REFLECTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS

After nearly five weeks in Mexico, we flew home on April 1. While the experience is fresh, it seems appropriate to reflect upon what we have learned from this trip . Here are a few observations.


The People. The Mexican people are un-failingly friendly, courteous, helpful, and kind. They are also honest and hard-working. For example, one day, while walking down the street, I pulled out my cell phone and inadvertently dropped some paper money on the sidewalk. While one man caught up with me to tell me of the situation, another man collected the money and brought it to me. While there are some beggars, in general, even the extremely poor people are working to make a living, whether it’s selling chewing gum, washing car windshields at a stop light, or serenading you while you dine at a sidewalk cafe. And no matter how badly I butchered the Spanish language, the Mexican people always smiled, figured out what I was trying to say, and provided the information that I requested.

The Spanish Legacy. Here in the central Highlands, the Spanish legacy is very strong. The main colonial towns are well designed, with lovely plazas, jardins, and other open spaces. Many of the buildings go far beyond the basic function of providing shelter, and provide massing and details that are a joy to view. This particularly applies to the almost innumerable churches. Because of the wealth being generated by the colony of Nueva Espana (New Spain), the Spanish were able to build (and to their credit elected to build) monumental churches that admirably reflected the styles and quality in vogue in Europe during the approximately 300 years that Spain ruled Mexico. As evidence of the quality of the Spanish efforts, several of these towns have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Unfortunately, the Spanish created these monuments using methods that we do not approve of today; most particularly the enslavement of the indigenous people.

Land in Transition. Today, Mexico is a land in transition, and consequently, a place of contrasts. A middle class is developing. City streets are full of people driving Honda SUVs and talking on cell phones. Wireless internet hot spots abound. Yet many of the people still live in grinding poverty, the enduring legacy of the social structure imposed by Spain, including the enslavement of the indigenous population.



















Even in relatively prosperous Guanajuato, humans perform back-breaking tasks -- in this case, hauling away building debris.




















Quality of Life. From the perspective of a reasonably comfortable, but not wealthy American is that life in the Colonial Highlands of Mexico is a mixed bag. The historic centers of Guanajuato and Morelia offer a rich cultural life, with symphonies, theaters, and plazas filled with restaurants and entertainers. For example, one weekend nights in Guanajuato, a bands of entertainers dressed as Renaissance troubadors led a group of us on an hour-long walk through the narrow streets and small plazas of the city; singing and playing music along the way, and dancing and telling stories at various stops. I’m not aware of any U.S. city that has street life as vital and lively as that in Guanajuato










But the historic centers are generally isolated pockets of quality set among areas of poverty and ugliness. We know that ugliness is often a by-product of poverty, but this is not always the case. Thailand, for example, exhibits much less ugliness in its poor areas.

Mexico could also be called a land of broken dreams. Everywhere, there are abandoned structures that serve as half-built memories of dreams of a better life. And unfortunately, the future for eliminating the ugliness does not look bright. As the cities grow, they despoil both the countryside with sprawl and the city with air pollution from cars and factories. Mexican developers seemed to have learned the worst lessons of American urban development and “improved” upon them.

















We have looked at houses for rent and for sale in both Guanajuato, and have not found the right combination of price and quality so far. In fact, given the current foreclosure/short sale environment in the U.S., there are better bargains in Orlando. The solution is probably to find a new house built by an American who has become disillusioned with Mexico, moved back to the U.S., and is now willing to take a substantial loss to liquidate the property, but maybe that’s just me looking for a deal!

In short, we have enjoyed this trip immensely, but have not found the quality of life that we would need to bring us to Mexico long term. However, Saturday, we visited a smaller town named Patzcuaro that caught the attention of both of us. The overall quality of the town seems to be more to our liking. While there are no outstanding historic buildings, there also does not seem to be much really low quality neighborhoods. There are a reasonable number of Mexican tourists, and a smaller number of Americans, and collectively, they support a variety of small restaurants and shops around the main square. The question is whether this small town of 45,000 people offers enough cultural amenities to keep us entertained.




































Another trip may be on the horizon!

San Miguel Allende – a different perspective

As the bride and groom walked out of the church and into church courtyard, they were met by another wedding couple; this set 12’ tall effigies dancing to the music of a mariachi band.

After a few minutes, the effigies led the newlyweds, the wedding guests, and the mariachi band out of the church courtyard, across the street and into the main plaza. Here, the newlyweds danced the traditional first dance and everyone in the plaza cheered and shared in their happiness.

