7/29/12;

hi everybody, I wrote this last  night on the plane. I am home now. Thank you so much for picking me up so late Jean!  my  first plane was an hour late, so time was very short in Atlanta, but when I got to the customs hall, it was so empty that they said pick any desk! baggage came thru very quickly, and the xray inspection was also quick with no questions. I made the last flight with no minutes to spare, and had a good seat with nobody next to me. Thank you Delta or whomever. anyway, I am home safe and sound with a lot to do the next few days, so I will be catching up bit by bit. hope to see you all soon,

Bert

<><><><><><><<>

hi my friends,

        First, let me say Thank you to all of you who wrote to send condolences, and so many more who  sent prayers and wishes from wherever you were. I relayed the massive response (about 300 messages) to the community here.       We were all very touched, and send our deepest thanks for your kind words and prayers. i will try to write back to at least some of you.

        I just flew over Cerro Gordo in teotihuacan I could see the mountain, but now it is empty, the tents have come down, the Lodge covers, the kitchen, the food, the people, all the trash, but the Sacred tree stands with all the prayers. All our prayers remain. Saturday, all the Dancers came down, most were able to get a shower, and a ride to Teotokan (sp?) where the fiesta was planned. This was to be the celebration of 30 years of the Sundance in Mexico along with the wedding reception for Tlakaelel and Susana. It became a celebration of Tlakaelel's life, and despite the sadness touching us all, it was also a real celebration. Tlakaelel had ordered the fiesta to go on just as it was, so we had a fantastic banquet for over 400 people! the famous music groups Yodoquintzi and Tribu played, and Onka Yolotl, the spectacular dance group of Kalpulli Koakalko performed, complete with laser light, fog machine, etc. everybody cheered and applauded. Earlier, Tlakaleel's sister spoke as well as his wife, Susana, Jose Luis Olaya, the director of In Kaltonal, and Marco Hernandez, the director of Kalpulli Koakalko.

        I had thought that maybe we would have a couple of hundred people, but the 300 seats were all filled with many sitting on the stairs, walls, etc.  they found enough food to go around, and we washed plates as they came available. There was a huge four colors cake that fed all as well. It was quite a mix of people, with some dressed to the  hilt in heels, suits, evening dresses, others in traditional outfits, some who came running down the mountain in whatever they could find, but none of that mattered.  During the day (and the day before), while they were completing the Dance, a team of us were shuttling supplies, food, etc, to the salon and adding electric wiring and generator, gas tanks for the cooking, stoves, lights, fixing the fog machine (we had to look up the formula for the fog fluid and find glycerine), etc.  Wel, it all worked, even the fog, and the generator, the lights, the music, and the meal. It had much the atmosphere of a wedding, even missing the groom. Susana wore a beautiful wedding dress, and there were hugs, tears, and laughter. as I wandered around the tables, sometimes bringing a tray of food, sometimes just visiting, i overheard many stories of how Tlakaelel touched so many lives.

        I scheduled my return from Mexico for Friday in order to  translate for a group from Finland who wanted to see some sacred sights and have some sessions with Tlakaelel. On Wednesday, they told me that they had to return to Finland for an emergency, and with Tlakaelel's passing, and no communication at the house (during the same storm, lightning hit the pole near the house and blew out the phone line, modem, computer, printer and monitor. I was able to send you all a couple of emails from an internet cafe in town, but I have a lot of people to contact and a lot of planning to do, so I called the airline, pleading to move my flight to today. After expaining the situation, the dear woman said it would cost over 150. but she said please wait a minute, and after 5 minutes, she came back on and said they could make an exception, and could change my flight without charge. She couldn't give me a seat assignment as there were no regular seats available, but they would find me one. To make a long story short, after waiting until they started boarding the plane and hoping for a window seat, the woman at the desk passed me a ticket, seat 2A, first class, so I am sitting here with a nice meal, a china cup of decaf, and very pleasant service. Thank you creator for this  much needed little gift. It is a little bittersweet, as Tlakaelel would have just loved it. Sometimes, when we are leaving a flight, I can grab a toiletry kit for him to take home. This time, I will just steal a linen napkin with butttonhole for my mother.

        with a little extra time in the morning, we were able to pass by the obsidian store to buy some for the upcoming trip to use for some fundraising for the Kalpulli here, At the airport, there was still time, so I met with Miguel from Amsterdam and Max from Bern, Switzerland, and we talked about how to continue the movement  in europe. They have lots of ideas and lots of enthusiasm to start a Kalpulli or two there., We have a lot of thinking to do to see who can do what and when. I think it is best to go slowly, and see how things unfold over time. For now, I will go ahead with the trip to Switzerland and Holland, and maybe the UK (probably later in the fall) to meet with some of our long term friends, to share stories, hugs, and feelings, and maybe a few tears and maybe a ceremony. Tlakaelel and I have so many friends in so many places that have been touched by our visits and by Tlakaelel's message as well as his being.  we will see what the future will bring.

        So, for now, I say thank you all for your care, and your patience with all these emails.

Thank you my dear friends,

Bert