Come to Mexico

OK, so the swine flu hasn't been the killer of the century as originally feared (or as originally portrayed in the media). Yet what the N1H1 flu has done is damn neared killed the tourist industry here in Puerto Vallarta. Empty streets, hotels, restaurants and night spots. Laid off workers desperate to find some way to make a living. It's so bad that this week while visiting Sayulita, instead of saying "No, Gracias," we actually bought things from the beach vendors trying to help them out (I love my new shark tooth necklace and hand painted book marks!).

Considering that other than a couple of isolated cases of the flu here, PV has been relatively immune from the virus, but very susceptible to the hype.Now comes word that it is officially OK for PV to come back to life.

This week, the Jalisco government decided it was safe enough to reopen everything ... theaters, clubs, bars ... everything ... no restrictions.

Today, as we believed it was all along, the U.S. has declared it is OK to come back to Puerto Vallarta and Mexico.

The Center for Disease Control in the U.S. issued the following statement, lifting its advisory to avoid travel to Mexico:

Updated: May 15, 2009
CDC’s Travel Health Warning recommending against non-essential travel to Mexico, in effect since April 27, 2009, has now been downgraded to a Travel Health Precaution for Mexico.
Current Situation
CDC has been monitoring the ongoing outbreak of novel H1N1 flu in Mexico and, with the assistance of the Mexican authorities, has obtained a more complete picture of the outbreak. There is evidence that the Mexican outbreak is slowing down in many cities though not all. In addition, the United States and other countries are now seeing increasing numbers of cases not associated with travel to Mexico. Finally, the risk of severe disease from novel H1N1 virus infection now appears to be less than originally thought.
CDC Recommendations
At this time, CDC has removed its recommendation that U.S. travelers avoid travel to Mexico.
CDC continues to recommend that travelers visiting Mexico take steps to protect themselves from getting novel H1N1 flu.

Last night, we went out to dinner and drove home along the Malecon. There were people out and about. The clubs were busy. And there is a feeling that this experiment in pandemic management may be over. As the swine flu disappears, we can only hope that the visitors and travelers reappear.

What Flu???

When my friend Bob Casey called a week ago last Friday and said he was considering canceling his upcoming trip to Puerto Vallarta because of the swine flu, I did not know what he was talking about. I had not seen the news that day.

Bob did not come to PV. Nor have thousands of others tourists. Nor has the swine flu. But unlike me on that first day that he called, we all know now what Bob was talking about.





Though there has not been one single case of swine flu in Puerto Vallarta, nor in the entire state of Jalisco, the impact has been significant. The day after Bob called we began to realize how serious the situation was, even here on the periphery. A visit to grocery stores found greeters at the door handing out anti-septic hand wipes and clerks wearing masks. The following day, Sunday, the government ordered schools, night clubs, bars, and theaters closed. There was a run on masks, hand cleaning gel, and flu medicine (you still can't find those items here). And the US Consulate told Americans living here to stock up with food and water for two weeks. We already had a lot of food on hand, but went to Sams & Costco anyway just to top things off. The stores were mobbed.

While we discussed leaving, we decided to stay and see how it played out here in PV. Remember, there were no cases here ... yet. And to protect PV, the Mexican the government dissuaded people from stricken areas, like Mexico City, from traveling here by closing down so many tourist attractions early on. So, we chose to remain close to home, cook our own dinners here, cocktails on the balcony watching the sunset each evening, not going to public spots except the beach ... kind of like camping ... but much more comfortable.

Though we stayed here, many others did not. One person who lives in our complex and had to be back to work Monday left last week, concerned that his flight Sunday may be cancelled. Another couple that we know who lives here from October to July cut short this year's stay. They closed up their house, and flew back to the U.S. And, while flights were sold out heading out of here, two groups of friends who just arrived over the weekend said they flew into PV on nearly empty planes. And, of course, dozens of ships that were to have docked here are now going elsewhere.

