Dos Amigos

Who but the two amigos would find a grocery store where you can belly up to the bar? Shades of Mexico! After a strenuous morning of shopping they sit out on the patio with drinks in hand solving the problems of the country. Not a pretty picture but I’m not going to get too smart with the guy who’s buying dinner. Just note that the country could be in more trouble than it is if these guys were in charge.

All they have to do is...

We had a great time, as always with our fellow Wisconsinites. Alas, this is a trip where we keep moving...

Looking for love in all the wrong places.

thanks, Dennis—great dinner at the Vogue!

And on we go to visit David & Adela.
David as usual is operating his gourmet kitchen and made the most delectable chicken marsala with thighs—yes thighs! Fabulous. Their patio is a perfect studio. Did you know Adela is a wonderful painter? She is! As always we had a fantastic time. Dennis is in love with the yard and he and Adela had a great time discussing plants and how they grow. There are gardens in the front, side and back yards. Perfect hosts!

The Chef

The Kiss

Evening Peace

And on we go...

2018 Road Trip: into the Southwest

Vomiting, coughing, congestion forced a one day postponement of our trip west. But ever intrepid, Dennis took to driving eight hour shifts in stride while Cynthia provided directions interrupted only by bouts of hacking. Arriving in Shamrock, TX they found themselves in the Trip Advisor #1 rated hotel. Even with this recommendation Dennis insisted on seeing a room before booking. Our host seemed a bit puzzled by this insistence but he hasn’t experienced some of our homes away from home. Dennis loved the purple and green color scheme accented with rusts and browns in the Shamrock Inn’s decor. Our friend Mary would not be able to stay here but then I don’t imagine she would ever be caught anywhere in the panhandle of Texas. It’s a friendly little town doing the best it can do with what’s still here. It seems to have suffered the fate of much of small town America—a gutted main street supplemented by a Dollar General and a Family Dollar store. There have to be many stories here and we will catch only a few.

We met a number of people in Shamrock, all of them willing to be helpful, wanting us to like our stay in their town. The first of course, was our motel host, Erin. His motel is very clean and offers much for a very reasonable price, including a generous breakfast. As we explored the town we stopped at a convenience store to see about buying a bottle of wine for dinner. The young man only sold beer but helpfully gave us directions to the town’s liquor store. There we met Lynne who highly recommended the Mesquite Canyon Steakhouse where she used to work. At the restaurant we met a friendly staff from within the kitchen and on the wait staff. Our waitress Rosa moved back to Shamrock from Amarillo to care for her parents. She was joined by her retired husband but they kept their house in Amarillo and now she stays there when she takes her mother to the doctor and her granddaughter stays there long term. Her dad was a migrant farm worker who was eventually asked to stay and work year round on a local farm. On Saturday afternoons her dad would bring them all to town where the Main Street held all kinds of treats including a movie theater and an ice cream shoppe. Now the Main Street is filled with abandoned or nearly abandoned buildings. Eventually her dad became the projectionist at the theater. When he was diagnosed with cancer he refused treatment and she and her sisters took turns caring for him and promising future care for her mom. We did talk about food too as I was curious about Texas steaks which seem to be much thinner than what we are used to at home in either a restaurant or a supermarket. She explained that in Texas they like their steaks thin because they find them more tender. So my expectation for a big thick steak in Texas is unrealistic.


It’s not Stonehenge...

It’s the Cadillac Ranch!

On the final leg of the journey to Albuquerque we stopped in Tucumcari for lunch on Old Route 66. Our waitress there was a former wind turbine technician. Dennis asked her what brought her to Tucumcari. She explained that she came to be trained to work on the wind turbines which she did for about 8 months. There is a lot of travel involved and it was difficult for her with small children. Then one day she was on a turbine climb when her partner fell. She explained the procedure for lowering a worker to the ground and how they have to sit up slowly and pull their legs up to their chest as the circulation is cut off by the safety harness as they are lowered 350 feet to the ground. They both resigned. And who could blame them?


The Cowboy

A summary from the D Marv point of view—
Our blog is up and running again. We left for Arizona at 8 AM on January 31st. We planned to leave on the 30th but decided to allow Cindy one extra day to recover from an illness that involved coughing, vomiting, and other eliminations too awful to mention (editor’s note: he did mention them but I don’t get paid to type that stuff). Diapers were not an option.

