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A Vacation to San Miguel de Allende

26 Jul

After spending a wonderful week in Northern California visiting my daughter and her family, I returned to Mexico City to begin the next leg of my adventure. After a long day of traveling, I zipped through immigration at 10pm and was very glad to see my host Benito waiting for me with a smile and my name on a placard. God bless AirB&B.

The most luxurious bus I’ve ever ridden in Mexico, complete with leg rests, movie screens and wifi left from the airport the next morning for Queretaro with connections to San Miguel de Allende, my vacation destination.

Executive Class

Executive Class

Torta friend and long-time San Miguel resident, Nancy met me at the bus station and we haven’t slowed down since.

Picking up your mail in San Miguel.

Picking up your mail in San Miguel.

The following day, I explored downtown, while Nancy went to play tennis. Life offers many opportunities here that we do not have in Bacalar.

Absolutely love putzing in the shops around the Jardin (Center).

Absolutely love putzing in the shops around the Jardin (Center).

And then there are the second story gardens. The unusual amount of rain this year has everything green and lush.

Shops and houses are built around courtyards. Just look up!

Shops and houses are built around courtyards. Just look up!

The locals, expats, and tourists meet in the downtown park for a San Miguel favorite pastime, people-watching. You never know what you’ll see…

The majestic cathedral of Saint Michael is the heart of the city.

The majestic cathedral of Saint Michael is the heart of the city. A giant Freda Kalo provides a photo-op.

Nancy is an amazing ceramic artist. This is one of her pieces showing in a local gallery.

Galeria San Francisco.

Galeria San Francisco.

I have a feeling it will take several weeks to post all the wonderful photos from this amazing city. I leave Wednesday to see my wife and view the progress on our house. Today is also the first anniversary of our marriage ceremony last year in California. Happy Anniversary Darling.

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Ciudad de México – Part Dos

19 Jul

In preparing for my layover in Mexico City, I searched Air B&B for someplace simple and near the airport. I found a small hostel and booked a room for the night. We have had a few experiences with hostels. In Turkey we met travelers from all over the world, a range of ages and in various states of jet lag. A hostel usually has kitchen privileges and breakfast provided. Rooms can be shared in bunk bed fashion with bathroom down the hall. I read the reviews, booked a private room for a few more pesos and was glad to have a reservation. I got a taxi at the airport when I landed and was off.

Aguascalientes #33

Aguascalientes #33

I arrived at an attractive entrance and offloaded my bags.

Stairs to upper rooms.

Stairs to upper rooms. Hostels are always funky yet interesting.

Everything appeared clean and bright. I was offered my choice of two rooms and selected the lower level to avoid climbing stairs to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. At that point things began to go downhill for me. The owner smoked in the common area. Not great, but not a deal breaker. I then noticed the strong smell of cleaning chemicals in my room. My asthmatic lungs began to resist. Not sure what to do, I left the room open to air out and headed to the Frieda Kalo Museum.

Brushes hung from the easel.

Brushes hung from the easel.

Inspiration for the studio we are building.

Inspiration for the studio we are building.

The entire visit to the museum is chronicled In Mexico City – Frieda Kalo Museum. The rain became heavy as I left the museum but I knew I wasn’t ready to return to the hostel. The taxi driver had told me that the surrounding neighborhood of Coyoacán had restaurants and arts and crafts vendors. That was all he needed to say for me to brave the elements and throw my jacket over my head.

Typical baskets of Central Mexico.

Typical baskets of Central Mexico.

I LOVE the surprises of turning down an alley and finding a huge colorful mercado full of people searching for dinner, shopping or getting out of the rain. The colors and fragrances from the many stalls made me a happy Torta.

Wouldn't you love to have this in your neighborhood?

Wouldn’t you love to have this in your neighborhood?

I wandered up and down the aisles, poking my head in the shops to ooo and ahhh.

Some stalls had organic produce.

Some stalls had organic produce.

