Emily and Linda’s Travel Blog

After our trip to the Banamex Cultural Museum, I was ready for a sit down while Max and LInda went off to purchase some hand-painted shoes that Max had discovered earlier in the week.  Ordinarily I would shun Starbucks in other countries, but this one had a really lovely interior courtyard that was the perfect place to hang out.  

I noticed that my beverage, like many foods and drinks sold in Mexico, had warnings on it about how I was about to consume too many calories and too much sugar.  While I’m used to warnings on cigarettes and some foods, I have to say I didn’t care for being scolded by my food all the time.  Even unsweetened cereals and high fiber crackers have such warnings.  Surely they must lose their effect when they’re plastered on almost everything. 

Once Max and Linda returned, we set off to buy the whale sculpture we had eyed a few days back.  We selected the one in the back row on the left to ship home.  They are the work of Juana Gomez Ramirez who is an artist in the village of Amatenango in Chiapas.  The village has a history of pottery created by the women of the town, with the techniques passed down from mother to daughter.  Gomez Ramirez is best known for her jaguar sculptures, but has now started making whales as well.  

The last event of our last day was a dinner at a different rooftop restaurant.  The view was as good as advertised - of the Parroquia cathedral in the waning pink light.  The restaurant itself and the food was unremarkable so I won’t talk about it, but here are a last few photos:

Tuesday we decided to go to the Banamex Casa de Cultura.  Banamex is the former Bank of Mexico which owns 3 historic buildings in the Centro area which house their offices and also a museum of culture and art.  The already dramatic courtyard is made more so now with the focus on this large sculpture as you enter.  It´s called ¨Que abre otro misterio¨  which translates as ¨which opens another mystery¨’ by Arnaldo Coen. 

The first exhibit is about the history of San Miguel de Allende - as told by Banamex.  Disappointingly, despite the claim to multicultural representation and support of indigenous people, the version of history presented is heavy on the narrative about the great things that the colonialists and the Catholic church did for the indigenous people without any acknowledgement of the land theft, plundering, and viollence that took place. They did acknowledge the later history of insurgency in the 19th century however:

In the upper galleries there was more work by Arnaldo Coen.

Title: “Espejo de lo invisible” (Mirror of the Invisible)

In another room, there was some of the artist’s more recent work:

Detail of the two smaller pictures on the right

The discussion of the paintings above makes a reference to the gold used on the large canvas in a manner similar to kintsugi technique in Japanese art where gold is used to accentuate breaks in the structure.  

It goes on to say, “In contrast to the minimalism of the large canvases, Arnaldo introduces small cubes painted in vibrant colours as information boards. These cubes not only act as information boards, but are also complete works of art in their own right. They are a game of perception and attention that generate a constant dialogue with the large canvases. A visual antithesis that invites the viewer to a dynamic interaction between the monochromatic and the polychromatic.”  A lot to ponder. 

The last exhibit we visited was of kites called “Papalotes” by Francisco Toledo.  The discussion mentions that kites are used during the “Dia de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead) to help the spirits of the deceased to find their way to and from the celebrations.  Toledo also saw them as reflections on freedom.  The first two photos are his kites.  The last is the work of children from a project called EMPEZARTE which provides art therapy for kids in SMA

We enjoyed looking at the art, but as with many places in SMA, the feeling of the space and the views from different locations were part of the enjoyment of the visit to this museum. 

As I may have mentioned, Linda did a photography workshop in San Miguel some years ago.  She recalled that she enjoyed the Guadalupe district which is known for having a lot of murals and galleries and fewer tourists than the areas we had visited thus far.  The whole of San Miguel is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  As a consequence, there are a lot of rules in the downtown Centro area about what you can and can’t do with your building.  The Guadalupe residents wanted to have more freedom to express themselves and petitioned to be exempt from those rules in order to allow murals and other forms of art to be more prominent.  Once we’d rested up from our very early morning balloon ride, we went to explore that neighborhood.

First stop was the Mercado de Artisanas (Artisan Market).  Inside there were some of the schlocky tourist items we’d already seen, but also work by talented silver smiths, basket weavers, sandal makers, weavers etc.  So we had a good time poking around and admiring the work of the local craftspeople.  

The Mercado is at the base of the neighborhood so we wandered northward from there.  

