I am upset with Mexico.....

This is the Great Pyramid of Cholula.

Another view shows the winding road to the Catholic Church built atop the pyramid.

It was bound to happen. I have been madly in love with Mexico for years. And living here? Well, it has been a beautiful honeymoon. I have walked in ancient archeological sites and been amazed at the level of sophitication and intelligence that built them. I have prayed in some of the most beautiful churches in the world and watched Mexican people around me pray with true devotion and love. I have seen gorgeous homes surrounded by flowers of every type and color. I have eaten delicious meals, both plain and fancy.  I have been warmly welcomed...people have invited me to their homes, given me rides,  helped me when I was lost. 


But now, I am upset with Mexico. It started with a weekend trip to Cholula, to experience the famous festival celebrating "La Virgin de los Remedios".  Cholula is known  for having the largest pyramid by "volume" in either the western hemisphere or the entire world.  When the Spanish invaded, they built a huge church right on top of the pyramid, as seen in the photos above.

The festival spreads throughout the entire downtown, and all of the churches take part, and schedule First Communions, Confirmations, and Weddings to coincide with the beautiful floral decorations that are created.

A little girl gets ready for her First Communion.

A special time for a wedding!

Each church had a beautiful fresh flower centerpiece.

One of the oldest churches we saw

These convent churches date from the 1500's.

Cholula has so many beautiful churches that you could spend a week and not visit them all.  We visited two enormous churches within a convent that were built in the 1500's.

Vendors work all day and night

These people never seem to sleep.

The church looked like something out of Disney World at night!

We wandered through the fair, where you could eat all kinds of food, or buy almost anything.  After dinner, we went back to our little hotel.

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The next day, we hoped to visit a very famous church we kept hearing about.  We took a pesero, since the church was in another town.  The driver said he knew where we wanted to go.  But, either we said the wrong name, or he heard the wrong name, because he dropped us off at a town nowhere near the famous church.

It was a very poor town.  It had no charm, nothing beautiful, no picturesque houses.  All we saw at first were empty roads and flies.  But then the dogs began to appear...one after the other; one skinnier than the next; many covered in flies and clearly in pain from the fly bites.  I felt sick.  Many had just given birth...so of course we also saw the poor puppies, who seemed helpless.  All of the dogs were frightened of us.  We had a package of tostadas (crispy tortillas) and broke them into pieces and tried to feed the dogs.  Many were too timid to come close enough for the little treat, especially the youngest.

We stopped to buy water at a tiny store and four adorable children were behind the counter.  They struggled to figure out the cost of the water and finally called for mama.  She came quickly; she had been hanging laundry in their small, cluttered yard.  But she had a big smile for us.  She was so young!  If she were in the U.S., she would probably be in college or working and planning vacations, not hanging laundry for six people on a Sunday morning.  If she "owned" one of the female dogs, she certainly couldn't afford to have it spayed.  And if puppies kept coming and coming, well, she couldn't afford to feed them, either.  As upset as I was about the town's stray dogs, I couldn't be upset at this young woman who was clearly struggling to care for her family.

This sweet stray obviously is part beagle!

As soon as he had his small treat, he wanted to leave.

The puppy couldn't manage to get a treat.

This little guy was being bitten by flies.



On the bus on the way home, we saw more sad things.  Old, old women carrying heavy bags as they struggled to walk along busy roads, far too poor to afford taxi fare.

There was a terrible thunderstorm, and the roads were flooded, but I saw a donkey chained to the side of the road, and imagined how terrified he must have been of the thunder and lightening.

Yes, Mexico is a much poorer country than the United States.  BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF VERY WEALTHY PEOPLE HERE!


So, I am looking into dog rescue agencies here.  So far, I am coming up with agencies that rescue and bring Mexican strays to the U.S. or Canada.  In my neighborhood, Coyoacan, many people have beautiful dogs.  They treat them with love and care.  They dress them up in little outfits and funny hats.
The Mexican people I have met are kind and caring.  So I don't understand how they can see these old women, and helpless animals and not want to at least try to do something to help!

I hope, in the days to come, that I get return e-mails from the rescue agencies I have contacted.  I hope they tell me that they want my help, because I am more than willing to give it.  I hope that I discover that many Mexican people are willing to donate their time and money to help the most helpless..those who cannot speak for themselves.


People pray here all the time.  And they are constantly putting money into the donation slots that are in front of each statue in each church.  The churches are certainly beautiful...but it seems to me that if the money from even ONE
statue in each church in the country could be given to the poor, or used to spay the helpless dogs, then God would be very, very pleased with the people of Mexico.