Nayarit

Goodbye Fall

I have now been a Texas State student for a semester, and I am extremely glad I am part of the Bobcat family. At ACC I only took my core classes with a few journalism classes, but overall nothing exciting. This semester at Texas State, however, I finally felt like I was in college. Since I was done with most of my core curriculum at ACC, this semester I was able to take my first Advertising class, which was incredible, and Fundamentals of Digital and Online Media, otherwise known as FDOM. It is for FDOM class that this blog and many other fun projects were required, and in this goodbye post, I talk about my experience with content creation for this class.

Let’s talk about stats. According to my stats page here in WordPress, my most popular post was the “Hidden Paradise” post. The post had 20 views overall, which is why it feels strange calling it the “most popular post,” but it is. I am positive the reason for the “excessive” views is that I shared my post on Facebook. Unlike Twitter where I am no one, I have more friends and family that care about my content on Facebook. However, the week that I published this post was not my most “popular week.” The first week of October was the week in which my website had over 30 views, and Facebook is responsible for this as well. I shared the link to my website on Facebook with the description, “Highly recommend you guys check out my blog.” I did not receive much reaction on my Facebook post, but I am certain it was mainly my family and close friends that viewed my website because I did receive feedback from them later on. Besides this data, there was nothing too surprising about my stats. I never expected to become popular with my blog, but I got to share my point of view on Nayarit with the people I care the most.

My website was fairly complete for using the free version only. I would have like to been able to include videos for a better storytelling or more liberty in design, but besides having to pay that would have entailed knowing more about programming and that is definitely not my thing. However, I do feel that what I learned from WordPress and this project will benefit my future as an advertiser for creating good-quality content in storytelling. English is my second language and I still need to learn more vocabulary, but writing this often definitely helped sharpen my writing skills. I am still deciding, but what will most likely end up happening is that I will have a career in the creative area of advertising, therefore, I will have to be a copywriter at some point in my career. This means that I have to get creative at creating stories, and this semester was good practice.

Overall, looking back on what I did right and wrong when promoting my content, I believe I could have had a bigger audience if only I had promoted more of my posts on Facebook. I only shared twice on my Facebook page and those two times I had more viewers, which means if I had continued doing so, more people could have learned about Nayarit, which was my sole purpose since the beginning. I had to promote my posts on Twitter using hashtags, but I have never enjoyed Twitter as much as other social media. Nonetheless, I had to do so as a requirement for this project, and that explains why sharing content was not my favorite experience of this semester-long project. What I enjoyed the most was having a platform in which I could share my memories and favorite things about Nayarit, my home. This project allowed me to feel closer to home while learning something new, and that is a fun way to learn. I also had the opportunity to review someone else’s blog related to Mexico, and that was very entertaining. I remember finding Ms. Nolan’s blog and losing sleep over her stories of my beloved Mexico. She never reached out to me about my review, but I am hopeful that she enjoyed my post.

Lastly, I am very grateful I took this class. Not only did I work on this project all semester for a grade, but it reminded me of my future goals. I want to learn more of photography so that I can convey a visual story, and I want to be a better writer to be a great storyteller. This project reminded me of how much I enjoy being out in the world living new experiences, and if I carry that feeling with me, I will continue to create stories.

Check out my video on how to be financially responsible!

Once in a Lifetime Experience

There are moments in life that define who you want to be or what you want to do. You may not realize it until later, but those memories last forever. For me, it was the time my dad took me on an open-sea boat trip. I was already a nature lover before this, but I did not know just how involved I wanted to be in the preservation of our oceans and their ecosystems up until this moment. When I first saw in the distance the pod of humpback whales creating misty air and vapor because of the exhaled air from their blowhole I knew I was meant to dedicate my time to their conservation.