While these festivities were occurring, one set of wedding caterers rushed the flowers out of the church, and another set of caterers rushed in the flowers for the next wedding. On this holiday weekend, multiple weddings were occurring in every church in San Miguel Allende.

The town of San Miguel has beautiful churches and lovely plazas.

It is well known as a haven for American ex-patriots. Because of the large number of Americans living here, the streets are lined with stores full of up-scale home decorations and attractive clothes. Each block, it seems, also includes at least one restaurant that caters to the Americans, including one named Harry’s -- with both atmosphere and menu remarkably like the Harry’s Restaurant in Ocala, FL.

All of these make San Miguel Allende a lovely place to visit. But the memory that will linger long for Barbara and me is the three-hour lunch we enjoyed at Los Senderos. A 15-minute taxi ride from the main plaza, Los Senderos is a 250-acre property that is trying to get started as a sustainable community. After entering the grounds, one winds through a forest of prickly pears that have grown into 10’ tall trees. At the end of the drive is open-air restaurant set on terraces that step down the hill. One side of the terraces is a wall of cactus.

The view is magnificent, evoking my image (correct or not) of southern California. Dotted with beautiful oak trees, the golden hills roll away to the horizon.

One of the oaks shelters a table to which waiters ferry food to a couple enjoying a romantic meal. As we eat, other diners ride up on horseback.

The atmosphere is almost Italian in its sensuality and elegance. The organic vegetables that are served come from rows that end at the edge of the terrace. A white-coated cook makes tortillas by hand for fresh quesadillas.

At the end of the day, we caught the bus back to Guanajuato, aglow in the warmth from both the wedding festivities and the remarkable experience at Los Senderos.

History from the Heart of Mexico

On the morning of September 16, 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the local priest in the small town of Dolores, issued the cry for Mexican independence. Known as the “Grito de Dolores” (Shout or Cry of Dolores), Hidalgo called for the local indigenous people and the mestizos to take Mexico from the Spanish king.

Hidalgo and many other Criollos, Mexican-born Spanish who were treated as second-class citizens by the ruling Spanish aristocracy, were already in the planning stages of a revolution against the Spanish. However, their plan was betrayed, and another of the leaders, Ignacio Allende, had ridden the night before to warn Hidalgo of the situation.

Following a massacre of the Spanish population in Dolores, Hidalgo and the Dolores farmers made a circuitous march through the rugged mountains to the regional mining center of Guanajuato, increasing their numbers along the way. Upon the arrival of the rebels, the local Spanish aristocracy barricaded themselves in the massive stone Alhondiga de Granaditas, or grain warehouse.


The granary seemed like the perfect fortress, and combined with their superior weaponry, it allowed the Spanish to hold off the revolutionaries -- until one man turned the tide of the battle. Born with a birth defect, Juan Jose de los Reyes Martinez was a local man ridiculed for walking in a way that reminded others of a hen turkey or “pipila.” But on September 28, 1810, Juan became a national hero when he used a large flat stone tied to his back to protect him from the Spanish bullets and charged to the wooden door of the granary. Juan set fire to the door, which provided access to the granary for his compatriots. They stormed inside and won the first significant battle of the Mexican War of Independence. Today, Juan is revered as El Pipila, and his statue watches over the city of Guanajuato.







Despite their loss at Guanajuato, the Spanish did not cede power immediately. Within a year, Father Hidalgo, Ignacio Allende, and two other leaders of the independence movement were captured and shot. For 10 years, their four heads hung from the four corners of the granary as a deterrent to other revolutionaries.




































But the revolutionaries fought on, and on August 24, 1821, Spain signed the Treaty of Cordoba, which recognized Mexican independence. For more detailed information about Father Hidalgo and the Mexican War of Independence, see http://www.mexonline.com/mexican-independence.htm and the entry for the Mexican War of Independence at wikipedia.org.

Today, the town of Dolores, renamed Dolores Hidalgo to memorialize its place in Mexican history, seems an unlikely birthplace for a revolution.


























The Plaza d’ Armas has been converted into a landscaped garden where families stroll and musicians play. Ice cream vendors, known for their exotic and varied flavors such as avocado and chile, are on every corner .






But the city remains well-known for its ceramics industry, which has descended from the pottery skills that Father Hidalgo taught to the indigenous people here. And the church from which Father Hidalgo issued his famous cry for independence is being restored for the bicentennial celebration that is coming in just 18 months.

