Remembering

Today we were watching some old family videos. In the mix were several Christmases at Mike's parents' house from a decade and more ago, and other family gatherings. It was strange to watch ourselves so much younger, to remember what was going on at the time: becoming first time parents, beginning life. But the thing that pulled me in most was seeing Mike's grandparents - there in the moment with us on the TV screen. Both sets. It was astonishing somehow to watch them moving around, laughing, talking, snuggling the babies. Remembering how it used to be.

Time passes. The cycle goes on. Now we've said goodbye to all but one grandparent.

Watching those family videos reminded me that though we feel that we are standing on solid ground, it moves and shifts. We don't step in the same river twice.

Thursday we had grandma Helen's funeral. Then drove to Holden to the cemetery. 

How is it that funerals are such amazing family reunions? We saw all of Mike's brothers, cousins, their children, grandma's nieces and nephews, Alma's (her second husband) family...friends. Love. 

It's been a tender week.

(The only photos from the day are from my iPad. Sorry. I forgot my camera.)

 The brothers Melton. I love these boys.

 The Melton cousins (except for one who couldn't make it to the cemetery).
I love this picture for two reasons: 1.) How often (if ever) are they all together in one place?  2.) The setting. The cemetery at Holden where their grandparents (Helen and Tillman) are resting near by. But also where two other cousins, who passed away at birth, are buried. In fact, this photo is taken right next to those two little cousins' graves. It makes me tear up.

Mike's cousin, Bryant, had copies of this picture for all of us. Tillman and Helen.

Where do I start?

Wow.

THAT was a cool trip. I've been wondering since about half way through last week how best to chronicle our adventures. I don't know what else to do except to launch into a full explanation... follow the links to see the pictures. Sorry this is long...

A little background - (in case you were unaware): my sister and her husband are archaeologists. Bruce has a project going, in its second year in Chiapa de Corzo. They've been down there for almost 5 months, with about 4 to go. So we went to stay with them, hang out with our little niece and nephew, see the site and do lots of off-the-beaten path stuff.

We stayed at Holly and Bruce's beautiful colonial era (17th or 18th Century?) house in Chiapa de Corzo for several nights (more photos here). They made a space for us in the hallway/courtyard. Their house is a few blocks from the center of town. Which was very convenient for visiting the markets, historic buildings, and enjoying the month long festival of St. Sebastian, going all night, every night we were there. Two of Bruce's assistants, Carlos & Hoover, live at the house with them. Nice guys. Hoover has a habit of singing early in the morning.

Chiapa de Corzo is an old, old city - predating the Spanish, though they made it a colonial city when they came. Our first day we walked around a little before Carlos drove us up to Tuxtla in the NWAF suburban, dropping us off at the Regional Museum of Chiapas. We saw lots of cool artifacts, one of them: The earliest example of the Mayan long-count, found at the site where Bruce is excavating (8th Mayan cycle). Day 1 photos.

The next morning (after trying to sleep through an entire night of fireworks right above the house) I went with Holly down to the open-air market to buy produce. Later on Hoover drove Mike & I and Holly& kids up the plateau into San Cristobal, the town Holly and Bruce just moved from. San Cristobal is more of a resort town: more well-to-do. A few dozen gringo ex-patriots live there and some dreadlocked touristas were hanging around, for the proximity to native villages and the Zapatista/Che Gavara atmosphere.

We had a great time in the textiles markets there, good food, colonial churches. We stayed in a great little hotel, and Mike and I went to a performance of Palenque Rojo. Bruce's project artist, Ayax, wrote the production about war between Palenque and Tonina, and designed the costumes. Bruce pulled a few strings, scoring some sweet seats for us at 1/2 the price. Day 2 photos.

