Tuesday, January 30

We had good news last night from Erin and Valerie that Rita's bag had gotten to Tuxtla, and this morning further news that it had been brought to the taxi stand. So after going to the bank with our landlord to pay the month's rent, we headed farther south to get the baggage. Everything there and in its place.

After a visit from Heather, we headed over to the house of June Nash, only a block from here. I'm still reading her superb book on politics and the Maya in Chiapas. Her garden is paradise, with a fountain and pool in the centre, with fish nibbling at plants and orange-and-blue dragonflies hovering around, plus lots of flowers, of course.Her husband served us a wonderful hibiscus drink, cold (it got pretty warm in her garden).

June gave Rita lots of information on people to contact and libraries to visit for her classes and research. I also asked her about Amatenango del Valle, where she did much of her anthropological research, and which is famous for its pottery. I asked about seeing women's "studios," and she offered to go with us on our field trip as our guide!!! Couldn't be better. She is 80, by the way, but sharp as ever and looks 60. What a treat to sit and talk with her.

We then stopped at the institute where our classes will be held and I showed Rita the classroom. On the way up toward the market we went into the largest bookstore I have seen, called Chilam Balam. Lots of books on literature, art, archaeology, etc. in Spanish and English, but very expensive and the owner is very pushy. Doesn't want to take no, or tomorrow, or later, or any answer other than "I'll buy it." Bill had a hard time with him this summer too.

On to the artesanias market but since the two cooperatives were still closed (it was only 3) we went into the main market and looked around, buying some garbage bags. For refreshment we stopped at Casa del Pan. Rita had the special coffee (cafe de olla) with spices (cinnamon, sugar, and something we cant remember). I had a carrot juice which, since I'd been double tipping the waiter, came puro rather than with water.

On then to the artesanias. We visiting the smaller weaving cooperative, then went into the16th century dominican church, and finally into the larger of the two weaving cooperatives. I really enjoyed showing the textiles to Rita and she just loved them. Especially the larger, Sna Jolobil, the display of which is organized by community so it is easy to distinguish the styles.

But I was confused. The women outside with stalls in the artesanias area were either wearing the 'traje' of Zinacantan or another style I thought might be Chamula. But this style wasn't in the cooperative under the Chamula sign. What the women outside were wearing was blue or green, satiny huipiles with embroidery around the neck. I asked inside where these women were from, and when told they are from Chamula, I asked why their style of huipil was not sold in the store. The answer was that the blouse they wear is industrially made and purchased, then embroidered, rather than made completely by hand. And the rule in the store was "handmade only." I'm ambivalent about this: I can understand it as a marketing security mechanism, since this is the highest class weaving store in Chiapas, but anthropologically it is problematic in de-legitimating what people actually wear and do.

On the way back from the artesanias we met first Ewan with Ellen (Ewan has now rented the apartment in June Nash's house) and then Flora and Verity. Back at our apartment, in came Marella, Karyn, and Andrés, then James, Rhett, Ewan and Matea. We had a lively conversation and five of us went to supper together. Now I am nursing a fire with my new stock of wood.