En Hecho Mexico - Made in Mexico

What a fun day! We showed Pam all the best places to shop - especially the jewelry places. Then tried to go to a Flamenco Show. It was cancelled though (no reason given - just cancelled) so we drowned our sorrows at our favorite watering hole, Tio Lucas, then more shopping and dinner at Hecho en Mexico (Made in Mexico) Yummy! We ended the evening with a trip through the jardin for a little Mariachi musica then home early for PJs and 'girl-talk." Just another great day in San Miguel.

Mi Hermana Ha Llegado - My Sister Has Arrived !

My little sister, Pam arrived late last night and we've just spent the morning have slow coffee and breakfast on the patio. Gosh, how four women can talk when you get us together! :-) Pam brought her laptop with her so , once again, we are connected. What a relief! We all like being able to 'talk to home' and those Internet Cafes just don't quite do the trick, besides their keyboards are all different and you may have noticed the extra symbols they produce. :-)

So, we're off to show Pam the city. This will be fun! She was here about 30 years ago while in college and has not returned. It will be interesting to see it through her eyes.

Yesterday we walked until we were reardy to drop - about 8 hours of walking the cobblestone streets and on those sidewalks that are something like doing step-aerobics - up and down. We slept llike the dead last night once we were all settled in. Ahhhh.....just yet another wonderful day in paradise. I am missing Norm, but it is going to be hard to leave this place.

Limping Along

Well, we are limping along with the Internet Cafe, but at least we can check mail. It is such an easy way to stay in touch while we re here. No modo....that is Spanish for ...it is all good....or something like that.

Last night we enjoyed a 3 hour dinner. FINE DINING! It was fantastic. Dos Casa is an upscale B and B on the corner less than half a block from the casa. it is open to the public, but you have to knock on the door to get inside. All the very handsome young waiters practically fell over each other to take care of we three aging gringas....well, at least they did before the place got busy. It seems that word is getting out about Dos Casas. They don't want to get too busy because their main business is actually the $450 a night rooms of the bed and breakfast.

We sat outside on the open air patio and the rain began to fall. Quickly Manuel pulled out the canapy to protect, Raphael came running, "You must come in. Come in, come in, come in." We just laughed and said we'd rather stay outside. Loco gringas.

At any rate we had a truly exceptional dining experience complete with complimentary appetizers of Marlin fish , fabulous dinners of seared tuna and strawberry salad finished off...after several glasses of red wine..with a shared piece of hot chocolate cake. Ahhhhhh we were in heaven.

Today we're off to the library then the artesians market again and then ??? Who knows what adventures are waiting out there for us....Oh the places we will go!

Feliz en San Miguel,
Nancy

The Lady Skeleton

I just love these skeltons that you see all over in the artesian markets and shops. Mexico has such a healthy, "fun" approach to death. They don t actually see it as any different than "life." My old Spanish teacher, Socorro, told me ," I have relatives in this world, I have relatives in another. There is no difference , Nancy. there is NO difference."

Ahhhh.....I am pretty sure I was Mexican in a previous life! :)


"Mexico: where life is cheap, death is rich, and the buzzards are never unhappy." ....Edward Abbey

En Juarez Parque

Candy & Susan are falling too…..in love with San Miguel that is. This city does that to you, makes you dream about “what would it be like to live here…” and talk about “The next time I come…” It isn’t as though we’ve done anything very out of the ordinary. Breakfast at the Bagel Café this morning followed by a walk around Parque Juarez, back to the casa for a siesta, then a wonderful dinner and drinks at Tio Lucas, where “Max’ the owner charmed us, and the waiters treated us like queens. A small parade of Mohehanis - those large puppet like- fun things – passed by Tio Lucas while we were eating. Too fun! We ended our evening at the ‘bar on the corner’ for a nightcap by candlelight since the power had gone off. Just so very, very ‘San Miguel” We are in love.

Now we’re off to the “Tuesday Market” for the adventure of the “flea market on steroids.” Candy is cautiously interested; Susan is estatic.

