San Miguel de Allende, Mexico 12.29

(written from home)

Well I made it home. I’m sitting here with a cup of coffee. The dishwasher is cleaning up after me and the washing machine is removing all traces of San Miguel from my clothes. After finally finishing perusing all my photos, I can see my mind has not quite made the transition back to Texas. I have looked at the calendar three times to determine when I have to return to work and just cant believe all my Holiday is gone. (I’ve also had to check my map of San Miguel a few times to confirm where a particular photo was taken.) I’m in a sort of Limbo between Mexico and reality. I spent the entire day yesterday going through the remaining 400 photos I had taken but never viewed. So it’s like I just arrived home now. I finally look up and realize the photos are not views out my window.

My last night in San Miguel I had to change rooms. (another couple arrived and needed the space) The only reason I mention it is the new room was on the other side of the courtyard. I lost the clip clop of the horse hooves on the cobblestone below my window and instead heard the neighborhood houses. It seems the family directly behind me was having a Christmas Party. I could occasionally hear children’s laughter and the clank and tinkle of eating; Silverware, plates, glasses. About bedtime, about the time I finished packing all my stuff and crawled into bed to finally finish book #1, I heard music. It was very faint and not possible for me to make out exactly what it was. I listened carefully for awhile but couldn’t quite place it. Like a breeze it would drift in and out and I would catch parts of it through my open window. Ten minutes into the serenade I realized they were singing along with the music. The reason I couldn’t understand was they were singing lyrics – in Spanish. It was little drummer boy. They sat out on the porch and sang me to sleep enjoying some Christmas CD at 'our' party.

On Thursday 12.27, the shuttle picked me up in front of my hotel at 9:30am for the drive to the airport in Leon. ($57US roundtrip) On the drive inbound I had been the only passenger. On the drive back we filled every seat. Ten of us. Lots of the usual, “oh where are you from” and “what did you enjoy most” type questions. Then the – “why did you pick San Miguel for holiday?” This is the good part! Kathey Anthony, realtor from Flower Mound Texas, with Ebby Halliday, 972/539-3000, katheyanthony@ebby.com said she and her husband Don chose it because they had read the Tony Cohan book: On Mexican Time. (I was also drawn by the book, having read it from the library when it first came out in 2000) Kathey then related the story about how she and Don had written the editor and had gotten an email back from Tony Cohan saying ‘if you are in town let’s meet in the Jardin and visit.’ So they had met Tony the night before and gotten their books signed. (while I was going to bed early) Tony, now living in Guanajuato, made a special trip and talked with them for an hour. How funny that I had walked the city for 8 days looking for the house where Tony and Masako lived and had written about….

Small World! I got an email yesterday from Maria Luisa Aguin, a wonderful lady from Buenos Aires Argentina, who was also staying at Le Mansion del Bosque in San Miguel. She made it home safe and wishes everyone a splendid New Year. (she was so cute. She had a girl stay in her home for 6 months as a foreign exchange student and came to San Miguel to visit at the Holiday. To visit in the home of the girl. She ‘thought’ well, we speak Spanish in Buenos Aires and they speak it in Mexico, so I’ll have no language problems. It turns out the Spanish is not quite the same and she was surrounded by English speaking people so she spoke mostly English. “STOP, I am so tired of speaking English!” her little brain got overloaded at times.) Now I need to write everyone whom I met and have emails for. Do my followup. Burn disks of photos to share.

(art institute where Diego Rivera studied)

Well again, I am home from this latest adventure. I met some wonderful people and truly enjoyed San Miguel. I should have stayed a month to capture it more fully. (kathey and don rented a house and stayed 6 weeks) All the locals of San Miguel were friendly and patient with my horrible Spanish and for that I am eternally grateful. I always felt safe and recommend San Miguel to anyone wanting a ‘different’ Mexican vacation. I can already imagine going back in July when Texas is 113 degrees and in San Miguel its cool enough to see my breath in the morning as I walk across the cobbles to the coffee bar for my Cyber. They say it’s spring year round. With fresh fruit, flowers and people singing you to sleep… I kinda like it.

(milkman delivers)

Happy New Year! Stay safe and enjoy.

