The End of Idol?

So American Idol has concluded another season with yet another surprise. After Tuesday’s performance, the general consensus online, in print, and talking with fans was that Crystal Bowersox ran away with the competition. Lee fell flat at the finish line. The judges knew it. He knew it. We knew it. Crystal had been consistent throughout the season. Her final performance was perhaps her best. As one journalist wrote, in their critique of Lee it was as if the judges were giving him a sweet goodbye. So what happened between Tuesday night and Wednesday night when Crystal, graciously, acknowledged that she had lost to someone that many would struggle to even call a “performer.”

AI has become (and probably always was) a popularity contest, not a singing competition. The viewership increasingly skews young and female, an audience that is more apt to text and call and vote for a young male, regardless of their musical talent. Ann Powers in the LA Times summed it up fairly well. “Lee DeWyze, a perfectly charming and seemingly overwhelmed kid who apparently has no idea how to forge a new pop style.” In comments, one reader observed “males just have a built-in advantage among majority of voters (if the majority is "tweener" girls).” Like last year’s runner up, Adam Lambert, Crystal will likely go on to reach more fame and commercial success than Lee, though the spotlight at least momentarily has been deflected from her.

The show last night also lacked the energy of previous AI finales, particularly last year’s. Perhaps that is, in part, because much of the program evolved around the departure of the true star of the show, Simon Cowell. It felt more like a series finale as compared to a season finale. On Facebook this morning, a smattering of comments include “Simon’s last season is my last season,” “jumped the shark,” “what the f*%# was that?” This season, the show never seemed to get fully in gear. And now it faces even greater challenges. Primarily, they need to find not only an adequate replacement for Simon, but someone who can take charge of the show and insert an acerbic wit that only Simon was capable of. They must be harsh, perhaps a bit nasty, but good hearted as well. And they must be able to control the panel. Halfway through this season, Simon seemed to check out, leaving the show flat (it also didn’t help that his side-kick Paula was absent … Ellen was no replacement). The producers must also freshen up the show. The format, after nearly a decade, is stale. And perhaps most important, they need to find a better crop of talent.

OK, so it’s only a TV … granted, the most watched TV show in America. Perhaps that is why there is such passion among its viewers. But as the show declines in quality, popularity (as it has this year), and in believability, we may be getting to the point where we will be hearing American Idol singing its own swan song.

Cooking with Paco in San Miguel de Allende

This will be more like a short story than a blog. It is about a day in San Miguel de Allende, where five people experienced the ultimate in a culinary adventure. It took us from the inception of a gourmet meal, to the uniquely Mexican marketplace where we found the fresh ingredients, to the preparation, the execution, and finally the feast. And along with this adventure, we met some of the coolest people we have come across in a long time.
Our host/chef/guide was Paco Cardenas. Originally from Mexico City, Paco has lived in San Miguel for 12 years where he owns and operates the finest bakery-patisserie in town, Petit Four. But Paco does a lot more. By appointment, Paco will conduct cooking classes for small groups. It all starts with Paco’s tour of the San Miguel de Allende Marketplace where everything you need is being sold by the local farmers who grow it.

Today was Mother’s Day (one day later than in the U.S.), and the market was totally alive today. In addition to block after block of fresh cuts flowers, gifts, and home made candies, the mariachis were strolling, pausing only occasionally to serenade a painting of the grandest madre of all, the Virgin of Guadalupe. Beyond the flower mart is where the real shopping and buying began. Visualize one of the best farmers' markets you've ever been to, and it's open everyday.

Here, you will find people like Carmelita who sits at a small table in “El Mercado.” Her offerings are Xoconostles (prickly pears) and limettas (sweet limes). We bought several of each.

Her neighbor in the market is Trini. She carefully scales the needles off cactus paddles, known here as nopales. We bought a few of those as well, which in a few hours will be the base for a delicious sorbet. We also bought smooth skinned avocados where you eat it all (except for the pit … though there is probably something you could do with that as well). There is fruit that looks like a giant lemon (it isn’t), and more chilies than you can imagine. Paco guided us through the maze with an explanation and the promise that later, we would see how it is all used.

