LA CASA DE PATY

What ARE we doing . . . . . . ?

2012-01-28T13:53:00.000-06:00

I have been following a wonderful blog for the past year or so--http://sprinterlife.com/. I was especially moved by a recent post, so I asked permission to lift it in it's entirety and repost here. This is NOT an original post by me!

Pacific Ocean Trash Vortex

JANUARY 27, 2012 BY TREE 48 COMMENTS

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I’ve been wanting to write this post for a while. Recently a lot of people on Facebook posted photos about this issue, so I figured it was a good time to build on the inertia.

Please reshare this post on Facebook so we can spread the awareness of this problem.

After arriving in Huanchaco 4 months ago I noticed that every day the ocean would wash up enormous amounts of plastic garbage onto the beach. Every day local workers would show up to clean the tourist beach, but the north and south remained littered with debris. It was clear to me that this waste was coming from out at sea, but why? And where was the source?

After doing some research I discovered that our Pacific Ocean is in serious trouble. The problem was much worse than I could have possibly imagined. That got me wondering how many other people know about this? So here is what I found when I looked under the covers…

There is a “plastic soup” of waste floating in the Pacific Ocean and it is growing at an alarming rate. Maybe you heard it was the size of Texas? Yes, it was at one point. But now scientists believe it covers an area twice the size of the continental United States, and is still growing.

The vast expanse of debris – in effect the world’s largest rubbish dump – is held in place by swirling underwater currents. This drifting “soup” stretches from about 500 nautical miles off the Californian coast, across the northern Pacific, past Hawaii and almost as far as Japan.

Charles Moore, a former sailor, came across the sea of waste by chance in 1997, while taking a short cut home from a Los Angeles to Hawaii yacht race. He had steered his craft into the “North Pacific gyre” – a vortex where the ocean circulates slowly because of little wind and extreme high pressure systems. Usually sailors avoid it.

He was astonished to find himself surrounded by rubbish, day after day, thousands of miles from land. “Every time I came on deck, there was trash floating by,” he said in an interview. “How could we have fouled such a huge area?”

Mr Moore, the heir to a family fortune from the oil industry, subsequently sold his business interests and became an environmental activist. Back then he warned that unless consumers cut back on their use of disposable plastics, the plastic stew would double in size over the next decade. It’s far exceeded that prediction.

Most debris consists of small plastic particles suspended at or just below the surface, making it impossible to detect by aircraft or satellite. Instead, the size of the patch is determined by sampling.

The “soup” is actually two linked areas, on either side of the islands of Hawaii, known as the Western and Eastern Pacific Garbage Patches.

The Garbage Patch formed gradually as a result of marine pollution gathered by oceanic currents. The gyre’s rotational pattern draws in waste material from across the North Pacific Ocean. As material is captured in the currents, wind-driven surface currents gradually move floating debris toward the center, trapping it in the region.

So what are the sources of pollutants:

In a nutshell, we are the source.

About 20% of the junk is thrown off ships or oil platforms. Ship-generated pollution is a source of concern, since a typical 3,000-passenger cruise ship produces over eight tons of waste weekly, a major amount of which ends up in the patch.

The other 80% of the garbage comes from land-based sources.

Rivers carry garbage out to sea, which then makes its way into the patch. Currents carry debris from the west coast of North America to the gyre in about six years, and debris from the east coast of Asia in a year or less.

Pollutants range in size from abandoned fishing nets to micro-pellets used in abrasive cleaners and includes everything from footballs to kayaks to Lego blocks and carrier bags. Plastic cans, bottles, toys, bags, cups, balls… you get the picture.

You name it, and it’s in there…

The biggest problem is our addiction to plastic.

According to National Geographic, more than 200 million tones of plastic are produced each year, of which about 10% ends up in the oceans. And once plastic is made, it NEVER breaks down.

All of this plastic in the ocean is having a devastating effect on Marine life.

This statistic is grim—for marine animals, of course, but even more so for humans. Why? Because just like the marine life, we’re now ingesting plastic toxins constantly.

Plastic has made it’s way into the food chain.

All sea creatures, from the largest to the microscopic organisms, are, at one point or another, swallowing the seawater soup instilled with toxic chemicals from plastic decomposition. The world population is eating fish that have eaten other fish, which have eaten toxin-saturated plastics. In essence, humans are eating their own waste.

Facts:

267 marine species are affected by plastic garbage already.

All sea creatures are threatened by floating plastic, from whales down to zooplankton.

We are the last in the food chain, and we are definitely experiencing the consequences of our actions.

You could take your blood serum to a lab right now, and they’d find at least 100 industrial chemicals (INSIDE OF YOU) that did not exist in 1950.

If that doesn’t deeply disturb you, then you have your head buried in the plastic.

What we can do:

As sad as it is, this is such a monstrous problem that it will be very hard to stop and reverse the damage. Our world is addicted to plastic. But here is what you can do to try and help.

1) Although recycling makes only a small impact, everyone should do it, period. And more importantly, we need to push for and support more robust recycling programs, because right now they are pathetic.

2) Stop using plastic. That’s the only way we can eliminate all the toxic products that harm the animals and us human beings. This is clearly easier said than done. Not using plastic is currently impossible, but each person CAN reduce plastic use.

To make the biggest impact, minimize your consumption of bottled water, bottled soda, and plastic bags.

3) The BIGGEST thing we can do to help this problem is make the transition to biodegradable plastics. Biodegradable plastics will decompose in natural aerobic (composting) and anaerobic (landfill) environments.

The biggest challenge here will be getting the plastic companies like Dupont to transition tobiodegradable plastics. That is about as challenging as trying to get the oil companies to pursue clean fuel alternatives.

As with many of the problems of our day, this one seems hopeless. I hate to leave a blog post in a pessimistic light, but to be honest with you, I am losing faith that enough people will evolve the consciousness required to fix these problems fast enough to make a difference.

Let’s hope I’m wrong.

TREE

Some interesting links:

- http://www.plasticoceans.net/

- http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090820-plastic-decomposes-oceans-seas.html

- http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/oceans/pollution/trash-vortex

Some good videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5y1W5xduiE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7rNYzSH-BA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta8HaHP_9rE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrAShtolieg&feature=related

What Architect?

2011-06-26T09:50:00.039-05:00

I can't imagine how this front door was designed to be so far from the sidewalk. And then need such tall, skinny steps to reach the door threshold. The architect (yeah right) who designed this house obviously didn't measure correctly in order to get the floor of the house even close to level with the sidewalk.

Have Chop Shop, Will Travel

2011-04-17T16:48:00.000-05:00

I came home from breakfast and the old blue car that had been sitting across the street for months, without moving, was being taken apart by two industrious men. The car couldn't be driven to the junkyard and a towing fee was out of the question, so the "chop" guys came to the car. By mid-afternoon, this was what the skeleton looked like.

Working with nothing more than a small crowbar, a mallet, a hacksaw and a sledge hammer, by evening all that was left sitting on the street were the two ripped up seats. Everything else had been carted away in pieces.

New Mask Added to My Collection

2010-12-30T16:31:00.036-06:00

A couple of weeks ago an artist came to Lakeside from Tonala to show his work. I saw this mask and was intrigued. The face is made of clay and the teeth come from a cow; the hair is from a horse's tail. It is beautifully painted. His eyebrows, a lizard perched on his massive nose as well as his lips are in high relief. The colors are extraordinarily vivid.

This mask is made to be worn in festivals. The hair is sewn onto a kind of woven rush cap which fits over the head of the wearer. In fact, it fits my face perfectly; as if made for me so of course I just had to buy it.

Many of the designs of masks made in Mexico come from the dreams (or nightmares) of the maker. They can represent evil as well as benevolent entities meant to drive away devils by their scary looks.

Drug Prices in Mexico

2010-11-08T11:20:00.007-06:00

I wonder if the drug companies in Mexico aren't in bed with the government who is supposed to have the welfare of it's citizens in mind when it passes legislation. Let me tell you why I think things are strange here.

In Mexico, the government regulates the maximum price a pharmacy may charge for any drug. This price is stamped into the end panel of the drug packaging. When traveling in Mexico, one sees signs at most pharmacies that advertise their discount prices—anywhere from 10-80%. This mostly ends up being around 40% discount on name brand drugs and 60% on generic drugs.

For example, today I bought a pain medication called “Dolac” (I didn't ask for it by it's generic name—really stupid of me). The maximum price was 199 pesos for 10-10mg. tablets. After the discount, I paid 123 pesos-or 38% discount. In US dollars that was about $10, or $1 per 10 mg. tablet.

Now if I had bought 20 mg. tablets, the maximum price for a box of 10 would have been 398 pesos—or twice the price of 10 mg. tablets. You see, in Mexico, the price is determined by the mg. not by the total number of tablets. In the States, if you by a 10 mg tablet for, let's say, $1 but want a 20 mg. tablet, you will probably pay around $1.20 or less per tablet. That's because the cost of the drug that includes manufacturing and R&D costs, packaging, shipping and profit for the retailer doesn't go up very much between a 10 mg tablet and a 20 mg. tablet. Total costs would only increase by a very small percentge for the bigger mg. tablet. So somebody is making a killing in the drug business (read that drug manufacturers and legislators) in Mexico.

One more example: I bought a bottle of pain killers called “Tramadol". A bottle of 50-50 mg. capsules was 70 pesos but I paid the discounted price of 42 pesos or $3.40US. I bought a blister pack box of 10-50 mg. tablets priced at 298 pesos but only paid 119 pesos or $9.60US. So somebody is making a killing in the drug business (read that drug manufacturers and legislators) in Mexico.

The other thing that greatly increases the cost of drugs in Mexico is packaging. Almost every drug is only available in blister packs and in small quantities. I believe the major reason is that typically a poor Mexican will only buy enough of say, an antibiotic, to treat himself until he feels better (I won't even go into how this practice promotes the breeding of super-bugs). So he will buy one or two doses of a drug at a time. Blister packs facilitate the ability of the pharmacy to accommodate the purchase of less than a full box of a drug. Packaging is certainly making a difference in price but I find it hard to believe that the difference between $.06US a capsule and $1US a tablet as in my “Tramadol “ example above, is all because of packaging costs. And I have found this practice to be true in all eight of the Latin American countries I have visited.

