The Road Not Taken

Nature

2011-05-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

No where else am I so reminded of God and his majesty than in nature.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth." - Psalm 19:1-6

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

whose confidence is in him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water

that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

and never fails to bear fruit.” - Jeremiah 17:7-8

"The LORD is my shepherd;
         I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
         He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
         He leads me in the paths of righteousness
         For His name’s sake. " - Psalm 23:1-3

"He makes springs pour water into the ravines;

it flows between the mountains." - Psalm 104:10

"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of
his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;

my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God;

he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your hearts to him,

for God is our refuge." Psalm 62:5-8

"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge." - Psalm 18:2

Who Ever Said Oil and Water Don't Mix?

2011-03-11T17:50:00.000-08:00

I love visiting with my endlessly talented aunt Geninne , I always learn something new. However great or small the lesson is I never leave the same person and for that I'm grateful.

Today we made body lotion. Simple, easy, delicious (you could actually eat this), lather all over your body and feel like Queen Esther upon being presented to the King, lotion.

Try it yourself! Recipe link below:

Mirror Image: How to Make Natural Body Moisturizer

Travel on my mind

2011-02-22T00:25:00.000-08:00

Barcelona is on my mind, as was Egypt until that whole liberation movement put a kibosh on my plans. I was really looking forward to planning that trip but it doesn't look like that's going to happen this year - the Egypt part I mean. None the less the rest of the trip is on and the planning has begun!

On the itinerary: Barcelona (of course), Provence, Paris (I don't think I gave Paris a fair chance last time I was there. Need to make it right) and Prague. I feel that I should be completing the South America trip instead, but I have been thinking about Spain for some time and I think I need to go with it.

To my fellow Wanderlusters, feel free to share your insights/recommendations on the cities mentioned. Must see places or restaurant suggestions are welcomed.

Welcome 2011

2011-01-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

2011...Crazy! is the first word that comes to mind! what in the world?! Weren't we just partying like it's 1999? It feels oddly insane that a whole decade has passed us by and here we are at the precipice of a new one ready to leap off and take flight. How exciting! the possibilities. With each new season there is that sense of renewal, and more so with a new year, but this is different. This is better.

I couldn't think of a better way to start a fresh decade than with a vacation to the East Coast. Many had ask if I would be at Times Square for New Years, as sorry as I was to disappoint, I am glad to have decided against it. The idea of standing all day among a million or so people, in the cold, waiting for an event that takes 10 seconds to culminate was just not all that appealing to us. Maybe in my 20's when I was naive and idealistic, but not now. Now it's all about comfort and style. And that's just how we rung in the New Year, choosing fine dinning and jazz over hot dogs wrapped in bacon and a stunning (and not in a good way) comeback of the NKOTBSB...that would be the New Kids on the Block and Back Street Boys new "super group" ...see what I mean about a new decade? it's so filled with hope and possibilities...even for the NKOTHBSB!

January 1, 2011 will go down in history as one my favorite days no doubt. Starting the decade with a fabulous spa treatment was all but perfect. I had always wanted to take a nap right after a massage and often wondered why on earth more spas (even the really nice ones in SoCal) don't provide you with a room to nap in. A nap room sounds reasonable to me, who wants to get back to reality after such pampering? Well I'm here to testify that spa heaven does exist and it's called The Spa at Norwich Inn. I have two words...Relaxation Room. Enough said!

I used to live in the East Coast and had the amazing opportunity to do the whole New York City tourist attraction thing many times. It was great to be able to go back and enjoy the City for what it is, a dichotomy of all things and people. I love walking around in that City, you feel powerful and insignificant at the same time. Such dichotomy, where else can you buy a beautiful scarf on a street corner for $5 and on the opposite corner, in one of the most extravagant department stores, buy an Hermes scarf for $750 (not the same scarf of course, but I mean silk is silk, except when its the best silk...you get my point..still that's kind of ridiculous). I love it. The culture, the arts, the food!

Speaking of food...having heard of famed bread guru Jim Lahey we just had to stop by Sullivan St. Bakery (which is actually on 47th St., between 10th and 11th) to assess for ourselves if the no-knead method lives up to all the hype. Its true...he is a bread guru! I'm no bread expert but yummy! this is good bread!

I love the simplicity of his technique and style

We had the prosciutto & mozzarella panini along with pizza funghi and pizza zucchini all amazing!

The arts...The fact that one person can sing, dance and act all at the same time is pretty amazing, but to do it in ensemble! that's just awesome. There are no take 2, 3 or 5. Its live, raw, a true interchange between actor and audience worth every penny. This go around we watched Wicked. Much acclaimed and rightly so. Very much enjoyed it!

This was truly a vacation, absolute relaxation, spending quality time with friends and people I love. A great way to start the year! It was sad to say goodbye but there's a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven. With that I say Welcome 2011!

New Year's Trip

2010-12-27T23:45:00.000-08:00

A long time ago my beloved uncle shared a wonderful simple truth with me...seasons are a way for us to experience God's renewal. To experience the end of one thing and the beginning of another. A fresh start! Living in California we don't always get to experience much change in weather, but having lived in Connecticut I did get to enjoy the sense of newness that comes with a change in season. I miss it. I miss the fresh crisp air that comes with the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall. You can feel it, smell it. The leaves change colors and consequently fall in anticipation of Winter. I miss The Merritt Parkway covered in leaves followed by snow. I used to love driving up and down that highway with my windows down (heater on) and the music blasting, singing at the top of my lungs. It always felt like I was in the midst of a New England postcard.

It's been a long time since I was last there and much like the seasons I too have changed (I don't sing in my car anymore - you're welcome - lol). But as I prepare to go back I'm reminded of that simple truth...with every end comes a new beginning, times of refreshing from the Lord.

What better way to start a New Year than with a trip to NYC!! I think Alicia Keys sang it best:

Now you're in New York,
these streets will make you feel brand new,
the lights will inspire you,
lets hear it for New York, New York, New York

Torrey Pines

2010-04-09T14:52:00.000-07:00

Today my college BFF and I decided to meet up and enjoy the beauty San Diego has to offer, while doing something productive - of course! We decided to "hike" Torrey Pines. The day was perfect, sunny but not too hot and with just enough breeze to keep us cool during our ascend. Here are some pics of our time there.

At the top

This was my favorite picture of the day

The following are little flowers we founds along the way.