I wish I had taken more pictures, but sometimes it is necessary to breathe in an experience without recording it. I found a food stall for dinner and reluctantly returned to the hostel as I was getting tired and still had a trip to California waiting the next day. The room was ok. I managed to sleep and make my early flight. I have made reservations for my return at another location. On Tuesday I return to Mexico. It’s been wonderful to visit my daughter and her family. It’s time to finish our house so that we can be here in the fall for the birth of our grandson. Besides, I miss my sweetheart Lisa.

Healdsburg, CA

Healdsburg, CA

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Frieda Kalo Museum – Mexico City

12 Jul

On my recent travels to California from our home in Bacalar Mexico, I had a layover in Mexico City. It’s been many years since I visited one of the world’s largest cities. I stayed in a small hostel near the airport having an early morning flight the following day. I had done my research on what to do nearby with an afternoon in this city known for museums, mercados and amistad (friendship). The Frieda Kalo Museum was a taxi drive away, so off I went on a Torta adventure.

I was surprised to see so many people had the same idea on a gray, cool, weekday afternoon. After a thirty minute wait, listening to all the different languages spoken around me, I entered the great blue wall that housed the artist’s compound.

Waiting in line.

Waiting in line.

Large paper mâché figures welcomed all guests.

Welcome from overhead.

Welcome from overhead.

I was immediately transfixed by the large garden at the center. Her presence was there. I could imagine her sitting peacefully with the plants, fountains and sky.

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Garden paths.

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Entrance to the house and private antiquities collection.

Entrance to the house and private antiquities collection.

Walking through the house I was struck by her work. I believe that she was one of the most self-assured women in history. She put herself out there in photography and paint and really didn’t seem to care what others thought of her work. After a debilitating accident in her youth, her art was an expression of both pain and her unique view of life.

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I was transfixed by her use of color.

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As I walked through the house, I could feel the presence of many historical figures that had once graced the dinner table.

A colorful stove to prepare the meals.

A colorful stove to prepare the meals.

Fragrant aromas of traditional dishes filled my imagination.

Fragrant aromas of traditional dishes filled my imagination.

Seeing her art studio brought tears to my eyes.

Painting from pain.

Painting from pain.

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The small bedroom with mirror affixed to the ceiling allowed her to paint self-portraits lying on her back.
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Her funeral urn was at the foot of the bed.

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The sky opened as I was preparing to leave the museum. A cold rain did not stop me and I set off to visit the mercado of Coyoacán. To be continued…DOS TORTAS

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Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

5 Jul

Last night’s tormenta shook huge palm trees like feather dusters. The room lit up with flash after flash of lightning as a thunderstorm raged overhead. It was enough to wake the dead. Only Lisa slept through the whole thing. It goes to show how different two people can be. She’s a glass half empty kinda gal, whereas I seem to be the nauseating glass half full sort.

Palm trees are perfectly adapted to withstand heavy wind.

Palm trees are perfectly adapted to withstand heavy wind.

Having owned and operated a construction company, Lisa knows about all the work that goes on behind the scenes. There are electrical, water and gas lines. With a concrete house, they are imbedded in the wall. There is wood drying for doors that need to be built. Much is left to do. I am blissfully unaware and only see a house where there was none two months ago.

Orange tubes will hold electrical wiring.

Orange tubes will hold electrical wiring.

In a few days I am leaving for the U.S. to visit my daughter who is pregnant with her first baby. When I bought the ticket two months ago, we had no construction site and little faith in the process after two years of delays and promises. I am trading in one labor and delivery for another, although her baby is due in November, ours should be ready by August.

The roof goes on this week.

The roof goes on this week.

For the next three weeks I will watch the progress via Internet pictures and Skype. There is much structural work to complete. I will return in time for the finishing touches, tile, interior colors, lights, counters, etc. While I feel sad to miss this part, I have yet to perfect being in two places at one time. And the truth is, if you’re going to have a problem, you couldn’t get one any better than this.

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So When Will The House Be Done Already?

