
Perritos and the Shoelace L. Topinka
Out in the campo we are always on the alert for dogs and, as we got out of the car, we heard lots of yipping and barking….and running towards us was a passel of puppies falling over one another in their eagerness to lick us to death. A scruffy but enthusiastic lot, they wouldn’t leave my shoelaces alone….a little hard to paint with five puppies fighting over one shoelace.
Linda and I were both drawn to the calvario and not the capilla. It’s hard to resist a jacaranda in full bloom.

Calvario at La Santa Cruz del Puerto de Calderon L. Topinka

Calvario at La Santa Cruz del Puerto de Calderon L. Whynman
The puppies and this very old capilla and calvario were part of a most unusual place on the road to Celaya named La Santa Cruz del Puerto de Calderón. In this context, puerto means mountain pass. Bet you can’t find it on the first try, but then you can do as we did and detour at the winery, Viñedo de San Miguel; drive through what has got to be the longest one-street community in Mexico, Calderón; and, maybe, find the capilla and community, La Santa Cruz del Puerto de Calderón, on the second or third pass by. When we found it on the second pass, it was across a four-lane freeway with no access and we had to backtrack again.

La Santa Cruz del Puerto de Calderon L. Topinka
This very small spot of the map has historical significance in the early history of the conquest of this area. About a kilometer east of the pass toward San Miguel is an old bridge across the Arroyo de los Frailes where two Franciscan friars were killed by the Chichimecas in 1528….frailes is Spanish for friars. Later near the same arroyo in 1531, a legendary battle took place between the Spaniards with their Christianized Otomi and Chichimeca allies and the barbarian Chichimecas. According to legend, the battle raged for weeks and on the night of September 29th, a cross appeared in the sky. Both sides considered it a sign and the barbarian Chichimecas converted. I use the word barbarian because an old name for this tiny dot on the map is Puerto de Bárbaros or mountain pass of the barbarians.
The newly converted indigenous made a sacred cross out of stone to represent this significant event and, eventually, the cross was housed in the small capilla of La Santa Cruz del Puerto de Calderon. This cross (stolen in 2000 by unknown persons) and many like it throughout the Bajio region of Mexico are part of the community of the sacred cross.

La Santa Cruz at La Cieneguita L. Topinka
The original stone cross was 1.5 meters high on a wooden base and covered with a thin veneer of wood. The symbols commonly found on sacred crosses include some from the passion of Christ and some of indigenous origin such as a bloody dagger, the sacred heart of Jesus, a pair of hands and feet, two human figures dressed as concheros (dancers), the sun and moon on each arm of the cross, a white dove, the letters INRI with a crown above. The most important image is the head of Christ in the center of the cross. The sacred cross is commonly covered with a wispy fabric looped over and around the arms of the cross.
Calderón: population 730; elevation 1890 meters; dwellings 221; GPS 100.799167, 20.806944
Santa Cruz del Puerto de Calderón: population 3; elevation 1950 meters; dwellings 1; GPS 100.797222, 20.824722
For more information about Santa Cruz del Puerto de Calderón, I refer you to a publication on the internet by Phyllis M. Correa, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, El Mito de Origen de Los Otomies de Rio Laja en el Estado de Guanajuato. I am slowly translating it and will add information to other posts as I work my way through it.
© 2017 Lorie Topinka
10 Comments
A most interesting read Lorie!
Thanks Richard…it was hard to find. Can’t see it from the road when going towards Celaya. Saw it when we doubled back but couldn’t get to it.
Lorie
Hi Lorie,
The puppies are cute. Had to look up the Jacaranda – did you get close enough to determine if they are as fragrant as beautiful. Looks a lot like a tree version of the magnolia type bush I have here. I’m pretty sure my bush isn’t really a magnolia but it will be totally covered in large, light blue/violet flowers that are very fragrant.
You must be having a much dryer spring than I’m having here. My usual puddles are ponds and the ponds are massive lakes.
I’m not able to drive anything, other than the ATV, out on the property. The entire area in all directions is one big squishy, water-soaked bog. Martin Lk and Alkali Lk are one continuous lake now. Fortunately, the driveway is holding out just great -even with massive ponds across it in two spots. The never ending rain has sure made up for our meager winter snow fall.
This year the ranchers will not be complaining about lack of grass lands for their cattle. However, they are or will be having to feeding their cattle later into the spring/summer. They can’t turn the cattle out to graze because the grass lands are too wet and will get torn to ribbons.
Anyhow – I’m doing fine and finally no longer have to pump the pond that was forming around the log cabin. Glad to see you & Linda are able to venture further out and find some “lost” capillas and calvarios. Rolf
Rolf,
The puppies were adorable!! Five from one liter that were the lick you to death kind of puppy and one, I think, from some other litter that was practicing her watchdog barking and trying very hard to keep the others on task. Ah…the Jacaranda. It’s not a native but is planted all over San Miguel. The city literally turns lavender in the spring. The flowers come before the leaves and some people are highly allergic to the pollen so it is both loved and hated. It may have a fragrance but not a strong one.
Lorie
Had to giggle at the puppy tale as I have the same challenge every morning…. How do tie up my gym shoes when my cat is determined to untie them at the same time!
And wow – such beautiful flowers!! Thanks again for another gem!
Judy…the puppies really were adorable. At times all five had my shoelace and there was lots of growling among them as to which one owned the shoelace. Lorie
Hi Lorie, This blog just keeps getting better and better. Loved the puppies, but loved the artwork and historical information even more. I am constantly amazed by the contrasts in style you two demonstrate and I love both images. In addition, your devotion to reading and TRANSLATING this amazing historical information makes everything worthwhile. You are getting really adventuresome in your travels. Love, B.
Hi Bobbi,
I just keep digging deeper and deeper into the local history which is great fun. Find I can read rather straightforward expository text in Spanish–at least that has improved.
Lorie
Fascinating
Thanks Bridget! Lorie