I went to Teotitlán del Valle yesterday for the annual Virgen de Guadalupe performance of the Danza de la Pluma. As many of you know, I’ve seen it many times, BUT I’ve never stayed until the end, as the dance lasts for eight hours. Yes, 8 hours! It would mean returning to the city late at night — and driving at night is something most try to avoid. Thus, I decided to spend the night at Las Granadas, one of the few B&Bs in town. However, the thought of waking to the sounds of roosters crowing, burros braying, sheep bleating, AND going for a morning walk in the country sealed the deal.
And so, a little before 9 AM today, I headed up (down?) Calle 2 de abril toward El Picacho. The work day had long since begun…
Crossing the Arroyo Grande, I turned right to begin the trek up Revolución. El Picacho kept a watchful eye as I kept pausing to snap photos and just take in the sights and sounds of being out in the country.
My destination was the presa (dam) and its precious reservoir. Most of my life has been spent living five minutes from the San Francisco Bay and fifteen minutes from the Pacific Ocean — and now living in a landlocked city, I do miss bodies of water.
Crossing to the other side of the arroyo, I turned right on Avenida Benito Juárez for the return trip to the B&B.
As I walked, the lyrics to Al Kooper’s, House in the Country kept playing in my mind.
No need to worry
Folks in a hurry
Leave them behind you
No one can find you
House in the country
House in the country
All the relaxin`
Will soon fill the cracks in
Good for your head too
If you are led to
House in the country
House in the country
Green surrounding
Love abounding
You won`t find a manhole there
A sublime morning in Teotitlán del Valle. Ahhh…
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 
Sweet…best piece ever.
Mil gracias! You are way too kind. 😉
Ahhhhh…memories…I stayed at Las Granadas for the month of July in 2012. Thanks for the pics.
You are very welcome! Hoping to return next week for one of the posadas.
Great photos and description that put us right there! We look forward to hearing about the Danza de la Pluma!
Thanks, Marilyn! See you on Tuesday, if not before!
Thanks for sharing, Shannon. We are currently in Huatulco and I was sorry to miss the Guadalupe festivities. You were right in our hood. We look out on Picacho all day! You’ll have to visit us on your next trip to Teotitlan!
Love to see you, your fabulous sounding family, and your new digs. Returning to Teotilán on the 21st for a posada. Will you be back?
Hola amiga,
Pues, con TODO respeto,¿no?, tengo que preguntarte ¿sabes qué no hay nadie en Teotitlán se relacionaría con las letras de la canción que te citas,¿no? Somos güerras y güerros de otra cultura, pues, de otro mundo,¿verdad? Con ojos muy diferentes, y sentimientos, y experiencias, y vidas, muy diferentes. Pues, para nosotros, es algo; para los Teotitecos, es algo muy, diferente, completamente. Siempre. Que nunca olvidemos,¿verdad?. ¿Conoces el trabajo de Coco Fusco y Guillermo Gómez-Peña? Pues, que vayas acá: http://bombsite.com/issues/42/articles/1599.
Es un cuerpo de trabajo muy interesante, y muy, muy bueno.
Pues, es nada más que un poco de información.
Mil disculpes.
Siempre en la amistad, y hasta pronto,
Chris.
Sí, mi amigo, I understand what you are saying. However, for someone living in the city and waking every morning to the sounds of buses grinding their gears, as they race up the street, and traffic cops incessantly blowing their whistles, a morning in Teotitlán is much more tranquil and was a much-needed relief. It was the way I used to feel when I lived in San Francisco and would occasionally escape the city to hike up Mt. Tamalpais. As for the lyrics, it’s funny how the words from teen years songs are imprinted on one’s brain to pop up at unexpected moments and it reflected the way I was feeling — and, given the hazards of navigating the city’s sidewalks, “you won’t find a manhole there” was especially fitting! Thanks for the link to the performance piece… I remember reading about it at the time (btw, only 2 years after Mandela was finally released from prison) and appreciate being reminded of it.