February 21, 2016 by Rae

Exploring Mérida’s Paseo de Montejo and Centro Histórico

Today was another getting the lay of the land kind of day, trying to get a feel for the location of Centro Histórico to further narrow down where I might want to live. Calle 35 is a bit too north, but not bad. I think I’d like to be between 41 and 59, though.

First order of the day was to pop in at the Oxxo a few blocks away to add some pesos to my account since I ran out last night. The internet in the apartment is a bit unreliable, so I added $200 and then bought the $169 “Alto7” plan that gives me 1GB of data with a week to use it up. That’s cheaper than paying the per MB rate, which is what I’ve been doing for a while since I’ve only been using my phone when out and about in Maz and, for some reason, sites like Facebook are free to use. I couldn’t phone or send a text from my phone last night, but I could still post to Facebook. Too funny! My $200 purchase netted me $200 in “salda regalo” (gift balance)! So that will cover me for calls, texting, and casual data use for several months!

I walked up the Paseo de Montejo from the Oxxo and discovered that one lane is closed to vehicular traffic on Sundays!

There were a lot of folks on bicycles.

I strolled for a bit, wanting to find the Paseo de Montejo information kiosk. It was marked as being at the intersection of 33A and Paseo de Montejo, but this intersection was not on Google Maps. I walked up the Paseo de Montejo to the intersection where I turned onto it yesterday and saw the kiosk kitty corner from Walmart. Say Walmart is the NE corner, the tiny information kiosk is on the SW corner.

I went in and got a map as well as the free tourist guide book. I had a nice chat with the couple running the kiosk. They were pleased that I’m planning to move to Mérida and thrilled that I am avoiding the expat Santiago neighbourhood at all cost so that I can get a more authentic Mérida experience. They think that I picked the right neighbourhood (Paseo de Montejo) and strongly urged me to go check out Santiago and Santa Ana for my peace of mind that I did my research and got it right. We also talked about the weather and they said that if I can handle the weather this week, I could make it through the hottest part of summer as long as I have AC and a pool. I have been thinking of looking for a house with a pool… 🙂 But seriously, I think that too much fuss is made about the heat. People come to Canada to live in areas that frequently hit 40 below or colder and nothing is really thought of that other than to buck up. The culture here is used to the heat and there is siesta. I will be fine. I’m more not looking forward to the rainy season.

From the kiosk, I turned around to go back the way I come to go down to the area of the Zocalo, or Mérida’s main square, where I could catch a free traditional dance show at 1PM.

The Paseo de Montejo is known for its grand houses:

This one’s for rent. I wonder how much!

These are “las sillas de confidentes” and are featured on the cover of the tourist guide.

This one’s bound to be cheap, right?

This is the museum of archaeology. I’ll be visiting it for sure!

So beautiful. Remembers me of some of the architecture in Southern U.S. cities.

This tricycle looks like a lot of work.

Roads were blocked for bikes all the way to the Zocalo.

This is a smaller plaza. There were lots of vendors selling jewelry and traditional clothing.

Now, we’re at the Zocalo. See that green umbrella on the left? Little did I know I would be sitting under it some time later!

Basilica.

Entering the Zocalo. Lots more vendors.

Pretty building off the Zocalo.

I wouldn’t mind living above shops…

Very useful discovery!

Artisan market, but it was mostly shut tight.

This part of Centro is a lot more like Maz, only the drivers aren’t insane.

Another artisan market, with some vendors open. I had a look at the clothes and am glad I can recognise what things are worth now. Some things (like my dressing gown) are made of very thin fabric with seams that fray on the understand because they are not overlocked. Other things (like my traditional dresses) are made of thicker fabric and better finished. I don’t mind my lesser quality items because I paid a fair price for them. I didn’t like the prices here at all.

I then went into the central market. It was huge. Some parts were really pleasant to shop through, but the bulk of it, especially where the veggies are sold, was very grotty and was over due for a power washing. I actually don’t know if I could see myself buying produce there!

Speaking of produce, I’ve never seen a stem on a pineapple!