Other tables were covered with fresh Mexican cheeses, marinated gazpachos, tortillas, honey, bread … mostly staffed by seasoned Mexican women.

One section of the market has dried spices and herbs, many of which are used medicinally. The man who staffs the herbs can explain to you (in Spanish) exactly what each herb is used for … everything from making a solution to put on your head to make your hair grow to an herb that you brew to cure diarrhea.

The market was simply packed today. Everyone here, like us, buying in the morning what will be on the table that night.

And, in case you don’t have the utensils at home for cooking, not only does Paco introduce you to some of the finest Mexican clay cookware (at some of the lowest prices anywhere), outside the market he will take you to a tiny kitchen store. It has been tucked in the same spot, for nearly 80 years. For 68 of those years, a woman by the name of Antonia has worked there. I knelt down next to her and chatted about how life has changed since she first stepped into the store, owned by her parents, in 1942. Nearly blind now, Antonia touches all the items as customers bring them to her to buy. By feel, she knows exactly what the item is and what the price is.

A quick stop to buy carnitas, pork deep fried in lard, which will be used later in home made tortillas. And if that isn’t enough to clog the arteries for a lifetime, there is the deep fried pork rinds, which we would later use for dipping into the three salsas we would make.

Back at Paco’s kitchen in his home overlooking the town, donned in aprons that he selected for us (!), we began the cooking process. I won’t go into the details of everything that we made, but check out the pictures. From about noon to 2:30, we were in the kitchen, slicing, chopping, pressing, mixing, blending, frying.

Paco taught us all the tricks and explained the intricacies of Mexican cuisine. We learned about
more than a dozen types of chilies and how they influence dishes in different ways. And we witnessed how simple, yet exotic, ingredients, readily available in the markets here can be transformed into a feast … including tortilla soup, squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta and epazote cheese, pablano chili strips with cream, and cactus sherbet.

With some good Mexican wine, great company, and a truly gourmet meal, it will be a day I remember for a long long time. Thanks to Paco and his partner, Oscar, for another memorable Mexican experience.

If you’re planning on a visit to San Miguel, you can contact Paco Cardenas at pacopos3@yahoo.com. And you can visit his patisserie in the center of town: Calle Mesones 99-1.

Free stuff at the truck wreck

Another journey underway as we make a repeat trip to San Miguel de Allende in the state of Guanajuato. Sometimes driving through Mexico can be rather mundane. You pay your tolls, you get on the highway. Other times, the trip can be a bit more “interesting.” Like today.

After spending the night in Guadalajara, we got on the highway toward Mexico City, and within a half hour, faced the first decision. The GPS said to go one way, the map book said go another. We followed the GPS which probably would have been a better way to go had it not been for the accident.

Now, in the U.S. if a big rig overturns and spills its contents over the road (in this case, canned sodas, popsicles, chips, your basic junk food), the police show up, declare it a toxic site, and tell everyone to scram. Here, it becomes a free for all … literally. While the truck wreck blocked one lane on the highway, it was the motorists who abandoned their vehicles to pick up on the loot who blocked the rest of the highway by simply stopping their cars where they were and pilfering whatever they could carry. Armsful, boxes full, dresses full. Anyway it could be carried, it was.

We were stopped about a mile from where the wreck occurred (at first, we did not know it was a bigaro rigaro fliparo, we thought it was road construction that caused the delays), so we just sat there in the air conditioned car, listening to Howard Stern Mother’s Day special (which is a story in itself), and waited. We were obviously out of the loop. But apparently, word soon went out via cell phone and text messages, and soon the people stopped in their cars around us hoofed it down to the carnage to claim their booty. We finally got going, and as we got to the scene, just like in the U.S. the police were there. Unlike the U.S., they were helping direct traffic around the looters so they didn’t get run over by the rest of us (and probably already had their patrol car trunks filled with bags of Tosti-Dips … which is what they call Tostados here). As we drove buy, I told Kurt to jump out quickly and pick up a few bags. Yeah, right.