En amour con San Miguel,

Nancy

Computer Esta Ka'Put

It is official. My comuter has died. I don't know if I picked up a virus, or if it was one of the many storms that have blown through. I will need to wait until I get back to Iowa to find out. So, I will be trying to update my blog from Internet Cafes. It may...or many not work. Please know that Candy and Susan arrived safely and we are having a blast. I will try to get some pix of them on here by tomorrow, but it is a very complicated procedure in th cafes... and I am not the sharpest tack in the box with computers. Bear with me.

Vivo en San Miguel,
Nancy

Calabaza Blossoms - Pumpkin Blossoms

Everywhere I go I see women selling pumpkin blossoms. When I asked her how to cook them she told me to make a soup with onions and garlic and chicken and cheese. Hmmmm. It sounds good! I may have to try making some!

This morning I woke up to find my laptop KAPUT. I am not sure what the problem is, because it worked great just before I went to bed. I unplugged it just in case we had more storms in the night. We did have a BODACIOUS one last night that made the streets run like rivers! So, its Internet Cafe for me , probably for the rest of my time in Mexico unless I can find a computer guru here in San Miguel.

But, it is ALL GOOD! Just another one of the wierd quirky things about Mexico that I love. Mysterys! Who knows what happen to my 'puter in the night?! It rained so hard I had water in my casa all the way around the edges and this morning the big wooden door was swoolen shut so hard I thought for bit I was going to be held captive all day! But, I managed to pry it open....now if I can just get my computer working....

Hasta!

Nancy

Socorro's Secret Delivered to Habla Hispana

I started my day at the Bibleoteca for a Cappachino and a copy of the Atencion - the weekly newspaper that tells everything that will happen during the coming week. On my way I passed a woman selling roses, so I picked out a dozen for my old Spanish teacher, Socorro. Later, after slow morning coffee I delivered the flowers and a copy of my book, 'Womankind" to Socorro at my old spanish school - Habla Hispana. I was pleasantly surprised that she remembered me immediately since I certainly wasn't a 'star student' four years ago when I studied under her. Socorro is a very special lady. If you haven't read her story - "Socorro's Secret" - DO! Now I'm just hoping that she maintains her delightful sense of humor about my mentioning "Socorro was experimenting with hennas that winter...." :-)

El Tejedor de Alfombras - The Rug Weaver

I went to the market to buy flowers for my friends Candy & Susan who will arrive tomorrow, but I just had to take a peek at the other things while I was there. Most of the sellers seem more than happy to tell you about their products and how they are made. This guy was quite proud that he uses 'only natural' dyes and does his own weaving. He said , "Mi esposa teje, teje a mi madre, mi hermano, mi hijo y yo. Somos una familia de tejedores." (My wife weaves, my mother weaves, my brother and my son. We are a family of weavers.) I almost wished I hadn't already purchased a rug. I would have loved to buy one of his! Hmmmmm....maybe I need two rugs?! :-)

The Three Amigos

I came across these lifesize metal statures this morning on my 'adventure." Danged if I could find them again if anyone were to ask me, but aren't they cute? ~ Nancy

Oh the Places I WIll Go !

Some folks might call it 'getting lost,' but I'm calling it an adventure. I set out this morning to explore a different part of town. Heading towards what I thought was called San Antonio, I meandered the streets taking lots of photos and just enjoying all the sights, sounds, smells and colors of San Antonio. Well, I meanadered for almost three hours before I finially admitted it. Yo perdido! I am lost! I consulted my trusty map and would you believe it! I was just a few blocks south of my casa! It reminded me of a time , years ago, when I went hunting with my first husband, Bob. I got turned around so I sat down to wait to be rescued. I knew that I was not supposed to keep walking since I knew I was lost. It would just make it harder for the search party to find me. Well, I waited and waited all day. Finially I heard Bob calling me.....from the truck ....parked less than 100 feet above where I had sat all day. I'm thinking I need a pedestrian GPS. :-)

I'm off to a play reading tonight, but don't worry....I KNOW how to get there!

Cada vez más enamorado de san miguel todos los días -
Nancy

The Parade

Book Clubs & Parades

Tonight I held a book soiree in my apartment. Six wonderful women attended and it was quite the international group - 2 Americans, 1 Canadian, 1 German, 1 Brit and a Mexican who lives in Vancouver now but is here visiting! We had a great discussion about 'Womankind," and about women's lives around the world. The best part of the evening is that I now have six new friends who want to see me again before I leave.

