JOURNAL

Christmas in Culiacan

First Communion

Family, Family, Family

While this section of our website and this journal are labeled “Christmas in Culiacan,” it is really about our Granddaughter’s First Communion and our time with the Uribe family.

Background

Estibalis Uribe married our eldest son Michael. Esti’s daughter is Sofia.  Her other Grandparents, all her aunts, uncles and cousins are in Mexico.  So moreover, these pages are about the substantial Uribe family in Ciudad Culiacan, and gathering for Sofia’s First Communion, the day after Christmas.  

Getting There

Airfare to Culiacan is exceptionally costly so when going there, everyone flies into Mazatlan.  While still expensive, to reduce costs and transfers, we elected to fly from Miami via Mexico City to Mazatlan.  We would spend the first night in Mazatlan. Michael and Esti would then pick us up at the airport that night and in the morning and drive us to Culiacan.

Day one:

Best laid plans, a missed flight, a night’s layover in Mexico City

The drive to Miami was easy, ticketing was simple, security was a snap, the flight (2 hours, more or less) was uneventful, and Immigration was rather offhand. 

And then the plan fell to pieces.

 After Immigration, we went to Customs.  In all our travels, we have always been required to recover our checked luggage, go through Customs, give the baggage back and go the next plane.  

We waited and waited as it seemed everyone else recovered their bags.  Finally, a young baggage attendant asked us what flight we were on and where we were going.  When we told him, he said that our luggage was already on the way to the next aircraft and we should proceed to the correct gate.   We literally ran through the corridors to find the correct gate.  Upon arrival at the gate, 30 minutes prior to fight, we were told we would not be allowed to board because we were too late.  

30 minutes to go and we’re too late?  We went to the kiosk to attempt to discuss this difficulty, but there was a woman and her traveling companion in line before us.   She evidently had been arguing her position for a while, as there were two airline representatives attempting to make their point, while as many as three other employees  were watching and making every effort to avoid this “conversation”.   While we do not speak Spanish, we gathered we were in the same situation as she regarding boarding the aircraft, but it was apparent there was maybe an additional complication with her passage.   Again, with no Spanish, we were silently cheering her on because she was making it very clear no amount of Aero Mexico balderdash was going to be acceptable.

We finally got our turn to try to explain the situation to another Aero Mexico employee and were told we would have had to be in line 45 minutes prior to the flight because we were to be bused to the aircraft.   We certainly wished we had been told this in advance inasmuch as we had landed 20 minutes late with the prior leg of the trip - that same 45 minutes before.   We finally got across that Aero Mexico should have known of this when they scheduled our flights.  To no avail – as Jackie told them, given the 15 minutes now remaining, we could walk to the plane!

We were told to go to the main ticket area in the main terminal and speak to the Supervisor.   After a thirty minute walk because we could not find a way out of the “security area” – and no one seemed to know how to get out either – we finally found a small corridor out and got to the main ticketing area.

To make a long story short, while sympathetic, the clerk could do nothing but tell us to catch the next 6:30 pm flight the next day at no additional charge.  As if, no additional charge was a real bonus.   We finally got to talk with a young man who understood our plight and better yet, was customer oriented.  He found the last two seats on an earlier flight, one at 4:00 pm, and suggested a hotel for the night.  He told us to tell the people at that hotel of our difficulties and they might give us as good rate.   He took us to the hotel’s office in the terminal and introduced us to the clerk there.  We made reservations for the night and were escorted to the hotel bus.  We expected a run-down place in a not so good neighborhood, and were very surprised to find a four star hotel with a great restaurant which served a terrific dinner at 11:00 that night.  $65 – not bad!

One additional point – I could not find our checked baggage.  After an hour’s search, I was told that our bags had been put aboard the aircraft we had not been allowed to board.  Talk about a security breach!  No airline is ever puts on checked luggage when there is no passenger on board matched to the luggage!  Shame on you Aero Mexico!  As angry as we were about the inability to catch our flight, we never want to be on a flight with unsecured luggage!   In addition, having made reservations in Mazatlan for this night, we had to pay for the hotel we didn’t use as well as the one we did end up in Mexico City.

