Rancho Agua Zarca

Well well well…we are here safe and sound at a lovely farm in Michoacan.
Our bus trip was long….very long…10 1/2 hours to be exact but thankfully rather boring and full of watching really awful movies and snacking on the boat-load of food we bought for snacking. We stopped in Morelia and took the bus for the last hour leg to Patzcuaro. It was pretty cool watching the landscape change. I slowly watched as the cactus gave way to pine trees, the broad-flat mesas change to mountains, and the flat dry scrub fill up with huge lakes. Michoacan is indeed a beautiful state. The land around the farm is rather reminiscent of Colorado to me as is the weather; dry sunny days and cold nights. We are located in a little valley just over a ridge from the village of Ziruhuen, which apparently is famous for the fact that every man of age is in a “Banda”…basically one of those Mexican bands. There are supposedly 27 in all. No one knows why this is…and thankfully we are shielded from their famous practicing by the ridge.

Our hosts are the colorful Ian and Lisa Sheppard, a Brit and an American who have loads of experience living off the beaten path so to speak. The farm actually does pretty good business with the fabulous lettuces they grow and sell to some upscale restaurants in Zihuatenejo, Uruapan and Patzcuaro. But they have many other projects in the works, possibly with selling their lambs, selling Tamworth piglets, geese, ducks, ect, that may become lucrative in the future. They have had their place here for about 5 years and only began accepting wwoofers last August. We are here for a little under a month through April 14th along with Kim, a native Chicagoan who is here for 5 months before she starts grad school, another girl Anna from Portland, newly moved to San Francisco for art school. Then there are the pair of friends Ariel and Corinne. All nice people.

We have found ourselves quite busier than at the other farm. We start our day around 8 with breakfast all together and a discussion of what projects need to be done. Then it’s outside to let the chickens out and the gaggle of geese and Muscovy ducks. Then we feed and water all the nesting mothers. There are currently three (soon to be 4) nesting geese and another 3 nesting ducks. We shall soon see at least 2 batches hatch, which we are very excited about! Then we make sure the super cute batch of ducklings are fed their special food as is the orphaned and very spoiled gosling aptly named Peep-peep. He was apparently abandoned by his mother and taken under the wing of a mother duck. He gets lots of attention. Then…pigs. Oh yes, pigs. Tamworth pigs to be exact, an old breed specifically bred for bacon……that’s right…bacon. Allie is the 250 lb sow, Bertie is her brother (soon to be going on his final journey in April) who is about 200 lbs and then there is little Jacoui. At only a month old, he is just about about 35 lbs but he is the little Houdini of the bunch. He gets out at any and every opportunity, and he is fast. I shall get back to the pigs with a good story later. We feed them a cooked slop consisting of ground corn, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and a bunch of other stuff they get for free which we have to sort, cut up and cook over a fire every day. All three green houses also get opened so the stuff inside them doesn’t cook. Because we are at a rather high elevation, the sun can get rather intense, so we wear hats all day and make sure to cover up as much as possible.

In the afternoons we attend to various tasks like weeding, planting, ect. Tomorrow we are going to have a “duck rodeo” where basically we have to hunt down every duck AND goose, flip them over and sex them, band them, clip their wing feathers and write down all their pertinent info. That should be quite an experience. I am sure we will get a good story out of that one. Then it's lunch, a bit of a break time, garbage sorting and pig slop making, then the closing duties where we feed everyone dinner and pen up the geese and ducks, put up the hens and close all the greenhouses. We haven’t been doing near as hard labor as the other farm, but there seem to be a lot more tasks to be accomplished, the list seems to grow longer every day. But that’s good, and the days sure seem to fly by because of it.

