Author Archives: Dianne Hofner Saphiere

30th Annual Chicken Breakfast!

Cuando es más grande el corazón que la necesidad

Each year for over thirty years Yolanda Medina, her family and friends have fed the neediest of Mazatlán’s families at Christmas time in what is called “The Chicken Breakfast/Desayuno de los Pollos.” A multicultural group of Mazatlecos, Canadians and Americans have fed 2500 families/year, including a whole chicken, pantry items that last about a week, gently used clothing, bedding, coats, shoes and new toys.

THIS SATURDAY December 7th is the annual fundraiser breakfast. Tickets are 250 pesos and include a ticket for the raffle. The breakfast will be held at the Cruise Ship Dock, API, in front of the OXXO on Av. Gabriel Leyva. Start time is 8:30 am and it usually continues till about 11 am. Please join us! For tickets contact me, Jeanette Leraand, or Jorge Medina (speaks English well) on his mobile, (669) 110-0744. You can purchase tickets at the door.

In addition to the breakfast and raffle there is a Christmas Bazaar, bake sale and silent auction. If you are unable to attend, please make a donation! 100% of the money goes DIRECTLY to the needy; we are all volunteers. If you have items to donate for our silent auction or bazaar, please contact me at 118-4114.

The gifting process is labor-intensive, but we want to reach Mazatlán’s neediest, and sometimes that’s not easy to do. We go out to the squatter colonies and visit each and every shack, to verify that the families are living there (some just put a house up in hopes of eventually getting free land) and to be sure we reach the elderly, handicapped and home-bound. Many of these families live in “homes” made of sticks or pallets covered with garbage bags or tarps, as they have no where else to go. Most do not have running water, electric or gas. Click on any photo to enlarge it or view a slideshow.

The whole chickens we hand out normally are not roasted for Christmas dinner, as we might imagine, as these people have no ovens. The happy recipients usually boil the chicken in a pot over an open fire, and occasionally rotisserie it over an open flame. We serve elderly people whose children have abandoned them, unwed mothers with babies who’ve been kicked out of their homes, people on crutches, in wheelchairs, the blind and deaf. It is heartbreaking to see how these people live, and it completely makes Christmas to be able to help out a bit.

Please join us, donate bazaar or silent auction items or monetary support (you can donate money here). You can download a gift certificate here.

Also you are MOST welcome to join in early on the morning of December 24th to experience a WONDERFUL Christmas Eve morning by helping us hand out the food and clothing. Prior to Christmas, you can donate gently used clothing, blankets, coats, shoes or new toys. Drop off is at Quince Letras, Jorge Medina’s wrought iron workshop on Francisco Villa just down from the corner of Tampico. Detailed information can be found here.

 

Marathon of the Pacific

DSC_8101©During the thirteen years we have lived full-time in Mazatlán, El Gran Maratón del Pacífico has been an annual touchstone. We love the sound of cheering outside, for hours on end, by the crowd encouraging the runners. Some people run effortlessly, some look like they’re about to die; some wear the race shirts, some dress in costume; some run alone, others in groups with family and friends. Click any photo to enlarge it or view a slideshow.

We love joining them. I’ve run the 5k with my girlfriends several times, and Greg has run both the 10k and the half-marathon several times each. This is a family affair, a race with runners from all over Mexico and from throughout the world, as it is internationally ranked.

I love watching the emotion of the runners crossing the finish line. Many people of course smile from ear to ear, and raise their arms in a champion pose. I am amazed, as well, how many make the sign of the cross, look to heaven to thank God or their departed loved ones, and how many kneel down to say a quick prayer after crossing the meta.

My favorite series of photos this morning was of a young mother. She had just completed the half marathon in a time she should be very proud of. She had evidently grabbed her young son from amongst the spectators, and ran the last bit to the finish line with him—a common practice. She was obviously needing to stretch a bit and catch her breath. She and her son high-fived. “Mommy, I’m hot,” he then whines. And what does marathon Mommy do? She crosses the finish line of her half marathon and removes the child’s jacket. You can be a champion, but first you are a Mom!

This year it looked to me like a Mexican man won the half. At least on Insurgentes heading back down to the stadium, a national was in the lead ahead of the Kenyan runner. Official results will tell. I did get a pic of the three female winners of the half.

It is always so encouraging to see runners in wheelchairs (wheelers?), on crutches, and blind runners in the race. Looking at the number of “Praise Gods!” at the finish line, I become so curious about what personal challenge the runners are overcoming, or who they are running for.