Day Two:

Familiar faces, a stunning home, beautiful people, Carmen’s family gathering

Esti and Mike are waiting at the Mazatlan Airport.  After giving Esti a hug, I’m was so concerned about the luggage that was on the earlier flight I inadvertently ignored Mike and went running to the luggage claim area.  I found Esti has already beaten me to the claim area.   This is the first of innumerable times throughout our trip that “Mother” Esti took care of Jackie and me.  For the remainder of the trip, she seemed to be a step ahead of us all the time and to anticipate whatever we needed or wanted.  Mike is very fortunate to have married her; he really has a winner!

Mike and Esti drove us through Mazatlan, beautiful countryside, and on to Culiacan.  We arrived to a warm welcome from the Uribe home. 

The home is absolutely beautiful.  All the floors are marble and the color schemes are perfect.  The landscaping matches the house perfectly.  There is a room for any activity and no activity in one room effects whatever is going on in another room.  Being flatlanders, we were unused to stairs, but at least they were proportional and easy to use. 

We were welcomed as warmly as if we were long lost relatives.  Or, on the other hand, everyone was as comfortable as if we had just been with them the day before.  What a wonderful family!  It is very rare to come into a home you have never visited and feel so at home.  Truly, Francisco and Carmen have made this a home in the truest sense of the word!

The feeling of family was extended as we went to visit Carmen’s family for their Christmas visit.  They meet at one of the three sister’s homes each year.  This year it was at Norma and Sergio’s home.   We would guess there were 25-30 family members present.  We were introduced to everyone.  In some cases, the person we met would say they remembered us from Esti and Mike’s wedding.  How embarrassing – we could remember so few from that swirl of activity four years ago.   None-the-less, every single person took us in a part of the family right from the start and made us feel as if we had always been part of their Christmas.

An aside – Language. We don’t speak Spanish.  However, that didn’t seem to be too large a handicap.  So many we met had English as a second language.  They had picked it up in school, at work, and through visits to the U.S.  Juan Louis, who we will introduce later, speaks beautiful English – he told me he learned it through playing in a band.  And then there are wonderful people such as Carmen who have studied English for no other reason than to make Mike more comfortable and to be able to make him feel welcome as part of the Uribe family.  In the end, yes, sometimes we simply would smile and nod our heads, not understanding a word when someone talked to us, but for the most part, the language barrier was easily bridged by warmth and affection.

One of the highlights of the evening was a Christmas play which is put on by family members each year on Christmas Eve.  We won’t pretend to be able to clearly describe the play as we had not seen it done prior to this visit.  Most everyone put in a home-made costume to assume the personas of Joseph, Mary, Shepherds, a manager of an inn and his wife, an angel, a fairy, the devil, and several other characters.  Everyone had a script. Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, other visitors and the devil went outside and the door to the home was shut.   

The play starts with Mary and Joseph asking for room at the inn.   The innkeeper says there is no room.  At this time, the shepherds, the angels and members in the inn have a dialogue.  No, we didn’t understand all that was said, but Esti attempted to keep us up to date with the action.  At some point, the inn gate was opened, Mary and Joseph were at last allowed in and the devil locked out – with songs and cheers from all. Everyone had a great deal of fun and we were as moved by the interaction of the family members as the play itself.

There followed great food and excellent companionship.  At mid-night a Secret Santa exchange started.  Again, this is an annual Christmas tradition and everyone had a great time opening, admiring and discussing gifts. 

What a wonderful evening!

Day Three:

Christmas and Francisco’s Family Gathering

Christmas morning and Sofia was certain not to let everyone sleep too late.  However, both Carmen and Peype were already up and in the kitchen.  As everyone came in, we gathered in the living room.  Everyone had a stocking, including Jackie and me, each of which had been painstakingly made by Carmen. Sofia took on the role of Santa and passed out gifts until she found a gift for herself, at which time gift distribution came to a halt until she had unwrapped her latest find.  All the gifts were thoughtful and those given us were especially appreciated.

The highlight of this Christmas morning was a piece written by Francisco to the family.  He is a wonderful writer and none of his children could read the work without crying – and each made the attempt.  He later told me he had written and rewritten this for a long time so that it expressed his feeling well.  It was obvious that it did.

