Day 33 – Won’t you be my Valentine?

Posted on February 15, 2008 | Leave a comment

It’s Valentines Day…and I don’t have a sweetheart. Too bad nobody feels sorry for me. On the bright side Magali gave me a heart-shaped sucker this morning, so at least I feel a bit better. So rather than being depressed, Mike and I headed into town early afternoon. Waiting at the bus stop, we met Mike’s neighbor Larry, a retired bankruptcy attorney from Florida. Once we got into town he treated us to a taxi ride into our favorite hangout- Cafe Etc. We must have talked for the better part of two hours about a variety of topics. I think I might have got a job out of this building a website for the sale of his hacienda. While there Paul, my favorite American Ex-pat dropped in and added to a already wonderful conversation.

Mike and I excused ourselfs around 3:30 and did some shopping at the downtown Mercado. This was the market I tried to find earlier in the week. There is some absolutely wonderful crafts here. Several booths had brightly covered ceramics from Delores Hidalgo, a small town about twenty miles north of where I’m staying. Wonderful men and women’s cotton shirts, woolen blankets and handicrafts and many other wearable goods were found thoughout. Most things here are probably a third the cost you’d find in the states. I bought a few gifts and Mike bought a few groceries and we were off.

While we were at Cafe Etc, Paul invited Mike and myself out for a drink at one of the local watering holes. So we decided to see if Barbara was at the hostel across from Cafe Etc. She was and she readily agreed to join us. We met up with Paul and Nina outside the restaurant, but Nina wasn’t feeling well, so just Barbara, Mike and myself went inside. Being that it was Valentine’s
Day there was a certain festivity in the air. Strolling musicians were entertaining and we decided to have them play a song for us. I love the song they played but not speaking spanish I’m not sure what the title was. It’s either “One Ton Romero” or maybe “Won Ton Romero”. So maybe it was a song about a very large Mexican man who immigrated from China….or not! Anyway it was very entertaining. After we finished our drinks we agreed to head back to the town center and watch the tourists and townsfolk.

Mike told me there are about 200 celibrations in San Miguel de Allende. I don’t know if Valentines day is one of those but the town center was as lively as I’d ever seen it. The place was packed with teens and the elderly, mariachi bands and of course, tourists. It was pretty magical. After about an hour, we walked Barbara back to her place and Mike and I beelined for the bus station. We went up to the window to buy our ticket home and the agent said something that Mike fortunately understood. Next second we were racing out the door chasing a bus down. The driver reluctantly let us on and soon we were home.

Another magical day in San Miguel de Allende. Today I’m heading to Guanajuato to do a little sightseeing. I’ve uploaded the pictures but for some reason the titles were all screwy. I will fix them later.

Here is a link to the Pictures from today

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Day 32 – Catching up

Posted on February 14, 2008 | Leave a comment

This has been a real down day. I decided to catch up on some things and stay close to the nest. One of chores was to get more pictures online using Picassa and web albums. It’s a fairly easy process but with 130+ pictures it’s a bit of a task. As time allows I will continue to move the blog from http://bob.ravet.googlepages.com/adventureswithbob to http://www.adventureswithbob.com/ have about 23 more days of daily postings to move and probably 300 to 400 pictures…but hey..you guys and girls are worth it!!!

Might not even post anything other than this on the blog unless something important happens…its 7pm…and it looks unlikely. Did help Mike with setting up some recording software. I wish he’d cut another album as it’s been over 10 years since he did the first one. Oh…and washed some clothes and hung them up on the clothesline…they dry in about an hour. Ok…thats enough.
————————————————————–
Maybe today would be a good day to reflect on some of my observations.
Here they are in no particular order:

On public bathrooms – Almost all bathrooms here are pay-to-use unless they’re in a restaurant or large department store. If you are easily grosssed out…step away now. No toilet papers is to be flushed down the toilet if there is a waste basket next to it. Undoing 54 years of habit is near impossible, but I’m making small gains.

