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| With Co-Teachers Mariah and Mackala |
Peñafiel is a Mexican mineral water brand currently owned by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group. I walk by the factory every day during my 30 minute walk to Discovery Middle School. The exterior including walls, parking lots and signage is spotless. There are free historical tours every Saturday and a great way to spend a couple of hours. Plus you get a free bottle of sparkling water at the end of the tour. I had two, strawberry and mandarin that were pretty darn delicious.
I drink Peñafiel carbonated lemonade a couple of times a week. With it being as hot as it is you get exhausted drinking 2 and sometimes 3 litres of water a day. A guys needs some flavor that is not the sugar water that is Pepsi or Coca Cola.
The tour starts with a walk through gardens showcasing various types of cactus. This country is freaking proud of their cactus. We slowly descend down man made tunnels which were originally used to haul the pure water up from the underground springs. Cleaned up and touristy but not in a Graceland kind of way our guide provided insight and information dating back several hundreds of years to the Aztec times. He spoke fairly quickly so I was able to understand about 30%. I just smiled allot.
A very beautiful historical fresco was displayed around a stream of pure fresh water flowing from porous rocks that our happy group was slurping with huge smiles and shouts of "delicioso". The water was actually sweet tasting. I have heard people in the past talk about "sweet water" from various areas of the States, particularly Texas. Now I have an idea what they are talking about. The fluoride and processed garbage that comes out of our taps is just that, crap.
The tour kept heading down until we reached the pools from which ancient civilizations hauled water to the surface and their villages. It was interesting to learn that this water originated from the snow covered peak and natural runoff of Pico de Orizaba, a huge volcano near Mexico City. Pure water from the top of a volcano purified through porous rocks flowing downhill underground until it reaches Tehuacan. I realize this is the case for much of the spring water in the world but..why do were screw it up with processioning and why do we allow companies like Nestle to steal our ground water from every community they can get their nasty talons dug into with the promise of jobs?
Take this tour if you wander into Tehuacan. It is interesting and insightful to know how the company keeps their standards but try to hold to old traditions while "working with" the earths water. At least it sounded good when our guide said it with a straight face. A climb up a creaking and winding metal stair case brought us to the surface and across the street from our starting point. I left the group and found a quiet place to sip my small bottle of strawberry water. I then let my imagination wander a bit (as I do) thinking back to Aztec and Conquistador times and how this must have been a spiritual place (as depicted by the fresco) wondering all the odd, interesting and possible violent things that must have occurred. I was snapped out of my imaginary wandering but a loud blast of a passing Peñafiel transport truck.
The reality that this was still a capitalist money making venture smacked me back to reality.
I drink Peñafiel carbonated lemonade a couple of times a week. With it being as hot as it is you get exhausted drinking 2 and sometimes 3 litres of water a day. A guys needs some flavor that is not the sugar water that is Pepsi or Coca Cola.
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| Under ground tunnel entrance |
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| Historical Fresco |
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| That is a lot of flavored water varieties |
Take this tour if you wander into Tehuacan. It is interesting and insightful to know how the company keeps their standards but try to hold to old traditions while "working with" the earths water. At least it sounded good when our guide said it with a straight face. A climb up a creaking and winding metal stair case brought us to the surface and across the street from our starting point. I left the group and found a quiet place to sip my small bottle of strawberry water. I then let my imagination wander a bit (as I do) thinking back to Aztec and Conquistador times and how this must have been a spiritual place (as depicted by the fresco) wondering all the odd, interesting and possible violent things that must have occurred. I was snapped out of my imaginary wandering but a loud blast of a passing Peñafiel transport truck.
The reality that this was still a capitalist money making venture smacked me back to reality.
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