Let Freedom Ring

Uncharacteristically overcast and cool this morning in Puerto Vallarta, it's like mother nature wanted us to share the experiences of the 1.4 million who have gathered in a frigid Washington, DC (OK, uncharacteristically cool here is 72 degrees, but work with me on this). It is also very quiet here. We hear the pounding of the surf a half mile away, but traffic is lighter than normal, sounds are more subdued. Perhaps it is because so many people here, like around the world, are so in tuned, so genuinely excited, about the change that is taking place today in the United States.

Though somewhat detached, sitting thousands of miles away watching on television, little of the excitement of this historic day is lost. There are several public parties here, but we decided we would rather stay home and savor the experience here. Most of us have watched inaugurations before. Never can I remember one as poignant as today's. The plethora of images beamed around the world illicit different thoughts, not just for those of us who are observers but for the participants as well.

For the outgoing administration, one wonders what in the world goes through the mind of George Bush as he takes those last steps out of the house he has occupied for the past eight years. Perhaps he shares the relief that 78% of the rest of Americans feel that he is finally gone. Does Dick Cheney appreciate the irony of being wheeled out of the White House, head down, looking very much like a scorned little old man? But today is not about the past, but rather hopes for a new future.

The flashing blue and red and white lights as the motorcade wound toward the Capitol. Seeing the moving vans at the White House. The masses of people. Sasha and Malia. Aretha. Overwhelming.

Through the pomp, I was awed by the burden that President Obama faces, wondering how he would address it in his first speech as leader, then carry it out in his first hours and days and weeks. What struck me in the speech was its universality. It was a speech to the world. And with the outgoing President sitting behind him, he clearly repudiated the errors, missteps, and corruption of the past. Inspiration comes to mind as he made it clear, it is not incumbent solely on government, but on all of us to overcome the misdeeds that have plagued the U.S. It is time to remake America.

At the conclusion of the speech, I logged onto Facebook and read the immediate reaction and comments. "Excited," "Shock & Awe," "Grateful," "Let Freedom Ring." Largely hopeful. But now, the real work begins.

Perhaps again symbolic, literally, as I watch the helicopter lift off from Washington with Bush & Cheney on board, the Bidens and Obamas waving farewell, the sun has burned through the clouds here. The temperature has risen. It's time to go to the beach to celebrate.

Lasting thoughts from San Miguel de Allende

They do things differently here. This morning, about 9:15, the Internet where we are staying went out. I did all the normal things you do ... unplug the modem, reset the router ... but nothing worked. Then, about an hour later, I heard a clamour outside our front door. There was a guy from Tele-Cable tangled up in the mess of wires above the house. I said, "Oh good, you're fixing our Internet." He said, "Oh no, I'm now disconnecting your cable because you didn't pay your bill." All of this in Spanish, of course. We called the property manager, who called the maid who ran down to the cable office, paid the bill. And two hours later, the same guy who disconnected our cable returned, found the wire he unplugged earlier and restored TV and Internet. Here, if you are one day late on your cable, phone, or electric bill, it WILL be shut off first thing the next morning ... no warning or past due statements. The good thing ... if they do shut it off, then you pay, they'll come right back out and reconnect it.

Our last day here and we decided it was time to explore beyond the 2-3 mile circumference from the house that we have already covered extensively on foot. And while I'm normally not big on these things, we bought tickets for an open air trolley tour of San Miguel. The tour was predictable ... but I was able to get a few pictures that I really like that kind of capture the feel of this town.

Bread lady and the town's first Pemex station when gas was 7 cents a gallon (that's 7 cents US). Now it's $2.79.

The town horse and boys horsing

around with the town's girls.

"Hey Taxi"

"Centro" The view from above

We also spent our last day doing what I hinted we might do in a previous blog. We spent more money on art. Now, a friend of ours in Puerto Vallarta lives by the following: Don't not buy art just because you can't think of a place to put it. If you like it, buy it, and it will find its place.
With that in mind, we bought a wrought iron wall sculpture with eight small holders for candles. I think it will go on the patio. We bought three other matching iron wall sculptures. I think they'll go in the master bathroom. And we bought an eight foot "tower" painted in bright colors that you put in a base and set somewhere on the floor. I've got no idea where that's going to go. But something tells me that tomorrow morning when we pack up the car to head back to Puerto Vallarta, we once again will look like we did when we first drove to Mexico, with luggage strapped to the top of the car and the cargo area loaded ... can you say "Beverly Hillbillies."

