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Rural Villages of Jalisco: A Photographic Workshop (Los Pasos de Juan Rulfo) To schedule a trip contact Jill (Xill Fessenden) at email xxfessenden@yahoo.com

For those of you who don't know Xill, she has a photography studio in Ajijic on lower Aldama and sells some incredible art work. Many years ago she ran tours into the Michoacan highlands and I've stayed in many out of the way spots and see indigenous peoples festivals, events we could never get in on our own. She spent many years traveling Michocan and getting to know the indigenous people - many trips I will never forget.

May Schedule
I will be mailing the schedules and information once a month.  Here is the schedule and I hope you will be joining me on these excursions to the Rural Villages of Jalisco each Thursday throughout May and June. Thanks Xill

( These workshops must have at least 6 participants or will be canceled. The space is limited to 10. We meet at the Casa de Waffle on the Chapala- Jocotepec highway (la carretera poniente) #75 at 8:30am unless otherwise advised in the description of the Thursday outing. Payment of $600 pesos is due at this departure site. Get there a little earlier if you wish to have coffee. All participants should check their camera equipment before hand. Batteries, memorycard etc. Good walking shoes, hats and sunscreen should be brought along. A picnic lunch should be packed for each trip unless otherwise noted in the description. Please bring water, snacks and the individual necessities you require. Because we often visit homes and haciendas, bring some extra small cash for tips to different people and places. We are visiting out of the way places to photograph village life in Jalisco. We often stop and walk around when we encounter scenes of visual interest. Everyone may photograph in their own particular fashion. Every journey will have a technical assistant onboard. Please keep my cell phone on hand if you have one.
It is 3311405659. )


May 16th The Pitaya Harvest
We leave from the Casa de Waffle at 8:30. Bring a picnic lunch. We will photograph the seasonal harvest of the pitaya in the little know rural setting of San Marcos, Jalisco. Pitayo is the Spanish name for Organ Pipe Cactus (Stenocereus thurberi), Pitaya is the fruit of this cactus. San Marcos is on the edge of the dry lakes not far from Ajijic. There are noticeable differences between Pitaya from this region and Pitaya (or Dragon Fruit) that comes from Asia. When you cut open most of the Pitaya from Asia, you will discover that it is very white on the inside. However, when you cut open a Pitaya from our region of Jalisco the inside is a dark red color also a brillant magenta but then it is sometimes white. The white varieties from Asia tend to be very bland and do not carry a lot of nutrients. However, the Pitayas from our region have what some would describe as an earthy strawberry-raspberry taste. The deep color also signifies that the fruit carries a lot of nutrients and is packed with Antioxidants. The Pitaya fruit can be found along nutrient rich volcano mountainsides of our region. The Pitaya fruit sprouts from a big beautiful white flower.. The strong sun rises in the morning, and burns off the flowers petals. You are left with a small bud ready to grow into a delicious Pitaya fruit. The Pitaya is pollinated by both bats and moths. The amazing Pitaya fruit is famously known as a natural fiber rich digestive aid that is packed with Antioxicants, Omega-3s but low in sugar. It is also a good source of Vitamin C, Calcium and magnesium. The best Pitaya fruits can be found in our region. In San Marcos we will find orchards of organ pipe cactus and villagers going about the harvest of the fruit. You may find the sellers of this fruit on the street corners of Ajijic and other Ribera towns. This is a special opportunity to see the source and process of this incredible human nutrient famous in our region of Jalisco

May 23rd Tecocotlan, Jalisco
Departure at 8:30 from the Waffle House. Bring Picnic lunch. We will experience the town or Tecocotlan home of well known Jaliscan artist and musician Cornelio Garcia. We will drive to the ruins of an old coffee hacienda as well as visit the museum which houses some interesting fossil remains. We will go to the home of artist Natividad Cuevas where he will explain the spirit of rural Jalisco and direct you into the magical dimensions of Mexican imagery. We will have a discussion about creativity and photography before visiting the kitchens and homes of rural folks in this amazing Jaliscan town. Return at 6pm to Ajijic.

May 30th The Festival of Corpus Cristi; Taricuato, Michoacan an overnight journey
We will leave Wednesday the 29th of May and returning May 30th. This is a special excursion to the indigenous fiesta of Taricuato, Michoacan. A town near the Jaliscan boarder whose tradition has great influences in the state Jalisco. This area is know for some of the most elegant traditional dresses of Michoacan. They have feathered shawls and wonderful embroidery. The festival of Corpus is comparable to the potlatch festivals of the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada and the USA. Corpus holds the reminisce of gift-giving festivals which were the primary economic system practiced by indigenous peoples. Traditional dances and giving away of products and creations in front of the ancient church in the town square will hold numerous photographic inspirations and anthropological knowledge. This trip is limited to only 4 people. The cost of the trip is $1200 pesos a person and includes transportation, guide, technical photographic assistance and historical knowledge. It does not include hotel or food. Please contact Xill for further information about this excursion.