Mexican Hammocks

The making of hammocks is a proud tradition in the Yucatán. Just about every Maya home has hooks on the wall for hanging their handmade hammock. To mass produce them in a factory would be unthinkable. Every one of these products, exported globally, has been created on a loom, within a family concern. It is often the women who take charge here, though men and children will happily take their turn.

The Maya have been using hammocks since the 1300s. They didn't invent them. The idea was imported from the Taíno people of Ayiti (modern day Haiti), discovered during trading trips. The word 'hammock' means 'fish net' in Arawakan, the language of the Taíno; which gives a huge clue as to what they were making them from. The Maya soon began to stamp their own personality and creativity upon the concept.



Mexican hammocks are not made out of fish nets. They are woven out of up to a mile of pure cotton. A few test runs apparently taught them that lying on knots hinder relaxation, so the Maya hammocks do not contain any. The idea is to dye the cotton strands in advance, then keep going from a single yarn. The end result is probably the most comfortable hammock in the world.

Picture a hammock and you possibly have one for a solitary person, strung between two palm trees. With your head close to one tree, and your feet at the other, it cocoons you. If you're trying this with a Mexican hammock, you're doing it wrong.



These are designed to lie width-ways across it. That opens up the hammock and allows two or more people to relax side by side. It becomes firm, moulding to each body, as it gently sways. Some are huge, holding up to five people before another hammock is required. In Maya homes, they don't only serve as beds, but as chairs too. A common use is as a baby's cradle. They are very safe for this, so the little one can't roll out. In large families, hammocks can be very economical with space!



Hammock weaving accounts for 60% of the industry of the Yucatán Maya. Ever since the Europeans arrived, in the 16th century, Mexico has been exporting brightly colored weaves. Often the colors will tell you something about the artisan who made it.

Young people are encouraged to experiment to find their own designs or the best hues to string together. They are also taught how to construct their own looms. Your own loom means that you're on your way to self-sufficiency; and can make a living in areas that are often mired in poverty.



By adulthood, with centuries of traditional knowledge and an apprenticeship of personal experience behind them, they are ready to launch their choices into the international market. You can imagine the glee, when their creation out-sells everyone elses!

This accounts for the fact that no two Mexican hammocks are exactly the same, though they may appear so from a distance. After all, a winning formula is going to be reproduced! The hand-woven designs might have tassels, elaborate knots on the fringes or anything else that the imagination can throw up. Each person wants to put their all into this. It's a matter of honor, accomplishment, status and pride, so they want to stand out.



The process of creating a Maya hammock is called sprang weaving. This interlocks the weave in a diamond shape, which has a practical function, as well as looking pretty. The crossing of threads is what makes it so durable. A single hammock should last its buyer a life-time, as they don't easily wear out.

(Caution should be taken, if you lie on them with buckles or other sharp objects on your person. Not only is this going to be uncomfortable, but you might snag the thread. That's about the only way you are going to destroy this hammock.)



So next time you're drifting off to sleep, in your Mexican hammock, throw out a quick thought for the individual who made it. Because they'd be thrilled to bits that you choose their hammock - with their design, which they personally wove for you, on a loom that they built themselves. Enjoy!

June 19th: Father's Day

Yesterday was Father's Day in Mexico. Día del Padre (Day of Fathers) always falls on the third Sunday in June, so its date, unlike Mother's Day, can change. Other than that, the day holds many similarities to Día de las Madres, only the parental focus has changed.


Día del Padre is a day for honoring fathers and father figures. Children and adults alike will have presented their dad with a card and gift. As with Mother's Day, the little ones will often have made something at school, while older children and adults will have bought their tokens of appreciation from a shop.

This is a day for family. Being Sunday, in a staunchly Catholic country, the whole extended family might well have met up for Mass at their local church. Afterwards, everyone congregates at the parental home, where a shared meal usually evolves into a small party. It is all for the patriarch of the home, who could expect a steady stream of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, lining up to tell him how great he is.


In some areas, the celebrations spill out of the homes and into larger events. In Mexico City, the 31st annual Carrera del Día del Padre (Father's Day Race) was held in Bosque de Tlalpan (Tlalpan Forest). Organized by professional athletic associations, the 12,000 participants will have paid up to $400 entrance fee. But there are substantial cash prizes attached to a sliding scale of awards. The overall winner will net $50,000.