Cliff view from the beach

It may be more expensive to live in San Diego but its so worth it!

Spring is in the Air!

2010-03-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

Spring is most certainly in the air! we have been having the most beautiful weather here in Southern California and the trees have started to bloom. I was washing dishes when I spotted these lovely flowers in the back yard.

If you've never tasted orange blossom honey you're missing out! delicious!!

I wish you could smell the orange blossoms...absolutely delightful!

the blossom of a nectarine tree - amazing color

Our God is indeed an awesome God...his creation is complex and yet beautifully simple.

Up-Date

2010-02-19T14:57:00.000-08:00

So its been a little over 3 months since my last post but today I decided that I should get on here and write something, anything. Since my travels have ended for the time being (Spain, Eastern Europe, the Maldives and heck the rest of the world still awaits me) we move on to more mundane posts.

I love that my friends have blogs for their children! what a great way to stay in touch and up to date on the little ones. But what about us who are not so privileged? can we blog about our furry babies? who think of furry babies when you have real babies, right?! well, turns out us peeps who don't have them and some of us who do. I want to thank my talented and lovely aunt Geninne (Geninne's Art Blog) for the blog she created featuring her furry baby Turbo (A Day in the Life of Turbo). I love that I get to see him grow. These four legged creatures are a constant source of entertainment and lets just say that the next best thing to actually having children!

That being said, here are some pictures of my two four legged fur balls:

The two of them were napping and Ginger's leg was literally over Buddy's neck...too cute!

Ginger chilling.

Buddy listening attentively.

Gotta get my camera out of the closet and start taking pictures again...the iPhone camera is great but not for blogging!

Grandma's Birthday

2009-11-09T10:34:00.000-08:00

On Saturday my aunt Xochitl and I loaded her truck and made the 6hr trip southwest to Bejucos. It has been 17 years since the last time I visited my grandmother's house but this was a special occasion, we were there to celebrate her 80th birthday! My grandmother truly amazes me, at 80 years old she lives alone and still manages her shoe store, the same store she's had for over 50 years. Every day she opens shop and on Sundays she participates in the town's weekly "farmers market." She has always been ahead of her time. In an era when women where expected to be home "barefoot and pregnant" she was a true business woman, traveling to Mexico City and Leon to buy merchandise for her store while at the same time raising 9 children!

waterfall in Bejucos

She was so cute asking everyone if they were having a good time. How could we not? she made Mole de Pavo, Tamales de Elote and Arroz from scratch for 25+ people. Everyone ate till their hearts were content. After dinner the party moved to the courtyard where there was a DJ set up. Now, you have to remember, these people are her contemporaries, people in their 70's and 80's and yet, they where the ones who got the party started asking the DJ to play un zapateado. The zapateado is a very particular style of dancing characterized by a lively rhythm punctuated by the striking of the dancer's feet. It's a work out! and at 80 these folks were going to town.

Xochitl and Grandma zapateando

Grandma and uncle Julio

Grandma and her 92 year old brother

Grandma and 3 of her 9 kids

I can only hope that when I'm 80 I have as much energy and joie de vivre as my grandmother does!

Morning Walks

2009-11-01T21:07:00.001-08:00

Every morning I take Ginger and Buddy to the Unidad Deportiva to walk around the soccer fields. A few weeks ago a lovely couple from Maryland told me about a hiking trail behind the park and so we've been walking there ever since.

Here are some pictures:

The tiny flowers along the way are just beautiful:

Here are Ginger and Buddy after we're done:

Ginger and Buddy in the Jardin

2009-11-01T20:35:00.001-08:00

I decided to take Ginger and Buddy to the Jardin the other day. Here are some pictures of our time there:

on our way to the Jardin

so happy

Buddy checking out the scene

in front of the Parroquia

me trying to get Buddy to look at the camera

Ginger people watching

Ginger and Buddy meet a new friend, Bruno.

Corrida de Toros (Bullfight)

2009-10-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

San Miguel de Allende is in full party mode as the patron saint's birthday is celebrated this weekend. Last night I was invited to go watch the much anticipated Corrida de Toros or bullfight. This was my first and while I had a general idea of what all it entails, I wasn't sure how I would feel about the sacrificing of an innocent animal. I did a little research on the subject and found that this blood sport goes back to ancient Rome, but is mostly attributed to the Spanish culture who later introduced it to its Latin America colonies.

Corrida de Toros ,the Spanish style of bullfight, consists of three matadores or toreros and six bulls. Each matador fights two bulls along with his six assistants - two picadores "lancers" mounted on horseback, three banderilleros "flagmen", and a mozo de espada "sword page". Collectively they comprise a cuadrilla "entourage".

The fight itself is artistic in nature, a dance if you will between the bull and the matador, and filled with tradition. The specticle is broken down into three stages. The first tercio de varas, "the lancing third" is when the matador first encounters the bull and observes its behavior.

bull enters the arena

Next the picador enters on horseback, the horse is protected but prior to 1930 that was not the case and horses where often disembowel during this stage.

The tercio de banderillas "the third of flags" follows. In this stage the banderilleros each attempt to plant two razor sharp sticks, banderillas, on the bull's flanks futher weakening the bull and increasing the loss of blood.

In the final stage the tercio de muerte, "the third of death", the matador re-enters the ring alone with a red cape and a sword. The cape is used to attract the bull, in a series of passes the matador demonstrates his control over the animal by getting specially close. During each pass the crowd yells Ole.

Finally the faena, "job", ends with a series of passes in where the matador maneuvers the bull into a position to stab it between the shoulder blades and through the aorta or heart. The actual act of thrusting the sword is called estocada.

I wasn't able to get a clear picture of the actual estocada, it happens really fast. Occasionally, if the bull fought a good fight the public will petition for the matador to spare his life and the bull is sent back to the ranch he came from to be a stud bull the rest of his life. Sadly, that did not happen for the these bulls.

After the bull is killed the crowd yells vuelta, this is where the crowd applaudes as the bulls is dragged once around the ring.

the horse drags the bull around the ring

If the matador fought well the crowd will give him a standing ovation and throw hats and roses into the arena as a sign of appriciation. If he is believed to have fought especially well he is honored with one or two severed ears.

