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Silver Mines of Guanajuato~Mexico

Guanajuato a Colonial Silver City
Guanajuato -Colorful houses climbing up the ravine

I recently returned from Guanajuato Mexico. Guanajuato is in the colonial heartland and is one of Mexico’s most beautiful silver cities. It is built in a rugged ravine and the colorful house climb up along the hillsides. The twisted streets are home to beautiful churches, shaded plazas, ornate colonial architecture and the fabulous Jaurez Theater. 

Three miles outside of Guanajuato is La Valenciana,  where in 1549 silver and gold were discovered. Naturally, I wanted to visit the silver mine and we spent an interesting two hours visiting the mine shaft and the museum. Art and I climbed 60 meters down the irregular stone steps which is what is accessible to tourists. The mine is 100 meters in depth and where miners hauled loads of ore-rich rock back up on their backs. Many of the miners were indigenous Indians and their lives were grueling and they were paid with company store script. Accidents and lung disease took many lives. 

Mentally, I still feel like I’m in my thirties but what was I thinking? The steps down were harder to maneuver than climbing back up but naturally, what goes down must come up and I have been limping around for the past 3 days. It’s incredulous to me that men dug the mine shaft and hauled the rock out on their backs. 

A Week in the Colonial Heartland of Mexico.

Tuesday, May 15th – Zacatitos to Queretario

We abandon our safe and familiar ship in Zacatitos. Herb picks us up promptly at Cactus Corner and drives us to the domestic terminal at the San Jose del Cabo airport. We love this quirky man who has made his life as a desert rat living off the grid in Zacatitos. About 65, long grey hair with a rubber band tying his scruffy beard beneath his weathered face. We pass him our remaining groceries and I slip into the back seat of his rattly car. 30 minutes later, at Art’s request we stop at the Subway on the way to the airport toll road. Herb and I wait in the car and an elderly American saunters up to ask us directions. In the 5 minutes we are waiting for Art, we learn this man’s story. We take the toll road to the airport and Herb deposits us curb side and we roll our luggage into the terminal. Domestic check in is a breeze, we pass through security in a snap and spend an hour waiting for our flight at the gate. Easy Peasy. 

The flight to Queretaro is about 2 hours. Our flight path immediately takes off over the Sea of Cortez to the mainland and for 45 minutes I stare down at endless ocean. The mainland appears and the mainland is hazy with air pollution. I see  curls of smoke twirling upward from fires. Are these dump fires or controlled burns? We fly over an expansive city grid. Guadalajara? Art opens the messy and unappetizing Subway sandwich but I am grateful for a few bites since our breakfast was minimal and our stomachs grumble. There are no snacks or free drinks on Viva Aerobus. We buy an original Coca Cola to share.    

We land at the Queretaro airport, claim our luggage and wait in a taxi line to buy a ticket into the town. The ticket is $450 pesos ($30) and the drive takes 45 minutes. Art and our driver converse in Spanish and I occasionally ask for translations. We pass through sprawling outskirts of Queretario. Clover leaf freeway overpasses, Industrial complexes, indistinctive shopping streets, the colors washed away by years of heat and dust and pollution. It is hot and our taxi is without air conditioning but nevertheless, I am fascinated by all that we pass both ugly and beautiful. I soon see the cathedral domes old town Queretaro and our taxi drops down into the heart of the old city, depositing us in front of our Boutique Hotel, Casa del Atrio across from a cathedral. 

We pry open immense wooden doors and enter a dark foyer. A woman sits at an ornate desk in the dim light. Our eyes adjust, we hand over passports and she soon guides us over uneven paving stones and through several courtyards to our spacious room on the first floor all the time telling us that she has upgraded us to a suite and that we are going to love our room. We see no other guests and the ancient building with interconnected courtyards feels otherworldly, almost haunted. She unlocks our door with genuine brass keys and we step into our room with 12 foot ceilings, two double beds and two weird but genuine abstract paintings. The furniture is an eclectic mix of creaking antiques and faded oriental rugs. I stand on tiptoe to creak open the double french windows that open onto the street and are layered with smudged panes of solid glass and iron grill bars beyond. I know that in the morning, I will not wake up wondering where I am, a feeling I dislike in most American hotel chains. This room is distinctive and I am not in Kansas anymore. 

There is a large flat screen T.V. tucked into an alcove about a carved Spanish buffet. The woman shows us how to operate it and both Art and wish she would hurry up with her instructions because it is doubtful that we will use it. We do however pay attention to the air conditioning instructions. 

Within minutes Art and I exit the labyrinth of our courtyard hotel onto the blinding street outside. It is 5:30 P.M. There is a recommended restaurant two doors down from our hotel. Although it serves other local dishes, its specialty is insects. I step into the foyer and I ask to look at the menu. Long and polished wood tables extend the length of their patio courtyard with a colorful mural along one wall. It is upscale and expensive and between the insects and the price, this is not going to work for Art. He slides back to the sidewalk impatiently waiting for me. I take photos of the menu and the various grasshopper, maguey worm tacos and tarantula appetizers available. Page two lists steak options, the prices far surpassing a maguey taco. I have boarded my pet bearded dragon and I text the Veterinarian the insect menu. The staff are both fascinated and disgusted and reply that ‘Princess’ would like a plate of grasshoppers in all sizes. If only Princess were with me. I looked into bringing her on this trip but reptiles are not allowed to travel internationally and this inequitable rule troubles me. Princess is adorable, docile, only 12” long, has all reptile required medical documents and cannot reproduce. As a result I find myself resentful of those who can travel freely with their dogs and cats. 

Queretaro is a beautiful colonial city studded with Cathedrals, ambient parks and museums. We wander a block down to a major pedestrian promenade and turn left. Ahead is a park shaded by ancient trees, the crowns of the trees intertwining to cover a vast city block and they form a thick leaf canopy over 12 feet deep. Wrought iron benches line the shaded perimeter and people lounge lethargically in the shade which seems to be 10 or 15 degrees cooler than on the unprotected sidewalks. A few overly optimist vendors have set out their handicrafts and tiny portable carts sell balloons and cheap wind up toys to the few children brave enough to be out in this heat. By 6:30 a few street musicians have found their way to the promenade and the temperature has dropped slightly.  I’m beginning to understand the afternoon siesta and surmise that by 8:00 P.M. the promenade will be busy and sidewalk restaurants will be spilling over with diners starting to come out to enjoy the cool of the evening. 

Art and I wander a few blocks and find an inner courtyard cafe where we enjoy  two for one mojitos. We leave and walk nearby streets looking at restaurant menus trying to choose where we might have dinner? For those of you who don’t know us, we are extremely dysfunctional when it comes to deciding on a restaurant. We try to laugh at ourselves and change our habits but they are deeply ingrained. Although, Art has never farmed rice, he was raised frugally in Okinawa Japan and low prices and large portions are what he looks for in a restaurant. I too was raised frugally but I was a privileged only child of academic parents with a small appetite and my wish is for ambience and a unique taste experiences. After 30 minutes of wandering uneven cobblestone streets and finding nothing that meets both of our expectations, our tempers grow short. We return to the same courtyard cafe where we drank mojitos. I am not at all surprised when the inexpensive chicken breast a la mushroom sauce that we order to share is shoe leather quality with a semblance of mushroom soup poured over it. I order the only white wine available and it comes in a screw top airline size wine bottle and is sickeningly sweet. Art apologies but no apologies are necessary. This is what we do and how it often goes. Perhaps tomorrow night will be better. We are forever optimistic and still married after 33 years of restaurant bickering.

