There are communities and capillas to explore beyond Tequisquiapan, but, first, we needed to ford the Laja River and it had rained again. We asked other drivers who said they didn’t think we could make it across, but intrepid artists will not be denied opportunities to paint. We watched others successfully ford the river and easily made it across.
Adobe Casa L. Whynman
Ruin in Tequisquiapan L. Topinka
We were looking for a capilla, possibly named Capilla Biznaga, on the west side of the Laja and drove awhile through lake-sized potholes before turning back to paint this charming, flower-festooned home with a colorful ruin attached. Yes, Linda and I painted the same view with one painting focused just on the small ruin and the other on the entire scene. Such is the eye of the artist.
Unknown capilla C. Andreyev
Paintings finished, we found our courage to continue the search for Capilla Biznaga which Mexicans assured us was in the direction we were driving but how far was lost in translation. This rural road after a rain was a muddy, watery mess but Linda’s driving got us safely through and we were rewarded with this capilla right next to the road. A painting for another day…..
Fording the Laja L. Topinka
With the Laja flowing steadily after rains, there was no place to ford and the only bridge across is in Dolores Hidalgo. Mexican driver after driver confirmed that the Laja could not be crossed from this road so we turned back, driving through what looked like bottomless water-filled potholes, and again forded the river at Tequisquiapan.
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