I have been lucky to find the drug I take every day for high blood pressure packaged in a bottle of 100 tablets. So far I've found that this packaging for this drug is only available from one manufacturer. I pay around $3US for 100 tablets; when I was buying this drug in a blister pack, I was paying about $7 per 30 tablet box.

If the legislature has the power to control the maximum retail price of drugs, why have they set the maximum so high? Even the discounted price charged by the pharmacies is much higher, in many cases, than the prices in the U.S. The price of drugs in Canada is much less than in the States. And yet Mexico, with it's minimum wage set at about $6US a day and a great many of citizens living in true poverty, has essentially higher drug prices than the U.S. I think something stinks!

But then, I'm obviously naïve about the ways of government.

Driving At Night in Mexico

2010-10-02T21:38:00.005-05:00

Here's another darn good reason to never drive at night in Mexico

Expert Analyzes Mexican Security Issues

2010-09-13T11:48:00.002-05:00

Taken from "The Guadalajara Reporter" Sept. 11-17, 2010

International media reports on Mexico's war against the drug cartels tend to paint extreme pictures that are out of sync with the nationwide reality, according to Latin America law and security expert Ana Maria Salazar. "Some versions indicate that the country is falling apart at the seams while others proclaim that Mexico is safer than Canada."

The country's current security situation cannot be defined in generalized terms. Salazar insists it must be viewed in distinct local contexts she describes as "different Mexicos," with the understanding that the crime status in any particular place is subject to radical changes that may occur unexpectedly. She pointed to recent surprise spikes in violence that have rocked northern Mexico, particularly in Monterrey and the state of Tamaulipas.

Salazar addressed the topic of security in Mexico as the guest speaker of the lakeside branch of Grupo Financiero Multiva. The conference, held at the Hotel Real de Chapala, drew a large audience of expatriates on Sept. 8.

Salazar's impeccable credentials of law and security issues in Latin America include stints as judicial attache at the US Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, a White House policy advisor under Bill Clinton, and deputy assistant Secretary of Defense for Drug Enforcement Policy and Support at the Pentagon. Now based in Mexico City, she is a respected media pundit who moderates the current events blog "Mexico Today" and hosts "Imagen News".

Her talk began just hours after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went on record drawing a troubling parallel between the current level of violence linked to Mexican drug cartels and the narco-insurgency that plagued Colombia 20 years ago. Based on her experiences in Colombia during that critical time, Salazar downplayed Clinton's assessment. She doesn't see signs that traffickers here are employing systematic strategies to gain political clout in the way that Colombian drug lords did by infiltrating the country's legislative branch and targeting innocent civilians in acts of violence.

Many of Salazar's listeners chuckled or nodded knowingly when she wondered whether salacious stories breaking north of the border had prompted frantic calls of messages from concerned friends and relatives back home, often punctuated by the worried question "What the hell are you doing down there?"

Discussion of Jalisco crime statistics--indicating a comparatively moderate crime rate--gave some backup to a seemingly prevalent "why worry?" attitude among local expats. For example, data compiled by the independent security think tank ICESI show an incidence of 8.2 homicides per 100,000 Jalisco residents during 2009, a figure comparable to most US cities. In addition, the state's homicide rate is currently about five times less than it was just over a decade ago.

While acknowledging that the overall lack of consistent and reliable data makes it hard to accurately gauge the country's crime and security status, she pointed out that news reports have created a misleading perception that the current murder rate is stratospheric. In fact, available figures point to an average homicide rate similar to that of 2001.

In Salazar's view, Mexico's crime scene is not likely to improve much over the next several years. However, on a note of optimism, she suggests that reforms of the country's judicial and law enforcement systems promise substantive improvements over the long term.

Her security advice for local expats is to find a proper balance between an outright disregard for personal safety and excessive paranoia. Noting that persons who take reasonable precautions have little reason to live in fear, she stressed. "Mexico is safe if you act safe."

Sights in Zacatecas

2009-08-01T21:23:00.006-05:00

View the video that shows the extent of Zacatecas toward the west from the highest peak around. The city is not very wide but extends quite a way up and down the valley.

Here's a video of my friend Gail taking the zipline off this same peak toward the east.

This hotel was made out of an old bullring. It is rated one of the top 10 hotels in the world

This is the cathedral in central Zacatecas:

The intricate Baroque-style carvings are made by immersing limestone in water for several weeks until it becomes soft and can be carved. Then, as it dries in the hot sun, it becomes a hard stone again.

This Catholic church building was destroyed by a Christian sect (can't remember if it was Methodists or Prysbeterians). They destroyed knocked the saints from the edifice and ruined the inside. Click the photo for a close up and you can see the niches where the saints once stood on either side above the door.

The front of the church is between these two flying buttresses:

Canterra (Spanish for any quarry stone) is the most

common building material in Mexico. It is limestone

and comes in varying colors. Here is an example of

purple or lavender canterra:

I would hope any business who charges for their services would be effective.

After lunch (see photo of the way they served beer--with a shrimp in the neck of the bottle) we set out for an archaeological site.

This is a scale replica of the site: The building on the left is the visitors center. Up the hill were the living and religious areas of the ancient inhabitants.

In the courtyard of the visitor's center was a replica of decorative rock artwork typically found at this site:

The walls of this site were built very tall and thick as a defense against attack:

This was the large religious center. The columns supported

the roof of the single largest room built in Mexico at that time.

Here is the courtyard adjacent to the religious center and

shows the valley below the city.

The nopal cactus with fruits, mostly yellow and a few ripe red

(called tuna in Spanish or prickly pear fruit in English) growing

along the eastern edge of the city. Remember to click on any

photo to see a close up.

As we left this site, we had to pass the tourist area where trinkets, etc. were sold. They had a number of live snakes from the area and my friend Gail was introduced to the resident rattlesnake. She is absolutely terrified of snakes but did a good job holding this one without screaming.

Zacatecas Mask Museum

2009-07-31T15:03:00.043-05:00

In Zacatecas we visited an old ex-convent that houses the Mask Museum. The bell tower and upper facade fell down at some time, probably from an earthquake and was never rebuilt.

However, the rubble was not lost but put to good use to construct a wall. There are cornices and small statues that were saved.

Here's a wall inside the exterior walls. See where the lintel over the window has rotted away.

Here's another old wall that has withstood the weather to varying degrees. The adobe brick on the right has lasted pretty well when covered by a lime and mortar mix. Some of the bricks on the left are lasting better than the mortar that surrounds them.

Here is an example of a mask that was made out of available materiels; an armadillo shell and deer antlers. (And more masks following in which you probably have less interest than I do--obviously. If only I could have such wonderful articles for MY mask collection!)

These masks and others following are carved of wood.

This is a crocodile "suit" which was worn around the waist of a dance participant. All carved of wood.

More primitive masks from the early 19th century.

This masks reminds me of a Japanese Noh mask used in theater. It's one of my favorites in this collection.

More and more . . .

Many masks are "fantismic"; out of the carvers dreams, or nightmares! But these are devils masks, of which there are a number of differing faces.

I wonder what the inspiration was for this mask . . .

These are fairly contemporary using window screening for the mask with painted steel wool for the beards. Pretty unique!

These masks show the influence of black slaves from the Caribbean on Mexican artesania.

The mask carvers had a sense of humor:

A contemporary mask showing the influence of the Anglos. The hair is made from the same material that is used to make long handled brushes for removing cobwebbs from one's house.

Sorry about the lack of focus on this and the previous photo--the museum didn't allow flash photography.

These show the use of goat horns and deer antlers.

Just look at the realism of this mask.

This is an example of "armor" made of carved wood. The small pieces in the foreground are forearm covers.

Note the reflection of the back side of this wooden "armor".

Probably originally from the jungle area of southern Mexico.

Note the blue, black and white set of horns as well as a single red one, surrounded by snake heads.

One more "nose" mask . . .

This mask is made of paper mache' and probably used during Day of the Dead celebrations.

Leopard masks with boars teeth.

The LONG drive to the States

2009-07-15T09:37:00.010-05:00

My friend Susy and I just got back from a shopping trip to San Antonio, TX. Two days to drive there, three days to shop and two days to drive back home.

I didn't take many photos as I was busy shopping but I did get two interesting shots. There are many shredded tires along the Mexican cuotas. Most 18-wheelers run recapped tires on all but their front wheels. The recaps are notorious for blow-outs, which we witnessed on one occasion. I always wondered what a tire looked like after the recap peeled off on the highway.
Well, we saw such a tire in the back of a tire truck.

I find the geology of Mexico to be surpisingly varied and interesting. Especially the mountains of the Sierra Oriental around Monterrey. In the pass between Saltillo and Monterrey are many pallisades (flat topped horizontal cliffs) emerging from the upper sides of the mountains. The particular pallisades that are of interest are vertical! They look as if massive forces pushed up and crinkled the rocks. This photo would have been better if taken early morning or late afternoon (and perhaps I'll get a chance one day) to capture strong side-lighting to show the "wrinkles".

Tourist Trip to Michoacan

2009-06-30T21:06:00.000-05:00

My friend Susy and I recently took a 3 day "tourist" trip to Michoacan. We've been to this state southeast of Jalisco many times, but usually to look for new artesania or artists. This time we decided to see some sights like tourists.

Here are some atypical-colored street dogs resting under a truck.

This is another one for my Mexican Moments file. If you run out of room on your sign, just keep going on the next line . . . This sign is advertising "Coctel de Frutas con Chantilly" which translates, "Fruit Cocktail with Whipped Cream".

In the middle of a very small village we found a church with it's altar wall of gold. It was very dark inside the church, hence the poor quality of the photo, but it gives you some idea of it's splendor. We were told that the local priest was caught stealing gold from the church, so now there is someone to watch over the church day and night. When we were there a woman was sitting in a pew reading a newspaper, but keeping a close eye on us.

In the plaza of this same tiny village we found a carnival with children's rides. This old truck really stuck me as something special. I can image hours of fun to be had by kids riding around and around in circles.

In the churchyard of the Growing Christ (A statue of Christ was taken out of it's glass coffin to be cleaned and when it was returned it no longer fit. The foot portion of the coffin was extended about one foot to accomodate the growing statue.) we found these very old olive trees growing. I imagine they were planted back when the church was built in the mid-1500's. Their trunks were large around and looked like cork, with spindly growth at the tops.

Chicken or the Egg?