We enjoy a leisurely morning and reasonably good breakfast in our hotel courtyard.  Weak coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, a lovely fruit platter and I choose mushroom tacos instead of eggs. Art has bacon and eggs. We time our morning so we will be at the Art Museum across the street when it opens at 10:00 A.M. The architecture throughout the city is Colonial, worn and beautiful.

Wednesday, May 16th Queretaro

The Museo de Arte, across from our hotel is in a a stunning Colonial building and has a surprisingly good collection. Several galleries are dedicated to an upcoming realist artist, Raoul Campos. At first look, his large canvases feel as if they were painted in the Renaissance period so competent is he with his brush and the imagery is fanciful and surrealistic. After a few rooms of Raoul Campos’s work, his imagery of fish and bowls on heads becomes tiresome but his handling of paint is remarkable. Other galleries unfold with abstract works by Ixrael Montes, my favorite being a large bronze sculpture of a lobster. The entire museum is a delight and two gallery of black and white photography capture our interest. An attendant lets us into the photographic galleries, turns on the light and then turns them off when we leave. We are the only visitors to these galleries and we surmise the light turning on and off is to protect the sensitive images. Remarkably poignant images from years past.

Queretaro has many museums and they are all free but we must sign a tedious ledger each time with our names and marking the time of our entry and where we are from. Our next museum has a quirky array of exhibits. One gallery features, Mexican street fighting posters, another gallery a collection of soap containers. The collections are carefully curated and we take our time trying to absorb and remember the vintage graphics of the various collections. There are galleries that leave us speechless and shaking our heads because we feel the art work is terrible but there are others that are a delight. Our hotel Casa del Artio is so conveniently located that we return twice to use the bathroom and to rest.  

After an unmemorable late lunch in a restaurant off a shaded plaza, we venture to another quirky and fascinating museum featuring street art work. Art needs to explain the significance and the coherence of the show but I soon grasp it and delight in the array of taco and hand painted signage art that we often overlook. I can relate to the graffiti art and the hand painted skateboard and surfboard art of Santa Cruz. I think of the many one off and creative signs at Renaissance Festivals that I have participated in over the years. The museum is a treasure of archival signs.

A calendar museum is starred in our guide book and we wonder what its draw might be? We have to pay to enter this museum but it is well worth it and easy to figure out since the many hundreds of calendars are clearly dated. The museum grounds are lush and there are many visitors in the gardens. I surmise that locals pay the modest price for a yearly membership to enjoy the gardens anytime and dine at the cafe. Much of the calendar art work is superb and we soon grasp who the calendar artist rock stars were during their days. We wish to see the original paintings of our favorite, Jesus Helguera but the originals are elsewhere. There are pin up calendars and calendars reflecting the politics and cultures of each era. Framing the edges of most calendars are ad’s for cigarettes, alcohol, perfume and soap. The museum is great fun and a nostalgic flash back to past generations and the norms and cultures of those bygone eras. 

I feel that we must view Queretaro’s aqueduct and we take a taxi to the viewpoint overlooking the sprawling city below. It is brutally hot but we take the obligatory photos and following the map we walk a quarter mile downhill to a contemporary Art Museum. This museum leaves much to be desired and it is after 4:00 P.M. when we exit in search of a taxi to take us to the Academy of Art’s Institute where Art hopes to meet the director and inquire about taking a painting workshop. Art is in much better physical shape and the heat has sapped me and I long for a taxi. I watch several taxis pass by but Art wants to find one headed in the perfect and most economical direction. I finally snap and refuse to walk a step further. I shelter in the minimal shade of a signpost before Art hails a taxi and we are rescued. None of the museums or taxis have air conditioning but in some ways, I appreciate that the city and museums rely on thick walls, inner courtyards and canopies of trees. Also, sensible people take afternoon siestas and don’t venture outside during the heat of the day. Tourists do not have the luxury of time nor are we sensible. 

Our taxi drops us off at the Academy of Art and Art rings the bell and and the intercom crackles and a willowy young woman soon comes to the iron gates and ushers us into a sunny courtyard where we wait while she finished talking with a student. Five minutes later she ushers us through a dim hallway and into her office. I see plaster casts and busts propped on dusty shelves and easels in the hallway and a beyond. One student stands at her easel drawing the planes of a nose. The director gestures to two chairs. Art asks about the study program and she tells us it is a three year program and requires beginning at the bottom with figure drawing and working the way up completing a series of class blocks. This is not what he is looking for and they eventually come to occasional week long workshops taught by qualified visiting artists who have studied in Italy. From what we gather, these week long workshops cost between $1200 – $1500. This is what Art is interested in and she tells us that the next one will be in the fall but the dates are not yet set. She shows us two of the classrooms. There is a figure drawing class in progress but we cannot enter because there is a nude model. Art will need to keep checking the institutes Instagram page for dates. They do not have a web site or a dedicated e-mail list. 

The day is still blistering hot and we walk many blocks to the terrace of a 5 star hotel where we hoist ourselves onto high stools and sip cosmopolitans and share a cob salad. The liquid relaxes and the salad is just what we need to bring us back to life. The weather cools slightly and wander cobblestone backstreets. The late afternoon light sheds a magic over it all and I forget how tired and swollen as my feet are. For dinner, I hope for a salad and a glass of crisp white wine. Art makes an effort for this unfold but there seems to be no white wine available at any of the restaurants. Mixed drinks, shots of tequila and red wine are abundant. Eventually we are directed to a busy side street and find not only a wine bar but several Italian restaurants. We enter an upscale restaurant and I feel momentarily embarrassed when I see the maitre dees eyes scan our wilted cloths his eyes landing at our feet. Both Art and I are wearing sandals. Nevertheless, he graciously seats us and I order a single glass of excellent sauvignon blanc. The glass is elegant and the temperature of the wine perfect. It costs about $11 which by California wine prices is nothing but translated into pesos, it feels expensive. Art drinks an icy Topo-Chico and we share an arugula and prosciutto pizza. Returning to our hotel, I stop at Tikua restaurant again  to examine their menu. The insect appetizer options still fascinate me.  

Thursday, May 17th. Queretario to San Miguel de Allende. 

At 8:00 A.M. Art and I stroll out in search of breakfast. We relish the relative cool of the morning knowing that it will be short lived. We choose a courtyard cafe a few blocks away and we drink marvelous cappuccinos. Art orders eggs and bacon and I choose an open faced toast with arugula and prosciutto. We stroll back to our hotel. Shops are beginning to open. We pop into a few leather and hat shops and I consider a belt for John. Art fingers a tightly woven Panama hat. One street is lined with Quinceanera dress shops and we watch a plump young girl twirl in a green dress while her friends and her mother gush approvingly.  Art imagines how beautiful Molly would look in the green dress with her red hair cascading down. I am interested in the hoop petticoats required as undergarments and the cinched waist ties necessary to transform bodies into hour glass shapes. The tradition looks like it is a Cinderella fantasy and almost as painful as lacing a Renaissance Faire corset. 

