TravelStream™ news feed for member ladydi on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/ladydi en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:25:36 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/5/1201802880/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/5/1201802880/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/5/1201802880/tpod.html Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:25:36 -0500 Snowbirds' Migration 2008--San Miguel, Oaxaca, and Costa Rica

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San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Our last day in San Miguel. They have been setting up the Parque Juarez for Candelaria which officially runs from Feb. 2 to the 12th, but the early birds are already selling plants and flowers from all over Mexico. This annual festival is unique to San Miguel and incorporates some traditional holidays that mark the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of the spring. These traditions are a mixture of Christian and pagan celebrations, as is so many of the Mexican traditions. The blessing of the seeds (to ensure a good planting) is combined with taking the baby Jesus dolls from the home nativity scenes to the churchs to be blessed before putting away for next year. The annual flower and plant market sets SMA apart with many free concerts and activities. The basket ball court in the Parque Juarez, where local school and civic teams have been playing all month, is full of vendors setting up their canopies and installing their displays.

Today we walked up to see the bullring since the gate was open in preparation for tomorrow nights bullfights. At $30 a ticket it is well beyond the reach of most of the locals in an economy where the minimum wage is about $6 a day.

The popularity of San Miguel among US and Canadian tourists and second home owners and wealthy Mexicans from other areas is a mixed blessing. It creates a strong local economy for restaurants, the boutique hotels, and b and b's, the many fancy shops, local construction, etc. but it also raises the prices of local goods and services. This region of Mexico is one of two that are the source of much of the illegal workers in the US. It is estimated that some 12 million workers, many illegal, seek the higher wages north of the border and the estimate is that $20 billion a year is remitted from those in the US to their families in Mexico.

The lack of decent job opportunities here puts a strain on traditional family life as so many of the men leave and some, after a while, abandon the families they left behind. With the border crackdowns and the current US hostile attitude to guest workers it will be harder than ever for those without papers to come back to Mexico for the annual visits.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/5/1199209500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/5/1199209500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/5/1199209500/tpod.html Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:07:02 -0500 Snowbirds' Migration 2008--San Miguel, Oaxaca, and Costa Rica

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Chicago, Illinois, United States

it is already the end of January so I am posting these entries after the fact. Miserable weather in Chicago chewed up almost all of our 2 1/2 hour layover in Dalles, but we and our bags just made the connection and so arrived in Leon airport as scheduled. From there it is 1 1/2 hrs or more if traffic is heavy to San Miguel by shuttle van. We had arranged for a private van but ended up sharing with a couple from Long Island who, like us, were spending the month in San Miguel. SMA is not your backpacker Mexico. It caters to upscale North American and wealthy Mexican tourists and second home owners who like the mix of a historic and picturesque "village" with all the diversions and conveniences of boutiques, B and B's, restaurants, galleries, more shopping, art and language schools, etc. We like the art scene and the walkability of the town, assuming you don't mind cobblestones and steep streets. And after a brief cold spell early in Jan. we have enjoyed great weather, warm sunny days and cold nights. This is our third time here and we plan to return next year. We have always rented a condo or house but our choice this year is a worthwhile splurge, on the back side of Parque Juarez, all on one level (very rare), almost a flat walk to the plaza principal, Bellas Artes, etc. and just around the corner from our favorite deli/cheese shop, ice cream parlor, etc. on Ancho de Antonio. Although only a 2 bedroom house we have a full staff including a houseman cook who does the shopping for us and prepares la comida, our main meal of the day, about 1 or 2, while the maid does the cleaning and laundry. Then there is the gardener who comes three times a week for a couple hours to water all the plants and sweep the patio and a night watchman who lives in a little annex smaller than one of the bathrooms. This is truly a service economy.



In the past we have taken language lessons but this year we are just kicking back except for a one week photo class, about which more later. My brother was supposed to come for a week, but que lastima, at the last minute he couldn't so we have been on our own.

Some friends from Chicago were here part of the time so we hooked up with them and we did one day trip with the Instituo Allende, described later.