Warmest, Skip

Ps. I finished with 31 gigs of photos / 3,215 shots (my favorites: 468 / 2.34 gigs)

Pss. If you are interested, I recommend these books for further reading:

1. On Mexican Time – Tony Cohan

2. Falling in Love with San Miguel – Carol Schmidt and Norma Hair

3. The Doors of San Miguel de Allende – Robert de Gast *

4. Nothing to Declare – Mary Morris

* I met Robert de Gast twice during my visit. The first time during breakfast at Ruth’s guest house – La Mansion del Bosque, where I was staying. (I bought a map from him. HIS – “the Best Map of San Miguel.”) The second time I met de Gast was Sunday at the Open House. He was in the courtyard of the library where we gathered for the tour. He had a little table set up signing his books.

San Miguel 12.26

Wed. 12.26 San Miguel

• This will be my last posting from San Miguel. (I’ll write another from home after I can go through all the photos. I’m about 2 days behind now. It takes hours to view them and there is only so much daylight…) Tomorrow morning I shuttle back to Leon for the flight home. I am sad to be leaving. There is so much more to explore. Perhaps I can return and spend more time. Maybe even take a Spanish course? (why?) today at breakfast Maria (from Argentina) and Mike (from DC) were laughing about something I told the waiter. It seems I was asking for ‘a little’ more milk and instead asked for a little kiss. (I got the milk) so, they laugh and laugh – “we might be making fun of you Skip.”

• IT’S A SMALL WORLD. Yesterday I got Xmas greetings from, Juan and Alejandra, two dear friends I met 5 years ago while traveling through central America. These two were from Argentina and driving a $300 van from Miami Florida down to tierra del fuego. I met them 7 miles from the Guatemala border. (their email is written to me in Mexico from Roatan Honduras where they now live and work) Also I got an email from Gianna and Filippo from Italy who I met in Placencia, southern Belize 3 years ago. Merry Christmas to all my friends – wherever you are today!

• Yesterday was a celebration of Christmas and Mexican Life in SM. We had Mariachi singers and Ruth danced the Tango. This followed by a huge Turkey for dinner for about 60 ppl. It was madness and mayhem! (from 1:30 till 4p) But, I got ahead of myself. First I went to the famous Tuesday Market and then spent most of the afternoon just walking. For dinner I went next door to the Jacaranda Hotel and had Polo Oaxaca. (sorry for butchering the spelling – it’s like all my Spanish / very bad!) it was Mexican chicken in deep thick mole sauce and spicy tangy peppers.

• Now It’s my last day in town. Partly cloudy and high 60’s. not a breath of wind. I will call my shuttle service to confirm plans and then go to the local bank to get hotel money and probably take a few hundred more photos along the way…

• Current Photo Count: ~5,000 (27.5 gigs) this has about filled my laptop hard drive so I’m afraid to load anymore. In addition to the 5k, I’ve already shot 3 more gigs from the Market, Party and walking yesterday. (these are not included in the count and I’ve not seen them yet) Also I’ll shoot more today.

Hope the weather is sunny warm and your food is spicy!
Warmest, xo Skip

• Ps. Footnote: The Large Church downtown. I am told it was built in the 1700’s. (it’s on the signs and I can read #’s in Spanish.) the interesting thing is that it was designed by a ‘common brick layer.’ He saw post cards of the great Cathedrals in Europe and drew plans in the sand each day. He was illiterate but designed the great church from the cards. He only had the front of the cards to work from so only the actual front of this church looks ‘European.’

http://www.skipsphotos.biz

Christmas Day 2007

Christmas Day 2007
San Miguel de Allende


I just returned from a trip to the famous “Tuesday Market” way up on the hill outside of town. (taxi both ways - $5us) I’m told it was scaled way back because … duhhhhhh it’s Christmas Day! It opened at 8am but lots of vendors were still just setting up at 11:30 when I left. You name it and it’s probably out there somewhere. Mounds of clothing piled on tables with hands shuffling through exchanging one pile for the other. Garments for $2. Lots of ‘designer’ labels that had been “knocked off” and some miss spelled on the shirts. Fresh produce stacked neatly sitting beside auto parts beside a vendor selling Pig portions. The smells changed with each few feet you stroll. Too many pirated CD and Movies to count. Loud thumping music competing with the guy in the stall across the aisle made for some ‘energizing’ areas. (read: loud) Two stalls of Mariscos. Large Shrimp, Red Fish and Talapia on ice. Must be seen, heard and smelled to be understood.