2009-06-24T22:08:00.002-05:00

It just dawned on me today that I have given up caring about some things since I retired. I've given up caring about which came first; the chicken or the egg. I've given up trying to find out something that I don't have a chance of figuring out before I die, so why bother. Am I depressed or just pragmatic? Maybe I'm just tired, feel I'm without purpose and fear getting old . . .

House Hunting

2009-05-28T07:26:00.002-05:00

I've decided to look for a new house to rent. With housing prices finally falling and the low season in full swing, many properties are for rent and negotiating is possible. The owners of my house are going to retire and move here, perhaps next year, so it seems that now is the time .

I've always liked La Floresta; in fact I lived in lower LF when I first arrived in Mexico. The cobbled streets are wide and in pretty good shape. And lots of trees, which I need to keep my body temperature down. I've found four houses which I will look at later today and report back. If I decide to move I am willing to sign a one year lease and if the landlord and house are really wonderful I'll sign a five year lease after trying the house for the first year. I don't want to move but I want THE house that I can stay in until I die. Of course, that's what I found with my Eichler in Portland and then I moved here . . .

Another Perspective on Mexico by Linda Ellerbee

2009-05-13T21:34:00.010-05:00

One Journalist’s View By Linda Ellerbee taken from the Banderas News

Sometimes I’ve been called a maverick because I don’t always agree
with my colleagues, but then, only dead fish swim with the stream
all the time. The stream here is Mexico.

You would have to be living on another planet to avoid hearing how
dangerous Mexico has become, and, yes, it’s true drug wars have
escalated violence in Mexico, causing collateral damage, a phrase
I hate. Collateral damage is a cheap way of saying that innocent
people, some of them tourists, have been robbed, hurt or killed.

But that’s not the whole story. Neither is this. This is my story. I’m a
journalist who lives in New York City, but has spent considerable time in
Mexico, specifically Puerto Vallarta, for the last four years.

I’m in Vallarta now. And despite what I’m getting from the U.S. media,
the 24-hour news networks in particular, I feel as safe here as I do
at home in New York, possibly safer. I walk the streets of my Vallarta
neighborhood alone day or night. And I don’t live in a gated community,
or any other All-Gringo neighborhood. I live in Mexico. Among Mexicans.
I go where I want(which does not happen to include bars where
prostitution and drugs are the basic products), and take no more
precautions than I would at home in New York; which is to say I don’t
wave money around, I don’t act the Ugly American, I do keep my eyes
open, I’m aware of my surroundings, and I try not to behave like a fool.

I’ve not always been successful at that last one. One evening a friend
left the house I was renting in Vallarta at that time, and, unbeknownst
to me, did not slam the automatically- locking door on her way out. Sure
enough, less than an hour later a stranger did come into my house. A
burglar? Robber? Kidnapper? Killer? Drug lord?

No, it was a local police officer, the “beat cop” for our neighborhood,
who, on seeing my unlatched door, entered to make sure everything
(including me) was okay. He insisted on walking with me around the
house, opening closets, looking behind doors and, yes, even under beds,
to be certain no one else had wandered in, and that nothing was missing.
He was polite, smart and kind, but before he left, he lectured me on
having not checked to see that my friend had locked the door behind her.
In other words, he told me to use my common sense.

Do bad things happen here? Of course they do. Bad things happen
everywhere, but the murder rate here is much lower than, say, New Orleans,
and if there are bars on many of the ground floor windows of houses here,
well, the same is true where I live, in Greenwich Village, which is
considered a swell neighborhood — house prices start at about $4 million
(including the bars on the ground floor windows).

There are good reasons thousands of people from the United States are
moving to Mexico every month, and it’s not just the lower cost of living,
a hefty tax break and less snow to shovel. Mexico is a beautiful country,
a special place. The climate varies, but is plentifully mild, the culture
is ancient and revered, the young are loved unconditionally, the old are
respected, and I have yet to hear anyone mention Britney Spears, Lindsay
Lohan, or Madonna’s attempt to adopt a second African child, even though,
with such a late start, she cannot possibly begin to keep up with
Anglelina Jolie.

And then there are the people. Generalization is risky, but—in general—
Mexicans are warm, friendly, generous and welcoming. If you smile at them,
they smile back. If you greet a passing stranger on the street, they greet
you back. If you try to speak even a little Spanish, they tend to treat you
as though you were fluent. Or at least not an idiot. I have had taxi drivers
track me down after leaving my wallet or cell phone in their cab. I have had
someone run out of a store to catch me because I have overpaid by twenty
cents. I have been introduced to and come to love a people who celebrate a
day dedicated to the dead as a recognition of the cycles of birth and death
and birth — and the 15th birthday of a girl, an important rite in becoming
a woman — with the same joy.

Too much of the noise you’re hearing about how dangerous it is to come to
Mexico is just that — noise.

But the media love noise, and too many journalists currently making it don’t
live here.

Some have never even been here. They just like to be photographed at night,
standing near a spotlighted border crossing, pointing across the line to some
imaginary country from hell.

It looks good on TV.

Another thing. The U.S. media tend to lump all of Mexico into one big bad
bowl. Talking about drug violence in Mexico without naming a state or city
where this is taking place is rather like looking at the horror of Katrina
and saying, “Damn. Did you know the U.S. is under water?” or reporting on
the shootings at Columbine or the bombing of the Federal building in
Oklahoma City by saying that kids all over the U.S. are shooting their
classmates and all the grownups are blowing up buildings. The recent rise
in violence in Mexico has mostly occurred in a few states, and especially
along the border. It is real, but it does not describe an entire country.

It would be nice if we could put what’s going on in Mexico in perspective,
geographically and emotionally.

It would be nice if we could remember that, as has been noted more than
once, these drug wars wouldn’t be going on if people in the United States
didn’t want the drugs, or if other people in the United States weren’t
selling Mexican drug lords the guns. Most of all, it would be nice if more
people in the United States actually came to this part of America (Mexico
is also America, you will recall) to see for themselves what a fine place
Mexico really is, and how good a vacation (or a life) here can be. So come
on down and get to know your southern neighbors. I think you’ll like it here. Especially the people.

A Lovely Bunch of . . . Bananas

2009-05-05T12:14:00.003-05:00

My banana tree broke and fell over this morning. This bunch of bananas is the result--it's about 2.5 ft. long and weighs over 50 lbs. A banana only has one blossom in it's life and one bunch of fruit. I will try to get a photo of the blossom. When the gardener comes this afternoon, he will remove the tree which will allow the other smaller trees to grow and produce more bananas. The bunch is hanging over the terraza but hopefully won't attract bees and wasps for quite a while. I'll cut a "hand" of fruit off and give it to the gardener every week as I can't possibly eat them all before they rot. God is good!

Rainbirds

2009-05-04T10:37:00.005-05:00

This is a cicada--a rainbird in Mexico. A diviner of rain--usually 6 weeks from the first piercing "song". I heard my first rainbird the evening of April 1. Accordingly, only 1 more week until the rains come--hurray!! Of course, if the rains come next week they will be almost a month early as our usual rainy seasons starts between the 10th & 15th of June. We will be grateful for any rain at this point. I'm told there was a bit of a sprinkle while I was in South America in January. Otherwise, it's been rainless since the middle of October. Traditionally this area gets between 1/2-1 inch of rain a month during the dry season. This will be the second year with no rain during the dry season. The dust is high as are the temperatures--close to 90 most of the time and not getting below about 65 at night. Before the rains come the temps will be around 100.

The first two weeks of the rainy season will be miserable. The accumulated heat in the buildings and rocky soil will permeate the humid air and cause a very tropical feel. I can take the dry heat better than the humid heat the first part of June. Then everything will settle down, including the dust, until October when the rains stop and the cycle repeats itself.

Mexican Flu Virus

2009-04-30T22:23:00.004-05:00

This is taken from the Mercola, MD, website and provides a very interesting perspective on the recent news about swine flu - with the most effective ways to protect your health at the very end.

This is NOT the First Swine Flu Panic

My guess is that you can expect to see a lot of panic over this issue in the near future. But the key is to remain calm -- this isn't the first time the public has been warned about swine flu. The last time was in 1976, right before I entered medical school and I remember it very clearly. It resulted in the massive swine flu vaccine campaign.
Do you happen to recall the result of this massive campaign?
Within a few months, claims totaling $1.3 billion had been filed by victims who had suffered paralysis from the vaccine. The vaccine was also blamed for 25 deaths.
However, several20hundred people developed crippling Guillain-Barré Syndrome after they were injected with the swine flu vaccine. Even healthy 20-year-olds ended up as paraplegics.
And the swine flu pandemic itself? It never materialized.
More People Died From the Swine Flu Vaccine than Swine Flu!
It is very difficult to forecast a pandemic, and a rash response can be extremely damaging.
As of Monday April 27, the worldwide total number of confirmed cases was 82, according to WHO, which included 40 cases in the U.S., confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control. But does that truly warrant the feverish news headlines?
To put things into perspective, malaria kills 3,000 people EVERY DAY, and it's considered "a health problem"... But of course, there are no fancy vaccines for malaria that can rake in billions of dollars in a short amount of time.
One Australian news source,3 for example, states that even a mild swine flu epidemic could lead to the deaths of 1.4 million people and would reduce economic growth by nearly $5 trillion dollars.
Give me a break, if this doesn't sound like the outlandi sh cries of the pandemic bird-flu I don't know what does. Do you remember when President Bush said two million Americans would die as a result of the bird flu?
In 2005, in 2006, 2007, and again in 2008, those fears were exposed as little more than a cruel hoax, designed to instill fear, and line the pocketbooks of various individuals and industry. I became so convinced by the evidence AGAINST the possibility of a bird flu pandemic that I wrote a New York Times bestselling book, The Bird Flu Hoax, all about the massive fraud involved with the epidemic that never happened..
Wh at is the Swine Flu?
Regular swine flu is a contagious respiratory disease, caused by a type-A influenza virus that affects pigs. The current strain, A(H1N1), is a new variation of an H1N1 virus -- which causes seasonal flu outbreaks in humans -- that also contains genetic material of bird and pig versions of the flu.
Interestingly enough, this version has never before been seen in neither human nor animal, which I will discuss a bit later.
This does sound bad. But not so fast. There are a few reasons to not rush to conclusions that this is the deadly pandemic we've been told would occur in the near future (as if anyone could predict it without having some sort of inside knowledge).Why a True Bird- or Swine Flu Pandemic is HIGHLY Unlikely
While in my opinion it is highly likely factory farming is responsible for producing this viral strain, I believe there is still no cause for concern.