This was one of our favorite murals

And some of the facades and artists’ wares were pretty interesting too

We stopped into a restaurant that specialized in Camarones (shrimp) prepared in aguachiles or ceviches which depend on cooking the shrimp with acids like lime juice and vinegar. The proprietors seemed surprised that these three older gringa ladies had come in to try their wares. I ordered a shrimp tostada and I confess, I was afraid to eat it.  It just didn’t seem cooked enough to me and I didn’t trust my Spanish enough to be sure about the process when I asked.  I tasted one shrimp and then decided that perhaps experiencing authentic local cuisine was less important than being able to travel home comfortably 2 days later.  I decided not to take a picture since I was leaving it otherwise untouched and didn’t want to offend our hosts any further.  There was a delicious condiment though - a vinegar and herbs brew called Salsa Bruja (witch’s sauce) that was very tasty on its own and I’m sure would have been great on the shrimp.  Maybe if we come back for longer and can go with a local who can explain, I’d try it again.  Meanwhile, I might try to see where I could find Salsa Bruja in NYC

 

Ever since seeing Around the World in 80 Days as a child, I’ve wanted to go up in a hot air balloon. As I turn the corner into my 71st year, it’s getting to the now or never stage on that one. So when I read about hot air ballooning in San Miguel de Allende, it seemed like a great opportunity. Max and Linda were game so I booked it with #GloboSanMiguel Some folks might be concerned about falling o er the side or the balloon crashing, but I realized the most realistic worry for me was how I was going to get in and out of the basket. With a bad knee and stiff joints generally, it could be dicey. Also the website says you have to stand for the hour that you’re up which could have been a deal-breaker for me, but I finally cajoled them into letting me bring a small camp stool to sit on periodically.  All systems go!   

We met our guide and the transport van at a nearby hotel at 5:30AM so we could see the sunrise from the ballloon.  A chilly morning,  but very clear with just enough clouds for a little drama.  The process of setting up the balloon or”globo” in Spanish, was fascinating.  They inflate it first by blowing air into the balloon and then use the fire jets to fill it with hot air so it will rise.  

Max, who’d been in a balloon before, led the way and climbed in smoothly, using the ladder steps cut into the basket.  Let’s just say my entry was significantly less dignified, but with determination and a push from Linda, I climbed up and dumped myself onto the floor of the basket.  Not pretty, but now it was up to the balloon folks to get me out (the guide later told us that sometimes they have to deflate the ballon enough to tip the basket on its side so the folks inside can crawl out).  Linda”s height allowed her to slide in gracefully once she was up on the rim. And we were off!

I expected to be buffeted around a bit, but it was much smoother than a plane take-off.  The balloon just rises straight up and then the currents take you wherever.  The pilot explained that he was using the jets to raise and lower us to catch different air currents.  

Some shots as the sun was rising

Our guide, Bibi and pilot Ulysses (seriously) were ready to answer any questions and made us feel secure during the flight.  

Since you’re at the mercy of the air currents, there’s no way to know in advance where the balloon will land (in fact one part of the waiver you sign says you acknowledge that you might be arrested for tresspassing!). The van has to follow from the ground, taking cues from the pilot’s walkie-talkie. 

Landing was complicated - first we had to meet up with the van and the fellows who would pull us down, next the pilot has to maneuver over scrub (but not into trees) to land in a field.  We brushed across some bushes and landed in a burr-filled field, but it was over all a success (the less said about my mode of exit, the better).  We took a couple of celebratory pics, and watched them deflate the balloon and were on our way.  A major bucket-list item completed.  

To finish off the morning, we were taken back to the (super luxe) hotel for breakfast

Then back to our hotel for a nap before our next adventure

Sunday we visited El Charco, a large botanical garden, nature preserve, and bird refuge on the outskirts of San Miguel. It surrounds a canyon through which runs a fresh water spring. Along its banks are abundant cacti and native trees. It also has a conservatory dedicated to cacti and succulents. 

There were also some dramatic sky scapes. 

It was pretty dry, but there was drama in the skeletons of the dead plants. It made me think about Mary Oliver writing about the whole world in a single leaf. 

