Pihuamo Rotary Club Visit

Sunday, January 25, 2009


As much as we enjoy going out on our own now and then, a Proejct Amigo workweek is always a good experience. The new group, which arrived last night is from Eugene, Oregon and today we get to meet them. Today being Sunday, there won;t be any worj done. We take the PA bus which takes us to Pihuamo, Jalisco. Mom rides in the van which is a lot more comfortable than the bus. For us the fellowship on the bus is enough fun not to be bothered by some of the uncomfortable seats.

After an hour and a half drive through the mountains, we are greeted very warmly by Leo, one of the Rotarians from the Pihuamo club.
He provides us with a little background information and explains what we will be doing. Ramiro does a great job translating for those who do not understand Spanish.

We learn that Pihuamo, which is on the south western corner of the state of Jalisco, was first established in 1598, when a judge by the name of Don Antonio de Cuenca y Contreras (Ramiro has family everywhere) discovered a tiny church in an area occupied by only seven Spanish speaking families. Before he settled there he asked each of the man what their belongings were. Their only belongings were land in which they grew crops.
As in many other towns, the meaning of the name seems to vary, depending who you ask. One of the literatures explains that the name Pihuamo means, “Lugar the grandes señores”, (place of the powerful men), others claim the name comes from Pio Amo. (Pio being the name of the person who owned the property).
The town has now 11,000 inhabitants who live mainly off agriculture as well as the iron mine.
We meet some of the other Rotarians at the town office. They walk us to the square, the cultural centre and the church. Some of us take the tiny steps up to the roof of the church, from where we have a beautiful view over the city and the entire area.

Diego drives us to the ranch, where we are being greeted warmly by Rotarians and their spouses. The women and some of their children are all busy, making tortillas, chopping beef, pork or chicken and baking quesedias.
After we receive a welcome drink of tequila and grapefruit soda, we’re invite to pick up a plate and have it filled with various tortillas, rice and beans. The tequila and beer keeps flowing, and when everyone has eaten enough we play a game of Mexican Bingo. We’re all given a large card with various images on it and the name of the image. The game master picks a card and reads out the name. If we have that particular image on our card, we place a dried corn kernel on it. Who ever has their card filled first comes forward. The card is checked and the person receives a prize.

The volunteers from Oregon go back to the Hacienda for social time, orientation and dinner. We go back to our casa in the country. We’re pooped.