Back at the hotel, we pack quickly and our 11:00 A.M.  taxi to San Miguel de Allende is waiting. The set price for the hour drive is 900 pesos or about $60. The driver is pleasant and chats to Art in Spanish telling him about the booming industries, aero space, manufacturing and car factories. Many are American owned as a hedge against China. The freeway is good but we pass a seemingly tragic auto accident and this clouds my mind and heart as I imagine the likely fatalities and see the half dozen paramedics repeatedly in my mind. 

The drive takes 1-1/4 hours and we are soon bumping along the narrow cobblestone streets of San Miguel de Allende with the pink wedding cake cathedral perched on the hill. It’s 12:30 when our taxi drops us off in front of a closed wooden door with a small flowered tile sign above the doorway. The taxi is gone in a flash and our suitcases sit forlornly in front of the locked door. Art buzzes and an intercom crackles with a recorded message. He instructs me to stand in the narrow slice of shade on the opposite side of the street and keep watch. Art goes on a reconnaissance mission to see where we might sit while we wait for a human to open the door. An older American man strolls past me and asks if I need help? I briefly tell him our situation and he assures me that there is a cafe two blocks up and nods approvingly at the closed door saying it is a nice place. Rolling our suitcases along the treacherous cobblestones seems daunting but before we must make our decision, a young man hurries up to the door, unlocks it and ushers us along an extremely narrow interior path sandwiched between the buildings. We appraise the non assuming downstairs sitting room and he shows us a large modern shared kitchen. Breakfast service begins at 8:30 A.M. The hotel is a narrow 4 stories with only 6 or 7 rooms. He shows us three rooms that we can choose from and I pick the only room on the 3rd floor.

Our Roof Garden View – San Miguel de Allende

The rooftop terrace is very inviting so in spite of 3 flights, I opt for the 3rd floor room which after two nights will prove to be a good choice. 

Art and I settle into our small but inviting room and are soon out on the cobblestones, orienting ourselves to the city layout and walking uphill towards the cathedral square in search of lunch. Did I mention that we are not good at choosing restaurants? (Smile)

Plaza, San Migue de Allende

The temperature is soaring and I am sure it is 100+ in the shade and considerably more in the open spaces. We slink along the shady side of the cobble stone street looking at menus and choose a nondescript courtyard cafe off a side street. Art orders fish tacos and I choose a sashimi tostado. We share a large icy coca cola. After lunch we visit La Parroquia, the parish church of San Miguel. It’s Neogothic and built of pink sandstone and the thick stone walls cool the interior from the blistering heat. The Cathedrals strange pinnacles give it its wedding cake reputation. The vaulted ceilings are brick and light beams from the clearstory glass windows. 

The historical museum is off a corner from the main square and we spend an hour there, reading about the history of Mexico’s independence and the city’s hero, Ignacio Allende. 

Tonight we miss our restaurant mark again and choose a Paella restaurant at the end of our street. Passing several times during the day, we become prey to the woman standing outside, hawking her establishment. It is steps from our hotel, advertises, 2 for one happy hour, has a a rooftop bar and a seemingly lovely paella menu. We confidently enter and the host begins to take us upstairs to the roof top which might have been a fine choice but on the way, Art says we came for the 2 for one Mojitos. The waiter halts and says that the 2 for 1 drinks do not apply on the roof top. We’re taken aback slightly but the interior of the restaurant is cool with white table cloths and candle lighting so we choose a table by the front window. We order a seafood Paella that will take 45 minutes to prepare and two margaritas but the waiter halts us and says we may not share them but need to order 2 each and at the same time. It is likely that we would have ordered 2 rounds but we don’t want 4 drinks at once. Then I notice that the happy hour option includes white wine which I prefer so we change our order. The waiter is confused. We are confused. A young woman who speaks some English steps forward and Art tries to be funny replying that perhaps that we need a lawyer to help decipher their special? Two Mojitos now sit in front of Art and by some miracle a waitress pours me a glass of crisp and cold white wine. A beautiful seafood Paella arrives shortly but it is all smoke and mirrors and the delight for us is short lived when the squid tentacles are rubber and that there is no fish what so ever in the overly salty and greasy dish. I push a little around on my plate and can only nibble a few bites. When the bill comes, they have charged us 80 pesos more than the menu price and Art asks if we should point this out? I shake my head, Art pushes his credit card into the hungry machine, adds a small tip and we leave. 

Picturesque San Miguel is a maze of cobblestone streets, expensive boutiques and hundreds of courtyard and rooftop bars and restaurants. We walk up to the main plaza which is thronging with people. Unlike Queretaro there are lots of tourists and ex-pats sitting in the shaded and park. A cacophony of competing mariachi groups lurk and play outside of every cafe. Disneyesque 12 foot puppets teeter on the cobblestones and it seems that everyone is taking a selfie or wanting their photo taken with these grotesque puppets. I can almost feel their sweat trickling down inside their sweltering costumes and their frozen faces unnerve me. Both Art and I want to leave but we first buy a large bottle of water and on the way to the register we see bottles of tequila for sale behind a locked display. Why not since we have a quiet roof top garden and three nights at our charming hotel? Back at our hotel, we collect ice from the kitchen, climb the 4 flights up to the terrace and sit blissfuly alone overlooking the city with the lighted Cathedral as a backdrop. 

Friday, May 18th, San Miguel de Allende. Art has found a Pickle ball group on the outskirts of the city. It starts at 8:30 so he foregoes breakfast and takes a taxi to the courts. I enjoy the hotel’s breakfast alone. Strong coffee, a pretty fruit plate and freshly squeezed orange juice. The pastries are terrible but have a cooked to order omelet and am quite satisfied. Returning upstairs to my room, I grab my computer and climb the spiral glass stairway to the roof terrace. The morning is blissfully cool, the view is idyllic and I thoroughly enjoy two hours alone writing this blog. 

Art rests a bit when he returns and we venture out into the stifling heat and walk to the Escuela de Bellas Artes. The highlight for me is an immense room dedicated to an exceptional unfinished Siqueiros mural. The cosmic mural covers the walls and ceiling with shooting angular lines, optical circles and a projectile red and yellow flaming missile design. Stunning and other worldly. We rehydrate with icy drinks in the shady courtyard of the museum. His new Pickle Ball friends have told him of an art gallery cooperative, La Aurora Fabrica and we take a taxi to the maze of artist studios and showrooms. It’s great to have so many galleries clustered together one flowing into the other. Some good art, mostly mediocre but because of the fluid space, we are seldom cornered by sales persons and can wander on our own. Showrooms flows into courtyards into more galleries. Some spaces are bearable heat wise but crossing unshaded patios in the heat saps me. 

Finding a courtyard cafe, we refuel and hydrate. A decent guacamole for me and a club sandwich for Art. With renewed strength we finish the gallery tour and take a taxi back to our hotel to rest. Our room is on the top floor and heat rises and there is no air conditioning. Our room is slightly cooler than the outside temperature and we open both door and window and watch our overhead fan whirl and move the hot air around. We shower and literally lie naked on our bed. I eventually dress and walk up to the roof top and sit in the small patch of hot shade and write. I’m acclimating to the temperature and at least it is dry heat. Several other guests come and go and we all share the one shaded table. 