You may not know this, but all H1N1 flu's are descendants of the 1918 pandemic strain. The reason why the flu shot may or may not work, however, from year to year, is due to mutations. Therefore, there's no vaccine available for this current hybrid flu strain, and naturally, this is feeding the fear that millions of people will die before a vaccine can be made.
However, let me remind you of one very important fact here.
Just a couple of months20ago, scientists concluded that the 1918 flu pandemic that killed between 50-100 million people worldwide in a matter of 18 months -- which all these worst case scenarios are built upon -- was NOT due to the flu itself!4
Instead, they discovered the real culprit was strep infections.
People with influenza often get what is known as a "superinfection" with a bacterial agent. In 1918 it appears to have been Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Since strep is much easier to treat than the flu using modern medicine, a new pandemic would likely be much less dire than it was in the early 20th century, the researchers concluded.
Others, such as evolutionary biologist Paul Ewald,5 claim that a pandemic of this sort simply cannot happen, because in order for it to occur, the world has to change. Not the virus itself, but the world.
In a previous interview for Esquire magazine, in which he discusses the possibility of a bird flu pandemic, he states:

"They think that if a virus mutates, it's an evolutionary event. Well, the virus is mutating because that is what viruses and other pathogens do. But evolution is not just random mutation. It is random mutation coupled with natural selection; it is a battle for competitive advantage among different strains generated by random mutation.
For bird flu to evolve into a human pandemic, the strain that finds a home in humanity has to be a strain that is both highly virulent and highly transmissible. Deadliness has to translate somehow into popularity; H5N1 has to find a way to kill or immobilize its human hosts, and still find other hosts to infect. Usually that doesn't happen."
Ewald goes on to explain that evolution in general is all about trade-offs, and in the evolution of infections the trade-off is between virulence and transmissibility.
What this means is that in order for a "bird flu" or "swine flu" to turn into a human pandemic, it has to find an environment that favors both deadly virulence and ease of transmission.
People living in squalor on the Western Front at the end of World War I generated such an environment, from which the epidemic of 1918 could arise.
Likewise, crowded chicken farms, slaughterhouses, and jam-packed markets of eastern Asia provide another such environment, and that environment gave rise to the bird flu -- a pathogen that both kills and spreads, in birds, but not in humans.
Says Ewald:

"We know that H5N1 is well adapted to birds. We also know that it has a hard time becoming a virus that can move from person to person. It has a hard time without our doing anything. But we can make it harder. We can make sure it has no human population in which to evolve transmissibility. There is no need to rely on the mass extermination of chickens. There is no need to stockpile vaccines for everyone.
By vaccinating just the people most at risk -- the people who work with chickens and the caregivers -- we can prevent it from becoming transmissible among humans. Then it doesn't matter what it does in chickens."
Please remember that, despite the fantastic headlines and projections of MILLIONS of deaths, the H5N1 bird flu virus killed a mere 257 people worldwide since late 2003. As unfortunate as those deaths are, 257 deaths worldwide from any disease, over the course of five years, simply does not constitute an emergency worthy of much attention, let alone fear!
Honestly, your risk of being killed by a lightning strike in the last five years was about 2,300 percent higher than your risk of contracting and dying from the bird flu.6 I'm not kidding! In just one year (2004), more than 1,170 people died from lighting strikes, worldwide.7
So please, as the numbers of confirmed swine flu cases are released, keep a level head and don't let fear run away with your brains.
So is the Swine Flu Getting More or Less Dangerous?
On Sunday, April 26, The Independent reported that more than 1,000 people had contracted the swine flu virus in Mexico, 8 but by the afternoon that same day, Mexican President Calderon declared that more than two-thirds of the 1,300 thought to have contracted the disease had been given a clean bill of health and sent home.9
Additionally, the number of actual confirmed cases appears to be far lower than reported in many media outlets, leading me to believe that many reporters are interchanging the terms "suspected cases" and "confirmed cases."
Interestingly Mexico is the ONLY country in the world where someone has actually died from this disease.Mexico has reported 152 fatalities in flu-like cases in recent days, seven of which have been confirmed as swine flu. Another 19 patients h ave been confirmed as having swine flu but surviving. About 2,000 people have been hospitalized with symptoms.By contrast, the United States has had 64 confirmed cases, five hospitalizations and no deaths from US Citizens. On April 29th CNN reported the first swine fatality in the US, however this was actually a child from Mexico that died in Texas.
According to the World Health Organization' s Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response site; as of April 27, there are:

64 laboratory confirmed cases in U.S. -- 0 deaths (reported by CDC as of April 29)
26 confirmed cases in Mexico -- 7 deaths
6 confirmed cases in Canada -- 0 deaths
1 confirmed case in Spain -- 0 deaths
Additionally, nearly all suspected new cases have been reported as mild.
Personally, I am highly skeptical. It simply doesn't add up to a real pandemic.
But it does raise serious questions about where this brand new, never before seen virus came from, especially since it cannot be contracted from eating pork products, and has never before been seen in pigs, and contains traits from the bird flu -- and which, so far, only seems to respond to Tamiflu. Are we just that lucky, or... w hat?
Your Fear Will Make Some People VERY Rich in Today's Crumbling Economy
According to the Associated Press at least one financial analyst estimates up to $388 million worth of Tamiflu sales in the near future10 -- and that's without a pandemic outbreak.
More than half a dozen pharmaceutical companies, including Gilead Sciences Inc., Roche, GlaxoSmithKline and other companies with a stake in flu treatments and detection, have seen a rise in their shares in a matter of days, and will likely see revenue boosts if the swine flu outbreak continues to spread.
As soon as Homeland Security declared a health emergency, 25 percent -- about 12 million doses -- of Tamiflu and Relenza treatment courses were released from the nation's stockpile. However, beware that the declaration also allows unapproved tests and drugs to be administered to children. Many health- and government officials are more than willing to take that chance with your life, and the life of your child. But are you?
Remember, Tamiflu went through some rough times not too long ago, as the dangers of this drug came to light when, in 2007, the FDA finally began investigating som e 1,800 adverse event reports related to the drug. Common side effects of Tamiflu include:

Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Headache
Dizziness
Fatigue
Cough
All in all, the very symptoms you're trying to avoid.
More serious symptoms included convulsions, delirium or delusions, and 14 deaths in children and teens as a result of neuropsychiatric problems and brain infections (which led Japan to ban Tamiflu for children in 2007). And that's for a drug that, when used as directed, only reduces the duration of influenza symptoms by 1 to 1 ½ days, according to the official data.
But making matters worse, some patients with influenza are at HIGHER risk for secondary bacterial infections when on Tamiflu. And secondary bacterial infections, as I mentioned earlier, was likely the REAL cause of the mass fatalities during the 1918 pandemic!
Where did This Mysterious New Animal-Human Flu Strain Come From?
Alongside the fear-mongering headlines, I've also seen increasing numbers of reports questioning the true nature of this virus. And rightfully so.
Could a mixed animal-human mutant like this occur naturally? And if not, who made it, and how was it released?
Not one to dabble too deep in conspiracy theories, I don't have to strain very hard to find actual facts to support th e notion that this may not be a natural mutation, and that those who stand to gain have the wherewithal to pull off such a stunt.
Just last month I reported on the story that the American pharmaceutical company Baxter was under investigation for distributing the deadly avian flu virus to 18 different countries as part of a seasonal flu vaccine shipment. Czech reporters were probing to see if it may have been part of a deliberate attempt to start a pandemic; as such a "mistake" would be virtually impossible under the security protocols of that virus.
The H5N1 virus on its own is not very airborne. However, when combined with seasonal flu viruses, which are more easily spread, the effect could be a potent, airborne, deadly, biological weapon. If this batch of live bird flu and seasonal flu viruses had reached the public, it could have resulted in dire consequences.
There is a name for this mixing of viruses; it's called "reassortment, " and it is one of two ways pandemic viruses are created in the lab. Some scientists say the most recent global outbreak -- the 1977 Russian flu -- was started by a virus created and leaked from a laboratory.
Another example of the less sterling integrity of Big Pharma is the case of Bayer, who sold millions of dollars worth of an injectable blood-clotting medicine to Asian, Latin Americ an, and some European countries in the mid-1980s, even though they knew it was tainted with the AIDS virus.
So while it is morally unthinkable that a drug company would knowingly contaminate flu vaccines with a deadly flu virus such as the bird- or swine flu, it is certainly not impossible. It has already happened more than once.
But there seems to be no repercussions or hard feelings when industry oversteps the boundaries of morality and integrity and enters the arena of obscenity. Because, lo and behold, which company has been chosen to head up efforts, along with WHO, to produce a vaccine against the Mexican swine flu?
Baxter!11 Despite the fact that ink has barely dried on the investigative reports from their should-be-criminal "mistake" against humanity.
According to other sources,12 a top scientist for the United Nations, who has examined the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Africa, as well as HIV/AIDS victims, has concluded that the current swine flu virus possesses certain transmission "vectors" that suggest the new strain has been g enetically-manufact ured as a military biological warfare weapon.
The UN expert believes that Ebola, HIV/AIDS, and the current A-H1N1 swine flu virus are biological warfare agents.
In addition, Army criminal investigators are looking into the possibility that disease samples are missing from biolabs at Fort Detrick -- the same Army research lab from which the 2001 anthrax strain was released, according to a recent article in the Fredrick News Post.13 In February, the top biodefense lab halted all its research into Ebola, anthrax, plague, and other diseases known as "select agents," after they discovered virus samples that weren't listed in its inventory and might have been switched with something else.