For our final dinner here tonight, we returned to "The Restaurant." It's a fantastic place where the dining area is in an open air garden courtyard in an old mansion in the cneter of town ... with plenty of those patio heaters you buy at Home Depot. The dinner we had there three nights ago was one of the best we have had, not just in Mexico, but anywhere. Tonight wasn't quite as good. Salmon and risotto were excellent ... beef shanks were tough and a bit tasteless. Hey, you gotta be honest. There are dozens of what you would consider really excellent restaurants here (more than in Puerto Vallarta). I'm just a little concerned about stepping on the scales when we returned to PV Sunday. And ... it's back to the gym on Monday. Hasta luego.

Guanajuato & "How do you like your ice cream?"

Have you ever been to Virginia City, Nevada … the old silver mining town in the high desert hills south of Reno? If so, picture Virginia City, add about 140,000 residents, spruce it up, build a huge university with 11 campuses, inject a European type ambiance, develop an elaborate system of underground roads, and you got Guanajuato. I guess other than the silver mines and the environment, there really isn’t a lot similar between Virginia City and Guanajuato.

At exactly 9:30 AM, the doorbell rang. And there was Miguel. He would be our travel companion/guide for the day. We loaded into his Chevy Tahoe, and headed out of San Miguel de Allende toward Guanajuato, the state capitol of the state of Guanajuato.

The hour long drive on a two lane road took us over high desert terrain, sparsely populated, a few cattle ranches along the way. As we approached Guanajuato, that changed. The city that was built on silver mining (there are still a half dozen active mines there, now operated primarily by Canadian companies) is mountainous with the neighborhoods laid out over rolling hills. After miles of parched desert land, Guanajuato pops up like a welcome oasis.

It is near Guanajuato where nearly 200 years ago, the Mexican revolution was born. The city is rich in history. A college town, it supports many theaters, museums, historical squares and galleries (this was the birthplace of Diego Rivera).

From an overlook above town, it's easy to spot dozens of churches which tower over neighborhoods.

Inside the town, what strikes you most is the dominant European influence.

Their market place was designed after the great train stations of France. The numerous gardens and squares are based on Italian design. And the city itself is VERY clean. There is a major reason for it.

In the early 1900s when automobiles made their first appearance, city fathers decided they wanted to keep the streets clear of cars. So, they converted an underground dry riverbed over which the city had been built into a subterranean roadway. Then they built another, and another and kept building them until late last century. While it is easy to get lost in the underground tubes, the result on the surface is streets that are now largely reserved for pedestrians, shops, and sidewalk cafes. Combine that with the liberal influence of a college town, and you have a uniquely contemporary ancient city for this part of the world.

On the way back to San Miguel, we stopped at Dolores Hildago (yeah, that's the name of the town), and visited the church where the leaders of the Mexican revolution riled up the citizens … enough so to overthrow the Spanish government in 1810.

And before we hit the road to return to San Miguel, we sampled the “local flavor.” Ice cream is what Dolores Hidalgo is known for … dozens of vendors line the city square selling ice cream. But don’t expect chocolate or vanilla. There are about 100 different flavors ranging from tequila (which was more like frozen ice) to camarones (shrimp ice cream … it was awful). I settled on pine nut ice cream. All the while, overhead, the largest strangest spaceship-like pinata hung (or is it hanged) above the street ... just another day in Mexico.

Opening Doors in San Miguel de Allende

This small town continues to surprise and fascinate us ... on many different levels. Tuesday night, we were invited to a cocktail party hosted by former clients of Kurt’s when he was selling real estate in Oakland. They have lived here for 3 years in a beautiful home they custom built. We met some wonderful local folks, including Dottie, who moved here 61 years ago from Chicago. Now in her mid-eighties, she is still the top real estate agent in San Miguel de Allende ... and she has six decades of fascinating stories to tell of how this once tiny Mexican town has grown.

We also got some tips on tours that aren’t in the local guide books. So today, we headed out through the local neighborhoods. What strikes you most about San Miguel de Allende compared to other Mexican towns we’ve been in (including Puerto Vallarta) is the cleanliness. The streets are not littered. And homes, though some very old, are maintained with the quaintness that characterizes this town. That includes their front doors.