Humpback whales migrate about 3,000 miles from their feeding grounds in the cold waters of British Columbia, Alaska and eastern Russia, to their breeding grounds in the warmer waters of Hawaii, Central America, Mexico or Asia. They migrate from the cold of the Polar areas to areas of the Pacific Ocean to breed during the winter. Which means that anytime during November through March humpback whales are seen traveling in big pods through the Pacific Ocean. How is this related to Nayarit at all? Because Nayarit is part of the Pacific Coast, people can take off from San Blas bay to take a whale watching trip, like I did.

Statue in “Puerto de San Blas” where boats take off for whale watching.

People can pay to go on these trips, but the first time I saw humpback whales, my dad asked his fisherman friend to take us on his row boat, which was kind of nerve wracking. The boat was small enough for five people and did not seem steady enough in case a whale tried to flip us or something. I could feel the waves crashing against the boat underneath me and the breeze of the ocean splashing on my face. I had never had an encounter like this with nature nor the feeling of freedom that entails. After an hour and a half of driving the boat, my dad’s friend decided it was a good stopping point to wait for the whales. In the meantime, I got to see fish, turtles and dolphins. A few minutes passed by and we saw the blow of a pod of whales to the distance, and so the chase begun. We headed towards them and while doing so realized that there was more than one pod. In total, we probably encountered seven different pods of humpback whales with about five whales in each, but it’s impossible to have known for sure how many without proper equipment and looking from the surface only.

The first picture I took from the first time I saw the whales.

Humpback whales are known for leaping from the water and landing with a tremendous splash. Unfortunately, out of all the whales that were underwater, none of them decided to jump. However, one of the whales put up a show with its tail fin. The whale slapped its fin against the water repeatedly for what felt like 10 minutes straight. The back of the tail was white, and from what my dad’s friend told us, it was most likely a female.

The humpback whales were flapping their tails frequently.

The population of humpback whales is currently increasing, therefore it is a species to be least concerned about when it comes to extinction. Their biggest threats today are collisions with ships and entanglement in fishing gear. To learn more about their behavior and migration, visit these websites:

The whales were showing their flukes only.

And so a six hour trip in the ocean changed my life forever. We humans get so caught up with our lives in the city and forget that without nature we are nothing, we are insignificant. This experience made me realize I want to create a positive change in the way we look at nature and how little things we do everyday can impact the world and our oceans. That day I took as many pictures as my amateur self could. Nonetheless, everyday I am striving to become better to one day be part of a team of humans that work towards a better world.

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Tepic – Home Sweet Home

I was born July 15, 1999, in Tepic. This “city” is the capital of Nayarit, and was my home for 17 years. I placed city in quotations because though it is officially recognized as a city, this town is too small and boring to be a true city. There isn’t much to say about this place besides the stories of people that have had the pleasure of living in this little town; the stories of people whom are born there and die there, or those whom find themselves there because of whichever reason. My mom, whom was born in Tepic, is now living here in Texas with me. My dad, whom was born in Tampico and raised in Mexico City, found a home in Tepic about 20 years ago. Then there is me, trying to keep the memories of my hometown alive.

La Catedral

The whole country of Mexico is very religious. The leading religion is Catholicism, representing about 83% of the population. Tepic is no different, with an approximate of 94% of the population being catholic. There is a cathedral called “Catedral de la Purísima Concepción,” or most commonly known as “Catedral de Tepic,” located on the main square, in the city’s center. The cathedral is famous for its Neo-Gothic style architecture, though many locals do not know this. I am not a religious person, and my photograph does not do this building justice, but I do believe it is one of the prettiest buildings in Tepic. Besides mass, different events can take place here. I have attended a wedding and a funeral in this cathedral, and they were both special in their own way.

Parque La Loma

Another hot-spot in Tepic is “La Loma.” La Loma is the biggest park in the city. This place holds various memories from my childhood and teenage years. This is a place for people of all ages. Since La Loma is the most well-known park, all kinds of events take place here. Children learning to ride a bike, teenagers on their first date, families having a picnic, and so on. I, for example, celebrated many birthdays in La Loma, had a first date, various other dates, a “Do you want to be my girlfriend?” proposal, held many picnics with my mom, had crazy adventures with my best friends and rode the mini-train multiple times ever since I was born. This park is not a Sunday only place, it is a whenever there is nothing else to do place, which happens often enough.

