Hermosillo, Sonora

I spent a day in Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora state, adjacent to Arizona. It was a pleasant adventure. I was impressed with the gentler life of the city as compared with border towns like Nogales and Tijuana. Hermosillo has quiet parks and plazas in the center. The old city has 100's of historic buildings.

Don Jose y Khacho

Don Jose and Khacho visiting the beach in front of Casa Zen II (Pueblo Solar). Don Jose is the founder of Casa Zen. He arrived in Mazatlan about 16 years ago. Khacho is a buddhist monk in the Kadampa tradition. She has been around Mazatlan for over 20 years and co-owns a restaurant. She is currently living in a Kadampa temple in Tucson, Arizona and visits from time to time.

Coconut Collecting

Friday I went to help out at Pueblo Solar. It´s a branch of Casa Zen being built 5 miles south of Isla Piedra (and Mazatlan). The project is intended to be an energy self sufficient retreat center. Roberto (pictured) and I worked on building a septic hole (fosa septica) for the toilet drainage. After finishing the hole we poured a layer of gravel into it. Then we went to collect dried out coconuts to create the next layer.

Pangas

Yesterday morning I went over to Casa Zen on Isla Piedra. The easiest way to get there is by small boat. They are called pangas. There was some fog entering from the ocean. Fog is unusual here.

Tropical Hut Construction

Yesterday we helped build a palapa on Isla Piedra. First we pulled the fiber out of dried coconuts. Next, we mixed it with clay, sand and water. Then we formed balls of it and built walls between the posts of the palapa. It's a slow process.