Tag Archives: Mexico

Dec8

Half Time

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Half Time

Have I really been back in Mexico for three months already? I wonder where I’ll be three months from today. I’m not even sure which country I’ll be in. The travel restrictions appear to change daily, with Canada winning the gong show hands down.

So much for the future. The past came to me in the form of Facebook memories. Twelve years ago today, with Kyle and Kimmy beside me, I held Koal in my arms as he began his journey to heaven. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t miss that little guy and long for one last cuddle.

And now for the present. Today Joanne and I began our search for Santa. Apparently the jolly old man doesn’t arrive in Aguascalientes for at least another week. This is what we found at Liverpool.

Next we headed for Altaria. While the mall was decorated, still no sign of Santa.

But we did enjoy a delicious lunch of enchiladas suizas! And there is still lots of time before Christmas to continue the search.

Dec3

An Annual Tradition

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An Annual Tradition

I have this annual tradition when I’m in Mexico over the winter. I head to Waldo’s and buy a small tree which I decorate and then leave behind when I head up north in the spring. And of course there is also the obligatory tin of butter cookies to nibble on while I adorn the tree.

Another annual tradition is spending Christmas in a different place with different people.

My first Christmas in Mexico was in Culiacan. I quickly learned that Christmas Eve is the big event and the menu was tamales and ponche.

Other holidays were in Tlaquepaque, Tototlan, Mazatlan, San Ciro de Acosta, Puerto Vallarta, Lake Chapala and Aguascalientes. Last year was really different. I was living in Wenatchee, Washington.

Christmas is only twenty-two days away and I haven’t finalized my plans yet. I’ve been busy with other plans involving traveling somewhere new to ring in 2022. But more about that in a future blog post.

Time to start focusing on Christmas.

Nov7

El Cristo Roto

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El Cristo Roto

An amazing statue of Christ is found on an island in the pueblo of San Jose de Gracia, an extremely popular pilgrimage site. Boats are kept busy daily ferrying all the visitors who come here.

El Cristo Roto is an 82 foot tall concrete and steel sculpture, crafted by Miguel Romo. It has been on this site since 2006.

Note that the statue is missing an arm and a leg. This represents the troubled history when the area had extensive flooding and most of the population left. Originally inhabited by the Chichimecas, fighting took place during the Cristero War. When the Plutarco Elias Calles dam was constructed in the 1920s, the majority of inhabitants fled to the shores of the newly formed lake that had resulted from the flooding and the town of San Jose de Gracia was founded.

Romo was also influenced by the folklore at the time. The story was that a priest found a broken crucifix and vowed to have it fixed. However the crucifix spoke to him, saying that it was a symbol of those who feel broken or lost.

The statue is considered to be the savior of lost causes. It has also been the sight of faith healings.

Oct27

Changing It Up

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Changing It Up

For over a year now I’ve been posting on Wednesdays and Sundays. It’s time for a change.

I started writing this blog years ago when I lived in Guadalajara. At the time it was mainly directed to my friends I had left behind in my hometown in Canada. I replaced the mass emails with blog posts. My close friends know that I detest email and consider it to be snail mail. I don’t check it regularly.

What I do check daily are calls and texts on my phone, Messenger and What’s App. I don’t even check my stats on WordPress daily, although it is interesting to see that I have followers from a variety of countries, some whose names I can’t even pronounce and have had to look up on a map.

Over the years I’ve taught with people from all over the world. Everyone seems eager to come to Mexico to teach. People stay for varying lengths of time. Some return to their home countries although many keep right on traveling.

As for me, after six years here I reverted back to snowbird status. But I don’t return to Canada. I spend the summer and fall in the USA. Covid complicated things and I applied for and was granted two extended stays in foreign countries during the pandemic.

Just as my life has changed, it’s time to change up the blog posts. I do look forward to posting on a regular basis, but it won’t necessarily occur on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Thank you to all my readers. It’s gratifying that so many of you follow my blog. I appreciate your feedback and comments, although I seldom publish them on my page. I know that when I read other people’s blogs, I prefer to form my own opinion rather than scroll through a myriad of comments, and am determined to spare my followers from just that.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Oct24

It’s Coming

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It’s Coming

Yes the clock will go back an hour on the 31st, just in time for Halloween. But that’s not the big one here in Mexico.

Here is a pictorial preview of preparations for Dia de Los Muertos.

November 1st and 2nd are days of remembrance. These are the days when the spirits of the dead return to visit. Altars are created to honor loved ones who have passed. Cemeteries come alive with music and parties.

I snagged these photos of the traditional bread at a bakery.

Here in Aguascalientes the celebrations, including a parade, begin on October 29th. It will be an interesting weekend.

Oct20

Parque Rudolfo Landeros (CEAR)

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Parque Rudolfo Landeros (CEAR)

I first visited this park almost three years ago. It was a weekend and it was packed. The parking lot was overflowing. Food vendors were busy and bike and golf cart rentals were very popular.

I went back a couple of times before Covid and it was crowded even on a weekday. Field trips from schools were in abundance.

Yesterday it was a very different story. The park was all but deserted. Signs indicating masks were required were prominently displayed. However nobody wore masks, even the staff.

