MuddyWater.NETp2

"May we exist in muddy water with purity like a lotus, thus we bow to Buddha."
 

St. Patrick's Parade, San Patricio, Mexico (3-14-11)
 

All our so-called consciousness is a more or less fantastic commentary
upon an unknown text, one that is perhaps unknowable. but still felt.
                                                                                      – Friedrich Nietzche
 

St. Patrick's Parade, San Patricio, Mexico (3-13-11)
 

     Cuastecomates is a tiny seaside pueblo located several kilometers north of Melaque. It sits on a small jewel of a bay. I had walked to Cuastecomates from Melaque. On beginning my walk back, I happened by a brick home from which wafted beautiful Spanish music. Retracing my steps a short ways to further listen, I noticed the front outside wall of the house was adorned with colorful, intricate paintings. I was admiring these paintings when a Mexican man in his eighties emerged from the side of the house.

    I asked about the paintings and sure enough, this humble man was the artist. His name was Joaquin. He said painting was a past time he pursued "cuando tengo ganas" (when I feel like it). He said he painted for his granddaughters whose names appeared in one of the works.

Making conversation, I asked what kind of brush he used to complete the works.  He said he didn't use a brush and used a word I didn't recognize. I said, "No entiendo" (I don't understand.), so he held up his painting tool: a toothpick.
 

    
Cuastecomates, Mexico (3-5-11)

Cuastecomates, Mexico (3-5-11)
 

Cuastecomates, Mexico (3-5-11)
 

Cuastecomates, Mexico (3-5-11)
 

seeker of truth

follow no path
all paths lead where

truth is here

                       – e e cummings
 

Barra de Navidad, Mexico (3-2-11)
 

Drinking beer is easy. Trashing a hotel room is easy.
But being a Christian, that's a tough call. That's rebellion.
                                                                – Alice Cooper

Melaque, Mexico (2-19-11)
 

Grass Burning, Melaque, Mexico (2-19-11)
 

 “There may be a great fire in our soul, yet no one ever comes to warm himself at it, and the passers-by see only a wisp of smoke.”
                                                                                            – Vincent Van Gogh
 

La Manzanilla, Mexico (2-15-11)
 

Melaque, Mexico (2-5-11)
 

"Because I was alive, there was something left to do."
                                                                         – Jules Verne
                                                                                                                  A Journey to the Center of the Earth
 

Manzanillo, Mexico (2-9-11)
 

Let your soul stand cool and composed before a million universes.
                                                                                    – Walt Whitman
 

Beach Umbrellas, Barra de Navidad (Christmas sandbar), Mexico (1-26-11)
 

It is infinite and ever-changing. It hypnotizes with its unknown end and mysterious depths. You can pet it but you will never tame it.
The call is at its strongest as a storm rolls in to shore. It urges, "Get up and leave your life behind." And at that moment you know you have been missing something all along.
                                                                              – Herman Melville
 

Laguna del Tule Trailer Park, Tule, Mexico (1-27-11)
 

Laguna del Tule, Tule, Mexico (1-27-11)
 

From a bathing tub
I throw water into the lake -
slight muddiness appears
                                                     – Kawahigashi, Hekigodo (1873-1937)
 

Melaque Walkway, Melaque, Mexico (1-24-11)
 

My grumbling wife -
if only she were here!
This moon tonight...
                     – Issa (1762 - 1826)
 

Melaque, Mexico (1-24-11)
 

Is not that the final test of great art, that it has been smelted in the fires of suffering?
                                                                                                                      – Upton Sinclair
 

Melaque, Mexico (1-24-11)

Musicians such as the one pictured wander the cafés and restaurants along the beach playing for donations.

Cuernavaca, Mexico (11-16-2010)
 

What's the matter with me?
I don't have much to say.
Daylight sneakin' through the window
and I'm still in this all-night café...
                                  – Bob Dylan
                                                            Watching the River Flow
 

Church view, Tepoztán, Mexico (1-7-11)
 

If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear as it is  – infinite.
                                                                                                                         – William Blake
 

Taqueria Manuelito, Tepoztán, Mexico (1-7-11)

     Tepoztlán, Mexico is a designated 'Pueblo Mágico' in the state of Morelos. At first, this may seem to signify higher prices, weekend crowds, and more gringos. But with a bit of exploration, it becomes clear that Tepoztlán exudes a unique charm and distinct energy. The lower, populated bluffs ringing much of the town combine the floral fragrances of the Berkeley Hills with the curious ambience of Dharmasala, India, complete with Christian prayer flags.
 

Broom Vendor, Tepoztán, Mexico (1-6-11)
 

White Church, Tepoztán, Mexico (1-7-11)
 

Tepoztlán Flowers, Tepoztlán, Mexico (1-7-11)
 

Strung Flags, Tepoztlán, Mexico (1-7-11)
 

Cuernavaca, Mexico (11-7-10)
 

  Hidden in green grass
like a lady behind curtain,
a flower leads its life
                      – Dr. Mosam Sinha
 

Cathedral with Yellow Piñata, Cuernavaca, Mexico (12-25-10)
 

                                              
                                                    The Robert Brady Museum

     The Robert Brady Museum in Cuernavaca, Mexico features an astounding collection of art, furniture, and artifacts collected during Robert Brady's world travels. Robert Brady was an American painter and art collector who left his 14-room home, exactly as he had lived in it, as a gift to visitors.
 

Robert Brady Museum, Cuernavaca, Mexico (11-16-10)
 

Bath, Brady Museum, Cuernavaca, Mexico (11-16-10)
 

Valle de Bravo

     Valle de Bravo is a pueblo located in the mountains two hours south of Mexico City. Travel guides inevitably refer to it as a "gem." Set on sloping hills alongside a pristine lake it is easy to see why. The town has a charming ambience to go along with its picturesque beauty. Valle, as most refer to it, is surrounded by steep mountains and cliffs.  This topography attracts 'voladores' (flyers or paragliders) from all parts and has transformed Valle into a mecca of sorts for adherents of extreme sports. Long distance runners, cyclists, and flyers abound in this out of the way locale.
 

Cemetery, Valle de Bravo (12-3-10)
 

Cemetery, Valle de Bravo (12-3-10)
 

Maharajji asked an Indian girl four times, "Do you like sorrow or joy?" Each time the girl answered, " I've never known joy, Maharajji, only sorrow." Finally, Maharajji said, " I love sorrow. It brings me closer to God.
                                                                                             – Neem Karoli Baba
                                                                                               Miracle of Love
 

View of Valle de Bravo, Parque de Estatal Monte Alto, Valle de Bravo, Mexico (12-4-10)
 

Instructor prepares flyer. Valle de Bravo, Mexico (12-3-10)
 

Take off, Valle de Bravo, Mexico (12-3-10)
 

Taking the Plunge

     One thirtyish-looking fellow stood by after watching his girlfriend take flight with an instructor. He was next. It was his first time and he was going it alone. He looked nervous, but excited and admitted as much. As he dashed off into flight I noticed he was carrying a large paper spool, like the rolled-up  advertising banners small planes sometimes pull. He and his girlfriend were up there for quite a while, about a half hour, when I noticed they were flying alongside each other above the lake. I saw the long paper spool unravel behind the guy: "Will you marry me?"