A Temporary Hiatus

Dear Diary,
I'm back in Phoenix. Got back Sunday night.

My friend Jeanne has been kind enough to being receiving and relaying my mail for me. Last Saturday, she told me that the AZ State Retirement System had sent a notice that one piece of my retirement paperwork was missing AND HAD TO BE INTO THEIR OFFICE BY DEC. 2. "*!#**#!," I thought, "I'd better get myself back to Phoenix and get this straightened out." There is something about the allure of that lifetime pension check that really motivates one to get moving!

So....like a Keystone Cops comedy, I made a headlong rush to the exit. I was in San Cristobal de las Casas, high in the mountains of Chiapas, the southernmost state in Mexico. I took a 2-hour bus ride down the mountain to Tuxtla-Gutierrez, the capital. From there a 12-hour overnight bus trip to Mexico. And it was freezing. When we left Tuxtla, it was hot and the bus's airconditioning was turned on. As we headed up to Mexico City, it got cooler and cooler. And my jacket was packed in my luggage beneath the bus. I finally resorted to holding my backpack on my chest just to keep warm. That, and with frequent stops, I didn't get much sleep.

When we got into Mexico City, I took a cab from the bus terminal to the airport where I caught a 2.5 hour flight to Hermosillo in the far northern part of the country. From Hermosillo, I got a 8-hour bus ride back across the border into Phoenix. Jeanne was her usual sweet self and picked me up at the bus station in Phoenix. After my 36-hour odyssey, I was exhausted.

I woke up Monday morning with a head cold (no surprise). But I girded my loins (why do they only gird loins? Why not gird your ear, for example?) to go do battle with AZ State Retirement System on Monday morning. I went down to their office when it opened Monday morning like some raving madman. I've always felt that a bit of constructive raving goes a long way. And it did. Apparently, we've straightened out the mess and all is in order now for me to start receiving my pension checks. I've got my fingers crossed. And with TWO WHOLE DAYS TO SPARE before their dreaded deadline!

My plans now are to hang out in Phoenix with Jeanne and just do errand kind of stuff until I leave mid-month to do a "Tour de Family," visiting loved ones for the holidays. And then I will resume my Mexico journey in early January. Between now and then, I will take some of this down time to reflect on the places I've seen and my thoughts about life in Mexico.

Thanks for following the blog....and happy holidays!

I'm in San Cristobal de las Casas

Well, I made it. The alarm I downloaded onto my laptop worked just fine and I got myself out of bed at 6 a.m. yesterday in Veracruz. Found a cab on the street, and got to the airport on time. The flight was uneventful (the way we like 'em) with a connection in Mexico City, then on to Tuxtla Guiterrez (the capital of Chiapas state). Now that says something about the hub-and-spoke system of the airlines, because I FLEW IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION from where I wanted to go. I headed back west to Mexico, then on the connecting flight returned east and south...past Veracruz to Tuxtla Guiterrez. There is evidently no direct service between the 2 cities. Tuxtla is down in the lowlands and is a big ugly modern city which is hotter 'n hell in the summer. I took a bus 1.5 hours up the mountain to San Cristobal.

This little town is pretty like San Miguel de Allende, but without so many tourists. Those tourists who are here are largely European. Right now I'm sitting in an Italian Coffee Company franchise coffeeshop, on my laptop. They have WI-FI Internet access for customers. The only other folks in here are a table of 12 large and noisy Germans. Eating cake and coffee, naturally. They look like nothing so much as a bunch of American Midwesterners, all ruddy faced and big. One lady did the "Gerta, now did you have the coffee cake or the chocolate torte" routine and divided up the bill 12 ways. It was fun to watch.

I'm staying at a very nice Posada. It has a family home atmosphere. The landlady lives there and has 5 guest rooms she rents out. I have use of the kitchen (for the first time), which is nice so I don't have to eat every meal out. I've got color cable TV in my room, private bath and plenty of hot water. The owner lady is very friendly and helpful.