Living in a small town really makes you dream of living in a big city. Nevertheless, anyone who leaves Tepic dreams of the day they get to go back. It may not have much, but the people and the memories are what make this place very special to me and many others.

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Hidden Paradise

The state of Nayarit has many beautiful destinations unique to the region. In San Blas, there are two national parks, both in natural protected areas by an official decree. Mostly everyone in the region knows about these places, but not all have had the pleasure of visiting. In fact, I have known about these my entire life, but it wasn’t until I moved to the U.S. and went back home for spring break that I finally got the chance to see them for myself. These are National Parks La Tovara and Isla Isabel.

La Tovara

Due to its particular location, the fresh spring water from the mountains meets the salt water from the ocean at La Tovara. This place is home to thousands of bird species, as well as reptiles and fish. There is a long or short boat trip that visitors can take to visit this beautiful place. The longer trip takes about three to four hours, starting off at “La Aguada” jetty. You navigate through the mangrove estuary for about an hour and a half and finish the trip at the Kiekari Crocodile Preserve. There is also a restaurant and a natural pool where visitors can pass the time. The shorter trip lasts about half the time of the longer trip. The boat takes off from “El Conchal” jetty and does not take you to the crocodile sanctuary; therefore, I would definitely recommend taking the longer trip. Here is a video someone else took on her trip.

Isla Isabel

Isla Isabel is an island of volcanic origin located 70 kilometers northwest of San Blas. The importance of the ecological role and the diversity of species led to the island being decreed as a protected natural area in 1980. The island’s ecosystem is an important refuge for seabirds. Isla Isabel is home to 92 species of birds, six species of reptiles, at least 79 invertebrate species and 79 reef fish. Among the larger species, visitors can see the California sea lion, turtles, orcas and whale sharks. I have never stepped foot in the island itself, and I do not know if it is possible without an official purpose. However, I was lucky enough to have seen it up close on my way to open sea. The island is considerably small, but beautiful indeed because of its ecosystem. I took pictures of the peculiar blue-footed booby birds.

Humpback whales migrate through this area from December through February. In January of 2015, my dad took me on a once in a lifetime adventure to see the whales in the open ocean, but that is a story for another day.

A Day in the Life at Tepic, Nayarit.

I cannot express just how much I miss my city, my family, my friends, and my culture. However, missing all these things does not mean I am not grateful that I have started a new life. I have grown so much and learned many things in the past three years, that I do not regret moving to the United States. Still, Tepic is my home, and no other city will ever feel like home again. This post is mostly for me, because I love going through old pictures and the memories that go along with them. The people I am talking about next are my friends, or some of them used to be, but they will always hold a special place in my heart.

Back then, school life and friends went together. Part of the reason I did not struggle much with English when I moved to Austin is that I have been learning the language since I was three years old. From kindergarten to elementary school, I attended the Colegio Simón Bolivar Tepic, where half of my day was taught in Spanish and the other half in English. Afterwards, I was lucky enough to have attended the best private school in the state, Colegio de Ciencias y Letras de Tepic. I was there for both middle school and high school, or “secundaria” and “preparatoria.” This is where I mastered my writing skills in Spanish, and I owe it all to one of the best teachers I have ever had, Maestra Ely. She was one of those teachers that was tough on the outside but soft on the inside. She always pushed all of us to give our bests. Now, even though it has been three years since I do not speak Spanish every day, I can still remember how to write and speak correctly in my native language.

Also, here is where I met my best friend, Nicole. I remember the first day of class while introducing ourselves, she said, “Me llamo Nicole, pero me gusta que me digan Nicky.” This was so funny because she sounded more “fresa” than anything. None of my friends remember, but I know she did say that! Now, despite the distance between us, we still talk every day and love each other like if nothing has changed. She truly is my person. (Grey’s Anatomy reference). We would do everything together, school related or just life. We are always there for each other, through the good and the bad. Without trying to sound too corny, she really does complement me.