Factory Farming Maybe Source of Swine Flu
Another theory as to the cause of Swine Flu might be factory farming. In the United States, pigs travel coast to coast. They can be bred in North Carolina, fattened in the corn belt of Iowa, and slaughtered in California.
While this may reduce short-term costs for the pork industry, the highly contagious nature of diseases like influenza (perhaps made further infectious by the stresses of transport) needs to be considered when calculating the true cost of long-distance live animal transport.
The major ity of U.S. pig farms now confine more than 5,000 animals each. With a group of 5,000 animals, if a novel virus shows up it will have more opportunity to replicate and potentially spread than in a group of 100 pigs on a small farm.
With massive concentrations of farm animals within which to mutate, these new swine flu viruses in North America seem to be on an evolutionary fast track, jumping and reassorting between species at an unprecedented rate.
Should You Accept a Flu Vaccine -- Just to be Safe?
As stated in the New York Times14 and elsewhere, flu experts have no idea whether the current seasonal flu vaccine would offer any protection whatsoever against this exotic mutant, and it will take months to create a new one.
But let me tell you, getting vaccinated now would not only offer no protection and potentially cause great harm, it would most likely be loaded with toxic mercury which is used as a preservative in most flu vaccines..
I've written extensively about the numerous dangers (and ineffectiveness) of flu vaccines, and why I do not recommend them to anyone. So no matter what you hear -- even if it comes f rom your doctor -- don't get a regular flu shot. They rarely work against seasonal flu...and certainly can't offer protection against a never-before- seen strain.
Currently, the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza are the only drugs that appear effective against the (human flu) H1N1 virus, and I strongly believe taking Tamiflu to protect yourself against this new virus could be a serious mistake -- for all the reasons I already mentioned above.
But in addition to the dangerous side effects of Tamiflu, there is also growing evidence of resistance against the drug. In February, the pre-publication and preliminary findings journal called Nature Precedings published a paper on this concern, stating15:

The dramatic rise of oseltamivir [Tamiflu] resistance in the H1N1 serotype in the 2007/2008 season and the fixing of H274Y in the 2008/2009 season has raised concerns regarding individuals at risk for seasonal influenza, as well as development of similar resistance in the H5N1 serotype [bird flu].
Previously, oseltamivir resistance produced changes in H1N1 and H3N2 at multiple positions in treated patients. In contrast, the recently reported resistance involved patients who had not recently taken oseltamivir.
It's one more reason not to bother with this potentially d angerous drug.
And, once a specific swine flu drug is created, you can be sure that it has not had the time to be tested in clinical trials to determine safety and effectiveness, which puts us right back where I started this article -- with a potential repeat of the last dangerous swine flu vaccine, which destroyed the lives of hundreds of people.
Topping the whole mess off, of course, is the fact that if the new vaccine turns out to be a killer, the pharmaceutical companies responsible are immune from lawsuits -- something I've also warned about before on numerous occasions.
Unfortunately, those prospects won't stop the governments of the world from mandating the vaccine -- a scenario I hope we can all avoid.
How to Protect Yourself Without Dangerous Drugs and Vaccinations
For now, my point is that there are always going to be threats of flu pandemics, real or created, and there will always be potentially toxic vaccines that are peddled as the solution. But you can break free of that whole drug-solution trap by following some natural health principles.
I have not caught a flu in over two decades, and you can avoid it too, without getting v accinated, by following these simple guidelines, which will keep your immune system in optimal working order so that you're far less likely to acquire the infection to begin with.

Optimize your vitamin D levels. As I've previously reported, optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best strategies for avoiding infections of ALL kinds, and vitamin D deficiency is likely the TRUE culprit behind the seasonality of the flu -- not the flu virus itself.

This is probably the single most important and least expensive action you can take. I would STRONGLY urge you to have your vitamin D level monitored to confirm your levels are therapeutic at 50-70 ng.ml and done by a reliable vitamin D lab like Lab Corp.

For those of you in the US we hope to launch a vitamin D testing service through Lab Corp that allows you to have your vitamin D levels checked at your local blood drawing facility, and relatively inexpensively. We hope to offer this service by June 2009.

If you are coming down20with flu like symptoms and have not been on vitamin D you can take doses of 50,000 units a day for three days to treat the acute infection. Some researchers like Dr. Cannell, believe the dose could even be as high as 1000 units per pound of body weight for three days.

Avoid Sugar and Processed Foods. Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately, and as you likely know, a strong immune system is key to fighting off viruses and other illness. Be aware that sugar is present in foods you may not suspect, like ketchup and fruit juice.

Get Enough Rest. Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you're tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu. Be sure to check out my article Guide to a Good Night's Sleep for some great tips to help you get quality rest.

Have Effective Tools to Address Stress . We all face some stress every day, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness.

If you feel that stress is taking a toll on your health, consider using an energy psychology tool such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), which is remarkably effective in relieving stress associated with all kinds of events, from work to family to trauma. You can check out my free, 25-page EFT manual for some guidelines on how to perform EFT.

Exercise. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads. You can review my exercise guidelines for some great tips on how to get started.

Take a good source of animal based omega-3 fats like Krill Oil. Increase your intake of healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 found in krill oil, which is crucial for maintaining health. It is also vitally important to avoid damaged omega-6 oils that are trans fats and in processed foods as it will seriously damage your immune response.

Wash Your Hands. Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Be sure you don't use antibacterial soap for this -- antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. Instead, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to.

Eat Garlic Regularly. Garlic works like a broad-spectrum antibiotic against bacteria, virus, and protozoa in the body. And unlike with antibiotics, no resistance can be built up so it is an absolutely safe product to use. However, if you are allergic or don't enjoy garlic it would be best to avoid as it will likely cause more harm than good.
Avoid Hospitals and Vaccines In this particular case, I'd also recommend you stay away from hospitals unless you're having an emergency, as hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds, and could be one of the likeliest places you could be exposed to this new bug. Vaccines will not be available for six months at the minimum but when available they will be ineffective and can lead to crippling paralysis like Guillain-Barré Syndrome just as it did in the 70s

New Acquisitions

2009-04-11T20:41:00.020-05:00

I had no intention of buying anything on this 3 day 2 night trip but alas, I just couldn't resist interesting artesania. I found some lovely things from Ocumicho that are made of low-fired clay, hence they break quite easily. But we managed to get them home without breakage. A miracle, I think!

The first three are from Ochumicho; an intriguing, moving carousel with six figures riding around the central pole. The only thing missing is calliope.

Then fantasmic bug like no other on earth. I just love their creativity.

Then a mask with a devil man and woman hanging off the horns. Where do they get their ideas?

Next is a stylized squirrel from Cocucho. Pots and animals made in Cocucho are called Cocuchas as they are usually made by the women--even the huge pots that are 5 ft. tall.

The last is a new Catrina. The artist said that the government sent teachers to her town of Capula to teach the women to make Catrinas with paper-covered dresses glued down. They use printed paper napkins at about $9US a pack of 10 luncheon size. Pretty expensive considering she sold me the Catrina for $19US. I think this new design will be quite popular and should sell rather well.

A little of this and that

2009-04-11T16:16:00.014-05:00

A friend and I went on a drive last Sunday to the east of Chapala. Then up over the hill toward Guadalajara. The road eventually turned to dirt along which we saw a small muddy lake behnd a dam, brickworks firing their product and finally these beautiful cattle. I like Mexican cattle; many seem to be a cross between brahmas and longhorns.

Went up to Guadalajara last week to shop for silk fabric. My friend Clare and I are going to constuct high quality silk slacks to sell at high-end stores here, in Tlaquepaque, San Miguel and the beach resorts. The good Italian silk is an unbelievable $90-200US a meter!

While wandering the fabric district I noticed this power pole with multiple telephone and power lines intersecting.

My friend Susy and I went to Michoacan state Wednesday thru Friday to see the Easter artisan fair in Uruapan and Patzcuaro. Here is a typical photo of Patzcuaro at sunrise. My heart resides in this village as my body resides in Chapala.

As I sat on the stoop of our artisan friend's house, I noticed this wall. It's construction is the ultimate in Mexican perfection with simple materials.

On Good Friday I was hoping to see part of a Passion Play and finally in Capula we were in time to see part of a play in the churchyard. This shows the beating of Christ after the denunciation by Herod. Even though I knew it was actors, it touched my heart nevertheless. We weren't able to stay for the Crucifixion and get home before dark but I left with a tears in my eyes and a greater appreciation for what my Savior did for me that day over 2000 years ago.

The Sprinkler

2009-03-31T21:00:00.007-06:00

This morning I set the rainbird sprinkler out to water the grass and bananas that grow in a bed close by. Then while sitting on the terraza enjoying the morning I realized that the sound I heard was not a Mexican sound--it was a Portland, Oregon sound--the chewga-chewga-chewga of the sprinkler. That sound seemed really out of place here even though it made me a bit nostalgic. Most watering of lawns is done by a gardener standing in the yard with a hose in his hand. What a boring job that must be. I have several types of sprinklers for my gardener which I'm sure he appreciates especially since I insist he use them.
(Look closely to find the large stem of green bananas. I've been waiting for them to ripen for a long time--I will share them with the gardener)

The Hammock

2009-03-29T11:04:00.006-06:00

What can I say about a hammock? Especially since I haven't owned one. On Thursday it was very warm and the shade in the back yard looked inviting. But I never sit out there and I'm not sure why. My temp. roomie took a chair out in the shade of the avocado, orange and magnolia trees, looking very comfortable with her book and cold drink.

When I get the hots to do something, I really get the hots. I jumped in my car and drove down the carretera to the hammock makers area and bought a lovely one with hanging embroidered fringe. Paid too much but what the heck; I've never seen a hearse with a luggage rack.

Got home and Clare helped me install it between the magnolia and orange trees. It looked sturdy enough so I tried sort of bouncing lightly on it. So far, so good! Got my book, pillow and a cold drink; ready to really try it. As I sat down you know what happened--you could see it coming, eh! With my red juicy drink all over my clothing and my behind plopped on the ground I remember thinking, "this is the way it's supposed to be"; every hammock deserves one toss to the ground. We retightened the ropes and all was as it should be the second time.

I can't explain how much or why I enjoy my hammock sooo much. It's almost like a freedom, with the air circulating all the way around your body. Almost like swimming naked with the water touching you everywhere. Maybe I should get naked . . .

The Malecon

2009-03-22T22:10:00.015-06:00

A friend and I took her two dogs and one of mine for a walk this evening down on the malecon in Chapala. The weekend visitors from Guadalajara as well as locals were enjoying the beautiful weather and their families along the water. Happy Mexican music was pouring from the restaurants along the way. And kid were flying kites along the beach.

As we continued through the crowds we came across and a mariachi band playing and people dancing on the beach. Most were young men and when we stopped to watch they jumped up on the malecon and asked us to dance. What a rush for this old lady to kick up her heels with a college boy!!! The fellow in the green shirt was my partner as we danced around with the leashed dog between our feet.

