Cinco de Mayo, Courtesy of the French

(City of Puebla, Mexico. North view, toward the Malinche Volcano)

East of Mexico City lies the landlocked state of Puebla, now formally named Heróica Puebla de Zaragoza. On May 5, 1862, La Puebla de los Angeles, Town of the Angels, hosted the scene of an arrogant Napoléon III and the Imperial French Army's comeuppance by a poorly supplied yet tenacious Mexican Army. At the time, America was a two nation country dragging the southern part back into reunification one bloody battlefield at a time with no real interest in Mexico's internal strife. Besides, America considered France a friend. The people of Pueblo harbored no such illusions. The whole American friendship thing exited with the idea that an emperor or monarchal rule went against what the young war torn nation had fought against before the French republicans lopped off Marie Antoinette's head. Mexican men & women fought off a better supplied Second Empire army that had a disticnt advantage of twice as much manpower to thwart the colonization of central Mexico. It took six years before France threw in the towel when they went in expecting an early crushing of dissent victory after installing Emperor Napoleon's puppet as a Mexican Emperor, the soon to be executed Archduke Ferdinand Maximillian of Austria by Benito Juarez's order.

Photo of escaramuza - women in the Mexican Revolution - courtesy Nelvin C. Cepeda/Union Tribune

In a turnabout induced by time and immigration, Cinco de Mayo is now very popular in the United States but remains a regional phenomenon in Mexico. Pueblo's battle did not decide the outcome, but what a morale booster that Emperor Napoléon III and the 8,000 French soldiers could be beaten by the few people under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. The Execution of Maximillian I (and only) of Mexico was captured by the renowned Spanish painter, Édouard Manet in a painting of the ame name. In the 21st century, Cinco de Mayo captures the American imagination while giving those of Mexican descent a means to celebrate a part of its rich heritage.

French interventionism, the first time, went under the anglicized rubric of the Pastry War (1838 -1839) goes by the name, Primera Intervención Francesa en México, in Spanish. The word croissant does not imediately conjur up images of Mexico, but entire battles and many nations including the Republic of Texas became charbroiled over a French baker demanding payment for a ruined shop in Mexico. A French blockade ensued with Americans eventually aiding the Europeans resulting in eventually bringing the venerable Santa Anna out of retirement.

Cinco de Mayo is now also a cause to celebrate Mexican cuisine and drinks. In a spirit of patriotism the Chiles en nogada uses the three colors of the Mexican flag. Food influences allow people to go forward presenting each with treasures from their own culture. The margarita enjoys a variety of flavors, yet for a few of the orange flavored liqueurs a mexico product with a French label Patrón Citrónge, or the imported Cointreau , blue curaçao produces the stunning blue margarita. Yum. Add a little mariachi music and the celebration is ON!




It was setting my teeth on edge that the most prominent authors on Cinco de Mayo were Anglo. So after looking here is a great history for the younder set, Cinco de Mayo:Yesterday and Today, from Maria Christina Urrutia and Rebecca Orozco.

Mexico Mystery in Pyramid of the Sun

In the common era of the first millennium, the best developed city of ancient times was none other than Teotihuacán. Archaeologically, pyramids had a primal meaning for pre-Columbian citizens as well as the ancient pharaohs of Egypt separated across the span of the Atlantic Ocean within very different cultures, almost during the same time frames. There are hieroglyphics in each civilizations pyramids. Even the auspices and orators of ancient Rome would be forced to bow before the eminence rising as high as the pyramids springing out of the land now called México, but referred to as Mesoamerica. Since 1987, the area an hour's ride in a rickety tour bus outside Mexico City has held a place as an UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the amazing cultural history and incredible monuments left by an enterprising people. Now tourists flock to Teotihuacán from all over the world to climb the stone steps and see the view from Pyramide de la Luna, especially at time of the spring equinox. (Reuters)

Along the Avenue of the Dead up to the Pyramid of the Sun speaks to an ancient sophistication in urban planning. Now there is a mystery at the Pyramid of the Sun, what caused a collapse - thirty years ago they opened a tunnel that may hold the clue. A team of archaeologists gather to determine causation. Wars of words still rage between archaeologists in papers as to whether Teotihuacan is Totonac in origin or how much Mayan influence actually existed. No one knows. But many scholars and cultural enthusiasts believe clues are still confined within the Pyramid of the Sun. Speculators hazard a guess that volcanic activity was part of the city of over a 150,000, ruination. A long abandoned, torched and destroyed city is what the adventurous Aztecs found in 1500. Then the Spanish showed up.

