Maya

(Above) Choc Mul. (Below left) Top two tiers of El Templo del Tequila altarpiece, surmounted by holy ikon of Choc Mul.

The road to the Mayan ruins and shrine winds tediously along the Bay for some distance, before suddenly swinging inland. Beyond this point, what is now virtually a trail (El Camino de Arnold) narrows, and extreme care should be taken. Eventually, those intrepid enough to have continued with the journey will find themselves breaking through the monotonous underbrush into a delightful valley, El Valle de la Luna (q.v.), in the middle of which one finds the quaint pueblo of Sonoma (45.3 mi. NE of San Francisco). The village itself has little to recommend it physically -- the usual faded Spanish architecture and a few efforts at contemporary commercial construction -- but once arriving at the central plaza ("the Plaza") (Spain, early 19th C), the traveler has attained the real objective of his arduous travels.

On the southeast corner of the Plaza appears a small non-descript brick building (const. 1909), apparently built over much older construction that assuredly housed the sacred relics for centuries before that date. Feeling just the tiniest bit disappointed with the unprepossessing exterior, perhaps, the explorer will enter from the NW corner of the building, passing through an early 20th century gate or puerta. As his eyes adapt to the dark interior, he may well be overwhelmed by the richness of vivid primary colors, and by the beauty of the unusual murals and other artwork gracing the interior of the shrine. However delightful, however, these examples of local folk art alone would not justify the torturous journey he has just endured.

But as one faces the interior, his back to the puerta through which he has just passed, the explorer confronts the sanctum sanctorum itself, looming some 20 ft. before him, El Templo del Tequila, translated roughly as "the Temple of Tequila." An altar piece, perhaps 15 feet in height, this skillfully finished wooden tower ("torre de madera") is festooned with tier after tier of priceless "jewels" of the most exquisite tequila (see glossary: "liquor," "agave," "Mexico"), brought to this village at what must have been unimaginable effort and expense. Many of the frascos or botellas ("urns") containing the sacred licor are finely crafted, and quite beautiful in their own right, fitting containers, surely, for their holy contents.

Mounted atop the altar piece one finds one's true raison du voyage -- the holy image or ikon of Choc Mul (sometimes "Chac Mool" -- the spelling is phonetic) himself, a local god inspired by Mayan mythology and worshiped devoutly by the Sonoma populace. Scholars generally consider "chac mool" to be a descriptive rather than proper noun, suggesting a human figure in a characteristic reclining position, head elevated and turned to one side. (Augustus Le Plongeon (mid 19th C) allegedly coined the term from the Mayan words for "thundering paw" or "Jaguar paw.") Never mind. In Sonoma, local custom and piety over the years have transmuted the generic "chac mool" into the divine "Choc Mul," (or "San Choc Mul" within certain local churches), a deity who has taken on all the attributes of a Mayan Dionysos, having evolved locally into a numinous being whose gifts include tequila, conviviality, enthusiasm, open-heartedness, brotherhood, and joie de vivre.

Choc Mul is a happy deity, therefore, despite his dour, and somewhat supercilious, countenance. He is worshiped as such by the merry natives of this most curious pueblo.

As one bows in reverance before the small but sincerely fashioned image of Choc Mul, one is likely to sense the self-assured approach of one of the two high priests attending his altar: Denny (oddly, Dionysos in Greek) or Manny. No need for concern. The cult over which these wise sacerdotes preside is a most welcoming rite, and welcomes strangers from beyond the pueblo with warmth, if perhaps some curiosity. The adventurer, now no doubt dusty and dry after his exhausting pilgrimage, will find himself easily persuaded to join in communion with the local worshipers, as the sacred vessels are brought forward. The tequila is only mildly hallucinogenic and intoxicating when received in small doses -- but small doses seem rarely the custom in Sonoma. The perceptive partaker will thus exercise some caution. This guidebook strongly recommends accepting the hospitality of a local posada or locanda, rather than attempting a return out of the valley the same evening.

Local conveyances ("taxis") are available for hire. Fr. Denny and Fr. Manny will be eager to secure their services on your behalf; they may even be perceived as somewhat aggressive in their insistence. The sensitive traveler will recognize the economic interdependence of the professions in this small town, and cheerfully acquiesce.

US dollars are commonly accepted throughout the Valle de la Luna.

***** (five stars, out of five). Highly recommended.