About 40 km. down the road, another town has also changed its name to memorialize its role in the War of Independence. In honor of its famous native son whose head hung from the granary in Guanajuato along with that of Hidalgo, “San Miguel el grande” is now San Miguel de Allende.

LIFE IN THE HEART OF MEXICO

As the lights twinkle on in the city below, the sun sets directly behind the statue of Christ the King on a distant mountain. This statue marks the geographic center of Mexico. When we chose Guanajuato as our Mexico “home,” we had no idea that we would literally be living the heart of Mexico.

We’ve now been here for 18 days, and are getting a sense of the city. Initially, I was less than impressed because of the economic decline that I mentioned in the last post. However, my feelings are becoming more positive.

Despite the lack of funds (or political will?) to maintain the buildings, the city is full of vitality. Every night, the main plazas are full of people having a meal or a drink at a sidewalk café, or just sitting and watching the world go by. (The weather is so good that people don’t have to “hole up” at home to stay warm or cool. And I guess that TV is not good enough to keep people at home either.)

There is a wide range of dining choices, from street food to typical greasy spoon places to quite nice restaurants. One night, we ate in the plaza outside a tiny restaurant owned by a woman from the Languedoc province of France. The food was arrayed buffet style, and your plate was weighed each time you passed the cash register. In addition to excellent food, we had interesting juice drinks, including one made from cucumbers. After the main course, dessert, and coffee, the tab came to $13 for the two of us.

In another post, I’ll tell you about a very different meal – one that we will remember for a long time.

There is so much to see here that we have barely scratched the surface. There are at least a dozen museums, ranging from a mummy museum to the birthplace of the famous Mexican muralist (and husband of Frida Kahlo), Diego Rivera. Barbara really enjoyed this museum. The permanent collection allows one to see him struggling to find himself as an artist, with early works as well as works in the style for which he is famous. In addition, the collection includes a series that he did portraying the Mayan creation legend.

Another day, we visited the former hacienda San Gabriel de Barrera. The hacienda originally belonged to a family that became very wealthy from the local mines, but lost the property due to their support of the independence movement. The grounds include 17 different gardens, each designed to represent the style of gardens from a different country. Although not terribly well-maintained, the gardens are impressive, and often quite lovely.

For me, the most interesting aspect of the property was the house. There is a constant interplay between interior and exterior that provides a wonderful example of architecture responding to climate.

And the hacienda has a gorgeous private chapel, with mucho gold decoration.

Barbara is making a video and will eventually get it posted to vimeo.com for you to watch. Her video on the city of Morelia is posted there, if you haven’t seen it. (You have to create an account at vimeo.com in order to view the video.)

But the best part of Guanajuato has been the new friends. We’ve met several new acquaintances at the Spanish language school we attended last week. And we’ve met a few Americanos that either live here or are in the process of moving here. One who has contributed importantly to our enjoyment of the city is Greg, who owns and runs Café Tal, which provides excellent site-roasted coffee.

And we feel extremely lucky to have met Stanley and Alice Winborne. Former potters (although Stanley did a long tour of duty as a successful commercial real estate broker and developer), Stanley and Alice are true artists-at-heart, would fit right in with the “Brandywine” group. They have curious and open minds, and are a real joy to be with.

In summary, Guanajuato is a great place to visit, and we are having a terrific time!

Guanajuato – 10 Minutes Down, 35 Pesos Up

Bernardo, the property manager, picked us up at Appleby’s on the night that we arrived in Guanajuato and drove us to the casita (little house) that we rented via the internet. After passing el Centro, the historic downtown, the car began a steep ascent toward the top of the adjacent mountain. Almost at the top is a “ring road” called the Panoramica that essentially encircles Guanajuato in the valley(s) below. Our casita is on this road and has a magnificent view of town and the ring of mountains surrounding it. The lights of the city spread out below us, with the beautifully illuminated basilica in the center.

Our casita.

Just kidding!

Our "casita" is actually one of three one-bedroom apartments in a small building on the grounds of a large house owned by a family from North Carolina. A high stone wall and metal gate separate us from the Panoramica. The big house, above, rents for $2,500 per month, and has 4 bedrooms, so it would be a great place for a group vacation.

As we enter the apartment, Barbara kept exclaiming, “Oh, it’s so cute,” and, “It’s so charming.” And it is. It’s about 500 square feet and consists of a bedroom, a living room, a dining area, the kitchen and a tiny bathroom. But the bathroom is NOT charming. In fact, it is so small that you almost have to sit sideways on the toilet. (Sorry; no pictues!)