The result has created a tremendous hardship on local businesses. I took a walk Sunday morning along Los Muertos Beach which is lined with popular restaurants. I chatted with a waiter at the Blue Seas Restaurant where only one table had diners. He said it was the worst he had ever seen. Other restaurants didn't even bother to open. The same is true of hotels and resorts. Saturday night, we had dinner with friends who own the most luxurious and spectacular villa right on the beach in PV. They told us that in addition to cancellations for the next few weeks, people are actually considering cancelling Christmas and New Years trips here. For us, living in a place that is so beautiful, that has not had one case of the swine flu, we wonder why. But then, all we have to do is look at what is being said on TV, radio, and in newspapers in the U.S. It is a media frenzy.

Last Monday morning, I got calls from from both of the stations where I used to work, KXTV News 10 (ABC Sacramento) and KTVU Channel 2 (Fox San Francisco). Both asked if I would be able to do stories for them from Puerto Vallarta. I also got calls from KFBK Radio (Sacramento) and KGO-AM (San Francisco) requesting phone interviews. So, for the first few days last week, I was back into TV news mode, doing interviews, shooting video, editing and feeding reports back to the U.S. from PV. I’d like to think that the stories I did and that my former stations did cut through the hype and offered a balanced and accurate accounting of what was going on. Unlike some others, they are both recognized as very respectable news organization. If interested, here are links to two of those reports (after the page loads, see the video player on the right side of the screen):

http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=58489

http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=58578

While the mainstream media (such as KTVU and KXTV) did seem to handle the story with reserve, coverage from some cable news stations bordered on hysteria. As they played loose with the facts and depicted alarmist scenarios, the impact has been devastating. And for what?

Today, 11 days after this started, we are learning that perhaps it just wasn’t
as bad as the experts thought. Instead of 176 swine flu deaths in Mexico, tests now show there were only 25 (compared to 151 deaths in the same period from the regular seasonal flu). The situation has stabilized here to the point that following Tuesday’s Cinco de Mayo holiday, all businesses are being allowed to reopen. Hopefully the tourists and cruise ships will soon return. Still, the fallout from the flu may have a lingering impact here.

Last week, after my live interview on KFBK, afternoon anchor Kitty O’Neal forwarded me a message from a listener. She said she and her husband had planned to come down here this Wednesday. While her husband said “Let’s go,” she was leery. She asked my advice. I wrote back and gave her my observations of what was happening. The risks were that some of the tourist places and night clubs may not be available. The benefits being fantastic weather in a beautiful vacation town where there are very few people and some very good bargains. She wrote back today saying, “Thanks, we’re on our way.” Perhaps it’s an omen of better times to come. The flu never came to PV. Hopefully, the tourists will ... soon.

Idol Idiocy

Is American Idol rigged? It's got to be.

OK, granted there are more important things going on in the world right now, but let's relax for a minute.

Those of you who follow this show this season know that the last five standing are very talented (well, now it's the last four standing). That being said, there is one Idol who stands well above the rest ... Adam Lambert.

After Tuesday's performance, I admit, I picked up the phone and called. I never got through. Repeated calls to Adam's vote line were busy.

Others I talked with had the same experience. The only ones I talked with that connected were friends in Albuquerque, but they said it was 45 minutes after the show ended that they finally got through. I figured with the line constantly busy (and his consistently unparalleled performances), he would be a shoe-in. Not so fast.

So tonight, it was totally a sham that the one performer who is arguably among the best in the history of the show ended up in the bottom two. What's with AI? It's got to be fixed.

Fortunately, it wasn't Adam but Matt who got the boot. But had it been Adam, it would have been obvious the show is totally rigged ... right now, it just seems that it is. Thoughts? Oh, and a Swine flu blog from Puerto Vallarta is forthcoming. But down here, you've got to set priorities. Remember, relax.

Explosions over Puerto Vallarta

It happens once a year and those who have seen it say it is unbelievably spectacular. I'll let you know if that's true at the end of the week because this week, I will see it. I'm talking about the 11th annual International Fireworks Symposium which began a five day run yesterday in Puerto Vallarta.

Each day this week, the world's top fireworks manufacturers from China, Italy, Spain, the US, Mexico and elsewhere are meeting at the Sheraton to discuss new pyrotechnics technology . Each night this week, they'll show off what they're talking about. Three huge shows are scheduled for every night except Wednesday ... each show lasting several hours. Last night, the explosions began, lighting up the sky over the bay with what looked like bombs bursting in the sky and surface to air missiles.