After a great breakfast, it was time to get ready to visit with Francisco’s family.  We went to one of Francisco’s sister’s home for this Christmas day gathering.   I would guess there were well over one hundred people there.  This should come as no surprise as there are eleven brothers and sisters, with their children and grandchildren.   As we came in the eldest sister was giving a Christmas talk, which has been a tradition for the family.   The talk is now given by the most senior child as both parents had passed.  Now imagine if you will, all these people, including a multitude of children, gathered quietly around as she spoke.  The respect paid the tradition, the speaker and her message of love, honor and family was heartwarming.  Again, although we don’t speak Spanish, the message was as clear to us as it was to each generation of the assembled family.  What a wonderful tradition!

This quiet time was followed by a hilarious Secret Santa production.   As you might imagine, with a group as large as this, the gift giving lasted an hour or so.  The gifts, while often serious, were wrapped in ways to make identification of the enclosed gift often impossible to identify.  They were also often wrapped to make them difficult to unwrap.  None-the-less, each recipient was expected to immediately, and as quickly as humanly possible, open the gift and display it for the crowd.  The opening was accompanied by a countdown to force quick completion of the unwrapping, followed by rather universal comments on the gift, the giver and the receiver. 

This was followed by good food and good conversation.  We met a large number of new people, all of which were so very friendly and gracious.   We were made to fit right in, and again, language simply could never be a difficulty when surrounded by such accommodating people. 

There were children of all ages everywhere.  The youngest were curious and would wonder over to spend a few moments to look at us; the older would come over, introduce themselves and ask about our visit, where we were from in the US, and talk with us a while. 

The climax of the activities was the piñatas.  There were four of them and each was attacked, in turn, by all of the kids.  Because it would be easier and less messy to hand out the candy than to have everyone jumping and crawling around to find it, the piñatas were empty – but that did not slow the enthusiasm of the attacks.  Three of the piñatas were made of paper, yet tough enough to withstand a large number of focused children.  The fourth contained the traditional clay pot.  It appeared to be unbreakable.  In fact, we think as many as three of the sticks used to strike the piñatas were broken before the pot was even cracked.  Afterwards, there were candy packages given out which were made for each of the kids, and also the adults.

This was one of the best Christmases ever.

Day Four:

First Communion and Celebration

After another deep sleep, morning hugs and a wonderful breakfast, we got ready for Sofia’s First Communion.   While all of us found something nice to wear, we were all second-class when compared to Sofia!

Grandmother Carmen spent untold hours preparing Sofia’s dress.  This included a veil and a matching handbag.   The care that went into the finely detailed work was extraordinary.  Be certain to look at the pictures to get an idea of how spectacular the outfit was.  Words cannot really describe how beautiful it was and the love that was so evident in its preparation.

The church was filled with friends and family.  The service was held at a beautiful chapel in a fairly closed  convent and the nuns are not too open to having services for outsiders at their church.  However, Father Fausto was not to be denied.

The church was full of flowers and Christmas greenery.  Each set of Grandparents were involved in some way in the service  The Uribe’s walked in with Sofia as she carried a ceremonial candle in with the precession, and the Gillespie’s presented the traditional offering of a basket of fruit, bread and wine to the altar. Additionally, Francisco served as the acolyte for the service, with both Yovalis and Armando participating by reading scripture.  Sophia was at the steps in front of the central aisle at a special kneeling bench and candleholder.

Following the service a special activity was held to which we were unaccustomed.  The priest gave Sofia a hug and all the children in the church – and there was a large group – were called up to the front to gather around Sofia.

Of course, during the service, family, including Jackie was taking pictures.  Following the service, starting with the gathering of all the children, it seems everyone there had a camera and was taking picture after picture.

The priest, Father Fausto, was more than a church officer simply officiating at a run of the mill service.  Father Fausto has been a close friend of Francisco since they met in seminary.  Father Fausto is called “Uncle Fausto” by Sofia and all the Uribe family. 

