Go Take a Hike

I recently went on a hike, on the only trail I’ve found in town that is accessible without a car.  I love hiking and have been viewing the trail to the cross at the top of the hill for months now.  My host family gave me several warnings about how hot and slippery the trail could be, so I was surprised that it only took 20 minutes from my front door to the top (i.e. I could have climbed that hill a long, long time ago).  The local municipality recently completed trail improvements, including new stairs and signage, and more improvements are on the way so more people can enjoy the spectacular views and contemplative benches located at the midway point.  

View of old volcanoes surrounding town. 

The sprawling metropolis that is my home. 

I love the cemeteries in Mexico. The're a loving testament to the departed and a form of art. 

I was happy to encounter a few other people on the trail, and to see some wildlife, including colorful birds and free-range horses that I bravely passed without incident.  I was not super happy to see all of the plastic bottles, chip bags and other assorted pieces of trash along the trail.  Things are generally pretty clean in my town, but I do sometimes see people throw trash out of their car windows on the highway.  The other day I was riding the bus back from the city and saw a gentleman get off at a stop to throw his trash on the ground and then climb back on.  I could say that there aren’t enough trash cans around (and really there aren’t), but in this case, there was a trash can less than 15 feet away.

 Bird on a tree. 

View east from the top of the mountain. 

Cross at the top. 

View of the cross at the top of the mountain from the road. 

Litter can be a problem on the trails here, especially during Semana Santa when tons of people walk through the region on their way to see la Virgen del Rosario de Talpa.  Known for giving life to hundreds of miracles, people come from near and far to visit her and offer praise or ask for help.  Approximately 3 million people walk some or all of the 70+ mile Ruta del Peregrino every year, with the majority passing through in March and April.  This weekend, pilgrim season officially kicked-off as I saw lots of people with walking sticks hiking through our local streets (sleeping both in hotels and in the local park), and loads of tour buses carrying pilgrims a little closer to their final destination.  Word on the street is that they were headed to see la Virgen in celebration of el Día de la Candelaria (which is also the day when you have to bring tamales for everyone to eat if your Three Kings Day slice of the rosca de reyes contained the figure of the Niños Dios back in January; sadly, no tamales arrived in our office today). 

 Religious art along the hill trail in town. 

 Inside of a small brick room halfway up the hill.  

 I couldn't help but think of sorority symbols, but that's definitely not what this is about. 

Cool art. 

 I love that the sunlight was shining on her. 

This is clearly a hobbit window in Mexico. 

La Ruta del Peregrino includes various viewpoints to enjoy the beauty of the mountains and valleys, along with shelters, rest sites, sculptures and monuments designed by both local and international artists.  I'm part of a committee working to introduce an enhanced element of sustainability to this annual event to help reduce litter and increase the environmental consciousness of participants.  I wasn't here for last year's main event, but from what I've heard, it's going to be pretty exciting (and there's gonna be a lot of trash) starting in March. 

This monument has two "arms" that extend to these triangles, which represent two hands coming together (Ruta del Peregrino).

Interior view of the light and sky (Ruta del Peregrino).

 View from the other side of the monument (Ruta del Peregrino). 

There’s a Belgian gentleman who lives near my town who has made it his personal mission to reduce the amount of litter here.  He promotes a message about the importance of a) cleaning your recyclables so they don’t attract flies and other critters and b) using see-through trash bags so that it’s easy for people to see which bag contains what.  He's made good headway on his work but it takes a non-stop, sustained effort, with critical community buy-in, to create a cultural shift.  Our office has partnered with him on photo exhibits to educate the community about both what environmental treasures we have here and what threats we face from excessive garbage and littering.  I’m also working with him on various environmental education efforts and have enjoyed the many fresh-baked croissants he always carries with him.  I think we can all agree that warm croissants are a good way to get people to join your cause.  

Beautiful view from halfway up the hill. 

 Stairs at the start of the trail. 

Stairs leading to the cross. 

 Trail signage. 

View into town.

 View into a secret garden from the trail. There are all kinds of things we can't see in the places and people around us without taking a different perspective.  

I haven't figured out what my signature food should be to help incentivize people to work with me, but I can promise you that I'll give you tasty food if you come to visit.  Chris, an old coworker from the US, recently visited me and I took him on the same hike to see the view above town.  It was really great to show off my pueblo and to get to know Chris, really for the first time.  We had a few meetings together in the US, but he was my first non-Peace Corps visitor here in Mexico and is now a bonafide friend (and not just because he bought me food ;).

He's doing a great job promoting tourism in Mexico by sharing his experiences with people back in the states, and I will reiterate that this is the year for you to come visit Mexico and get your own personal tour guide who can help you navigate this unfamiliar land (i.e. pleeeeeeeeeease come visit me).  Chris brought me a lovely card that was signed by many of my old coworkers and featured a view of downtown Seattle from my old neighborhood.  That view, and our talks about the best hiking and camping spots in Washington, did make me long for a trip up north.  Then again, I think it's cold now that we only have highs in the 70s so maybe I should just look for some more hikes here in the warmth of Mexico. 

 With Chris, who bought me delicious meals and let me show off my town.