As we drove through town, trucks full of mortars and miles of cable are being unloaded. From our home, we can see a big burning man type structure being erected on the playa along the Malecon, filled with explosives. On the beach in front of the Sheraton, a large bunker has been moved in.

If you'd like to escape for a few minutes and see what's going on in the skies over PV this week, click HERE. It's a blast.

"Is it safe?" - A personal perspective on Mexican drug violence

You see it on the news almost every day. Last Friday, 14 people gunned down in wanton violence. One week earlier, 4 police officers die in cold blood at the hands of a convicted drug dealer. Saturday morning, word comes of more bloodshed as several other officers in another town are shot. Three of those police officers are dead.

Yes, the border along the U.S.-Mexican has become ground zero for the war on drugs, the violence well documented in print and in broadcasts. But the tragic incidents mentioned above --- the 14 citizens murdered, seven police officers slain --- did not happen in dusty crime plagued Mexican border towns. They happened in the United States ... in Binghamton, NY, Oakland, CA, and now Pittsburgh, PA. That is not to say that Mexico is not without its violence. But as in the U.S., it is a question of to what degree it directly impacts our day to day lives. For us, the answer is very little, if at all.

Last year, more than 6000 people were murdered in Mexico in drug related violence. The bulk of those killings took place along the northern border towns such as Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, and in the inland city of Culiacan where we stayed on our drive down here last year. Other than encountering an army of police at a gas station who provided us directions to our hotel, we had no clue we were in the middle of a city known for its assault on the drug trade. We slept well that night.

The violence in Mexico has changed the landscape across the country. Mainly, it has resulted in a large scale increase of military and police presence all over the country, including vacation resorts like Puerto Vallarta. As we take a stroll through town or drive to the grocery store, it is now not unusual to see scores of stoic officers and army soldiers, dressed in black SWAT-like uniforms, AK-47s at the ready, walking the streets and patrolling in pick-up trucks. They are short in conversation, barely nodding their heads when you extend a friendly "hola." They are serious in their mission, which to them can turn deadly with little notice. While some may find their infiltration of our beach side community intimidating, for me, it provides a sense of assurance.

It is difficult to accurately gauge what impact those images, along with the real violence that is occurring elsewhere, are having on local tourism. I know it is not nearly as difficult to get reservations in popular restaurants, and indeed, when you talk with merchants, they complain about in decline in tourism (they tend to blame the economy more than the violence). But figures just released by the Mexican Tourism Board show visitation is actually up by 2% for the first quarter of this year. And this week, throngs of vacationers are expected to be arriving here for the annual spring break pilgrimage the next two weeks.

We are frequently asked by friends and family back in the U.S., "Is it safe there where you are." "Yes, for the most part it is." So far we personally have not witnessed anything near what is splashed across the TV screens and printed in the newspapers.

However, though the violence gripping border towns is nearly non-existent in Puerto Vallarta, it is not fair to say this is a completely safe town. Last year, a police officer was murdered when he was stopped in his car at a red light north of Puerto Vallarta. I never heard of a motive or if suspects were arrested. Last month, a Bay Area man staying with his wife in a condominium on the the beach was stabbed to death by an intruder. And you do hear of the occasional car jacking. But I have to keep in mind that when I was a reporter in Northern California, these are the types of stories I would cover fairly regularly ... and that was the U.S. (Actually, carjackings and murders became so common place, we rarely covered them unless they had wider implications).

The Mexican Tourism Board, fearful that the recent news reports may be hampering travel to this country is launching a new campaign. The message is that Mexico is still largely safe when you get away from the border. And at least for now, it is a bargain. The strongest dollar to peso exchange rate in two decades has effectively reduced the cost of a Mexican vacation by around 30%. But tourism may hinge on more than a good marketing campaign.

The State Department warning that parts of Mexico are too dangerous for travel puts into question the security of the entire country. If similar reasoning was implemented by other countries based on recent incidents in Binghamton, Oakland, Pittsburgh (and going back even farther to Virginia Tech and Columbine), one might conclude that travel to the U.S. is likewise unsafe. Perspective and common sense are needed.