The highways here, for the most part, are pretty good. The toll roads are the best. They cost anywhere from 10 pesos (about 80 cents) to 120 pesos (about ten dollars). Most are four lane divided highways. There are no road taxes here. If you want to drive on the highway, you pay. Not sure if the cattle pay, though. While driving along the “cuoto” (pay roads), you sometimes share the highway with farmers doing their spring time cattle drive … yep, right down the edge of the highway … just like Sacramento, right?

And if you’re driving along and hankerin’ for a road soda, no problem. You know how in California they have Giant Oranges along Highway 99 where you can buy a hot dog and a soda? Here, they have Giant Beer Cans where you can pick up a brew to go. In one town (Penjamo) they actually had a Giant Six Pack (I think you could drive through it). They frown on drunk driving here, and like in the U.S., they’ll throw you in jail if you’re DUI … some of the time.

Just before we got to San Miguel de Allende, the last stop was in the small town of Celaya, which like every good Mexican town, has a Costco. We marvel at how no matter what Costco you visit, you could be in any town, any where. They are all the same. We even had a hot dog and soda because it was lunch time (but instead of relish in those little crank dispensers, here they have jalapenos … ay!).

Made it to San Miguel. We did a house trade here this time (www.homeexchange.com). It’s a great place we found on the hillside to the east of “Centro” where the Jardines and Iglesia are (that’s gardens and church). We stay in their home. They'll stay in our house in palm Springs. Tomorrow, we’re linking up with some local friends to do some shopping at the local food markets, then doing a “locals” cooking class where we’ll get tips on how to prepare the strange things we see here in the market but have little clue what to do with them. More to come.

An Open Letter to Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer

Dear Ms. Brewer:

I am a white American, living in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Three times each year, I travel through Arizona on the way back to California, usually staying 2-3 nights each time in Tucson or Phoenix ... paying for lodging at hotels, dining in restaurants, gas at gas stations, etc. My last trip was in March. My next trip is in June.

However, I have just canceled my reservations for two nights in Tucson following the passage of the legislation which targets Mexicans. From now on, I will plan my trip so I can avoid spending any money in a state that is run by a bunch of bigots (It was bad enough when you rescinded benefits to domestic partners ... now this).

I will stay in Hermosillo, Mexico the night before crossing the border, fuel up and buy lunch in Nogales, Mexico (not Nogales, AZ), then travel right through Arizona, and arrive in Palm Springs, California (all without spending one more cent in Arizona). I am sorry that this may hurt working class folks who depend on tourism for a living. But there is no way I can personally justify spending any time or money in a place where such prejudice runs rampant from the highest levels.

Sincerely,

Daniel Adams

If you you like to send your own message to this fine elected official, you can go to this website:
http://azgovernor.gov/Contact.asp

I have also sent similar emails to The Arizona Hotel Association, Restaurant Association, and Office of Tourism.

What swine flu???

To stay or to go? That was the question that exactly one year ago we suddenly faced as word spread that the Swine Flu had been discovered in Mexico and in fact, was creating a health emergency the likes of which we have not experienced in our lifetimes. As it turned out, word spread faster than the flu itself. But a year ago, it was a somewhat uncertain time, especially here.

Though not one case had been confirmed in Puerto Vallarta, or for that matter in the entire state of Jalisco, we had friends who immediately packed up, closed down their house for the season, and fled to the U.S. While there was not a sense of panic, there was also the realization that should the flu be as bad as feared, the medical system in Mexico would likely not be able to handle the crisis. But after a few initial stumbles, Mexico pulled through and actually served as a model for other countries that were about to face the flu. Though we didn’t leave (and are glad we didn’t), we did go to the store the first day and stocked up on food and supplies to get us through a couple of weeks. It was kind of like a flu party without the sick part.