I made my way back to the Zocalo. I was ready for lunch and when I spotted a place with shade and beer, that was good enough for me!

I ordered a traditional Yucatán dish called poc chuc. There was no description on the menu, so talk about taking a leap of faith! It wound up being pork marinated in sour orange. The meat was very gristly and I had to work hard to get good bits of it, but what there was was very tasty, especially dipped in that non-spicy red sauce on the plate (to which I added the spicy sauce you can see in the above picture). I loved the grilled onions and black beans, as well as the slightly charred tortillas to mop up my plate. Lunch was only $140 with the tip and I also got some advice from my server to take an organised tour out of town instead of renting a car…

By the time I’d picked up a lime sorbet thingamabob in a cone from a cart, toured all the vendors in the Zocalo, and found a place to stand for the dance show, it was 12:40. I was disappointed it had been standing room only by the time I’d arrived back a the square at 11:30 since I was pretty fatigued, even with having sat for lunch.

The show was very entertaining, but having to stand for most of it and move around to stay out of the sun and get different views means I didn’t get to really absorb it as much as I would have liked.

The dancers wore traditional costumes. I love those white dresses with the bright embroidery. Women here wear them all the time! I’ve seen coloured dresses with the same embroidery and which I find tempting, but the cut is not fitted and so wouldn’t suit me well. They are so pretty, though!

There were a lot of different dance numbers. There is a video after the pictures with highlights of my favourite bits.

See the yellow flowers in the hair of the dancer closest to me? All the ladies had a different main colour to the embroidered part of their dresses and matching flowers in their hair, as well as, for some numbers, a shawl.

The music was live, and very loud!

Here they are with their shawls. That’s my kind of outfit. 🙂

This was a Maypole-type dance number, where they wove the ribbons.

Here they are building a “palapa” (their word). I really appreciated all the times the announcer said, “¡Lista cameras!” (ready your cameras)!

I’m really glad I stayed till the end because of this amazing number, where they danced balancing trays of glasses on their heads. That’s in the video!

There was another info kiosk right by the Zocalo, so I popped in to ask about tours. I was given a brochure in English, but got all the information in Spanish, same as at the Paseo de Montejo kiosk. The man understood my desire to do something close by (I’m saving Chichen Itzá for when I move here!) and proposed what sounded like the perfect tour. It’s well reviewed, so I contacted them to see if they can fit me in this week…

I then schlepped home, tempted as I was to get in a cab, and popped into a a shop to get three cold Tecate Light beers, which were only $32.50, or just under $11 each. I get four for $52 on Isla, or $13 each. I was surprised since beer at a restaurant is so pricy here compared to Maz.

I hadn’t planned to go out again today, but now I’m hungry and trying to decide which will take less energy, walking to a restaurant or making my own dinner. 🙂

It was a very good day for getting myself grounded in this part of Mérida. Now, I’m ready to play tourist!

November 30, 2015 by Rae

Museo General Francisco Villa/ Palacio de Zambrano, Durango

I ventured out again around 5:00 to check out the teléférico. What are those things called in English?! Téléférique en français… Oh, cable car! Geeze! 🙂 I got to the entrance and there was a sign to access the site from the library. Okay.

Yup, officially working off my giant lunch!

Unfortunately, the cable cars were down for maintenance until late, but would open again at 10:00 in the morning.

The view from the library was worth the climb!

By this point, I had a bad blister on the small toe of my left foot. I always get them there and when I do, I dream of amputating the toe as it gives me nothing but grief! But rather than do something so drastic, I kept an eye out for a pharmacy so I could get some Band-Aids, having forgotten to tuck a few in my purse. I found a small one at the corner of Independencia and Florida/20 de noviembre. There are a lot of pharmacies in Mexico! There, I told the pharmacist that I needed ‘this,’ holding up a picture of a Band-Aid on my phone. I did that because the last time I asked for a bandage for a foot issue, I was offered a tensor bandage. It was $1 for two!