I also had a close group of friends, and we called ourselves “Winx Club,” after the Italian animated series. Eating was our favorite thing to do.

Winx Club eating tacos.

From left to right:

Nayeli (Flora)

Verónica (Bloom)

Andrea (Stella)

Nicole (Tecna)

Me, Marisela (Musa)

But we could also be fancy if we needed to.

I also met Luis Ignacio, a.k.a. Nacho, a friend like no other. Sadly, we do not keep in touch anymore, but our years together were the most memorable of all for me. My taste in music is due to his immense knowledge, love and passion for such. He is the lead guitarist for his local band, Corral del Abuelo, and they recently debuted their first EP. When I first listened to “Lapsos,” the first song of their album, I cried. Nacho is simply such a great musician, and knowing that he has come this far made me very happy for him. I still get goosebumps every time I listen to their songs. I have also made friends with his friends, and I learned valuable lessons from each of them. I adopted their hobby in photography, and now I know I want to use visuals and media to bring awareness to all the issues that our planet is facing.

I have not found the same feeling of friendship here in the U.S. Even though it has been three years already, the transition has been difficult for me. Maybe it would have been different if I had just moved to a different state in Mexico, but I moved to an entirely different country, and started a completely new life. However, I will forever be thankful for the memories and lessons I learned with these people.

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Review of a Woman’s Beautiful Retirement Journey

First of all, I am glad one of the requirements for this assignment is to review someone else’s blog, because I have found a blog that made me laugh and reminisce of my unique México. While trying to find a blog that related to mine, I stumbled across blogs that talked about the same touristy spots. Sure, Los Cabos and Cancún are fun and what not, but they don’t dive into the true colors of México. Until I found Kathleen Nolan’s blog. Ms. Nolan is from Bellingham, WA, and retired earlier this year from Western Washington University. I am not entirely sure what she taught at the university, however, from the layout and design of her website, my educated guess is that she was an English professor or something related to arts.

Ms. Nolan planned a one-year-long trip to Mexico for her first year of retirement. According to one of her posts, she wanted to visit a Spanish speaking country, and Mexico was within her budget and closer to home. From the tone of her latests posts, I gather she is having a great time, as I sure hope she is. Her one year of traveling through Mexico is being broken down into two parts. Part one is explained in this post… https://mymexicotravels.travel.blog/2019/04/28/map-of-mexico-part-one/. She started out in Mexico City on June 9th, 2019, and will end in San Miguel de Allende around the end of November. I cannot wait to see where she is heading next for the second part of her travels.

Her posts are very interesting to me because they make me feel closer to home. Ms. Nolan is very honest about her experiences in Mexico. Not only does she share the good, she has also written about some of the downsides of the cities she has visited. Talking about food, she mentions how is also key to talk about public restrooms. I found her story very amusing, for I also struggle with public “sanitarios.” This is her story…

She could not have been more on point about this topic! Having to use the restroom outside the comfort of your home can be such an adventure. Now that I live in the U.S., I still have a trashcan next to my toilet, and gets full sometimes even though it does not have to be. Obviously, this is not the best of her stories, I simply adore the simplicity of her trying to get used to a daily routine. On July 27th, Ms. Nolan wrote her heart out…

Ms. Nolan was in San Miguel de Allende when she wrote this. She talked about people treating her more like a tourist and trying to sell her stuff, therefore she was missing out on the opportunity to practice her Spanish with locals. She did not give up though, she found herself in a better situation when she arrived at Puebla… https://mymexicotravels.travel.blog/2019/08/20/puebla-and-sebastian/.

All the stories and beautiful photographs of these unique Mexican towns she is sharing are making me homesick. She reminded me of one of my favorite books, called “Por si no te Vuelvo a Ver” by Laura Martínez-Belli, which centers around the 20th century during the Mexican Revolution. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is reading this.

I will be sure to keep up with her newest posts, and to contact her to let her know how happy I am that she is sharing her journey with us!