We had picked up breakfast and found a shady spot to eat. Then we began our walk around the park.

This was our first greeter.

And here was our second.

The water levels were surprisingly low, considering that it’s rainy season now. But we did see some ducks and geese enjoying the water.

Very few animals were out but I did capture a shot of this guy.

We even found a train here, although the museum was closed.

And I had to take pics of the trees and the cacti.

Oct9

Museo Regional de Historia de Aguascalientes

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Museo Regional de Historia de Aguascalientes

I first arrived in Aguascalientes in January of 2019, armed with a list of fourteen museums and art galleries I wanted to explore. And I visited them all.

On Friday I decided to return to The Regional History Museum. Hand sanitizer and temperature check and in I went. Admission is 50 pesos ($2.43 US) but seniors with an INAPAM card are admitted at no charge. Being a senior does have its perks.

I wandered from room to room admiring the various displays. I also stopped to read a number of the descriptions. My Spanish has improved and I was able to understand most of it, something I’d been unable to do back in 2019.

As usual, I took way too many photos. I hope you enjoy the selection I’m sharing in this post.

Oct6

So What?!

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Monday, Monday. Facebook down. What’s App not working. Didn’t bother checking Instagram.

It certainly made for a quieter day. No constant pings and dings of notifications on my phone. I actually spent very little time on my phone.

Here in Mexico What’s App is a lifeline to many. I’ve met a lot of people who just put 50 pesos at a time on their phone. They don’t have a phone plan like I do.

For 200 pesos a month, less than $10 US, I have unlimited talking and texting as well as long distance to the USA and Canada. Some data is included ans all social media is also free.

Without a phone plan, What’s App that runs off WiFi is free, so that is a very popular option for those who do not have a plan.

Therefore a lot of people were impacted when everything went down on Monday. Their pesos on their phones would not stretch quite as far.

I find it interesting that phone plans here are so reasonably priced. In the USA a similar plan with AT&T costs me $40. Canada was even more expensive the last time I was there.

While buying cell phones is far more expensive in Mexico, using them is definitely much more affordable here.

Oct2

Fly With Me

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Fly With Me

The other day I was talking with a friend and somehow the topic of airports came up. We compared experiences and horror stories. He commented that I’d flown in and out of a lot more airports than he had.

Later on I thought some more and decided to list all the airports. So here goes.

I’ll start with Mexico. My favorite airport to fly into is Guadalajara. My favorite airport to fly out of is Puerto Vallarta. My least favorite is Mexico City. Other airports I’ve used include Culiacan, Mazatlan, Cancun, Aguascalientes and Leon. That’s a total of eight.

Next will be Canada. No favorites or least favorites here. Just Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Thunder Bay, London, Montreal, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Kelowna. That’s a total of eleven.

The winner is the USA. My new favorite airport is Pangborn in Wenatchee. My least favorite is Houston. The others include Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Ontario, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Tucson, Dallas, San Antonio, Atlanta, Denver, Minneapolis, Rochester, Fargo, Grand Forks, Chicago, Buffalo, New York, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Savannah, Charleston, Honolulu, Wendover and Las Vegas. The total is thirty.

Oh, and I can’t forget Havana and Punta Cana. That’s two more.

Grand total is fifty-one. And I haven’t even gone to Europe!

My favorite airline is Alaska. There’s a tie for my least favorite airline between Air Canada and Westjet.

Airports have changed over the years. Many are now like small cities and have multiple terminals and trains connecting them. Dallas-Fort Worth even has its own zip code.

Traveling has definitely become more complicated since 9/11 and is even more so now with the additional challenge of COVID-19. I don’t envy the staff at TSA. And then throw in my knee replacements that always set off the metal detectors and require the body scanners.

Yes, I remember when I actually used to enjoy traveling by air. Not anymore. I now travel by air only because I have to.

Sep26

It Feels Strange

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It Feels Strange

This is the first time in five years I’ve been in Mexico in late September. It feels strange.

Autumn Leaf Festival is happening this weekend in Leavenworth. I’m usually sitting out on the verandah of the Senior Center with friends watching the parade.

Instead, today I went to the park at the end of my street. I worked on some Spanish grammar for a while. I was about to leave when a man approached and asked if I knew the name of the park. And I don’t know the name of the park. It’s just always been the park next to the bull ring or in front of Expoplaza.

Anyways, a long conversation followed, all in Spanish of course. While we talked he kept a watchful eye on his children, ages 9 and 6, who were taking advantage of the playground structures.

He told me they had moved to Aguascalientes from Zacatecas two years ago. Zacatecas had become very dangerous because of cartel activity and was not a good place to live anymore.

He was curious as to why I had come to Aguascalientes. When I told him I was Canadian he admitted he knew next to nothing about Canada and had never even met a Canadian before.

He also told me he had never traveled outside of Mexico and didn’t speak any English at all. But he wants his children to learn English. He wanted to know if I still taught English even though I was retired. I told him Covid had put an end to that for the time being, although I have occasionally taken on private students in the past five years.

After close to an hour of conversation, he left with his kids and I headed for home. I was really pleased that my Spanish skills had improved so much that I didn’t have to ask him to speak slower or repeat himself. Not once did I say “no entiendo. “

I’ve come a long way.