On the bus system in general – in a previous life’s this guys (I never saw a women busdriver nor has anyone else) were all gladiators in the roman empire. Their ruthless, agressive driving is better than any amusement ride. Lines are merely suggestion, as are speed limits. I also recommend they put a seat cushion on the steering wheels, as most the time they are sitting on the horn…must get bonus points this way!!! The other thing that really bothers me, they all have gigantic, large as life, crucifixes somewhere nailed near to the window, probably in the line of vision, that must act as some unseen insurance policy.

More on buses in Mexico – there are no maps or time tables, no speed limits or rules, all tourists are fare game, where bonus points can be made by dropping them as far away from their intended destination as humanly possible, and I know for a fact they all speak perfect english, but never around americans.

On the dogs of Mexico – never in my life have I ever seen such ragtag assortment of critters. But the strange thing is, they all look like they’ve been eating well, even the ones that I’ve seen on the roofs of many houses. Not sure how a rotwieller or a german shepherd on a roof is going to prevent a burglary, unless they have great leaping power. And in the land of Chihuahua’s I’ve only seen several…always wearing a nice cutesy-wootsy sweater. How absolutey charming…and riduculous. Of course I’m a little jaded as I’ve been only been bitten twice by dogs , once by a Chihuahua with an attitude and another I’m had a little Chihuahua blood in it, just the right enough amount to make it rabid.

Those that know me, know I have an opinion about absolutely everything. Now, here’s your chance to find out what my opinion is about anything having to do with Mexico. I’m far from being an authority, but that’s never stopped me before. Be sure to post your question under the comment section. I will be sure to get back to you right away. As soon as I finish that last bootle of Corona!

Until tomorrow!!!

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Day 31 – San Miguel de Allende – Settling In

Posted on February 13, 2008 | Leave a comment

I‘m at a point where I feel comfortable here, as I think I finally figured out the bus system, which busses to take in and most importantly how to get home at night. The big trick was knowing where to catch the bus at night. Though I did have a bit of an incident today, I quickly recovered. More about that later.

I spent a bit of my morning cleaning up the blog, adding a few new features such as the Spanish word of the day and a google gadget that translates between various languages. This little tool has come in handy. I finally break free, and head for the bus about 10am. About the time I arrive at the busstop another bus heading north stops across the street, a gentleman with a clipboard gets off, walks across the street. Was this someone from immigration? Turns out he works for the bus company and just rides around throughout the day, making sure that drivers aren’t pocketing the busfare.
We try to strike up a conversation, my spanish is as bad as his english. I bring out a notepad to try to draw things to explain that I am flying out of Puerto Vallarta on February 20th. One thing worse than my spanish is my ability to draw. Oh well…it’s too late to learn! The picture to the right is a visual testament to the severe artistic disfunction. also the bus ticket stub, stamped by the bus inspector.

Last night Nina invited me to the Tuesday Market, a ten city block shopping extravaganza. It is mostly attended by locals in a very out of the way location and has every imaginable thing for sale. I, being a bargain hunter, was in shopper’s paradise. The downside of this I could have filled up the back end of several trucks with great finds, but only had a backpack’s worth of room. Probably a good thing.

Getting there was half the fun, as the directions I got the night before were a little cloudy. Turns out the place that I had the two margaritas, is known for STRONG drinks. So between a less than perfect recollection and a few key words on the back of a bar napkin, I had to find the RIGHT bus, going in the RIGHT direction, and the RIGHT busstop…oh and I had to ask in the RIGHT spanish. As you can well surmise…I was doomed!!! In my case, the inabilty to manifest four RIGHTS made one big WRONG!!! and hey how was I to know the G in Gigante is pronouced like an H. I do now!

So anyway I get on a bus that says Gigante, hand the bus driver my four pesos and I’m on my way. So I thought. We drive about fifteen blocks, the bus stops. Noone gets off. My first clue. The bus drive drives another five blocks, stops. Noone gets off. Again he drives about five blocks, stops, turns around and looks directly at me and points to the door. With no choice other than to get off, I oblige. Back to square one. Ok. But now at least I’m close to Cafe Etc and I know my good amigo, Juan, will help me out. I quess he sort of did, but I think he too had enough of me by the time I left. At least he didn’t point to the door. Too late to make a long story short….but…just know that I took a taxi.