One man who Art played pickle ball with this morning mentioned a good restaurant that we might want to try but after the experience, I question this man’s standards? More likely he mentioned a cheap and passable restaurant. Hecho en Mexico. The courtyard is pretty enough and the service is prompt and amiable but my spinach salad leave everything to be desired. I should have known not to order a salad but because of the heat, I have little appetite. Art’s chicken mole is O.K. and he shares a few bites with me. Although, I believe that I am speaking quietly, I tell Art that my salad is disappointing. I immediately regret this when Art tells me that I have the aptitude of speaking poorly of something at the exact moment that a waiter or sales person walks by. We leave the restaurant grumbling at each other and walk the cobble stone streets back in silence. Collecting ice from our hotel kitchen we climb the 4 flights up to the roof terrace which in the cool of the evening has transformed into a blissful setting. There are 3 large seating areas but we are the only ones on the roof.  We forget about our bickering and sip chilled tequila and enjoy the view of the illuminated cathedral and watch the activities on nearby roof top terraces. 

Saturday, May 19th, San Miguel de Allende

We eat the hotel breakfast together and Art hurries off to pickle ball. With a cup of coffee in hand, I head to the cool of the rooftop  to write. Even though the weather is delightful, the sun is such that there is only one shaded table and a French mother and daughter sit with me. They are planning their day and I give them as much privacy as possible considering the limited shade real estate. 

Art returns from pickle ball and we head out for our last day in San Miguel, starting with the Museum Casa del Mayorazgo that is right off the main plaza. The museum is curated in yet another beautiful historical building and is a showcases many best artisans and craft examples from regions of Mexico. 

I manage to convince Art that we should hire a taxi to drive us 11 kilometers outside of San Miguel de Allende to the Sanctuario de Atotonilco. The guide book writes that this chapel is this Mexico’s “Sistine Chapel.”  When we arrive the small town is void of tourists and Art wisely asks the taxi driver to wait for us since finding transportation back to San Miguel may be difficult. The simple exterior of the chapel complex is walled with cream plaster and we walk the perimeter of the complex before entering.

Although the chapel is nothing like the Sistine Chapel, I am not disappointed. There are groups of Pilgrims waiting to enter the chapel each holding a silken and embroidered flag denoting their particular congregation.  We stand behind the first group waiting for an earlier baptism ceremony to end. When the chapel empties we remove our hats and enter as discretely as possible. Every wall and alcove in the interior of the church is painted with earth tone frescos. The many columns are topped with gold plated corinthian capitals and the statues are colorfully painted. We stand with the Pilgrims while they kneel, pray and sing together. Their chanting is both beautiful and other worldly. After about ten minutes, they rise in unison and with bowed heads, back out of the chapel.

Art and I walk around the small village that is preparing for a street festival. Tents line the street selling trinkets and good smelling food. An hour passes before we return to our taxi for the drive back to San Miguel de Allende.

Art is trying to make up for last night’s restaurant choice and tonight we go to the Rosewood hotel and restaurant for drinks. Neither Art nor I are very comfortable in exclusive hotels and restaurants but we allow ourselves to be escorted to a rooftop table with views of the sunset and the domed and spired city beyond. The service is overly attentive but we each enjoy a tasty cocktail and share a wonderful guacamole appetizer. The waiters continually check on us, removing  plates and glasses before we have enjoyed the last crumb or sip. I feel they are trying to turn tables quickly and the third time they swoop in, I smile and grab my glass with both hands making it quite obvious that we are not ready to leave. The waiter smiles and leaves us alone. Eventually, we pay the bill we wander the terrace and descend through their manicured courtyard back to the street. Still somewhat hungry, Art direct us to another pickle ball recommended restaurant that proves to be just our style. It has an innovative menu and we order and yummy chicken brochettes with grilled jicama and peppers and another round of drinks. The designer or possibly the owner of the restaurant comes to sit with us and we can feel that an unwanted party is  beginning to unfold. Art and I make polite excuses and walk the cobble stone streets back to our hotel.  

Sunday May 20th, San Miguel de Allende to Guanajuato

Our taxi to Guanajuato will come at noon so Art has another morning to play pickleball and I can spend another morning on the rooftop writing. It is Sunday morning and guitarist is playing for brunch guests on a nearby rooftop so I am serenaded as I write and blissfully alone. The 1-1/2 hour taxi ride costs 1000 pesos or about $65.00. I don’t know it yet, but Guanajuato will be my favorite of the three cities we visit on this trip. Guanajuato is in the colonial heartland and is one of Mexico’s most beautiful silver cities. It is built in a rugged ravine and the colorful houses climb up along the hillsides. The twisted streets are home to beautiful churches, shaded plazas, ornate Colonial architecture and the fabulous Jaurez Theater. 

Many of the streets are one way or unaccessible to traffic so our taxi driver lets us off a street below our hotel. It’s a bit of a challenge to maneuver our luggage up the alley way stairs but we manage and I stand watch over the luggage as Art walks half a block down and checks into the La Casa de Don Lucas Hotel. The hotel is in the heart of town which is a top priority for me. I want to be able to walk to cafes, museums and watch humanity stroll by. I requested a 1st or 2nd floor room and they accommodate us with a huge, odd and very dimly lit suite. We have a separate bedroom with two queen beds and an interior window looking over the hotels patio cafe. I rather like this. The sitting room is furnished with spindly but a nice antique couch, chairs and tables. A wet bar, refrigerator and microwave are in the far corner and beyond that is a small but well appointed bathroom. Once our eyes adjust to the dim lighting and we are able to figure out how to turn bedside lights and how to plug in our electronics I am quite happy with this room. Within 10 minutes we have regrouped and head out onto the street in search of a late lunch. 

Apparently the city is preparing for a festival and there are food booths lining the street. It is now past 2:00 P.M. and finding lunch is our top priority. We walk a block down reading cafe menus. Nothing stands out since they all serve traditional Mexican dishes that we are bored with. I quickly acquiesce when Art suggests one of the street food stalls. The grill sizzles and there are many Mexican families sharing long plastic covered tables and the food looks fresh and ample. We order chicken taquitos to share and do not ask the price. Minutes later our ample plate arrives and we dig in. The food is mediocre but we eat heartily and Art is shocked when he asks for the bill. Both of us expected that the prices would be considerably less than if we were to order the same thing in one of the adjoining cafes. We pay our 250 pesos and walk towards the central plaza. Art hates to feel taken advantage of and grumbles as we walk toward the central plaza. I urge him to let it go. 

Guanajuato is in the Colonial heartland and is one of Mexico’s most beautiful silver cities. It is built in a rugged ravine and colorful buildings climb up along the hillsides. We wander the twisted cobblestone streets and come to a lovely tree shaded plaza. It is another brutally hot day and these plazas with their wrought iron benches are a welcome rest. The Jaurez Theater adjoins the plaza and we climb the stairway intending to enter but we are informed we need a ticket. Along side the theater is a tiny kiosk and we pay the minimal amount and return to the entrance. It was built in 1903 and is a good example of Mexican Neoclassical architecture.  Doric columns support a facade that it crowned with 8 bronze muse sculptures. Two bronze lions flank the entrance. Inside, I feel that I’ve been transported by magic carpet to an Arabian Nights fairy tail. Every surface of the decorative interior is embellished with ‘peacock’ fans of tile, gold leaf, red velvet and crystal chandeliers. 

Art and I wander the twisted streets. The alleys are picturesque and the city feels very European.

