Day 2 - A Beautiful Day for Cerro Gordo

Today we went back to Rancho Huixcoloco to meet Don Angel, Don Nabor and Don Mario while they shuck corn. But we couldn’t find them. Instead we walked around back and found Don Nabor who was grazing horses and burros. We talked to him and he remembered Don Jorge and Don Jose. We showed him some pictures and he got interested. He liked seeing them. He said he remembered when the first film was made but he may be confused with another commercial film done in the hacienda about Pancho Villa (according to Gustavo Lezama, the guard we met today and was extremely helpful in comparison to yesterday’s guard). We offered to play the movie to Don Nabor and his family and he liked the idea and agreed to meet with us on Monday at 3pm. Don Nabor seemed to also know Aniceto Martinez, the plowing farmer from Land and Water.

We then went to the back entrance of the hacienda and were taking some shots when Gustavo Lezama, the guard for the day showed up and asked us what we were doing. We explained to him the project and he then said he understood the importance of what we were doing and agreed to let us inside the hacienda. We walked around the property with him and he then allowed Kirk to take the camera with him and take some pictures of the church, tinacal, and living quarters. Gustavo told us to come back on Sunday at 4:30pm and he would let us inside again.

Next, I came out and filmed the outside of the hacienda. We then left for Cerro Gordo. Finding the old road to the summit was relatively easy and we got some great footage and stills. The previous day's rainstorm really cleared the valley out. Incredible views.

After returning from Cerro Gordo we stopped at Santiago Atolman. We asked at the pasteleria at the zocalo when the Christians and Moors celebration takes place. We were told there are three of them: May 13 (aparicion de Santiago Apostol), July 25 (San Santiago Apostol) and September 3.

Day 1 - Getting Our Feet Wet

In an unusual dry season rainstorm, Maria and I went to Rancho Huixcoloco and unfortunately found it ruins. We went in but were not allowed to film or go inside the buildings because the property is now in dispute and apparently owned by the wild animal park, Reino Animal (according to the guards). Only the guards and the acasillados (permanent residents of the hacienda) are allowed to inside the hacienda. The owners are not allowed inside and we were asked to leave. However, we met Don Angel and showed him some of the pictures from the original film. He said he remembered Don Jorge, the administrator of the hacienda, and offered to talk to us together with two other guys, Don Mario and Don Nabor. He also remembered Don Jose, the mayordomo del Tinacal (the boss of the pulque brewery).

The hacienda does not produce pulque anymore and the maguey fields are nonexistent. The church of the hacienda, the stalls, and the tinacal are all in ruin. We were told that pulque is now produced at a few of the other haciendas. Don Angel also told us that Rancho Huixcoloco is the oldest of the three in the area. They referred to it as the mother hacienda of the other two.

Don Angel said Don Jorge must be now 70-75 and he’s not sure whether he is alive or not. Don Angel said he thinks he was 16 at the time when Sanders and crew filmed Land and Water and remembers it being filmed. He also said, he used to be one of the favorite workers of Don Jorge.

The guard and Don Angel told us that to get inside the hacienda and film we need to get an official permission (in written form) from Reino Animal.