Mexico: FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES

Mt. Orizaba, the highest mountain in Mexico.

It is always good to have a couple of good friends in high - if not the highest - places. I am happy to report that we have just that!

They live on a top of an emerald hill tucked in the mountains of beautiful Sierra Madre Oriental and this is the view from their living room.



But let me start from the beginning.

West Kootenay country between Nelson and Salmo, BC

The very first time we met Karel (or Carlos as they call him in Mexico) and Tisha, his long-time companion, was a cold winter day in the West Kootenays - beautiful mountainous area tucked into the South-East corner of Super Natural British Columbia, Canada. This is a geologically older prelude to the North American Rocky Mountains that rise parallel to the area just a stone-throw away to the East. (Well, more like a 4 hour car-ride on a good road.)

Still ....I am writing all this just to let people know that because of our mutual love of mountains we were already pretty high up when we met! 

Our paths towards this first meeting were quite convoluted.

The young Carlos came to Canada from the former Czechoslovakia in late 60's, right after the country's unsuccessful bid for a democratic reform of 1968; the one that became known world-wide as Prague Spring.






The young engineer ended up in Vancouver, Canada, finding work with well known TV Knowledge Network and eventually made his way to a post that allowed him to travel wide and far.

Tisha's trail started on the other side of the globe -  in Mexico, but eventually their paths met a she moved to Vancouver as well.

We, on the other hand, waited and waited in Czechoslovakia for the Soviet occupation to end. The years went by and by the 1979 we too, picked up our two young children and found our own complicated way to the land that, at the time, seemed so very far away.

Our path took us at first to the Canadian Prairies but after another decade the pull of the mountains became too great and we ended up in the foothills of the Rockies.
That's what some call this western region of British Columbia. Others call it the Columbia Mountains.

Selkirk Mountains in West Kootenay Region

As the decades passed, and we all neared retirement, the four paths came to an intersection and all of us met in the neighborhood of the majestic Valhallas. There we forged a valued friendship.

West Kootenay region: Valhallas in Slocan Valley

Then came another convolution: this time it was Tisha's aging Mom and Tisha's sense of duty which meant bidding our friends good bye as they moved to Mexico.

Our Czech Karel and Canadian Carl became Mexican Carlos.
But since his Great Grandfather made his own twisted way from Spain to Czech Bohemia "Carlos" became a very suitable name for this Great Grandson of his.
Talk about circles and spirals.

And that's where the real story begins.

And why am I telling all this? Because Canada Post just delivered a beautiful present: after 7 years of building a new life in the mountains of Sierra Madre Occidental Karel, turned Carlos, published an amazing account of their new start in another far-away country.

Photo by Tisha Perez

Also because Carlos published this book through Amazon, and because the photographs would make this well written book too expensive, AND because we had a chance to visit our friends in their new home in Mexico, I asked for his permission to post my photos from this charming Hummingrbird Hill Ranch on my blog.

This is not marketing (no, really - although the book is well worth buying) - I have tons of photos that I would like to share - and if someone reads the book as well, so much for the better. I only wish that it could be translated to other languages!)

It was here that we met with our friends again - in another high place near a historic town of Xico ("shico"), not that far from Veracruz. - at Hummingbird Hill Ranch up there in the clouds on the hummingbird hill. It is guarded by two famous volcanoes: the grumpy old Cofre de Perote and beautiful Mt. Orizaba. And that will be where we shall venture next.

Town of Xico and Hummingbird Ranch Hill

P.S.
To those just starting out on their independent journey through life, this could be a reminder that one's life does not "end" at the age of 40. Not even at 50 (OMG - so old!). Not even at 60 or 70, 80 and so on ....
On the contrary - the life story continues; with perhaps less physical ability but more courage and wisdom than ever.  It is too bad that the 3rd millennium opened up with a growing gap between the young and the old.


Just imagine what we could achieve if .... but I am afraid that such is the nature of human beings.... and an entirely different topic for this or any blog as well.