Fast forward to this year, where the ravages of the flu have pretty much been forgotten. While a year ago, restaurants, bars, nightclubs were all closed, now, everything is back to normal. Tourism is up this year, though already the summer slide has begun a bit earlier than normal. You don’t need reservations, you can find parking spots, and it’s getting to the point that without all the visitors here, you see the same locals in town day after day. It really is a small town when you take away vacationers.

And the cool thing is … this so far has been the nicest time of the year after a very strange cool windy rainy winter. The light breezes are keeping the temperature tolerable, the humidity has yet to make its ugly return, and the skies have been clear. On top of that, the ocean, likely due to El Nino, never got cold this winter. It is now about 80 degrees and a great place to go if only for a quick afternoon swim.

So, we will hang for a while … likely putting off our four day drive back to California until mid to late June … squeezing a road trip next month into Guadalajara and San Miguel de Allende … then making a list of all the things we want to bring back here when we return next fall.

A year since the swine flu and uncertainty. Unneeded uncertainty because in the end, life in Mexico now is better than it ever has been.

Reaction to Renewed Mexican Violence

While it isn't the focus of conversation here, at least not yet, there is without a doubt some concern that has arisen with the sudden increase of drug violence here in Mexico. Seventeen people were murdered Saturday in Acapulco, just down the the coast. And in Ciudad Juarez, just south of El Paso, three U.S. Embassy workers were gunned down the same day. Because of that, those of us who live here received a lengthy email today from the U.S. Consulate advising us of the potential danger. For some parts of Mexico, it included a recommendation that travel be limited, and residents stay in their homes.

The timing of the escalation is particularly troubling. It comes as thousands of North Americans are set to converge on Mexico's coastal resort towns for the upcoming spring break. Today, as we drove some friends to the airport here in Puerto Vallarta for their flight back to Canada, tour buses were lined up, row after row, presumably to take arriving vacationers to their prepaid packaged resorts. It was just one year ago when tourism here totally vanished with the triple hit of swine flu, a depressed economy, and emerging drug wars. While it has rebounded significantly, the rebound could be seriously jeopardized with the reports of violence.

So far, there has not been any reports of increased violence during the past few weeks in Puerto Vallarta. That being said, earlier this year, there was a shootout at one of the most popular nightclubs here which left several dead. Suspected drug dealers were captured, but as the police were taking them to the local prison, the convoy was ambushed by the dealers' associates. More were killed in that ambush on the highway leading out of town. We have also heard of other killings and abductions in some of the neighborhoods outside the central area of Puerto Vallarta.

In general, we still feel safe here. But we are also vigilant. We don't go out late at night, and we don't venture into questionable areas. And while the U.S. today issued that advisory for travel to Mexico, Puerto Vallarta was not one of the many cities singled out as being a hot spot for cartel violence.

Oh, those US border patrol agents

Ok, so I'm a little late in writing the final installment for the trip to Tucson. But here we go.


After leaving Chihuahua, staying at the ultra cool Encore Ramada Hotel, it was a long, long drive to Tucson. Just after sunrise, we headed north on Mexican 45D (the D designating a toll highway), passing through Sacramento and Nuevo Delicias before turning off onto State Highway 10, the "highway" designation being very generous. For much of the drive, through Nuevo Casa Grande and eventually into Agua Prieta, 10 is a narrow (very narrow) winding road that traverses two mountain ranges.

Along the way, we saw everything from vast expanses of desert to Monument Valley type rock formations. A crummy road it was, but really a beautiful drive.

As we got closer to the U.S. border, we were stopped twice at roadblocks, once by the Mexican military and once by the Federales. They are looking for drug runners, and while there was a delay as they searched other cars and trucks, when they got to us, there was no problem. They asked where we were the night before and where we were heading. When we told them, them smiled and sent us on our way. That was not the case when we reached the U.S. border.