Categories include everything from athletic standard to veteran fun runs; though a popular one is the Father and Son Race. Birth certificates proving their relationship is required to sign up to that one. They hurtle out over 13 miles (21km), after the 7.30am starting whistle sounds, into a mostly forested route. However, some of the roads in the city will be closed as part of the race. Afterwards, there is a carnival atmosphere, as times are displayed for all (gathered from chips clipped to each runner) and the award ceremony takes place.


For most fathers in Mexico, the day is less competitive and more family oriented. If it isn't the Mass, meal, party combo around the home, then it will be a day trip with everyone in tow. The whole family might descend upon a local attraction or beauty hotspot; or attend a sports venue as spectators only!

A (slightly belated) feliz Día del Padre to all the Mexican fathers (and other nationalities visiting) out there!

Pancho Villa: The Storm That Swept Mexico

Enigmatic, charismatic, history-making general, Pancho Villa divided opinion even during his life-time. On both sides of the Mexican-American border, there were those who would call him hero, bandit, freedom fighter, terrorist, statesman, charro, the best or worst individual ever to come out of Mexico.



He recently made headlines again, when American actor, Johnny Depp, turned down the lucrative lead in a Hollywood movie about Pancho Villa's life. Depp, taking his cue from the campaigns of Racebending, argued that a Mexican should be cast in such a high profile Mexican role.

My dilemma is just the fact that it’s Pancho Villa. It is Pancho Villa, and it’s one of the great heroes of Mexico. And for me, I feel like it should be played by a Mexican, and not some, you know – not some mutt from Kentucky, you know what I mean? I think I still feel very strongly about that.
Johnny Depp, actor

Last night, American television audiences were treated to another airing of the docu-drama, 'The Storm That Swept Mexico'. It chronicled the life and times of Pancho Villa. So who is this man?


TRAILER - The Storm That Swept Mexico from Paradigm Productions on Vimeo.
Back in September, we ran a series of blogs on the Mexican War of Independence. It would have been nice to write that that was the end of the story and that Mexico then settled down to a lovely couple of intervening centuries. Unfortunately, it wasn't like that at all. The next 100 years were some of the most turbulent in Mexico history. Heads of State came and went, some lasting no more than days or weeks at most.

There was a crippling war with the USA, which resulted in the border being repositioned, cutting Northern Mexico off from the rest of the country. Central Mexico became (and still is) the new north. The French invaded and were repelled, in the events still celebrated as Cinco de Mayo. They returned and ruled Mexico for three years, until another revolution threw them out again.

Yet still there was no stability in the reappointed Mexican government. Some presidents lasted mere hours, before being replaced. None of this was good for the country's economy and it certainly wasn't great for the people.

The War of Independence had left such high hopes, but the reality had seen more war and oppression than had been felt under the rule of the Spanish. Poverty was rife and still the guns blazed.

Then, in 1877, Porfirio Díaz (pictured left) became President of Mexico on a ticket of 'no re-election'. He was ousted, but returned. When he was sworn in, in 1884, he was there to stay. Díaz held office for the next thirty years. For some, that was stability; but, for most, that was a dictatorship.

It was a particularly bitter pill to swallow, when it is considered that only the ruling elite got the perks during this regime. The poor became poorer and few opportunities for advancement went on. Wealthy landowners became mini monarchs of their own sprawling haciendas. The mass of people worked, practically as slaves, upon them. It was like the War of Independence had never happened.

It was into this world that José Doroteo Arango Arámbula was born, on June 5th, 1878, on the Rancho de la Coyotada, Rio Grande, San Juan del Río, in Durango. He was to become better known to the world as Pancho Villa.


Pancho Villa, in later life, on horseback.
The young José was the eldest son of hacienda workers, Agustín Arango and Micaela Arambula. Life was tough and became even tougher when Agustín died, while José was barely out of puberty. Nevertheless, he did his best to be the man of the house, helping his mother with his four younger siblings and working hard to bring a bit of money in.

Haciendas were like petty kingdoms of their own, with the owners calling the shots and doing what they would upon their own land. Lopez Negre, who ruled the Rancho de la Coyotada, was no exception and, in 1894, his gaze fell upon José's 12 year old sister. As he pinned the girl down, in an attempt to rape her, José raced for a gun and shot the man dead.

