Hacienda de los Borregos

Sunday morning bike rides always lead to new discoveries... This time was no different. We cycled from the hacienda to Acanceh, and from there decided to carry on through a little path leading form the local cemetery towards the highway. The improvement works had just ended and we were curious to see if the little alley used only by locals on bikes and tricitaxis would continue. It did, and a perfect tunnel under the 184 (Merida-Chetumal) allowed us to cross safely.

About 4 km of once a truck line, led us to a little village where the time stopped many years ago. About 20 houses scattered around the square,  a concrete sports court and two chapels, the old abandoned one falling apart, and the new one painted bright. Thirsty, we stop in the local tendejon, only to find they just sell cocacola in 2.5 litre bottles - family size. Left with no choice ( water unavailable!) we buy one to refresh and rest with our bikes under a huge tamarindo in the square. Suddenly a man appears in the new chapel door, waves and walks towards us. He is probably in his late 60s, slim and with very mayan nose, his eyes are absolutely striking: piercing blue... perfect topic to begin conversation! He tells us his mother had the same eyes, maybe she was of Spanish or German origin, but he didn't know ( ¨Quien sabe!¨). He said all his life he spoke mainly maya, that in the old days in the villages no one used castellano. Don Anselmo is now the care taker of the saints in the new chapel. He invites us inside to take a look.

Various statues placed on a humble altar. But what draws my attention is a cross tucked away in the corner. We move closer to admire it. During the colonisation of the peninsula, the priests needed to find a way to convert local indians to Christianity, so they painted the crosses green, a color for Mayas related to the sacred ceiba tree, the symbol of life and an object of worship. Our cross was adorned with figures symbolising the Passion of Christ. Another unusual object was a hairy Virgin wearing lots of jewellery. Anselmo told us that when his youngest daughter was little she got very sick, so he came to the chapel to pray and made a promise that if his baby gets well he will get new hair for the Virgin. Few months later the girl recovered and he kept his promise and cut his daughters ponytail and donated it to his patron saint. Many promises must have been made since the Hairy Virgin is wearing many golden pendants and earrings.

We walk out to take a look at the building.The adjoining room has stone walls and tin roof, almost falling apart. A woman walks in, she introduces herself as Doña Sandy. She explains this area used to be the area where the priest would prepare for mass or give confession. The current priest does not visit the village often, he charges 800 pesos to come and give mass, and it is more if it is XV or bautizo... Sandy lights a candle for the saints, and joins us in the second room. We talk for a bit, she is curious to find out more about the reason for our visit and cannot believe we are just roaming around. I show her a photo of me wearing terno, she is impressed by its fine embroidery. She calles for someone to bring a hipil she is working on now. To help support her family economy she dedicates her time to embroidery, ´solo por encargo´ or special occasions, her eye sight is not so good anymore, she points outside at a makeshift hut, and there is no electricity inside, so she can only work during daytime hours. She has to go to Acanceh to buy fabric and threads. We sit for a while admiring her work. 

Two little kids are running around chasing chickens and a puppy. Sandy is Anselmo´s sister in law. They are both widowers and help one another. They live behind the little chapel in very basic accommodation with their children and their children. Anselmo once used to work at the pueblos hacienda, and he points in a direction of a gate overgrown with weeds. We say goodbye and walk towards the hacienda...

The gate is wide open and we can see something in a distance. We call but no one answers... Should we walk in??? The place looks abandoned.We take a chance and enter the property. A short walk and we are at the steps of a small hacienda that is falling to pieces. Nowhere near as impressive as other places i have been but it has a cosy feel and unique charm. Truck rails piled and chained up on the side, a sign of the henequen past. As we stand and look around, at the top of the stairs something moves and shrieks... A family of sheep walk out to give us a welcome! That is why I nicknamed this place Hacienda de Los Borregos. 

Surprised by the unexpected inhabitants and somewhat uncomfortable by trespassing, we leave the property. We come back few weeks later, but this time we did not find the haciendas warden or the sheep, we stopped by to see Anselmo and I brought some candles for Sandy and her saints. He told us the animals were relocated to another plantel and the area around the building was cleaned up. He also gave us an all clear to go and take a look around. My Hacienda de los Borregos must have been an annex, the building has 3 rooms and a terraza with arches. There are bebederos and corrales - signs of cattle kept years before the sheep. I often daydream about the past and the future of places like this... Maybe in another life I can comeback a sheep and have a hacienda life.... Maybe...

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