OK so back to the pig story. On Wednesday Ian and Lisa had to go into Guadalajara for the day, leaving us alone at the house to fend for ourselves. After lunch Philip and Kim wanted to go into town for a beer run. One of had to stay behind so I volunteer, happy to lay out on the lawn and read a book for a while. So after about 45 minutes or so I decide its time to buckle down and finish my organizing job in the tool shed. So I walk out the gate and there's Allie…obviously enjoying herself and SO obviously not in her pen. My stomach just drops and I feel the panic begin to trickle down my spine. The other pigs…what about the two others? Indeed…they are out and about rooting up the duck yard, but thankfully they are at least in a place where I can lock them into the duck corral. But that leaves the 250lb sow out and about. I have no clue whether she’ll keep to the house or go galivanting off to her freedom into the ravine and out into the forest never to be seen again. I stupidly grabbed a bamboo pole to see if I could herd her back into the corral at least. Ha. She even seemed to look at me in that way that said “I weigh 250 lbs and I can do whatever the hell I want”. I remembered that Lisa once mentioned that the way to control a pig is to pick up their back legs and wheelbarrow them to where you want to go. I can only pick up one of her legs, which she kicks like the devil was in her. At the same time all this is happening, I hear the dogs start going nuts down the driveway. I run to check on them, because apparently they have rather crazy neighbors who want to try and kill their dogs. We were specifically asked to keep an ear out should they start barking. I run down to check on them and indeed there was a woman with blond curly hair doing something with two of the dogs. I screamed at them to come back, which they didn’t seem to care much about. But thankfully the woman stood up and went away. And the dogs come slinking back. It’s about this time that they discover Allie munching and rooting to her hearts content and they go nuts, which of course drives Allie nuts, and causes her to trample a poor duck in her retreat and eventual escape behind the chicken coop. It really hits me how alone I am and how much I wish they were back. I call out into the forest hoping that maybe they’re on their way back. Nothing. I come to realize that the only thing I can do is to keep an eye on Allie and wait. About 15 minutes later I hear some talking in the woods and I cry out for Philip. An answer! I almost wept in relief…seriously. I yell that the pigs are out and I hear Kim gasp and they run to my aid. About 20 minutes and a crushed thumb later all the pigs are back in the pen. Thanks mostly to Philip’s biceps. We immediately set to tacking barbed wire along the bottom of the pen where they had gotten out. With the dry season still very much upon us, the dirt of the pig pen is basically a fine powder which is nothing for their powerful snouts to dig up, and the fence was so rickety that it was nothing for them to push back a slab of wood and burst into freedom. The next day Philip also added hogwire to the bottom of the rickety fence and they have not escaped since.

Apart from that exciting day, it’s been rather quiet here at Ranch Agua Zarca. I am sure we will enjoy ourselves here. However, I am definitely starting to feel the tug of home. I miss my own space and the freedom to make my own decisions about my time. I miss regular food, a wardrobe consisting of more than 4 shirts, a car, knowing where the heck I am and freedom to do as I please. And the whole having-no-income thing is getting a little old. J So I think that our time here will be finished after this stay, so are looking at being home just around Easter. Its time to go and visit his grandparents and start this next chapter of our lives away from Austin and out in the real world. All that being said, I am still very much enjoying myself and hoping to learn a little about this particularly beautiful part of Mexico while we are here.

Much love to everyone and sorry we won’t be able to post as much as normal. We only get one day off a week and it is at our discretion which one we take off, and we will try and work around what is happening at the farm, so our post won’t be on the same day every week. Just fyi.

Anyways…happy Spring equinox and a very happy 22nd anniversary to my mom and dad.

Love you and miss you all very much,
Julia Olson-Lorenz

P.S. from Philip -- I am in a music video currently airing in Austin (and in LA soon, I believe). It's really slick. Check it out at http://philipnolson.blogspot.com/ . Cheers!

Masks and Michoacan

We've made a major change of plans.The lead-up to the change goes something like this:

We had committed to a 2 week stay at a farm in San Miguel de Allende, to begin on the 27th of March. In the mean time, we'd hoped to visit Guanejuato, though staying in Zacatecas made more economic sense. During the drive to the La Quemada ruins, we began chatting with a middle aged couple that had finished a one month commitment on a Michoacan WWOOF farm, and they adored the experience. We were intrigued. We also met an elderly couple that had just returned from Guanejuato. They informed us that it's the best place they've been to in Mexico in all their years of travel. So...what to do?

Then we got back from the ruins and discovered that our San Miguel farm had cancelled our present engagement. Apparently they couldn't afford to support any volunteers, and we'd need to find other accomadations. "Oh!" we said. We concluded that God had created a new opportunity -- but for what we weren't sure. We decided to email the farm in Michoacan, expressing our great desire to visit. It's a farm quite similiar to Green Acres. It's run by a middle-aged couple, and the wife is a chef that teaches cooking classes. She also cooks every meal of the day (so no grocery bills). The owners have acres of gardens, fruits, and herbs. They cure their own bacon(!) and stuff their own homemade sausage. They have livestock, lots of dogs, and up to 8 volunteers. They're also within walking distance of one of the last two unpolluted deep lakes in Mexico. Sweet! We just knew this was where we were meant to be. Eagerly, we awaited their response.

The response was "No". They have no openings for the next 4 weeks, but they'd be willing to consider a commitment later in the year. We were crestfallen, but undeterred we applied to various backpacking hostels, and farms around Mexico we could work at. We had alot of options, but nothing seemed like a clear choice.