Today, my big errands were getting a haircut and picking up my laundry. That's enough for a day. I also discovered the local farmers's market. These are among my favorite places....the sights, sounds, and smells. Once I get oriented, I want to dig into those incredible looking vegetables from the market. Maybe a nice vegetable soup? But there is stuff there I've never seen before.

I went to the Cultural Center today, and they have a mass choral concert coming up on Dec. 1. I wouldn't miss it for the world. The singers are from area universities and the groups are called "tunas" not choruses. I understand it comes from the Spanish troubadour tradition. Men in tights and capes, even.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Sunday Night in Veracruz

Now in the States, Sunday night is pretty slow, regardless of where you are.
But down on the zocolo, things were hopping last nigth! The town had sponsored a houseplant fair; and vendors had set up stalls. One whole side of the zocolo was lined with, maybe, 40 different plant sellers. And whole families were "window shopping" the pretty potted plants and buying a few. This is at 8 p.m. on a Sunday night. One interesting note--the stalls themselves weren't framed by dividers made of metal tubing. Instead, they were all made of bamboo rods. Makes perfect sense. It's super strong, flexible, 100% natural and recyclable.

Over on the other side of the zocolo, open-air cafes line the entire length. And little impromptu 3-piece Marimba bands were playing. Sometimes two or three at once. What was especially charming were the couples, mostly middle aged, who jumped and starting dancing to the music. Nothing fast or rock 'n roll. Just smooth, practiced steps. This is, I understand, a Veracruz custom.

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Part Two
Looking from my bed into my bathroom, it strikes me that most of the hotels I've stayed in in the last many towns have had what I'll call "The Uni-Bath." Not the uni-bomber, but a Uni-Bath. What's that? One room, tiled on all sides, including floor and usually ceiling. The shower head extends out a foot or so from the wall, pointing straight DOWN. And....the best...no shower curtain. So the toilet bowl gets splashed, the sink, whatever. At first I thought it was quite strange. But now it makes sense. In a climate with high moisture and warmth, mold grows like crazy. And shower curtains are the perfect breeding ground. Some hotel owner along the way probably said, "to heck with it" and stopped replacing his moldy shower curtains. It's a heck of a lot easier for the maid to clean, too. Just a little bleach water, and she mops down the whole room.
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Part Three
Computers. It's astounding to me how much technology has changed the way one travels. Remember, I've been doing some serious traveling since 1973. In 35 years, the world has changed. Even these cheap Mexican hotels I've been staying in have free WI-FI (wireless Internet access) in every room. That means, like tonight, I can be sitting in bed, connected to the world via the Internet, from wherever I happen to be.
I can: watch NBC Nightly News...the actual TV broadcast with Brian Williams on MSNBC, right here on my laptop screen. I can: check the latest news up to the minute with Google News. I can: check the Peso-Dollar exchange rate daily, or hourly from the comfort of my bed.

Things you used to need an experienced travel agent for, well now we have Mr. Computer. Before going to a new town, I do these steps: I go to "Thorntree," a Lonely Planet Guidebook website. There, thousands of travels from all over the world have traveled to just about every place you can name. I just enter a search for the next town on my list. Up comes travelers' impressions, hotel recommendations, things to watch for and watch out for. Then I click on over to TripAdvisor.com which has actual users' reviews of hotels. How the world has changed for hotel owners. If a guest is treated rudely or has a dirty bathroom, it gets posted to a site like TripAdvisor....and (literally) the whole world learns about it instantly. For hotels, I go to a site called All Mexico Hotels.com There they have practically every hotel in any given city, with star (category) ratings, current prices, and phone numbers.
I can then call my selected hotel via this same laptop.

It's just amazing what information is available online as travel resources.

And last but not least-- I have a flight out of Veracruz at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. I fly to Mexico City, then connect on to Tuxtla Gutierrez, from where I'll take a bus up the mountain to San Cristobal de las Casas. How do I awake early enough for my flight (I've been sleeping in soundly). The computer! I downloaded an "alarm clock" software that allows me to set the time I want to be awakened, let the computer run overnight, and it will ring in the morning. It least that's the plan. I've tested it twice and it works just fine. So, nightie night and "hasta mañana."

