The first couple of days of my trip to Granada, Nicaragua, coincided with a religious celebration of some sort, having something to do with the Virgin Mary. Two doors down from Marcia's house a party kicked off around midnight. It's common for houses to have an open air courtyard in the center of the house, which lets in lots of air to cool things off, lots of rain, and lots of typical night-time sounds. Like an occasional dog barking, rooster crowing, fireworks, and, of course, the occasional brass band and drums.
Here's a short video clip that shows what I mean:
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Mexico is hard to forget
Ah, the memories. I've thought often of Mexico in the last couple of days, too sick with stomach cramps and intestinal weirdness to get out of bed. I'm better now, and I'm sure it's just a coincidence that I got sick immediately after returning home from San Miguel. It was probably the water in the Houston airport.
Robin also contracted a similar ailment, although it didn't completely disable her the way it did me. We're both doing much better now.
Here are a few final shots from San Miguel de Allende:
A senorita waits outside a church for an Americano.
Those dang gringos will take pictures of anything.
Robin also contracted a similar ailment, although it didn't completely disable her the way it did me. We're both doing much better now.
Here are a few final shots from San Miguel de Allende:
A senorita waits outside a church for an Americano.
Those dang gringos will take pictures of anything.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
5 A.M. Escape From 44 Terraplen
44 Terraplen is the address of the house we rented. Like many houses of this style, once you get past the front door, there are many rooms, and patios with open air roofs. There are many doors with many locks separating different sections of the house. Many of the doors lock automatically behind you, so you don't want to ever not have your keys with you.
Monday morning we got up at 4:30 am and packed our last items. A driver was scheduled to pick us up at 5:15 and drive us to the airport in Leon, a one-and-a-half hour drive. Our instructions were to leave the keys in the apartment, so we put our bags by the front door and made sure absolutely nothing was left in any of the rooms. At 5:10 am we put the keys on the kitchen table, then reluctantly shut the automatically locking two doors between the kitchen and the front door.
When we tried to go outside to wait on the sidewalk for our driver, we realized you need a key to unlock the front door from the inside (we'd been instructed to be sure and use the key to lock the door from the inside when we came in for the night). So we're locked inside the entry, with no access to the rest of the house. The keys and a phone are in the rooms we just locked ourselves out of. We're locked in until the maid shows up at 10:30.
Just as Robin was suggesting we break the glass in the glass and iron doors to the other rooms, I decided to run up the stairs that lead to a roof patio and see if there's a way down to the ground-floor patio that's between the kitchen (where the keys are) and the bedrooms. If I can get down there, and if the kitchen patio door is unlocked, I can get the keys. I figure "I used to do some rock climbing in West Virginia when I first got out of college, and that was just 41 years ago. I can do this, no sweat."
I need to get down there. But there are no stairs from here.
From the roof patio, I see a slanted ledge just large enough to stand on that goes across the patio wall to another patio. If I can get to the other patio on the ledge, I can go down that patio's stairs, and hope the kitchen door is unlocked. So I climb over the concrete handrail and step out onto the ledge, grabbing mortar with fingernails, inching across, hoping the sloping ledge isn't rotten.
The brick strip is the ledge leading to the rooftop patio on the right.
OK, just hop from the patio hand rail to the ledge on the right, then sidestep to the next patio. I took these photos the first day in San Miguel, not realizing they showed an escape route.
The ledge. Not really too scary unless it's 5 am and dark outside.
I make it across, jump to the roof patio, run down the stairs, and the kitchen door is unlocked. I grab the keys and make my way through the locked doors to the front door where a very relieved Robin is waiting.
Every day of this trip has been extraordinary, from Granada, Nicaragua, to San Miguel de Allende. And I guess there couldn't have been a better ending. But don't try any of this at home. This blog features professional-grade travelers.
Bwahahahahahaahaha!
Monday morning we got up at 4:30 am and packed our last items. A driver was scheduled to pick us up at 5:15 and drive us to the airport in Leon, a one-and-a-half hour drive. Our instructions were to leave the keys in the apartment, so we put our bags by the front door and made sure absolutely nothing was left in any of the rooms. At 5:10 am we put the keys on the kitchen table, then reluctantly shut the automatically locking two doors between the kitchen and the front door.