This year as you can see the runners departed from in front of the new baseball stadium and finished inside it. It was pretty cool and different, although much more difficult for families to get reunited.

I know many of you love my fireworks photos. It has been such a busy couple of months, with loads of travel and commitments, that I couldn’t bring myself to go downtown last night. So, I’ll leave you with a few pics taken from our deck. Thank you, Mazatlán and Maratón coordinators and sponsors! It was a TERRIFIC weekend, as usual!

National Ballet Director Invites You

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I’ve told you about this season’s “not-to-be-missed” ballet gala with lead dancers from Mexico’s best dance companies: the National Bellas Artes as well as the Ballet de Monterrey. They will be joined on stage by top students from two of Mexico’s leading ballet schools—in Veracruz and Monterrey—as well as from a local mazatlecan ballet academy.

The International Ballet Gala will take place on Sunday November 17th at 6:00 pm in the Angela Peralta Theater. It is a fundraiser for DIF Mazatlán, which helps families in need. Tickets are available at the Angela Peralta box office or by sending a WhatsApp to Carolina at +52-1-669-941-2550 and paying via PayPal. There is only one performance, so be sure to secure your good seats now.

On Monday I had the distinct pleasure and privilege to host the Director of the National Dance Company, Maestro Cuahutémoc Nájera, in our home. He and his wife make their home here in Mazatlán, and have high hopes for our local cultural and dance scene. He tells me how much he loves the Angela Peralta Theater, and how he performed there as a young dancer, before it was completely remodeled.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the maestro. He is very easy to talk to, charming, and down to earth, counter to the stereotype of so many talented artists. Below is the promo video for the event. Get your tickets now, as I’m confident this event will sell out.

https://videopress.com/v/oOTfpQdj

Trip Log: Atlixco and Cholula

DSC_3806©

Puebla Trip part 3

Thursday: Atlixco and Cholula
After an outstanding breakfast at Casita de Barro we leisurely headed out for a 30 minute drive to Atlixco, “city of the flowers.” That slogan does not exaggerate! If you go to Puebla, I highly recommend a visit to this beautiful small town. Surrounded by fields of red and gold flowers, the town plaza was a feast for this eyes with every kind of flower you could imagine. Up top of the hill there is a lookout and church with a panorama of the entire area. I loved watching the farmers work the fields. Not only did we see lots of horse- and donkey-drawn plows, we saw hand plowing also! Here is where I finally saw the fields of cempasúchil I was longing for. Also in season were huge fields of red cockscomb. Click on any photo to enlarge it or view a slideshow.

From Atlixco we headed to Cholula for the final days of our trip. Here we stayed in a gorgeously remodeled hacienda that is now a boutique hotel, La Quinta Luna. I had reserved this hotel for a couple of reasons. First, not knowing how “rustic” the cabin at Casita de Barro might be, I wanted to end our trip on a high note. And two, another photographer that I follow online had recommended it as having a gorgeous view of both the volcanoes and the famous hilltop church, Shrine of Our Lady of Remedies. This hotel is pricier than what I normally pay. During our stay it was cloudy and the volcanoes never showed themselves. The hilltop shrine can be seen from anywhere in the city. So, the view we got was not worth the price. Danny and I would stay here again in a minute, however, as it was such a gorgeous and luxurious place. We had two queen beds in a huge room with super high ceilings, a separate bathroom, dining, sitting room and kitchen. And the room overlooked an indoor courtyard. The hotel has an incredible library and a rooftop sitting area. It was a terrific way to end our trip.

La Quinta Luna Hotelotel
La Quinta Luna Hotelotel
La Quinta Luna Hotelotel
La Quinta Luna Hotel
La Quinta Luna Hotel
La Quinta Luna Hotel
La Quinta Luna Hotel
La Quinta Luna Hotel
La Quinta Luna Hotel
La Quinta Luna Hotel

The big draw in Cholula, in addition to lots of gorgeous churches, is the largest pyramid by volume in the world, atop which sits Nuestra Señora de los Remedios. The climb is steep and the view spectacular. Danny and I were also very pleasantly surprised at what a terrific town it is for young people: very hip restaurants, bars and clubs, and a whole happening section of the city. It would seem to be a young adult’s dream. There is one area called Container City, with a bunch of bars and restaurants housed in shipping containers. Two other places I absolutely want to recommend to you. One is Recaudo, an organic/vegan restaurant with food and drink that is seasonal and beyond delicious! The second is a handmade chocolate shop by the name of Ki Xhokola. You do NOT want to miss it! In Cholula we bought several types of mole pastes to bring home; can’t wait!