Most of the birds were hanging out by the spring and we lacked the long distance lenses to photograph them so sadly I have no pictures of them, but we did see a procession of leaf cutter ants.  In order to get a shot, I would have had to lie on the ground on my stomach  Not that dedicated, but I did crib a pic from the internet  pretty close to what we were seeing:  

Here’s one more shot with Linda showing how tall the cactus was  

I stopped out after a bit and let Linda and Max finish the trail. Meanwhile I rested at the visitor center and sampled some of the fresh limonada (I think it was actually made from limes) and inhaled the enticing aroma of cafe de olla (literally coffee from a pot, but more like a mulled beverage of coffee simmered in a clay pot with cinnamon and cloves). 

After a rest back at our hotel, we headed out to La Posadita, a rooftop restaurant recommended by Gail Mauner and David Braun who had been to San Miguel some years back. It was a chilly evening so we asked the staff to light the heater and the waiter also kindly brought us some wild, but warm blankets. 

My friends Gail and David recommended the “Escamoles”, translated as “Ant Eggs” also known as “Mexican caviar”. It actually is ant larvae, served with a marrow bone and an herb called Epazote. Max wasn’t going near it, but Linda and I decided we were game to try it. . Not bad, but I wouldn’t crave it. 

Once we were warmed up, Linda felt a frozen Margarita was in order. Turned out it also had tamarind in it - a tasty addition. 

Other dishes were Cochinita Pibil (stewed pork served here on banana leaves with tortillas to wrap up the pork) and two kinds of chicken enchiladas - one with a red sauce made with guajillo chiles and the other in a green tomatillo sauce with crema and cheese (usually thought of as Gringo food, but I was in the mood and it was very well prepared)  

As the meal progressed, we were treated to the main attraction here, other than the food- the view of the Parroquia cathedral as the sun set

There were also some wild goings at the next rooftop over - a fellow tightrope-walking in rhythm to disco music Quite the finale to our day.  

Saturday i was a little under the weather so Linda and Max went off on their own adventures while I stayed home to have a rest day. On weekends, the hotel restaurant offers brunch (in the courtyard which our room faces). I was trying to block out the violinist apparently hired to play muzak-esque versions of American 80s Pop when all of a sudden he started a lovely rendition of Bach's Air on a G string. He played it beautifully and it swelled my heart after all that crap. It occurred to me that perhaps he was as pained to play the other stuff as I was to hear it. So I stepped out to the courtyard to request another crowd-pleasing, but classical piece that I would enjoy. I asked him if he could play the meditation from Thaïs. His face lit up and he agreed immediately. One of those small travel moments that can make a trip memorable. (DavidMendozaComposer.com)  Sorry it’s so short, but the blog program doesn’t do well with long videos  

Made me happy as I returned to my languishing. 

By 5:00 or so, I was feeling better so Max and I took a stroll in El Parque Benito Juarez, a sweet little community gathering place across from our hotel where there have been frequent Mariachi processions, a craft fair, daily basketball games and a lot of folks just strolling or hanging out. It’s built around a ravine with lovely walkways and small plazas. The obelisk in the first photo below covers a time capsule placed in 2017 and intended to be opened in 2067. It carries the inscription "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in English, Spanish, Otomi, Nahuatl, Braille, and Sign Language.  

Kids can feed this fellow with their plastic bottles

One of the Mariachi bands from earlier in the week. Max asked what was the occasion and they basically said "Just because"

Here are some other shots Linda got on a different afternoon 

We've had lots of puppet encounters.  Here’s one I posed with on Thursday

Later that night, we dined at Casa Arca. Nearly empty, but the food was great. Stand outs were the Sopes Yecapixtla (fried masa dough with beans, beef and queso fresco and salsa) and the 2 desserts - creme brûlée with mezcal and panna cotta Maracuya (passion fruit)  

Our first stop on Friday was the Fabrica La Aurora - an old textile factory that’s been converted to an art and design space. 

They've preserved part of the old factory 

Here’s a photo of the workers in the old factory 

Very different look now

There are clothing and jewelry stores, antiques and folk art dealers, galleries, sculpture installations and a few eateries. 

