Archive | February, 2014

A Non-blog Blog

23 Feb

Lisa and I have moved into a new location where we will live for the remainder of time until our house is built. At this time it has no wifi which makes daily communication challenging and blogging nearly impossible. While we will be remedying the situation shortly, everything takes a bit longer in Mexico.

My MIL returns to California this week, and hopefully things will settle down a bit. It has been a whirlwind two months of traveling, moving, sightseeing and either being or having company.

Last night we went to Carnival Bacaler. What fun! I think everyone in Bacalar was there. There was a parade, vendors, a huge pachanga. I will know this is my community when I recognize people who are non-English speaking friends. Soon, very soon.

Thought for the day.

Thought for the day.

Sunrise this past week.

Sunrise this past week.

Worth getting up at 6 am.

Worth getting up at 6 am.

Morning visitor.

Morning visitor.

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Road Trip Segundo – Continued

16 Feb

Our friends Nancy and Judy actually live outside of San Miguel in a tiny pueblito named Atotonilco. The church there is considered the “Sistine Chapel” of Mexico. We walked down the street from their house to an experience we could never have had on our own.

Judas' kiss with the devil on his shoulder.

Judas’ kiss with the devil on his shoulder.

Native American cousins to the north.

Native American cousins to the north.

The alters painted in gold leaf were spectacular.

The alters painted in gold leaf were spectacular.

Glittering in the light.

Glittering in the light.

Chapel Atontonilco4

This chapel is a jewel that I am so glad I got a chance to see. Outside of the ruins of Palenque we stumbled upon an equally spectacular (but in a different way) site. When I visited Palenque in 1974, I went to a waterfalls. Not knowing the name or location, we went off on a drive of a lifetime and instead found Aqua Azul.

The water color was unbelievable.

The water color was unbelievable.

image

Mini-Niagra Falls

Mini-Niagra Falls

We climbed and climbed.

We climbed and climbed.

Water was chilly. Still wish I had time for a swim.

Water was chilly. Still wish I had time for a swim.

What a spectacular trip we had. Each adventure leads to another. This week the Tortas will be moving into our last stop before our new home. It will be good to be settled at least for awhile. Until next week….

Thought for the day.

Thought for the day.

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Road Trip Segundo – The Tortas Arrive Home

9 Feb

We returned to Bacalar and the southern most tip of Mexico from our recent visit to Texas, 4500 miles round trip in a month. Everyone who lives in Mexico travels to the States now and then, some more frequently than others. The drive is an adventure every time. This trip we were not pulling a trailer filled with our worldly possessions. Without the heavy trailer we were more agile and able to make better time. We stopped in San Miguel de Allende to visit friends and came away with a new experience from the nightmare of getting lost there on our first trip. It’s a magical city surrounded by mountains, colonial buildings and art, everything that Bacalar is not. Knowing that we can always return made it easier to say our goodbyes.

Church of Saint Michael

Church of Saint Michael

Tile Floors

Tile Church Floor

Lots of Walking

Lots of Walking

image

We also made a side trip to the pyramids of Palenque. People from the US are by far the minority of tourists to this site. Many believe the bad press and miss an opportunity to visit some of the most magical places on earth, almost in our back yard.

The Queen's Tomb

The Queen’s Tomb

Warriors With Chiseled Teeth

Warriors With Chiseled Teeth

Tomb Buried Deep

A Royal Tomb Buried Deep

The Queen's Bath

The Queen’s Bath

There will be a few more road trips in our future, but with the sophisticated bus system, visiting the sights of Mexico will be an easier, less tiring experience in the future. For now we are glad to be home and meeting with our builder on Monday. Soon I hope to have construction photos of our new house.

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Safety in Mexico- It’s All Relative

5 Feb

Mexico Retold

Policeman

This article was commissioned by the Hub Oaxaca in an effort to help inform participants of the Impact Hub Gathering and was written with a focus on Oaxaca.

Mexico!?

When I tell people that I live in Mexico, I brace myself for the inevitable questions, “Isn’t it really dangerous there?” “Is it really as bad as the news reports say?” “Aren’t you going to get kidnapped and beheaded living there?”

Although I have heard the questions about safety in Mexico a thousand times, I understand why, the news all over the world coming out of Mexico is pretty grim.

I have always been careful with my response to questions about Mexico’s safety and have until now, shied away from writing about it, because I have a responsibility to my readers to tell it how it is and because I don’t want to minimize what is happening here. I have read…

View original post 1,428 more words

Holding on to Friendships that Span Time and Distance – The Tortas say Adios

2 Feb
Dear Austin Friends

Dear Austin Friends

Thursday we gathered with Austin friends to share hugs and stories of our new life in Mexico. I am always surprised by the sweet affection of women I have known and worked with for twenty years. There were many promises of visits from these avid blog followers.

Friday morning we squeezed in final moments with our grandchildren before getting on the road for south Texas. The plan was to sleep on this side and hit the border early.

Leaving McQueeney, Texas

Leaving McQueeney, Texas

Lisa's mom and third Torta Alice with our grandson Hunter

Lisa’s mom and third Torta Alice with our grandson Hunter

We crossed easily at Los Indios, a small border crossing where we were waved through. An hour later we stopped at the aduana and received a minimal inspection. I took my first deep breath of the day as we sailed through immigration. Our theory is that showing our green cards looks very official and clearly states that we are Mexican residents. The fact that we are three older women probably supports that age-old myth that we could not be smugglers.

The drive to San Miguel was smooth, with only one back track. Traveling through the mountains made for a beautiful trip and we arrived on schedule at the home of our friends Judy and Nancy. We leave Tuesday for the pyramids of Palenque and on to Bacalar.

Next week we will report on our stay in San Miguel. Happy Superbowl Sunday all.

Mountains outside of San Luis Potosi

Mountains outside of San Luis Potosi

Over and through.
Over and through.

Our mascota el pato.
Our mascota La Tortita.

The Cobblestones of San Miguel de Allende
The Cobblestones Outside San Miguel de Allende

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