Since this is a town known for its artistry, it seems fitting that the doors of homes and businesses that line the streets are themselves works of art.



Some are simple wood structures that show the scars of aging.






Others are brightly painted portals.










Some are wrought iron gates which when opened, reveal a spectacular home and gardens inside.




Some are exquisitely carved wood.











Some, in the city’s mansion district soar two stories high.







Check out the “doorbell” on this one. It is a wooden handle attached to a rope that snakes through the wall with the instructions “Pull hard until bell rings.”











And I really dig the doors to this saloon in the heart of the old town.







The destination of our walk today was the old Aurora textile mill. It closed in 1991 when the free trade agreement meant Mexico was flooded with cheap cloth from overseas. But all the manufacturing machinery was left there intact, much like a textile museum. And around it, dozens of art galleries and furniture stores have opened. No pictures were allowed inside, but the façade has been left unchanged since the building first opened in 1911.

Finally, on our walk back into town for lunch at Subway (I know, it doesn’t sound right eating at a Subway in a place like this … but sometimes you just have a craving for a familiar sandwich), I spotted a “meter maid” who was ticketing a car for staying too long in one spot. The parking patrol actually goes around and writes the time on your left rear tire when you parked there. If you stay too long, you not only get a ticket, but as you see, they also remove your license plates. You have to go to the police station to pay your fine and retrieve your plates.

If they stop you for a moving violation, in addition to getting the ticket, they confiscate your driver’s license. They next day you have to go to the court, pay your fine, and get your license back. There are at least a couple of ways around it. You either pay your fine there on the street to the officer (otherwise known as a bribe) and the ticket never gets written up. Or you go to a local “copy store” where for a few bucks, they will make multiple fake copies of your drivers license. When you get stopped, you give the cop the phony license (which looks very authentic), and since you still have your real license, you don’t feel any obligation to go retrieve the phony one and pay your fine. Ah, life in Mexico.

San Miguel de Allende-Day 2

Today is a holiday. It is festival de los tres reyes .... festival of the three kings. Our house cleaner, Celena, tells us it marks the end of the holiday season. Tonight, gifts will be exchanged. The mercado two blocks from here was packed today as parents were buying toys for their children. After today, the decorations can come down, children can go back to school. Tonight, there is supposedly a parade, but we have been invited to have cocktails with some friends from the Bay Area who now live here, and we will likely miss the parade.

After another day of walking, and lunch at a sidewalk bistro, we have returned to our home which is about 4-5 blocks from the Jardin, the center of town where the huge Perroquia cathedral is located. Today, we wound through the narrow cobble stoned streets, again marveling at the beauty that has been preserved in this centuries old villa.

The streets are lined with weather worn wooden doors, that give little indication of the scene that awaits within. For example, the house where we are staying.


The street we are on, Calzada de la Presa, is home to a genuine mix of people. In the attached house next to ours, a large Mexican family lives in a very plain abode. The father and sons appear to be day laborers. On the other side, I've seen an older white couple, perhaps retirees from the U.S. or Canada who apparently live here with their dog. In between, our house is a three story (if you include the patio on the roof) home, that in recent years was remodeled into a contemporary Mexican home.

While many of the older homes are very dark, here many of the walls have been removed and replaced with glass to allow sunshine to spill inside. The ceilings in the main living area are high with recessed lighting, the walls painted with vibrant colors. There is a large kitchen (but no garbage disposal or dishwasher). There are three bedrooms and two baths ... all very modern.

Outside, there are three patios, one on each level. The patio/courtyard on the ground floor contains many potted plants and feels tropical in this high elevation. From the roof top, there are views of the entire city.

Like many European countries, there is no garage here. We parked the car in a lot about two blocks away where it will stay until next Sunday when we leave. Parking is at a premium here, and taxis are abundant.

The cost for all this ... US$1350 for one week with daily maid service included. Parking is an additional US$55.

After staying home last night, tonight, we will likely go out to dinner at one of the outstanding restaurants here. And tomorrow, more walking and hiking about

San Miguel de Allende-Day 1

For a few moments when I woke up at 5:00 this morning, cold, longing for another blanket on the bed (but too lazy to get it), I forgot I was in Mexico. With temperatures in the 30s, definitely, it wasn't Puerto Vallarta. But ... this is Mexico.


