Walking through the historic town of Loreto, Mexico, Tyler and I come across a flier for a Cinco de Mayo celebration. An image of a beautiful woman in traditional mexican dress adorns the sign. As I move closer to get a better look at the details, I spontaneously feel a spiraling sensation moving throughout my body. My feet melting into the earth, slowing down all hints of movement, colorful visions swirling through my mind. I am transported beyond time and space inside a reality so real and vibrant, past, present and future are mingling as one. Feeling my feet again, I look around for something to write the phone number on so that we can buy tickets, fully inspired to attend this wondrous celebration.
Just as Tyler and I are about to walk past the restaurant, something unseen seems to pull our attention back towards it. The restaurant appears to be closed. As we look through the gate, a full bodied beautiful mexican woman, by the name of Sophia comes over to greet us. “Buenas tardes” we say, enthusiastically. Just moments into our introductions, we are being graciously ushered inside her restaurant.
Sophia welcomes us with a great big smile, and an open heart. Our eyes widen as we witness visions of beauty and culture adorning the walls and ceilings in all directions. Every area of this vastly expansive space is filled with art. Feeling transported, I walk as slowly as I can to fully embrace and pay honor to the depth of this experience.
Sophia leads us through several colorful rooms over to the center of her restaurant, where we see pots cooking upon the outdoor stove. As Sophia tends to her cooking, she invites conversation with beauty and grace.
Before, offering ingredients to her pot, Sophia stretches her hand out to us to either offer us a taste or a smell of the aroma of each ingredient as she loving places them into the sauce. We learn that Sophia is preparing her traditional Mole sauce for the Cinco De Mayo meal. Thirty four ingredients go into traditional mole sauce, plantains being one of them. She offers us each a piece of plantain to taste. To the right of the pot, we notice a little plate with raisins, nuts and seeds. These will join the magical mole sauce soon.
Sophia speaks and moves with presence that fully engages time and space in subtle ways. Generations are celebrated in her every movement. Her hands speak a language only her pots truly know. Sophia with certainty expresses to us that the most essential part of the recipe is in the time that it takes to prepare the meal. She spends hours upon hours of preparation and this is what makes her food so good.
Being with Sophia, all sense of time and space melts away. Visions of the past, present and future becomes one reality in her kitchen. The alchemy of her artistry and presence is a meal for the cosmos. With the sun cascading through this lovely outdoor kitchen, the nature spirits are seen giggling from the plantlife, the decorative pots and trees.
Feeling full and blessed by our spontaneous visit with Sophia, Tyler and I gladly purchase our tickets for the Cinco de Mayo celebration, thanking her for our time together.
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And…..What a celebration it turned out to be! A surprise to us, we discovered that Cinco De Mayo is not often celebrated in Mexico, that it is a much bigger celebration in America. This was a new discovery for us as we thought being in Mexico for Cinco de Mayo would be epic, which it was! We also heard from the locals that Sophia had not opened her restaurant back up to the public for about a year. Talk about divine timing! Thank you, Sophia! We have been blessed by your beautiful presence and blessed food. Your mole sauce is truly golden!
