Summer Vacation, 2002

By Armengol Guerra III

There are many opinions as to what makes a great summer vacation. In the past we have made summer trips to see as much as possible and to visit as many places as possible. At other times the preference was to visit a relaxing hideaway such as a beach or a mountain resort. Probably a combination of rest and learning are what makes a summer vacation a memorable one. We had one such vacation this summer. After a period of several years, we once again headed south to visit my wife's family in Sahuayo, Michoacan. This year, however, we decided to take the bus. There are several excellent bus lines in Mexico that have service to all parts of the Mexican republic. We chose Turistar Executivo.
As usual, the first step in any trip to Mexico is to get your permits and documentation in order. This year we only needed our personal immigration permits in order to proceed into Mexico. There is a change, however. The last time that we traveled into Mexico there was no charge for this service. Now the cost of the personal permit totals about $20. This charge, of course, is only for adults.
After getting our documents in order, we proceeded to La Central de Autobuses in Nuevo Laredo. Here we purchased our tickets with the first destination of Guadalajara, Jalisco, which is the closest hub to Sahuayo. The buses depart to Guadalajara in the evening so that you will arrive early next day. The Turistar Executivo has room for only 24 passengers. The seats are reclining seats, so that you can sleep during the trip. Another amenity that the bus line offers on these trips is television. The bus line offers taped movies and programs on the trips. Our bus left Nuevo Laredo at about 6:30 p.m. There are always two chauffeurs on any of these trips and they take turns driving. Traveling with me were my wife, Bertha, and my youngest son, Carlos.
The bus made one stop in Saltillo, Coahuila to pick up passengers and then proceeded on the Pan American Highway, passing through San Luis Potosi and Aguascalientes, before arriving in Guadalajara. From here, we elected to take a regional bus to Sahuayo. After a slow but scenic ride along the southern edge of Chapala lake, we arrived in Sahuayo.
Sahuayo is a town of about 100,000 persons located south east of Lake Chapala about an hour and a half from Guadalajara. It was founded by Spanish explorers in the mid 1500s. I'm sure that the greenery and its site bounded by mountains was an attraction to these first explorers. One of the attractions for us is the weather. Summer temperatures reach a daytime high of 82 degrees. In the evening it cools down to about 68 degrees. It is certainly a change to wear a light sweater during these cool evenings. Everyone seems to be in a genial mood and I would attribute this to the cool weather. Today, the town is famous for its retail commercial activities. Persons from surrounding towns visit Sahuayo to purchase all types of finished consumer goods. There is also a nascent sandal industry of about five or six manufacturing facilities, with many of them exporting their finished products to the United States.
On the afternoon that we arrived, the town was in the middle of its most famous celebration, the feast of their patron saint, St. James the Apostle. The celebration dates back to the Spanish colonial days and it is very similar to many of the celebrations that can be witnessed in other parts of Latin America and in Spain. There is a fervent reverence for the Patron Santiago in Sahuayo and many of its citizens partake in the numerous processions that permeate the 21-day celebration. These processions are long, and many people participate either as marchers or as "Tahualiles." The Tahualiles are persons who dress up as Indians with elaborate headdress that weigh approximately 50 or 60 pounds. These groups start organizing following the just-ended celebration to get ready for the next year's celebration. It takes about ten months to complete the costumes The Tahualiles march in groups of eight to 20, with each group having the same distinctive costume but different in color or ornamentation from the other groups of Tahualiles. The processions last four or five hours and sometimes more. The ending of each of the processions is to deposit the statue of St. James into one of the many churches so that the parishioners of that particular church can visit and pray to St. James. The climax of each of the procession is when the statue of St. James is passing in review, signaling the end of this marching parade. The statue is carried by about 10 or 12 persons. As they file past the spectators, a round of "vivas" fills the air. "Viva Cristo Rey . . . Viva; Viva el Patron Santiago . . . Viva; Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe . . . Viva; Viva Sahuayo Católico . . . Viva." Few times have I witnessed a similar devotion to a Patron Saint and to the Church as I observe at this celebration. History tells us that Sahuayo and the surrounding areas of Michoacan and Jalisco were the epicenter of the Catholic revolution of 1926 to 1929, referred to popularly as the Cristero revolt. At that time many of the grandfathers and fathers of today's Sahuayenses were ready to die for their Catholic faith. This tradition has been handed down to the citizens of today's Sahuayo.