28 Jun

The Tortas are in Tulum visiting our Austin friends Karen and Skip. We are on a hunt for items for our house, tile and light fixtures mostly. Options have increased over the last few years in our outpost of Mexican living. We now have a Home Depot in Chetumal which is thirty-minutes away, woohoo. The style of our house is rustica or pueblo. There are rounded corners, thatched overhangs, concrete floors, stuccoed walls and niches. Mass-produced furniture, lighting and all things made in China are not what we’re looking for. The hope is that Tulum and Playa del Carmen will offer more options.

Ok, so there are some exceptions.

Ok, so there are some exceptions. About $135

We stopped by the property for a progress update on our way out of town. There were a dozen workers trying to beat the rain clouds hovering overhead. Progress over the last six weeks has been amazing.

Front entrance.

Front entrance.

The molds have been made and the concrete will be poured for the arches above the door and windows. Construction out of concrete is a whole new world for us.

Rounding corners with concrete blocks.

Rounding corners using concrete blocks. Amazing!

The workshop aka Lisa’s she-cave is waiting on a part to install the garage door. A carport will be added to provide an indoor/outdoor work space.
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The arches have been poured over the doors and windows in this section. To the right is the entrance to the main bedroom and bath. The interior window will allow an open view into the bedroom and close for privacy when desired.

All rooms open onto the porch with views of the Laguna.

All rooms open onto the porch with views of the Laguna.

The stairs leading down to the Laguna from the porch will also provide security allowing the house to remain open to the night breezes.
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The trip to Tulum and Playa del Carmen afforded the purchase of decorative tiles for a yet-to-be determined location. It also gave us ideas, like these clay sconces for the porch.

Which do you like best?

Which do you like best?

I liked these. They can also be painted.

I liked these. They can also be painted.

The roof will go on in the next week or so. After that begins the interior detail work of building counters, installing sinks, adding lighting and pouring floors. There will be many trips to Chetumal. And the projected completion date is…the end of August, four months as predicted. Forgive us David if we didn’t really believe you. House construction is the very definition of delays and unforeseen problems. Add Mexico to the mix and many projects languish. To say we are excited is an understatement. Lots of work left to do, but definitely light at the end of this two-year tunnel.

DOS TORTAS
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The Swim Across Laguna Bacalar

21 Jun

Lisa and I came to live on beautiful Laguna Bacalar for quite different reasons, she for a boat, and I, to SWIM. Yesterday was the tenth annual open-water swim across the Laguna. With over eleven-hundred participants competing in two days of events, Bacalar is overflowing with energy and people from all over Mexico, Belize and the U.S. The weather was perfect with water temperature in the low 80’s.

#637

Getting marked #637

I have been training for weeks building up to the three-quarter mile event. My friend Polly and I did a practice swim last week and I felt relaxed and confident.

Colorful vendors plying their wares.

Colorful vendors plying their wares.

Of course we had cheerleaders.

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Fellow expats Pat and Rick make up the Bacalar cheering section.

Boats ferried participants across the Laguna to swim, on mass back to waiting family and friends. It’s not my first open water swim. All those churning bodies and kicking feet can be a bit disconcerting.

Making my way out of the water and through the crowd.

Making my way out of the water and through the crowd.

34:25 not bad

My time 34:25.

My biggest supporter.

My biggest supporter.

Later in the evening there was an awards ceremony. I was hoping for a trophy, but the competition in my age category was stiff and I did not place. First place winner finished in 22:37. Wow! Lovely to see so many older participants.

My competition.

My competition.

Local children put on a dance performance to much appreciation from the crowd.

