Sunday in Puebla is difficult to think about right now as I lay in bed at the Chavez family home in Teotitlan. After walking and taxi rides all over Puebla this morning in a quest for the ultimate talavera pottery for Sam first in the El Parian district and then a swing through Uriarte, then a stop at Dulces El Lirio on Avenida de Los Dulces for a gift box for Dolores, followed by a final coffee on the Zocalo at the ubiquitous Italian Coffee Cafe, and then a four and a half hour bus ride to Oaxaca, I was dreaming of a great night’s sleep in our quiet little village out in the countryside beyond the city hubbub. I’d had my fill of Puebla traffic, press of people, visual stimulation, a lumpy hotel bed, and city sounds. Don’t get me wrong, I like Puebla a lot, but I was ready to come home to Oaxaca. The family picked me, Sam and Tom up at the ADO bus station, we grabbed a very delicious bite to eat at VIPS (pronounced BIPS, which is also owned by Walmart along with El Porton), and made our way back to Teotitlan.
We arrived home to our lane packed with cars and the 10:30 p.m. start of a Quinciniera at the house next door. The live band, Los Tigres del Norte, which Janet says is famous in the U.S., will play continuously until 2 or 3 a.m. Our house is shaking like an earthquake — the bass is pumping, the strobe lights are flashing in sync with the music, the alley entrance to our casa is jammed with bicycles and roving teenagers, and between each song the M.C. calls out something I don’t understand to honor the coming of age woman child who at 15 is now fair game for courtship and subsequent marriage. Beer and mezcal will flow freely through the night. I’m not exactly sure what to do right now. I’d be game to crash this party, but our family was not invited and don’t want to go. Seems as if there was a dispute a couple of generations ago between two brothers in the family that has not healed. I can walk out on my balcony and see the revelry in the courtyard next door. Ear plugs are just not going to do it for me tonight. Hasta la vista, baby. In Mexico, you never know what to expect next! Sit back against the pillow and enjoy the music. Descanse.