The Fish Market

Note: During my recent trip to California, some friends at Stacy's party said they dig the blogs a lot, but would like to see more about everyday life in Puerto Vallarta. So, here you go.

There is no Safeway, Trader Joes, or Whole Foods in Puerto Vallarta. It is one of the drawbacks of living here. There are, however, some pretty good supermarkets. Soriana and Mega are the local chains. There is a huge Wal*Mart, along with Sam’s Club and a great Costco which just opened last year. More often than not, it is Costco where we go for our major shopping.

Shopping at Costco here is pretty much like shopping in any other Costco in any other town in any other country. After all, it is a cookie-cutter Costco world, which for us is not a bad thing at all. Why? Well, you want top USDA New York steaks? Costco's got 'em. They're the same ones you buy in the U.S. (until Costco arrived, the quality of meat here was mediocre at best). You want six hearts of romaine lettuce? Walk in the big fresh food cooler and they are there (about $2.25). How about shrimp? Yeah, they got them too ... those previously frozen ones they import from Vietnam ... same as the US (but more expensive). Which is all well and good, but it begs the next question. Why, if you live in a Mexican seaside town known for its fresh fish, and especially shrimp, would you buy the previously frozen ones imported from Southeast Asia? Answer: you don't, if you know better.

When we first moved here a year ago, we thought it was really strange that in Puerto Vallarta there were no fish markets along the waterfront. There was a little shrimp stand where we would occasionally pick up what we were told were fresh shrimp right out of the bay. Other fish we'd buy at Soriana. But it wasn't much different than the Safeway fish shopping experience (and we would never buy it at Wal*Mart here ... the moment you walk in the store you're assaulted with the stench of old fish even though the "fresh fish" counter is in the back of the store).

Anyway, it was last fall when one of our newfound Mexican amigas asked if we had been to the "big" fish market. We told her we did not know anything about a "big" fish market, that Soriana was our place to buy fish and Costco was the place to buy those good Vietnamese shrimp. You could see the puzzled look on her face as she tried to determine the nicest way to say, “Stupido gringos.” Anyway, our friend, Maribel, told us there was this big fish market in town, located in a fairly run down industrial type neighborhood right behind the cemetery. The next day we discovered Pescaderia El Pelicano Plazola.

Granted, it is no Pike's Market. But it is a genuine open air fish market where, if you arrive in the morning, you see the fish, fresh out of the bay, and in some cases still showing signs of life, being delivered and ready for the locals who know where to buy their fish.

Mounds of red snapper (huachinango), rows of sea bass (baso), boxes full of spiny lobsters, and cooler after cooler after cooler of fresh shrimp (camarones) caught that morning and stacked on ice. The temptation is great, and it is easy to buy more than what you really need (kind of like Costco, eh?).

There are actually four or five different vendors all lined up, competing for your business. And they do compete. When they see you coming, they will rush up to you, tell you what they have that is really good that day and what bargains they will give you. The shrimp is separated by size and price. The smallest shrimp which are great for salads usually go for $60 pesos per kilo (about US$1.90 a pound). The biggest shrimp, which are so huge they resemble small lobster tails are usually $240 pesos per kilo (about $7.60 a pound). These shrimp are so big, two would make for a complete meal, and they don't always have them.

Part of the allure of going to Pescaderia El Pelicano Plazola, in addition to getting something that is really fresh, is that I will almost always haggle with the mongers. For one, it's kind of fun and you feel like your getting a better bargain. But mainly, it's because their damn scales are crooked! Like REALLY crooked. In fact, the scales they use are so old, they remind me of the antique ones that used to hang in the produce section at Rosenberg's Market in San Jose when I was a kid 40 years ago (ah, maybe it was 50 years ago). In fact, if I checked them out, they might actually have the faded out seal from the Santa Clara County Department of Weights and Measures dated 1956. When empty, the needle on the scales drops well below the zero mark. It makes sense then that as the needle raises to 1 kilo when they add shrimp to the scale, you’re actually getting more. But remember, this is Mexico.

