Tag: Mexico

Tierra de historia: viaggio in un inverno tropicale

Questi sono lampi di un viaggio in America centrale, il resoconto, nelle sue possibilità, di 40 giorni ripercorsi a 4 mani. Questa è una testimonianza di come pulsa il cuore remoto, di là, dopo il grande mare.

Rovine Maya sul mare caraibico a Tulum, Messico [ph-Ginevra Latini – Tutti i diritti riservati]

Siamo due ragazzi con tre cambi nello zaino e un abbozzo d’itinerario: dalla capitale messicana alle regioni di sud-est (Quintana Roo, penisola dello Yucatan, Chiapas), fino a sconfinare nel Guatemala. Costringere in poche battute l’intero incedere sarebbe opera ingrata; cerchiamo allora, con qualche salto temporale, di toccarne i momenti salienti.
Si parte:

LA CAPITALE

Ciudad de Mexico, inizio Febbraio, 13° in più rispetto casa. 15 ore di traversata oceanica da dover smaltire e, avanti, la scoperta del nuovo mondo.
Fa sera mentre noi, storditi dal jet lag, scivoliamo tra i capillari del sistema sanguigno di una capitale tra le più densamente popolate ed estese sul globo, sorta su un altipiano che supera i 2000 metri d’altitudine. Di là dei vetri del bus, confusa, misera, la periferia muta le sue forme rivelando un nucleo più moderno, occidentale.

Ed è nel quartiere piuttosto centrale di San Cosme che prendiamo alloggio, campo base per i primi giorni. Già, nella ricerca di un frugale pasto, percepiamo quanto i cugini del Nord abbiano “contaminato” lo stile di vita latino: per ogni taqueria un Oxxo (convenience store stile 7eleven), per ogni noce di cocco una bottiglia di Coca-Cola. Sopravvivono, grazie a Dio, migliaia di bancarelle accroccate ai bordi d’ogni marciapiede dove trovare disparate pietanze locali per due soldi.

Ciudad de Mexico [ph. Ginevra Latini – Tutti i diritti riservati]

L’aria, a 2250 metri, la si inala con più fatica, soprattutto quando miscelata allo smog metropolitano; così, con il fiato corto, progettiamo le prime escursioni e ci ritiriamo nella prima notte d’oltre oceano.

In una manciata di giorni seguenti, sufficientemente ripresi dallo sbalzo di fuso orario, spaziamo tra siti culturali e aree di interesse architettonico: El Zòcalo o Piazza della Costituzione, baricentro della città, con la sua sfarzosa cattedrale cattolica sorge su quello che era stato il luogo d’acme di Tenochtitlan, l’antica capitale dell’impero azteco. A due passi, il folgorante Palacio de Bellas Artes (riconosciuto tra i monumenti più importanti del paese) precede la scoperta, nel bosco cittadino di Chapultepec, dell’immenso museo nazionale di antropologia dove situa la più ricca collezione al mondo d’arte pre-colombiana. Perla imperdibile è la coloratissima ed eccentrica casa dove vissero la coppia d’artisti Frida Kahlo e Diego Rivera, ora adibita a esposizione permanente di numerose opere della celebre pittrice.

Allontanandoci dal girovagare urbano dedichiamo un’intera giornata alla visita di Teotihuacan, le sublimi rovine d’una antica città mesoamericana: massicce ed eleganti, le piramidi contornano gli atavici viali e dominano la terra fin dove arriva la vista. Qui, dagli affreschi sopravvissuti al tempo si imparano storie di floride civiltà, i loro forti legami divini e i costumi lontani.

Città preocolombiana di Teotihuacan, Messico [ph. Ginevra Latini – Tutti i diritti riservati]

PENISOLA DELLO YUCATAN

Il Messico meridionale, tra lo Yucatan e il Quintana Roo, offre una delle più affascinanti meraviglie naturali del mondo: i cenotes, pozzi di roccia calcarea formatisi nel tempo dall’erosione di grotte carsiche che costellano il territorio di piscine naturali. Circondati da una folta vegetazione esotica abbiamo avuto il piacere di immergerci nelle acque trasparenti del Gran Cenote e nel profondo abisso blu del X’Canche, nel sito archeologico di Ek Balam.

