Alfredo Vázquez Cobo

Daily life

Water scarcity and lack of bathrooms

Most homes lacked internal water networks; residents relied on water bought from carriers or collected from public fountains and kept in clay jars. Cleaning was done using basins or by washing in rivers, as dedicated bathrooms were nonexistent.

News and letters

Personal delivery and reading assistance

People often relied on personal messengers to deliver letters, and since many could not read or write, they frequently hired someone to write their letters or read them aloud.

Music

The portable tiple for rural life

For solitary travelers and rural workers, the tiple was a favored, portable instrument used to play melodies during rests or while herding cattle.

Getting around

Mules, Oxen, and Human Carriers

Travel between towns often relied on mule trails or human carriers known as cargueros, who sometimes carried goods or people on their backs across treacherous mountain paths. In challenging terrain, travelers also rode oxen, which provided a steady, sure-footed pace through deep mud where other animals struggled.

At the table

Afternoon snack prices

For the popular classes, a large cup of milk with a sago biscuit was a typical afternoon snack costing two and a half centavos.