Tuesday, March 9, 2010
In the afternoon I walk to the town center and sit… something tells me if I sit there long enough something will happen. It’s weird to operate on this level of intuition… when you don’t know why you’re doing something, only that it needs to be done. So I sit, for about ten minutes. There’s a government truck with some guys in it, another young Huichol guy sits across the square hanging out watching me. A giant grasshopper walks by, I take it’s picture. Nothing magical or mysterious has occurred… so I head back home. But as soon as I get home I’m compelled back to the square, Moses is looking at me like, what… we were just there.
Monday, March 8, 2010
It’s funny how water keeps coming back around… off we go in the van with giant Roto-Plas container to get water. After filling it, I spend to whole afternoon moving it by bucket from the container in my van (450L) to a neighbors container on the ground, then back to the original container now by Tranquilino’s house. It’s really an archaic and ridiculous process but I’m grateful for the work, and eventually it’s all back in one spot ready to use to flush toilets, bathe, and cook with.
Sunday, March 7, 2010I think to empty the vessel and let go can be as simple as breathing… then why is there so much pain emanating from within me? The only answer I’ve found is attachment, expectation and my resulting judgments... the suffering comes from holding onto these along with a healthy mix of fear… and reality.

There's nothing like getting your hands dirty and doing some hard work to give you a sense of purpose and make your body feel good. It's especially lovely when the work you're doing is creative and filled with love.
I arrived back in Guadalajara en-route to Zecatacas... I knew I´d get sucked in again by Frank´s charismatic charm and I wasn't wrong. Knowing I love to build from my last visit a week ago, it took no time for him to make me an offer. Free room and board here in downtown Guadalajara in exchange for a little creative labor and letting guests into the hostel at night. Living free sounds really good right now considering my financial status, there are a few more shots I´d like to get from Guad, and I feel the need to create something tangible in a few days... rather than the epic magnitude of my current film.
So what to do... Frank suggests, half in jest, how about we build a fountain upstairs like the one we have downstairs. I respond, "Sure, I can do that", and he looks at me not believing his ears. "Just order the bricks concrete and we´ll get busy."
So off we go... We start by knocking out a concrete shelf with a sledge hammer. Everything down here is built out of concrete unlike back home in Canada where we tend to build with wood. So it´s a great opportunity to develop new building skills.
Next the concrete, sand, bricks and tile arrive.. and after some heavy lifting and mixing, I'm laying bricks. The thing I love most about this kind of work is the physical work out. Hard work can be beautiful medicine for the soul and there's nothing like looking back as you leave a place and saying.. I built that (with help from Frank, Elwin, & Alex!)
This project is leaving me feeling strong and grounded and I feel like I'm rebuilding my own foundation as I work. I've literally and metaphorically lost my footing a few times on this journey south, and there have been many times I've felt lost, but I think sometimes having a lack of direction is a direction in and of itself... since all roads lead to Rome.
Right now I´m grateful for aching muscles, and to have a safe place to create something beautiful while trying to find a sense of peace. I've literally put blood, sweat, and tears into this project... I'm walking away feeling like I need more of the same... I have a lot of emotional energy flowing right now and the biggest challenge is finding ways to channel it in a healthy and constructive manner. For me filming only goes so far, since much of the emotion relates to this epic process, a process that is often a cross in itself.
It's interesting how ever since my spiral tattoo, I've been relating to water. Last night while watching the waterfall flow into our new pond, I was thinking how the spiral is an evolution for me. I used to be interested in circles and circular patterns.. but what's interesting about the spiral is that while, like a circle, things come back around... they never return to where they once were. Thus in identifying with the spiral, I like to think that I'm breaking circular patterns, and growing into new broader perspectives.
I can't wait to build my own home one day. You can be sure I'll have water features everywhere, inside and out, teaming with life. This has been a good first effort... and I think it turned out rather well, the fish and turtles seem to be enjoying it ;-)
I was down in Chumulco soaking in the hot springs where I met a man who told me the town of Cocula was 10 minutes away.. and is the birth place of the Mariachi. He told me I should go film.. I thought it was a good idea. All of a sudden he's calling the restaurant and making arrangements for a private table.
I wandered around Paracho feeling a bit lost before I finally decided there wasn’t much worth filming aside from some small image samples. However I couldn’t leave this famous town without first buying a guitar… a cheap guitar… for 400 pesos or 40 bucks. I gave my last guitar to a friend during a personal meltdown in Utah, so it’s nice to have music back in my life… or at least the tools to create music, since I’m still learning.

Soon the lava started flowing, and continued over the next nine years eventually covering the entire town. Everything was destroyed with the exception of the massive church that had been a central monument and center for prayer of a town that Raymundo estimates was around three thousand people. Although the lava knocked down many of the walls and covered much of the building, the steeple remained intact and to this day stands in memory of the community that was once there.
Much to my surprise Raymundo was quick on his feet, hobbling along in front of me knocking rocks away with his cane and moving swiftly. As we walked he explained (all in Spanish) the morning of the first earthquake, and how the ground opened up. He told me how although no one died it was very sad that the volcano erupted because for years there was no food for people or animals due to a lack of crops caused by the thick layer of ash that had fallen.
I slept in the parking lot of the tourist facilities for 50 pesos, and fiddled with my new guitar. The following day Raymundo and I met up for our talk and he explained the whole event from beginning to end. How the earth shook and opened up, the sadness, how many people considered it a miracle, but how he saw it only as an act of nature. He was a bit shy to be on camera but was wonderful overall since his deep aged voice resonated well into the lavalier microphone I rigged him with.
I hiked back to the site after our talk to capture a timelapse on HD and met with a young guy selling necklaces, he motioned me to the obsidian, and seeing the chain I couldn't help but toss him a few pesos for it. I talked with him and his girlfriend for awhile, but with the language barrier we didn't get too far. As I left he told me we could speak without words since we were on the same energy level where we could speak from the heart... as least that's what I think he said ;-)
Pulling out of town I met up with Raymundo again, who took my hand in his and gave me blessings for my journey and my family. Something happened between us in those few days, I felt a kinship with him, and he looked at me like a grandfather would a grandson. It was strange considering my own grandfathers death that was close at hand... it may sound wonky but there was something comforting in his gaze, as though he was a messenger telling me not to worry, he was going to take care of me.