Then the Michoacan farm wrote back. They told us they "may" have an opening afterall because one couple was considering leaving early to Guatemala. They said to hang tight, that they'd contact us by Sunday. Then today they contacted us, saying "We have an openning, get on the bus tomorrow"! We are booked here tomorrow, but they agreed to have us come on Monday. What an adventure! We will be staying exactly one month in a little town right outside of Patzcuaro, Michoacan.
While all of this happened, though, we didn't stay idle. Earlier today we went to the Rafael Coronel mask museum. It's actually housed in a beautifully restored convent. Photographers prowled the grounds, snapping shots of newlyweds and glowing girls on their quincinera. We first viewed his paintings-- which were stunning. Here a picture of one of our favorites (it's large), sorry that the the photo's underlit:

You may notice there's a heavy emphasis on faces and masks in the painting. No surprise, as the artist owned an astounding mask collection, as well as 300+ marionettes. We enjoyed viewing the diverse, intricate, and frightening mask collection. Here are a few of our favorites:Afterward, while doing some final gift shopping, we stumbled upon an impromptu boxing match in the middle of a small plaza. A ring had been set up, and a sizable crowd had gathered. The competitors were ruthless, resilient, quick... and 9 years old. Yes, apparently Mexicans enjoy watching grade-schoolers beat eachother to a pulp in public (Who doesnt?). We stayed for five or six matches, and the competitors got progressively older, capping around 19 or so. As far as we could tell, there were only 2 or 3 rounds per match. There was a referee, and judges --and even the loser got a trophy (apparently their faces are less fragile than their self-esteem). If anyone ever drew blood, the match was over. Several matches ended within the first minute due to a bloodied nose; the bloodless boxer being the victor. There was lots of good natured heckling, cheering, and even chanting for the apparent-underdog. It was heartwarming to hear a chant of "Rojo! Rojo!" rise up from the crowd as Mr. Rojo was in fact taking the beating of a lifetime. It was a priceless experience.

Afterwards we went to the Acropalis for refreshments. It's a 50's-America themed-diner, complete with coke-floats, malted milk--and enchiladas! We enjoyed a strawberry-ice drink and a cappucino with Kalhua as we excitedly planned for our next trip.

It's a 9 hour bus ride from here to Patzcuaro (we can ride directly there). We will be able to check our emails in Michoacan regularly, but for blog posts and other internet uses (like phone calls) we need to go into town on our days off.

As I finish this post, I realize we're in for a long night. This afternoon, about 60 college students arrived from Guadalajara, filling the hostal to capacity. The main dorm area next door has become a very rowdy, very loud party, staged from the rooftop terrace. 80's music pounds through our windows and everyone is chanting loudly as their compatriates chug their drinks. That's the hostal experience for you, I guess. Julia's stuffed her ears with toilet paper. I imagine I'll do the same. Aaahh... sweet, sweet Mexico.

Lots of love,

Philip

Zacatecas; A Colonial Treasure

We've made it to the enchanting city of Zacatecas, deep in the heart of central Mexico! It is a city of narrow cobblestone streets, bright pastel houses, and cool mountain breezes. But before we got here, we still had some more to do in Guadalajara!

Our weekend started with a picnic date at the nearby Parque de Agua Azul. First, however, we had to navigate the pure chaos that is Mexican Wal-Mart on a weekend! It was the loudest, most crowded, frantic shopping experience I can remember, and may have sworn us off from the store for good. There were stands blasting music, tons of vendors trying to sign you up for things, everything was horribly overstaffed (13 ladies working the cold cuts section, though nobody wanted ham) and this resulted in the employees heckling you to buy stuff you didn't want (e.g. "Hey! You! You want some of this chorizo?" as we look at the parmesan). We made it out in one piece, and headed to the park. Right outside the park was a huge, free, punk-music concert of some kind, and the "emo's" and "goths" were out in force. Once inside the park though, we were transported to a serene, tranquil oasis in the middle of Guadalajara. We enjoyed our picnic on the lush grass, and watched a group of girl scouts wander about, doing chants and playing games. The park featured a parrot aviary, as well as a mariposeria, or butterfly garden. The latter was a huge sphere of metal and mesh that towered over the garden. Sadly, we weren't aware of their hours, and just as we finished our lunch, they locked the doors. There did not allow balls, pets, anything with wheels, or alchohol. Beats the point if you ask me, but it was still a nice romantic escape (much of the clientel were on a date).

That night we ate at "La O". Hailed as a nuveau-Mexican tapas bar, we spent a good hour trying to find it (the roads are not well marked in Guadalajara). It had a beautiful decor, with glowing orbs lighting the roof and a fountain filled garden on the patio. For just 155 pesos ($10 U.S.), you got a tapas order, homemade bread basket, unlimited trips to their luxurious salad bar (tempura fried veggies, serrano ham, and other delicious offerings), and a main course as well! We munched on our salads, toasty empanadas with a garlicky chimichuri, and even jumbo shrimp cooked in a jamaica (hibiscus) sauce! Delish! We got a treat by watching all martinis poured from the bottle at the guest's tables, and the full bottle of tequila brought out when someone wanted a shot to toast.