I think one bullfight is enough, not really sure that I would go again :(

Tolantongo, Hidalgo

2009-09-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I dropped off Ginger and Buddy at Wendy's Place, a delightful pet resort here in San Miguel, and headed east to the Grutas Tolantongo. Tolantongo is a small town located in the state of Hidalgo, approximately 4 hrs slightly southeast of San Miguel de Allende. The Gruta, or grotto, is natural cave formation located about half way to the bottom of the mountain with natural waterfalls and thermal waters that flow onto a river located at the bottom of the canyon.

entrance to the grotto

river flowing from grotto

river - the water temperature is about 75 degrees

I was so impressed by the efficiency and cleanliness of this place. The river is spotless and there are plenty of "security guards" monitoring the activities to make sure people are not litering. For the most part this place is unknown and so even though we were there on a weekend it was not crowded. My hotel room was a whopping $35 a night, that's because I splurged and got a suite with a view of the river.

view from balcony

The park is broken up into several sections, the River, the Pozos and the Gruta. We stayed at the River but headed over to the Pozos for the afternoon. The Pozos is an area located at a higher altitude and features several private pools nestled along the mountain side. The water filling these pools cascades down from the top of the mountain and is about 75 degrees at all time.

pozos

cascade

view from our pozo

It was a great weekend and I want to thank Xochitl and Lalo (my aunt and her husband) for inviting me to spend the weekend with them in this lovely get-a-way spot!

Xochitl and Lalo

Epiphany and Pictures

2009-08-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

It seems like forever ago since my last blog entry but in reality I hadn't had anything worth while posting. And then, I had an epiphany: I've decided to stay in Mexico. As a new friend put it "San Miguel got you too". Indeed, San Miguel has gotten a hold of me and I'm happy as a clam or in Spanish "feliz como una lombriz". I'm staying. Not sure for how long but I'll stay as long as it takes. It takes to do what? I don't even know but I'm up for the adventure.

Here are some pictures that are not related to anything I just wrote :) they're interesting.

This flower is used to make antidepressants.
With something this beautiful how can one be depressed?

Oaxaca cheese. This is what real quesadillas are made of.

Oaxaca cheese on handmade tortillas

This is someone's back yard. I've never seen such
clean cut grass under straight rows of trees!

This is my favorite! My aunt and uncle live in an exclusive
affluent community, but it wouldn't be Mexico if one
of those homes was not Pepto Bismol Pink!

Aunt Geninne's Arroz a la Mexicana

2009-08-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

You might think that just because I'm Mexican I should be able to cook great creations of yummy of deliciousness, but unfortunately (for me) I can't. I did, however, learned how to make rice today! I've decided that everyone should be privy to this amazing recipe from my talented aunt Geninne (geninne.com).

INGREDIENTS
2 cups of uncooked long grain rice
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 onion
3 Roma tomatoes
2 teaspoons of oil
1/2 cup of frozen peas (optional)
1/2 cup of frozen diced carrots (optional)
1 teaspoon of salt
1-1/3 cups of boiling water

INSTRUCTIONS
In hot water soak rice for 10 minutes. Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Blend garlic, onion and tomatoes until a paste is created, set aside. Rinse rice under running water until water runs clear. Drain rice completely so as to remove as much moisture as possible. Once the saucepan has heated completely, add oil and drained rice. Stir consistently until all water has evaporated and the rice takes a pearl like color and separates with ease. Add peas and carrots (optional) and stir. Add paste (garlic, onion, tomato) and stir until paste covers all rice grains evenly. You'll notice the paste takes a darker color after a minute or two. Add salt and stir. Add boiling water and stir. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

The key to perfect rice every time is the liquid to rice ratio. For every cup of rice you will need 1-1/2 cups of liquid. The "liquid" is composed of the garlic, onion, tomato and water called out in the ingredients. In this recipe the garlic, onion and tomato yield approximately 1-2/3 cups of liquid, an additional 1-1/3 cups of water are needed to complete the 1-1/2:1 ratio.

Now you too can make perfect rice!!!

The Boys

2009-08-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

About twice a year the boys get together for an all out game-fest. For 5 days straight they sleep, play, eat, play, eat, play and sleep. In that order. This year Isaac and Israel were able to celebrate their birthdays together, they're one year and one day apart in age. On the birthday wish list: ice cream, cheesecake and a new video game.

Today I got lucky...the boys joined us on a walk and so I captured these pictures of the boys being boys.

The boys used this stone base to strike monument poses.

Israel the philosopher.

Isaac's victory pose

Israel's The Archer

Isaac being silly.

Israel being silly.

Daniel is camera shy and I was totally lucky to get this shot. He would not under any circumstances stand on the stone base to strike a pose.

Here they are running back to the house to play some more.

These Three Amigos have too much fun together!

Cafe de Olla

2009-08-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tasted Cafe de Olla? It's piping hot, perfectly sweet with a hint of cinnamon.

The drink is prepared in an earthenware pot called "olla" which lends some of the special flavor to the drink. Served in an "ollita", it's best on a rainy day, or at breakfast, or late at night with a pan dulce (sweet bread).

INGREDIENTS
4 cups of water
1/2 cup piloncillo (or dark brown sugar)
4 cinnamon sticks
2/3 cups of freshly ground, dark roasted, coffee beans
Aniseeds (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the water, sugar and cinnamon in a medium saucepan, stirring frequently. Bring the mixture to a boil making sure to stir until the sugar is dissolved. Continue to boil for 20 minutes until the mixture is reduced by a quarter. Add the ground coffee and stir until the mixture returns to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and allow to stand for at least five minutes. Strain the mixture using a fine sieve or a double layer of cheesecloth. Pour into mugs and server while hot. Top with a few aniseeds if you like.

Turbo

2009-08-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

Turbo is my aunt's border collie puppy. He is deliciously delightful and I secretly want to put him in my luggage and take him home with me. He's about twice the size from the last time I was here to visit, only 4 weeks ago, but he still just as precious.

melt your heart pose

you called?

I love my mommy so I sit by her feet while she works

"eat your heart out" I'm so cute!

Check out "A day in the life of Turbo" at http://adayinthelifeofturbo.blogspot.com/

Horseback Riding

2009-08-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

This morning we woke up early...emmm....8am....and got ready to go horseback riding. I haven't been on a horse since my last trip to Cabo and lets just say that my derrier is reminding me of that right about now.