I wound up being there for quite a while because the pharmacist was curious about me and pleased that I had enough Spanish to answer his questions. We ended up having a really interesting conversation about Mazatlán, which he described as “Not for me. Very dirty and extremely noisy. Nothing to do if you don’t like going to the beach.”

This was interesting because I was going to have two more similar conversations the next day. But, you know, I can’t entirely disagree with him, not now that I have another colonial city to compare Maz to. What I thought about Maz being ‘Mexican’ is really Maz being Maz. Mexico isn’t always that noisy or chaotic. Durango, while busy, and much larger than Mazatlán, was incredibly quiet and what I saw of it was much better ordered than Maz, as well as not as rough around the edges and definitely a lot cleaner. Durango wasn’t ‘better’, don’t get me wrong, but this conversation with the pharmacist reminded me to avoid generalizing about a country because of one experience, something I’m always telling people not to do!

My best friend asked me if I’d consider pulling up my Maz roots and moving to Durango for the rest of the winter. The thought never even crossed my mind. It actually gets cold in Durango! 🙂

Speaking of which, I had perfect weather all weekend, just overcast enough to not sunburn me, and warm enough, even at night, that I could wear a skirt or dress with sandals and just a light cardi. And none of the promised Saturday rain materialised!

From the pharmacy, I decided it was too early to call it a day, so I opted to go check out the Museo General Francisco Villa/Palacio de Zambrano, about the famous figure from the Mexican Revolutionary War. You may have heard of him as Pancho Villa. Entrance here was also about $22 and I got an introduction to the museum in French!!!

There are two interesting aspects to the museum. First is, of course, the palace itself, built by a mining tycoon. The museum’s rooms are sprawled through several rooms of the palace, but the signage and subtle guest direction is really well done.

Looking towards the entrance courtyard:

The first room, about the origins of the palace, had signage in Spanish, English, and Braille! The rest of the museum was only in Spanish, though.

Another courtyard:

Staircase and one of many beautiful murals:

Your tour continues thataway. There are so many smaller museums that aren’t laid out as clearly as this one was.

Stone arches:

More stone arches:

The Mexican flag’s eagle in stained glass:

It was interesting to learn about Pancho Villa. Much like I learned from a Quebec perspective that celebrated Manitoban hero Louis Riel was a scoundrel, I always got the U.S. perspective that Pancho Villa was a criminal. Historic perspective always depends on who is telling the story! Villa described himself as a “simple and rough man who learned to read very late and who lived the wild life of the mountains.”

There was a lot of information to take in since I was new to this history and so I won’t even try to recap all the info I was bombarded with!

But I do have to admire him here, where he said that every community in Mexico should have a school for the betterment of Mexican society as a whole:

One of the final exhibits was about the Mexican legal system. I liked how the old layers of wallpaper in the door frames of that room were preserved:

This mural of Villa on his horse is in the entrance lobby and is apparently a famous image of him:

Villa was assassinated and there was disagreement about where he should be interred. His tomb was eventually ransacked and his body decapitated!

His body (literally) was finally laid to final rest in Mexico City:

As for his head, there are a lot of theories about where it wound up, including in the hands of Yale’s Skull and Bones Society!

I could have easily spent a full day just in this museum thoroughly reading instead of just skimming all the information, but I knew I couldn’t learn Mexican history that quickly and that I should just let what I’d learned sink in and then build on it.

I went back to the hotel for a bit and then eventually got hungry, so I went out to find a light dinner. After circling around for ages and finding absolutely nothing appealing (despite an abundance of choice), I decided my growling stomach was lying and I wasn’t hungry. I got back to the hotel and noticed a torta restaurant literally across the street from the entrance! All that walking and the most appealing thing was right there! I went in and ordered their ‘especial’ (which means whatever they want to throw into a sandwich special). It was very delicious and combined guacamole with mustard! A strange concept that worked! It really hit the spot and then I was done for the night.

I was in bed early (9:00), but the brats next door came thundering up and down and up and down and up and down the stairs for several hours, so I didn’t really get to sleep until well past 1:00, knowing that I’d be awake with the bell chime at 7:00. So much for a restful vacation, but, hey, I can sleep when I’m dead!