Our first night was spent in Little Rock, AR. After driving nine hours we had a delicious meal at the Subway up the street and then went right to sleep. Our second night found us in Shamrock, TX at the Shamrock Country Inn Motel. I’m not saying Shamrock is small but we got into town at rush hour and had to fight the other two cars traversing Main Street. We had now travelled 1,100 miles. Day three found us in Albuquerque where we now abide. We love ABQ. We’ll be here for three nights at a lovely casita we’ve rented before from our friends Jill and Marty. As I write this, I’m sitting on a bench overlooking the Rio Grande which is a short walk from our casita. Sun’s shinning, it’s around 65 degrees and beautiful. Stick with us on our journey. We’ll keep you filled in—
Den & Cindy

Dinner at High Noon

So Many Reasons to Love Mexico

10/28

With the two of us, there is always a chance for adventure.  I have been locked in two bathrooms, one in our casita and one in a restaurant.  I also have fallen once while trying to go from the street up onto a high sidewalk.  Grace is not my name, not even my middle name.  The poor man who was coming behind us was so kind and worried that I was hurt but Dennis was wishing he had the camera.  According to him it was a slow motion tumble from front with a roll so that I ended up sitting on the edge of the sidewalk.  No harm done, small scrapes to knee, elbow and fingers.

Along the Lake

After a stop in a restaurant we continued to the shore of the lake and later Dennis and JIm went shopping.  Dennis returned with a hat that he LOVES.  He is sure this hat will bring him two things.  First he is sure that with this hat he has become a “chick magnet.”  I am supposed to walk behind and keep all of the women away.  Hmm.  You think that’s going to happen?  Second, he is convinced that the guys he golfs with will be very envious.

 Sauve and deboner (debonaire)...

I’m not taking it off for any reason

Today we’re going to a Thriller performance in the plaza and then on to an art opening (with wine & appetizers, the only way to get the “boys” there).   

     

 Thriller Dancer

 Art Opening

DM—I like it when Cindy writes first so I can defend myself in print.  Regarding her latest post and evoking “snopes.com” I would say her post is “mostly true” but I will still give my interpretation.  With respect to her tumble on the sidewalk, it was more appropriately a barrel roll.  I was walking behind her, saw that the step up to the sidewalk was quite high and thought, “oh-oh.”  Before I could react, she began her roll.  Reminds me of her similar header into traffic in New Orleans a few years ago.  Traffic had to be stopped to help her up and she still disputes my contention that alcohol might have been involved...remember it was New Orleans!  That occurrence resulted in scrapes to the face and scratched glasses which she contends that because they fell off, the glasses caused the fall.  This one was much less notable.  Also many people saw and participated in the NOLA event, what with stopping traffic and assisting in getting her vertical again.  She has always been a source of amusement and entertainment for me.  I mean that in the best possible way.  

Now to my hat—yep, it’s a real beauty and I feel it makes me the envy of most of the caballeros in Ajijic.  I think most people, male and female, notice me when I pass.  The men envy me and the women?  Well, the word that comes to mind is desirous.  All of this thanks to a 65 peso ($3.00) and tax free!  

I love Mexico!!

Thanks for joining us on our journey.  Early Tuesday morning (2:30 AM) we leave for Guadalajara for a 5:00 AM flight, eventually ending up in Bloomington—Cindy, me, and my hat.  Wonder if I’ll receive the same adulation when I wear it on the square?  Hope so...Dennis “the Hat” Schulz

To Shop or Soak, that is the question...

10/25

CM—I can’t believe we are more than half way through our visit to Mexico.  This is such a beautiful colorful country.  You can’t go for a walk without being immersed in color—red, gold, orange, yellow, rose, purple, lavender, blue and greens.  It is in the flowers but also in the walls of the houses and stores, the weaving of table cloths, runners, napkins, the weaving of rugs, beaded jewelry and artifacts, everywhere you look—color! 

Karen and I spent yesterday shopping in Ajijic.  We went into galleries of local artists, shops where women designed and made clothing, a shop where men and women wove table cloths, runners, placemats, and napkins.  We discovered a gallery opening for this weekend of a painter and photographer, (the “boys” will love it—wine and food).  I found a few items that I think Brooks and Giana will enjoy, each shop held some delightful item.  The Katrinas at Diana Pearl’s are wonderful, a tall blue Katrina carrying crates of birds, one of terra cotta with a twirling skirt with roses sculpted and painted.  If only I had an airplane just so that I could pack it full.

Dennis and Jim were going to spend the day at a a natural spa with pools of naturally heated water. I said good bye to them with only a few words of advice—going to the spa be sure you take a shower before you get in the pool, don’t get your backpacks wet. They waved adios and left for the bus.  

We are ready to get healthy!