Unlike all the other taxi stories in my misadventures in mexico blog, this one actually has a happy ending, as not only did I get a get to keep an arm and a leg, I got a Spanish lesson and delivered to the right place, on time! If you ever find yourself in SMA, give Mario a call at 415-115-8775. I quess another way to look at it you could get spanish lessons for ten bucks an hour and a tour of the city. I think by the time he dropped me off, his English might have been just a bit better as well. I know one thing, as soon as I get back I’m going to schedule some Spanish lessons with Julian Bond, a Colville resident, who was born in Mazatlan. Maybe I can trade some of my computer experience.

Sorry about bouncing around…back to the market. This open-air market is located on a major north-south highway heading to Mexico City, but it’s hidden about four blocks off the highway, invisible to the passing cars…and as far as I could tell, there was no signage. Had Nina not invited me, I would have had no way of knowing about it. Rather than writing alot about it just read this link- Tuesday Market, If I ever find mysef for any prolonged time, this will be a weekly tradition. Oops..I would have been negligent had I not mentioned Nina’s Mexican friend from her church who runs a small Taco Stand in the market. It’s a family run operation where dad works with both his son and daughter. Great people with very authentic smiles. I think the food could have been awful (it wasn’t) and I would have loved every minute of my time at their taco stand. The had two kinds of tacos, one made of beans, the other potatoes. These were a different kind of taco than what I was used to at home. They were prepared in advance, made with corn tortillas filled with the beans or potatoes mixture, folded over and steamed, served with a cabbage slaw and a fiery salsa. Yumm!!!

Back to town I go to meet up with Mike and Magali at Cafe Etc for a quick coffee and we all go our separate ways in the afternoon, leaving me with more time to fill. I go to a small cafe for lunch, have a chile relleno, rice and beans. The beans were a bit salty, otherwise everything else was great. I decided to see what was happening at the library across the street, and run into Barbara, a lady that I’d met several days earlier at Cafe Etc.

Barbara is from Victoria BC, but orginally born in Polland immigrating to Canada as a youngster. It turns out she’s quite the world traveller, with a 32 foot sailboat moored in Greece. She spends a good portion of the year sailing around in the Mediterranian. I’m thinking I’ve mentioned her before as I didn’t know spell the word “Mediterranian” and obviously don’t still don’t and now I’m too lazy to look it up. Earlier in the day I’d seen that the movie “Bucket List” was playing at brand new 8-plex Cinema by Gigante and heard from a few locals that it was a great movie (they didn’t like the ending they said), so I invited Barbara. Turns out that since she’d been here, she hadn’t got out of the downtown core and was looking for an opportunity to see something different, so must have been desparate when she agreed. We took a taxi to the theater, bought the tickets and a box of popcorn, and were seated just as the trailers begun.

A little about the movie “The Bucket List” starring two of my favorite actors – Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. Two elderly gentleman – one from a simple background, the other, the wealthy owner of a Hospital, wind up sharing a room after surgery. The character played by Morgan Freeman, writes a list of things he would like to do before kicking the bucket. Basically the movie follows them as they fullfil this list. It was an enjoyable movie…check it out!!!

We take a bus back to the center of town, stop by a little sidewalk cafe in the town for a glass of red wine, flan (great combination) and conversation. It was great break from my usual routine. I walk her back to the hostel that she’s been staying at and then the long walk to the big bus station. I’m not sure why there was a bus that left at 10:30, because there is a 10 and 11 bus, all I know was that I was home safe by 11…I feel like I’m settling in…this will be a very hard place to leave.

Adios amigos

Wonderful pictures taken today

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Posted in Bucket List, Bus Inspector, MMCinema, san miguel de allende, Tuesday Market

Day 30- A Night on the Town

Posted on February 12, 2008 | Leave a comment

The day will come, and all too soon, to where I will have to leave this special place on earth called San Miguel de Allende. It’s a magical place, full of history and mystique, energy and vitality, like none other I’ve personally experienced. I will miss this place and all the special people I’ve met. But I have made a promise to myself… I shall return!

