Road Trip to Colima, Mexico (part 2)

We visited a famous mask maker in the area, a Nahua Indian by the name of Gorgonio Candelerio Castro. For three generations the men in this family have carried on a tradition of making these beautiful wood masks.

The wood from which the masks are born comes from the colorina tree. This is neither a fruit nor nut tree, but a medium dense wood that is boiled to remove the sap and then chiseled into  creatures and animals to be worn at special events like Fiesta de los Animales in October. The masks are carved and then hand painted. A large mask ranges from about $175 US and the small ones are $20-$40 US.  

Following our mask making tour, we visited the square and drank beer and ate tapas. Mariachi bands played along the coblestone streets. The tapas kept coming until finally the grease had settled deep. So, we opted to walk a couple miles to the museum of Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo, a UNICEF card designer. With the money he earned from his paintings and designs, he built a school for the children of Nogueras, founded an art school, and founded a school for social workers.