As we neared the end of the malecon we saw this awesome cloud over the boat basin. It was fast approaching dark but the last of the sun's rays were setting it on fire. Good day--good walk.

The most amazing part of the walk back to the car was the carwash guy we had asked to watch my friend's parked car as it had been broken into the night before and had no passenger window. The carwash guy asked where her car keys were and she replied, "In my bolsa." She looked in her purse and alas, no keys. She had left them in the car WITH the car running. Senor Carwasher had stayed after dark to wait for our return--what a great guy--we tipped him 110 pesos for his honesty. My friend will return when her window is replaced and have him wash her car.

Stand and Lift

2009-03-22T17:16:00.021-06:00

I accidently (there are no accidents of course) ran across this talk today by President Uchtdorf given in his Priesthood address in October Conference last year. I think it's wonderful. He said:

"Some years ago in our meetinghouse in Darmstadt, Germany, a group of brethren was asked to move a grand piano from the chapel to the adjoining cultural hall, where it was needed for a musical event. None were professional movers, and the task of getting that gravity-friendly instrument through the chapel and into the cultural hall seemed nearly impossible. Everybody knew that this task required not only physical strength but also careful coordination. There were plenty of ideas, but not one could keep the piano balanced correctly. They repositioned the brethren by strength, height, and age over and over again—nothing worked.

As they stood around the piano, uncertain of what to do next, a good friend of mine, Brother Hanno Luschin, spoke up. He said, “Brethren, stand close together and lift where you stand.”

It seemed too simple. Nevertheless, each lifted where he stood, and the piano rose from the ground and moved into the cultural hall as if on its own power. That was the answer to the challenge. They merely needed to stand close together and lift where they stood...

You may feel that there are others who are more capable or more experienced who could fulfill your callings and assignments better than you can, but the Lord gave you your responsibilities for a reason. There may be people and hearts only you can reach and touch. Perhaps no one else could do it in quite the same way.

Our Heavenly Father asks that we represent Him in the noble work of reaching out and blessing the lives of His children. He asks us to stand firm... and give the calling we have at this moment our best efforts.

...As strong as you are, you cannot and you should not lift a piano by yourself. Likewise, none of us can or should move the Lord’s work alone. But if we all stand close together in the place the Lord has appointed and lift where we stand, nothing can keep this divine work from moving upward and forward."

I'm lifting as well as I'm able; in the future, with the Lord's help, I'll be able to lift even better.

Waterlily pads

2009-03-21T10:57:00.013-06:00

I went to the vivero (nursery) this morning thinking they had heavy-pot thingys on wheels to use with my indigo vat. They didn't but they did have a pond full of these newer waterlilies. What a treat! I will return in a couple of weeks when they are blooming to take more photos. Wonder if the blossoms will be as oddly different?

BTW--These photos are in no way enhanced. This is exactly how they looked.

Shibori

2009-03-16T09:04:00.018-06:00

I have decided to start an indigo Shibori (Japanese resist dyeing) vat. I've ordered the indigo and will collect the remaining chemicals in the next couple of weeks. I'm so excited about dyeing patterns that I've done in the past as well as new patterns. I have a great Shibori book and looked on the internet the last several days, which spiked my excitement.

I have a friend that wants to make silk chiffon slacks similar to the ones she's worn for 20 years. They are durable and very cool in hot weather, which we seem to have in abundance, especially for my hot body. I will dye the fabric (although not all as she will order printed silk from the US if we can't find it here) and she will construct the clothing. I know of another dye artist that makes jackets, blouses and scarves and does very well. Our stuff will be much prettier!!

I got up this morning raring to go--had no vat so I started a new painting. I was supremely happy, I realized, as I was putzing away with my acrylics.

New Paintings Acquired

2009-03-11T15:35:00.012-06:00

Went to the Ajijic Society of Artists annual juried show on Monday night. The crowd was huge and they had money--just the thing an artist likes to see! I bought two pieces of art by local artists. The first is of the tianguis and is done in watercolor and pen.

Here's the closeup to show the fine detail of the painting--I love it.

>This one is entitled "Ventedor de la Playa" or "The Beach Vendor". It's done in pastel; you must look closely to see the water toy and balloon vendor at all.

These two works of art are so representational of the real Mexico that I just fell in love with both of them. And when I can't decide which one to buy, you know what happens . . .

Portable Fire

2009-03-07T21:09:00.007-06:00

In the doorway of this woman's house was a wheelbarrow in which she had built a fire and was cooking tortillas on her comal. I backed up and jumped out of the car to ask if I could take a photo. She graciously said yes while her adult daughter laughed at the gringa. I think they are inventive and resilient. What do they think of US . . .?

Watch That Last Step!!

2009-03-07T20:37:00.003-06:00

I've driven past this site many times but never saw this staircase. I don't think I'm so in LaLa land that I would miss this unusual sight, so I assume that it has recently been built.

My Mexican Family

2009-03-05T21:28:00.015-06:00

My housekeeper, whom I've had since I first moved to Mexico 3.5 years ago, has become my Mexican Mamacita. She's only 8 years older than I am but seems wiser than her years and hence has mentored me since my arrival. I would have been giving money to beggars who can work or have husbands/boyfriends who use the money for drugs or tequila if not for her sage advice. She knows the best restaurants, honest jewelers, reliable auto repairmen, and knowledgeable home maintenance people.

Juanita has offered for me to be buried in her family plot at the local cemetery. When I asked her why she would make such an offer, her reply was, "Because I want there to be someone to put flowers on your grave." Since I have no family here, and it's unlikely in the event of my death that my sister would travel here to bury me, Juanita wants to make sure that someone will take care of seeing that I become worm food AND remember me on the annual Day of the Dead with flowers and my favorite things on my grave. Her family would do that for me along with others in the family. I feel very honored to be so included.
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She has purchased 4 plots in the San Antonio Pantheon, each being three deep. I told her that when my time comes, someone could just kick her bucket to the side to make room for my bucket in the same hole. Juanita obviously has great affection for me as I have for her and her entire family. Her youngest daughter, Martha, is like my little sister. In fact, we greet each other with, " Hola Hermana!" whenever we see each other. And her husband has become like a bother-in-law to me--after today,

The following is the reason for today's blog: I've been looking for a Mexico-plated car to buy. My current car is in the country illegally and consequently uninsurable. Or at least, insurance wouldn't pay off on a car not legally imported into Mexico. My intention is to buy a Mexican car, insure it and drive it on long trips and around town and park my Honda.

I found a Chevy mini-van and took it to Juanita's son, Armando, to check if it was worth buying. I needed to find out if Armando was done with it, but didn't have his phone number. He also doesn't speak very good English and my Spanish doesn't extend much beyond the pleasantries and restaurant-speak. I called my "sister" Martha and spoke with her husband, John. He called me back and explained that Armando wasn't sure if I wanted everything fixed and the fluids changed in the car or check it prior to purchase. I explained my needs to John and we hung up. About an hour later John and Martha show up with the van and their car. He explained what Armando had found, gave me his recommendations (as any good bother-in-law would) then they followed me to return the van and brought me home.

My own bother-in-law died about 1.5 years ago and I miss him and his advise and wisdom. When I reflected on the afternoon I realized that I was being made to feel like "family". With the idea of being buried in their family plot, the help I receive and give to Juanita's family, I've begun to feel the emptiness that comes with having no family close by. (My sister seems to have no interest in visiting me here. She has seen too much trouble in her town caused by the Mexicans living there and assumes that all Mexicans are lazy, thieves, murderers and/or drug pushers and doesn't want to have a chance to adjust her attitude by getting to know a Mexican). I cried at the emptiness I felt and the realization that I now have new additions to my family.

The Mexicans are very big on family ties--it's one of the things gringos can learn from our Latin cousins. Juanita and her family have enveloped me in HUGE arms of love. What an honor and privilege. . .

computer problems

2009-02-10T10:30:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the delay in getting photos from South America loaded to the blog. My computer is having problems; I hope that my photos not uploaded to Flickr have not been lost. Only time will tell. Keep trying back as I'm doing what I can.

I'm Home!!

2009-01-23T21:28:00.006-06:00

I'm home in Chapala and will be spending as much time as I can manipulating and uploading photos to this blog. I'm sure it will take a couple of weeks as I have over 700 photos to go through; please be patient.

Going Home Tomorrow

2009-01-21T21:16:00.001-06:00

Have a wakeup call for 1:30 AM for taxi pickup at 2. Going to try to get to bed by 7:30 pm so I´m not totally worn out by the time I get home tomorrow. My flight from Panama to Guadalajara was cancelled so I have to go to Mexico City and spend 2.5 hrs. waiting for the flight to Guad. At least I can use the time constructively to go through customs, which will help when I get to Guad.

When we returned to the hotel this afternoon we watched the BBC with their coverage of Obama´s first day. I can´t tell you how pleased and emotionally moved I was to hear of his first Presidential acts of transparency. I actually had tears of joy that he will, hopefully, bring the US to a higher ethical plane. I only hope he isn't leading us down the socialist path. . .

After Nixon was Carter; after Bush is Obama--how the pendulum swings!

Here's Deb getting packed--all dressed up with nowhere to go:

I really need to return to parts of S. America as I find it wonderful here. I think it would be especially fun to rent a camper and drive from Ushuaia (at the end of the world) up the Pan-Am highway to Buenos Aires (oh, heck, why not all the way to Panama??). Imagine what fun and what wonderful things I would see and experience. My traveling companion thinks I´m nuts because the highway is probably not paved most of the way. But I think that´s what makes it an adventure and exciting.

My traveling companion and I have gotten along well on this trip despite the following facts: she´s Jewish--I´m Mormon (although not the stretch she thinks it is as we Mormons claim to be non-Gentiles); she´s from the East coast and I´m from the West coast; she´s a Democrat and I´m a Republican; hence, she´s liberal and I´m conservative. Obviously, there are things we simply don´t discuss in depth. We express our beliefs and honor each other´s point of view.

Santiago, Chile

2009-01-19T11:03:00.000-06:00

Arrived in Santiago yesterday. I like it better than Buenos Aires. It´s not as hot and much less humid. The average "Joe" on the street is less fancy in their dress. They say the smog can get pretty bad here(can´t be worse than Guadalajara) as Santiago lies between the mountains without wind to carry away the bad air. But since I´ve been here it´s pretty clear.