Seems this particular pyramid does not have as famous a curse as King Tut, but the archaeologist that found the pyramid's secret tunnel thirty years ago, died, taking his insights with him to the grave. Now archaeologists with decided lack of superstitions have reopened the area to seek more answers. Anthropologists will collect more data to inform on their sacred rituals and religious practices and why the tunnel was sealed by the original inhabitants.

Archaeologists are now revisiting a cave system that is buried 20 feet (6 meters) beneath the towering Pyramid of the Sun and extends into a tunnel stretching for 295 feet (90 meters) with a height of 8 feet (2.4 meters).

They say new excavations begun this month could be the key to unlocking information about the sacred rituals of the people who inhabited the city, later dubbed "The Place Where Men Become Gods" by the Aztecs, who believed it was a divine site. (Photo Reuters)

Charles Mann took ten years to emote one of the most seminal books charting the history of the Incas, Mayans, Olmecs among many and their claim to a heritage more unique and deserving of praise than most in the western world are aware. His book, which is a wondrous legacy for all people is 1491: New Revelations of the America Before Columbus. Just an insightful, illuminating well written treatise that is worth more than Inca Gold.

Mexico Suffers Catastrophic Flooding in Tabasco

The valiant try, the final chance to ward off the coming disaster.It did not work.

Desperate citizen volunteers hauled and piled sandbags
as a last stand defense against the oncoming waters of the Grijalva River. Tragically, the gritty defenses against the flood waters came to naught as the waters from the broken levee rushed through the streets of Villahermosa. One of Mexico's largest oil production urban areas made 500,000 people homeless overnight. Devastation is massive and the costs mount as the floodwaters continue to rise.

Waterborne diseases and other outbreaks are a great fear to the Mexican government. The Tabascan governor says one million people are displaced or affected by the severe flooding. The local economy is in shambles and 300,000 are still desperately awaiting a rescue. Once rescued, its a logistical nightmare as every place is full.

Health officials warned that there could be epidemics of cholera, although none were yet reported.

Tabasco state floods every year around this time, and many poor, low-lying neighborhoods have grown accustomed to spending half a year with the first floor of their home under water. But this year's flooding has taken even flood-weary residents by surprise, inundating the state capital of Villahermosa and leaving the city's famous Olmec statues with water up to their enormous stone chins.

"The situation is extraordinarily grave: This is one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the country," President Felipe Calderon said in a televised address Thursday night.

"Nobody can stand around with his arms crossed," Calderon said. "We can't and won't abandon our brothers and sisters in Tabasco."

The rescues in the swift water were heartstopping survival mini-dramas playing out all over the city. Mexican authorities evacuated the city in anticipation of dire circumstances as the breached levee made it impossible to defend with the last ditch sandbagging operation.

Mexico's ancient artefact's in the area were not spared. The amazing Olmec's carved stone heads were partially submerged in the brown fast moving waters. Some of those stone monoliths reach a height of 9 feet. Excavating through the mud will find many treasures lost to the ravaging flood waters. So far, one death occurred in the flooding disaster.

Across the world, Vietnam, counts dozens among the dead in their own horrific flood as a result of a Typhoon.

Artefacts and culture are written about in this intriguing somewhat detailed book, The Olmecs: America's First Civilization by Richard A. Diehl. The exceptional study of Mesoamerican culture continues in Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs by Michael D. Coe and Rex Koontz.