Meet our horses...mine was named Rodeo. Our guide and owner of 3Senores, Mauricio, rescued and nurtured him back to health. In addition to rescuing horses, Mauricio donates the proceeds from horse riding to other animal rescues!

It's a challenge to take pictures while sitting on a 1,000+lbs domesticated creature, but here's a look at my attempt.

vaquero Mauricio and Isaac at the start of our trip

the trail

vaquero Isaac

open fields along the trail

vaquero Eric, he was super nice!

Lake Tothe area

Mauricio did a fabulous job guiding us and the horses!
He told us about the area and a little history
on San Miguel Viejo (Old San Miguel)

This is the first church built in San Miguel.
They still have Mass here on Mondays.

here's Isaac at the end of our ride...his derrier was glad it was over!

If you're ever in San Miguel and want to go horseback riding along the country side call Mauricio at 3 Senores! He was professional, knowledgeable and super nice.

We had a great time riding with him and Eric.

Guanajuato

2009-08-02T15:29:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while, partly because I've been relaxing like none other here in San Miguel and secondly my travel plans changed a little. We decided (well really dad and Isaac decided for me) that we just stick to the nearby surroundings. Party poopers, they hated the 'walking all day' that comes with traveling so in a 2-1 vote they won...oh well.

On Saturday afternoon we decided to visit that beautiful city built on a hillside called Guanajuato.

en route to Guanajuato

The name Guanajuato comes from the indigenous language meaning "hill of frogs" since the area was vastly populated by frogs. It was also one of the first areas in Mexico to be colonized by the Spaniards, around 1520, due mostly to its rich silver deposits. Guanajuato's mines are still one of the largest silver producing in the world. But the city is not just known for its riches in silver, the architecture is impressive and so are the tunnels that run underneath the city. Today these are used for traffic, but originally they were built to run the Guanajuato river underneath the city.

Since we got there late, we weren't able to take a trolley tour of the city. To dad and Isaac's demise we had to walk around instead. Good thing most sites are within 5 minutes of each other.

Oh but before we arrived at the historic downtown, we made a brief stop at El Pipila. El Pipila is a historic/heroic figure in the Mexican War of Independence. He was a native of San Miguel de Allende and worked as a miner in Guanajuato. The nickname, meaning a hen turkey, was given to him due to his mental and physical handicaps. However, his act of heroism allowed for the insurgents to take over the Alhondiga de Granaditas (a stone fortress used to store grain) where the Spaniards had taken refuge. By torching the Alhondiga's wooden door, the insurgents stormed in and massacred those inside. In an ironic twist the 4 leaders of the independence movement were captured and beheaded, their heads were hanged from the four corners of the Alhondiga to discourage further revolts from the insurgents. It's a pretty gruesome story, but a stone monument was built in honor of this guy and so we drove up to take a look.

That glass box in the background is a look out spot. You can take the stairs from the bottom of the monument to the top for only $3 pesos. I highly advise against this since they forgot that people need air to breath (there is no ventilation inside) and you can only fit about 3 people comfortably before you start to feeling claustrophobic and air deprived. Really not worth the 3 pesos!

After our view of the whole city from El Pipila we made our way to the historic downtown via the tunnels, which are so neat. You can pretend that you are in sixteenth-century Mexico (or Nueva Spania) and time has stood still.

Here are a few of the sites we did get to visit.

Alhondiga de Granaditas construction of the stone granary started in 1798 and ended in 1809. View from El Pipila

University of Guanajuato. View from El Pipila

University of Guanajuato, established October 1, 1732.

La Estudiantina is a musical ensemble of students who started back in 1960's playing music along the alleys of Guanajuato trying to revive the old jovial Spanish 15th century student lifestyle. Today these guys will offer to take you on a callejoneada which is a walking tour of the city in where they recount the history and legends of Guanajuato while drinking from a porrón.

El Callejon del Beso, is Guanajuato's most famous alley with a separation of little over 2 feet. The tale goes like this... a poor miner boy and rich Spanish heiress living across from each other had fallen in love. One night her father caught them kissing across the alley from balcony to balcony. In his rage, the dad promises that if he should ever catch her again with this poor miner boy he would kill her. Being the only child, she disregarded his threats and continued with the romance. When the father caught them a second time, he delivered on the promise and killed her by stabbing her with a knife! so very Shakespearean!

Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Guanajuato, view from El Pipila.

Plaza de la Paz located in front of the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Guanajuato. The basilica was built from 1671-1696. The church houses a 1000 year old statue donated by the Spanish King Charles I.

View of the basilica from inside. I couldn't really take many pictures since there was a wedding taking place.

Jardin de la Union and Iglesia San Diego, view from El Pipila. There are tons of restaurants in this area. The ambiance is lively and if you like to listening to music, this is the spot.

Teatro Juarez inaugurated in 1903 features a Roman Doric style portico.

Teatro Juarez at night...the lighting is perfect!

Iglesia de San Diego, started in 1663 by a the Barefoot Franciscans of San Diego. The building we see today was ordered by the Count of Valenciana and completed in 1784.

Iglesia San Deigo at night. The facade, a superb example of the Mexican Churrigueresque, is carved out of fine pink quarry stone.

Mercado Hidalgo, inaugurated in 1910 the market features a pink cantera stone facade.

The market sells everything from leather goods and souvenirs to local candy.

Teatro Pricipal, inaugurated in April 1788

Guanajuato is filled with history and tradition and very much worth the visit. If you ever find yourself in Mexico take a trip to Guanajuato and spend at least 2-3 days walking around. Visit the many churches, the House of Diego Rivera, take a tour of one of the silver mines, get lost underneath the city following the tunnels. Maybe not that last part, I did it and it can get pretty frustrating after the second time under the same tunnels!

Pinturas Rupestres

2009-07-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

Pinturas Rupestres are cave painting found in several regions of Mexico and others parts of the world. The oldest being those in Spain and France. There is an area just outside of Victoria - the closest town to El Rancho - called La Sierra Gorda that has a few of these type of painting on a rocky hillside. We were in Victoria on Sunday, to visit the family during the annual Fiesta de Santiago - a celebration in honor of the town patron saint, and took a few hours to go check them out.

The history of these is a mystery, not much is known about who or when these were actually painted. It is guessed that the paintings were done around 1,000AD by those inhabiting the area at the time. The paintings mostly depict animals, society and religion. La Sierra Gorda in and of itself has an impressive history. It was once a vast river valley with gushing water, today its completely dry with variety of cactus and plants seen nowhere else.