With that said, I spent the morning catching up on e-mail, adding a little spice to this blog and chatting with Mike and Maggie. Then it was time to catch the bus into town. I’ve finally got to the point to where I am comfortable with the transportation in SMA, especially after having to take a 100 peso taxi ride my first night. It turns out the bus runs until midnight, as long as you catch it at the main bus terminal about a mile and half from the center of town. A little after 2pm I jumped on the bus to meet several people at Cafe Etc, my home away from home. Juan, the owner of the restaurant, is sort of a no nonsense kind of guy. He definitely does business on his terms and I quess that’s all I’ll say about that.

Paul and Nina invited me to join them for a late afternoon drink at their favorite hideaway, the rooftop lounge of a local establishment. It was a nice comfortable evening as the sun was just beginning to set. From this vantage point, the city opened up to a great view of all the surrounding buildings…great scenary…and conversation. As usual, the time just slips away and it was time to head for home. I walk the mile and half to the main bus station. It turns out the bus had just left and I would have to wait an hour and forty-five minutes for the next one. The great thing is…I’m never in a hurry and it was great just watching everything around me. Turns out another electrical storm was on it’s way and I had a front row seat. Since I wasn’t in a hurry I decided to have a hamburguesa at a local outdoor makeshift stand outside the bus terminal. It had to be the best hamburger I’d had in a very long time. I quess what made it special was the grilled onions, peppers, carrots and diced tomatoes…and some type of special sauce. As I sat on a wooden barstool under a blue plastic tarp eating, a storm raged all around us…lightning, thunder, wind…and lots of rain. But as quickly as it started…it ended.

A burger so good, deserved a beer, which I drank under the cover of the bus shelter. It’s a different kind of world here, as it’s ok to drink beer anywhere..in the open. But in all my travels I’ve only seen two people drunk in public, one-a man, on the streets in downtown Puerta Vallarta and the other, an elderly lady from the states, who had actually tripped and fallen into the grass. It seems the more we try to regulate or prohibit something, the bigger the problem it becomes. I enjoy Mexico for all the freedoms it has.

The other thing that I will mention, is that with the high price of fuel in the U.S. you’d think we would have access to these smaller cars I’ve seen here in Mexico. I’m sure many of them get 40 to 50 miles per gallon. These compact cars are made by GM, Mercedes, Peugot, VW, The Smart Car and others. Why are these not made available to us in the states? Ok..off the soapbox.

Well not much else to report. Till tomorrow!!!

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Posted in electrical storms, Hamburguesa, Magali and Mike, Parrochia, Paul and Nina, san miguel de allende

iGoogle Link

Posted on February 11, 2008 | 1 comment

Here’s a link to the homepage that I use:
iGoogle
It’s great because you can customize it with 100’s of different gadgets. Also you can have different tabbed homepages based on your interests. I have often been referred to as the google poster boy, as I used to write a series of tech tip for a monthly regional and about every other article was about google. That all changed when I happened to be down in Mountain View California and stopped by their mammouth headquarters and couldn’t get a single soveneer. They told me to go online…pfffttt!!!

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Day 29 – Hangin’ wit my homies.

Posted on February 10, 2008 | Leave a comment

Sort of a strange day, or should I strange night, in that there was a couple of bands playing at Atotonilco about a half mile away. The music played until at least three a.m., followed by what sounded like mortar fire for the next several hours. And if that was not enough, a Catholic mass was being performed over a mega speaker system interspersed with a cacophony of clanging church bells…all this before six in the morning. In fact it was so loud, and relentless, rather than trying to ignore it, I opened my door to the patio. Figured if you can’t beat, join ’em…The final chorus consisted of crowing roosters, barking dogs and cooing doves.

At about seven, I couldn’t stand it any longer, I had to see what all the ruckus was aboutl I got dressed in my Sunday’s finest (ok…it was only jeans and a polo shirt) and off I went to town. I was mildly disappointed by what I saw. I expected to see smoldering ruins of the old church, drunken townspeople…and maybe a few deafened dogs laying in the street, but instead found merchants readying booths for todays market. I quess I’d just have to come back later…and that’s what Magali (I’m now forced to call her Maggie because I’ve had the most difficult time pronoucing her name), Mike and myself do mid-afternoon.