He might have saved his sister, but he had just about condemned himself and his family. At just sixteen years old, José fled into the Durango mountains and hid out.

Capture meant instant, summary execution. His family were being watched. Without a main wage-earner, they teetered on the edge of starvation. Then José was found.

It wasn't Díaz's countryside police who found him; nor was it the marauding bands of men from the hacienda. It was members of a bandit group headed by infamous outlaw, Ignacio Parra. José was taken to meet their leader, who instantly took him under his wing. The boy was advised to change his name, to further avoid capture. He decided to take his surname from his grandfather, Jesus Villa. As a first name, José chose Francisco.

From now, until 1910, Francisco Villa was one of many Robin Hood characters, roaming the Durango countryside. Their aim was to raid rich haciendas and to redistribute the gains to the poverty-striken common people. To many, they were merely criminal gangs, intent upon breaching all facets of law and order. But in this way, Villa managed to keep his family fed.

But his major role in history was just about to come.

Sustainable Tourism Award for Mayakoba

It was 240 square hectares of mangrove forest and jungle, lined with a mile of beautiful, untouched Caribbean beach; and it was ear-marked for tourist development. Green campaigners looked on in horror. There was a delicate eco-system here, which could be lost forever. In the rainforest alone, 300 species of plant and 200 creatures made their home. Then there were the cenotes, the ocean, the lagoon... in short, it felt like the last place ever that someone should be considering building.

But they needn't have worried, as the Mayakoba architects had a vision of sustainable tourism. Last night, with the complex now built and fully operational, their efforts earned them the recognition of the Rainforest Alliance. It is the first tourist resort ever to receive such an accolade. Mayakoba's pioneering green construction looks set the lead the way.


Mayakoba's Rosewood Hotel
The hotels are luxurious. Imagine arriving, after a 20 minute drive from Cancun Airport, through the lush foliage of this stunning part of the world. In the Banyan Tree, one of three of the proposed five hotels already operational, the next part would be to step into a gondola.

You and your luggage would drift the short distance along a crystal clear lagoon. You would dock at a private villa. Patio doors open from the living area into the lagoon. You can dive straight from it into the waters. Or else you could use your personal pool, as each separate villa has one.

But, for now, you climb up out of your gondola and into your villa. Your luggage is brought right inside. You have arrived. From now on, the gondola will serve every time you want to leave your accommodation to venture into the main complex, or out into wider Mexico. Alternatively, you could just use the walkways positioned behind the villa, but where's the romance in that?


Lagoon side villas at Mayakoba's Banyan Tree
There are a proposed five hotels, all independently owned, as well as a Greg Norman signature golf club, in Mayakoba. Three of the hotels have already been built: Banyan Tree, Fairmont and Rosewood; as has the golf club. They have each been constructed in ways that appear sympathetic to the landscape. But moreover, their green credentials are unparalleled.

Andres Pan de Soraluce, the president of OHL Development, who created the complex, explained,

"The Mayakoba vision started with a desire to establish a new tourist development where environmentalism was to take center stage. A lot of planning and infrastructure was put in place to preserve the amazing ecosystem that our development sits on, and we are glad our vision was achieved."

OHL worked with many green campaigners, including the Rainforest Alliance, from the onset of conception, through to design and construction. Planners spent two weeks in the area, surveying the landscape solely looking for environmental pitfalls. They then took this data to the planning table and solutions were sought, which then informed what could and could not be done there.

One of their first concessions was to place all of the main infrastructure 500 meters (1,640ft) back from the beach, away from the dunes in particular. This would protect wildlife in the area.


Mayakoba's Fairmont Hotel
Moreover, the developers looked at other methods of lessening the complex's environmental footprint. Energy and water saving devices were built into the architecture itself. Well-documented, sustainable policies and practices ensured that these are utilized to their maximum capacity. All three hotels are run along ecologically friendly principles.

The human cost hasn't been overlooked either. Out in the jungle, there are Maya villages, where the residents feared being swamped by the business developments. OHL Developers met with representatives from the villages to consult with their needs. These too were incorporated.

Now that three of the hotels are up and running, the partnership continues. Tourists are encouraged to venture out into the villages, in order to meet the local people. For the communities, their economy is growing as a result. Who better than the locals to guide jungle tours and boat rides through the wider lagoon? Or to host cultural events, which boost awareness of the Maya? It is also local Maya people who run the traditional purification rituals, on offer to guests at the Mayakoba hotels.