Here's What I Had for Dinner Last Night: Recipe

Red Snapper Veracruz Style (copied from Bon Apetit Magazine online)

* 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice, well drained, juices reserved
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
* 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
* 3 small bay leaves
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
* 1/4 cup chopped pitted green olives
* 2 tablespoons raisins
* 2 tablespoons drained capers
* 6 4- to 5-ounce red snapper fillets
* 3 pickled jalapeño chiles, halved lengthwise

Preparation

Place drained tomatoes in medium bowl. Using potato masher, crush tomatoes to coarse puree. Drain again, reserving juices.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir 30 seconds. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add tomato puree and cook 1 minute. Add bay leaves, parsley, oregano, and 1/4 cup reserved tomato juices. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Add olives, raisins, capers, and all remaining reserved tomato juices. Simmer until sauce thickens again, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread 3 tablespoons sauce in bottom of 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange fish atop sauce. Sprinkle fish lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon remaining sauce over. Bake uncovered until fish is just opaque in center, about 18 minutes. Using long spatula, transfer fish with sauce to plates. Garnish with pickled jalapeño halves.

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Rod's comment: healthy with veggies and fish...and mighty tasty.

Veracruz Musings

Now I know what pretty girls must go through.

I stand out here. In all of Mexico, but especially here in the port city of Veracruz, where most folks are dark. I'm blond with fair skin. And people notice it. One example--I can't walk down any street without cab drivers beeping at me. Just a short honk, "Hey, (obvious) tourist...sure you don't need a cab?" And it happens almost every block. A Mexican lady walking the other direction said in English, "Good morning, how are you?" So, it's pretty clear I'm an English speaker. But I've also been mistaken for German.

"Ambulantes" is the term for street vendors, and they are thick here, especially along the waterfront streets. And I am an especial target. "Meester, want to buy_______, bracelets, candy, crosses, sunglasses, cigars, (you name it)?" What was surprising to me is that these vendors are allowed to come right into the restaurants. There you are sitting having dinner, and a vendor walks through stopping at EVERY table. Sometimes it's a local Indian woman with a baby strapped to her back. Other times it's just some hustler. You either say, "No, gracias," or simply ignore them. It's really intense at some times. But you can't get angry....this is how these folks make their meager living. If I were the restaurant owner, though, I'd be plenty upset at street vendors walking through my establishment selling food (candies). I saw one guy yesterday at lunch offering a large round tray of sweets. Then, 5 hours later at dinner, I saw the SAME GUY offering the SAME TRAY of candies at a different restaurant. Guess how many flies landed on that thing over the course of the afternoon?

Here's an example of why people don't get a much done here as in, say, Switzerland:
Efficiency is a stranger to these shores. I have had to reach into deep, hidden reserves of PATIENCE of which I was unaware I even had. My main reason for staying an extra day in Veracruz was to get my laundry done. When you're out of shorts, it's time. That should be easy, right? So I asked the front desk clerk where there was a local laundry. Just as I've done in towns all across Mexico with no problem. She gave me directions. I couldn't find it. So...take a breather and sit down for breakfast, says I. And I did. Afterwards, I found the official tourist office on the downtown zocolo (town square). They just weren't sure where I'd find a laundry. I suggested, "why don't we look in a phone directory?" They thought that was a brilliant idea. So I got the addresses for 2. The first was simply gone. Big metal roll-down shutters covered the front of the place, where it's name was spray painted on the metal. One down. Number two laundry was exclusively a dry cleaner. So I asked here for another recommendation. She said, "Oh, yes, this same chain has another shop about 10 blocks away." So, with 3 plastic bags of dirty clothes, I go for my (long) morning walk. With achy knee flaring up, I finally found laundry Number #3. Yes, she said, they do do laundry by the pound. BUT (isn't there always a but?)...it wouldn't be ready until Wednesday (2 days). I had no interest in staying in Veracruz for 2 more days. "We can, however," she said, "do a same day rush job for you and have it ready for you this afternoon." Wonderful! "It's double the cost."
No thanks.

