Yorch Place

I'm a little late about this post, still I'm putting it.



In September 19th at 7:00am there was an earthquake, one of the strongest, that hit Mexico City, the capital of my country, thousands of people died, and the people of all the country arrive to provide help. In this earthquake the family of the opera singer Placido Domingo died, as many other famous people, and the half of the Televisa (TV studios) building collapsed with people inside. Hundreds of buildings where destroyed, lifes lost in all senses.

After the earthquake many Mexico City residents decided to run away the city, a city built over a lake, the city cathedral is 12m lower than when it was built, a city that is waiting until the next super earthquake arrives, so they run to nearby cities like Cuernavaca and yours truly Santiago de Querétaro.

The independence day is probably the biggest celebration in our country, and is celebrated simultaneously in all the territory.


We celebrate the begining of the war, how everything started, in the night of September 15th in 1810 the spaniards find out about the conspirancy of Queretaro, the governor of the province ordered his wife Doña Josefa Ortíz to be in her room for her own sake, her room was located in the second floor, in the first floor exactly under her room the office was located the office of the city mayor Ignacio Pérez which was in the conspirancy, she made a sound with her feet in order to him to go to her room, since she was locked they spoke through the key lock, she asked him to go to the town of San Miguel to tell Allende about the spaniards, he did it, but he didn't find him, so he went to Dolores to warn the priest Miguel Hidalgo (the father of Mexico) he instead of hide, decided to call for war, ringing the bell of the church (acording to tradition it was at 11:00pm) since the bells were used for mass or emergencies the people arrived there he made the cry of war with a flag of the Virgin of Guadalupe (the firs mexican flag) crying "Abajo el mal gobierno" (down the bad goverment) "Viva Mexico" (Live Mexico) "Viva Fernando VII" (Live to Fernando VII King of spain) he actually claim the king of Spain, in that moment Fernando was a victim of Napoleon III, Napoleon took control of Spain and put his brother Joseph as a puppet king.

Mexico as all the colonies of Spain wanted a new status, not being Viceroyalties or colonies, but being provinces of Spain under the goverment of Fernando VII. At the end they prefered the independence.

The night of September 15th the local goverment officials recreate the same call to war, since Queretaro is the capital city of the state, both the city mayor and the governor recreate the cry, and since the grater area of Queretaro has three municipalities added, there are 4 mayors and a governor recreating it at the same time, each in their own office, except the mayor of Queretaro that did it in the same palace that the governor.

In the recreation the governor rings a bell, an exact replica of the one used by Hidalgo, and say a cry for every heroe, in case of Queretaro they have to cry for the Corregidora Josefa Ortíz (because she was from here) "Viva Josefa Ortíz de Dominguez, Corregidora de Queretaro" and the crowd yells "VIVA" this is twice, then a cry for the state "Viva Queretaro" Twice too and finally an out loud "VIVA MEXICO" three times.

After this all the bells of the churches are ring and the flags are waved, starting the fireworks, after the fireworks, music and dancing.


The next day, September 16th, there is a military parade, in the 13th and 14th there are other parades.


Also in Queretaro there is a sport race on septembre 15th, the liberty race, which follows the route from Queretaro to San Miguel de Allende, just like Ignacio Pérez.

In my house we have a party every year, with mexican food, music, and dancing, and at 11:00pm we also recreate the cry, and sing the national anthem.

(My house ready for the party)

Las week i had to go to the city of Guadalajara, great city, but to work, I departed on thursday to supervise the construction of my booth, well my company's booth in the Hardware store trade show, very important is the biggest in Latin America, the trade show took place from friday to sunday!! SUNDAY! I lost my weekend (that is agains nature)

But well I will ask for more vacation days later, suddenly I come back to Queretaro, Home sweet home, and people told me that the Boss of the boss of the boss of the boss of the boss of the boss of the boss ... and so on, is visiting the office in Queretaro for the first time, so there is a big circus aroud here, everyhting must look perfect, clean, efficient (like if that where the reality) tons of work, he is arriving on the weekend, so my boss asked me for help those days, well my answer was a total NO!! I already lost a weekend, I'm really tired, and it is Mexico's Independence Day (September 16th) and my mom birthday (September 15th)

My answer was probably rude, but c'mon two straight weekends, I need my rest, I'm really tired because I didn't have a weekend.

I'm not lazy, but this next weekend is extra special, festivities, parties, and relaxing all in one.

Last week I was in the city of "Puebla de Zaragoza" in the state of "Puebla de los Ángeles", this was the second most important city in the viceroyalty, it is one of the biggest cities, and it is probably one of the most "MEXICAN" nature in it, since many mexican dishes where created in this city, it is also home of one of the most beautiful Cathedrals in Latin America, really impressive cathedral.

I was in this city for second time in my life, the first time I had 3 years old, so I don't have any memories of that.

In Puebla the Mole Poblano was invented, is the sauce that is prepared with chocolate, the rompope (mexican egg nog), camotes de frutas (sweet potato candy), talavera (china), chiles en nogada (chiles prepared specially for the emperor Agustin I conmemorating the victory over Spain), chalupas and so many other great things.

I visited the Conventions centre, the church of "San Francisco", the cathedral, the city Zocalo, the municipal palace and goverment palace, I even have a photo taken with the governor of the state, very famous "Gober precioso" (precious gover) he is famous because a recording that show the public how corrupt he is, and very bad mouth, he is like a tourist attraction too.

There so many things to say about Puebla, and so little time, so I will made it short, IT IS BEAUTIFUL and large, and poblanos (people from puebla) love the hunk of the cars, every single time you hear them.

Here some photos.

I hate transit, being stuck in the street without movement or very slowly, that is one of the reasons I won't live in Mexico city, in Queretaro the main attraction is the downtown (historic district) where on weekends (wednesday until sunday) the transit is hard, every day is hard but mondays and thursdays is more pleasant, the rest of the week is madness, still there are parts where you can always move faster (some streets) but on vacations being the main destination on inland Mexico (cities without beach) you can suffer a lot.

Last friday I was stuck in traffic for an hour without moving watching the beautiful church of "La Cruz" (the Cross) in the "Plaza de los Fundadores" (Square of the founders), after we started to move I was able to get a parking space, and took it, even though I had to walk a lot to get to the restaurant I was going to have dinner.