Le regioni, infatti, conservano suggestive rovine maya in spettacolari parchi naturali. L’antica città portuale di Tulum, per esempio, sorge sulla costa dell’azzurro Mare dei Caraibi e pullula di socievoli iguane che, sotto il sole cocente, accompagnano il visitatore alla scoperta di antichi edifici e templi. La bellezza di questi terreni messicani comprende anche deliziose cittadine coloniali, come la particolare “Ciudad Amarilla” di Izamal, ultima tappa prima di lasciare la calda regione dello Yucatan, quasi totalmente composta da edifici dipinti di giallo, dove si trova anche il Convento de San Antonio de Padua.

X’Canche Cenote, Penisola dello Yucatàn, Messico [ph. Ginevra Latini – Tutti i diritti riservati]

CHIAPAS

Il primo approccio con la patria Zapatista avviene a Palenque ed è pressoché estatico: la giungla, per la prima volta, ci attornia ospitandoci in uno scenario ancestrale dove rovine Maya resistono in simbiosi con la foresta tropicale. Giovani del luogo propongono champignones per incrementare l’effetto “magico” della situazione; noi invece optiamo per “farci” di straconditi nachos e guacamole divino.

La notte le scimmie sciamano sopra la nostra capanna portando i monologhi della natura selvaggia. Una veloce tappa a immergersi nelle turchesi pozze alle cascate di Agua Azul e siamo pronti per ritornare momentaneamente alla civiltà: la coloniale San Cristòbal de Las Casas, tra le montagne della Sierra Madre, ci concede qualche giorno di rilassato svago tra compere e “turismo culinario” nelle numerose boutique gestite dalle cooperative Zapatiste.

Cascate e pozze ad Agua Azul, Messico [ph. Ginevra Latini – Tutti i diritti riservati]

GUATEMALA

L’arrivo in Guatemala ci vede entusiasti, ché subito visitiamo quello che sarà il nostro sito archeologico preferito: Tikal. Le alte piramidi troneggiano in una fitta giungla ricca di vita d’ogni genere, dalle gigantesche tarantole alle scimmie urlatrici; ci facciamo strada tra foglie immense, mentre coloratissimi pappagalli volano sopra di noi. E’ la volta di Semuc Champey, nell’Alta Verapaz, dove nuotiamo in un sogno fatto di piscine naturali verde smeraldo.

Ma è nei pressi di Antigua, vivace cittadina montana nel centro del Guatemala, famosa per le numerose scuole di spagnolo e l’architettura barocca ispano-americana, che viviamo una tra le più intense esperienze di sempre: scalare l’Acatenango, vulcano di quasi 4000mt. L’emozionante alba a cui assistiamo dalla vetta ci permette una vista spettacolare sul Lago Atitlan, dove nei giorni a seguire ci dirigiamo esausti per regalarci momenti di puro relax nei caratteristici villaggi costieri.

Alba vista dal vulcano Acatenango, Guatemala [ph. Ginevra Latini – Tutti i diritti riservati]

[In copertina: Piramide di Chichen Itza, nell’omonimo complesso archeologico maya, situato in Messico, nel nord della penisola dello Yucatan (ph. Ginevra Latini – Tutti i diritti riservati)]

Cooperazione al testo e fotografie di Ginevra Latini

5 Random Christmas dishes and drinks: enjoy your meal!

One of the most important religious events in the world, Christmas is celebrated in several countries and cultures with rituals featuring lights, presents and acts of kindness. For many of us the happiness brought by Christmas is linked to food and drinks, elements that vary significantly in different places. With a list spanning the five continents, Pequod suggests a number of dishes that you can serve and enjoy for an international dinner that honours traditions and impresses grandmothers. We present you with the most delicious Christmas recipes to be found around the world, starting with my favourite country, whose wonderful tastes can’t possibly leave you unsatisfied.

1. Romania and “the slaughter of the pig”

Romanian Christmas traditions vary from region to region, but one is celebrated in the whole country: today (20 December) is St. Ignatius, when the Romanians sacrifice the animals whose meat will be the ingredient of one of the main dishes eaten during the 12-day holiday. According to traditional belief, the pig-slaughtering tradition that characterises the day of St. Ignatius, popularly named Ignat, symbolises the sacrifice of the deity who dies and is resurrected. The European Union decided to allow Romania to slaughter the animals using a knife rather than the standard pain-free procedures required by EU regulations.

