Fireworks Frame Our Visit To SMA

We arrived in San Miguel De Allende two weeks ago today. We put our bags down, surveyed the house and walked to the Jardin. There we saw an election rally complete with fireworks.

How we feel on the way home... (Actually taken after horseback riding)

This morning, before 7:00 am, we heard more fireworks. I don't know why there were fireworks--other than Mexican culture seems to involve a lot of fireworks. Perhaps it was a religious event. Odd, though, because at 7:00 am you can't actually see the fireworks. It is light out. Fireworks did indeed frame our visit to Mexico.

There are many similarities between our cultures. People are people. Everyone responds to a smile and sincerity regardless of the language. Many even responded to my bizarre humor.

There are differences, however. It seems unusual to see 4-wheel ATVs being driven like cars on the street--especially when there are 5 young children in the ATV's back seat. People ride in the back of pick-ups and even catch rides by hopping a bumper on the way to school. In a way it seems like a bit of a flashback to simpler times in the US.

Back to fireworks. The large mortars that launch the fireworks are right in the Jardin, probably about 30 feet from the crowds. They were loud when we heard them from the house two blocks away. I can't imagine being right there. And if one were to decide to explode a bit prematurely...

I talked with my friend Eduardo about this last time. There are seat belt laws on main roads. He didn't believe they made a significant difference in trauma fatalities. Things are simply more laid back.

The pace of Mexico is much slower.

It was a challenge to switch from my time to Mexican time. And I don't mean this stereotypically. Things are slower. Stores close in the afternoon for lunch and possibly a siesta. 9:00 means 9:15...or maybe 10:00. That is the way it is.

Stephanie noted a significant police presence. I also asked Eduardo about this. It seems the federal government spent a considerable amount of time and money on the police. Recruits now face a battery of testing before becoming officers which improves the quality of the officers--and the force. Police throughout the country are all equipped similarly. Officers wear level IV vests, helmets and have a military appearance in black uniforms. Interestingly, last time Sarah and I were in San Miguel, we saw the same number of officers, but the officers frequently weren't armed and wore powder blue shirts and gray pants as I recall.

I suppose this brings me to the "Why would you go to Mexico with all that violence?" question. Well, in addition to having close friends in the area, this region of Mexico is considered very safe.

Most locals we talked to note that tourism has been down the past few years because of the perception of violence--a real threat in some parts of Mexico. But not here.

Josefina made an amazing last dinner for us on Saturday.

This is my brain dump of a closing blog post for our trip. I am sure Stephanie will have hers as well. I want to be clear that my observations of Mexico are done fondly. I want to return here soon. I enjoy the pace, the beauty, the culture...the food!

Speaking of the food, Josefina made dinner for us on our last night. Salad, guacamole, frijoles, and enchiladas verde. And margaritas! Delicious. It made for a great snack later--and breakfast! We will miss Josefina, her wonderful cooking (chile rellanos, tortilla soup, mole...) and her sing-song "Hola!" to greet us every morning. She was wonderful!

As I write this (on the plane) we are about 2 hours away from New York City.  We will stay there overnight and fight the traffic (a.k.a. drive) to Albany tomorrow. The girls all want a cheeseburger when we land. The symbolic return to the USA.

I lived and loved each moment in San Miguel De Allende and Guanajuato. I made some wonderful new friends teaching the EMPACT course there. Yet there will be something about being back in Maine. Cool air, sea level, picking up the big goofy dog, hopping in the pool, sleeping in my own bed. I miss it.

But I will return to Mexico soon.

Horseback Riding

Here is the quick version of horseback riding: If we came to San Miguel De Allende and didn't do it, we wouldn't have known what we missed. Now that we have gone horseback riding, it may be one of the high points of the trip.

It was amazing.

We looked at reviews and found Rancho Xotolar. It is the #1 rated thing in trip advisor for San Miguel with all 5-star ratings except for one maladjusted Gringo. I simply emailed them the date we wanted (and that Margo was a bit apprehensive) and they responded quickly. They reassured us that the horses were gentle. Señor Tomas said he would pick us up at the house at 9:00 am Friday. He did--and we were off!