On the curbs sit children selling straw burrows, young girls with bouquets of flowers, a blind mother and son sing beautiful operatic songs and then I see a young man of about 15 sitting against a dirty wall selling fried scorpions, grasshoppers and tiny fried fish. I don’t usually intrude and ask for a photo but I ask this young man and he beams and gives me a thumbs up!  Next door is a tiny bar and Art asks if I would like to have a pulque and we step into the small dark room and order 1 pulque and 1 mescal. Pulque is a traditional Mexican fermented alcoholic mead made from the Agave plant. Mescal is distilled but also made from the Agave plant. Art’s pulque drink is large and milky and comes in several flavors. We order a second round (of course only to sample a second flavor.) We consider a third round and Art says he might eat a scorpion if I allow him another round and watching him eat a scorpion is a tempting offer, but I nudge him forward to pay the bill which is about $5 for two rounds of drinks. The overpriced taquitos we ate earlier are now forgotten.

We walk to the Don Quixote museum which is mildly interesting and as I’m sure you can guess, every painting and sculpture features Don Quixote.  

Leaving the museum, we wander other streets and I soon have the central district mapped in my mind. Our stomachs remind us it’s dinner time and the guidebook recommends an unassuming deli that specializes in Japanese food. We find it easily and I order fresh spring rolls and a salmon roll. Art chooses a Bento Box and he points to a selection of cold salads, several mayonnaise based. My meal is reasonably good and a welcome break from Mexican food. Art wolfs his down but his will come back to haunt him over the next several days. I always want to prolong our evenings out and I urge Art to sit at an outdoor cafe off the plaza by the Jaurez Theater. It’s beginning to get dark. Our drinks arrive and I hear the familiar sound of a whip cracking, leave our table and go to the street to see a parade approaching. (Why you may ask, is whip cracking a familiar sound to me? Do enough Renaissance Festivals and whip cracking becomes a pretty common theme at the stage shows.) There are young boys dressed like devils, cracking whips dangerously into the crowd followed by dancers, horn blowers and drummers. I fast walk back to the table and give Art his chance to investigate the parade.

We pay our bill we watch the deafening parade of marchers, elaborately feathered and beaded dancers and a dozen strong men march carrying an alter to the Virgin Mary in the manner one might carry a coffin. My ears still ring when we are back inside our hotel room. I realize that having a hotel directly off the main street during a fiesta may not bode well for a restful sleep. 

Monday, May 21st, Guanajuato

This is our only full day in Guanajuato and it seems that all the museums are closed on Monday’s. Going to the Diego Rivera museum was top on our list. Diego Rivera was born in Guanajuato so the museum is both his home and a museum. My only consultation is that I really love this city and that means we will need to return another time. The guide book suggests taking the funicular to the top of the hill so after a mediocre hotel breakfast we set out on foot to the station. I’m not wild about air trams or funiculars but the tracks haul us up a nearly vertical incline and we dutifully take photos from the viewpoint of the colorful city below.

silver mine of Bocamina San Ramon is one of the few things open today and after walking through the covered food market we find a taxi to take us to the mine. The taxi ride takes us up into the hills above Guanajuato to the Valenciana mining district, down a narrow road and deposits us at the entrance to the mine. We pay the modest entrance fee and join a small Spanish speaking tour. The small museum doesn’t need much interpretation. There are dioramas of the mine shaft and examples of the ore and then there is the 60 meter climb down the shaft that is open to the public. The steps are uneven, tall and rock hewn with a cable hand rail on both sides of the tunnel wall. It looks challenging but not impossible and we go down. Down is harder than the upward trek but somewhere along the way, I injure myself or over stress my muscles and by the time I am back above ground, I can barely walk. Unfortunately, we must walk as there are no taxis and I want to visit the Templo La Valenciana, described as a magnificent church with a dazzling interior and golden alters. It’s Monday so of course it is closed.

We stand in the hot and dusty hillside square looking vainly for a taxi to take us back into the city below. A city bus fills before we can board. Seemingly, a long time later, another bus arrives and we are able to get on and find a seat. I am blissfully happy to be careening down the road, sandwiched among locals and watching the scenery pass by. 

Back in Guanajuato, we feel we have earned a splurge and have a late lunch at an upscale restaurant just off the main square. Surprisingly, it is not much more expensive than the other places we have eaten and the salad is innovative and fresh and the chicken dish, smothered with a fruity sauce is quite good. Our meals are accompanied by bread and tucked among the rolls are two  sweet bread pastries that are custard filled and melt in your mouth delicious. We walk back to our hotel to rest. 

It’s our last night of the trip and we must wake early and take a taxi to the Leon airport. As dusk settles we walk back to the square, eventually settle on a corner upstairs restaurant and score a balcony table overlooking the bustling square below. The moon is nearly full and hangs low in the sky. This is the perfect end to a whirlwind week in the Colonial highlands of Mexico. 

Tuesday, May 22nd, Guanajuato to Leon to San Jose California.

The taxi arrives precisely at 5:00 A.M. The 35 minute ride to the international Leon airport costs only 700 pesos or about $40. Checking in and security is seamless but we are hungry and there are no good airport options. Two cappuccinos, a Croque Monsieur and Eggs Benedict set us back over $50. Unfortunately the food is truly terrible and when we board Volaris Air charges for water and even snacks. We share a bag of jalapeño potato chips and a coca cola. The plane is half empty and Art makes room for me to curl up on two seats and rest my feet on his lap. For me the three hour direct flight is painless enough and we land in San Jose at 10:30 A.M. Our car is in long term parking, the shuttle comes quickly and we and head straight to Japan Town for an early lunch. 

Why I Love ‘Mecca’ by Susan Straight

My father was a geologist and I went to kindergarten in Mecca California while my father was mapping the San Andreas Fault. We lived in an adobe bungalow nestled in a date grove and my best friend was Maria who’s parents were migrants and worked in the date orchards. I spoke no Spanish and Maria spoke no English but Maria would come to our dusty front porch and we played with Jenny Dolls. I was allowed to go to their families date grove encampment some nights. I remember holding her young fathers hand and walking the raised furrows of the grove and watching the women make tortillas. My father was so much older.

In 2010 on a final desert road trip with my father to Mecca, the adobe cottage was abandoned but still standing.


I had one other friend, a boy of about 8 or 9, the son or grandson of the old woman who lived in the main house. He and I would crawl on our bellies through the mesquite and tamarack. We built forts and would catch scorpions.

Every day, my father went to the field to map the geology. My mother packed his tin lunch box and seldom did he return home without a horned lizard, tarantula or snake tucked inside the empty tin. This is why I love reptiles, insects and arachnids. I was in Mecca less than a year but the desert is still my happy place.


Throughout my childhood, I went on many canyon and desert trips with my parents and in 2010, I took my father on a final road trip to his beloved desert; Joshua Tree, Mecca, Painted Canyon and the Salton Sea. He passed away at age 99 in May of 2014.

2010 Road trip with my father – Joshua Tree scenic view point overlooking the Coachella Valley

Everything about Mecca by Susan Straight hits my heartstrings. Truly an “engaging novel about a network of people related by blood, love and duty.” Washington Post.

The Baja Nature Channel

Many of our jewelry designs are inspired by nature. I travel frequently down to the tip of Baja where the desert meets the Sea of Cortez. Yesterday, while reading on our ocean view deck I spotted turmoil on the  oceans surface just beyond the surf. A huge school of Mobula Devil Rays were circling, pop-corning and glinting in the Baja sunshine. Although I have seen this a few times before, I am not usually down here in late April. Throughout the day, rays would jump and I would catch their diamond sparkle as they performed acrobatics.

