Maddy's Travels

This has been my 12th trip to Mexico.  Many people are incredulous that my trips don’t always include the beach.  To this I say, “Would you ask every tourist in the USA if they are going to the beach?”  Do your trips to Italy and France include the beach?  Mexico is a big country.  It is full of culture, “gente amable” (friendly people), well behaved children, a great climate and the dollar still buys a lot.

 

On this trip I traveled with my client, now friend, Leslee M.  We were so in synch that even the clothes we packed were similar – capris with leg pockets, down to the exact same Lands End bathing suit (different color, fortunately).  Between the two of us, we could understand just about everything, less as we got tired, more as we had our afternoon margarita.  Try Don Julio Reposada tequila some day and you too will speak Spanish.

 

We started our trip in Guanajuato, Mexico, a small university city, altitude about 5,000 ft.  The days were sunny and dry, 82 degrees, cooler in morning and evening - light sweater required.  We sat in the “jardin” (garden), listening to dueling mariachi bands – Ceilito Lindo, not in synch with Ceilito Lindo at the next restaurant.  Unfortunately, our lovely terraced hotel room was right above this cacophony.

 

Fresh fruit is one of my joys of Mexico – bought on street corners, huge spears of pineapple, jicama, watermelon, and papaya with a good dose of salt, lime and chile.

 

The next stop was “Pueblo Nuevo”, the tiny town where my Mexican friend Beatriz lives.  I remember the first time I arrived in this town, thinking “Oh my God, is this it – is this really where she lives?”  Most of Mexico is behind walls so when you arrive you think you are nowhere.  You enter a door to find courtyards open to the sky, the rooms, chicken coops and whatever else surrounding it.  Mama’s home cooked chicken mole – “que rico” – ie. YUM!  Small town Mexico is very noisy - we woke up to roosters crowing and a truck with sound system selling propane gas tanks.

 

From Pueblo Nuevo, we went to the artist’s haven, San Miguel de Allende.  It was Easter week with processions galore – significantly more religious than our Easter bunny celebrations – somber yet colorful.  In this town, the massage therapist came to our room at the bed and breakfast and for $25 gave us a massage second to none.  With “balnearios” (hot spring pools) on the outskirts of town – what could be better?

 

And now, off to the city, Guadalajara – second largest in Mexico.  We looked at our map, trying to figure out where we were.  The street sign said “Cruce en Verde”.  Why do all the streets have the same name?  Whoops – that’s “cross on green”.  We enjoyed city things – churches, murals by Orozco, outdoor dining, a rock concert in Spanish and a night of dancing.

 

We eased our way back into American culture by spending our last 2 days at Rio Caliente spa – English spoken.  The water we drank there had natural lithium in it.  Did that have something to do with our ultra relaxed feeling?  Or maybe it was the 2 person facial – one massaging arms and legs while the other buffed, polished, and pandered the face.

 

In my two week vacation, I had 2 massages, a pedicure, a facial, hiked to hot springs, danced salsa and cumbia to an 11 piece orchestra, practiced speaking Spanish, saw recently excavated pyramids from the year 400 ad, met lots of people, drank tequila, ate unknown things in colorful markets, and sat naked in hot water under a sky full of stars.

 

So now you know why I didn’t go to the beach.