San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico

The Travel section in today's New York Times features an article entitled, "The 41 Best Places to Go in 2011." After I read the list, I asked myself, "Where is the first place I want to go in 2011?" My response was quick- Mexico.

As soon as I got home from Mexico last summer, I wanted to return. I wanted more of the food, the light, the quiet beauty of San Miguel, the noise and bustle of Mexico City. However, since I often feel that way after a trip, I knew my inclination at that moment was not an accurate measure. But, here I am six months later thinking about an extended visit to Mexico, most specifically to San Miguel.

The Lonely Planet Guide to Mexico states, "Many people say that San Miguel is a bit like a Mexican Disneyland for foreign (mainly American) retirees." I hate to think of San Miguel in that way, but it is partly true. Out of the 62,000 residents of San Miguel, more than 10,000 homes are owned by foreigners. There is a large American ex-pat community; many people in San Miguel speak English. The city is small, welcoming, safe and incredibly beautiful.

While I was there, I stayed at the Casa Quetzal Hotel. I'd recommend it 100 percent, as would many others according to TripAdvisor. The owner is Cynthia Price, who is from Vermont. Along with a prime location and wonderful hospitality, the hotel also has pancakes with real maple syrup for breakfast.
http://www.casaquetzalhotel.com/

My days in San Miguel consisted of a cooking class and market tour; walking and browsing; Bellas Artes art school; fabulous, fabulous food ; sunshine; Talavera pottery from the Mexican Connexion; a side trip to the city of Guanajuato; music at the plaza in the evening. My only difficulty was finding a place to run. I tried one day, but the roads are steep and cobblestone, so I was very cautious. Also, the streets are not in a grid, so it wasn't easy to create a mental map. There is a Starbucks near the main square (much to the displeasure of the locals) and I used that as a handy landmark.
http://www.casadesierranevada.com/web/omig/sazon.jsp
http://www.experience-san-miguel-de-allende.com/bellas-artes-el-nigromante.html

Soon I will have to decide what to do in the new year. My study of Spanish has fallen by the wayside, so resuming my practice is also one of my resolutions. While a return to Mexico is at the top of the list, there's also Barcelona and Argentina- where I can combine Spanish and tango. They all sound good to me!

More on Mexico

Happy New Year!

It's been months since I've written- far too long. I didn't want to write any new entries until I finished writing about Mexico, so then I didn't post at all. Now it's a new year and a return to my blog is high on my list of resolutions.

One of the highlights of my trip was a day immersed in the lives of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. My student and I went to San Angel to see the adjoining studios of the two artists. The buildings are connected by a rooftop walkway. Stairs run along the side of Frida's studio so that Diego could climb through her kitchen window. Given his size, I wonder how often he used those stairs. (Fortunately, there are also front doors!) The story is told that they both worked side by side until one day Frida came home to find Diego making love to her sister. Even though he had a reputation as a "womanizer", this was too much for Frida. She left and never returned.

Instead, she went to La Casa Azul, the "blue house", in Coyoacan. This family residence is now a museum, filled with furniture, artwork and artifacts from Frida's life. Nearby is the Trotsky home, now also a museum. When Leon and Natalia Trotsky first arrived in Mexico, they lived with Frida and Diego. Then, after a "falling out" (i.e. Trotsky's affair with Frida), he and his wife moved to a home a few blocks away. This was the home in which he was brutally attacked with an ice pick by Ramon Mercader on August 20, 1940. Trotsky died the following day.

After visiting La Casa Azul, Jay and I were joined by his wonderful girlfriend who lives nearby. We dodged the rain and ate a late lunch of soup, beer and mezcal. They went on to her house for a visit, and I headed back to the hotel in Mexico City to get ready for my departure to San Miguel de Allende the next day.

NB- The most recent novel by Barbara Kingsolver, The Lacuna, is set in Mexico. It is a mix of history and fiction. The main character is Harrison Shephard, a writer, who spends his youth with Diego, Frida, and Trotsky.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/books/review/Schillinger-t.html

"The most important thing about a person is always the thing you don't know." (p. 218)

Salsa in Mexico City

When the tour of the murals was complete, we went for tapas at the Spanish Cultural Center located in the historic district just a few blocks from the National Palace. The Center is a funky, modern place with galleries, a small gift shop, and a rooftop cafe. It's easy to miss from the outside, and definitely worth a visit. After food and wine, Jay and I agreed to meet up later. I headed back to the hotel to rest and change while he returned to his apartment to do the same and also meet his girlfriend. My plans changed though, as I got closer to my hotel. Here's the email I sent to friends later that evening.