All of this added up to a sparkling gala award ceremony, held in New York, USA, last night. Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance, gave a speech in which Mayakoba was praised for its work.

"Companies are continuing to make bold commitments to sustainability and traceability, despite ongoing instability in the economic environment. The companies and individuals honored during our annual gala deserve recognition for their demonstrated commitments to sustainability. Collectively, their efforts are enormously beneficial to workers, to communities and to the environment."

The Rainforest Alliance campaigns to protect the environment, particularly the rainforests, as their name suggests. They are more likely to be found protesting the concerns of corporations, than handing out awards to them. That Mayakoba made the grade demonstrates just how much work and green practices have been put in place in their complex.


Ocean side villas at Mayakoba's Banyan Tree

Lagoon side villas at Mayakoba's Fairmont

Lagoon side villas at Mayakoba's Rosewood

May 10th: Mother's Day in Mexico

Today is Día de las Madres (Day of the Mothers) in Mexico. Visitors to our country may spot small children acting in plays and presenting their thrilled mothers with handmade gifts. Every school and playgroup will have covered this one.

Meanwhile the older children, teenagers and adults will be rushing into shops to buy bouquets of flowers and a card. (Displays of cards with legends like 'Feliz Día de las Madres' or 'Feliz Día Mamá' are everywhere.) Some lucky mothers might even be getting something larger.

This is, after all, a day to honor and show appreciation to the woman who birthed and raised you.


The origins of Mother's Day are steeped in antiquity; though the modern form is something new. It is thought that the seeds of this day weren't with biological mothers, but with the celestial ones. Before the coming of Christianity, many world religions had a Mother Goddess. This was the day to honor Her.

In Mexico, this might have been a day to worship Malinalxochitl, the primal Aztec Mother Goddess, Queen of Men and Beasts, and her sister, Toci, Mother of the Gods; or Mictecaciuatl, Mother Goddess of Mexico; or Tlazolteotl, the Maya goddess, who gave birth to the sun.

The coming of Christianity removed all of that, though it did bring with it traditions of their own. Until 1660, there had been a day, throughout Christendom, where everyone returned to their 'Mother Church', ie the church where they had been baptized. This was bedecked with flowers and donations were given. In 1660, a decree widened the honor of this day to include earthly mothers. For the first time in history, the woman who carried you in her womb could expect a bunch of flowers for her effort, on a certain day of the year.


None of this actually caught on in Mexico. It wasn't until 1922, when a young journalist, inspired by celebrations in the USA and Europe, initiated the event. Rafael Alducín had founded the Excélsior newspaper just five years before. (This remains the second largest selling newspaper in Mexico today.) He wrote an article for it which suggested a national day to honor mothers.

Alducín was born in Puebla, but moved to Mexico City to further his education and gain employment. He had travelled to the USA, as a dealer in tires, and had been exposed to Mother's Day there.

It had been estabilished for a few decades in the USA, as a way to reunite siblings separated by the Civil War. They had been encouraged to all visit their mother on the same day.

Later, after he was married to Consuelo Thomalen, Alducín travelled on business into Europe. He was in Germany, when he saw Mother's Day celebrations similar to those he had already witnessed in the USA.

Once back in Mexico, he mused upon suggesting such a day for his native country. He also looked around to see if anything like this was already being proposed.

Some cities in the North, influenced by the USA, had started to honor the day in tandem with their neighbours. Meanwhile, El Hogan - a women's magazine - and La Asociation de las Damas Catolicas (The Association of Catholic Women) were encouraging it, as a way to maintain tradition values in the home.

Alducín decided that there was an appetite for a Mexican Mother's Day, so he wrote his editorial naming May 10th as the date. It can only be assumed that his own mamá, Isabel Bedoya Rossainz y Huerta, was very proud of him.


Día de las Madres is always on May 10th, in Mexico, regardless of what day of the week that falls. As well as the flowers, gifts and cards, everyone traditionally visits their mother on this day. Some arrive the night before, in order to be fresh and ready for a huge family reunion.

In many ways, the atmosphere can be akin to the American Thanksgiving, with a substantial meal and everyone making a big effort to be there for it. Though, of course, the thanks is due towards the center of the party - their mother. ¡Feliz Día de las Madres!