Back Story
The town of Temascalapa is located in the Municipality of Temascalapa (in the State of México). There are 7,125 inhabitants. It is the most populated town of the whole municipality. Temascalapa is at 2,344 meters of altitude. During the winter season the area gets cool in the evenings, 13.5° (56°F). My visit excluded any other season and I am unable to determine the climate during other periods.
Temascalapa is in the beautiful desert, only an hour north of Mexico City. There are buses that connect through Tizayuca and to Pachuka (the capital of Hidalgo state). Temascalapa is also central to the Grutas Tolantango, which I recommend everybody visit (but on a weekday), and the pyramids near Teotihuacan.
LOCAL CULTURE
The local inhabitants are some of the most friendly and supportive people met throughout this journey. With English as my native language and Spanish being far less than conversational, the local community members were more than patient as I struggled through my Android translation application or were able to decipher my cryptic Spanish enough to accommodate my needs while at the market alone.
The local culture is incredible, and I recommend scheduling weekends and Monday evenings to take in the experience.
FRESH MARKET
The Temascalapa Monday Market is incredible. During the day there is an endless selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, and cooked foods together with a variety of nik-naks and items you would expect at an open market in the plaza. At around 6:00PM the plaza transitions into a fiesta market with vendors of a variety of authentic local cuisine and foods from throughout the region.
TEMaZCAL
It was a great honor to have been blessed with the presence of the tribal Shaman, medicine man and medicine woman during my visit and attendance of the temezcal. Simply being in their presence an energy was felt throughout the entire ceremony. There certainly was a higher vibration during the gathering and for many days after.
Following the ceremony there was a fiesta which attendees brought gifts of food and beverages. Again, the pallet was completely satisfied with a wide array of delightful flavors. Food was also prepared on a “wok” over an small open fire. This was certainly an experience to long remember.
I recommend incorporating Luna Gamboa as a guide and English/Spanish translator during your visit. She is very familiar with the area and local culture and inhabitants. IF you are lucky, Luna may be able to arrange a visit to an authentic Nauhuat Temezcal, or Sweat Lodge, which you will definitely want to attend. I have attended many Native American Sweat Lodges in the United States and this Temezcal surpasses all of them. The level upon which those are surpassed is the dance and honoring of the “energies”, or the spirit of the totem. The day of my visit it was the eleventh day of the deer. The participants prayed and danced in honor of the energy (spirit) and the four directions. These peoples are committed to a certain level of awareness and consciousness rarely experienced in other regions.
CREATING friendships
During my visit to Temascalapa I was fortunate enough to have met Rafael Rojos through a Work Exchange program during my travels. Rafael has an incredible hostel that is being finished after more than a decade of design and implementation. As an example of the dedication to the project, Rafael’s dad began the project using a donkey and a cart to haul water for the brick masonry and concrete. The distance from the water source (a pond) was several kilometers from the house. Over the last two or three years Rafael has invited young adults and taught them skillsets that are useful indefinitely.
The experience at the hostel (the only one in Temascalapa area) was the highlight of the several months I have been visiting Mexico and the surrounding regions.
Rafael introduced me to his neighbor, Luna (Maria), who is absolutely amazing. Luna Gamboa is one of the most compassionate and friendly person I have met throughout this journey. She reflects the philosophies held close by an Eccentric Bohemian. We have adopted her as an honorary Eccentric Bohemian as she continues her journey. Luna’s page can be reviewed.