Ortiguilla or commonly referred to as "mala mujer" meaning
"evil woman" due to its beauty but thorny leaves, stem and flower.

sand trail to get to the Pinturas Rupestres

view from trail along bottom rocks

start of trail to ascend to the top

clearly I was not prepared for this last minute side tour

Pintura 1

I think this is a lobster...not sure.

Gecko, maybe??

impromptu tour guides

On our way to the site we stopped and asked two of these kids (picture above) for directions, but they were shy and wouldn't really answer our questions, they just kept looking at each other. Later while we were hiking we noticed that they were following us so we invited them to join us and tell us more about the painting. This is one of the spots they lead us to.

Isaac "in/under" the rock

view from top

Roca del Soldado "Soldier Rock"

Once we had descended our "tour guides" pointed out la Roca del Soldado which is a rock formation in the shape of a soldier's face...perhaps our little friends had been out in the sun too long...and perhaps we had as well! It was wicked hot that day and I have to admit it kind of did look like a face to me.

On our way back to the car dad was telling Isaac and me that when he was a little boy he used to walk along that same trail and look at the paintings but never really gave them much importance. We both agreed that the state and the tourist board should be more diligent about preserving these historic sites and educating the public about their importance. Ok, I'm going to stop before I get political...that can get ugly and this is a happy blog :)

We headed back to El Rancho where we opted out of participating in the town celebrations to enjoy the afternoon in the quite of country life and snack on delicious, refreshing tunas.

Tequila

2009-07-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

Tequila...the beloved drink of Mexico and birthplace of its creation is only a 45min drive from the historic downtown Guadalajara. We figured that not going to Tequila would be a missed opportunity to learn about how this drink is made, but more importantly I wanted to photograph the beautiful blue agave fields that line the Tequila Route.

blue agave fields

We set off with trepidation since driving in Mexico is pretty much like playing Russian roulette, you never know when its your turn to get hit. You have buses cutting you off and motorcycles darting in front of both you and the bus! how these people survive is by God's grace and mercy alone. I digress, back to our trip...

There was another town we wanted to visit first, Amatitan. We had heard that its' very pretty and worth the stop so on our way to Tequila we decided that we would stop there first. Leaving the city we saw a sign for a toll road to Tequila, and since we value our lives we took it (safer and less traffic) but ended up missed Amatitan all together. A little side note: if you find yourself in Guadalajara and want to visit Tequila you can take the Tequila Express and avoid risking your life on Mexico's highways.

Just before arriving in Tequila there's a lookout point were you can appreciate the whole town. I was surprised at how small it is. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was certain that with such fame, would be in for a treat.

view from lookout point

I'm sad to tell you that Tequila was not what we expected. The town is run down and a little on the dirty side...too much Tequila available I suppose. We made the most of it by taking a tour of the town. I was glad that we weren't made to ride on a tequila barrel on wheels or worse the tequila bottle on wheels. We took a regular tour car instead. I'm not joking when I tell you that this was the most ghetto tour I have ever taken in my life! and I've taken a few in my day. In all fairness to our tour guide, she did a great job given the conditions.

Why was it ghetto you ask? We arrived at the meeting spot and took our seats, all was well up to this point. 5min later it all started to go downhill. We noticed a large family (5 adults and 5 kids) trekking towards us, looking around to see where on earth these people would sit, we realized that this tour was going to be Mexican style - pack'm in to the brim!

After shuffling people around and squeezing kids on the tour car dashboard (more like a seat - but not really a seat) the tour guide began telling us about the town history, which was founded by the Totlex Indians, and the way Tequila was discovered. Apparently the area was filled with agave plants and one day an agave was stuck by lighting instantly "roasting" the plant. The Totlex Indians noticed a sweet aroma emanating from the agave and proceeded to taste it. Liking its sweetness they began consuming the plant in this manner. One day, they forgot to eat it and so the roasted agave fermented. Noticing that the fermented drink was good and that it elevated their spirits they believed it to be a gift from the gods. Shortly after the drink was banned from daily consumption because they came to believe that the gods had become angry with them since the Indians would become depressed and start fighting after drinking. This is when it was declared that the drink would only be consumed at religious ceremonies. I find it interesting that the Totlex decided to ban alcohol from daily use due to its negative impact on society.

roasted agave...almost taste like sugar cane, a bit more nutty

Ok, here's where the tour really took a dive...as we approached a block wall I heard the tour guide tell the driver to get close to the wall and back up so we could see. I'm thinking what are we going to see? a block wall with glass sticking out? why do we need to get close to it? turns out on the other side of the wall is the Sauza residence. I'm not kidding!! they had us looking over a block wall to sneak a peek at the Sauza residence!! but since you couldn't really see from the seat we had to get up and stand on the seat!! and then we had to take turn so that everyone could see. I'm not making this up.

you can see the glass from the block wall on the bottom left side

Sauza along with Jose Cuervo are the two most notable distilleries still operating in Tequila, there are a few other lesser known ones but these two are most prominent. Both have museum you can visit to learn more about their history.

On our way to one of the distilleries, to learn about the process, I took this picture. It's a statue of a jimador standing over pinas de avage. Jimador is the name given to the farm workers who harvest the agave plants they are responsible for determining when the agave is ripe for harvest (usually takes about 7-10 years for a plant to be ready). The Pina is the center of the agave that is left once the leaves are cut off by the jimadores, this is what is used to make Tequila.

Below are some pictures of the distillery.

Trucks loaded with pinas bring these to the furnace area where they are roasted to perfection.

Pinas close up.

Roasted pinas.

Today the process is all very modernized but in the old'n day the roasted pinas were crushed by a large stone wheel called a "tahona" pulled by a horse.

Once crushed and extracted the juice is placed in these vats to ferment. I won't tell you how they used to ferment tequila before...lets just say ignorance is bliss.

The first distillation produces a low grade alcohol. At this point the drink is called Mezcal and is not yet considered Tequila.

This is the second distillation, at this point the drink is now considered to be Tequila and the alcohol proof can range from 70 - 110! This liquid is blended before bottling.

The liquid is left to rest in wooden barrels before being sold. This bottle was cute since it has a blue agave and jimador inside.