DM—Yesterday Jim and I tool a short trip up the road to a health spa on Lake Chapala.  Who couldn’t use a little more health in their lives, right?  The girls passed on this opportunity for more shopping.  We got on a local bus (10 pesos/50 cents) and in 15 minutes we were there.  It’s in the small town of San Juan Cosala. We paid 400 pesos ($20.00) each to enter and were among 4 other people who were already there.  A number of pools are available for soaking and the waters are volcanically heated to around 200 degrees F so it must be cooled.  After cooling they range from about 100 degrees to about 110 which after two minutes, was too hot for me.  The pools also contain many natural minerals that relieve aches and pains and possibly hangovers.  Massages are also available but Jim had noticed how the women in Ajijic were constantly undressing him with their eyes, so he didn’t want to torture them further.  Good choice, Jim! I too felt it would have been torture for them.

After spending a few hours at the spa it was time to once again add toxicity to our bodies so stops were necessary at a number of cantinas for beer and tequila on our way home.  We thought that we shouldn’t risk being too healthy. More to come—

What? How did they find us???

CM—Today we went to the Wednesday Market and I found a few things, hmmm enough things so that I used up all the pesos I had... Oh boy!  Dennis bought small bananas and a pineapple.  Great breakfast tomorrow.  After breakfast with the Brickners at Salvador’s we got on a bus for Jocotopec.  The bus follows the lake shore around until we reached our destination.  Once off the bus we walked toward the lake hoping to arrive at the Plaza Mayor.  When the road ended we asked a  young man on a motorcycle where it was.  We pretty much had to retrace our steps to the bus station.  We varied it by walking one block over and back up where we came from.  Guess what? We found the Plaza Mayor and the church on the square.  Very beautiful and tranquil.  Tequila and Negro Modelo were needed to quench our thirst after our little jaunt around the town.  Our bartender was very patient with our horrible Spanish and our attempt to get an ice cube (hielo), not helado (ice cream), not frio (cold).  

Walking back we found a liquor store which had not only brandy but cough drops which we had been unable to find in a pharmacy.  Luck is with us!!

Tlaquepaque Research

10/21 5:30 AM

Yesterday we spent shopping in Tlaquepaque which is another beautiful town with an old town full of galleries, shops and restaurants.  Sergio Bustamante has a gallery there and a couple of his sculptures are outside on the pedestrian mall.  Bustamante was born in 1942 and his work began with papier-mâché and painting.  He then began to work in ceramic and metal sculpture and now is also designing furniture.   

Also found in Tlaquepaque is the gallery of one of my favorite ceramic artists, Rodo Padilla.  Many years ago, I visited Elana when she was teaching in Mexico and she took me to Tlaquepaque.  I fell in love with a sculpture of Padilla’s—a young boy and girl on a metal teeter totter which actually goes up and down. It so reminded me of Elana and Nick that I had to have it.  Guess what? I fell in love again, this time with the moon and it will be going home with us.      

Returning home later in the afternoon, I did a little painting at the patio table.  I’m trying the techniques I learned in Joan Fullerton’s class.  Learned is a bit of a strong word that suggests mastery.  Not so I’m afraid, but practicing and trying those techniques. As I was playing with the paint, I overheard the conversation going on between Dennis and Jim about their desirability to women.  Jim was retelling his experience meeting two women in the street (from his point of view).  I should have stayed quiet as I’m sure it would have gotten more interesting.  Instead I found myself interrupting.  “Stop.  I’m going to throw up!” Joan was right.  When painting play music, preferably fast to keep the paint flowing and in this case, loud to keep my ears from wandering.

Why am I up and drinking coffee and writing, you might wonder.  There is a charming little custom in Ajijic.  A canon is shot off at about 5:30 AM followed by a series of church bells.  The bells peal out about 20 times, there is space of ten minutes and the process is repeated every ten minutes until 6:00 AM.  I have actually slept through this but not this AM.  Now outside the compound the roosters are stirring and urging the sun up.  This is accompanied by a lively serenade.  There is either a band outside or someone has their radio on as a welcome to the day for the entire neighborhood, complete with drum solo. I just stepped onto the patio and looked up.  The stars are brilliant in a deep navy sky.  It’s going to be another beautiful day in Mexico and as the saying goes down here, “Relax, you’re on the fun side of the wall.”