Max was contemplating whether the HOA would let her add this piece to her front lawn in Greenport  

After wandering a while, we stopped for lunch at Food Factory, an odd mix of Mexican, Vietnamese, and Korean food. Linda had fish tacos and I had what they called a Vietnamese cazuela (casserole) which turned out to be clay pot chicken.  Both tasty and attractive as befitted the venue  

By then we were done with gallery crawling and decided to go in search of provisions for our rooms.    We often find that restaurant fare while traveling gets to be too too much so we were looking for snacks and staples so we could just have a simpler meal now and then.  At first we thought our cabbie didn’t understand the address we were giving him, but it turned out he couldn’t figure out why we wanted to go to a huge supermarket.  Our Spanish wasn’t up to the explanation, but we got there and found what we needed at a mega supermarket bigger than any we have in NYC  

The rest of the evening was a walk into the Centro in search of dinner.  Turned out to be a completely forgettable meal that evening, but Max did take this photo of Linda that I really love  

Thursday we had a laid back day (pretty much the usual attitude when we travel). Breakfast of chilaquiles (scrambled eggs with tortillas and salsa)at the hotel.  We appear to be the only guests so far, so we get a lot of attention from the very gracious staff. Then off to the Parroquia and the town center again. The Parroquia cathedral is notable because it’s Gothic in style. 

We ambled around the area, watching the buskers in the square and poking around in the shops

We were particularly taken with this pod of whales (ballenas) by Juana Gomez. We’re pondering going back to buy one of the medium-sized ones to ship back home. 

Next stop was the Centro Cultural de Ignacio Gomez also known as the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, a famous art school founded in the last century.  It’s housed in a former convent with a beautiful courtyard garden (I seem to have lost the courtyard picture)  

Inside, we stopped to see a huge indoor mural painted by David Siqueiros. He was a contemporary and colleague of Orozco and Diego Rivera and taught for a while at the Bellas Artes, giving classes to Canadian and US veterans in the 1940s. The mural was intended to be called The Life and Work of Generalissimo Don Ignacio Allende, but it was never completed so now it’s known as “El mural inconcluso” or the unfinished mural and is studied as a window into his technique since he sketched out the grids and outlines for the remaining part of the work. 

There’s also a lovely cafe along one of the garden’s arcades where Linda had an aggressively skewered, but delicious crab-cake burger and I enjoyed salmon with esquites (grilled, spiced corn). Max declared herself still “llena” (full) from breakfast so no other dish to show  

By then we were ready to head back to the hotel for a siesta. 

Yesterday we left the house at 5:30 am, took a flight from JFK to Mexico City and then another flight to Querètaro where we were picked up by a shuttle van for the 90 minute ride to San Miguel de Allende. 15 hours total in transit. 

The second flight was as the sun was getting low and gave me a view of a spectacular variety and quality of clouds like none I'd ever seen  i know cloud pictures from a plane almost never come out, but I had to try because they were so unusual.  We were just at the foot of the mountains where the clouds pile up and the angle of the sun brought out the layers of clouds with the ground below  

We finally arrived at what would be 9:30pm NYC time, pretty wiped out, but pleasantly surprised to be welcomed into the Tres Fuentes Hotel, located in the old part of the city which is beautifully preserved. Like many of the old buildings here, the only thing you see from the street is a wall and a large “porton” door, but once inside you are admitted to a series of rooms which surround a large central garden and gallery

The house we're staying at has a lovely front garden with cherry tomatoes,tiny peppers, kale, and a lot of herbs, including this spectacular rosemary bush (I might have to snip a bit to bring home because it travels so well). 

This is a parking lot sign I’ve never seen before - not even in a hospital where you might expect it (it was actually in the local Safeway lot):

On the next to last night here, we had drinks at Skates on the Bay, one of our favorite spots by the Berkeley marina. We've been sampling the fried calamari all along the way on this trip (I think 4 different versions). We recalled that almost 5 years ago we went to Skates for dinner. There was a wait for a table so we sat at the bar and ordered drinks and the kung pao fried calamari. It was so delicious and abundant that in the end, we decided we didn’t need dinner and left happy. So this time we planned on just that and no dinner. It’s always tricky when you have that kind of memory - was it really the food and wine, or was it the company or a special moment that made it so good? But we were not disappointed. Beautiful views, perfectly crispy and spicy calamari, and an Oregonian pinot noir to accompany it. A very satisfying farewell to the Bay.