By this time the market is packed with vendors of all kinds of religious ware, pottery, wooden chairs, and assorted trinkets and then interspersed with food booth. All of my vegetarian friends might want to quit reading…..now!
~~~~~~~ 1 potato
~~~~~~~ 2 potato
~~~~~~~ 3 potato
~~~~~~~ 4 potato
~~~~~~~ more!!!

I had a bowl of menudo. If you don’t know what it is, let the curousity go, if you do know, I apologize. I think the last time I had a bowl of this traditional mexican New Year’s soup was January 1, 1980 at a restaurant on White Pass Washington. It may be another twenty-eight years before I sit down to another bowl of menudo. I must say I’d did enjoy the spiciness of this chili based soup. Thanks to Richard Taylor and his incendiary five-alarm pickled peppers that prepared me for this day.

Ok vegies..you can continue reading from here – sorry Bob if you’re reading this. Hopefully you’re still talking to me when I get back.

I also revisited the inside of the church and took a few more pictures. Today, I felt just a bit awkward as there were a handful of people either sitting in the pews or genuflecting on old tatered leather-bound kneelers…brings back some haunting memories from my childhood…torture at it’s finest!!!

Heading back the three of us had a leisurely stroll back to the casita. Mike has invited some friends from town over for a potluck dinner. Should be an enjoyable evening. John and Nina just left for home. What an enjoyable couple! They are both teachers from the upper N.E. United States, who between the two of them could fill a shelf full of books with their personal stories. The bad thing is the night just went by way to quickly. I seem to spend more time in SMA talking to people than sight seeing….and I guess that’s not a bad thing when the company is as great as it is here.

Just as the early morning start with a bang, the late night did as well, though the evening’s entertainment was provided by none other than Mother Nature. A nice electric storm came in just about the time the sun set and lasted well into the night….BRAVO!!!

A little sidenote
Just received a picture from my daughter, Kelly, showing the piled up snow at home…eek!!!

How do you say “I hate snow” in Spanish?
They don’t …cuz it don’t snow here!!!

I should hide these Pictures taken today
Buenos noches – Roberto

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Posted in Atotonilco, Cathedral, Magali and Mike, Market, Menudo, san miguel de allende

Day 28 – An afternoon in SMA

Posted on February 10, 2008 | Leave a comment

With Mike having Saturday off, we decided to take a late morning bus into San Miguel de Allende. One of the things that I find curious is that there are a number of bus systems all servicing the same area, each with a different fare system. Quite often the same route will be twice as much on another system. This morning for 6 pesos (or 60 cents) we catch one of the nicer busses heading into SMA. This particular bus took us directly to the large bus terminal, from where we had to take a city bus to the center of town.

The first order of business was to cash a travelers check. Turns out that there is a difference, though not substantial, exhange rate. After looking around comparing the “buy” rates, I finally see one that is higher than the rest. After signing it, I give it to the cashier, she informs the rate on American Express Travelers Checks is a not 10.70 pesos to the dollar, but instead, 10.30. Oh well, it’s not alot of money. The world of high finance!!!

Mike spent the better part of an hour showing me around the center of town. I thought I’d seen most everything but it appears there was a whole segment of town, the northeast corner, that I’d somehow overlooked. Will have to come back next week and explore a little closer.

We then went over to Cafe Etc. I’m beginning to love this place, just for the simple fact, it’s where a large portion of the English speaking tourists and ex-pats hang out. If only my Spanish was better and I wouldn’t feel this way, but for now I find a connection here. Mike brought along his twelve string guitar and an assortment of his native flutes, and plays to about a dozen people sitting at tables scattered about. I’ve always enjoyed Mike’s flute playing, remembering back to the first time I heard him at a makeshift stage in front of the Colville Chamber of Commerce, what must have been 10 years ago. I must sound like a broken record to Mike, as I encourage him once more to promote his music more aggresively. We still listen to his music at home, it has a soothing quality to it.

While there, a lady asks to sit at a vacant chair at our table. It turns out Barbara, is a Canadian, had just arrived several days earlier after two long days of planning her escape from the dreary Victoria’s blustery winter weather. She ask to take several pictures and to also record Mike as he is playing. Turns out she is a published writer and is here on vacation. Barbara gives both Mike and I a business card with her website. Turns out this woman has been sailing, often single-handedly, around the world and her 32 foot sailboat is moored in the Mediterranean Sea. She has quite the impressive biography!!!