May 10, 2015 by Rae

A Very Full Afternoon in Santa Fe

This afternoon, I drove to downtown Santa Fe to see what was what. John gave me a few street names about a mile from downtown as possible free parking spots. On the way, my ‘you need gas’ light came on and then came a nearly hour-long search for fuel. I am throwing my GPS into the Santa Fe River! It kept directing me to gas stations that haven’t existed in years or to turn the wrong way down one ways, all the while directing me through super narrow European-style streets. Not the introduction to Santa Fe I wanted. 🙁 I finally found fuel and put in 17 gallons. HOLY MOLY. The tank holds 19.5 and I’ve never put in more than 16 gallons or so. I was running on fumes! But I’m glad I found gas early in the day because my afternoon was going to take on an unexpected twist.

But first, I parked where John told me to park and hoofed it down the Old Santa Fe Trail, a busy thoroughfare that takes you to downtown. I passed the visitors’ centre and popped in for a walking map.

Courtyard of the visitors’ centre.

Front of the visitors’ centre.

Since it was getting late in the day, I decided to go straight to the history museum. But I still passed some interesting stuff on the way.

The oldest church structure in the United States (early 17th century).

Another beautiful church.

Loretto Chapel, home of the miraculous staircase.

Remember that miraculous staircase…

Yet another gorgeous church, and very ornate inside.

The history museum.

As it turned out, my pass for the New Mexico History Museum was good not only for that museum, but also for the Palace of the Governors! I’ve already gotten more than my money’s worth out of the CulturePass!

The history museum was smaller than I expected, but that’s just a statement of fact, not a valuation. It was really good and had a lot of interesting exhibits. The main exhibit is the history of New Mexico from prehistory to now. It’s a part of North American history I’m not familiar with, but it’s really no different from the history in my part of Quebec, only with different actors.

I enjoyed an exhibit about a top secret facility related to the Manhattan project, one about the Civil War, and one about what was probably the first chain of dining and hotel establishments in the west, Harvey House. I was going through this exhibit when I got a text from John asking me to call when I could, and another saying that there was no emergency. We are on the same wavelength! 😀

I called when I could and as it turned out, he had some free time and was wondering if he could join me. We had made tentative plans to hang out on Tuesday, but he wasn’t going to be free and the weather is promising to be miserable. I told him where I was and he said he’d text when he was closer.

I then went upstairs to the temporary exhibits and saw one on camera obscuras and pinprick photography, as well as one about the Virgin Mary.

Then, I went into the courtyard to check out the printing presses and go across to the Palace of the Governors.

Courtyard between the history museum and the Palace of the Governors.

Nothing says May more to me than lilacs. I will be planting a lilac tree at Haven!

This building was originally constructed in the early 17th century to be Spain’s seat of government, and then was adapted and remodeled to suit other needs as the years went by. There was an interesting exhibit that showed different stages of development on plexiglass that you could layer to see the changing floor plan.

This was an expansive building taking up a full block and full of white plaster walls and dark ceiling beams. I’m really digging that decorating scheme. 🙂

There were lots of interesting exhibits about settlement and governance in New Mexico, religion, and, my favourite, hide paintings, that is scenes of New Mexico life painted on animal skins.

John still hadn’t arrived when I was through at the Palace of the Governors, so I headed out to explore the immediate area.

Across from the Palace of the Governors.

The area really reminded me of Plazuela Machado, only much more touristy (which will make my Maz friends laugh). John says that Santa Fe used to have a ‘real’ downtown, but now, it’s all for the tourists and full of expensive shops and restaurants.

Plaza.

Front of the Palace of the Governors.

John texted me just as I finished my tour of the plaza to let me know he was at the entrance to the history museum. We met up and headed across the street to the Museum of Art, which was once the ‘fine arts’ museum. We just did a quick tour since it was getting very late and I’ll actually be able to go back if I want.

The art museum.

Egyptian obelisk in the courtyard of the art museum.