Life is simply sweet in San Miguel. The other day while walking home from the artisian market a parade passed by. How fun! When I asked about the occasion for the parade, I was told, "Senora, it is because there is a holiday in only one month." Is that a terrific way to live , or what? A parade as sort of a 'pre-celebration' of an up-coming holiday. I just love the way these folks think and live!

Feliz en San Miguel,
Nancy

The "Big" Kids of Casa de Los Angeles

Casa de Los Angeles began as a free daycare center in 2000- a safe haven for the children of mothers who come from the outskirts of town to work or sell their wares at the mercado. Often these children were being left home alone before this center opened. It has grown into a community center where mothers find the support they need to make a better life for their families. Besides help with the children, families also receive home and bathroom construction, transitional housing, summer camp, food bank and medical care...all done as a co-operative, maintaining the dignity of each individual. They maintain a core staff, but welcome volunteers - especially those who can stay a month or more. In 8 years 847 people from 18 different have filled those volunteer positions. I think I know a couple of gringos who may make it 849 next year :-) Es totalmente buena, ~ Nancy

Falling in San Miguel.....

Last night I fell in love with Sergio Basurto. A quiet unassuming little man, he’d be invisible on the street. But when he picks up his battered old guitar he is magic. Sergio enchanted the crowd with his nimble fingers and staccato beats at a concert in the Biblioteca. A mixed small crowd of gringos and locals gathered in the Sala Quetzal – an room with amazing murals on all four walls that depict Mayan civilization through the years . It was the perfect setting for Sergio to charm us with his music from many countries – Spain, Portugal, Cuba, Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, and, of course, Mexico. First he made his instrument grieve and mesmerized us with soft, poignant music that told a story even to me who not only doesn’t know music, but doesn’t speak the language of the countries either. Next he lay is guitar aside and charmed us with a Mexican Harp. Ah……..Now I know that angels are not young, blond women dressed in white gowns; this angel was a gentle, little guy with brillo-pad hair wearing baggy blue jeans, and a heart as big as all of Mexico. Sergio finished his performance with songs played and drummed on his guitar using both the strings and the body of the instrument to pound out a beat I felt clear into my bones. I’m sorry I’ve no picture to share. I left my camera in the casa. I should know better. Last night Sergio touched my heart and soothed my soul. He was in my hair, under my fingernails, in my skin. Yep, sorry Norm.....I think I’m in love ….with Sergio. :-)
Besos y abrazos con Mexico!

AWESOME !

Backs pressed close to the wall, eyes wide-open as the brightly colored showers of light fell to the ground and my friends said good-bye to San Miguel. Their week gone too fast. They plotted and planned how they might extend their stay – “just one more week….I could take a jewelry class….We didn’t see the cactus garden….It was even more than I could have imagined…. I will be back.... AWESOME” - were just a few of the comments from my Iowa friends as we celebrated my birthday and their last night in San Miguel with dinner at a sweet little upstairs restaurant behind the Parroquia. In the calm surrender of evening, we watched that magnificent pink church light up in lights. Next it was on to 'Tapas & Tinis,' the little neighborhood bar where they have made many new friends, for one last margarita & cervasa. Heather’s friend, Rafael helped her take a poster from the wall to carry home as a souvenir of all her happy times at ‘Tapas.’ Next we were off to La Conception Church where we tapped our feet with families who danced to the brass music of a 12-man band. And then - the grand finale of it all – FIREWORKS! Dazzeling showers of light and color - spinning- swirling - shooting into the air. With our backs pressed closed to the wall, eyes-wide open, we stood in awe of the fireworks....of San Miguel. I’m certain each fell asleep last night dreaming about.... "the next time I come ….”

Estoy solo (I am alone) in San Miguel this week and plan to take a little time to ‘pause’. See the lovely poem by Mexican poet Octavio Paz . It perfectly describes how I feel this morning as I sit at my computer, sip my coffee con leche, and ......pause.

Besos y Abrazos!

Sights and Sounds of San Miguel de Allende

This was written by my friend, Roger Droz who just left San Miguel last week. So, if I haven't convinced you this is a MUST SEE kind of place maybe this will ....