School of Munk’s Devil Rays – Wikipedia photo

The Munk’s Devil Ray is the smallest of the Mobula genus and their cousin is the huge Manta Rays. The Devil Ray is a meter across with two frontal lobe fins that look a bit like horns, giving them their nick name. These frontal fins help to funnel water and food into their mouth. Unless you are a plankton they are harmless and during late spring and late autumn, as the currents change bringing in schools of plankton, they congregate by the tens of thousands to feed, mate and give birth.  They give birth to only one pup every 3-5 years. Although they may seem plentiful, they are on the near threatened list, a causality of by-catch and of being the favorite food of the Orca. 

Spiny Tail Rock Iguanas reside within the crevices of the rocky wall of our Baja casita. Whenever I’m at our Baja home, feeding papaya and bananas to our iguanas is my favorite pastime. I work on our websites, write, read and paint. I’m often  distracted looking out our many windows to see what our iguanas are doing. Spike is our handsome black and tan male and about 20” long. We have five resident iguanas living in our rock condo wall. Today, I caught Spike and a smaller female, head bobbing (a mating courtship ritual) and circling each other head to tail. As far as I could see his desire was left unfulfilled and she scampered from the wall and into her rock crevice. “Not today dear…” The pesky chipmunks eat the majority of the papaya and banana and our neighborhood burros stretch their necks over the wall trying to reach the treats. I’ve spotted several juvenile Spiny Tail Iguanas as well. They are a gorgeous bright green and we named our January 2023 juvenile Squirt. I haven’t seen Squirt this April, but he or she may have matured and lost its vibrant coloring. 

Spike, on the rock wall of our bungalow – photo by Marty

Today is May 8th, 2023. I’m starting to shut down our off the grid bungalow in Zacatitos. I looked out the window and on the rock wall and there was a lizard pile. I grabbed my binoculars and Spike was mating with Cholla. Their tails and bodies were intertwined in what I perceived to be an uncomfortable position. Spike was biting the frill on Cholla’s neck to keep her still and in position. By the time I got my camera they were finished with their lovemaking. I’m very excited to anticipate more spiny tail iguanas and verify that Cholla is female. She’s grown, but not nearly as big as Spike and until a few minutes ago, I didn’t know if she might be a young male and their head bobbing activities were territorial or romantic. These iguanas breed in the Spring and it will be 8 – 10 weeks before the female digs her nest and up to 30 eggs are laid. The eggs will hatch 75-90 days later and there is a 50.3% survival rate. I am Exited to be a great grandma in early October!

Buzzard and Crested Caracara

My favorite Baja bird is the Buzzard. They catch the thermals and I watch them soaring over our Baja bungalow. I almost always see them circling Punta Gorda, the rocky point that rises 300 feet above Zacatitos and is the west end bookend for our off grid community.  Prior to the Hurricane Odile, buzzards would perch on he frame of our neighbors palapa. These majestic birds of prey are excellent scavengers and do their job well, keeping the desert free of carrion. They have a wing span of 3-4 feet and can live up to 25 years although their average lifespan is 8. They are monogamous and lay 3-4 eggs each breeding season. Pictured, perching on an adjoining cactus is a Crested Caracara, sometimes referred to as the Mexican Falcon. It frequently joins the vultures to feast on carrion and can be spotted walking on the ground as well as perching on the highest cactus.

Desert Cardinals – It’s wonderful to see a splash of color against the muted colors of the Baja desert. There is actually color everywhere but you have to look a harder here to find it. Seeking out the surprises nature presents is a bit of a scavenger hunt in Baja. There are many cardinals here. The desert dwelling cardinals are similar to the Northern Cardinal but not the crimson red. In Baja their plumage is grey and orange with red highlights on face, crest, belly, wings and tail. We hear them often a part of the chorus of many distinct bird calls. Their song is high pitched with a loud clear whistle. The desert is a noisy place and geckos bark at night. (I smile to the gecko chirp in my dreams.) Unfortunately there is also the endless sound of construction as paradise is paved.

Cardinal defending his territory from the handsome bird in the mirror. Photo by Marty

Apparently we are parking our 4-runner in one males territory. He mistakes his reflected image in our rear view mirrors and relentlessly challenges the invading male in the reflection.  I’m pausing my writing to go cover the mirrors lest he have a heart attack. 

Cardinals have 3 to 4 broods each year consisting of 3 to 4 eggs each. They are mostly monogamous but will choose a new mate if their mate dies. Cardinals are not on the endangered pieces list. 

Scorpions and the Tailless Whip Scorpions. I see the creepy but harmless tailless scorpions often. They sometimes surprise me in our sink by coming up through the drain pipe. I slip a glass over the intruder, slide a spatula below and return it to its outside habitat. Several nights ago, one greeted us on the steps to our casita. Happily for both of us, I had a flashlight and did not step on him. We also have hundreds of tiny scorpions that hide in our rock wall, under rotted cactus skeletons and under desert rocks. The Scorpions are venomous but not aggressive and we have a mutual agreement to leave each other alone. Look don’t touch. They are easy to spot at night under the ultra violet flashlight and glow green. Going on a scorpion hunt is a fun distraction for the grandkids and the adults as well. Venomous and poisonous are very different. Many plants and animals are poisonous but only if you eat it or them. Venomous means that the bite or the sting from the creature can cause harm. Biting or stinging is usual the creatures last resort. Live and let live.

Burros – Dozens of semi wild burros roam the dirt roads of Zacatitos, Baja. ‘One Ear’ a weather beaten male has probably fathered many of our local burros. They are smart and personable and sometimes annoying. They are always asking for treats. Zacatitos would not be Zacatitos without them. Donkey verses Burro is mostly a matter of semantics but burros tend to be smaller and gray or brown with a stripe down their back. Just like an elephant, a burro never forgets.

Walking Stick Insect – Walking Stick Insects are often referred to as the leaf insects, ghost or phantom bugs for their ability to camouflage. Camouflage protects them from predators but many have a secondary line of defense such as spines or toxic secretions. Here again is an example of poisonous versus venomous. They do not bite or sting but may be extremely unpleasant to eat or digest. They hide in plain sight, some even changing their coloration and predators instinctively know that they are not tasty. This wide order of insects are found on all continents except Antarctica and are most prevalent in the tropics and subtropics. Spotting one of these bugs in the Zacatitos desert is a real treat! These amazing insects come in shapes and colors that are beyond even Pixar’s and Disney’s imagination.

Walking Stick insect in proportion to Art’s hand. – Photo by Marty

Southern Desert Horned Lizard.

We spotted this Southern Desert Horned Lizard, ‘Horny Toad’ at the Melling Ranch in Northern Baja. The ranch has been family owned for 115 years and both my grandfather and father spent considerable time there. It is an effort to drive there but Art and I visited it in 2107 making a pilgrimage to the Melling Ranch a 3 generation tradition. The ranch is the gateway to the Sierra San Pedro Martir National Park. Horned lizards have a distinctive wide and flat body and pointed spikes that protrude from the back of their heads. They are relatively small ranging between 3”-4” in length. They prey primarily on invertebrates, ants being one of their favorite treats. They are a gentle species although two of their defense mechanisms are puffing up when threatened and squirtng blood from their eyes.  As a child, I had several catch and release horned lizards while my father was mapping the San Andreas fault in the California high desert. I remember being 7 years old in Castaic and hand feeding my various horned lizards squirming ants held between tweezers. After their meals, I would gently turn them over, stoke their incredibly soft bellies and they would sleep. Perhaps they were playing dead as another defense mechanism but I loved them so. I have been especially bonded to lizards since then.