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SAMAO, a Living Legend

La Laguna de Santa María del Oro, commonly known as SAMAO, has one of the most famous legends in Nayarit. For context purposes, Santa María del Oro is a municipality and municipal seat in Nayarit located in the south and has boundaries with the municipalities of El Nayar, Tepic, Ahuacatlán, Jala, San Pedro Lagunillas, La Yesca and Xalisco. This place is mostly known for its crater lake, located east of the town, in which the legend is based on. A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a traditional story which is believed to be true by listeners, but never proven. Something like the legend of La Llorona, but the one I am about to tell you is so much better and not overrated.

As the legend goes, many years ago, in the state of Nayarit there was a city called Michiztlán where a king lived with his wife and daughter. The daughter was a princess called Tepozilama, and the king took special care of her. One day, Tepozilama went out walking with her friends when they saw an injured deer. When they came close to aid the deer, the voice of a young and handsome warrior stopped them, to which Tepozilama replied, “Who are you, and what are you doing here?” The young warrior replied, “I am Pintontli.” The young Tepozilama and Pintontli fell in love well knowing that there was conflict between Tepozilama’s city and Pintontli’s, but their love was so strong that little did they care about the problems around them.

After a while, during the Michiztlan city festivities, Tepozilama left to go meet with Pintontli. Her father, the king, realized her absence and interrogated her friends to get information on the princess’s whereabouts. The king and his personal guards went out to look for Tepozilama to the place where the friends had indicated, a hidden corner between the two cities at war. There, the king found Tepozilama accompanied by Pintontli. When the princess confronted her father, she said, “Father, I understand my sin is unforgivable, but I am in love with him and I ask you to let me marry him.” To what the king answered, “My daughter will never be with my worst enemies. Take her, tie her up, and do not feed her.” The same was done with Pintontli.

Even though they were close, they were still apart tied up in front of each other, left to cry for days and nights. Their tears formed the enormous and beautiful crater lake, now known as Laguna de Santa María del Oro.

Rumor has it that SAMAO has no bottom, but recent research has proven otherwise. The Instituto de Geofísica de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), studied the crater lake and discovered that it has a deepness of approximately 60 meters, and a diameter of 2.25 kilometers.

For more information on the history of Santa María del Oro, visit https://santamariadeloro.nayarit.gob.mx/index.php/ayuntamiento/historia

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“Mariscos” – Seafood

Best part of living in a coastal state? Seafood, no doubt. My experience with seafood in Texas has not been the greatest. Let’s just say that Texans love their beef, especially BBQ. I cannot blame them, for I have come to love BBQ myself. However, seafood will always remain my favorite food, but Texas, or at least Austin, does not do a good job when it comes to fish. Therefore, what makes Nayarit’s seafood special to my heart?

The key to delicious seafood is freshness. In Nayarit, everywhere you go, you will be served fresh seafood. Anything from shrimp, to scallops, fish, and even oysters and squid. Nayarit, as I said before, is a state on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Therefore, there is plenty of seafood to go around. It would be a disgrace if anyone would ever dare to buy frozen seafood, because there is no need for such a thing. The best part is, since seafood is very vast in the region, it can be very affordable. Today, the price for a kilo, or 2.20 lbs, of fresh shrimp ranges from $70 pesos to $150 pesos, which is roughly about $3.50 dollars to $7.50 dollars.

This is me, Marisela, eating fresh oysters in Matanchén, Nayarit.

The most traditional seafood plate in Nayarit is “pescado zarandeado,” which if translated literally means shaken fish. The best way to describe this, however, is fish grilled over wood fire. You will find “pescado zarandeado” in the menu of every seafood restaurant or beach you go to in Nayarit. Perhaps not all places follow the same recipe, but the taste of the fish should be the same traditional taste around the state. My favorite part of the fish is the tail, especially when is crispy enough. Beware of the fish bones, since these are everywhere in the fish!