It was interesting to learn how this national drink is made. We concluded the tour at the town center where I snapped these pictures.

town church

I just love these hand painted ceramics

With the exception of people being squeezed into to a tour car and having to look over a block wall to sneak a peak at the Sauza's residence, I guess the tour wasn't that bad after all.

Guadalajara

2009-07-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

We decided that the opportunity to visit one of Mexico's most prominent and impressive cities could not be missed, so Monday morning we boarded an ETN bus and headed 5.5 hours west to Guadalajara.

scene en route

Guadalajara, from the arabic wad-al-hidjara meaning "river among stones", is the capital of the state of Jalisco and is most prominently known for its architecture, Tequila and Mariachi. We were fortunate to find a hotel located literally in the heart of the historic downtown area with its own rich history.

The Hotel Frances was built in 1610 and served as a resting stop for merchants traveling to Mexico city from the north. In 1983 the hotel was featured in the film "The Evil that Men Do" and in 1981 the ex-governor of Jalisco declared the hotel a national monument.

hotel lobby

Literally 2 minutes from the hotel steps are two of the city's most notable buildings, the Cathedral and the Degollado Theater.

The Cathedral, originally built in 1541, features a neoclassical façade and two neo-gothic spires which collapsed in 1818 after an earthquake shook the city. In 1854 the building you see today was completed.

back view

front view facing Plaza Guadalajara

The Degollado Theater is the stage of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Jalisco and the Folkloric Ballet of the University of Guadalajara. A little side note to share a childhood memory...when I was little I tried dancing ballet folklorico...with the big, colorful skirts and pretty bows...let me just say that 1) you have to be pretty strong to hold those skirts up and twirl them around for as long as they do - with a smile on your face - and 2) you have to have some sort of rhythm to keep pace with that music. Unfortunately I lacked both and so that's why I don't dance Jarabe Tapatio.

Degollado Theater

In this same area, to the left and right of the cathedral, are the Rotunda of Illustrious Jaliscans and the Government Palace.

The rotunda is suspended by 17 columns under which lie the remains of Jalisco's most noteworthy men and women.

Here you can appreciate the rotunda with the cathedral in the background.

The Government Palace was built in the seventeenth-century (1774 to be exact) and houses some of Jose Clemente Orozco's most famous murals as well as a bunch of government employees walking around the historic halls.

view of Government Palace from the Plaza de Armas. This plaza is
where some of Jalisco's most historical events have taken place.

Government Palace

I'll just take a moment now to share about Orozco's work. I didn't know anything about him until coming to Guadalajara but apparently he's pretty famous. Orozco was a painter that along with Diego Rivera and others established the Mexican Mural Renaissance. His frescoes' themes dealt mostly with human suffering, promoting the political causes of peasant and workers. He was passionate about two periods of Mexico's life: the Conquest and the Revolution.

Fresco of Miguel Hidalgo, priest and instigator of the independence movement. On September 16, 1810 he rang the parish bells and called for the death of all Spaniards and the independence of Mexico. The act is ceremoniously repeated every year. Located in the Government Palace main staircase.

Fresco located in some other historic building...sorry can't remember the name of the painting or building.

These frescoes are located in the Cultural Institute Cabañas. Flash photography is not allowed so the picture came out a little dark, but these were so impressive because many dealt with the Conquest and its consequences. One of the murals that was most impressive to me was the depiction of a Franciscan armed with a cross made of blades, standing over a kneeling Indian, the cross coming down on his back. It's a visual representation of the evangelization and slavery of the Indians. The cannibalizing of one culture and the gestation of a new society. It was truly impacting.

The Cultural Institute Cabañas building is one of the most representative buildings of Jalisco's architecture and is considered one of Mexico's most important neo-classical architectural pieces. Originally named the House of Charity and Mercy, the building was commissioned in the early nineteenth century by Bishop Cabañas to shelter and care for destitute children. Through the years the building changed functions due to the wars, but in 1980 the government changed its purpose to the dissemination of the arts. Today it houses Jose Clementes Orozco's largest mural collection.

front view

Getting to the Institute Cabañas from the Cathedral is a pleasant walk along the Tapatio Plaza where the fountain entitled The Sacrifice of Quetzalcoatl is located.

Quetzalcoatl was regarded as the patron god of the
Aztec priesthood, learning and knowledge.

All of these sites were literally within 10min walking distance from our hotel. We did however take a tour of the city on a double decker bus where we were able to see other historic sites further away from the historic downtown. That day was scorching hot and so everyone on board purchased these $10 pesos ($0.75) hats to protected against the sun. Too bad later that same day we were hit with a thunder storm followed by rain!

I won't bore you with the details of all the site, here are some pictures :)

Below is the University of Guadalajara, founded in 1792.

Los Arcos de Guadalajara build to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the city.

The Glorieta Minerva features the largest fountain in the city as well as a statue of the Roman goddess Minerva.

La Estampida is a bronze sculpture of 14 horses in motion. The realistic depiction of these is what makes them notable.

One of the sculptures I wanted to photograph was the Monumento a los Ninos Heroes but unfortunately the weather had gotten so bad we had to move to the lower deck area and our bus driver was on his very own Indy500 race to the finish. But very quickly, the Ninos Heroes were 6 military cadets ranging in ages 13-19 who defended the Chapultepec Castle from the U.S. forces in 1847. Disobeying orders to retreat, the kids fought to the very end with accounts of the very last one leaping to his death wrapped in the Mexican flag to prevent it from being seized.

Lastly was the Expiatorio Temple, featuring two large neo-gothic towers, the building was started in 1897 but did not opened to the public until 1931. The construction of this building was made without cement or metal in the tradition of the Middle Ages.

I got lucky in that it had stopped raining and we
were at a traffic light! so I was able to get this shot

From a cultural perspective Guadalajara is just as rich as its architecture, most notably is the Mariachi. Immediately identifiable by their silver studded charro outfits and wide-brimmed hats the Mariachi is believed to have originated in the 19th century. The word is believe to derive from the French mariage, meaning wedding, because of the type of music that was played at these events. This theory is weak, but popular. A more realistic theory is that the word comes from the indigenous name for the Cirimo tree, who's wood is used to make guitars.

These pictures were taken at Casa de Bariachi a restaurant specializing in local cuisine with a mariachi variety show. The food was great and so was the show.