Senor Tomas was quiet but inspired confidence. It was about a 30-minute ride out to the ranch. During that time we had a great conversation (in English). Señor Tomas was the youngest of 12 children--many of whom still work on the family ranch.

Margo milking a cow. The milk would be used to make lunch!

We arrived to find a compound of single-story stone buildings. The family has about 1,500 acres. We got out of the car (a Honda with those automatic seat belts from the 1990s) and were brought to the yard. Señor Tomas' brother, Señor Felix was preparing to milk a cow. He let a calf suckle to get the milk flowing and then began to milk into a bucket. We were all invited to try. Little did we know that this milk would be used to make the cheese we would have for lunch!

After the milking experience we headed out to see our horses. Sarah had Sax. Margo rode Low Tornado. Stephanie rode Kangaroo while I got Chester. They were beautiful, gentle horses that appeared to be well cared for.

The Limmers get a pre-ride briefing.

Senor Tomas gave a pre-trip teaching session for the family of gringos with little or no riding experience. The terrain would often be uneven with some pretty steep declines and inclines. Move the reins left for left, right for right and back for stop. Check. We were ready.

The horses were gentle. Many times trail horses are obstinate and mechanical. While these knew the way, we didn't get the feeling that it was totally auto-pilot. Kangaroo liked to lead. Funny how Stephanie got that horse...

Low Thunder takes Margo into the pond for a drink.

We meandered through pretty even terrain in the beginning and did a practice gallop down a straight-away. This seemed pretty easy. We moved slowly along a path near a pond. Here the horses walked us directly into the pond so they could get a drink--to our surprise!

Margo was a bit apprehensive and wanted to have her horse guided by one of the cowboys. Señor Tomas and Señor Felix were wonderful with Margo. They held a lead that guided her horse the entire time.

Brush and cactus lined the path throughout the trip. Occasionally we had to steer the horses to avoid them. There are two types of cactus in this part of Mexico. Both have fruit that is edible. The cactus with flat leaves has the tuna (prickly pear) while the tubular cactus has fruit that is amazingly close to a blueberry. We got the change to sample these on the trip! Sweet and delicious.

It didn't take long to reach the steep path down. We were instructed how to use our legs to stay upright in the saddle as we began a 30-minute trip down the side of the canyon. Let's just say we all developed great respect for cowboys...

Now we are real cowboys!

At the base of the canyon we spent some time riding through a stream. The splashing was cooling for us and the horses--and provided a great photo op!

We stopped half-way and took a break. This is where the second most famous San Miguel Dan story occurred when I had a slight issue in dismount and landed on my...pride.

A Mexican family we saw during our trip.

Señor Tomas brought water for us all. Stretching was good after the first half of the ride.  While we were resting we saw a Mexican family traveling together. We are very used to automobile travel and take it for granted. While traveling out to the ranch we saw horses and burros tied up at the side of the road. People ride to the main road--sometimes for miles--to catch the bus leaving the animal tied there until they return.

This family had three children, a grandmother, mother and two puppies...and a burro to carry the kids and whatever they would purchase.

I don't want to get too longwinded. The break was well appreciated. Out trip back up the canyon was easier on both us and the horses.

We arrived back at the ranch exhilarated from our ride. We found that lunch was waiting for us. We had a first round including cheese made from the milk obtained that morning, pico de gallo with tuna (cactus tuna--which made it pleasantly tart), chips and refried beans.

Sarah finds a friend.

The main course was enchiladas--also made from the same cheese with a mole sauce. Señor Tomas and I shared a cerveza--or two--during lunch. It was delicious.

We spent some time bonding with the many animals at the farm before Señor Tomas drove us back to San Miguel.

I'll finish this post the way I started. It was an amazing experience. The girls did so well.  I was very proud. Stephanie counts this as the best part of the vacation.

Quoting Margo, "It was AWESOME!"

And it was.