A ponchy U.S. INS agent, who exhibited more attitude than his estimated 30 years of age should have allowed him harassed us to the point that we question why we even want to come back to the U.S. (we had heard of similar treatment to others, but until now we had not experienced it). We have U.S. Passports (which his computer would show we use frequently to go to Puerto Vallarta), we were driving a car with California license plates. And we had only two small suitcases. The way he treated us, you would have thought we were the long sought after kingpins of Mexico's drug cartel trying to pull a fast one by disguising ourselves as two middle age Americans on a car trip to Tucson (maybe it is the equality sticker in our back window he didn't like).

Anyway, after asking where we lived (and then questioning why we would want to live in Puerto Vallarta ... duh), he basically accused us of trying to hide something by going out of our way to enter the U.S. at Douglas, AZ as compared to the more logical entry point of Nogales. We explained we had taken a car trip to see parts of Mexico we had not yet explored including Zacatecas and Chihuahua; and considering that, Douglas WAS the logical point to enter. Still not good enough, he asked me to get out of the car and open the trunk. Then, he rifled through all of our stuff in a manner that makes the airport screeners look like packing experts. This jerk pretty much emptied our suitcases, threw stuff around, and just left it there. Apparently upset because he realized that he would not be the employee of the month for discovering even one bit of contraband let alone solve the mysteries of Mexico's drug dealers, he strutted back to the driver's side like an agitated rooster (oh, I forget, after I opened the trunk, he ordered me back into the car and to sit there), wrapping his knuckles on the side of my car, and eventually returning the passports, told us to move on. More than an hour and a half after we got to the border, we were finally into the U.S. And as we left Mr. Friendly behind, I waved and said to him with a smile on my face "Have a nice day." We were off to Tucson, he was off to find his next victim (I hope for his sake that someday Osama Bin Laden pulls up in his SUV to the frustrated little grunt at Douglas, AZ, because then, finally, he might be the employee of the month).

In Tucson, we got to the Radisson Suites in time for the last three quarters of the Super Bowl .... great game. The hotel was like a small apartment with living room, bedroom, big bathroom, and kitchenette ... very cool. After two full days of shopping in Tucson, getting the car services, some good dinners, we headed back south on Wednesday. Through heavy rain (though no snow as was forecast), we made it to the border crossing at Nogales at 9:30. Dealing with Mexican immigration is vastly different than the experience we had returning to our own country. Because by 9:31, with our visas stamped, we were on our way ... the car totally packed with tons of things we had bought in the U.S. and no one worried about that we were bring back. Ah, Mexico.

With a great toll road system from the border, we traveled on 4 lane divided highways through hundreds of miles of farmland. That night, we were going to stay in Ciudad Obragon, a fairly good size city in the state of Sonora, but we decided to continue on to the smaller town of Navajoa. Aside from a few gas stations, a small downtown, and a half dozen motels (and I think there was a Wal*Mart there), we ended up in the Best Western Hotel Del Rio. Not a 5 star, or 4 star, or even 3 star, at least they Internet, a clean room, TV, and a really good restaurant.



Thursday, off early again, same type of road, and into Mazatlan. It was Carnival when we were there, comparable to Mardi Gras, and very festive and fun. Dinner at the famous Shrimp Bucket was followed by a stroll along their Malecon where we got into the Carnival spirit. We bought ourselves a couple of masks, listened to the bands, and soaked up the local color. It is also in Mazatlan where a cabbie tried to rip us off by charging us double for his cab ride. He soon got an earful from us that we weren't tourists, but locals who live in Mexico, and that jerks like him will make people not want to come back to Mazatlan. He went away, but you know he will gouge others who aren't used to it. Likewise, our hotel there, The Inn at Mazatlan was less than stellar, the "ocean view room" providing a peak of water off in the distance over rooftops and air conditioning units, no free internet (despite their listing saying it was provided), and just in general kind of run down.