We caught one chamber music concert and two pop musical shows, saw the annual parade for Allende, attended an outdoor concert in the jardin, avidly followed the collapse of the US financial markets and the early primaries, read murder mysteries, walked around, and enjoyed our terrace and garden. Just what the doctor ordered.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/china-2006/1158701460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/china-2006/1158701460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/china-2006/1158701460/tpod.html Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:46:11 -0500 The Wall and Beyond, of course we saw the 2 Wonders (the wall and the warriors) but what we will remember most are the little things--villagers harvesting rice by hand and a trip to a Wallmart.

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Beijing, China

Thanks to Chicago's location as a hub, we were able to book our own international air package with a non stop flight to Beijing vs. the cumbersome and more expensive route the tour agents would have given us. A smooth and direct flight, a last minute upgrade to business class, and arriving three days before our group tour started meant we had a chance to recover from jet lag and explore Beijing some on our own before our group arrived on Sat. P.M.. We were almost overwhelmed by the scale and density of Beijing, but we found that using the bus and subway helped us avoid the gridlock. Everywhere there were construction cranes as the old sections continue to be torn down to make way for modern high rises. A new subway line is in the works for the 2008 Olympics which will help. On our own with no language skills, we managed pretty well. Be sure to have someone write your destination down in Chinese for you. We grabbed lunch one day in a KFC, which have incredible market penetration throughout China from what we saw, but our best meal with a genuine Peking Duck dinner. We came out of the restaurant on a Friday night to find ourselves on a pedestrian mall of shops and stores and a local crowd wandering around, taking pictures of the neon signs advertising Western brands and the old traditional stalls of skewered meats and zillions of trinkets.

We did do a one day package tour which sort of overlapped what we did later with our group--to the Forbidden City twice! But it gave us a chance to compare the more in depth commentary by our Road Scholar guides with that of the regular Gray line tour given by a charming young woman whose English name was Prudence.

About those English names, as we found out, virtually everyone under 30 who works in the tourism industry, guides, hotel staff, the crew on the Yangtze River ship, used so called English names, which seem to have been given them by the companies they worked for to make it easier for the tourists to talk to them. And it was easier to say "Maria" or "James" or "Carol" than their real names. It's like when you call the customer service call centers in southeast Asia. "Hello, my name is Sean. How may I help you today?"

The big exception was our national guide Shi. His agency's policy was not to use his English name, David, but his family name "Shi." It is pronounced sort of like "Shri" with a very short "i". Like if you were saying shrift, but cut off before the "ft." Well, three weeks later our group was still coming up with "Shree" and "Shu" and "Shrew." Fortunately, Shi, who was in his early 30's, had the patience of Job and a calm and soothing manner and a dry wit. He was the perfect companion for our 19 day group tour.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1141080000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1141080000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1141080000/tpod.html Thu, 27 Apr 2006 15:53:31 -0400 Escaping the frigid shores of Lake Michigan, we return for two months of language studies, art, culture and sightseeing in scenic San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico--with side trips galore!

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San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

One of the big pleasures of our stay this year was having various friends from el Norte come visit us during our stay. Here are some photos of us and them enjoying San Miguel and our day and over night trips.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1136767080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1136767080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1136767080/tpod.html Mon, 27 Feb 2006 20:01:55 -0500 Escaping the frigid shores of Lake Michigan, we return for two months of language studies, art, culture and sightseeing in scenic San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico--with side trips galore!

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Guanajuato, Mexico

Actually we went on the 7th but I used that date already. We had been to Guanajauto the year before and wanted to return with our friends. It is about 1 hour and 40 minutes away on a comfy first class bus and then short taxi ride to the town center. At first impression on the outskirts Guanajauto looks like a modern city, but as the taxi comes over the ridge from the bus station and starts descending and going through one tunnel after another you are transported back to the 1600's when this was a major mining center. The city is spread up and down and all around very steep hills with the houses cantilevered out from the hillside. But it is the underground tunnels that are most amazing. Originally part of the underground mines, today the ones in the town center are underground roadways that twist and turn and climb and descend in a pattern only a native could figure out. The taxis swoop and swerve along the mostly one way passages with cars parked along the way and sudden and unmarked right hand turns taking you in a whole new direction. Known as the city of the frogs Guanajauto would seem better suited to being the city of the moles.