After spending about two hours, we all part ways, Mike to the market, me off on another one of my adventures. This time I take off on a slightly different route, in search of the mercado, or public market, that Mike showed me earlier in the day. I must have walked a mile but could not find the market that typically is frequented more by the locals, than the tourist. Another day I quess. I decided to see what activity was taking place down at the Parque de Juarez. Earlier in the week the Candalaria, or garden show, was taking place. Today there must have been ten times as many people there, selecting wonderful plants for their home gardens. Wheelbarrow were everywhere, some empty, some filled to the brim with gorgeous plants of all shapes and colors. I’d hope to have watched a ballet presentation that was to have taken place at 6pm, but the weather was looking like it could rain anytime.

I headed back to the town center, just as a wedding was finishing up. A band of about twelve smartly dressed musicians were playing at the edge of the church. I’ve always enjoyed the music of a marachi bands, as they are so lively. But it was really getting time to head back to the hacienda, as I could see rain squalls in the distant hills…and me without a coat. I quickly walk down to the big bus station about a mile away, catch one of the nicer busses to El Cortijo and five minutes later I’m headin’ for home.

Spent the evening Mike and Magali watching the old version of the Manchurian Candidate with Frank Sinatra. Must also mention that Migali makes the best carrot bread in the world. She must think I never eat!!!

Images from today

Adios- Roberto

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Posted in Guitar, Mike Bouchard, Native Flute, san miguel de allende

Day 27 – February 8th – Atotonilco – A Day Like No Other

Posted on February 9, 2008 | Leave a comment

Today I was going to go into town, but not being familiar enough with the bus system, I decided to just have a low key day. But after talking to Mike’s landlord for about an hour, he talked me into just jumping on the bus and giving it a go. But before I left, I decided to go for a short walk around the neighborhood. The further I walked the more interesting things got. Before I knew it I was about a mile away from home and discovered an old historic church called Sanctuary of Atotonilco. Here is a little clip I pulled from the internet –

The Sanctuary of Atotonilco is a little known Mexican treasure. The walls of the 18th century church are completely covered with paintings depicting Christ and his life and times. The church is a revered holy place for thousands of Mexicans who make yearly pilgrimmages here. Here’s another link

Many of the structures around the church were in serious disrepair, almost looking as if they’d been bombed. In reading more on the internet this building was designinated by World Watch as one of the top 100 historical buildings in the WORLD…a mile walk from where I’ve been staying….and I happened apon it by accident.

I also walked beyound the city of Atotonilco, heading into the Mexican countryside, past simple homes, always with a dog out front, acting as alarm system. Most dogs are friendly but not always, as I found out today. This one black surly dog was not going to allow me past and there was only one way forward- past him. Just as I started to turn back, a couple with two small children in tow came around a corner. The man scolded the dog and in very good english informed that the dog wouldn’t bite and his name was “niger”. That name wouldn’t float at home but here I quess it was ok.

I continued to walk for about another mile or so, past million dollar estates directly across the dirt road from a one room dilapated adobe hut. The disparity that I observed in Puerta Vallarta was much more pronouced here…often 50 yards apart. I’m not sure how someone in their right mind could fathom buiding such a place surrounded by such poverty. The old axiom in realty…
location…location…location…doesn’t hold water here.

On my way back, I decide to explore things a little closer, this time actually going inside the church. Every square inch of this church was painted very ornately with religious depictions of ceremonies or saints. I don’t know that I’ve ever been in as ornate church as this…absoutely incredible.

Next I probably had the most interpersonal (and homorous) experience with the locals in my almost four weeks in Mexico. Three women, probably all of seventy, dressed in brightly colored aprons were making and selling some type of tortilla, that were being cooked on a flat grill. One of the ladys informs me that they are called gorditas, the equivalent of a Mexican pita pocket. The gordittas to be made from blue corn and she fills them with a mixture of potatoes, chilis, chicken and prickly pear cactus or nopales. These three ladies were very entertaining as they tried there best to get me to understand. They would giggle like schoolgirls, talking amoungst themselves, as I sat, smiled and shrugged my shoulders. We were having a great time. The women that seemed to be the elder in the group convinced me to buy them all a soda…not a problem. I think they all sensed that i still had money in my wallet. As with home, I’m always willing to help out the local economy, even if it’s 3,000 miles and a culture away.