Peninsular Leaf-toed Gecko

We see these nocturnal geckos occasionally and hear their sharp bark and chirp frequently at night. I count the chirps in my dreams and it is often 9 in quick succession followed by a responding 9 chirps from a nearby gecko. I assume this is their internet dating code asking who wants to hang out, eat bugs and mate? We have many living in and around our off the grid Baja bungalow and they are efficient insect exterminators. Moths and spiders beware. As with all geckos, they have sticky toes that afford them the magical ability to effortlessly scale walls and glass and rest comfortably on the ceiling near light fixtures waiting to ambush the next unsuspecting insect.  The ones I encounter are between 3” -5” long with huge bug eyes. (the better to see those bugs in the dark) They are harmless to all but insects. They are tan and brown spotted or sometimes tan and brown banded with splayed sticky toes and incredibly soft bellies. Their nightly calls lower my blood pressure and I smile in my dreams. 

Baja Rattlesnake

The beautiful, black, brown and tan diamond pattern Baja Rattlesnake inhabits the deserts of the Baja Peninsula and many of the islands off the Pacific coast of Baja. They are venomous with a distinctive tail rattle that they will vibrate to warn creatures to keep at a distance. They prefer to be left alone and politely announce their presence should you inadvertently wander too close. Should you get close enough to gaze into their eyes, you can distinguish a viper by their vertical pupils. Few people die from a rattlesnake bite but you should seek immediate medical treatment. The bite will be painful but venom is not always injected. The dine on small rodents, lizards and centipedes and have 2- 7 young a season. An adult Baja Rattlesnake is about 3 feet long and in 2015 we were greeted by a juvenile on the bottom step of our stairway and Art carefully relocated it to the nearby brush. Neither snake or human were harmed. The same year, while walking to dinner at Zac’s we saw a 4 foot adult sinuously weave through the sand and low ground cover. Gorgeous and graceful. I managed to video this encounter but when he turned back with a warning glare and rattle, I kept my distance. 

Juvenile Baja Rattlesnake

Flattie House Spider

Meet Star, our friendly flattie house spider. There are many species of these spiders throughout the world and they are referred to as a flatties because of their low profile. They are harmless and I have become attached to Star. She is nocturnal and greets me most nights on the wall of our bathroom. She is a little larger than a quarter and speckled a pretty brown and tan. She is gone in the morning and on the two nights that I didn’t see her, I was disappointed. 

Meet Star, our Flattie House Spider

Tarantula

Although I’ve only seen a few tarantulas in Zacatitos, there are 66 species in Mexico. Recently Art and I spotted one on the road between Zacatitos and the paved highway and stopped to photograph it. After a brief photo op, it scurried under our car tire for protection and Art and I argued for some time because I would not let him drive away until I was sure she was safely off the road. They are mostly docile and their bite is no worse than a bee sting. They burrow and prey on grasshoppers, beetles and an occasional small lizard. They can live up to 25 years! Not that I want one but they make good pets and unfortunately the illegal pet and souvenir trade industry is threatening many species. For years I did Craft festivals and was horrified and disgusted to see tarantulas, scorpions, beetles and butterflies encased in plexiglass. 

Zacatitos Tarantula

In 2014, John and I traveled to Cambodia and Myanmar. We were not on a tour but arranged for independent guides and drivers. A highlight was a stop at a huge roadside insect market. I was both horrified and fascinated as our Cambodian guide crunched spiders with gusto telling us they tasted just like potato chips. I did not indulge but naturally John nibbled on one. During the Khmer Rouge, food was scarce and insects became a staple to the Cambodian diet. 

Land Hermit Crabs 

When I first came to Zacatitos Baja, I would frequently find Hermit Crabs on the beach and I kidnapped one or two to take back to our Zacatitos Casita for an overnight airbnb. The next morning I would return them to the exact place on the beach where I had found them. I’m sure they didn’t enjoy their vacation but I loved them so! I named two Skuttle and Butt and they would race around our casita deck until I tucked them into a pail for the night. I know they are omnivorous and I offered them all sorts of edible treats and I collected larger shells to offer the crab whose house seemed too small. I never successfully convinced any to relocate to a larger shell. I have now learned that they can live up to 30 years, need both land, water and the companionship of a colony to thrive. They also need deep sand in which to molt. I see fewer and fewer on the beach today.  That may be because I am aging and not making as many long beach walks or that paradise is being paved. Buying a hermit crab as a pet is condemning it to misery and an early death. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/hermit-crabs

Skuttle and Butt – Zacatitos Hermit Crabs – Photo by Marty

Baja Black Tail Deer

It’s May of 2013 and we have seen several of these lithe Black Tail Deer in our arroyo, mostly at sunset. The night we arrived a young buck was silhouetted in the dirt driveway to our casita. These Black Tail Deer weigh up to 225 pounds and are under 4 feet tall and less than 5 feet long. Mule Deer are much heftier and larger. Black Tail Deer have wider and longer black tails that stand out against their white rump. These deer bound quickly along the arroyo but our glimpses are fleeting and too far away for me to get a photo with my I-phone.  I hope to see another this evening and get a better visual understanding. Our neighbors tell of antler sheds that they have found in the arroyos and on Punta Gorda. 

Black Tail Deer – Wikipedia

Baja Rock Crabs

There are thousands of  rock crabs swarming the rocky coastline of the east cape of Baja.  Apparently there are 3 types of rock crabs  between Southern Baja and Washington State but our Zacatitos rock crabs fit none of the other descriptions. Ours are brown with blue dappling and in Zacatitos, the ocean-slick, quartz veined granite with is alive with crab motion. Adult crabs  range between  6” – 8” across and their life span is between 5-6 years. The females have wider abdomens where they carry their eggs.  The crabs grow in steps, molting their external carapace at each step. Mating takes place when the females have soft shells just after molting and a male crab often protects the molting female by holding her under his abdomen. To this human, this seems so very sweet and perhaps its natures a preamble to foreplay. The crabs scavange as well as catch unsuspecting prey. 

The Most Dangerous Catch

Many of you have met my son John at a bay area art and wine festival, at the Vallejo Pirate Festival or at the Maryland Renaissance festival. 

Alisha and John at the Vallejo Pirate Festival in June 2019

This week John embarks on the high seas out of Dutch Harbor Alaska as a fish observer. He will be contracting for NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association) recording the weights and and types of fish caught on various fishing vessels that he is assigned to. John graduated from S.F.S.U. with a degree in marine biology and limnology and although he’s had many jobs before, (including wearing a pirate hat at Marty Magic festivals) this will be his first job in his field of study. 

I’m grateful that his 3 month contract is during the Alaskan summer and pray that his intensive safety training will not be needed. He is wearing my Angler Fish Pendant as a good luck amulet. Safe adventures John!

Our Garden Oasis

Art made this koi fish and dragonfly gate for our 30th wedding anniversary. I was surprised and delighted that Art carved portraits of two of our koi fish into the gate. We have been sheltering at home since March and having a backyard oasis has been our escape. As winter settles in, the yard is not so lush but we continue to enjoy it under the warmth of outdoor patio heaters.