When we tried to go outside to wait on the sidewalk for our driver, we realized you need a key to unlock the front door from the inside (we'd been instructed to be sure and use the key to lock the door from the inside when we came in for the night). So we're locked inside the entry, with no access to the rest of the house. The keys and a phone are in the rooms we just locked ourselves out of. We're locked in until the maid shows up at 10:30.
Just as Robin was suggesting we break the glass in the glass and iron doors to the other rooms, I decided to run up the stairs that lead to a roof patio and see if there's a way down to the ground-floor patio that's between the kitchen (where the keys are) and the bedrooms. If I can get down there, and if the kitchen patio door is unlocked, I can get the keys. I figure "I used to do some rock climbing in West Virginia when I first got out of college, and that was just 41 years ago. I can do this, no sweat."
I need to get down there. But there are no stairs from here.
From the roof patio, I see a slanted ledge just large enough to stand on that goes across the patio wall to another patio. If I can get to the other patio on the ledge, I can go down that patio's stairs, and hope the kitchen door is unlocked. So I climb over the concrete handrail and step out onto the ledge, grabbing mortar with fingernails, inching across, hoping the sloping ledge isn't rotten.
The brick strip is the ledge leading to the rooftop patio on the right.
OK, just hop from the patio hand rail to the ledge on the right, then sidestep to the next patio. I took these photos the first day in San Miguel, not realizing they showed an escape route.
The ledge. Not really too scary unless it's 5 am and dark outside.
I make it across, jump to the roof patio, run down the stairs, and the kitchen door is unlocked. I grab the keys and make my way through the locked doors to the front door where a very relieved Robin is waiting.
Every day of this trip has been extraordinary, from Granada, Nicaragua, to San Miguel de Allende. And I guess there couldn't have been a better ending. But don't try any of this at home. This blog features professional-grade travelers.
Bwahahahahahaahaha!
Parting shots of San Miguel
Before I start editing video of Nicaragua and San Miguel, here are a few final shots of San Miguel.
I met Ronald Mallory (an artist who used to live in Santa Fe, now living in San Miguel) at Starbucks. He's showing me his web site.
A balloon vendor in the park.
Flower vendors under the portal on the plaza.
You can grab a shot similar to this every 20 feet.
If you look closely, you can see a Shakespeare scholar under the turquoise umbrella.
I met Ronald Mallory (an artist who used to live in Santa Fe, now living in San Miguel) at Starbucks. He's showing me his web site.
A balloon vendor in the park.
Flower vendors under the portal on the plaza.
You can grab a shot similar to this every 20 feet.
If you look closely, you can see a Shakespeare scholar under the turquoise umbrella.
More exploring in San Miguel
We had lunch plans to meet our group of pals at a hotel restaurant on the far side of town. Robin and I walked it so we could explore and take photos. Uphill all the way.
A view looking back towards town.
After lunch at La Puertocita at the top of the hill, we walked a short distance downhill to Judy Arnold's house. Judy used to live in Santa Fe. In 1985 she bought the house and property shown below for $7,500.
This photo of Judy's house was taken in 1985.
Now her house is in the middle of the neighborhood and is a multi-level, meandering place that includes two apartments for rent.
The gate to Judy's parking area and house.
One of Judy's patios, seen from the rooftop patio.
Judy and her cat enjoy the view of San Miguel and the Cathedral.
A house on Judy's street.
A view looking back towards town.
After lunch at La Puertocita at the top of the hill, we walked a short distance downhill to Judy Arnold's house. Judy used to live in Santa Fe. In 1985 she bought the house and property shown below for $7,500.
This photo of Judy's house was taken in 1985.
Now her house is in the middle of the neighborhood and is a multi-level, meandering place that includes two apartments for rent.
The gate to Judy's parking area and house.
One of Judy's patios, seen from the rooftop patio.
Judy and her cat enjoy the view of San Miguel and the Cathedral.
A house on Judy's street.
Harry's, Starbucks -- it's all here
Yes, there's a Harry's here, but it's not a roadhouse (as in the Harry's of Santa Fe), it's a New Orleans restaurant and bar just a block from the San Miguel plaza. A very popular place, especially for Americans who are hanging out here. We met our Santa Fe pals there for drinks and conversation.
From the left: Jean (from Santa Fe, now a San Miguelian), Boris, Elizabeth, me, Robin, John and Marcia (with whom I experienced Nicaragua). Warning: traveling with this group is not for amateurs. Professionals only need apply. Hard core.
There's an interesting poster on the wall (below). I bought a copy for 175 pesos (approximately $18). Classy, eh?