Yesterday I was a total tourist. After breakfast I took my map and walked a new direction. My plan this trip was to go down a street then over a block, then back up and snake down again. The careful zig zag pattern. Saw lots of new territory and two new churches… Ran into some friends from the hotel and shared a lunch. Finally Mexican Food. I had Chicken enchiladas with beans. They had salad. (waste) then for desert some pastry thing. Like a donut it’s batter that’s ‘squeezed’ from a machine into a rope then deep fried and covered with Sugar. This is served with Hot Chocolate. The hot chocolate is ordered: sweet, semi-sweet, or plain. It’s dark chocolate, thick and rich. I chose semi-sweet. It tasted like a Hersheys candy bar melted into a cup. Perfect for dipping the pastry into.

After lunch, one of the guests needed to walk to the bus station to get her ticket for travel today. So, we walked across town, down the industrial area and then out of town. (where they put busses) It was quite a hike. Then we hailed a cab and had him take us to the ‘top of the mountain’. Another mountain I had not seen before with a new glorious view of the valley. (this is where we saw the clouds and rain on the horizon.) Fortunately it turned out to just be a sprinkle and we made it back to the hotel in about 20-25 minutes of straight down hill walking. The front cooled everything off and refreshed the air to a cool 60 degrees last night, but today it’s clear and warm again.

That’s about it for yesterday. After dinner I walked to the Jardin to find plenty of families with kids swinging 30” flaming sparklers running and laughing around the square. At some random pattern they would ring church bells. (which are still ringing today at some celebration pattern that escapes me.) today I hear them like you would hear your neighbors car alarm. Persistent and prolonged and then suddenly stopped. Last night they were very very Loud. (Not rung like in the movies, slow and deliberate so you can count the rings. Not, ‘for whom the bell tolls.’) These were ringing all over town. (remember there are churches everywhere) Plus I was in the Jardin sitting just in front of the largest church. They would just ring and ring and ring. You could see little men up in the towers ‘spinning’ the huge bells. You could actually feel the noise in your chest. That kind of ringing. Now do this at random intervals from about 7pm till about midnight. Then have churches all around you participating. Get the picture? Now add the loudest fireworks in Mexico to the off beat times. (not firecrackers. not "pop, pop".) Explosions. (think: tremendous rumbling like canon fire from something huge and overwhelming) Not ‘rockets.’ Not something visual it’s something to hear. Something to celebrate. (akin to a thunderstorm, with thunder way off, then close, then on top of you. Totally random, very loud and impossible to ignore.)

I’m sorry to say I missed midnight mass again this year. I came back to the quiet of my room and dozed off just after midnight. Cant tell you how long the fireworks lasted but im sure it was many hours. I did hear them again this morning just after 7:30 when I got up. It’s quite an adventure!

Today at the Hotel there is some ‘big party’ followed by Christmas Lunch at 2pm. I’m told to expect: music, dancing and about 60 people. (instead of the usual 12 or so)

The bells are ringing again now. I can also hear the clip clop, clip clop, clip clop of the mounted police walking below my window. the horse on cobblestone is a music all it's own. Now other bells from a different church. Now others slower from a different direction. Each a different pitch, tone and coming from a separate direction. Now a far off tinkling bell sounds like someone in the kitchen ringing it by hand. Childrens laughter down the street and dogs barking off down the hill. It’s 12:32pm and the town is wide awake.

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas time!