Relationships we have had with Father Fausto included the fact he married Esti and Mike. Prior to the marriage ceremony, he took us aside and asked us to continue to care for Mike, and now Esti, as both parents and guardians and to see that Sofia was raised in the church.  He told us he loved Esti and was pleased she had found such a nice man to marry.  If memory serves correctly, I think he may have both baptized and have given First Communion to Esti, Edelbais, Yovalis and Pepey. He has been much more than just a local priest. 

Following the ceremony and the lengthy picture taking, everyone jumped in their cars and headed for a private park about 30 minutes away.   What a beautiful place.  The grounds were immaculate and filled with plants and flowers.  The pavilions were made from hand crafted beams and tile roofs.  A Mexican lunch of a variety of traditional foods and drinks were served.  We particularly liked the tacos – there must have been a dozen fillings, each simmering in clay pots.  As we were unaccustomed to the water in Mexico, we stayed with sodas and water, but there were several Mexican drinks that I, for one, would have loved to try.

We don’t know exactly how many people were there, but both Carmen’s and Francisco’s families and friends were there.  There were children everywhere.  There was playground equipment to play on and games of soccer and such everywhere.   Of course, I found the “Princess” on a four-person merry-go-round being pushed a number of kids – Sofia yet in her gown and veil.  After being dragged under the equipment for three or four rounds, we convinced her to at least to take off the gown, veil and remove her handbag.

Following the meal, a stunning cake was brought out.  It was much decorated and had a gold cup representing the communion chalice.   Carmen had grown very concerned about this cake.  It was to have been delivered the day before, but for one reason or another, it had not been ready.  I think Carmen made it very clear, as I’m certain Carmen can, that the cake was to be ready for the party – no excuses.  Esti stopped to pick up the cake on the way from the church to the party.  Evidently, it has just been baked and decorated.  Esti thought some of the frosting was very soft and melting.  She also picked up several dozen cupcakes just for the children.  As the cake was served, Carmen quickly discovered just how “fresh” this cake was – as the slices reached the center of the cake, it was still warm!  Consequently, it was good the cake was delicious, because it quickly became more of a mound than a cake of several layers.

Following cake and conversation, it was decided to get “family” together for a large group picture.  I and several other non-family photographers gathered to take snapshots.  This went on for over 20 minutes because every time we would take a picture, someone else would learn about the activity and join in.  I think I took at least 6 pictures, each one with a larger group than the last.  Finally, it got so hilarious, we took one last shot, everyone just laughed and hugged, and the “formation” was no more.

Unfortunately, there was a dark side to this story.  Father Fausto was a bit late to the Communion service as he felt very poorly and found it difficult to get up that morning.  We noticed that while he was as warm and friendly as he has been in the past, he appeared to be rather stiff and reserved.  Later, at the party, he again was late coming, ate little or nothing, and left early.  Esti called us perhaps three days after we had returned home that Father Fausto had died.  Evidently, he had been diagnosed with liver cancer just a week before, had gathered strength just to make the Communion ceremony, and then was taken from us within just a bit over 10 days.  The entire family, and particularly Francisco, was devastated by this loss.  

Day Five:

River walk, city drive, béisbol with the Tomateros

The next morning, after morning hugs and a great breakfast (I’ve never been too fond of breakfast, but I am certainly sure to miss the morning hugs!) we planned a visit to the river park in Culiacan.  It seems wherever you may be in Culiacan you can see this enormous Mexican flag.  It appears to be in the middle of the town, but in fact it is on an island on a river that flows through the city.

We went to the river, crossed over a suspension bridge, to a walk in a park that parallels the riverbank.  There are pavilions, picnic areas, playground equipment and stations for a workout program.  There are large trees providing plenty of shade as you walk along the river.

Crossing another bridge, you find yourself in a native stone amphitheater with the flag  centered in the front.  The river sort of flows around this raised amphitheater and you can sit and watch the river, grasses floating through the currents, the fishermen along the bank and a variety of birds.

The young ladies in town have a kind of traditional coming-out party and walk through the town in long flowing formal dresses.  While we never learned all the facts surrounding this tradition, while we were in the park, we saw one of these young ladies making her way down the river walk.