Patience, patience, where are you? I took a cab the many blocks back to the hotel.
Along the way, the driver did the usual and asked where I was from (obvious gringo). I told her U.S. She, like many, many folks I've talked to in Mexico, volunteered that she used to live and work in the U.S. One driver in some town (I've forgotten which, there have been so many)...said, "WHERE in the United States are you from." Phoenix. "What part of Phoenix." He'd been working in Mesa. Small world. Really. Mexico and the U.S. are linked by so many many stories like this.

Back to the laundry saga. OK, so I can't get the damned clothes washed in Veracruz, apparently. Fine, I'll just do it on my next stop. I went out and shopped for a couple more pairs of sox and shorts to tide me over. No Woolworth's here, apparently. I found an appropriately cheap clothing store, however. And I found the bargain bin. Great! Made my selection and took them to the register. The girl was on a cordless phone stuck under her chin. The same call she was on when I walked into the store. She never so much as missed a word in her conversation. BUT (another but), there was no price on the underwear. Yeah, it was in the bargain bin. She had to call a male colleague to go do a price check (still on her phone call). He took about 5 minutes, came back....nope, can't find a price. So she sent a different male colleage to look. All this time, she's waiting on about 10 other customers and talking on the phone. Helper #2 returns and says that the pair of shorts I had selected was part of a 3-pack and couldn't be sold individually. Well, DUH! If you had the other 2 pairs, it wouldn't be in the bargain bin. Oh, to hell with it. I grabbed a different pair off the rack and paid for my purchases. She sensed my impatience and gave me change in all 1-peso coins. That's a sweet little touch, don't you think?

By that time I was breathing deeply, counting to 10. All this when I just wanted to get my laundry done. Now I understand what an American lady living in Oaxaca told me last year when I was down there: "Every day, we don't do much. If I go over and pay the gas bill (in person), that's a full day." And I can see why.

In Mexican Stores

After a hard day slaving away at tourism, I like to treat myself to a little cookie or pastry of some sort after dinner. And that allows me to wander around whatever town I'm in looking for a bakery. That's unlike the States--first of all--in that there ARE bakeries. And that they're usually open until 9 p.m. at night. And that's all they sell...just bakery. What I've observed is that it's frequently women buying bread for tomorrow morning's breakfast. Doesn't that beat a loaf of Wonderbread you bought a week ago? Fresh every day. And people are in the habit of shopping every day.

I thought you might enjoy seeing how a bakery works in Mexico: You come in through a turnstile. Mexicans really like their turnstiles. You find them everywhere. Near the entrance there is a stack of round stainless steel trays, about 18" in diameter. And a rod over which tongs are hanging. You grab one tray and one set of tongs. And then you wander through the tall standing racks of bakery lined with bakery sheets filled with various products, and wooden shelves along the walls filled with products. There is never a sign indicating what the heck the thing you're looking at is. Nor one with a price. And don't look for a sneeze guard over the food, either. I guess if you're a regular, you just know. Now keep in mind that most Mexican bakery is like the mythical Siren....very appealing to look at, but sadly deceptive. It may LOOK sweet and yummy, but when you get it home, you'll usually find that its dry, not terribly sweet, and--if filled--lacking in filling. Why do I continue to buy bakery, then, you ask? Well, I want to. And for the locals....they don't know any better, never having shopped at a real German or Swedish bakery. There are puff pastry things, "mil hojas (a thousand leaves...makes sense)." Eating these is like peeling away layers of dry skin after a sunburned day at the beach. One type of cookie is called "Polvoron" from the word "polvo," meaning "dust." And, to no surprise, that is exactly what they taste like....dust. But they come in fetching shapes and decoration. Some are dyed pink and green with little black chocolate chips, imitating a watermelon slice. I have no idea if they taste like watermelon. Probably not. Just dust. And doughnuts have reached Mexico in a big way. Here, they are sloppily translated as "donas." Sounds like "doughnut," doesn't it? And they are usually little grease bombs lacking in sufficient sugar.

