The landscape coming into Michoacanejo
Antonio gave me very simple directions for getting there and finding people that would help me get to his dad's house in town; catch a bus from the nearest city then look for Julio, Antonio's cousin, at the tortilla factory. Within 10 minutes of getting to the town I found the sweet smelling tortilla factory, but Julio was back at his house playing the tuba on his afternoon break. I introduced myself to the owner of the Tortilla factory, David, and he insisted on driving me over to Julio's house. Both Julio and David had no idea that I was coming but they both took great care of me and treated me as if I was family. After Julio showed me all the musical instruments at his house we all went back to the tortilla factory to hang out and they showed me how they went about making the tortillas. We screwed around for a little bit and then went next door to the pizza shop, which David also owns, and we had a great meal together.
Pickup full of passengers in the back driving into town.
Coming further into town
Downtown Michoacanejo!
Central park
Looking for a tortilla factory and Antonio' dad's house, finding a political ad for another Toño.
David and Julio at the tortilla factory
Piling up fresh tortillas beside the tortilla press
Helping Julio collect tortillas as he pushes dough through the press
Later in the afternoon Julio showed me to Antonio's dad's house. Don Toño's sister was staying there at the time so she was able to let me in and get me set up in the extra bedroom. After I rested up I went out to see Julio and his band practice and came across a couple other interesting sights. I stopped by David's place afterwards, and he showed me the house which is above the tortilla factory and pizza shop. Later on we all ate together again.
Don Toño's house
Julio at band practice
Close up of the band and Julio playing the tuba
Man working late in the afternoon screening sand to make mortar
Outdoor Catholic mass being held down the street from David's house
Church service as seen from the top of David's house
Procession carrying the honored saint down the street from the Catholic mass
David and Julio's family after dinner at the pizza shop
The next day I was off to explore the town and saw quite a bit for one day. I walked all over the town which is pretty small and set on a bluff that a river loops around. In the morning I spent most of my time in town and in the afternoon I walked along the river valley and crossed over to the countryside. There were great things to see all over.
Looking from the top of David's house to the center of the town and over to the river valley
Typical street in Michoacanejo
Walking through the central park
The edge of the park and the streets that make up the town square
Corner shop on the town square
Catholic church
Bottles used in a wall to let light into one of the buildings around the church
Julio's house
Humble house in the neighborhood
Woman pulling weeds
One of the many large Political ads painted as murals on walls
Clothes drying near a chicken coop
Old truck
Corn field planted in a vacant residential lot
Cows grazing in another open lot
View of a typical roof framed by an unfinished brick wall and banana tree
Rusted door and roofless house with an ad that says “vote this way...”
Walking along the river valley and crossing over to the country side was a vivid experience. The landscape was beautifully lush after the recent rains, and there were plenty of interesting glimpses of life in the country; brand new tractors along side of horses plowing fields, cows and sheep in people's yards, kids running around barefoot. I even ran into people that are good friends of Antonio and his family. It was really a great adventure.
Street of Michoacanejo dipping down to the river valley
The agriculturally rich river valley as seen from the town above
Donkey and pile of bricks near the river
Two guys enjoying the shade of a large tree
Fence row and corn field
Brand new John Deere tractor
Truck bed used as a makeshift trailer
Pickup stuck in the river crossing
The river
Farmer crossing over the river on a foot bridge
Man on a bike crossing the same bridge
Shady river valley
Looking up from the valley to the town
Pile of bricks in the country side
Homemade tire swing
Kids playing, the smallest of them all with knifes
Dry laid rock wall
Corn field
Selia and her grandkids playing in the river. She asked about me and it turns out that she and her husband Chalio are neighbors of Don Toño and know Anotonio, or Junior as they call him, very well. Small town, small world.
Chalio standing in front of his horses which are plowing over the weeds between the corn rows
Close up of horses, whose mouths are covered to prevent them from eating the corn
Plowing the weeds over
Later in the afternoon I took a ride with David and Julio to pick up a car that was in the shop. On our way back Julio brought me to see a couple more sights around the town.
A field of blue agave which will one day be used in the production of Tequila
The municipal sports complex
To cap off the already long day David, Julio and David' kids invited me to go to the reservoir and dam not that far out side of town. David's two oldest boys, Sergio and Juan, rode out with me on bikes while Julio and David drove the truck out. It was a fun ride trying to make it to the dam before the sunset. After we made it there and hiked down to the dam we spent some time in the small town near the dam. David and Julio knew about everyone there and everyone there knew of Arizona. Almost all of them had a family member who was contracted to work on one of the farms in Chandler, Arizona.
Riding out to the dam with Juan and Sergio
Passing the town cemetery along the way
Sergio moving two cows up the road
Sergio and the bull looking back
Juan and Sergio at the reservoir
Looking down at the dam
The reservoir just after sunset
Hanging out in the small town by the lake at night
David, Julio, Juan, and Sergio goofing around with a donkey roaming around in the little town
Worn mural
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