.
Not much else to report today, as I just went back to my place and hung out with Mike and Magali the rest of the day.

Pictures from today

Hasta mañana!!!

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Day 26 – Day 2 in SMA

Posted on February 7, 2008 | Leave a comment

Mike having a later start today, we took off into town about 10am and after about a 10 minure ride into town, we parted ways and agreed to meet back up around 3 at Cafe Etc. I’m staring to know my way town after yesterday’s adventures. I headed straight for the center of town- referred to as the Jardin – pronouced hardeen. From the street many of the buildings all look the same, it’s only once you get by the outer door or wall that things open up.

The contrast between the daytime and evening temperatures here is drastic as the mornings are not much warmer than freezing, while daytime temperatures are inn the low 80’s. So a jacket is necessary in the morning, it’s a hindrance by about noon. Not sure why I mentioned this other than maybe if you find yourself down this way during this time of year, be sure to bring a sweater or two, and long pants.

Being a ladventurous in this city helps tremoundously, as there is always this sense you’re trespassing when you walk into an open door of a non-descript building. But as someone told me, if the door is open, chances are it’s a public space. Today, my curiousity would be rewarded by Bellas Artes, an old two-story monastary converted to an art institute. The unmarked door opened up to a large courtyard complete with a small outdoor cafe and large tropical plants, including fruiting orange and lime trees. Around the courtyard were two stories of rooms of various sizes, each dedicated to some form of art from sculpture, woodcarving, oil and watercolor painting, piano, guitar, and at least two dozen other forms of art. I spent the better part of two hours, just looking at all the artforms represented and talking to a few of the artists- most who were Americans.

I love to just walk without a particular destination in mind, makes things spontaneous, though I’m sure that I wind up missing things that are “must see” tourist attractions…oh well. Today, I just started heading north, past the cathedral, and past countless shops. My guess there is VERY restrictive sign ordinance in SMA, as few if any shops have any signage either in fromt of their shops, so the only way to find out what’s inside…is to go inside. It makes things interesting, especially not speaking spanish…part of the adventure I guess. Anyway, I walk the better part of a mile, and there is a very large open park at the bottom of the hill. Turns out every year, 40 days after Christmas I’m told is an event called candalria, where all the plant nurseries, from several hundred miles around, all set up shop for 10 days in this park. Plants of all sizes, colors, indoor and outdoor, cactuses, palms and thousands others are in abundance here. Though I didn’t actually count the number of vendors, I’m sure it was in the hundreds. In addition, there was an extermely large selection of clay pots for sale here.

Taking a differernt route back to the Cathedral, I see what looks to be a large crowd, about 10 blocks away. Have to check that out!!! I’m not sure exactly what was going on, but alls I know is that I have never seen so many school age children in one place. There must have been 2,000 or more all milling around in what looked like a public market selling all kinds of products from food to clothes and cds. There must have also been 20 women, lined up against a brick wall cooking empanadas over gas stoves and also ice cream vendors working off small carts. I know one thing, the kids were having a great time.

One little side note – back at the park in front of the cathedral was this very hunched over man, looking very much the part of a street peasant, who must have been all of 80 years old, singing a song in spanish, at the top lungs. He was sitting a bench or two away from me and I was entertained for the better part of 30 minutes, not only by him but watching others reaction to him. Great entertainment!!!

I went back to Cafe Etc for lunch and wait for Mike to get off of work. On the way to the bus stop Mike treated me to some fresh tortillas from a local shop. For 10 pesos, 1 us dollar, you can get a kilo or 2 pounds of tortillas…yum…

Not much else to report, other than I watched a DVD called Frida. What an amazing woman she was. This movie was shot in Mexico and starred Salma Hayek. If you get a chance…check it out.