We were only in Guadalajara for a total of 3 days and had to make the most of it by sight seeing as much as we could. As you can imagine there were many museums, sites and parks we didn't get to visit. The Tapatio Tour was a great choice since it also took us to the towns of Zapopan and Tlaquepaque.

One of the downsides of a tour bus...bad pictures. The plaza is known as the Plaza de las Americas "Juan Pablo II" and is the heart of the city.

Virgen de Zapopan Basilica, built at the end of the 17th century boasts a Plateresque Baroque façade and a large atrium.

Tlaquepaque is recognized as Mexico's most important artisanal center and I'm sorry to say that I have not a single worthwhile picture of this town. What was I thinking?! I'll share what I did take.

We ended our touring of Guadalajara and surrounding towns with a new appreciation of its history, architectural wonders and delicious food.

On day 3 we rented a car and took the Tequila Route to the town of Tequila. That adventure is up next...

Jardin Botanico Charco del Ingenio

2009-07-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

Today we decided to stay local and enjoy one of the near by tourist attractions San Miguel has to offer. El Jardin Botanico Charco del Ingenio is a 220-acre wildlife and bird sanctuary that was created to conserve the natural area around town. The botanical garden has an extensive collection of cacti and other native plants, as well as, many trails for walking, running and mountain biking. In 2004, El Charco del Ingenio was sanctified as a Peace Zone by the Dalai Lama, during his visit to Mexio he disignated 4 other zones in the country.

Here are some pictures our of visit.

A nice relaxing day before we leave tomorrow for Guadalajara.

La Peña De Bernal

2009-07-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

Thursday night, in a very typical Abrhil manner (spur of the moment, “lets do it” style of traveling), we decided that we would take the day Friday and drive to La Peña De Bernal. It's not a long drive, only about 1:45min from SMA, so on Friday morning we had breakfast, got our walking shoes, put on sunblock and set off on our adventure.

About 5 minutes into our trip my dad, who was driving, turns to me and says “how do we get there?” Yep…that’s what happened. I was totally relying on the fact that he’s from here and so naturally he must know where everything is right? Not so much. Fortunately early that morning I had quickly googled “Bernal” to see if I could get a glimpse of why this place was so famous and so I had a vague memory of which road to take. I’m happy to report that after only stopping twice for directions (and getting the same answer I always get when asking for directions in Mexico “go straight…until you see a sign…it’ll be right there”) we found the spot. And guess what? It was “right there”.

view from town

La Peña De Bernal is located in San Sebastián Bernal, a small town in the Mexican state of Querétaro. The town of Bernal was founded in 1642, when Spanish families stripped the indigenous Chichimecas of their lands. The town has become famous for its porphyrythic monolith, the second largest in the world, after Mt. Augustus in Western Australia and the third tallest after the Rock of Gibraltar and Sugar Loaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro. La Peña is also famous because it's believed to have magical properties. Every year thousands of people come to this little (only about 7,000 residents) sleepy town to experience a charge of energy during the spring equinox. The inhabitants of Bernal, who enjoy an average lifespan of 94.7 years, believe its due to the fact that the Peña makes them “look up” looking for the everyday light...OR...it might just be due to the fact that they have no smog, traffic, over population, stress and they eat fresh fruit and veggies that are harvested just outside of town. I'm no expert on the subject...this is just my theory. The town was deemed a "Pueblo Magico" (magic town) in Septemer 2006 by the Mexican Department of Tourism. Only 34 of these towns exist in all of Mexico.

view from foot of La Peña

We decided to hike up the Peña just for fun, here are some pictures to prove it.

dad and Isaac at the start of our hike

trail leading to the top

view from half way up; that's as far as we got.

In addition to the Peña, Bernal's other attraction is the “castle”, a colonial type building, built in the seventeenth century. Its tower displays a German clock which was place to commemorate the beginning of the twentieth century. The clock has been keeping time since its installation over 109 years ago.

We took a tour of the town on a cable car. What on earth could you possibly "tour" in a town of 7,000 inhabitants you ask? turns out, not much but we did learn a few fun facts (I use the term facts loosely here). For instance, according to our guide, this Mexican Fire Barrel Cactus is 95 years old (not sure I believe that) and is commonly referred to as a "seat for your mother-in-law" I guess some things are the same in all cultures.

Mexican Fire Barrel

Our cable car guide made a brief stop at a local candy store where an assortment of dulces de leche de cabra, caramel-like candies, made from goats' milk are made.

typical Mexican sweets

After our "tour" we walked around the plaza, stepped into a few of the shops and learned how the local artisans work with 100% wool to make handcrafted rugs, sweaters, pullovers, shawls, rebozos, and jackets. The church you see in the background was built in 1725 in honor of the saint St. Sebastian.

town plaza

local artisans hand paint these ceramic beauties

donky hand crafted from rope material

local artisan working wool, only 5 of his kind remain in town

here we see two others.

this little guy was just sitting there in the shop;
he was so cute I had to take a picture.

With all that walking around and hiking massive boulders an all...we just had to stop and have some gorditas. As you might have realized by know mostly everything in Mexico revolves around food. Regions, states and towns are known for their food specialties. Bernal happens to be known for its nopales en penca and gorditas. Gorditas are small, round, pancake like, made from masa cooked on a comal (usually a sheet of metal over an open flame) until dry and crunchy on the outside. A partial slit is made on the side to allow for a variety of different stuffings such as nopal en penca, chorizo, queso, chicharron or pretty much anything your heart desires. They are made right in front of you as you order them. I wish I had taken a picture for you to see...sorry about that.

After we were "gorditos" from eating gorditas we headed out happy and content to have spent the day in one of Mexico's treasure towns. Bernal is definitely a must see for anyone traveling this area of Mexico.

El Rancho

2009-07-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

El Rancho. The birthplace of my father and the place where he spent the first 8 years of life before moving to the city...Mexico City. I can't even imagine the trauma that must have been for a little 8 year old boy to go from a quiet, serene landscape corner of God's creation to the man made metropolis/jungle of cars, smog and people that is Mexico City. It's only been a few years since we, my siblings and I, started visiting our relatives at the ranch and I can honestly say that life there is unlike anything I've ever known.