So, once you've made your selection of goodies, you go over to the wrapping counter, staffed by several ladies, all fastidiously uniformed. What strikes me is that universally they wear hospital surgical face masks. And ugly little paper hairnet/cap things. OK, I get it...sanitation. But their hands are ungloved. And with the same hands that pick up and wrap your bakery product, they print out a price sticker or use a cash register to print your ticket (they never take cash). Aren't we missing a page out of the foodservice sanitation manual there? Hands....hello! Sneeze guards...hello! But the face masks make a point. I think.

Step Two: So you then take your neatly wrapped goodies, along with you cost slip, over to the cashier who takes your money. The whole process is like a Disneyland of bakery....wandering through the interesting "rides."

Romance on the Waterfront

It was intrusive to take this shot, but I just had to. It illustrates so much of the story I want to tell. Like Mexican men and women together. Couples are very, very "touchy" by American standards. Even older couples who look to have been married a long time walk hand in hand. Or sometimes he'll give her a playful squeeze on the butt. Cute! Or like in this case, a full blown 100% smooch is fine, right in public. Every Mexican town square park (or garden, as they sometimes are called) has couples sitting on the pretty wrought iron benches making out. Other folks just ignore them, leaving them to their mutual pleasures. I usually yell, "Hey, get a room!" I don't really do that.

It came home dramatically to me last night as I sat in an Italian restaurant in Xalapa having a late-ish dinner. I sat on the outside patio and could look through a set of windows into the main dining area, the back room of the long and narrow restaurant. I felt like a peeping Tom or someone from an Alfred Hitchcock movie as I looked on. What else was I supposed to do? I was dining alone, no book, nothing to do as I waited on supper. So I did people watching. One of my favorite pastimes. So, as I was seated, I noticed the first couple seated at the table immediately in front of me through the windows....a young couple. Both of her hands in his stretched out across the table. Both leaning forward slightly, gazing into each others' eyes. Kind of sweet and mushy in a Doris Day movie kind of way. Then my dinner came and I focused on my fettucine. Somewhere along the way they got up and left, the table was cleared, and another couple was seated at the same table. (this is quite cinematic, isn't it?) This time, they appeared to be older American tourists. They ordered a bottle of wine. There was NO conversation whatsoever between the man and the woman. It appeared as though they'd said everything over the years that needed to be said. They studiously reviewed the menu. She looked off into the distance. He poured himself another glass of wine.

The two couples couldn't have been more different. Striking, really. But, of course, it's always problematic to generalize. There is plenty of domestic violence in Mexican homes, and the "macho" culture is still quite strong. Papa is always the boss.
I remember when I stayed with a family over in Guadalajara a couple of years ago while I was studying Spanish. After dinner, I went to help wash up the dishes. OH NO! Men were not allowed to do that. That was for the women and girls in the family. The men went to watch TV. But I don't judge cross-culturally. That's what's done here. And most couples seem pretty happy with it from what I've seen.

Which brings me to another manifestation of machismo culture: how women dress. I noticed today as I was sitting at my outdoor cafe for lunch. Woman dress up here. I mean really dress up. Tall high heels are not uncommon. They look uncomfortable as hell to me, especially if you have to navigate the uneven Mexican stone sidewalks and streets. Lots of gold jewelry. Hair always perfect. And tight, tight jeans or pants. It's as though the women are hyper-aware of being sexy. And their efforts at it are appreciated by the Mexican men. I've yet to not have a Mexican cab driver tell me how special the women are in HIS particular city. They're the finest!

The other part of this photo is the kids in the background in swimming suits. You might not be able to tell what they're doing, but they are diving for coins. Tourists throw 10-peso coins (about 80 cents) into the murky water right off the pier, and a half dozen of young kids dive in for it. Here's where I have to restrain myself from being judgmental. It's just the way it is here. To my sensibilities, it's demeaning for the kids and smacks of advantage-taking on the part of the (mostly Mexican) tourists. But the kids do it for the money. I'm not sure why it bothers me, but it does. Something seems out of kilter. But that's through the rose-colored glasses of a middle class American.