Este noche yo baila en el zocalo! Tonight I danced salsa in the main square which is across from the hotel where I am staying. When I returned from the day's outing, I heard music and saw a crowd of people. Even though I was a bit tired, I couldn't resist the live music, so I dropped off my bags and joined the group. The square is in the middle of the historic district and is surrounded by a cathedral, beautiful old buildings, and the National Palace. There was a large stage with lights and TV monitors. People of all ages were dancing salsa, merengue and cumbia. I was on the outskirts of the crowd and a man motioned me to dance. At first I said no, but then he "pouted" and asked again, so I accepted. After two songs I said "gracias", and walked around to an entranceway so I could get inside the barriers and closer to the stage. Then, another man asked me to dance. All those salsa lessons paid off!

I could end the story there with whatever image it brings to mind. But, I'll fill in some more details. First, the temperature was probably 60. Second, it was raining and had been raining all day. Many paraguas (umbrellas), ponchos, boots, sneakers, and puddles. I was not in my dance clothes or shoes, but a rain jacket and sneakers. The first man who asked me to dance was old, wearing a ripped sweater under a poncho, and missing a couple of teeth. The second was named Victor and asked me if I wanted to have a tequila or brandy. Since I can still only speak about three sentences in Spanish, I declined and stayed to listen to a few more songs. After that I went in, showered and had a slice of chocolate cake!

In all the public places there are security guards, police, and in the palace soldiers in full gear. The places are all spotless with many people working to keep garbage picked up. I think Mexico is trying to change its image. I generally feel comfortable and safe, though touring with my student and his girlfriend who are both fluent in Spanish is a huge factor.
That's it for now. I hope everyone is staying cool and having some fun.
Abrazos y besos!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centro_Cultural_de_Espa%C3%B1a_%28Mexico_City%29

The National Palace

Even though the visit to the pyramids was long and tiring, it was only part of the agenda for the day. If we skipped lunch, we could get to the next destination on the list, the Palacio Nacional, before it closed for the day.

The National Palace fills the east side of the zocalo. It contains the offices of the president, the Federal Treasury and the famous Diego Rivera murals. As one would imagine, the palace is heavily guarded with soldiers carrying machine guns. I was too nervous to even take out my camera! The murals along the main staircase occupy five immense panels. They were painted by Rivera from 1929- 1935 and show the history of Mexico from Quetzalcoatl to after the revolution. There are also nine panels along the north and east wall that depict indigenous life before the Spanish Conquest. Several of these panels were covered for restoration work, but the remaining were detailed and glorious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Palace_%28Mexico%29

Teotihuacan- Piramide del Sol

To get to the great, ancient city of Teotihuacan, we hired a driver and upon arriving hired a tour guide for an hour. There was a light drizzle and overall gray sky. Not great weather, but the crowds were small! Our guide explained that the city began in the early part of the first century AD. The Piramide del Sol was completed first, in 150 consecutive years. (The guide explained that researchers believe the Pyramid to the Sun was originally red and gold, colors created from native plants.) The rest of the city developed between AD 250 and 600 with a citadel, temples, and pyramid. However, by the 8th century, what was once Mesoamerica's greatest city, collapsed, and the civilization vanished.

The Pyramid of the Sun is the third largest pyramid in the world. (The largest is in Egypt and the second largest is also in Mexico.) It is possible to climb to the top of the pyramid- 248 steps to get an aerial view of Teotihuacan. Of course, I had to make the climb along with all the other visitors! It was a bit unnerving- wet stones, narrow steps, hand railings only part of the way. Plus, I have a bad case of vertigo. According to custom, once you climb to the top, you look up to the heavens, extend your arms upward, close your eyes, and absorb the mystical energy from the sun. Even though it was rainy, we put down our umbrellas to follow this custom. Once we took a couple of pictures, we were faced with getting back down to level ground. The really eerie thing about the construction of the pyramid is that you cannot see the steps from the uppermost landing. When you look toward the edge, it looks as if the platform just ends and you'll take a step into air. My strategy was to keep looking down, and repeat "one step at a time" until I reached the bottom. It worked!

The two large pyramids (Piramide del Sol y Piramide de la Luna) are connected by a long avenue, Calzada de los Muertos. The Avenue of the Dead got its name from the Aztecs, who believed that the great buildings alongside the avenue were tombs. After the adventure and sore legs from climbing the sun pyramid, I was happy to just look at the Pyramid to the Moon. Throughout the grounds are vendors selling all sorts of memorabilia- woven cloths, obsidian figurines, beaded jewelry, toys. Even the rain did not deter their efforts to get me to buy something. This time, I resisted.