving the water hole. I wanted to go there because it is in a secluded area covered with tall trees. The sun doesn't come in much here, and as kids we loved going there to bathe.
Soon it was getting dark and the walk back to tio Eliseo's house was a long one, so we headed back and walked most of it but then my tio picked us up in the truck and drove us the rest of the way.
This was an easy and relaxing day, which was nice to have as the next day would be a busy one as the nearby town of Tetipac was having their patron's big fiesta and we would be attending.
My tia Ofelia and my niece. This is the way my tia still cooks. Her home made tortillas are the best. They grow their own corn and make their own maze. My niece attempted to make a few, after a few tries she had it down.
Here's me enjoying my day with tia Ofelia. Definitely a highlight of our trip.