After the walk along the river, we drove around Culiacan, getting a tour of places of interest and spots important to the family.  Culiacan is much, much larger than we expected.  It is the capitol of the state of Sinaloa, with a population of over 800,000. We saw the famous Cathedral, the Municipal Palace, the market, the Seminary and University, and the area where Francisco and Carmen first met. 

Yes, there is a strong drug influence in Culiacan. It has a reputation as a narco city has made it the de facto home of the Mexican narcocorrido.  In the midst of the Mexican drug war, many Culiacan-based corrido musicians said they were hesitant to play certain songs for fear of offending the wrong trafficker.  On the other hand, Culiacan is the birthplace of César Millán, the dog trainer known for his Dog Whisperer television show.

When we arrived back at the Uribe home, we found Jose Luis and Carolina Terrazas visiting.  Jose Luis had tickets to the last baseball game of the year and asked Mike and I to go along.  Baseball is important in Culiacan with the Tomateros de Culiacán playing in the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico league, and having won two championships in the Caribbean series.  As produce is a major product of Culiacan, and tomatoes being the major crop, it is appropriate that the baseball team is named the Tomateros, or tomato pickers.

The stadium was a surprise; very attractive and much larger than I expected.  It was packed and we may have found the only three seats together left in the place!  Outside in front of the stadium, again as we went in the main entrance gate, and then between several innings, we were introduced to the Tecate Girls.  Tecate appears to be the favorite beer, or perhaps the only beer, or “cervesa”, at the stadium.  The Tecate Girls were dressed much like cheerleaders, they met, greeted, and had pictures taken with fans.  Several times, between innings they came out on the field to dance and prance around.  In appreciation, Mike and Jose Luis had a number of Tecates during the game.

What struck me was that the fans here were well mannered and less likely to be drunk and difficult to be around than at games I’ve attended in the US.  They were exceptionally friendly and I was pleasantly surprised to see them stay until the last inning was complete, even though the Tomateros has been losing since the fifth inning.  All in all, this was one of the nicest baseball experiences I’ve had in many years.  

Jose Luis and Carolina Terrazas are a cute couple.  They treated us as if we have been a part of the family for a long time.  They are expecting a baby boy in the upcoming months.  Jose Luis thinks that “Hannibal” would be a good name for their son.  Carolina says when she hears that name the only thing that she can think of is Hannibal Lector in the Silence of the Lambs – so she wants nothing to do with that name.  Of course, I then had to tell Jose Luis that is the perfect name and we have joked about it, back and forth, in several emails. 

Then home again to pack and get ready to leave the next morning.   We had time to sit, relax and just talk.  Francisco and Carmen are some of the nicest people we have ever met.  We are truly fortunate that Mike married into such a wonderful family.  We just love each and every one of them.  We wish that either we lived closer to each other or that airfare was more reasonable so we could spend much more time with them. 

We’ll not ever forget the time we spent with the Uribe’s.  Leaving them was very distressing.

Day Six:

Return to Mazatlan, shopping and the BASINs

Mike and Esti drove us back to Mazatlan.  We both went to Culiacan and returned to Mazatlan on a toll road.  While the road was well maintained and there was little traffic, we think the tolls were outrageous.

We had a number of things to do before we left.  We wanted to pick up some small gifts for friends and relatives, but most central to this shopping spree was purchasing two bathroom basins.

These basins are remarkable.  We have seen then each time we have been in Mexico.  They are ceramic and exceptionally colorful.  I find them very difficult to describe, but we have a picture included in the photo section of this trip’s pages. Now Jackie and I both have wanted to have one of these bathroom basins for a long time, so we decided we would bring one home this trip.  We packed in such a way that a “carry-on” bag on the flight down would be checked luggage on the way back, with the basin becoming the new carry-on.   We joked about the “damn basins” all the while during the trip.

We had both intended to measure the existing basin which we were replacing with this new Mexican basin before we left.  However, we both forgot.  But, we both remembered it to be of medium size and oval.  Well, we were correct about size, bit wrong about oval – the exiting basin is actually round.

None-the-less we went to the main tourist shop’s street, the length of the beaches in Mazatlan.  We stopped in the first shop with basins displayed.  While we looked around, Esti went up the street by herself to several other shops – warning us not to walk up with her.  So we “gringos” saw several basins at this first shop we liked and asked for prices. 