Ki i Xhokola
Ki i Xhokola
Fig salad at Recaudo

I of course had to go out at night in Cholula to take some photos as well.

This is the final entry in the Puebla trip log; I trust you enjoyed it and, more importantly, will thoroughly enjoy your trip when you make it!

Trip Log: The Volcanoes

DSC_2236©Puebla Trip part 2

Wednesday: Paso de Cortés, San Nicolás de los Ranchos and San Jerónimo Tecuanipán
We drove out of Puebla in the very early morning so we could catch volcano views at sunrise, when it’s normally the clearest. On our way we passed Cholula and a number of churches on hilltops which were all beautifully lit in the pre-dawn darkness. Why can we not light Mazatlán’s cathedral like that?

I made Danny stop in the middle of a field just before dawn, as the silhouettes of Popo and Itze came into view. Oh did we enjoy ourselves in that early morning air! The climate was a welcome change from Mazatlán’s heat and humidity. We had clear views to all three volcanoes: Popocatéptl, Iztaccihuatl, and Malinche. It was glorious. Click on any photo to enlarge it or view a slideshow.

After sunrise we headed closer to the volcanoes. Paso de Cortés is said to be the road that Cortez took. It goes right between the two volcanoes, into the national park.And oh my gosh are you CLOSE to those volcanoes! I was very happy it didn’t erupt while we were right there. If we’d had more time we could have gone hiking and camping, but we needed to get back to Mazatlán on Friday so we could drive to Cosalá for a big trail run.

Danny and I spent several hours on this dirt road, getting out to hike around, breathe the fresh air and enjoy the views. Wildflowers and butterflies were everywhere! They were alpine flowers and pines, and greatly reminded me of life in Colorado. I would recommend a four-wheel drive if you are planning to come here. Our little four cylinder rental car did fine thanks to Danny’s able driving, but luckily it wasn’t raining.

The dirt road
Bulldozing Paso de Cortés
La Malinche

Coming back down from our steep mountain climb, we stopped in San Nicolás de los Ranchos, a small town surrounded by fields with a lovely church in the center of town. We enjoyed brunch in the market in front of the church, and then accompanied the bell ringer up to the roof of the church to enjoy his prowess and take in the views. By this time the view had clouded over, as we warned is normal. San Nicolás is a darling little town with friendly people and loads of produce.

Butterfly with Popo in the background

I had to take a video of the two bell ringers; they were so very charming!

In the afternoon we headed to our next lodging place: Casita de Barro in San Jerónimo Tecuanipán. OMG! If you are committed to sustainable living, if you want to support people who in turn support their local community, if you just want to meet two incredibly interesting people, you must stay here! Ina and Manuel have done and are doing amazing things here. The cabin is GORGEOUS—a really luxurious tree house. Their home is adobe, surrounded by gardens. They have running water, killer views and a delectable homemade organic breakfast; the only small downside is that the toilet is outside. Below is a video interview with Manuel and Ina, the owners of Casita de Barro. I recommend you view the video on a phone or tablet so you can turn it sideways. Sorry about that!

It rained in the afternoon, so Danny and I took advantage of the rest to read and watch a movie. We went into town for more cemitas for dinner; gotta love them! At one point it cleared up and a double rainbow came out. About 5:00 pm local kids showed up for their free after-school classes in Casita de Barro’s school room. Hearing their joyous laughter was really delightful.

I was pretty sure that the cloudy, stormy weather would continue. It seemed to rain all night. We’d already been gifted with THREE gorgeous sunrises and two beautiful sunsets, surely it would be greedy of me to hope for a fourth. But, no! I opened my eyes at 4:00 am, I’m sure because Popo was calling to me. He was out! His silhouette was clear! The Milky Way was shining, too! So I put my sweatshirt on over my night gown, put on my boots, loaded up my camera and tripod and went on a hike. Oh did I have fun! Casita de Barro’s dogs accompanied me as I tramped through the field to get the best frame for my shots. I loved how the dogs’ eyes glowed blue, green and white in the light of my headlamp.

As the sun rose, I took a time-lapse of the sunrise over Popocatéptl. I’m not sharing it with you here, however, because it wasn’t the most spectacular sunrise. The photos do the moment better justice.

To read the third and final installment of this Trip Log (Atlixco and Cholula) click here.