Eat, Drink, Shop, Teach

I do have much to blog about--especially after being without internet connection for 48 hours. I am going to use reverse order and talk about the most recent things first.

View from the Luna Tapas Bar

Stephanie and I had drinks at Luna, the roof-top bar at the Rosewood Hotel in San Miguel.  It is a beautiful hotel and the views are stunning. Our girls actually suggested that we go out together while they watched a movie. At first we thought that might actually be the beginning of some sort of conspiracy, but it was actually a wonderful gesture which we enjoyed very much.

Before that we did some shopping and had lunch at an excellent Italian restaurant, Mama Mia!  The girls had a pizza and I had the Arrachera steak (marinated and seasoned flank steak). It was fantastic. A Facebook friend recommend I try that steak at another place in town but I don't think we'll be able to get there.  I had to try it it. Margo wanted to try a bite. Then she ate about half the steak. It was saved with guacamole and frijoles. The margaritas were huge. Stephanie posted a pic of hers on her Facebook page.

Prior to eating we shopped. Here is how that goes: Margo wants everything. Sarah looks and doesn't buy. Stephanie buys. I follow them around. The end.

Future EMPACT instructors working on small group cases

I returned this morning from two days in Guanajuato. I stayed one extra night to teach and hang with my good friend, Dr. Eduardo Romero Hicks. I taught an EMPACT instructor class for Eduardo and 14 of his educators. Simply stated: It was a blast!

I wasn't sure what it would be like teaching with a translator. With Eduardo, it was very smooth and painless. Strangely, I found I could read the course documents in Spanish. The medical words, although in Spanish, were still in a clinical context and looked familiar.

The class photo

I was also pleased that my bizarre sense of humor translated well.

The students were attentive, passionate and clinically astute. We had a mix of physicians, nurses and medics in the class. I was presented with a Spanish language edition of the EMPACT book signed by each of the 15 students in this first class in Guanajuato!

You'll see the students in the group photo to the left have red shirts on. Another great friend, Pedro Olvera, designed a beautiful EMPACT Instructor patch with the Mexican flag colors which is sewn onto the instructors' shirts. I am confident the new educators will wear the patch well and be excellent ambassadors of the EMPACT philosophy!

This is about the end of the catch-up post. I'm turning in soon because Señor Tomas from the ranch will be picking us up at 9:00 am to take us horseback riding. Yes, there will be stories to tell from that trip.  Until tomorrow...

Catch up

Well we have not been as good as we should have with the blog. Although Sarah stay on the Internet every chance she gets, we have seen no post from her! On whole, Bad Limmer family!

Yesterday we went to Guanajuato to visit friends and Dan taught an EMPACT class today. We had a fabulous tour guide, Pedro Olvera, who drove us from SMA to gto and also gave us a night tour of the city. My iPhone took some wonderful shots if the city from the top of the mountain. The city is beautiful and has so much art and culture- there are huge statues everywhere you turn!

My computer trackpad has died and strangely there is no Apple store to run to. I am now forced to do everything from my phone. Not horrible, but that explains the bad formatting!

Before we left for gto, we went to the country to have cocktails with Tim and Ann, who own the house we are renting here. They are lovely and Ann has such amazing decorator talent! She had a 10 year show on the BBC called the "House Doctor" where she would go into people's houses that were for sale and "stage" them. Their house here is very old world and traditional while their house in the country is very much more modern. The girls both took to both Tim and Ann quickly.

On Friday, we go horseback riding in the country. We are all looking forward to that experience and I hope we have a lot of stories from that trip.

Well, my finger is getting tired! More later!

Hunger!

At approximately 6PM tonight... I FELT HUNGRY!!  And my stomach was not cramping.  And I ATE!  For most people this is not a big deal but after 4 days of painful cramping and not being able to eat anything or even feeling the faintest bit hungry... this was a relief.  I will spare you the rest of the details.