From San Miguel. Xo Skip

Biker Bar video

Xmas Eve. San Miguel. 12.24

Wow, i should have planned a few more weeks here. i have been walking alot of the same routes to and from the internet, the Jardin (city center) to photograph and eat Aztec soup. already i have a path and pattern to my travels and my days. a quick breakfast at the hotel then internet followed by frantic photos of everything in my path.

now i am pointing my map in new directions to see other areas of the city. yesterday i got in a taxi and pointed to a spot and asked him to take me there. turns out i was way up on a hillside i had not seen before. (my map is flat, but the city climbs many hills in every direction) the city spread out below me with the Jardin and tall church steeple for my refrence point. a slow ambling dog barking crawl down the hills brought me back to an area of the city i had seen before. today - i will venture the other direction. (just so i dont end up at the bottom of a hill)

YESTERDAY i did the home and garden tour as planned. we saw 2 houses. the first was really a hotel made up of three houses combined. they are opening the hotel after the first of the year so it was all decorated and finished. sort of all dressed up and no place to go... how many million was it valued? i have no concept or guess. pretend 3 mansions glued together by courtyards. the second house was ´better´as it was a single family dwelling. over 300 years old with massive walls and 20ft plus ceilings. i dont have a vocabulary to describe it all. this was a ´normal´wall and door out on the little cobbled street opening up to a palace. you´ll have to see the pictures. i took about 300 at the tour. (be patient) my problem is i have been having too much fun taking photos to look at photos. AFTER the house tour some friends from the hotel and i went to a steakhouse a few blocks away. an Árgentine´steak house. (more mexican food) it was great and priced in my pocketbook. THEN AFTER THAT i went to ´JJ´s´a biker bar 2 blocks away. (i had run into the owner of the bar just prior to the house and garden tour. i stopped for a quick coffee and sat on a patio in the Jardin. 3 guys in ´Harley Clothes´were at the next table and i asked if they would mind if i took their photo. turns out JJ and his pals were going riding and asked if i wanted to join them.... imagine my conflicted feelings. on one hand i could ride a harley through mexico with 3 desperados. on the other hand i could share spiced tea with 300 gringo tourists walking through stuffy houses. i am still not sure i made the right decision, but i did the house tour) At JJ´s i had a chance to visit with my ´new friends´and ask them about their ride.

TONIGHT i am going to midnight mass at the parroquia (big church in the jardin)for what will surely be some great photo ops. i am told they pass a baby Jesus through the church at midnight and everyone throws confetti on him. this i gotta see!

FELIZ NAVIDAD BABY. it rained last night just after the steakhouse and before i left the biker bar. so the air is fresh and clean without any dust. also it´s cooler here in the shade of the internet cafe. i need to run get some sun before i think about a jacket. i saw 64 on the thermometer in my room at 8am. it´s ´crisp´and cool now but in the sunshine it´s about 72 and just perfect. hope it´s perfect where you are.

HAPPY HOLIDAY. will work on the photos later during siesta time when it´s hot and i´m tired from walking.

´Warmest´ - Skip

Domingo. Sunday San Miguel 12.23

San Miguel

Sunday 12.23

Yesterday I went wandering the city looking for the Mercado. After some back streets and ‘almost’ getting lost – I found it. (where all the people are)

It was alive with it’s own energy. Little stalls about 8-10 feet deep running from about 8 feet wide to 30 feet. Fresh fruit, vegetables, tools, art and assorted clothing along with xmas stuff everywhere. Some piled on the floor and others arranged like storefront. I am sorry but I didn’t take many photos in there. (too overwhelmed) mostly I attempted to walk through the many stalls without knocking any precious thing off a shelf. With my camera backpack on I was the literal Bull in the China shop!

The most interesting thing I saw was the Traffic Light at the busy intersection by the market entrance. A Policeman stands on a small (~18”) pedestal holding an electric light. The stoplight chord runs across the sidewalk out into the street where the Cop stands atop the Traffic Light Post. They stand up there and “turn their body” facing the stopped traffic, simultaneously turning the light from green to red.

Cant write now. I have the open house tour. Home and Garden tour meeting at the Library this morning. The $20 fee goes to children education scholarships. I’ll get you the “million dollar house” photos this morning.

Happy Christmas!!!

Ps. Last night we had Spagetti. I didn’t have any lunch because I was on a mission to find the Mercado. (at dinner the lady, Maria, from Argentina didn’t eat her broccoli. So I begged it off her. Someone else commented – “these portions are so big I can't eat all mine.” Yes, I got more broccoli! ) note: the portions are diet meals to me….

Feliz Navidad

Xo Skip