Tried to go to the zoo today to see the white tigers, but it was closed. Wednesday will try again but tomorrow will be filled with museums on pre-Colombian art from all of Latin America (including my beloved Mexico)and a traveling Freida and Diego exhibit. The artesania here in Santiago is really wonderful and am having a good time spending money.

The exhibit at the museum is about the Fueguinos or the people of Tierra del Fuego, called "FISHERMEN OF THE FOG".

The second banner says "SPIRITS OF MEN WHO HAVE BEEN CHEATED ON BY THEIR WIVES".

They were simple people who worn skin capes and not much else. They lived in skin shelters in the summer and crude tepees covered with skin in the winter. There are photos from late 1800's and early 1900's showing them sometimes barefoot in the snow. They were obviously good hunters and had plenty of game to kill as their fur capes were large and beautiful as well as the people looked well-fed.

Here's a photo from the late 1800's showing a Maipo (from around the Santiago area) woman in her fine silver jewelry.

We walked 4 blocks from the hotel to the Teleferico, which provides transportation up the mountain by trams suspended from awfully thin wires. Then down the other side of the mountain by way of the funicular, which are wooden cars that ride on tracks up and down the very steep mountainside.

We got off at the bottom and made it to the Santiago Natl. Zoo especially to see the White Tigers. However, because it was so hot, they were not to be seen. We saw many other animals, but this zoo leaves much to be desired. We felt the enclosures were too small and there were not enough enrichment materials to stimulate the animals adequately. Here's a photo of a young zebra. Do you see the difference between her stripes and others you've seen?

A commentary at the zoo on man's evolution:

This is really a cool way to commute . . .

Almost atop the mountain in the middle of the city where we rode the Teleferico, was a public swimming pool that the kids were enjoying:

The view from the top of the mountain:

As in Quito, Ecuador, there is a large statue of the Virgin atop the mountain where she can overlook and protect the city.

We spent another day just walking the streets in search of artesania and souveniers. This is the first and only Johnny Walker sign I've ever seen:

Walking along we saw the sign for "Like Water for Chocolate" restaurant. The local paper reviewed this restaurant highly so we thought we'd try it. Really great food in a nice atmosphere.

This is especially for my friend Dennis:

Down the street from Like Water for Chocolate we found this restaurant with monk statues on the roof:

A life-size wood nativity in a local church:

Differing sidewalk tiles:

We found this "boulder" bull along the sidewalk. I took several photos but because of the shadows he didn't come out as well as I'd hoped. His head is down and he appears to be charging fellow pedestrians.

I find spikes for protective fences to be fascinating. These remind me of thistle leaves:

And this one I call Neptune's fence:

We found this monument to Christopher Columbus in a lovely plaza. The native girl is blessing him for finding the New World:

In the same plaza was a monument to the native peoples of Chile. I take the meaning of this as showing the fractured state of the native's lives after the Spaniards conquered them:

This is a famous fish market in Santiago. It is filled with fresh fish AND restaurants that serve only fish.

I swear that this is the same dog that followed us all around the Horn. I saw him in almost every port so he must have slipped on board the ship as a stow-away. Clever guy . . .

Valparaiso to Santiago Tour

2009-01-18T20:09:00.000-06:00

Valparaiso is a coastal city with many cargo ships arriving daily.

After lining up for the sniffer dogs looking for food we may have sneaked off the ship and clearing customs, we found our tour guide and driver. They didn't know that we would have 3 suitcases apiece--maybe they should have brought a van!

Valparaiso, like Rome, was built on seven hills.

We rode the funicular up the steep side of a hill to the upper part of town. Commuters use the funicular regularly.

Here's the large wheel that carries the cable to raise the funicular several hundred feet. The wooden car with wooden benches creaked and groaned up the track but it was a fine adventure for us.

Deb and me after riding the funicular to the upper part of town.

Our driver picked us up then took us downtown to the site of an old pier they found when excavating for a new building in front of the government house. The old pier is now a museum but was closed today, hence the glass covering.

Close to the old pier I spotted this old building juxtaposed against a modern building behind it. What a beautiful photo with the sky reflecting in the windows of both buildings. But wait, there's something wrong with this photo--can you spot it? Post a comment below.

Vina del Mar is around the bay from Valparaiso. It reminds me of Miami with more modern white buildings and palm trees. We got a chance to stop and see the famous Flower Clock--it keeps accurate time.

We visited the museum, even though it was closed and found this original Easter Island statue:

and a Rodin:

Next we drove over the coast range and stopped for a lunch of local cuisune. I had a sort of shepherds pie of sweet creamed corn and chicken topped with mashed potatoes. It was too sweet for me but I ate most of it. Then on to two wineries for Deb to taste their wares.

The white wines of the Maipo Valley was not very oaky and so Deb said they tasted insipid. She did like the reds and bought some.

Puerto Montt, Chile

2009-01-16T06:21:00.001-06:00

This is the most southerly point of the Chilean railroad and paved highway. When we arrived there was a misty rain, very much like the NW beaches of Oregon. There was about a block-long local artesania shopping area which we perused. Found two indigenous masks to add to my growing collection then grabbed a taxi to find a ATM. Deb got some money and we headed for the ship to get out of the cold rain. Spent the rest of the day reading by the ship's covered pool.

If you've seen pictures of the North Atlantic, I"m telling you, the southern Pacific is worse. The swells are further apart and very high--close to 20 ft. The wind is blowing and has been for two days--I threw up! But after seasick pills I felt better. All is well now with only misty rain. Hopefully tomorrow's sail to Valparaiso will be smooth. Stay tuned . .

Tonight we are back out in the Pacific; we hope for calmer weather but are doing OK with our anti-nausea pills.

Punta Arenas, Chile

2009-01-13T06:13:00.000-06:00

It is said that if you rub the toe of this statue in the plaza, that you will return to Punta Arenas . . .

These young men where earning a living playing for tips in the plaza. Their national and international music was very good.

We shopped in the plaza among the stalls for souveniers to take home. I was lucky to find my friend Richard a scarf/tie that looks like a penguin--what else!

We found a late 19th century house/museum that was stunning in it's preservation of that bygone lumber era. This photo and the closeup show a beautiful tile floor with glass blocks for illumination into the basement.

The bathroom attached to the master bedroom:

A shared servant bathroom in the basement:

The house was full of Victoria furniture and chandeliers:

We also found this handmade native canoe in the basement. I presume it had nothing to do with the occupants of the house (unless there was an imminent flood) but rather part of the native displays in parts of the house.

After walking around to find an internet cafe and receiving/sending email, we asked about the best crab restaurant and were told how to get there. Afte walking about 9 blocks in the gusty wind, we found it. Oh boy, we heard about the wonderful crab to be had at the port and we were anxious to try it. I get sooooo hungry for crab, having come from the world's best area for the world's best crab--Oregon Dungeness. This was king crab, similar to that in Alaska, due to the cold waters surrounding this part of Chile. We noticed as we waited for our lunch that some crab was left on the plates returning to the kitchen for disposal. How odd that someone would get a large portion of crab and then not eat it ALL. Deb ordered crab meat and I order crab meat in cheese sauce. I ate all of mine but really didn't enjoy it like I'd hoped; Deb didn't finish hers. It was FROZEN crab and tasted like cardboard. No, cardboard would have had more flavor. I was sooo disappointed I could have cried. I'd waited for months to eat crab in South America. Later we found that the crab season was over and hence the frozen stuff. Oh, poopies!!

Bottom of the Continent

2009-01-12T20:30:00.001-06:00

After leaving The Falklands for an 1.5 day sail to the bottom of the world, the ship floated around for several hours at Cape Horn to give us a good opportunity to take photos. Then we sailed for Ushuaia in the Beagle Strait and arrived there on Monday AM. Who would have guessed 10 years ago that I would be at the southern most point of the continent. I am so blessed to have this opportunity.

Here is Ushuaia. I simply can't compare it to anything I've ever seen but maybe it looks somewhat like the Alaskan coast--beautiful!

And here's Ushuaia looking to the west front the main pier.

There were hugely tall peaks east of the city.

BTW, La Quiaca is located high in the mountains on the Bolivia border.

Tied up at the pier was this Nation Geographic Explorer ship. It was on it's way to Antarctica--a very expensive trip--over $5000 for a week.

Here's the two ships together. You may want to refer back to this photo to get an idea of the size of the glacier in the Beagle Channel compared to these ships.

We didn't take a tour of the area offered by the cruise ship; instead we walked to the end of the pier and hired a tour from among the many guides crowded around pier entrance. For $20US we drove in a van with 10 other people to the Natl. Park west of town, then to the glacier above town. There was a lovely golf course under the mountain on the way to Tierra del Fuego NP.

I had to look at the map to make sure this was a river and not a lake.

There was a campground close to where the river narrowed below the closest mountain.

The most southern point of the continent to use your VISA card.

This is the glacier positioned in a valley directly above Ushuaia.

We sailed from Ushuaia at 4 PM to have plenty of daylight to see the glaciers in the Beagle Channel on our way to Punta Arenas, Chile.

End of the World

2009-01-12T11:35:00.004-06:00

Here I am in Ushuaia, Argentina situated on the Beagle Channel. Yesterday afternoon the ship stood off Cape Horn for about an hour. The ship turned around several times in order that people get a good view of the ¨bottom of the world¨. Today we went to Tierra del Fuego Natl. Park. Most of the trees are beech; a decidious variety and a non-decidious one. We can see the treeline only a couple of thousand feet up the mountain. Don´t know why it´s so low here, maybe the cold. It´s summer here so the flowers are blooming but it´s chilly and a bit windy. The soil appears to be very light-colored and full of clay and chaulk. Not very healthy soil for plants but then the plants grow quite low and the trees aren´t over 50 ft. tall. The houses in the area are of a Bavarian-type construction. Lots of wood and stone with peaked tin roofs. Quite picturesque. The Park begins at KM 30754--that´s a little over 2000 miles from Buenos Aires. And by the Pan-American highway it´s 18,000 km to Alaska. I think it would be a great adventure to drive from here to Buenos Aires--might take a month, but what a wonderful and adverture-filled month it could be.

Up in the Park the breeze is cold and reminds me of the cold wind in Glacier Park. There are lupine blooming everywhere here in colors I´ve never seen before--pink, blue, yellow, purple, red and a sort of apricot color. They are very tall at about 3.5-4 feet.