 

The show stopper of the evening was my friend and fellow bacalareña Polly who won in the female over seventy category. Beside her was the first place winner in the Paralympic group AND oldest man. He’s eighty years old and a double amputee from Mexico City. image It was a great day and I’m not even half dead today! I promise an update on house construction next week. With walls going up and the roof just weeks away, it’s time to go shopping for tile, lighting fixtures and everything else that goes into a new house. As always, your comments are appreciated. DOS TORTAS

The Adventures of Dos Tortas

The Adventures of Dos Tortas

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Show And Tell – Art Purchases

14 Jun

Life rarely turns out the way we plan. Sometimes it is way cooler. Our three-week road trip to explore the Yucatan was originally conceived to search for repurposed doors, windows, and hardware for the home we are building along the Laguna of Seven Colors in Bacalar, Mexico. The design for the house is Pueblo or village style. It has stucco walls with arched wooden doors and lots of rounded corners. There are palapa overhangs for shade and a large screened porch. We like the look of concrete floors and persianas, (louvered windows) and open indoor/outdoor living. It is small compared to the mansions being built along the laguna, less than a thousand square feet. Perfect for Dos Tortas.

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We managed to find old wood doors, but unfortunately they were made of soft wood and not the hard woods needed for building in the jungle. The purchases we did make were local art for decorating our home. So much fun!

In Valladolid we found a “bazaar” which means – used items. We spotted this wooden panel deep in the back of a room. She spoke to us and was the most significant purchase we made. I have a collection of Guadalupe’s. She will get her own wall in our home.

This piece is made of wood by a local artist.

The panel is made of wood by an artist from Tizimin.

A mestizo mother and baby will be a garden piece, when we have gardens someday LOL.

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An iron sun will be incorporated into a roof railing to welcome the daily sunrise.

Here comes the sun.

Here comes the sun.

Next were hemp baskets. Before synthetics, hemp was a major industry in the Yucatan. I bought a colorful tortilla basket in the convent store in the magical city of Izamal. Perfect for keeping the tortillas warm on the kitchen table.

Basket of many colors.

Basket of many colors.

I broke my own rule and purchased this basket in a tourist shop. The price was right and I hadn’t seen another like it.

I paid less than $20 for this 9" tall basket.

I paid less than $20 for this 9″ tall basket.

No one traveling to the Yucatan can resist the beautiful pottery. I know we will return to Ticul after the house is complete. At the moment, we have nowhere to store the really big pots that I adore.

Mayan Goddess

Mayan Goddess

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I was told that this small replication was a bruja or witch. Usually women who were known as witches were midwives or healers. Needless to say, she had to come home with us.

Bruja.

Bruja.

The last small pot was made by ceramics artist Roger Juarez. Visiting his Mayan studio was a highlight of the trip. By this time the truck was quite full. Only promises to return kept me from blowing the budget.

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We were happy to get home to Bacalar. House construction is now in full swing. It is hard to be patient at this point, but knowing I have such lovely pieces to decorate the house…will be worth the wait. DOS TORTAS

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The Great Yucatan Meander – Final Leg

7 Jun

Traversing the Yucatan in a big-ass truck is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Once our house construction is complete we will be purchasing a more  economical, easier to park vehicle. But for now, it’s perfect! So we set off for three weeks to meander, shop, swim and explore our way around the Yucatan.

Fun with pyramids.

Fun with pyramids.

No tour de Yucatan would be complete without visiting the pyramids of Uxmal (oosh-mahl).

Impressive city.

Impressive city.

Uxmal is a large fascinating site and one of the most visited in Mexico. Record heat insured there were no crowds to contend with. Even arriving early did not keep us from mucho gratitude for our air conditioned ride.

The attention to detail is staggering.

The attention to detail is staggering.

Walking through the city, we were transported through time. It’s hard to imagine what life was like. People spent so much effort simply surviving in this dry climate. Catching and storing water was paramount. And yet decorating their temples seemed equally important for survival. Chac the rain god was everywhere.

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Here is evidence of the thatched-roof Mayan homes still seen everywhere in the Yucatan. Their thick walls do an excellent job of insulating. Hang a hammock and you’re all set.