The first couple of times we went there, we bought a kilo of shrimp, and it just didn't seem to be enough. When we got home, we found it was closer to 700 grams. So, one time, much to Kurt's embarrassment, I took our small kitchen scale and when they gave us our "kilo," I put the shrimp on our scale. Sure enough, 750 grams. Thieves! They added about another 12 shrimp to bring it up to the full kilo, plus a couple of more because they knew we caught them. Since then, we usually get the full kilo, but one of these days, I do need to bring our scale back just to keep them honest.

So how to they taste? The best you’ve ever had. Last weekend we had some friends visiting from the U.S. and we boiled up some shrimp for appetizers then put them on ice, whipped up some ketchup and horseradish dipping sauce. They said they never had tasted shrimp so good like that before. We have them for dinner usually a couple of times a week.

It is a bit of a hassle because to go shopping here, it usually means three or four stops. Though adjacent to the fish market is also a great little fruit and vegetable market and a tortillaria. It is part of day to day living here. And while the specialty markets, like Pescaderia El Pelicano Plazola are great, we’re also very happy that Costco is here. Because if you want other types of fish ... like fresh salmon or frozen scallops ... that’s the only place you’ll find them … and they look just like they do at every other Costco.

SURPRISE!!!

What ever happened to the surprise? I can remember as a kid, the world was filled with them. There were surprise parties, surprise trips, surprise tests (those weren't so welcome).

As we get older, it seems that the surprises became fewer and farther between. At least the good surprises. Maybe it's the process of aging. Maybe it's the proliferation of communication these days. After all, within minutes after someone says something, it seems the world knows about it. There are few real surprises anymore.

That's why right now, as I sit on an Alaska Airlines jet somewhere between San Francisco and Puerto Vallarta, I do so with a smile on my face at the surprises (yes plural) I pulled off during the past five days.

In early February, I got a call from my most excellent friend George Warren who told me that my most excellent former boss, Stacy Owen, was being relieved of her duties as news director at News10. In my opinion (and in the opinion of numerous TV station executives outside of News10 who know Stacy) it was one of the classic bonehead TV decisions of all time. She is one of the most savvy and respected TV news leaders in America. Nonetheless, for whatever reason, she was informed that her services were no longer needed. Feeling the loss, the employees of News10 who have an honest connection for Stacy (yes, employees respecting their boss) decided they would throw her a party. The party would be on Saturday, March 7.

I informed George that I was totally bummed that Stacy was leaving, and even more bummed that I wouldn't be there for the farewell bash. I wrote to Stacy, expressing astonishment over the events that had taken place. A few days before the party, I sent her another email telling her that I would have a margarita the night of the party and dedicate it to her while on the beach in PV.

Then, I went online, found a roundtrip ticket on Alaska for $319, and I made a decision. I would fly back to northern California, tell no one, and launch the surprise attack. The first victim though was not Stacy, but my mother.

I talked with my mom several times on the days leading up to my arrival … asked her what she was doing the next weekend ... seeing if she had any plans. And when she told me she would be home with nothing to do, I decided I need not tell her I'm coming. I'll just show up. Last Friday afternoon in my rental car, the day after I arrived at SFO, I drove to Nevada City. As I pulled onto my mom's street, I called her. My intention was to have her on the phone as I pulled into the driveway, have her open the garage door, and there I would be. But she didn't answer the phone. I quickly called her cell phone. Again, no answer. For a moment, I thought she was the one who would pull the surprise on me. I pulled down her driveway, got out of the car, and as I walked past her kitchen window, I could see the TV was on.

So, I rang the doorbell, and a moment later, with cell phone pressed against her ear, she answered the door looking like she had seen a ghost. "Oh, my God," she exclaimed to the person on the other end of the line." You won't believe it. It's your brother." Some people had warned me not to pull such a stunt. They were afraid my mom would have a heart attack. Fortunately, that didn't happen, but later she did tell me when she saw me at the door, she began to wonder if she was getting Alzhiemers! Surprise #1 completed.

Just before I flew to San Francisco on Thursday, I called George. Giving him no hint whatsoever that I was about to board a plane, I asked him how the party plans were going. Everything was great, he said. Since it was going to be in his backyard, he was getting patio heaters. Lot's of people were expected. He and he wife Sharon were getting lots of food. It was going to be a big party. I told him to be sure to say hi to all my friends and give Stacy a big kiss for me.