I really liked what I saw on our dash through it. The museums in Santa Fe are all very small, but they pack in a lot! There was a photograph exhibit that we both liked that featured the subject at a young age, then as an adult.

When we came out, John asked if I was thinking about food, which I was. I hadn’t had lunch and planned on having linner after doing the museums. He suggested we go to a burger joint owned by friends of his called Santa Fe Bite. The restaurant used to be a 10-seater located outside the city limits, but now it’s a proper downtown restaurant. I wouldn’t have thought to go in since I figured it was just a basic diner attached to a hotel. It pays to play tourist with a local guide!

I ordered just a basic burger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions. It was really good! The meat was lightly seasoned and juicy while the homemade bun was buttery and chewy. I had the whole bun, but I left most of the delicious kettle chips. John had a spicy-looking chili with cornbread. Best of all, his friend was working and they were able to have a quick catchup. Serendipity!

From the diner, it was decided that we would walk to John’s car and that he would take me back to my truck.

We stopped at the Loretto Chapel on the way and since it was past closing, we were allowed to very quickly go into the chapel and get a picture of the miraculous staircase without paying the museum admission fee.

The miraculous staircase. Can you see why?

I love spiral staircases and knew about this one, but didn’t realise it was in Santa Fe. It is an engineering marvel! Can you see why?

The chapel is lovely, too.

Another beautiful chapel.

We went into another church, the third one I saw on the way to downtown, and then made it to his car. Before going to my truck, we drove to Fort Marcy Park. It’s a sinuous uphill walk to a viewing platform on the site of an old fort, with plaques all the way up detailing the history of New Mexico.

A place I wouldn’t have found on my own.

Breathtaking views of Santa Fe.

Quite a climb, but worth the effort.

Breathtaking views of Santa Fe.

We then got back to my truck and I followed him most of the way home, where he detoured to show me the site of an old pueblo that was excavated in the 1970s. It felt like a place of immense power. What amazed me the most was all the potsherds just lying around on the ground. I had to take a picture of an incredible find, but, of course, left it behind!

Black on white potsherd. What a find!

The day didn’t start off too well, but definitely improved! It was a wonderful afternoon and I was once again grateful for a local guide.

Now, I have TONS of work to do in the next couple of days, so I will probably hunker down at home for a bit. But John’s not ready to kick me out (I think…), so I may extend my stay a bit to go on a field field trips in the environs.

April 11, 2013 by Rae

Out and About Around Dallas

Ms. Cinnamon had the afternoon off, so we set off on a mini road trip. The weather was gorgeous and there wasn’t anything else I particularly wanted to see, so she just drove.

We headed out first to the Ray Hubbard reservoir area, where her son’s family lives. It’s a giant man-made lake used for recreation. The communities along the shore appeal to young upwardly mobile families.

Next, we drove the President George Bush Turnpike. Even a quick query on my phone didn’t satisfactorily answer how the toll structure works, although it is clear that your license plate is photographed and you get a bill in the mail.

We then stopped at her son-in-law’s recycling business, where I learned quite a bit about how recycling works and got a tour of the facility. The baler is really cool! I do find stuff like this fascinating, so this was absolutely a highlight of the day, with no sarcasm! He collects all sorts of things and showed off some small thick plastic bags of which he had dozens of boxes on a pallet. I mused that they would be great for scooping the litter box and I suddenly found myself the owner of a full 1,000 count box! I scoop two to three times a day, so that’s a year’s supply!

The visit done, Ms. Cinnamon took me to the Urban Reserve neighbourhood, filled with modern sustainable homes. It’s a lovely project, but those homes are just not my style.

Finally, she took me to another neighbourhood to show off a house she loves and we passed the very ornate Dallas Buddhist Center.

It was a lovely afternoon. I love getting chauffeured around!

: My babies enjoying the sun this morning.

: Ray Hubbard reservoir.

: Driving westward toward the reservoir.

: Marina where folks can anchor their boats to go shop or see a movie.