Images from today

Adios amigos

For the previous 24 days postings CLICK HERE . Someday they,, with all the pictures, will be incorporated with the www.adventureswithbob.com website.

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Posted in blog, bob ravet, mexico, san miguel de allende

Day 25 – Escape from Puerta Vallarta

Posted on February 5, 2008 | Leave a comment
The night before, I got to bed early so that I would be alert for the next day’s adventure. I should have know better, as I woke up at 3am ready to go. I packed my bags, and then proceeded to go back to bed and get a more sensible night’s sleep. Rewoke at 6:30, did a few last minute chores, said my last goodbyes to Diane and Larry (let Doug sleep). Larry walked me out to the bus stop, after getting a travelers check cashed and within 1 hour I was heading to Guadalajara and eventually to San Miguel Allende. The long distance busses here rock. For the 12 hour – 2 segment bus ride my ticket was just over 60.00 for the first class bus ride. These busses were light years above the busses that I’d spent the last 3 weeks on. Air condtiioned, newly released movies played on 4 screens placed strategically thoughout the bus, men and womens bathrooms in the rear were just some of the features of these behemouths on wheels. They even handed each passenger a bag containing a sandwich, drink and cookies. Better than airline food.

The ride was so cushioned that I felt like was floating on air most of the time. As the bus was climbing the road from the coast into the interior of Mexico, I felt like I was on one of those flying contraptions in the empire strikes back, as I could not see the road and felt as if i was flying through a jungle of tall banyon trees and coconut palms. It was quite the sensation. After about was seemed like an hour, we reached the interior highlands. Here there were remants of this area’s volcanic past. The thing it seemed as if there were hundred of thousands of acres of agave plants, the plant in which the infamous tequila was extracted from. It seemed the plant was everwhere there was open space…flatlands, the steep slopes of hills…everywhere for what seemed 100 miles. Awe inspiring scenery in the highlands between the Pacific and Guadalajars – Pictures taken from within the bus while driving 60 mph.Small little villages were scattered about, maybe one city every 15-20 miles and the largest structure was a tall spired church in the center of the town. Someday I would love to come back and explore more intimately these towns we whizzed by at 60 miles an hour…some day!!!

After about 5 hours, we finally arrive in Guadalahara at what I thought was THE bus station. Turns out it’s the new bus station located on the western edge of town. We drive for what must have been 45 minutes and arrive at the first leg of my today’s journey. Here’s a little quiz..I’m sure everyone has heard of this mexican city. What do you think the population of the metropolitan area is….4.1 million people. I was shocked to find that out. I was told in PV when I left, if the bus arrived in Guadalajara early I could exchange my ticket for the earlier bus that would save me 2 hours. As soon as I got off I went into the ticket office and tried to explain what I was told…no luck. So I decided to go to the big mall across the street, but I noticed that the bus depot had an another, much larger wing. Turns out everyone there spoke just enough English I was able to explain what I wanted…Five minutes later I was on the next bus heading east towards my final destination. The busses here are much different than any Greyhound I’d ever been on. In the twelve hours that I was on we may have only stopped four times, and just briefly to pick up passengers. Between Guadalahara we stopped at the towns of Leon and Guanajuato and finally San Miguel Allende. This was one…long busride. But I enjoyed every mile of this journey.

When I got in, I was to call Mike Bouchard, jump on a public bus and he would be waiting along side the road. Welll turns out the busses only run till five pm…so it’s another one of those expensive, this time 100 peso, taxi rides. Fifteen minutes later I see Mike for the first time in 5 months. I’ve considered Mike one of those friends for life. After about an hour of catching up, it was time to retire. Where he is staying is quite a compound behind seven foot tall rock walls. The main house perched at the top of the hill is terraced with two handcrafted guesthouses below. The weather I was accustomed in PV seemed like a distant memory….it was DAMN cold here….must have been 45 degrees…thank god I was smart enough to bring a jacket and long pants. Turns out that San Miguel Allende has an elevation of 6,100 feet…about the elevation of sherman pass.

This was quite a day..I’m anxious to go out and explore a new world tomorrow.

Pictures from today A whole lot of pictures-
Many taken from a moving bus…

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Posted in Busride, Guadalahara, Leon, Puerto Vallarta, san miguel de allende