In Jalisco, mezcal is a very important crop. Mezcal is one of the biggest money makers that they have because of the fact of the Red Dirt. Red Dirt is a very rare thing that is very fertile and it also must be one of the most fertile places on Earth. Mezcal produces tequila, one of the most sold alcohol worldwide. Mezcal is one of the symbols of Mexico and it comes from the beautiful Jalisco. This photo was taken from the mountain near los pueblos Tepatitlán de Morelos and La Capilla de Guadalupe.The ranch belonged to my grandmother but sold it after the age she couldn’t work anymore. Mezcal is also a very difficult plant to grow because it could only grow in red dirt which is exclusive to Jalisco. It is quite a profitable investment but it takes 7 years to grow to the correct age.
A very popular tradition in Jalisco to go to. It is where charros go to compete against each other within using lassos and horses. Horses are the main tool they use for their competition. There are 5 games in each competition, the team with the most points wins. The objective of the game in the photo is to chase the horse around the ring. There are three horsemen chasing it making sure it stays running in circles and they whip them and use their lassos for that. Then one has the job to use their lasso to grab the horses front two legs. Charros is a tradition that Jalisco takes much pride in. Mariachi originates from Jalisco and it is where outfits come from.
This house was made by hand by my grandfather with bricks and he did it himself. He made this for his family of 13, 15 including himself and my grandmother. This was Also my father was born in that house, not in a hospital.The water Source they used was a hot spring under the ground. This Ranch also has houses for witches, as my uncles and aunts used to say. And it was confirmed by my grandfather that witches did live by there. it's also is used to make crops such as beans, corn, zucchini, and Squash. In the back there are cows, pigs, snakes, chickens, Lambs, roosters, and goats. This was the way of life back in the 1960s all the way till now. the farm is their source of money and it puts food on the table for such a big family. The big reason why Mexican families have so many kids is so they could work on the farm for them.
Carne asadas is a very tradition and is common in every family. It’s when you invite all your cousins, aunts, uncles, family friends, etc. to a barbeque to cook chicken, meat, and chorizo. It is to spend time with family, enjoying yourself with family. You are eating, drinking, and listening to music. In the photo above, we went on a 1 hour drive and got onto a mountain. It is beautiful being able to see the pueblos and just seeing how small they are. The mountain is 3km above sealevel.
When Mexico won its independence from Spain, one thing that the Mexican people kept with them was religion. Religion is part of their everyday life. Since my great grandfather lived in the middle of pueblos and was two hours away from the next church. So my great grandfather built this church by hand . It still stands there today and I pass by it every year.
In Jalisco it's a very very popular thing to eat Tunas. Eating them is a very heartwarming feeling for my dad's generation because of the fact that they worked in a ranch. After a long day they would go and eat Tunas because they had no water and it was what they ate when they were hungry and thirsty. It brings them back to their childhood when they would work in the ranch with their brothers and sisters. Yes it is a very painful thing because they are growing on Cactus they do have Spike's which really do hurt for after you get used to me don't really that hurt that much and then you learn how to take them off with grass.