: Driving on the President George Bush Turnpike. It’s in good shape!

: Defunct toll booths.

: H.W., not Dubya.

: Just driving over an overpass.

: Dallas is very beautiful; lots of green spaces.

: The Dallas Buddhist Center.

: The building is very ornate.

: I believe that writing is Thai.

: Urban Reserve neighbourhood with modern houses; not my cup of tea.

: The see-through house. WTF? Who wants to live in a see-through house?!

: The neighbourhood is very verdant.

: I like the spiral staircase on this one.

: One house is called the X-acto house.

: My haul of bags.

: That’s a lot of bags! But I have plenty of space to store them!

April 4, 2013 by Rae

San Antonio’s King William Neighbourhood

Today had perfect weather for a walking tour! Upon my host Teri’s recommendation, I contacted San Antonio Walks for their King William neighbourhood tour. They didn’t have any other takers for their 9:45 a.m. tour today, but they called me this morning to ask if I wanted to join the 1:45 p.m. tour. Indeed!

‘King William’ was actually Wilhelm of Prussia. This neighbourhood was mostly built by affluent Germans in the mid-1800s. There is a lot of focus on the Spanish influence in Texas, but not so much of just how much the Germans contributed to this state. And, yet, there is German everywhere, especially in the town names, such as Gruene.

The King William neighbourhood had a real downslide in the early 1900s but came back up in the middle of the 20th century and is now one of the most prized neighbourhoods in the city. It is filled with beautiful mansions and more modest homes, all abutting tree lined streets, and within walking distance to the San Antonio River and the Riverwalk.

Our guide, Gary, had so much information about the history of the houses and his beloved city and the architecture. I couldn’t even begin to try to summarize it. I put as much info as I could in the photo gallery, but, really, I can’t do justice to a two-hour tour that cost just $16!

: Yesterday’s massive storm cloud rolling in.

: Many of the King William neighbourhood mansions are in some form of the Italianate style.

: The Guenther flour mill. There is a restaurant attached.

: Close up of the hilarious tower, built in the 1920s and once the tallest building in San Antonio.

: San Antonio River.

: Here, the Riverwalk has a guardrail.

: The Guenther house, which is now a restaurant.

: I met my guide at the corner of E Guenther and King William. There was ample FREE parking on King William.

: The greenery around this house shows how San Antonio exists at the convergence of four climate zones. The tall dark skinny tree is a cypress.

: This wooden fence is original from the 1800s!

: I like how this otherwise symmetrical house has a little bay on the side.

: I’m a sucker for a round tower.

: This house with the round tower is the Edward Steves house and is now a museum.

: Mr. Steves got this fountain in Philadelphia during the centennial celebrations in 1876.

: This house is more Greek-style.

: Across the street is this house with the intercrossing brick on its corners.

: Close up of the cornice on the Greek-style house.

: These houses are twins.

: First peek of my favourite house on the block.

: Another peek at it.

: WOW.

: Across the street is this rather Parisian looking house.

: Close ups of my favourite house.

: Just… wow.

: The front door is magnificent! And I love how that snakelike detail from the fence sneaked into my picture!

: I’M also a sucker for a square tower.

: A cheery yellow house.

: Gary told us who owns this house, but I won’t tell as I don’t want to get him in trouble!

: Miami-style art deco-type house.

: Traditional Texas home.

: I’ve never seen shutters like these before.

: This sandstone house stands serene.

: This door has three panels.

: This is the house that goes on forever.

: Pretty orange flowers.

: Buggy stone (step for getting on a horse or carriage) with the homeowner’s initials carved into it.

: The modest(ish) Sartor house.

: Gazebo near the intersection with St Mary street.

: We can just see the top of the courthouse, which was designed by the same dude who designed my favourite house of the tour.

: This house is now home to the King William Conservation Society.

: It’s really cute! It was designed after a house in Italy.

: Notice the windows on the left?

: The windows follow the roofline.

: This is a house in the ‘Texas vernacular’ style. There is one entrance for the ladies leading into the kitchen and the other entrance is for the men.