Saturday we headed for the weekly ballet folklorico in the historic Teatro Degallado. Buying the second cheapest tickets in the second balcony, we eagerly awaited fro the show to begin. Moments before opening, however, we were ushered down to better seats on the ground floor by on of the staff (I'm still fuzzy as to why). With killer seats, we sat in the dark as the huge red curtain raised and the choir began to sing. The show was essentially 6 different numbers, broken up into 2 acts. Most of the numbers were based on a Mexican state, or region, such as Jalisco or Michoacan. There were about 40 performers, half choir, half dancers, with a live band on stage as well. For each number, they wore the traditional garb of the region, and sang about the people and the land. The dancers were terrific, with a large ammount of the show being tap-dancing numbers (whether with clapping sandals or tapping dress shoes). Each number had some kind of gimmick, too, related to the material. Jalisco had Mariachis, and Michoacan had a large dancing fish and men trying to catch it in a net. Julia and I thought it was a complete hoot, and when the last number came up (Jalisco: aka the home team), the crowd went crazy! Cheering, whistling, and having a ball, the show ended in a standing ovation.


We spent the remainder of our day in Guadalajara cruising the Mercado Libertad for gifts. I am improving my bartering technique, too! I can usually talk them down 25% of their "best" price, occasionally even 40%! I also learned that if they want to be stubborn, I say to Julia "Nah, that's too expensive," and start to walk away. About 50% of the time they'll holler back "Okay! I'll give it to you for 320!" They know that there's another guy selling the exact same thing next door.

Monday we took the 5 hour bus to beautiful Zacatecas. It is a windy, dry, beautiful city nestled in the mountains. The landscape reminds me of Albuquerque more than anything else, though Julia described the actual city as "The Switzerland of Mexico". Maybe it's a blend of both? The streets are narrow and winding, with gardens, plazas, and fountains nestled everywhere. You can see the looming mountains on all sides. The buildings themselves are clean, all different shades of pastel colors (think Easter eggs), and many date back to colonial times. Our accomadations are at the terrific Hostal Villa Colonial, right in the heart of the historic distric. We actually rented a studio apartment for the week for $100 with a kitchen, private bath, and stellar view of the nearby cathedral. We have full access to the hostal's facilities (just 10 steps away), such as free coffee, a 4 story high terrace, and (reportedly) the cheapest beer in town. Yes, the hostal sells beer, and it even has an impressive little library! The owner, Ernesto is the friendliest man you could ever hope to meet, offering to accomadate you in any little thing you could imagine. You need to do a load of laundry? Bring it here, I'll get it back to you by tomorrow. You want a broom for the apartment? I'm sending a cleaning lady over there today. He even plans trips to visit any place you could want in the area (so long as you have four people).

Towering over the hostal is the small mountain called "La Bufa"... meaning wine skin in Castellano Spanish. It's about 45 minutes to the top by foot, or you can take the Swiss-made tram car if you prefer (This makes Julia very proud). We've hiked up there almost every day we've been here, taking in terrific views of the town and the outlying mesas/mountains. There's reportedly even a zipline to the bottom, but I have yet to confirm this.


Yesterday we asked Ernesto to see if anyone wanted to go to the nearby ruins called La Quemada. Sure enough, he got a group together, and we drove about an hour away to the site. There were 11 of us tourists in the car, everyone spoke English, but nobody was from the US! It was a delightful change of pace. We chatted it up with Brits, Scotts, Canadians, a Frenchman, and a German. La Quemada is an archaeological site that dates back to the fifth century AD, and it's not discovered by the tourism mainstream yet. It is five levels high, and a formidable hike. Historians disagree as to whether it was a city, a fortress, a temple, or something in between. They also don't know for sure who lived there. Nevertheless, it's very impressive, very high, and very windy. There were signs all along the way informing us of the uses of the various structures (the seemed to all have some relation to human sacrafice though... even the ball court!).

As for our future plans? Well, it's up in the air at this point. On the 27th we'd planned on another WWOOF stint in San Miguel De Alende, but just yesterday our host pulled out because of financial concerns. We still hope to go to Guanajuato next, and we're considering a WWOOF farm in Michoacan that a couple at the Hostal recommended yesterday. Oaxaca may or may not happen, because it's very far away, and our allotted budget is reaching it's end. We can use more savings if we decide to, but that's always a tough choice to make.


I know it's been a long post. Now that we have internet access all the time, I'm considering updating more often (and if anyone out there would like more frequent updates, I'd like to hear from you). Also, if you're reading the blog, but not commenting, come out of the shadows! We love to hear from you as much as you like to read about us. If you're reading, but not following, start following so we know you're out there! And if you read it each week, tell us how things are back home, ask a question, or just tell us a funny story. A highlight of our day is to bring up our blog and see that we have a new comment. So keep 'em comin'!

Hasta proximo vez!

--Philip