The Harry's poster shows a glass of red wine. To see a larger version, stop by our house.
And yes, there's a Starbucks here. I've mentioned that before, but I didn't mention that the Wi-Fi connection is free, and you can sit there all day without buying a single coffee or muffin. There's also a lovely patio courtyard you can use.
Robin works on connecting my laptop.
San Miguel Cathedral at night.
From the left: Jean (from Santa Fe, now a San Miguelian), Boris, Elizabeth, me, Robin, John and Marcia (with whom I experienced Nicaragua). Warning: traveling with this group is not for amateurs. Professionals only need apply. Hard core.
There's an interesting poster on the wall (below). I bought a copy for 175 pesos (approximately $18). Classy, eh?
The Harry's poster shows a glass of red wine. To see a larger version, stop by our house.
And yes, there's a Starbucks here. I've mentioned that before, but I didn't mention that the Wi-Fi connection is free, and you can sit there all day without buying a single coffee or muffin. There's also a lovely patio courtyard you can use.
Robin works on connecting my laptop.
San Miguel Cathedral at night.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Viva San Miguel
The trip from Nicaragua to San Miguel de Allende took all day. On the last leg of the trip, our driver delivered us around 8:30 pm. I had an address that Robin had sent me for the house we're staying in. The driver seemed to know exactly where it was, but I had no idea where the heck we were -- winding through tiny streets in a town caught in some kind of a time warp. Suddenly I saw a beautiful sight and yelled at the driver to stop! Robin was sitting outside on the curb, waiting for us.
San Miguel is more charming and beautiful than I imagined, even though everyone had told me so. Small cobblestone streets. Old, colorful buildings on hilly streets. Really a fabulous place.
The house rental is about 4 blocks from the main plaza and cathedral, the hub of town. Elizabeth and Boris were going to share the house with us, but decided it was too far from the plaza, so we have the entire, huge house to ourselves. An open air courtyard in the middle of house has access to the two bedrooms, and the main living area. Second and third floor patios have views of the city.
One half of the house from the 2nd story patio.
We were awakened around midnight by loud music. Sounded like a huge party with a live band within blocks of us. Around 2:30 Robin says she can't sleep so she's going out to the plaza. I can't sleep either, so I join her on a night stroll through San Miguel. Wandering through Mexican alleys at 2 or 3 in the morning isn't something I feel entirely comfortable with, but with cameras in tow, we went searching for the music. We went to the plaza, but nothing there. We wander around until we get close, but can't quite figure out where it is. By the time we get back in bed it's around 4 am, and the music stops. Or maybe we just didn't hear it.
Middle of the night stroll in San Miguel.
We've spent all day wandering around the neighborhood shooting photos. This afternoon we've been hanging out at Starbucks. Free Internet connection. Viva Starbucks. Elizabeth and Boris stopped by. We plan to meet them at Harry's Bar at 6 pm. Gotta take the laptops home and get ready for a quintessential Mexico Saturday night.
El Starbucks.
San Miguel is more charming and beautiful than I imagined, even though everyone had told me so. Small cobblestone streets. Old, colorful buildings on hilly streets. Really a fabulous place.
The house rental is about 4 blocks from the main plaza and cathedral, the hub of town. Elizabeth and Boris were going to share the house with us, but decided it was too far from the plaza, so we have the entire, huge house to ourselves. An open air courtyard in the middle of house has access to the two bedrooms, and the main living area. Second and third floor patios have views of the city.
One half of the house from the 2nd story patio.
We were awakened around midnight by loud music. Sounded like a huge party with a live band within blocks of us. Around 2:30 Robin says she can't sleep so she's going out to the plaza. I can't sleep either, so I join her on a night stroll through San Miguel. Wandering through Mexican alleys at 2 or 3 in the morning isn't something I feel entirely comfortable with, but with cameras in tow, we went searching for the music. We went to the plaza, but nothing there. We wander around until we get close, but can't quite figure out where it is. By the time we get back in bed it's around 4 am, and the music stops. Or maybe we just didn't hear it.
Middle of the night stroll in San Miguel.
We've spent all day wandering around the neighborhood shooting photos. This afternoon we've been hanging out at Starbucks. Free Internet connection. Viva Starbucks. Elizabeth and Boris stopped by. We plan to meet them at Harry's Bar at 6 pm. Gotta take the laptops home and get ready for a quintessential Mexico Saturday night.
El Starbucks.
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