Mar 16 Return to the basket weaving town of Becal

When we were here 46 years ago, we visited a small town famed for its hat and basket weaving artisans. The local kids crowded round our old VW (which we lived in for 6 months down there in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and El Salvador. Fortunately we had loads of galletas (cookies) and sweets so they were al happy.

  This time we found the town very sleepy when we arrived at noon and various guys on bikes wanted to take us to the weaving home with a cave! We found it on our own. 

  I bought a beautiful jipi (panama like plant) made by Alfredo whose wife then fitted it for me and decorated it with a beautiful multi-color ribbon which she made into a rosette with the spare ends. 450 pesos, that’s C$35. Half what my Tilley hat cost. And Ted got them to make him an elasticated hatband for the one he bought in Merida. There was very little sign that it is a basket weaving town. WE found later when we drove that way again there is a huge market on the highway with several shops all selling lots of woven items, not just hats. Some cute souvenirs. 

  We stopped for ice cream on the plaza and scurried back to shower, rest and off to dinner at one of our now fav restos, Chaya Maya. The food is not exciting, but very solid and plant based with pr and chicken thrown in. The Valladolid sausage is very typical and Ted is enjoying it. There is very little seafood and fish, interestingly salmon is on a lot of menus. Where do they get that??

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