There were a few side trips once we were in Sahuayo. On one of the days we took a trip which included the towns of Uruapan, Paracho, and San Juan Nuevo. All of these were of interest.
Uruapan is the second most important city in Michoacan and is situated in one of the largest avocado-producing areas in Mexico. There are avocado farms surrounding all of Uruapan. You can see acres and acres of mature avocado trees surrounding the town. Probably the bulk of the avocados that are sold in Nuevo Laredo come from this region.
Paracho is a small town about the size of Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon. This town is famous for making the best guitars in Mexico. There are about 10 luthiers who still practice their trade in the same manner that guitar makers have produced guitars for generations -- proudly crafting them by hand. There are, of course, good guitars and inexpensive guitars. The price of an inexpensive guitar can start at about $20 with the good guitars starting at about $125. The best guitars manufactured in Paracho are sold by the manufacturers at prices ranging from $500 to about $1,500. The best guitars are made of imported "rosewood," but you can buy guitars made from other wood such as cedar, maple, and mahogany. I was fortunate to visit several of these guitar makers and to observe them at work as they went through the steps of completing their prized musical instruments. There is a yearly fair and exposition of all of the guitar makers of Paracho. This takes place during the first week of August.
Our final side trip was to the shrine at San Juan Nuevo. This is a relatively new town that was started in 1944. In 1943, the Paricutin volcano erupted in the state of Michoacan and claimed as its victim the old colonial town of San Juan Parangaricutiro, founded in 1533. Most of the residents survived the eruption of 1943, but their town lay under volcanic ash and hardened lava. The residents were given a new town site, 33 kilometers away. One of the few items items that was rescued by the townspeople was a statue of Jesus Christ on the cross which is now enshrined at the new church. The statue is known as "El Señor de los Milagros." The only outward sign that there had once been a town was the towers of the old church which remained jutting out above the hardened lava. There are two reasons to visit San Juan Nuevo. One is to go to the church and view the enshrined icon of Jesus Christ which survived the volcano. The other is for shopping for lace work and women's clothing. Upon arriving in San Juan Nuevo the first order of business was to have breakfast. We found a good restaurant across the street from the main plaza. There were many items on the menu, but we chose the corundas (tamales) and the quesadillas with dark tortillas. After breakfast, we attended mass at the shrine of San Juan. Most of the faithful who visit the church enter in a marked pattern of dance, moving forward four steps, and backward two steps until reaching the altar area of the church. Upon asking the reason for this peculiarity, I was told that the true believers are saying: "I would like to get closer to you, Lord, but I respect your presence, and humbly accept your power and divinity." Many come requesting a miracle or thankful at having been tendered one to them or to one of their loved ones.
After mass we went shopping at the market which is adjacent to the church. Here we found a great variety of Mexican dresses, scarves, table cloths, and other forms of lace work. The prices are very reasonable, since most of the tourists who visit are from Mexico.
After our side visits we headed back to Sahuayo and witnessed the end of the feast St. James the Apostle. The end was another parade of Tahualiles accompanying the statue of St. James. This parade is normally called "la bajada del Patrón," so called because the statue is brought down from the highest church in Sahuayo to finally rest in the church of St. James. Most of the people of Sahuayo watch the parade from the front of their house or in front of a house of a relative or friend along the parade route. This is also a great social opportunity, and those along the parade route offer their friends and relatives snacks and refreshments while watching the parade file through and awaiting the coming of El Patron.
The next day marked the end of our vacation and time to head back to Laredo. After having lunch with my wife's relatives, who have always been excellent hosts, we said our good-byes to everyone and headed back to Guadalajara. We had with us our suitcases and acquisitions, including a new guitar from Paracho, sandals and shoes from Sahuayo, and dresses, scarves, and other forms of lace work from San Juan. We boarded the Turistar Executivo at six o'clock in the evening. We arrived in Laredo early the next day, tired but full of stories and emotions of one of the best vacations that we had taken in a long time. We saw a lot of new attractions and wonders, but the best part was to witness the true love and friendship extended by the members of my wife's family in Sahuayo. I am not a Sahuayense, I am a Laredoan. But after many years of visiting this quaint and vibrant town I am glad that I have had this connection and truly feel as a Sahuayense when I am in Sahuayo. To Sahuayo and its great warmth and people -- un fuerte abrazo. We'll see you soon.