Earlier, Jackie and I had discussed about what we could get for our friends, the Johnson’s, who very kindly were cat sitting for us while we were off to Mexico.  They have always been so generous about taking care of our pets and our home when we were away.  It seems their care always exceeds whatever we do to show our appreciation.  So we decided to bring back a bathroom basin for them too.   So, we’re looking for two basins to carry back to Satellite Beach.

Esti was right, not knowing that she was with tourists, another store had basins and quoted prices that were half what our storeowner quoted us.  We looked at a number of basins and tried to remember the color schemes in both our and our neighbor’s bathrooms – not knowing we had already made an error in the shape of the basins.  We settled on two and the salesman assured us he could wrap them so well we would not have any chance of damage.  He did pack them up in thick layers of newspaper and bound them in twine.  They didn’t seem too heavy to carry at that point, but they were awkward.  Most importantly, they were compact enough to be brought on the plane as carry –on luggage.

We had lunch at a local open-sided seafood restaurant, and because I as worried about carrying the basins around by the twine by which they were tied, we went to the central market to buy a bag in which to carry them.   We saw a number of bags but none seemed to be right.  Then we saw the type of bag that seems every street vendor in South America uses to carry his or her wares.   The basin fit in perfectly and I could ease the strain on my arms by carrying the basins over my shoulder.

We visited a number of gift shops in the central part of the city and spent time at a square beautifully decorated with strings of lights, in front of an old church.   We loved this old square from our earlier visit for the wedding. 

To bed early as we had to leave for the airport at 4:30 am.  We went to the hotel, packed, and repacked the bags to make certain the weights were acceptable and all the more fragile items were protected.

Day Seven:

On the way back home

Esti and Mike were got to the hotel early and waiting for us the next morning.   It had poured rain throughout the night and the water in the hotel’s open roofed lobby was a couple inches deep.  The water in the street was over a foot deep in places.  I’m glad Mike was driving; between the dark streets, the deep water and our unfamiliarity with Mazatlan, we would have never made it to the airport.

Because of the unsuccessful “underpants terrorist” attack the day before, we expected greatly increased security at the airport.  Actually, the security was not that more stringent as we went through the security section.  And, no one seemed to think that carrying a bag of basins was that unusual.

However, as we sat in the waiting area, maybe as many as twenty security officers carried chairs and tables out to the halls we had to go through to get to the bus that carried us to the plane.   As we left the waiting area, everyone’s carry-on luggage was opened and checked.  Some examinations were much more careful than others were.  As I was carrying basins, and Jackie had the real luggage, I had little to be checked, and so Jackie and I were separated for a while.  We had to walk to a bus through deep puddles of rainwater, ride a few minutes to the plane, where we walked through more water to climb the ramp into the plane.

On to Mexico City.  About now, the basins were getting pretty heavy.  We had a long walk through the airport to get near our gate.  We couldn’t find our gate listed, as in Mexico City it appears they are not listed until an hour or so before the plane is scheduled for departure.  We had lunch at the airport - and the damn basins were getting heavier at every step.  After getting aboard the plane, they fortunately fit easily into the over-head storage bins.  Jackie was able to trade seats with a man whose wife and kids were sitting in front of us, and we were all more comfortable.

The return trip was uneventful.  The flight was nice. We found our baggage easily. We located the car quickly and were out on the highway away from Miami in hardly any time at all.

We had a wonderful visit.

The Uribe’s could not have been more hospitable, warm and loving.  The family gatherings we attended made us feel as if we were part of their families.  We saw that Mike had become a real part of Esti’s family and everyone deeply cared for him.  We had a marvelous Christmas celebration. We participated in one of Sofia’s most important occasions.  We met new friends with whom we will correspond and who we plan to meet in the future, both again in Mexico and by inviting them to share our home.  We bring home many moments of unique experiences and wonderful memories we will share and recollect for the rest of our lives. 

Oh yes, the damn basins made it home in one piece, our friends appear to really like theirs, and both of us now have to reconstruct our bathrooms to accommodate them.