After the preparations of pork sausage, tobā or samale, Romanians have Cozonac as dessert, a sort of Romanian equivalent of Panettone.

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2. India: Allahabadi cake for Christmas!

As most of you probably know, Christmas is not a major religious celebration in India but rather a small and quiet recurrence celebrated by the Christian community of the country (about 2,3% of the total population) originally from India’s smallest state, Goa. Here, the traditional Christmas tree has also been adapted to the place: a banana or mango tree is used to decorate homes!

The Indian Christmas menu includes several sweets and a wide range of fruits, such as dodol: a toffee based sweet with coconut and cashew. Cakes are very popular, in particular Allahabadi cake, a traditional rum fruitcake that takes its name from the city of Allahabadi, and which is stuffed with jam, nuts and the fabulous ginger… a sort of Asian variant of the British Christmas cake.

3. Merry Christmas in Hong Kong

Difficult to believe, but Hong Kong has one of the most lively Christmas celebrations in the world, featuring a two-day public holiday, spectacles by the Hong Kong Ballet and a WinterFest, which includes a variety of special events, promotions and light and laser shows. Hong Kong has around 63 Michelin-starred restaurants that offer special Christmas dinners from 22nd December until Christmas day. The main recipes are roasted turkey and chicken, whereas the dessert is usually gingerbread.

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4. Mexico, between tamales and pozole

The preparation of tamales is a proper ritual that keeps Mexican women busy for a whole day: tamales are stuffed rolls of corn flour covered by a leaf of corn. Usually meat, cheese or beans with the traditional spicy sauce and guacamole stuff them. Mexicans also take a lot of time to prepare pozole, the Christmas soup that possess all the traditional ingredients of Mexican cousin: corn, tomato jitomate – or chilli peppers, onions and, of course, meat. When you finish cooking the soup, you should serve the dish with lettuce and fresh onion.

As for traditional drinks, what cold be better than a little shot of tequila? For those who are not keen on alcohol – or would like a break from it – the Champurrado, a sort of Mexican hot chocolate, offers a good alternative: it is usually drunk while eating the tamales!

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5. Crazy about Christmas: welcome in the UK!

Britons possess a particular and deep fondness for Christmas! Already in the middle of October, the largest cities of the country start to beautify their buildings and squares with Christmas trees, lights and music, while the restaurants ask their customers to book Christmas dinner well in advance.

In the UK families celebrate the event together, opening presents and enjoying the traditional meal, usually eaten at lunchtime or in the early afternoon on Christmas Day. It normally consists of roast turkey and vegetables with ‘all the trimmings’ which means vegetables like carrots and peas, various stuffing and sometimes bacon and sausages, often served with cranberry sauce and bread sauce. As for dessert, Christmas cake is the most popular, but Christmas Pudding is also very appreciated!

The Italian Dream (or not)

Italy is a democratic Republic founded on labour. Sovereignty belongs to the people and is exercised by the people in the forms and within the limits of the Constitution.”

This is what recognizes the Italian Constitution in its first of twelve fundamental principles. Italy is a democratic Republic, as Italian citizens we should have equal social dignity, the access to work and promote our labour skills, to choose in freedom…

But what is the situation of people that live, work, study in Italy for many years? This week Pequod wants to know the perception and ideas of people living in Italy, not because they were forced to leave their countries, not in an emergency situation, but because they choose “freely” to come to Italy for several reasons. This is the case of Aris, 35, Mexican and living in Northern Italy. Aris moved to Italy in the most romantic way: he met an Italian girl in Mexico, than they decide to go to Italy together and to get married. Although, he chose to come here for familiar affairs, he still admits that the choice to remain was hard: “it was challenging for me to put myself on test, to meet new people, know new places in another culture with the possibility to travel across Europe”.  These are, according to Aris, the reasons why Mexicans like him decide to move and know Europe: “the Italian dream, as we perceive the American dream, for Mexican people doesn’t exist in Europe. Coming here without a job, without a family, without guarantees is too expensive, that is why people prefer the more unsafe way and go to United States.”