We began day 3 with breakfast at a little bakery with really good croissants, as well as the usual Chiapan chocolate. Holly and I made a second visit to the textile markets, then took a taxi to meet Mike, Bruce and the kids at the New World Archaeological Foundation (NWAF) - where Bruce gave us a tour of the lab there & showed us a few artifacts from last year's dig. From there Bruce drove us deeper into the highlands along a very windy road, scattered with tope's (speed bumps that the kids got a great thrill out of whenever we slowed down suddenly and then lurched over, screaming "Tope! Help! Tope!") to Tonina. Tonina was AWESOME. It sits out in the middle of large tracts of ranch land, pretty isolated from much else. Not too many tourists make it out there. The museum is great, and there's a little mom & pop restaurant at the edge of site serving beef from their own cattle ranch. After a few hours at Tonina, we drove on to our stay for the night: the Santa Maria Guest Ranch, a 19th Century ranch in the middle of nowhere converted into a cool 8 room inn with top notch service. We arrived late at night, starving. The staff informed us that the restaurant kitchen had closed - but then offered to warm up some soup for us. That sounded perfect. The next thing we knew the guy was carrying a table on his back out onto the veranda in front of our rooms, then chairs, then candles, steaming bowls of outstanding vegetable soup (made from the veggies in their own gardens), tortillas, fresh squeezed OJ, & Chiapan chocolate. If there was ever a meal that hit the spot... (Day 3: NWAF, Tonina, dinner at the Santa Maria Guest Ranch)

Sunday we left the guest ranch, went to church in Comitan, then on to hike up El Chiflon to see the falls. Beautiful aqua blue water.

Stuff you see in Mexico: truck load of clowns on the way back into Chiapa de Corzo

We had to hurry to drive back into Chiapa de Corzo that night so we wouldn't miss the Parachico dancers. The St. Sebastian festival goes on all during January, the Parachicos dancing a couple of those days. Parachicos dance in commemoration of the rescue of the Chiapanec townspeople from famine by a grateful Spanish colonial woman who's son had been healed in Chiapa de Corzo. When she heard that the town was suffering from famine she sent her Spanish servants with food; when they arrived they danced to make the children happy. The blonde fro wigs and masks with facial hair and blue eyes are supposed to be the Spanish servants who danced (para chico). It is a really cool festival. Check out this quick video of one of the small processions. It was tough getting into town with all the traffic, and the house was right in the thick of the festivities. We were swarmed by thousands of them after dark. So cool. (Day 4 photos)

We spent Monday morning visiting Bruce at the site in Chiapa de Corzo. It was nice of Bruce to make time to show us around - we loved it.

Down in the famous axe pit of last year

The site is pre-Mayan, Zoque around 700 B.C. Afterward, Holly and the kids went with us down to catch a river launch up the Sumidero Canyon - a spectacular canyon with 3,000+ ft. walls, alligators, spider monkeys...etc. Our last night we took the kids down to the center to ride on a few carnival rides and to sample some sweets from the local vendors. It was great to relax with them... Again the music went strong and loud until about 2 AM - but with an iPod in you can sleep through almost anything. More pictures from this day.

We left the house at 5:30 the next morning to catch a 7 AM flight out of Tuxtla to Mexico City - and then home.

Thanks Holly and Bruce. We had an incredible time.

David McCullough and Natalie Cole

David McCullough next to the tiny cottage/office in his yard where he writes.

Mike was lucky enough to score coveted tickets to the annual MoTab Choir Christmas concert. I was all over that when I found out that my favorite author, David McCullough, would be the guest narrator/speaker. Natalie Cole is great and all...but I was there for the super-star historian. In another life I would do what he does (except I would probably use a computer - he writes his books with just a type writer - his publishers must love that). He spoke at Mike's graduation at the U. this past year (too bad we didn't make it in person to the ceremony). I was bummed that he didn't speak longer than he did at the concert - but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

...and the WALL came tumbling down

Our computer's been in it's death throws this week... but thanks to the skills of my bro-in-law, we've got it limping along until our new system is up. (Actually we're not technically related at all. He's married to my Russian "foster sister", Lena - which segues nicely into my post for today.)

Twenty years ago yesterday the Berlin Wall came down. I remember, as a 14 year old kid, thinking that the impossible had just happened...and it was only a matter of time before the Soviet Union dissolved. For anyone who grew up during the Cold War (who watched Red Dawn in horror as a child -- I know, it's laughable now) the fall of the Berlin Wall represented a gigantic change of paradigm.

I spent a summer in Russia not too many years after the collapse of the Soviet Union (where I met Lena) & saw some of the painful transition from a communist state. Later, in college I did my senior paper on the roll of western pop-culture in the demise of the Soviet Union/eastern bloc. It's a subject that has continued to fascinate me.

In commemoration, here are a few of my favorite books on the subject...for anyone remotely interested:

A very cool little children's book - one man's experience growing up in the Soviet bloc (and later defecting).

In my opinion, probably the best book written on the subject. I literally cried reading it.