San Miguel is not what you expect if you think of Mexico as Spring break year round. It is a very picturesque artist community built on the side of a mountain in Central Mexico. It has old Mexico charm and up to date living. The sights and sounds here seem endless. You can find photo opportunities on every street and around every corner. The light here is wonderful even during the middle of the day.

Every corner, every shop forces you to make a decision. Do I stop here and watch, do I go in and browse or do I walk on in search of the next scene? Yes, I said ‘walk’. Bring your walking shoes. Everything seems to be within a short walk. You can see and hear it all on foot. If you feel the need to explore further from home, there are taxis and buses everywhere. Driving here is different from driving in the states, narrow cobblestone streets with cars parked bumper to bumper on one side leaving just enough room to pass. It is hard to maneuver even the smallest of cars on these streets, so it is amazing to watch the buses pass by. You will not believe there is not enough room for them to pass or maneuver the corners but amazingly they do. You will never see a fender bender here nor will you see rude and inconsiderate drivers. Every one seems to know there place, whose turn it is to go, whose turn it is to yield. There is no horn honking, yelling or gesturing here, just one big traffic jam.

Come here to get away from your everyday mundane life. Come here for a change of pace. Come here to be renewed. This is not the easiest place to find but it is worth the time and effort required. The sights and sounds of San Miguel de Allende will stay with you forever.

THE SIGHTS; you will see large ornate magnificent churches everywhere. Narrow cobblestone streets and side walks crowded with people. San Miguel is filled with shops. There are restaurants everywhere. The shops have everything imaginable, from trinkets to some of the finest art to be found anywhere. There are everyday restaurants that serve the most basic food to dress up types that serve the fanciest of meals in the most beautiful atmospheres.

The narrow streets are lined with stone walls. Behind those walls are some of the most ornate courtyards and houses you can imagine. But to get to these you must pass through a door. San Miguel is famous for its doors. They are ornate, distinguished, large, small, new and old. Mostly, they just need to be seen. The doors are so amazing that they alone will draw you back again.

The entire town is drawn together by the jardin. The jardin is the ‘City Square’. There is a bandstand in the center of a tree filled square with benches everywhere. Mariachi bands perform in the bandstand and on the street. Every age and every type of person you can imagine congregates here. There are native Mexicans selling balloons and trinkets, vendors selling food and drink, adorable little kids playing everywhere, teenagers flirting, young lovers, old lovers, Gringos from every walk of life. Come early, buy a cup of coffee, find a bench and watch it all unfold before your eyes. You will be captivated. Just watching the vendors move in and set up their carts is a show in itself. You can stay all day; it begins early every morning with the vendors and ends, if it ever ends, in the wee hours of the night.

THE SOUNDS; There are church bells. They ring all hours of the day and night. They don’t seem to need a reason chime. They shoot fireworks here at all hours of the night, no reason required. In the wee hours of the morning you will be awakened by roosters crowing. This seems to be a call and response crowing competition every morning. Apparently the winner, if there is one, never retires with a trophy. The competition begins long before you want to wake and lasts through the morning. You hear parties everywhere. At all hours of the day and night some one seems to be celebrating something. If you ask, you will be told, “Oh, some one was born, someone had a birthday, someone died or someone just wanted to have a party, we celebrate everything here!”

San Miguel is both yesterday and today. It is a hundred years ago and it is now. It is rich and poor. It is Mexican and international. It is to be seen and heard!

Roger K. Droz

Vivir en Grandes Mexico - Living Large in Mexico

Linda, Kevin & Heather from Iowa are with me this week - wonderful spirits, each one of them - but they are the age of my children, and this old gray mare just can't keep up! Yesterday Kevin & Linda tromped ALL over town and I DO mean ALL. We'd already put on some serious mileage (by my standards) when I limped back to the casa for my photography lesson with Robert De Gast (of "The Doors of San Miguel" fame). Kev & Linda continued to walk the rest of the day - partly because they wanted to explore the city, partly because they got lost :-) . I think they covered most of San Miguel's streets. Heather walked almost as far as they did. The only difference was that she didn't get lost when they seperated and did get to perch on a stool for a while and let her new local friends cool her down with a few cervasa's. Like I said, I just can't keep up with these 'young 'uns.' :-) But do watch for improvement in my photos. Senor De Gast was very enlightening. I hope to put my lesson into practice today.