Stace & Dan


So, on Saturday evening, as I walked down the driveway and into the backyard at George and Sharon's home, I was no longer bummed I couldn't be at Stacy's party. I was truly amazed that I could pull off another total surprise. "Oh, my God," I heard for the second time in two days. "What in the hell are you doing here?" And from Stacy, "I can't believe it. I can't believe you're here." Followed by a huge kiss that George no longer had to deliver for me. People asked, "Why didn't George tell me you were coming?" Because I didn't tell him, which was hard to do because I tell him everything.

As fun as it was to pull off the surprise, more rewarding was the fact that I was able to see so many people that mean so much to me. While I've made it clear, I do not miss TV news at all, I do tremendously miss the people that I worked with for nearly 30 years. They are like family. It was truly a special night that I will remember for a long time.

And of course, it was great to see my family, which feels by moving to Mexico I have somewhat abandoned them. Not true. As is evidenced, I am only a few hours away and can show up when you least expect it. As my mom told me, it was one of the best surprises in her life. So, let go and put your imagination to work ... come up with a really good surprise … and don’t tell a sole about it.

It was 'a party'

Those Wild Whales

When I was a kid growing up in San Jose, the big tourist attraction there was the Winchester Mystery House. I think I was 18 before I went to see it. It was even worse with Alcatraz. Here's this historic tourist spot mere minutes from where I lived most of my life, yet I didn't visit Alcatraz until three years ago. Older, and wiser, I have decided to no longer procrastinate on those things I want to do ... just get out and do it.

So, with that in mind, last week, I went on a whale watching excursion here in the Banderas Bay. Whale season here starts in early December and runs into spring, and right now is really the peak of the activity here for the humpbacks. In fact, several days last week, we could see them from our balcony, some within a few hundred yards of the shore.

Wednesday morning, we, along with eight others, boarded a small boat operated by Ocean Friendly Tours (oceanfriendly.com) for the four hour tour. While there are several whale watching tour operators, we selected Ocean Friendly mainly because of its reputation for being conscientious about protecting the whales and not harassing them. Some of the other operators that we saw when we were in the bay were nothing more than whale watch booze cruises where the boats literally chase the whales while those on board are hooping and hollering. Our experience was a bit different.




Our guide, Oscar Frey, has been working in the bay for more than 10 years, and is part of the team of marine experts who track the migration of the whales and identify them. His sense as to where they would be and where they would be going was amazing, and most of the time, the other boats would follow ours because they knew Oscar could find the whales (and dolphins, too).









We saw dozens of whales, some in pods, some alone, some babies .. it was fascinating. And they put on a truly amazing show.

I took the video camera and captured part of our day, edited it down to two minutes, with some awesome pictures of the whales doing whale stuff. Click HERE if you'd like to see it. And if going on a whale watching excursion is one of those things you've wanted to do ... one question ... what are you waiting for? Remember, just get out and do it!

Dream

Considering that we are all, in one way or another, creatures of habit, I guess it is not surprising that even in early retirement, I have a certain routine each day, particularly in the morning.

Without an alarm clock, I usually awake at 8:00 AM, give or take five or ten minutes. And like I have for many, many years, I still listen to the radio in the morning. My station of choice, like it largely has been for more than a decade, is KCBS, 740, San Francisco. I feel like I get a pretty good overview of what has happened in the world overnight, and it doesn't take a lot of effort on my behalf ... just turn on the lap-top, go to KCBS.com, and there it is.

Anyway, this morning during their weather report, Stan Bunger (the morning KCBS anchor) mentioned how cold it was there in Northern California ... 30 degrees in Santa Rosa, 32 in Napa.

At that same moment, the sun here was just rising over the mountain range to the east, casting the first light of the day on Puerto Vallarta. And the first of two cruise ships due to arrive today was crawling across the calm waters of the bay.

I grabbed the camera, got a couple of shots, so I could share the images of this morning. So, for just a moment, stop what you're doing, soak in the pictures, close your eyes and dream ... because probably sometime this year, though maybe not right now, you will be in your own bit of paradise ... where when you wake up at 8:00 AM, it will be sunny and 74 degrees. Enjoy life.

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.