Señor Schulz—

Just read Cindy’s description of our shopping experience in Tlaquepaque yesterday and would like to add my perspective.  In all fairness, I think I should have written first so she could punch holes in my theories/opinions.  Here goes—

While Cindy and Karen visited the many galleries and Cindy “fell in love again” with the vast assortment of treasures, Jim and I visited galleries of another sort.  We still had research to do.  We started our 11:00 AM journey with a visit to the gallery of the famed Mexican artist Jose Cuervo.  The color, aroma, and taste of his works of art were exemplary.  We could have easily enjoyed his art all day but we wanted to visit a few more galleries.  Next came Don Julio.  Just like Jose, Don’s art work was equally alluring.  Hmm, Jim and I questioned each other on which we felt produced the most favorable artwork but finally agreed we’d have to spend more time here to be able to make a truly informed decision.  Next on our gallery walk was the gallery of an artist know only by one name, Patron (a bit like Cher, Sting, or Prince).  Like Jose and Don, Patron was exquisite.  After enjoying his artwork we felt it time for a nap on a park bench but the ladies did not agree so we had lunch at a local restaurant and then slept during the 45 minute cab ride back to our casita in Ajijic.  

As to Cindy’s overhearing our discussion regarding our “desirability to women,” I noted another oddity, again possibly due to our proximity to the equator.  It appears to me that the more we availed ourselves of the local “artwork” the more we seemed to be desirable.  They seemed to really be taking an interest in us although discreetly veiled, we thought.  We think Cindy’s right, gallery walks can be fun.  After a good night’s sleep, we’ll be ready for another walk tomorrow!

Dennis’s Take Today!

I must admit, Cindy’s comments on the blog are right on. Right on regarding Jim and my doing research here in Ajijic. You would think with it being a relatively small town of approximately 10,000 people, everything would be close by. Well, as it turns out distance is much more deceptive in Mexico than it is in Bloomington or for that matter, the whole USA in general. I’ve concluded that it must be because we’re much closer to the equator here.

Let me give you an example: while hiking through town yesterday to study Aztec architecture more closely, Jim and I happened upon a building that contained four rectangular felt covered tables. We were puzzled. What could they be? Some sort of sacrificial Aztec Altar? Oddly, there were some ancient sticks and what appeared to be balls of ivory with hieroglyphics painted on them. One was black with what looked like an 8. We were told by the inhabitants that we should to gather the balls together and then try to knock one into a pocket (six actually) located around the sides of the table. We thought, why not experience the local custom? They also suggested we try drinking a local “herb” while doing this to better experience the game. So we did. Here’s one of the oddities — the more “herbs” that we drank, the longer the table got and the more difficult it became to knock a ball into a pocket. Hmmm, how odd. The second oddity happened after consuming quite a bit of “herb.” The trip back became much longer and more confusing. “Didn’t we pass this corner about ten minutes ago?” I inquired of Jim. After struggling to orient ourselves we were finally able to locate our abode. Needless to say, a nap was necessary after all this research. Tomorrow we plan to try the same experiment to see if it repeats itself, all in the pursuit of science. It’s a sacrifice but one we are committed to endure. The “girls” (Karen & Cindy) are not as dedicated as we. Go figure.

Ajijic!

We entered the large open Customs and Immigration area and began peeling off sweaters and jackets. We had each completed one page on the plane but were given another, one more per household for completion. As I entered the line, a young lady asked me for the form but I explained I hadn’t completed it because it was only in Spanish and I didn’t want to make a mistake. She replied that she would help and she cheerfully did. When completed she left me with, “Have nice time while you’re here.” Do you think maybe we could use these agents to train ours?

As soon as Julio dropped us at the house Jim and Dennis went off to buy coffee at Jim’s favorite place. It must not have been too close by though as they were gone for quite awhile. The coffee when they returned smelled delicious! Next they went out for groceries and the grocery store was also very far away. They bought so much they had to stop along the way to rest!

This morning we went to the Wednesday market. Beautiful fruits, vegetables, beadwork, silver and gemstone jewelry, handmade soap, etc., etc. etc. yes, I spent a little money on three pair of earrings and a bracelet—less than $30.00. The beadwork on the earrings and bracelet are amazing. We could watch him make it. I can’t believe he doesn’t need glasses. Then we stopped for breakfast and back home.

Jim and Dennis are now out doing some research on taking a trip to Tonala and Tlaquepaque for more beautiful artwork. But both places have bars and plazas. They’re also researching a microbrewery which will probably take quite a bit of time. They are very thorough when they are off doing research. Oh, and I think there was mention of some place named Tom’s. I’m sure that’s another tour company. Speaking to the two departing backs, my last words were to remind them that the streets are paved with rocks and are really hard on the knees. I sure hope they paid attention!