Friday morning, the final stretch home taking a detour through San Blas, a small resort town on the Pacific that we had heard a lot about. They've got a huge beach but otherwise we weren't too impressed with it when we got there (though there was a parade by some school kids all in costume that was cool). We made it back to PV mid-afternoon, in time to make a quick stop at the store, unload the car, and catch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. All total, 2530 miles from start to finish, and another Mexican adventure comes to a close.

Sage brush, sand, and cell phone towers

That was pretty much what our day looked like ... and it looked like that for a very long time. We left the warmth of our room at the Hotel Emporio well before dawn in Zacatecas. In fact, at 6:45 AM, neither the coffee shop in the hotel nor the Starbucks a half block away was even open. So, we piled into the car and headed north, and headed north, and headed north.

There is not very much between Zacatecas and Chihuahua where were are tonight. Oh sure, there a number of towns ... Fresnillo, Gomez Palacio, and Delicias (what a delicious name for a town) ... but they are mostly forgettable spots (though Delicious did look like it might have potential).

So, lacking any glamorous details of European type cities with outstanding museums and culinary specialties, I'll have to stick with the sage brush, sand, and cell phone tower description for the day.

The roads we took today, mostly toll roads costing a total of $48US, are excellent highways, some much better than the interstates you find in California. Along the way there are plenty of Pemex gas stations (about $2.80 a gallon for regular), clean restrooms (U.S. gas stations could take a lesson from Pemex), and some OK restaurants. The Mexican version of 7-11 is Oxxo and, though they don't have Slurpees or Squishees, they've got everything else. There are also a few "Pits" along the highway.

The toll booths are very modern (hello, Caltrans), and the fees vary at each one ... anywhere from about a dollar to ten dollars. They accept the Mexican version of Fastrak.

As for navigation, we rely mostly of our Mexican map books, though this year, we bought a Garmin GPS Nuvi navigator with the Mexican maps. It's pretty good, but only pretty good. It will get you where you want to go, but maybe not the fastest route.

And, for entertainment, Sirius satellite radio ... a great signal all the way from Puerto Vallarta is allowing us to catch up on Howard Stern.

In an emergency, and there haven't been any, you can call a 3-digit code on your cell phone (yes, solid cell phone coverage everywhere here), and the "Green Angels" will respond to help you, free of charge. You just have to remember what the 3-digit code is because it changes with every state you drive through.

Tonight, we are at a cool new hotel in Chihuahua called "The Encore" from Ramada. And tomorrow, we're out of here early again for the drive to Tucson, which the GPS says will take 8 hours, not counting the border crossing at Douglas, AZ. And, to top it off, we just did the Priceline thing and got a suite at the Radisson Resort in Tucson for $55 a night for three nights ... gotta love Priceline (we checked online after getting it and the absolute lowest rate was $125 with a AAA card).

Tomorrow is Superbowl Sunday, and Tucson will be filled with shopping and business type stuff .... so the blog may not return until we begin our return to PV, probably next Wednesday.

I haven't been this cold since Blue Canyon*

But, cold as we are, Zacatecas is one beautiful, cultural, historic, and inviting town. It is a town where it is best to leave your car parked and put on your walking shoes ... and walk, and walk, and walk.


After a quick breakfast across the street from the hotel (not at Starbucks ... just didn't seem right), layered in t-shirts, sweatshirts and jackets (but no scarves like the locals wear), we headed out.

Dating back to the 1500s, this was a mining town. In fact, the main mine here, Mina el Eden was active until the mid-1970s. After it closed, it was converted into a tourism spot. Donning our hard hats, then taking a train about 400 meters underground, you get a real feel of what a huge mining operation it was. After the train stops, the rest of the underground excursion is up to you ... wandering through a maze of underground tunnels, the walls still lined with beautiful quartz, silver, and copper. The people who worked in the mines, from young children to people in their 80s went through hell, carrying silver laden rocks in baskets to the surface above.