San Miguel de Allende


Following a nearly ten hour drive on Sunday, we arrived at sunset in San Miguel de Allende, a town that seems more European than Mexican. At an elevation of 6400 feet, it is a cross between high desert and alpine. Though the sun is warm by day, by early evening it takes on a feel of Lake Tahoe in the fall. No shorts and t-shirts here (the standard uniform of Puerto Vallarta); rather long pants, shirts, jackets, and even scarves add to the natural color that characterizes San Miguel.

We rented a spectacular home here. Narrow, wedged between two similar structures, from the street the old wooden door provides no clue as to the spectacle that awaits within. Thoroughly modern, with vibrant paints, and contemporary furnishings, a colorful courtyard, gas fireplace, this will be our starting point for a week of adventures.


Our courtyard



During a four hour walking/hiking trek today, we discovered perhaps the most magnificent church we've seen so far in Mexico. Parroquia de San Miguel was built in the late 17th century and has been maintained impeccably. By day, the interior almost accosts the senses .... candles, incense, sculptures, carvings, stained glass, an organ that is two stories tall, and an alter that is three stories. At night, lights shine on the church in the town center, where it towers over all else.



Parroquia de San Miguel




A few blocks from our house, a huge market that is to fresh fruit and vegetables in San Miguel that Pikes Market is to fresh seafood in Seattle. Nearby, a tiny restaurant roasts dozens of chickens on a rotisserie. It's all "to go" so we're staying home tonight and having chicken and salad and fresh bread from the bakery a half block away.


The Market



The town is also loaded with gourmet restaurants. San Miguel is also an enclave for artistry. We've got our eyes on a few pieces that may be loaded into the SUV for the trip back to PV next weekend. Today, we discovered what thousands of other Americans and Canadians already have. This town boasts a huge population of ex-pats.

If you've been here, you know what a special place this is. If you haven't, this week I'll try to make it seem like you have been here (or, do such a poor job of it, you'll have to come to see for yourself).

Happy New Year

Best wishes for a Happy 2009 (gotta be better that that miserable 2008 thing we just endured). To start the year off with a bang, I wanted to share last night's truly amazing fireworks display over the Bay of Banderas. It lasted for 40 minutes and stretched along the coast for as far as the eye could see. Don't worry, the video is only 42 seconds long. In the video, check out the Carnival cruise ship that left port at about 11:00 PM, then circled back along the coast right next to downtown PV so it was nearly under the fireworks as they exploded overhead.

Click HERE for the video.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree ...

... however brown your branches.

Some of you had asked for a follow up on our Christmas tree buying experience and how well the tree faired during the holidays. Well, for about the first two weeks, it actually looked pretty good. That took it through about December 14.

But almost overnight, like Santa sliding down a dirty chimney, the poor thing turned brown (even with daily feedings of agua).

Keep in mind, we had the 6 foot noble on our patio. It was a good thing. Had it been in the house, it was so dry by December 20th, we would have had to take it down. By December 25th, the branches were sagging so severely, two ornaments slid off and crashed onto the floor.

And on December 26th, our first experiment with a Mexican Christmas tree came to an end. It didn't live to see the New Year (truth be told, it didn't live to see Christmas Eve). Anyway, we hauled the brown carcass out of here, loaded it onto the elevator, to the main floor, where condominium workers hauled it away. We still think of it almost daily, though. That's because we're still finding brown needles, not just in our unit, but all the way through the lobby and garage where apparently, it was picked up by the garbage trucks for an unceremonious dumping at the Puerto Vallarta landfill.

Mexican Christmas Tree Shopping

Something just didn't feel right. Granted, Tuesday morning started like most others here. The sun rose on a cloudless day ... 73 degrees at 7:00 AM. We dressed the way we do every other day ... shorts, t-shirts, sandals. We had our morning coffee as we watched a Princess Lines cruise ship slowly slide into port. But today would be different, because in this tropical slice of the world, where the high is predicted to be 85, we are going Christmas tree shopping … a tradition that until this year usually took place in the chilled fog of the valley or the Bay, or the rains or snows of the Sierra.