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Like cenotes, you would think after awhile, ancient sites would get boring. Not for Dos Tortas.

imageWe were wishing to make off with some of the stonework simply laying around. Ha!
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There was so much to see and do. Three weeks flew by.

imageWe’d like to incorporate some of these images into our house design. Construction is finally underway. For house pictures visit our Facebook page. Next week we’ll have show-and-tell for the purchases made during the Meander. See you then and as always your comments are appreciated. DOS TORTAS 

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Cenotes – Sacred Mayan Wells

31 May

The Yucatán is home to more than seven thousand ancient watering holes known as cenotes (sen-óh-tay). The clear, cool, mineral-rich water bubbles up through layers of limestone and has a silky smooth quality that wraps its arms around you. The wells can be found on private property or equipped with a restaurant and entrance fee. There are two large cenotes in Bacalar. Cenote Azul is the restaurant-type where I swim several times a week.

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Our Yucatan meander included three cenotes in the city of Valladolid and one in Ek Balam.

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Lisa finding a way to get into chilly water at Ek Balam.

You would think that at some point it would be like “ok, been there done that”. But the cenotes of Ticul took it up a notch. Thanks to Roman, our tour guide, we got to visit private, little-known pools of joy. His secret is safe with us. We couldn’t find our way back if we tried.

Thirsty trees reach for water.

Thirsty trees reach for water.

All cenotes were formed deep in the earth. Then the roof caved in on some, requiring stairs to access them.

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Once open to the sky, the water isn’t as pristine. But if the roof remains intact, a crystalline clear swim awaits. The second cenote we visited required a bumpy ride down a long dirt road. Roman left the best to last.

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I could have stayed all day.

This spot was heaven on earth. I am convinced that we will never tire of exploring the cenotes of Yucatan.

imageThe following day we we said goodbye to Roman with promises of a swift return. Off to the pyramids of Uxmal and the final leg of the great Dos Torta Yucatan Meander.

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Off The Beaten Path – Ticul

24 May

While waiting for the construction of our house to begin, the Tortas took off on a Yucatan road trip from our home in Bacalar Mexico, across the top of the state of Yucatan, taking in two cities, an amazing pyramid, two coastal towns and an island. With no real plans other than looking for local art and repurposed items for our house, we chose approximately a three week timeframe and hit the road. After leaving Celestún, into our second week, we drifted southwest toward the ancient site of Uxmal and decided to make Ticul our base camp.

Posada El Jardin Posada El Jardin

Instead of relying on our guide book, we did a bit of Trip Advisor searching and found a wonderful little place, Posada El Jardin. I was especially attracted to the review that said that the hotel’s owner was willing to act as a tour guide. That’s how we met Roman.

Off on a bicycle tour of Ticul. Off on a bicycle tour of Ticul.

Ticul is known for pottery made from local red clay. Need we say more? There is both original and excellent replicas of ancient Mayan gods and goddesses. Roman, a Ticul native also made sure we got good prices. He was a treasure.

Andres, shop owner extraordinaire. Andres, shop owner extraordinaire.

There are times when speaking Spanish comes in very handy. We visited with Andres, a former school teacher and now shop owner, for the better part of an hour, discussing Ticul, its history, politics and problems. I learned that 911 had a huge impact on this little town. As security heightened worldwide, people were less able to bring home items purchased on their vacations. A city that used to see dozens of tour buses daily, rarely sees any today.

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I wanted them all! I want them all!
A huge kiln used to fire the pots. A huge kiln used to fire the pots.

Next stop was the home of Roger Juarez, nationally recognized potter and Ticul native. I would love to return and learn to throw pots with Roger.

A nationally recognized artist in the 1990's. A recognized artist in the 1990’s.

Roger is a national treasure. I wished that I had asked him if this piece was for sale.

To keep water cool. To keep water cool.

Touring Roger’s property that had been in the family for generations was a treat in and of itself.

Roger's backyard kiln. Roger’s backyard kiln.
Ancient trees in the yard. Amazing. Ancient trees in the yard. Amazing.
The deepest well I've ever seen. The deepest well I’ve ever seen.

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Next week we will continue our visit to the Cenotes of Ticul. Just when you think it can’t get much better, it does! DOS TORTAS

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