The minerals that came from underneath this city provided for the many riches on its surface. There are many large parks that line the boulevards. Fountains that look like miniature versions of the Fountains of the Bellagio in Vegas add to the ambiance. There are several Gaudi-esque cathedrals here (including the main cathedral across from our hotel). And the Francisco Goitia Art Museum currently has an exhibit of one of the finest contemporary artists we have ever seen, Armando Belmontes.

It's not just what you see, but what you experience. Zacatecas, unlike Puerto Vallarta and other Mexican cities we have visited, is extremely clean. You don't see dirt, you don't see garbage, you don't see dilapidated streets and busted sidewalks. It is extremely European. At various times today, I thought I could be in Paris, Barcelona, New Orleans, San Francisco.

And the class of people here are different as well. Yes, there are the laborers, but this is the capitol and financial center of the state of Zacatecas, so there is a certain sophistication that you don't find in other towns. And, while the few here who do work in the tourist industry do speak English, most people here do not. You need to speak Spanish here (unless you want to just hang in the hotel).

As for restaurants, this isn't Puerto Vallarta. We found the choices to be somewhat slim. On top of that, most restaurants are not heated. Last night, we went to Garufa, probably the top restuarant in town. The place was empty and it must have been 45 degrees inside. We asked if they had heat, but they said no ... so we sat near the kitchen where the TV was blaring and workers were waiting to shut the place down (at 8:00). The food was good, but when the room it's served in is only a dozen degree above freezing, it doesn't stay tasty very long.

So, back in the room after a long day, we've decided that tomorrow, we will try to make it to Chihuahua. It is mostly toll roads (4 lane divided highways between here and there), but even with that, it will likely be a ten hour day on the road. We had thought originally about going to Durango or Gomez Palacio, but the people here in Zacatecas have said there isn't much there ... and it was confirmed by our AAA tour book.

So probably a short blog tomorrow. Until then .. hasta luego amigos.

* For those unfamiliar with Sacramento, Blue Canyon is the spot in the high Sierra where TV stations would send their reporters to do live shots when it was snowing. I, along with my colleagues from Sacramento and San Francisco, spent many a freezing, wet, snowy, blizzardy, night along Interstate 80 at Blue Canyon, just so viewers at home could say, "Damn, glad I'm not there."

Zacatecas or bust

We're off again on another Mexican adventure. Leaving a rain soaked Puerto Vallarta at 7:00 this morning, our destination ... Zacatecas.

After a four hour drive to Guadalajara, we headed northeast on Mexican Highway 54. The scenery changed immediately. Crossing several mountain ranges (on a two lane road, not unlike CA Highway 29 that goes from St. Helena to Middletown), there were canyons (not quite like The Grand Canyon but pretty impressive), waterfalls, and some decidedly not touristy Mexican towns ... clean, and with no Americanos for a change.

The highway was a bit worse for the wear ... some pretty major pot holes. And, in every small town, there were lots of "topes," the Mexican version of speed bumps. The main difference is that here, unlike the U.S., they don't warn you that they are coming up and they often don't paint them a different color. Murder on the shocks. So, it is best to get behind a fast driving Mexican who knows the road and who will go 65 to 70 mph along the stretches where there are no topes, and from experience, knows when to slow down where the topes suddenly and unexpectedly rise from the roadway.

Pelted by a few pretty substantial rainstorms, the highway slowly began climbing and the temperature began dropping. And, by 4:30, we had made it to Zacatecas, elevation 8020 feet and temperature 40 when we arrived.

If you were suddenly dropped into this city of about 100,000 and were asked "What country do you think you are in," you'd probably reply Italy or Spain. An old silver mining town, the Spanish influences are dominant. We're staying in the Hotel Emporio, a classic old style hotel in the heart of the city, where you park your car and walk everywhere. We've already scoped out tonight's restaurant ... more on that tomorrow.

We will be here at least two nights, perhaps three. That's the cool thing ... we've got no schedule. Tomorrow, after picking up pastries as a nearby bakery, and grabbing a coffee at Starbucks (yes, they're everywhere, even here), we plan on exploring. More pictures and stories to follow. Stay cool. Tonight, we are.