It was the week before Thanksgiving when we were surprised by seeing Douglas pine and noble trees popping up at supermarkets, Wal-mart, Costco, and Home Depot here in Puerto Vallarta. While there are several poinsettia lots here, loaded with thousands of the holiday plants, the concept of Christmas tree lots hasn't arrived here yet. And as for tree farms, they're hours away. It seems pines don’t grow so well in the tropical jungle.

Poinsettia lots, but no tree lots

And so the search for the perfect tree began. It’s Mexico style Christmas tree hunting. It is different.

First of all, at every place you visit that sells trees, only one of each kind of tree is on display. For example, Costco had two types … tall nine foot nobles for US$69 , and smaller seven foot nobles for US$53. So the two trees were on display. The one you actually end up buying is wrapped up in twine, and you have no idea what it actually looks like until you take it home and unwrap it there. They figure it’s really not much different than buying a box of raisin bran. You wouldn’t open the box at the store to see how many raisins are in it. You have to wait until you actually buy it, then you find out.

Anyway, the trees at Costco were too big, so we went next to the grocery store, Soriana, which also had trees, inside the store in front of the check out counters. Though the price was right (about US$20), not one of the trees was even unwrapped. And when you touched the tightly bounded branches, the needles fell like snow. We passed.

We next stopped at Sam’s Club where we found large nobles that had just been reduced in price to US$26 … and for good reason. I’ve thrown out trees in January that were fresher than the ones Sam’s Club was selling. If you wanted a green tree from Sam’s, we would have had to have bought a can of green spray paint to cover the brown brittle needles. I thought the poor thing must have looked good last Christmas, but even that I wasn’t sure of.

Finally, before heading back to Costco and buying a tree that was much too large, we went to Home Depot. There, standing right outside the Home Depot entrance, stood three promising specimens. From the parking lot we saw the medium size noble, a tall noble, and a Douglas fir. As we approached, we got the first scent. They smelled like Christmas trees. And when the touched the branches on the medium size noble, the needles were like velvet (well, not really, but compared to Sam’s Club and Soriana, they were soft enough). They had a small tent set up outside the store, so we walked in. And there, stacked on their sides, were mounds of fresh cut trees.

Now, they do things differently here. There is no attendant at the Christmas tree “lot.” So you have to go inside the store, wait in line, tell them what you want. Then someone else comes and gets you, takes to out to the tent, you point out to them what pile of trees you want yours to come from, they take you back in the store, write up a receipt, then you stand in line again to pay (449 pesos, about US$34). Then you go back outside to the tent and wait for the official tree cutter to arrive. About ten minutes later, a kid who looked like he skipped grade school for the day shows up wearing an orange Home Depot apron explaining he would be our tree cutter. He lifts the tree onto a table made from saw horses, and with an electric chain saw, he cuts about an inch of the base. Next he attaches the stand. That’s the challenging part. Nobody probably ever showed him, and I wasn’t paying much attention, but he nailed stand into the trunk of the tree upside down. Proudly, he lifted the tree off the table, placed it on the ground, and it nearly fell over. This was a problem.

He couldn’t remove the stand himself, so he called the Home Depot Christmas tree manager, who eventually showed up with another employee. Like the Three Stooges, they pulled, prodded and pried for about 5 minutes until they finally got the backwards stand off. The manager then put on the new stand and water bucket (held into place with a nail), and then placed it on the ground … a little crooked, but OK. We had our tree, even though we still had little clue what it looked like.

Tree shopping in shorts & sandals.

When we got home, we cut away the twine to get our first view of our first Mexican Christmas tree. As the limbs unfurled, the smell of fresh pine permeated our home. It was actually fresh and green and looked every bit as good as any tree we had ever purchased in the US. I thought the Mexican people had really discovered the secret to growing a great tree. Then, as the tightly bound top branches finally opened, I discovered their success. There was the yellow plastic tag with the name of the grower … from Salem, Oregon.

A truly historic moment

It was exactly 10:00 PM here last night in Puerto Vallarta when the polls closed in CA, OR, and WA. At that moment, CNN, beamed into homes and restaurants and bars by satellite, announced Barrack Obama had garnered enough electoral votes to become President elect of the United States. The cheers here were literally loud and long. It is the way much of the world is looking at the transition about to take place in what had been the most respected country in the world.

