TEPOTZLAN Part C "The Village experience"

The Village Life of Tepotzlan!

Interesting, busy, full of life, products, wares to haggle for, and old Indian women to talk and laugh with.
Julie and Chuy joined me down in the village, after their hike to the temple... what we found down below was just about as interesting as what was above.....
I spied an "Aztecan Water Dog" or Xolosqintly...(I cannot write or pronounce the name correctly) They are a very VERY rare dog. Usually hairless and dark in color..... I don't know what in the world was up with the one we spotted here? But, it is a very rare dog. The Azteca's of old bred them for protection in war, and I think they may have ate them as well ...if needed.
We mulled around the church yard, and peeked inside. The town has a huge Cathedral that is a ominous and foreboding as the temples tried to be in their own way. I don't know which I would rightly choose as an Indian? The Scary crying women, with a dying man on her lap, or a snake face engraved on temple walls? They both send shivers up my spine..... Anyway, we got the last inch out of the day that we possibly could...... Chuy had to interpret the entire time that Julie haggled over some pottery, and I followed along, enjoying all the sights and sounds of one of my favorite villages. Photos below show you how we finished up our day in Tepotzlan, and then after staying for the last bit of sunshine that we could muster......... we headed back to Cuernavaca for dinner and bed.




Pottery Buying................

Mountain in the background that Julie and Chuy hiked earlier in the day....

Chuy in background talking with the Gramma Indians...he had them grinning and smiling and calling him son.............. (figures....)

For Gramma Sherrill (Mom)..... isn't this cute!

Julies toes...and the cobblestones. There is NO pavement here.... no asphalt anyway. All cobblestone streets...

More of the Market. Notice how CHINA's cheap crap has even invaded Tepoztlan.!HORRIBLE!!! You see NIKE tennis shoes replacing the old leather huaraches....(sandals). Terrible invasion of the Mexican culture. Every one wants to look American...its very sad.

Painted Murals inside the church.

They depict weird and scary scenes.... they had to keep the Indians at bay ya know... the Indians were told that they were pagans and would suffer eternal damnation if they didnt convert to Catholicism... and if that scare tactic didnt work, they reverted to a death sentence for non-converted Indians......

Most Indians converted though, as the Catholic religion wasnt that different than the Aztecan Religion. The Aztecs had human sacrifice, but, the Catholic church showcased Gods "Human Sacrifice" as well, in the bloody depictions of Jesus on Marys lap, or bleeding profusly from the Cross....etc The Indians didnt see much difference in the religions, and most converted to Catholicism and worship "Guadalupe" (the brown Indian version of Mother Mary) to this day.

This beats um all! I would be scared to death if I was a little Indian kid, and saw this! I suppose they think that this is what will happen to them if they disobey the priest!

........enough said.......

'Glorious Church...built with Indian hands....and paid for by Indian tribute, to keep all the savages in line.... horrible pagans ya know!!!

Its very sad that the Indians had to build the very structure that would be their source of torture and demise over the ensuing centuries. The Catholic Church has successfully robbed most of the Indian Gold and Silver all in the name of God and Christianity.

After peeking around the church, we wandered around an open courtyard and found murals of the ancient Aztecan ways.....

very pretty, and a contrast to the Church and their murals and idols... or icons...not sure what they call them.... bleeding wooden statues maybe?



Anyway, after all the ornate things, whether in stone or paint...we just kept finding one more thing, around one more corner to be fascinated with.

Some type of Idol being carried on a lift, emerged out of these doors, and was surrounded by local Indians, and progressed in some type of slow walk accompanied by singing Christmas hymns around the Church courtyard and back. I havent the foggiest idea what the ritual was about, but I am guessing it had something to do with Christmas, the Christ Baby, and the "Blessed Mother Mary......"?

Whatever the ceremony was, the sincerity in the Indians eyes and the reverence was touching. They acted as if that wooden idol was a real human.... it was kinda sad.

Painted murals of the Pre-Columbian Indian way of life, and the invasion of the Catholics,( like Cortes )that changed forever their way of life. If you look at the sun, you will notice it is the Aztecan Sun Calender.... and the priests don't seem too nice....

funny how the locals just sit under (near) this mural and kinda blend in....as a modern day juxtaposition...

The religion may have changed, but the people remain the same. Long black shiny hair, short in stature, almond shaped eyes, shy, and really cute kids that stare and stare and stare at you!

This mural depicts the legend to Tenochtitlan (Mexico City). If you notice the cactus in the middle of the lake, the Golden Eagle with the snake in its claws.... and the Aztecan Emperor coming down from the temple stairs of Quetzoquatl..their principle God....

Then, switch to the 21st century, and you have two Americanized Indians playing some type of electronic game...

Julie found a local native in the church courtyard that sold her something, (I cant remember what it was...a donut>?). He was very soft spoken, polite, and friendly. Nice person ...... the church in the background, and the lawn that I took a nap on while Julie and Chuy hiked the mountain......

Warm outside and very comfortable and lazy..... even though we were only days from Christmas.

Good bye Tepotzlan....

(Notice the Devils Plant in the mural).

It is known as a deadly plant now, but the Aztec's say it had 5 ways to be medicine.

Don't mess with it though, unless you know the 5 ways....it will kill.