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."

How I spent day 4 in San Miguel

Enough said?

Days Two and Three

Josephina prepares guacamole

Day two under our belts and day three well on its way. Tonight we host a fiesta for Dr. Eduardo Romero Hicks and three of his associates who we so good to Sarah and I when we were here two years ago. Josephina has been cooking all day and it looks and smells amazing. Stephanie and Sarah were able to help as well as observe this traditional Mexican cooking.

Traditional Margarita fixins

Sarah and I went out to get some supplies for tonight (including fixings for a traditional Margarita). We picked up a giant piñata for Margo (a surprise). Sarah carried this through San Miguel De Allende to the amusement of the locals. Many children would stop and pet the giant burro piñata.

I did a little photography around town. I am making notes about the light and places I want to return to at different times.  I'll add a few images in the next post just to show the entire trip hasn't been a giant siesta!

Sarah carries our giant piñata through town.

We are starting to wander further into different parts of town.  Sarah and I went to Parque Benito Juarez and also found a great bakery. We had dinner at Harry's New Orleans Bar. Those on my Facebook page saw the 2-for-1 margarita specials. (I had quatro.) The jambalaya and shrimp po' boy were very good. Harry's was quite lively and is a favorite of ex-pats in san Miguel.

While I was there I again mentioned that I would like to come down here for a month next time. I explained how I felt very alive and creative here. Stephanie's response to that was interesting. She said that I loved places that catered to misfits. Citing Key West and New Orleans as other examples, I found it difficult to argue the point. We reached a deal that I could come down for two weeks before she and the girls came down next time.

Not bad for a misfit...

Mexican Elections, Unknown Bumps & Fiestas

View of the street and the
campaign vehicles
 from the rooftop

The Mexican elections are happening July 1 so every night here has been a big party!  At about 5PM the fireworks, speeches and the cars playing very loud music.  This goes on until late into the night.  Fireworks can go off at anytime.  If you had PSTD from war, you would not want to be here.  Margo jumps and "eeks" every time they go off!

Here is a sticker I found on the sidewalk this morning with a photo of the brother of our friend, Eduardo.  He is running for Senator.  Even though there are parties every night, the streets are fairly clean in the morning by the time we go out.  We get up much earlier than the people of San Miguel but we go to bed a lot earlier too! 

Red itchy bumps on Margo!

Now for the bumps!  Both Margo and Dan have been breaking out with very itchy red bumps all over their arms and legs.  Neither Sarah nor I have any bumps.  The mosquitos come out at night and since everything (bedrooms, living rooms, etc)  are open to the sala we tend to get bites around our ankles but they are mostly gone by morning.  We have been to the pharmacía multiple times in 2 days for Cortisone, Benadryl and Clotrimazol.  

Today Sarah and I planned a menu from Mexican cookbooks and we went shopping to the market with Josephina.  My Spanish/English dictionary is coming in very handy!  We are having a fiesta mañana for our friends from Guanajuato.   

Lastly, here is a link to my photo album on FB that you can view photos of our house and around town.  I don't think you do not need a FB account to view.  

Hasta Luego!

We have arrived!

Los Cuatro Gringos have arrived in San Miguel De Allende!

We traveled to New York City Saturday evening and stayed near JFK. Boarded the flight at 9:00 am and off we went. I was going to write about the brief run-in I had with Joey Buttafuco's cousin and his wife who apparently had issues with Delta's priority lane, or about the disorganization of the airport in Mexico City. These quickly became a distant memory when I walked into the house in San Miguel De Allende.

I am rarely speechless, and not easily impressed, but this may be the most beautiful place I have ever stayed.

The property consists of a main house and a small casita. It is an amazingly restored building which used to house a bakery. This original building was then combined with a small house next door.  The house is a combination of open and closed spaces. As I write this I am sitting in an open air sala surrounded by the walls of the house. (The image on the right shows one of those walls. In the image below, Sarah is relaxing in the sala.)

There are vines, flowers and tropical plants covering worn stone and brickwork that appears to be hundreds of years old. A fountain peacefully trickles in the background. Fish in the fountain are a favorite of Margo.

The rooftops are part of the house with multiple sitting areas and fireplaces. There is an excellent view of the city.

I'll add more of the details and photos of the house in subsequent posts.

We had a quiet morning. Josephina, the housekeeper, left us pastries for breakfast. We walked to the Jardin (central square of town) for lunch and a bit of shopping. Ice cream for Margo brought us to siesta time. I like siesta time...

I haven't had my camera out of the house yet, but may do that at sunset tonight. Stephanie has arranged a cooking class. In addition, Josephina has agreed to teach Stephanie how to cook with peppers--if Stephanie will teach her a potato dish!

Sarah has been amazing as a translator and we are very grateful. It has made the transition so much easier.

More later...