Several years ago, two ducks would visit our pond. They haven’t come in a few years but this year the crows and the hummingbirds visit. Our yard has been great for socially distant family gatherings and our immediate family of 7 will celebrate Thanksgiving outside this year. The weather is predicted to be 61 degrees and sunny. Yeah for long underwear and patio heaters!

I have two bearded dragons as pets and in the spring and into late summer they love grazing in the clover. We lost our sweet Hoochie Poochie this March and I adopted two other dragons soon after.

May your lives be filled with both thanks and giving this holiday season.

A Magic Family Halloween

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I don’t have to cook and I get a free pass to wear a costume. I wondered how a socially distant Halloween would be? Our first tricksters were the incredible Baseball Zombie family. Alisha’s family went all out and my granddaughter Molly applied their Zombie makeup. Makes a grandmother proud!

Baseball Zombie Family

We set up a PVC pipe as a safe candy delivery system, cordoned our front courtyard off with caution tape and pushed candy down the pipe to quite a few neighborhood kids out Trick or Treating.

My two bearded dragons joined in the fun. Uluru and Princess are rescue lizards and I dressed them in costumes. Their treats were mealy worms. 

Art and I enjoyed a front courtyard fire, long distance conversations with neighbors and watching the small parade of costumed kids.

Caution tape and a front courtyard fire made our socially distance Halloween a lot of fun!

A Cautiously Divided Father’s Day Sushi Party

Art and I continue to isolate at home with occasional sightings of our family from afar.  Father’s day was one of those rare occasions and once again, I divided our spacious back yard into three sections with caution tape.  Art and I kept to our designated area but John, with permission from the McCormack family crossed the line into their space.  

Using dishes and tapestries brought home from Japan, I set up three Japanese themed tables and we ordered sushi from the Sushi Garden. My grandchildren are all sushi monsters and was it my imagination or did our koi fish circle the pond more anxiously as we ate? 

The food was excellent, the weather perfect and it was a joy to spend time with our immediate family. 

Caution Tape Mother’s Day

Caution Tape Party Divide
Caution Tape Party Divide

It’s been over four months since the Magic Family gathered together but after much playful planning, our three families gathered for a Mother’s Day celebration. With yellow caution tape, I divided our spacious back yard into three sections with a wedge of patio connecting into our kitchen where Art and I could sit.

The McCormack Family Section
The McCormack Family Section

John's Pond Side Table
John’s Solitary Pond Side Table

Social Distance Mothers Day BBQ
Social Distance Mothers Day BBQ

I planned for alfresco dining and set up three decorative tables for our socially distance families. For the few days prior, I worried and watched the Santa Cruz weather report change from blissfully sunny to heavy afternoon fog but on Sunday by 4:00 P.M. the sun was shining brightly and we enjoyed a magical back yard barbecue.

Pushing the Caution Tape Boundaries
Pushing the Caution Tape Boundaries

Pushing the Caution Tape Boundaries
Pushing the Caution Tape Boundaries

The clouds parted at 3:30 and our party curtains rose at 4:00 P.M. John entered from the stage left garden gate and Alisha and her family entered from the stage right garden gate. Our koi pond was the neutral zone and I created a safe wedge for Art and me to sit with access to our kitchen. The caution tape was mostly for fun but it helped keep our grandchildren within mindful boundaries.

Our Socially Distant Mother's Day Barbecue
Our Socially Distant Mother’s Day Barbecue

Social Distance Mothers Day BBQ
Social Distance Mothers Day BBQ

Social Distance Mothers Day BBQ
Social Distance Mothers Day BBQ

Caution Tape Social Distancing Party
Caution Tape Social Distancing Party

I believe we are all living our own stories in this upside down world and I wanted to share a bit our our story with you. We are all running the same race and don’t have a clear idea of where the finish line might be. We look forward to seeing all of you when we reach the finish line!

Be well….

Stunning Beaches and Coastlines

We live in Santa Cruz by the Monterery Bay Marine Sanctuary. Much of our inspiration at Marty Magic is derived from the ocean and the magic of nature. Here are a few of the most inspiring beaches and coastlines where we have left our footprints.

For the past ten years, our family has spent time each year on the East Cape of Baja. The breathtaking  beaches and solitude are inspiring.

Cresting wave on the East Cape of Baja
Rocky shore on the East Cape of Baja

In 2007, Art, John and I lived in Naha, Okinawa for several months. We took frequent trips to surrounding Ryukyu islands.

Tokashiki Island,  Okinawa, Japan
Hermit crab on Tokashiki Island rocks, Okinawa, Japan
Kumejima Island, Okinawa, Japan

In 2010, John and I had a mother and son adventure in Australia. I rented a car and we drove the Great Ocean Road. Rainbows and spending time together was wonderful and the coastlines were spectacular.

Morning rainbow above the coast of the Great Ocean Road. Victoria, Australia
Coastline along the Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia.
The Twelve Apostles at dawn, Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia.
The Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia.

In 2013, John and I traveled to India and returned through the U.A.E. Women were wading in the ocean wearing their hijab. The day was hazy and the silhouette of the Burj Al Arab was in the distance.

John on the beach at Dubai with Burj Al Arab in the background 

In 2015, Art, John and I traveled with Art’s brother to the Philippines. We spent much of our time in the high mountains of Banaue, treking rice paddies. (deserving of it’s own photo blog post.) We ended our trip in El Nido, Palawan, an island paradise.

The limestone cliffs of El Nido, Palawan, Philippines
Entering a cove in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines. 
Exiting the cove by man power at low tide. El Nido, Palawan, Philippines
Alonha sunset, Palawan, Philippines.
Dumaguete, Philippines
App Island. Below the surface is a pristine coral reef.
Art and John readying for their first dive at Apo Island, Philippines.

 In 2016, Art, John and I flew to Italy and traveled north through Italy and then south along the coastline of Croatia.

Amalfi Coast, Italy

Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Istria Croatia
John diving into a swimming hole off the Dubrovnik city wall. Croatia.
A five island hopping trip from Split, Croatia. John dove and returned with an Adriatic crab carapace. 

In 2017, Alisha and I traveled to Indonesia.  After visiting our artist friend Tabra, we continued onto Flores Island and onto Komodo and Rinca Islands, home to the Komodo Dragons.

Alisha swinging at the edge of the blue stone beach, Indonesia. 
Blue stone beach, Flores Island, Indonesia
Coral Island of Riuing, Indonesia

In 2018, Art and I traveled to Portugal and Spain. The beaches and coastline of southern Portugal were breathtaking.

The colorful cliffs of Salema, Portugal
Sagre point, a windswept promontory. Algarve, Portugal

In August of 2018 Alisha and I traveled to Australia. We looked for the illusive cassowary bird and walked warily on many beaches, lest a saltwater crocodile pay us a surprise visit.

Bondi Beach, New South Wales, Australia
Cape Tribulation,  Queensland, Australia
Wurrumiyanga beach, Tiwi Island, Northern Territory, Australia
Mindil Beach at sunset, Darwin, Australia

Below are some very striking coastlines and cityscapes within the United States.

A view of New York City taken from Hoboken, N.Y. at sunset

We don’t need to travel afar to be inspired by the ocean.  Santa Cruz, Capitola and Big Sur have some of the most beautiful beaches and coastlines on our planet.

Bixby bridge and the Big Sur coastline, California. 

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Big Sur, California.

Alisha and Molly, Capitola beach jetty, California

As time allows, I will be adding to this beach and coastline photo gallery.