“Are Italians white? How Race is made in America” (goodreads.com)

Even though Aris thinks that Italy is a real and effective democracy, he asserts that our democracy is still imperfect, mostly, for foreign people. By marring and Italian girl, Aris got the Italian citizenship. Notwithstanding his formal and legal status, he doesn’t feel 100% an Italian citizen yet. “Maybe in ten years I will feel completely Italian, but nowadays I still feel the difference in my Mexican accent, my skin colour, my way of dressing: it’s really complicate to integrate in an old-fashioned society like Italy. My hope is the future generations: I meet more and more open minded people and I know that we are preparing in a big mental change in Italy, due to social changes.”

In official terms, the Democracy Index elaborated by The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index recognizes what Aris told us, in its ranking of democracy worldwide. This index analyses 165 independent countries and two territories and it is based on five categories: “electoral process and pluralism; civil liberties; the functioning of government; political participation; and political culture”. In the report of Democracy Index 2015 (Democracy in an age of anxiety), the Economist Intelligence Unit classifies Italy, in its 21st place, as a flawed democracy, basically due to the decline of popular confidence in political institutions and parties, the poor economic performance, the weak political leadership and the growing gap between traditional political parties and the electorate have spurred the growth of alternative populist movements in Europe (Democracy Index, 2015).

Aris in “Latino Americano”, Milan

Although the Italian dream is faded and amiss, Aris likes to live in Italy. He loves its arts, gastronomy and landscapes. He likes to live in a safe country, with clean streets, natural parks. “I think I really like all the beautiful things that Italians don’t appreciate as they should, but I’m from Mexico City, I grew up in another reality and I can see the real beauty of Italy”. That is why Aris ends our conversation with some suggestions for us, Italians: “You should esteem your social and human hues and be more proud of what you have, without complaining if it’s raining, if it’s sunny, if it’s Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…”

 

Cover Photo by Jameschecker (CCA-SA 4.0 by Wikimedia Commons)

A Mexican in Southern France

Name and Surname: Jorge Garcia Escamilla

Age: 30

Country: Mexico

Nationality: Mexican

City: Monterrey

 

JorgeGarcia

Jorge Garcia Escamilla

 

SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY

 

1. Which is the form of government ruling in your country?

 Mexico is a Federal Republic formed by the union of 31 states and a Federal District, and the form of government is democracy.

2. Do you believe corruption exists in your country? How much do you think it influences political life and your private life?

I believe corruption exists in every country but it is of course related to the economical situation of each country. In the case of Mexico, being a developing country and a relatively newly-formed Republic, corruption is present in every field of society, from the political sphere to the professional field, and of course it influences many aspects of our social life. However I do believe corruption isn’t the cause ,or at least the only cause, of the social and economical hard situation we might be living in Mexico, but it’s more of a result of this whole tension in a sort of vice circle.

3. Which is your national language? Do dialects exist in your country? If they do, are they used/known by young people?

My national language is Spanish as for most of Mexicans. I’m not exactly sure about the number of native languages that are spoken and officially recognized, but I do know that there’s a good number of different languages and people who speak them in Mexico. I think these languages are mainly spoken by traditional Native American communities and unfortunately I don’t think the new generations of Spanish speakers would use or learn them anymore, except for the traditional communities.

 

4. Who do you believe to be the cultural icon of your country?

I think there have been many important artists and intellectuals that have represented Mexican culture internationally through time. I could probably name artists like Diego Rivera and Frida Khalo, famous musicians and actors like Jose Alfredo Jimenez, Pedro Infante and Cantinflas, or world famous writers such as Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes and Juan Rulfo, who have always projected an image of Mexican culture, and have been cultural icons of their time and still are.

pedro-infante

 Pedro Infante

WHAT ABOUT EUROPE?

 

5. Do you perceive the existence of a “European culture”?

I do believe there is a European culture, even if each country in Europe has its own particular folklore and cultural manifestations, I think there is a form of European culture integration  that can be perceived outside Europe. I personally think that there are some writers, artists in general and sometimes even some political figures that represent the modern European culture.

 

6. Could you explain why you chose Europe?

Because I believe Europe is still the centre of western civilization and it has a very rich cultural background, that now expresses itself in new forms of modern cultural manifestations. Also the socio-economic situation in Europe in general allows you to have a higher quality of life.

Reg. Tribunale di Bergamo n. 2 del 8-03-2016
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