into the wild...

deep lacandonia jungle expedition

kaleidoscopic — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 09:30:42 GMT

I am a Mexican nomadic photographer and I have been living behind a lens for 10 years. For the last 4 years I have been on a personal quest to capture the roots of my culture in Mexico. Through my eyes and lenses Im able to see other realities that coexist with nature and within each other, and photography is the means for me to share the magnificence of the indigenous cultures of Mexico with the people that never travel.
One of my main missions as a photographer is to generate a new vision of the indigenous people of the world, I want to transcend the western-colonial point of view, and by learning and living with the tribes, see their reality through their own eyes. I want to tell a legitimate indigenous story, that is not about the conquistador view, my goal is to attain a more intimate perspective of their life, in order to tell the stories that need to be shared with the world, and by doing so, decolonize travel photography, to dignify the indigenous people.
In the next 5 years I see myself shooting documentaries with some of the most ancient tribes of the continent, not only because they are very important to me, but because they are endangered, and could disappear.

OMETEPE, the lagoon within a volcanic island-lake

kaleidoscopic — Mon, 12 May 2014 15:17:17 GMT

This is the first time I will climb a volcano! I say to myself as I wake up at sunrise, have breakfast with a friend to meet our local guide,a friendly local teenager, named Juan, he showed us a short cut to the base of the volcano and on our way up he was always waiting for whoever was left behind. Soon we began to hike volcanic rocks and eventually the lush tropical jungle was transformed into a clouded forest, the temperature dropped as the fog surrounded us, and the mud started forming under our feet due the water dripping from the trees from a recent rain. I pulled out my pashmina and wrapped it around my body in a cross section to keep the heath. We had been hiking the slippery path for 4 hours already, starving and cold, we stopped to eat homemade chicken sandwiches to gain some calories.

Our bodies regained warmth; we continued our trek, hiking the steep stairway to heaven. The green path became a muddy tunnel of moss, branches, roots, and volcanic rocks. 1394 meters later, on the peak, Juan told us that we were almost there, but it took us another 40 minutes of hiking in slow motion to get to the bottom of the crater.
When we finally got to the center of the volcano, we found a dense and dreamy fog that only allowed us to see 20 feet in front of us. At least we could see a bit of the lagoon, and the mysterious fog that covered the whole crater.
The temperature was dropping fast as a gentle rain covered us, we got all together to smoke and get a sense of heat, when suddenly a group of noisy hikers arrived, but luckily they just stayed for 20 minutes and then left. We remained longer, hopeful that the sun would come out and that we would be able to see the whole crater and the lagoon in its full splendor.

After an hour of trembling, the fog became brighter, and the sun slowly began evaporating the clouds inside the crater to uncover a beautiful lagoon and a gorgeous green landscape of millenary trees. Excited and in total bliss we ventured to go near the lagoon and clean ourselves from the mud. As our clothes dried out we sun bathed in the moss beds, amazed, and immersed in total silence. We were inside a prehistoric crater, that only a few people had ventured to see, a place that was revered 2000 years ago by ancient Nahuas and that has remained the same. We felt like immortals that just had arrived to Eden, but soon we would have to go down the slope, have some tacos and become human again before sunset trapped us in the dense tropical rain.

Photos: the dance of life & death

kaleidoscopic — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 19:37:00 GMT

maya-mexica traditions

Sharing Stories - A Glimpse into Another's Life - Rendezvous with Death

kaleidoscopic — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 19:36:54 GMT

The streets are covered in orange and yellow marigold flowers, traditionally used in Mexico to show spirits the way to the cemetery. Colorful, hand-cut papers and countless candles frame the entrance; people travel in a musical procession for today death is not mourned, but celebrated.
As each family arrives at the grave of their loved one, they clean and decorate the site with new flowers and bright papers. Then, an altar begins to take form: big candles to burn through the night are lit and special belongings from the deceased are set in place. A mirror is included for the spirits to recognize their own face, along with a bottle of tequila, a pack of cigarettes, skulls made of sugar, ‘mole’ (a savory blend of chocolate, nuts and chilies over chicken, rice and beans that the family will eat the next day after the spirits have eaten their share), bread, and perhaps toys and candy if the grave belongs to a child. To unify everything: copal, a precious resin used by the Mayans and Aztecs, ignites and its sweet smoke smudges the altar, and the family, and contact with the spirits is initiated.
The whole graveyard turns festive; everywhere the grounds are decorated with bold flower mandalas and candles, kids run in the passageways, their parents play cards, others strum guitars and sing folk songs while passing around bottles of cheap mezcal. The grandmothers carry warm tamales in their baskets, 50 cents a piece, and they feed people who have forgot to bring food, or tourists like me. ‘Tamal’ is a corn dough with beans or chicken ‘mole’, wrapped in banana leaf and steamed; and like ‘pozol’, it is part of Mexico’s ancient heritage, and made directly on a small clay pot over coals, mixing ground cacao, corn, chile and sugar. The grandmothers stir the blend for at least an hour until it thickens and then serve it in handmade clay cups, that will keep your hands warm at sunrise.
A beautiful silence now abides in the candle lit cemetery as the first rays of sun crawl up from behind the mountains and over the shimmering lake, it’s time to celebrate the conquer of life over death.
A conch is blown to every direction in a prayer for the ancestors. Aztec dancers gather around a fire; they have brought special offerings to burn. The cool wind is infused with copal and flower fragrances, senses are re-awakened, and it is easy to feel transported to ancient times. The eyes open now as powerful drumming brings everyone to a dance where life and death are threaded in joy

Photos: DESERT

kaleidoscopic — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 10:54:00 GMT

around the deserts of mexico