Monclova
Within the industrial zone of Monclova, a hidden gem. Mercado Guadalupe.
“We are originally from Durango. My dad moved here (Monclova) to work at Altos Hornos de Mexico. (AHMSA)” Alejandro Alcantar.
Alejandro’s family story is essentially the same untold story of the many of the families that populate the Monclova area. Monclova spawns from a darker history, known as the place were several heroes of the Mexican Independence Movement such as: Juan Aldama, Ignacio Allende, Miguel Hidalgo, and Jose Mariano Jimenez were captured, imprisoned, and killed by the Spanish crown.
Present day Monclova is a thriving industrial zone; at its core, AHMSA (The largest steel plant in Mexico) – Many would claim that AHMSA is Monclova’s corner stone; nevertheless, as we explored every inch of Monclova, we found a hidden gem, Mercado Guadalupe. AHMSA could claim their heavy real estate reach within Monclova, but it is Mercado Guadalupe that has the right to claim the hearts and souls of the people of Monclova, by pumping daily the spark of life into the arteries of the hard-working families of Monclova.
Mercado Guadalupe is a family-owned grocery store that has managed to stand up to corporate chains from the area and continues to grow successfully in a nation where valued business morals are difficult to find. Mercado Guadalupe’s recipe for success is quite simple: Best prices, great product, and amazing people. What qualifies someone as an Amazing person? Based on your biases, these could vary widely. While in Mercado Guadalupe, we notice two team members that stood out, two amazing individuals, Juan & Abundio Ledezma. The brothers are the definition of hard-work, dedication, loyalty and trust.
It’s been awhile since we observed such high level of commitment from someone. We left Mercado Guadalupe aspiring to be more like them. The adventure in Monclova aided us to appreciate many of the things we have taken for granted back home. The way an entire community rallied daily behind Mercado Guadalupe, provoked us to think deeper about the unfound possibilities of life.
Our visit to Monclova concluded at Hacienda Quinta Ilusion. A beautiful ranch that can be rented. It offers great amenities and an invaluable stress-free environment. Daniel Flores, the ranch owner, was one of the nicest and most hospitable persons we have ever met.
We left Monclova motivated to worked harder than we ever have, to care deeper than we ever have, and to love farther than we ever have.
Special thanks to Araceli Alcantar for her Hospitality and for the grand tour of Monclova.
Fehrenbach,T.R.,(1995, updated). Fire and Blood: a history of Mexico, New York: Da Capo Press, p.331
"Altos Hornos de Mexico SAB de CV". Financial Times. Retrieved 29 November 2016
El Migrante
Explore Saltillo. The capital city of one of Mexico's most northern states.
We often wonder, what does it take for a person to leave everything behind? - It takes everything, the wholeness of their body, mind and soul. We must commence this particular adventure with what we perceive the most important item in it is. La Casa del Migrante.
We often link immigration to political debate stages across The United States, however, immigration issues affect several countries around the globe. By default, if The United States is dealing with complex immigration issues, Mexico is as well. Many of the migrants coming to The United States from many countries around the world, often jumpstart their crossing through Saltillo, the capital of Coahuila, one of Mexico's bordering states. La Casa del Migrante's concept is a simple humanitarian idea; help those in need.
If you think about it, the irony is somewhat bizarre. Allow us to elaborate in this incongruity. In one of Saltillo's trendy district, the statue of Mexico's 37th president and legendary revolutionary leader Venustiano Carranza stands tall.
Venustiano Carranza was a great military leader, who is well known within historian circles, for being the one who held the North Americans and kept them out of Mexico. Many would argue that history has a funny way to repeat itself. It is now the North Americans who are trying to keep others out.
As we continued to venture deeper into Saltillo, two things became evident to us. First, the automotive industry has a significant presence in Saltillo and drives the economy. Mercedes-Benz and General Motors both have assembly plants here, and Chrysler operates a truck assembly plant, a sedan assembly plants, and two engine facilities.
The Second was the heavy influence of The Roman Catholic Church. This is not entirely uncommon when traveling through Mexico. It is the norm.
Everywhere we went, it was impossible to see someone who lacked faith. We sat there for a while, as we admired the devoted persons who came through the central cathedral’s door. The Virgen de Guadalupe’s altar was the most visited.
The Colonial streets in the city’s old town are always mesmerizing. In a way, it feels like going back in time. Who walked where we are walking? Who stood where we are standing? – These are some of the questions we asked ourselves while navigating through Saltillo’s time portal.
Of course, no trip is complete without a great culinary experience. And what a great experience this was. Handmade tortillas were standard at every place we visited. We also discovered that there was no need to scroll down a menu because the taste of freshly-made-from-scratch was phenomenal, so our food choices were always the same; “bring us whatever you want. We’ll eat it with pleasure “Nonetheless, as we talked to the locals, they didn’t seem to appreciate the simple things in their daily lives that we were amazed at. Many of them are always worrying and planning their odyssey to The United States. Our farewell message to them was sincere: You can’t get so hung up on where you rather be, that you forget to make the best of where you are.