Once up for air you find a delightful historic center with a worth seeing Cathedral, the boyhood home of Diego Rivera, an opera house and little streets just perfect for wandering.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1139269140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1139269140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1139269140/tpod.html Mon, 27 Feb 2006 19:36:03 -0500 Escaping the frigid shores of Lake Michigan, we return for two months of language studies, art, culture and sightseeing in scenic San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico--with side trips galore!

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Delores Hildalgo, Mexico

The inter city bus system in Mexico is great. You can take comfy first class buses with on board toilets, reclining seats, reserved seats, and TV movies (OK so you've seen Forest Gump--but in Spanish? And I bet you didn't see the Britney Spears movie even in English.) But sometimes, like our day trip to Delores Hildalgo, you only have a choice of second class, no TV, no toilet, and it stops on demand along the way but it was only about 40 minutes away so no big deal.

Delores Hildalgo is one of the main sites of the Mexican Independence Movement and has a couple small musuems, a church on the town square, and hundreds of pottery shops. The bus stop is a short walk from the center but some of the shops are in the outlying areas.

We spent a pleasant day wandering around and learned more about Mexican history. Some of the museum entries are bilingual.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1137079320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1137079320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1137079320/tpod.html Mon, 27 Feb 2006 18:36:36 -0500 Escaping the frigid shores of Lake Michigan, we return for two months of language studies, art, culture and sightseeing in scenic San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico--with side trips galore!

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San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

The Tuesday market, called La Placita, is now located next to the big grocery store, the Gigante, on the outskirts of town. We made two trips, one right after we arrived and another just to sight see with our friends, the F's. You can get there and back by one of the local buses or taxi. But the first time we went, we made the mistake of getting there mid afternoon and then hitting the Gigante as well so we were loaded with all kinds of purchases and trying to get a taxi back to town about four in the afternoon--bad idea. Fortunately the woman ahead of us in line in front of the Gigante, after we had waited over 20 minutes, invited us to join her in her taxi when one finally came. The big topic of conversation between her and the taxi driver was when the Commercial Mexicano, one of the big supermarket chains, was going to build its store. There are Costco's and Sams Clubs in nearby Queretaro but that takes a car and an hour to get there.

The Tuesday market is a big outdoor, one day a week, open market that sells everything, from fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese, beans, nuts, chicken, shrimp, meat to clothes, housewares, used license plates, hardware, appliances, etc. A lot of the clothes are second hand and the discos are gray market pirated copies and other stuff looks like rejects from a garage sale but it is all spread out and business is brisk and the prices are low.

Go in the morning when it is cooler and the dust isn't all stirred up, watch your wallet and camera, and enjoy the action.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1136902620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1136902620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1136902620/tpod.html Mon, 27 Feb 2006 10:12:05 -0500 Escaping the frigid shores of Lake Michigan, we return for two months of language studies, art, culture and sightseeing in scenic San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico--with side trips galore!

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San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Celebrations, both civic and religious, are important in the life of San Miguel de Allende as in the rest of Mexico. As one of the key sites in the Mexican Independence movement that began in 1810, San Miguel de Allende takes the birthday of Ignacio de Allende, one of the founders of the revolution, seriously. The town was even renamed for him, being originally San Miguel de Grande. Dating back to the 1500's, San Miguel became a thriving commercial city during the heyday of the mining activity that began in the 1600's. Its location made it a convenient staging area for the distribution of the product of the mines of Guanajauto and other colonial cities in the central Mexico highlands. The wealth created by this industry led to the construction of beautiful homes and buildings and churches in the centro that mostly still stand today, albeit the skyline is marred by power lines and satelite dishes and modern day traffic struggles to navigate the narrow and steep roads that were designed for horses, burros and carriages. Today the colonial buildings are being used as hotels, shops, banks, and government offices.

To celebrate Allende's birthday, the town stages a several hour long parade along one of the major streets that marks one side of the jardin, which is what they call the main plaza. One of the idiosyncracies of SMA is that many of the major streets change names every few blocks. The parade route comes down San Francisco which changes its name to Plaza Principal right along the jardin and then becomes Canal Street, which is named after one of the wealthy founding families, not a canal. There is an effort underway to make more of the streets around the jardin into pedestrial walkways but at this time this street is usually open to traffic. On parade day, the local dignataries view the parade from the balconies of the civic buildings and the rest of us scramble for the best viewing positions along the curb or the steps leading up to the jardin.

