“El Vochito,” the original VW bug. I am amazed by the number of original bugs zipping around the narrow streets of Campeche and squeezing themselves into what seem to be unattainable parking spots. I don’t know much about cars but either Mexican mechanics are that good or these got to be one of the longest lasting cars of all time. If your kids (or you) are into playing “punch buggy,” they’ll be pretty bruised up by the end of a trip to Campeche.⠀
Today I bring you Pibipollos. Think of it kinda like a giant tamal. This one in the photo is a personal sized one but usually they come much bigger. In the states of Campeche and Yucatan, this is a dish prepared for Dia de los Muertos, “Day of the Dead.” What makes this dish so special is the way it’s prepared and cooked.... buried in a dirt hole filled with hot stones and left to cook for an hour and a half. It’s made of a combination of chicken, pork, cornflower, butter, achiote, onions, tomatoes, and Chile habanero. Topped with a light tomato sauce when served. Delicioso! 😋⠀
Buying Mexican fireworks on the streets of Caucel can be a gamble. I asked the vendors what each one of these fireworks would do and I got a lot of “I’m not sures.” I now have a bag full of mystery bombs. How exciting! 💣
Everyday this little old lady walks through the zona historica of Campeche on a mission to the Zocalo. She is well known and recognized by every passerby and everyone knows well to let her go about her business of feeding the flock of pigeons roosting in the park. She buys a bagful of baguettes I think just to keep them all plump and happy. Her deeply wrinkled face and uniform of black head band and well worn apron are so familiar they've immortalized her in a giant public portrait on the side of building nearby. Her generous eyes and weathering hands remind us of what it means to age gracefully.
Taking it back a couple generations. We never met our grandfather but legend has it he was one hell of a fisherman. This photo is of our grandfather winning the largest catch in the annual Tarpon fishing tournament in Ciudad del Carmen. Tarpon is one of toughest fish to reel in, sometimes taking 5 plus hours. A true monster, growing up to 8 feet long and weighing up to 280 pounds with scales the size of your palm. The story goes he just used a hook, line, and gloves. No fishing rod! Maybe I was being a gullible kid but the image of my grandfather pulling in this fish with his bare hands has stuck in my head. The Biosphere Reserve of Los Petenes just north of Campeche lines the coast with fertile mangroves that is still home to the most prolific juvenile tarpon fisheries in the world!
A couple stray dogs find refuge from the blazing sun. During the summer months, the heat in the Yucatan is on another level. It is absolutely relentless. Many of our summers growing up were spent in Mexico. The school bell would ring to let my brother and I out for the summer and the very next day we’d be on a direct flight from Houston to the tiniest of airports in Ciudad del Carmen. We’d land, walk down the plane staircase, and the moment your feet hit the tarmac you’d be slapped in the face by a wave of thick humid air. I remember it so vividly, you could almost taste it. You never fully got used to it but you learned to cope through hammock naps, fruit paletas and ocean swims. Our cousins were all about the 2 shower rule. Mid afternoon they’d have shower number 2 of the day🚿. It was an absolute must just to wash off the morning sweat and to cool the body down a couple degrees. Being away for a long time makes me strangely miss it. Although I make it sound unbearable, I’d take it over a gruelling windy cold northeast winter any day. What would you say?