We've a few shopping errands to run today then we're off to La Gruta - that wonderful Hot Spring Spa outside of town. Vivir en grandes Mexico!

Norman Has Left the Casa

At 3:30AM this morning, just before the bells began to ring and the roosters began to crow, Norm and our friends, Margo & Roger, left the casa. The boys are pretty much on the mend from their bout with 'tourista' which many of you (mistakenly) took for 'too much tequila.' They left smiling and should make it back to Iowa this evening just about the time my friends, Heather, Linda & Kevin Ross will be arriving in San Miguel. I'm sitting here alone in mi casa sipping my orange juice and reveling in the quiet before I tromp off to the market for flowers to welcome my friends. For as you may know, "Just living isn't enough, One must also have freedom, sunshine, and a little flower. " Abrazos y besos from San Miguel!

Casa de Los Angeles

We went to the opening of a fantastic new daycare here in San Miguel last night. The event was an auction of rocking chairs painted and decorated by local artists.Very fun! If I knew I could get it home without a lot of headachs I probably would have bought the one with butterflies. :-)

The Daycare for single mothers is the brainchild of a saint named Donna Quathamer. It seems the mothers here are desperate for a safe place for their kids while they work - as a maid, selling flowers in the jardin - or whatever ( and I mean that in the most basic sense). If no family is available they sometimes have to lock the children in the house while they are at work.

Now, we know what would happen in the States if a mom tried to do that - CPS would be on it pronto, but, here mom's simply do what they must in order to feed their children. Casa de Los Angeles will be a true Godsend for these families.

It is staffed totally by volunteers. Hmmmm........Do I see an adventure for the future? :-)

Que Currrrrrrumba !

What a storm we had last night. I could have sworn we were back in Iowa! Thunder and lightening and rain so hard that the patio gutters weren't enough to keep it from seeping in under the doors. Amazing! Roger & Margo have the little casita off the patio and had to wade through 2 inches of water to get to their room! This morning everything is back to normal, the sky is the most amazing shade -like a newborns liquid gaze - the sun is shining and the doves are cooing just outside my window. Looks like it will be another day in paradise.

Tuesday Market

No one visits San Miguel without seeing the Tuesday Market, at least if Norm has anything to say about it. It’s his favorite place. So, yesterday we caught the bus up the hill to meander the crowded trails between the MANY stalls of the Mercado Grande. What a fabulous assault on our senses! Tuesday Market, for those of you who haven’t heard about it before, is just that – a huge flea market that appears overnight just outside of town. It is made up of makeshift tents made of various brightly colored tarps and covers several acres. By Tuesday night it's gone. It disappears for a week, then they do it all over again. You can buy everything from Mexican antiques to fresh chicken feet. For those of you in the Midwest think "Rutledge without the guns and dogs,” for the rest, imagine your largest yard sale to the nth power and include poblano peppers and piles of herbs with unknown names, and you’ve got the picture. Our visiting friends, Roger & Margo Droz, seemed most impressed with the handmade potato chips and the ‘pig on the stake’ that meat was carved from to make burritos and tacos. Tuesday Market is a HUGE social event for the locals. It was fun to watch the families sharing meals along long tables in the center of the Market. Loud mariachi and rock music, smells of chilies, garlic and onions and some odors that you can’t identify, but make you smile - an assault of colors – rows and rows of 5 gallon drink jars in every color of the rainbow - clotheslines of tiny colored French bras trimmed in lace flapping in the breeze (I swear no one down here is larger than an AA cup) You get the picture.
Today we’re off to La Gruta -the hot water Spa just outside of town - to ease our sore muscles from yesterdays walking. It should be another good day in San Miguel….

WE HAVE ARRIVED

San Miguel has never let us down and late last night we arrived – taxied in by the sweetest guy named Freddie who spoke perfect English, complete with slang, which is a pretty amazing feat when you consider he taught himself in just two years – no classes!
We shared Freddie’s taxi with a woman from Argentina, by way of Chili, who married an American and lives in San Miguel. This is not an unusual circumstance here. One of the things I like most about this place is the diversity! And, Alicia, an internationally known Opera singer, ‘sang for her ride,’so we saw our first glimpses of San Miguel as poignant arias filled the taxi.
Just another day in San Miguel. So glad that we’re back.