Several articles this morning, including those in the New York Times and USA Today, reflect the worldwide hope that the President-elect will be able to begin the long process of mending the image of the United States ... an image that has been tarnished in recent years.

In USA Today, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Obama's election "has raised enormous hope in France, in Europe and beyond. France and Europe will find a new energy to work with America to achieve peace and world prosperity," Sarkozy said.

As the win brings hope for many, the election of Obama has only intensified bitterness and hatred among a few. CBS Radio this morning ran an interview with a McCain supporter in Phoenix saying Obama does not deserve to be President and should not be in the White House. "He is not my Commander in Chief and he never will be," she said. And Daniel Carver, a leader in the KKK, told Howard Stern this morning that Obama's election will likely lead to a great resurrection of the Klan to deal with the rising power of blacks.

While each election is historic, the importance often not realized until long after the elected President leaves office, the circumstances surrounding the election of Barrack Obama make this election truly unique right now, not just in the United States.

No matter how you voted, no matter your opinion of the outcome of the Presidential election, I think most would agree that today is a time for reflection on where this country has been, where we are now, and where we are heading.

Four years from now, or eight years from now, when Obama is set to leave office, the best we can hope for is being able to say we are better off, and the image of the US is better off than we are today at this truly historic moment in time.

How things have change ... or have they?

How has your life changed since June 17th?

On the down side, if you're like me, you've probably lost a good chunk of your 401K or IRA. But, on the up side, perhaps you had a week or two off for summer vacation you spent with your family ... maybe traveled to the mountains or the beach. Certainly, you are a bit older, and perhaps a bit wiser. But it's likely that as you look back at it, probably things are pretty much the same now as they were four months ago.

Which is understandable, even though on June 17, 2008, the first same-sex marriages took place in California. Since then, according to The Sacramento Bee, an estimated 11,000 same sex couples have legally wed.

Now, you might remember, after the Supreme Court ruled in May that same-sex weddings were legal in California, opponents predictably cried fouled. They expressed concerns that churches opposed to gay marriage would lose their tax exempt status, that second and third graders would be taught that it's perfectly OK for two boys to get married, and they argued that it would erode the sanctity of traditional marriage between a man and a woman. These are pretty much the same arguments being used now in the $27-million dollar "Yes on 8" campaign, funded almost exclusively by out of state religious organizations (the Mormon Church and Knights of Columbus are the leading contributors).

The reality is, since the first "Adam & Steve" and "Sarah & Eve" said "I do," none of those threats has materialized. No church has been threatened, second and third grade boys are not being encouraged to walk hand in hand toward the alter, and no heterosexual marriage has been devalued or dissolved (at least not as a result of 11,000 same sex couples tying the knot).

Which gets us to where we are now.

I really had no intention of writing this blog until last week when I talked to someone who is extremely close to me, someone who I have known all my life, who told me he is voting "Yes" on Proposition 8. I was disappointed that someone who knows me and knows my partner, Kurt, as well as he does would want to go so far as to change the California constitution to deny equal rights to us. It is clear to me that in the eyes of this person, I am not equal. And to me that is very sad and troubling on a personal level.

Those of you who have known me (and Kurt) over the years know that we are law abiding upstanding caring people, good neighbors, close to our families, conscientious co-workers, good friends, and contributors to the community. Those who know us very well know that we share an exceptional relationship. As one of my former co-workers at News10 told me, "You guys have a better relationship than most of the married couples I know."

We also respect others including those with divergent views. As a reporter for more than 30 years, I regularly sought out those with opposing views. And I truly respect the freedoms that this great country provides its citizens in voicing those views ... as long as they don't hurt others or infringe upon the rights of others.

And when it comes down to it, that's pretty much what Proposition 8 does. It takes away the rights of a group of Americans. It legalizes discrimination in the constitution of California.

My friends, (now I sound like John McCain), I certainly respect your right to voice your opinion, to vote your conscience, not just on Proposition 8 but on all the issues facing us. But when it comes time for you to cast your vote on Proposition 8, think of Kurt & me and think of the type of people we are ... what we have meant to you over the years ... how we have contributed. And if you agree that we deserve to have the same rights that most other Americans have, I would request that you vote "No" on Proposition 8.

As always, I welcome your responses.