The drawback for me has been the noise. The noise from the road and the dogs barking into the early morning hours is so bad that after three nights, I switched the bedroom and the dining room so that I can sleep farther from the noise.

Despite these drawbacks, we are very pleased with the casita. The grounds feel very secluded and are well landscaped. Most of the conveniences are provided, but in somewhat reduced form. For example, I learned to my surprise that the clothes dryer is 4 lines strung across the laundry room, which is open to the sun. But Barbara is doing quite well cooking with a 4-burner gas cooktop (more like a camping stove) and a toaster oven. The gardens provide fresh herbs in addition to an abundance of flowers and hummingbirds. And we have wireless internet, so everything balances out!

As Bernardo left us that first night, he told us that el Centro was just a ten-minute walk down the mountain – and only 35 pesos back up. We have taken his sage advice and walked up only once to prove we can. Money may not buy happiness, but it sure saves your legs!

What do I do with myself now?: A Close Encounter with Ospreys

What do I do with myself now?: A Close Encounter with Ospreys

This is a great blog by one of our new friends, Stanley and Alice, here in Guanajuato. Thought you might want to see the kind of people this adventure attracts. They are going to be here for 3 months.

Guanajuato – Home Base for our month in Mexico

In the early evening of March 2, after about 8 hours on the road, we arrived at the main bus station in Guanajuato, where we will stay for most of the month of March. We have rented a “casita” or little house, via the internet, and I immediately called the property manager. Bernardo, an “on-the-ball” young man asked us to take a taxi to Appleby’s restaurant, where he would pick us up shortly. The restaurant looked pretty much like any other Appleby’s and served very good renditions of the U.S. menu items – at basically U.S. prices.

That night at Appleby’s has been our last contact with Americana.

Guanjuato is very much a Mexican city, and very different from Morelia. Rather than the grid of streets and plazas in Renaissance Morelia, historic Guanajuato is a maze of narrow streets and even narrower alleys, giving it the feel of a medieval city. Built along the banks of a small river that flowed between steep hills, the streets and buildings followed the river and climb up and down the hillsides. (The river was put underground long ago, and amazingly, in the 1950’s, it was lowered once again, when an extensive subterranean roadway system was built. These tunnels allow traffic to move through the city, leaving parts of the historic center free of cars.)

Scattered throughout the maze of surface streets in the historic center are numerous churches, plazas, and small parks. The plazas and parks are irregularly shaped, just like in the medieval parts of European cities.

The social heart of the city, oddly enough, is not the plaza in front of the Basilica of our Lady of Guanajuato.

Instead, the nearby Jardin de la Union serves this function.

Inside the triangular space of the plaza, a triangle of huge sculpted ficus trees creates both a shady walkway along the sides of the plaza, and a small “room” inside the trees. From a bandshell in this smaller room, an ensemble from the University of Guanajuato plays concerts two nights each week.

During the day, the walkways under the trees are lined with the tables of small vendors selling everything from tacky handicrafts to Christianity Jehovah Witness style.

At night, the vendors are replaced by roving bands of musicians that will serenade you, for a donation, of course. Each band has an elaborate costume to distinguish it from its competitors.

We choose a somewhat less accomplished madrigal for our evening’s entertainment.

At the wide end of the Jardin de la Union sit two quite wonderful buildings. The first is the Templo de San Diego. The façade of this church is an excellent example of the very ornate Churrigueresque style and dates from about 1784. It is adjacent to the east sides the Teatro Juarez. Sitting atop its front portico of Doric columns are colossal sculptures. Rising up to the portico are two flights of steps that serve as meeting places for both local students and older people studying Spanish at a nearby language school.

All of this, I know, makes Guanajuato sound like a wonderful place. And it does have much to recommend it, including a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. However, none of this conveys the decay that permeates Guanajuato. The city was established following the 1558 discovery of silver, and for about 200 years, produced as much as one-third of the world’s silver. However, the wealth appears to have given out long ago, and most of the historic city has not been maintained in the interval.

Despite the decline, Guanajuarto is a lively town with a large university, three performing arts centers downtown, and many museums. Barbara and I have already attended a wonderful symphony concert featuring Suliman Tekalli, an incredible young violinist from Daytona Beach who teaches at UCF. (See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPlo7K3kq6g&feature=related for an example of his playing.)

We look forward to exploring more of the city’s cultural venues and meeting its people.