Juarez Park Playground

Today we walked around and just hung out with the locals.  We went to Parque de Juarez where there is a playground, basketball courts, and walking paths.  The girls just played around and then watched the boys playing basketball.  After a while, we andered back to the Jardin, got ice cream and sat to watch a mariachi band, boys break dancing and lots of people watching.    When you sit in the Jardin, many people come up to try and sell you things- young children selling chiclets, old beggar women asking for money, men with tourist paraphernalia and what have you.  "No gracias" and "No lo siento" have become very habitual.

Sarah and Margo watching breakdancing
 boys in el jardín

We wandered the streets and took a lot of photos.  The angles of the sun on the colors of the houses etc. are so beautiful!  I have added more photos to my FB Album if you want to see them all.  It takes forever to upload photos on the Internet.  We are 1/2 way through our vacation.  And while I will never admit it to Dan... I would have hated to only have been here for 1 week and had to leave tomorrow.  We have plenty more adventures to take and make...

Hasta Luego!

Day Five - Random Thoughts and Photos

No big theme today. Here goes:

The Limerick Pub. It has a nice ring to it...

I haven't seen a single traffic control device anywhere in San Miguel Allende. Somehow this seems to work.

Every time you step off the curb, traffic stops and waves you on.

I found an Irish pub.

Stephanie is feeling a little better. I know this because she shopped today.

I heard a Mexican guitar player singing Billy Joel's "Piano Man." This was on the way to the large indoor mercado and the giant artist mercado next door.

Road work in San Miguel.

There doesn't appear to be any heavy equipment involved in road repair. Not only are all of the stones replaced by hand, the workers are wearing heavy clothing in 70 - 80 degree morning temperatures.

Stephanie and I took a cooking class last night. It was a lot of fun. It was a bit better for me because I could eat the food--Stephanie was still a bit refractory from her intestinal issues.

If you hear it anywhere else, I did get into a taxi and ask, "How much cheese?" instead of "How much does this cost?"

I spent a bit of time each of the last few mornings trying to figure out how to photograph a beautiful scalloped yellow wall and the colorful buildings behind it. It has been a challenge because there are trees about 20 feet from the wall with benches along the wall every 40 feet. This limits my angles. While I was drawn to the colors, I also found a silhouette of the wall which is an interesting alternative.

I am placing three images of the wall on the blog.  Which do you like best?

Day Four

Our dinner party was a success. Not for the reasons I thought it would be, but it was.

Eduardo, Pedro and Sarah prepare the piñata.

Josephina cooked an amazing meal. We had guacamole, mole poblano with chicken, rice, tortillas, pork loin, and a spicy steak dish. Josephina left for a little while and said she would be back to serve the meal.  We thought at 6 or a little after. By 6:45, no Josephina. And recall that Stephanie was down and out with severe stomach problems.

The meal was for our good friend Dr. Eduardo Romero Hicks and three of his people. They were so good to Sarah and I last time we were here we wanted to have a special meal for them. At about 6:45 it wasn't feeling so special. At the recommendation of Eduardo, we all got up and heated the meal and served it. I even made the guacamole. Naturally, Josephina came in a short time later.

Margo takes a mighty swing. Note Pedro safely behind the door!

Later that night, Sarah, my 16-year-old daughter summed the dinner experience up best. "I think it was more fun that way." It reminded me of a big fire station dinner where everyone pitched in. It was hot and served in about 10 minutes.  And did I mention it was delicious?

Margo the burro!

Sarah the burro!

After dinner, we brought out the piñata for Margo. It was a team effort--and Margo loved it! Josephina tied off the rope on the upstairs balcony.  Eduardo attached the piñata and Pedro (a safe distance away) pulled the rope to move the piñata around. While our friends sang a traditional song, Margo took some solid swings at the piñata. After she had enough she called on Daddy for back-up.  Many strike the piñata and gradually knock off legs. Not me. I decapitated it...which made for a fun costume.

As the evening drew to a close I apologized to Eduardo about the dinner confusion and thanked him for his help. He was gracious and had a possible suggestion for the delay. "She may have been on GMT." Eduardo said. I was puzzled. "Greenwich Mean Time?" I asked.

"No. 'Guanajuato Maybe Time.'" He said. "It is Mexico, my friend."