The most said phrase by someone outside of Mexico to someone who is visiting Mexico is “don’t drink the water!” This is fairly true, and should be taken in consideration. Mexico’s water is not clean enough to be drank, unless processed. However, in Nayarit, first time visitors get sick because of the freshness of the seafood. My sister-in-law, who has lived in Texas almost her entire life, got sick the first time trying “ceviche,” so did my brother-in-law who is from Monterrey, NL, Mexico. What I have learned from all foreigners coming to Nayarit and trying our food for the first time is that, even if they get sick the first time, they do not get sick the second time, and love the food no matter what.

Don’t be scared! You won’t die, it’s just a little adventure.

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History and Geography of Nayarit

History

The state’s name comes from the Cora (indigenous people in the region) leader, Nayar. He and his people resisted the Spanish invasion in the 16th century. Spanish governance was made difficult by the rebellions of Huicholes and Coras and the harsh terrain of the Sierra del Nayar. Eventually, the last Cora community was forced to incorporate to Spanish administration in 1722. The first Spanish known to have entered the territory was Hernán Cortés, and claimed the area for Spain as part of Nueva Galicia.

While climbing the “Cerro de La Cruz” in Tepic, Nayarit, these two ladies, part of the Cora community, allowed me to photograph them for a school project about indigenous communities in our state.

During the colonial period, the port of San Blas was one of the most important trade ports on the American Pacific coast. In 1768, it was established as a new naval base for the Spanish Navy. Today, the town of San Blas still holds some of its old architecture, including the aduana (customs office), the contaduria (accounting office) and the fortress that protected the port against pirates. San Blas is also one of the most visited towns in Nayarit. There is even a famous song, by a famous Mexican rock group, Maná.

San Blas, Nayarit, today. ©Marisela Ramirez

Following the Mexican Independence from Spain in 1821, what was known as Nueva Galicia under Spanish rule, became Séptimo Cantón de Jalisco. This consisted of seven towns, Tepic, Acaponeta, Ahuacatlán, Sentispac, San Blas, Santa María del Oro and Compostela, and 14 municipalities. However, in 1917, the Distrito Militar de Tepic was transformed to Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit, better known as Nayarit. Since then, the state started to modernize, by founding its first university, Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit in 1969, and later on the Instituto Tecnológico de Tepic in 1972, both in its capital Tepic.

Geography

Nayarit only covers 10,739 square miles, making it one of the smallest states in Mexico. The state adjoins to the north with Sinaloa, Durango and Zacatecas, and to the South with Jalisco, where the tourist town of Puerto Vallarta is located. Its terrains covers some of the western ends of the Sierra Madre Occidental, and it counts with two volcanoes, Ceboruco and Sangangüey. The Río Grande de Santiago is the largest river in the state, which contributes tremendously to its agriculture. Nayarit is predominately an agricultural state, producing a large variety of crops, primarily sugar cane and beans.

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I am Marisela

Hi there! My name is Marisela Ramirez Meza. I am from a small city called Tepic, in the state of Nayarit, Mexico. I moved to Austin in the summer of 2016, and I have been homesick ever since then. Sure I get to go back every once in a while, but the feeling of home is long gone. Therefore, my mission here is to make myself feel as close to home as possible, and make other people aware of this beautiful state in Mexico that most do not know about. Mexico is a great country, but only in Nayarit will you find the best seafood, beaches, and friendliest people.

Why Nayarit?

I miss my hometown and I want to be as close to it as possible!
Many young folks are unaware of what or where Nayarit is
Nayarit has some of the best beaches in the Pacific Ocean
The state should have more international tourism
Nayarit is one of states in Mexico richest in culture and diversity

My posts will mostly be about the greatness of this state, but in order to have a semi-balanced blog, I will also try to inform my audience about its ups and downs. My audience should be anyone that has never heard of Nayarit and wants to experience an authentic part of Mexico. With that said, I will also be including links to some of the state’s most visited food spots and beaches. All images will be original, either I have taken them throughout the years, or my family or friends have shared them with me and proper credit will be given.