mountain embroidery women

We began our trip with a weekend in a magical village, at the end of a long, windy mountain road. Pahuatlan, east of Mexico City, from where we drove to Veracruz. Driving down the main cobbled street, lined by brightly coloured houses and stalls, pink and purple bouganvilia, palm trees and mountains behind. We find the only hotel with cool white corridors and sit down to coffee with the local textile expert, the amazing Miguel. The next few days he opens us up to a world of incredible embroiderers.

Looking out over the tiled rooftops of the village at the mountains beyond, Miguel tells us about the women who live in the hills and embroider between looking after their families, chickens and fields. One slightly darker, smaller mountain contains a cave, called the mountain of the women, where they go to conduct rituals that will allow them to dream their next design and pray to the gods to keep their eyesight strong.

That afternoon we drive along the edge of the mountain, and arrive at the first home of a proud woman making colourful tenangos. We discuss and admire her work while Maya plays with the chickens. Miguel takes us to several homes where we see work in progress, and to cooperatives where they are teaching the next generations the techniques.

The day ends with a surreal visit to a school yard where Miguel has kindly arranged for the mothers of the pupils to bring their best embroidery. While I am trying to decide out of a dazzling array of textiles, i realise behind me something else has drifted in with the mountain mist. I turn around and men in drag and masks are scattered acrosss the yard, slowly stomping to the music played by three men in white shirts and cowboy hats. Maya is in Miguel's arms dancing in the middle of this surreal scene with a rose in her hand. The men are part of a carnival which ends with a chicken beheading. Gustavo is invited and in the evening when Maya is asleep, I stay to write while he follows the sound of the music and comes back looking a bit dazed at the 'beheading' which sounded more like the chicken was a piñata.