The parade consists of police and military groups, including some trucks and tanks, and representative groups from local schools who march in their uniforms. Occasionally there is music from a drum and bugle corp. It seemed like every child between 8 and 16 marched by with solemn expressions on their faces and their uniforms starched and pressed to perfection. Later concerts by the Navy Band and fireworks rounded out the celebration.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1136564460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1136564460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1136564460/tpod.html Sun, 26 Feb 2006 11:51:57 -0500 Escaping the frigid shores of Lake Michigan, we return for two months of language studies, art, culture and sightseeing in scenic San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico--with side trips galore!

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San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Although we didn't arrive until late at night in San Miguel de Allende, we found that the Christmas season was still underway. In fact it doesn't end until Candelaria, 40 days after the birth of Jesus. In Mexico, the day of the Three Kings, the magi who brought gifts, is the big day for gift giving--January 6th. While modern times now influence the pattern somewhat so that children receive some gifts at Christmas itself, the night of the three kings is more important. Many parents don't buy gifts until the last minute--more of a cash flow problem than tradition--but leading up to the 6th the shops and stores were crowded with families buying toys and other presents. Los Tres Reyes is celebrated with a special circular cake, a rascos, sort of like a coffee cake in texture with some dried fruits in it. Also baked inside are small plastic babies to symbolize Jesus. If you get the piece with a plastic doll, then you are the godfather or godmother and on Candelaria you have to give a party where you serve tamales to all your family and friends.

As we drove up to San Miguel in the dark on Jan. 1, we could see the lights of the city in the distance for about 1/2 an hour before we arrived, but they kept appearing and disappearing as we wove around the hills and along the ridges. Finally, on the last sweeping curve into town they appeared again and lighting up the night sky were New Year's fireworks. Just to welcome us!

Fireworks play a major part in every celebration, public or private, religious or secular, traditional or modern. We got used to the sound of them in the middle of the night, sometimes just to celebrate a private party. But there were several pretty spectacular displays of them during our two months there. One major scene for fireworks is right in front of the Parroquia, the main parish church, that dominates one side of the jardin or main zocala. In fact they have fireworks there so frequently that they have permanent holes dug into the pavement to erect the castillos, or castles, the structures on which the fireworks are displayed. A typical castillo has four or more sides with a vertical arrangement of fireworks and each side is lit in turn and then revolved to the next. Roman candles are hung from sawhorses. The amazing thing is that these displays are set up right in the middle of the streets, next to buildings and cars and people and when the sparks start to fly you are right in the middle of the whole action. Quite a change from having the fireworks safely set up on barges in Lake Michigan and activated by remote control!

For the first three weeks we were here, the Christmas decorations were still up, trees, lights, and nativity scenes kept the spirit of the holiday season alive. It was be great to be here for Christmas itself as every night for a couple weeks there are posadas, parades of the statues from the Churches, through the streets, re-enacting the journey of Mary and Jospeh looking for a place to lay their heads.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1137622320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1137622320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ladydi/san_miguel-2006/1137622320/tpod.html Sat, 25 Feb 2006 18:02:00 -0500 Escaping the frigid shores of Lake Michigan, we return for two months of language studies, art, culture and sightseeing in scenic San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico--with side trips galore!

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Queretaro, Mexico

We took a one day side trip to neighboring Queretaro, a city of about 1 million people with a light industrial and distribution base for good employment. It has a historical town center that is very flat and easily walkable. It was also a center of the Mexican Independence in 1810. You can get there easily from SMA by bus and it is worth about 1/2 to 3/4 of a day. Various tour groups also do day trips from SMA and you could hire a driver/ guide but going by bus is the cheapest. Queretaro also boasts a Costco, Sams Club and major shopping centers, etc. so it is a favorite destination for middle class SMA residents and ex pats for major shopping but that requires a car. If your Spanish is not that strong, you will probably get more out of an organized tour that often includes stops at Bernal or Atotonilco as well. The local tours once you are there are all in Spanish but there are a couple of nice small museums as well.
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