We set off mid-morning, since the ranch is not too far from San Miguel - only a 1hr drive, in order to get there around lunch time. The drive is a pleasant one with fields of corn, cabbage, lettuce and cactus on either side of the road. Mountains and open landscape in the distance.

view from passenger side

We made a brief stop in Dr. Mora to buy some fruit and eat a taco in the town plaza. Jose Maria Luis Mora was a prominent Mexican intellectual holding titles as priest, writer, newspaper editor, lawyer and supporter of the reform movement. He was regarded as one of the earliest exponents of liberalism in Mexico and was eventually exiled to Paris where he died in 1850.

Isaac holding a bunch of "dominicos"

After a our brief stop we drove about another 20min to arrive in Victoria where El Rancho is no more than a 5 min drive. Arriving there is like stepping back in time, while they do have the basic creature comforts (indoor bathrooms, gas stove, fridge and microwave oven) much of how things are done, are done the same way they were done 50+ years ago when my dad lived there as a little boy.

view from patio

One of the things my relatives have been making for just as long is pulque. Pulque is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of the maguey plant, considered a predecessor to tequila . The plant was one of the most sacred plants in Mexico and had a prominent place in religious rituals. Prior to the Spanish conquest the Aztecs consumed it at religious ceremonies but today it's considred a drink for the common folk.

maguey (mə-ˈgā) plant

pulque

It's pretty awesome when you can just step on to your back yard and pick fruit for the week OR kill a chicken for dinner. Although I don't think I could do that - I'm pretty sure that if I lived en el rancho I would be a vegetarian...on second thought...carnitas on fresh tortillas and salsa would put me back in the carnivore category.

pomegranate tree
cactus with tunas
how could anyone kill this little guy?
seriously...I'm never eating rabbit...ever!! just look at him!

Isaac without a doubt had the best time since he somehow convinced our dad (although it doesn't take much for Isaac to convince our dad of anything) to let him drive. Here are some pictures of Isaac driving for the first time.

SO much fun to be a kid en El Rancho!

Toluca, Puppy Love and Barbacoa

2009-07-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

On Friday I decided to take the bus from San Miguel to Toluca, a 4.5hr easy ride, to visit with my aunt Geninne and uncle Manuel. A little side note, when I was 16 years old my uncle shared the Gospel with me and it's because of his testimony that I came to know Jesus Christ and accepted Him as my personal Savior. He and my aunt have been and continue to be great influences in my life and so I visit with them in Toluca every chance I get.

Toluca is located approximately 40miles west-southwest of Mexico City and has an altitude of approximately 8,750'. One of the most prominent geographical features is the volcano Nevado de Toluca. I didn't get a chance to take any pictures this time but I will be hiking the volcano towards the end of August and will be sure to post some pictures then :) For now I'll share the best part of my weekend...I fell in love...

Puppy love that is... Just look at this face! how could you not?

This is Turbo, my aunt's new border collie, he's only 8 weeks old but already he is an absolute dream. Well mannered and very well tempered. I couldn't stop taking pictures of him him all weekend long.

My little cousin Israel with Turbo.

My little cousin Daniel with Turbo

Turbo playing with a gift from Ginger and Buddy

On Saturday morning we went to "El 44" a little restaurant literally off the side of the road where you can eat the BEST "barbacoa de borrego" you have ever had. El 44 is family owned and operated (everyone working there is related) the barbacoa is prepared in the traditional mexican style. The borrego (sheep) is slow-cooked for hours in a pit covered with maguey leaves until absolute tenderness is reached. The best way to eat barbacoa is taco style with a fresh hand made tortilla. The tortillas are shaped and cooked right in front of you by one of the family matriarchs. It's served with fresh salsa, fine chopped onion, cilantro and lime wedges. Delicious!!

Fortunally for me the weather was sunny and warm. I say this because no matter what time of the year I visit, Toluca is always cold! Granted being from California anything below 65 degrees for me is considered "cold". This was a great opportunity to visit with friends on Sunday and enjoy the outdoors.

We wrapped up the weekend with breakfast at El Venado, a restaurant located in La Marquesa National Park. The park serves as a near by getaway for city dwellers to enjoy nature and great food.

view from El Venado

It was great weekend and I can't wait to go back!

What you get for the Money

2009-07-09T18:43:00.000-07:00

Have you ever asked for directions only to be told "go straight and then turn right, it will be right there". Yeah, that's what I kept getting this morning as I tried to find "La Unidad Deportiva". The sports center is a big "park" where soccer, basketball and other fields are available for locals to exercise their competitive skills and summer programs for adults and kids alike. After a only going twice around the round-about I was finally able to locate it. For the record it was not on the right, but on the left! It was great to get a few laps in before heading to the bus terminal. Tomorrow I leave for Toluca where I'll be staying with my aunt and uncle for the weekend. Its amazing to me that you can get a first class bus ticket for less than $20 - $15.50 to be exact. I can't wait to meet their little dog Turbo, a cute little Border Collie.

And now for the worst part of my day...I saw a Starbucks in the center of town! I was totally devastated to see an icon of corporate greed in lovely San Miguel. It turns out they opened about a year ago and what's worse it's located right on one of the most prominent corners of the plaza, right along other 300 year old buildings. Oh well at least San Augustin is just 2 blocks down and they are still the best place to go for delicious hot beverages and the most incredible churros you have ever had hands down!

But onto the best part of my day... What can you get for $350 pesos in San Miguel I ask? why a 1hr massage followed by a 1hr facial that's what! granted its not the La Costa Spa but seriously for about $25 dollars you can get one of the most relaxing and soothing treatments in town. Can't go wrong with that!

Arriving in San Miguel de Allende

2009-07-08T17:19:00.000-07:00

The Latin America Adventure is on! The flight was non-eventful and arrived just in time which is always a good sign. On the 1.5hr drive from Leon to San Miguel I met a wonderful pair of ladies from Canada, Sandra and Audrina. We ended up having a very interesting conversation about healthcare and the future of America. Turns out Canadians are worried about America too! After a lengthy discussion we turned our attention to the fact that we were in San Miguel one of the most beautiful and picturesque towns in all of Mexico.

One of my favorite spots is the terrace of our house where we have awesome views of the whole town. Here you can see the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel. The parish church is the city's most representative building with a pink stone facade and neogothic style built in the 1800's.

view from terrace

view from the plaza

Later in the day I made my way to the farmers market...all I can say is delicious! Fresh fruit, friendly people and cheap! an 8oz cup of pomegranate seeds goes for about $0.75 - unbelievable!

the colors are so vibrant and the fruit so sweet

All in all a fun filled day :)