That seems to be the last of the notes I took today. I like this part of the world. It has a wild and untamed feel yet Ushuaia has all the modern conveniences. The Pacific meets the Atlantic out there in the channel and this seems like such a special place in the world. I¨d like to spend more time here--but I say that about every place I go. It seems I need to visit every place twice; once to check it out and another time to really see everything in which I´m interested.

By the way, sunset is at 10:05 PM--can you believe it!!!

The Beagle Channel

2009-01-12T09:02:00.001-06:00

Heading east deeper into the Beagle Channel and Punta Arena tomorrow.

Because of the season, the height of their summer and not global warming, the glacier is melting. The captain of the ship announced that there is very little run-off earlier in the day; only late afternoon and early evening is this much volume of water seen plummenting into the Channel because of the accumulated heat in the glacier during the day.

Notice the icebergs between the far ship and edge of the mountains. Now go back to the last post (remember, I warned you to pay attention)and note the size of the smaller ship at the dock. Now calculate how big those icebergs are . . .

Bottom of the World

2009-01-11T09:12:00.007-06:00

Here I am again on the ship sailing from the Falkland Islands. We are to see Tierra del Fuego later today. The captain will turn the ship sideways to the shore so we can all see the "end of the earth" really well. The weather is cold and windy but some crazies are going to jump in the pool this afternoon and do the "penguin waddle" to their staterooms to get dry and warm. I'm constantly grateful I've had the opportunity to take this trip. I've almost been to the bottom of the world--who would have known little ol' me would be here and see such wonders. God is good!!!

2009-01-08T16:49:00.004-06:00

And here I am on board the ship, alive and still well. At $.65 per minute I'd better be quick. Heading for the Falklands tomorrow to see Rock Hopper penguins. Saw killer whales today--what a treat!

The Falkland Islands

2009-01-08T07:19:00.006-06:00

From Argentina proper, we sailed southeast a day to the Falkland Islands. There was a war between Argentina and England about in 1982 for possession of these "rocks". I'm not quite sure why England wanted to keep these low, windswept islands except as a military base in the southern Atlantic. And to show their might against the nutty, militaristic new president of Argentina.

The Falklands are essentially two mostly flat, larger islands east and west and a multitude of smaller islands scattered about. Their main income is from sheep products and tourism. Surprisingly, the prices and quality of goods in their tourist traps were relatively good. Laying between 50-55 degrees south, tourism is only for a few months in the winter. Otherwise, it's cold with a little rain or lots of dry snow in the summer.

This is the Governor's residence in Port Stanley. He probably did something very bad in England and was castigated to this southern "Elba". . . .

This photo of the ship at anchor gives you the idea of the flatness of the landscape. I could see the ship from the town but not the water in which it was floating. Weird perspective huh?

This is the belltower of the Anglican church, the tallest structure in The Falklands. The second photo shows the inside of the church.

In a small park next to the church we found these whalel jaws. Reminiscent of the past history of these islands when they were a center for the Right whale fleet and processing of whale oil and other products.

After our jaunt around Port Stanley we were disappointed that we couldn't find any transportation to see the penguins of The Falklands. All the tour trips were taken by the TWO ships in this tiny port. And we were told that private taxis were only for locals around the island. And sure enough, when I asked a parked taxi driver if he could take us to the see the penguins, he confirmed what we'd been told. So as we were standing in line to get on the lighter back to the ship I spotted a van loading people. I ran over asked where they were going, if they had room for two more and how much. Twenty US to take us to Gypsy Cover. Cool!!! I motioned to Deb to join me and told her to pay the lady $20. She asked what for and I said, "Wanna see the penguins or not? Cough up the dough", and off we went. If nothing else, I'm can be succinct.

On the drive to Gypsy Cove to see the penguins, we stopped close to this 3-masted shipwreck that has been sitting on the sandbar for close to 100 years.

There are several penguin species that inhabit the Falklands: Chin Strap, Magellenic and King Penguins. Although we didn't travel to beaches where the large King penguins normally live, we did see ONE King on the beach with a whole herd? flock? gaggle? of Magellen penguins. As a raptor flew over the flock, the little penguins quickly fled for the water; while the King penguin ambled to the edge of the surf. His fright of the hawk was not nearly as great as the smaller penguins. Unfortunately, the beach was so far away that I couldn't get an decent photos of this penguin flock. Because of the land mines planted during the Falkland War and removed as well as possible, we were advised not to walk beyond the gravel paths.

Somehow, on their stubby little legs and awkward waddle, they manage to get from the beach to their burrows without much trouble. They just jump and fall sometimes, but keep at it until they reach their babies in a burrow they've dug in the scrubby hillside.

The vegetation on this part of the larger Falkland island is very scrubby and low; mostly ferns, some kind of heather and moss, and don't forget the rocks.. The ferns appeared to have their tops burned, either by the sun or by the cold weather. The photos of lichen and moss I took as artsy-fartsy photos but they certainly represent the vast majority of the flora at Gypsy Cove. This landscape is what I'd expect the tundra of the north to look like. Does anyone know how this compares? But the latitude of this area is 50-55 S which is the same as the central British Isles and a little above the western border of the US and Canada. So there is no permafrost but it does get mighty cold with the currents sweeping up from Antarctica.

Outside of Gypsy Cove we saw a British navy ship anchored in the placid water.

After spending the day in The Falklands, we sailed for Cape Horn.

Montevideo, Uraguay

2009-01-05T20:41:00.001-06:00

This is all I found worthy to record in Uraguay; the Montevideo River and looking toward Argentina. It's the widest river in the world at 118 kilometers. Who knew??? Take a look at a map for a surprise. There's not much to this country or to the city. It's rather poor with very little going for it, although manufacturing is beginning to take hold.

Sunday in downtown BA

2009-01-03T08:34:00.002-06:00

Downtown BA is VERY quiet on a Sunday. It was a good chance to explore without all the crowds and traffic.

On the "Mall" leading to the Obelisk, we found this modern sculpture of Don Quioxte juxaposed witht the modern buildings in the background.

These rearing horses form a fountain in front of the Congress building. Can you imagine water spewing from their mouths when it is running during the week? Dare I mention the froth that is spewed from the mouths of Congress . . .?

This is the Obelisk, probably the most recognizable tourist site in Buenos Aires.

Saw this silver inlayed horse through a hotel lobby window and just HAD to get a photo:

Parked near a plaza with many government buildings was this "bus". Reminds me of Ken Kesey . . .

Most of the older buildings in downtown BA had beautiful iron grillwork. It's a very European-feeling city which adds to it's unique charm.

I call this the "camo" tree--doesn't it remind you of camouflaged clothing for the military, or for turkey hunting? This very tree was actually the pattern for all such "camo" ;-0

El Diablo--Iguazu

2008-12-29T09:14:00.000-06:00

I took the narrow-gauge railroad up the river to the steel walkway out to El Diablo Falls.

The elevated walkway is shown in red.

It was 1100 meters along the walkway that spanned the river between little islands along the way. Saw an alligator about 10 ft. long lying in the warm, shallow water.

Also came across the old walkway that was washed away by flooding about 10 years ago. It took a different route than the current walkway but was built of concrete. Whereas the current walkway was steel mesh through which the water could flow and not provide as much an impedance for the rising water.

Finally, through the hot sun and additional humidity I arrived at El Diablo.

On the return walk I met this stunning Brazilian Jay.

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

2008-12-29T09:13:00.000-06:00

Iguazu Falls is located in the extreme northeast tip of Argentina on a little spur of land that extends between Brazil and Paraguay.

It's about 1000 km from Buenas Aires. I flew in the afternoon of Dec. 28 and stayed at a hostel in Iguazu Falls city.

I took the local bus out to Iguazu Natl. Park the next morning.
Walking from the parking lot where the bus dropped us off to the edge of the canyon rim I saw a couple of guinea pigs grazing along the Green path (see map). I wondered if they would be one of the local's dinner later that day.

Walking along the brick-paved path I came across a coati, which is essentially a Latin American raccoon. There was a whole herd? pack? tribe? of them with their young. The little ones were so cute scurrying through the brush with their tails held erect but curved backward at the tip. There must have been a dozen youngster with half a dozen adults.

Not sure if there are several females and one alpha male or if they were made up of several family groups. A couple of them, like this guy, stopped to beg but with signs all around telling people not to feed the animals, they didn't have much chance of getting any people food. Never did get any good pictures of the group as they rummaged through the underbrush.

Iguazu Falls is laid out as two areas, the upper falls(orange path) and the lower falls (blue path). The path to El Diablo falls is marked in red, for reasons that will become obvious.

Of course, I explored the upper falls first and left the lower falls until the afternoon, and hence a long hike up out of the canyon in the extreme heat and humidity--98F and 95%.

Here's an example of a small finger of water that would tumble over the cliff and form a magnificent little waterfall.

2008-12-28T14:31:00.010-06:00

Here I am in Iguazu, Argentina. On a map it's in the very north of Argentina on a little pennisula I finally found some dark-skinned people--they were begging on the street. A man was selling what could only be termed as trinkets to tourists. I'm told by the woman who owns the hotel that rhere are reservations set aside for "indigenous" people but they don´t stay on the reservations. They come to places like this to beg or sell handcrafts, gamble in the casinos, etc. There is a question whether they are indeed indigenous. There doesn´t seem to be full-blooded anything in Argentina, except way up in the mountains of Patagonia. And these are people who are trying to keep their culture alive, unlike the folks around this part of Argentina.

It´s really hot here--34 (multiply by 2, subtract 10% and add 32) That comes to over 93 and it´s humid. I´ll be glad to get on the ship and head SOUTH.

Tomorrow I go to the Falls and spend all day. I will take lots of photos. The place I´m staying in Iguazu has a place for me to upload my photos. So I will do that later tonight when it cools off. Now I´m heading for the pool . . .

After breakfast at the hostel this morning I made my way to the bus depot and bought a ticket for Iguazu Falls. Boy, is it hot already and it's only 8:30. It's only about 1/2 hr. to the Falls. Argentinians can get in for about one quarter what I had to pay; I don't mind cause their taxes pay for this park.

Here's a typical path on the upper part of the Park before decending into the chasm. Much cooler in the shade of the trees but still very humid; wonder what it will be like in the canyon?

QUOTE

2008-12-28T14:31:00.006-06:00

To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury; and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable; and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasion, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony.
-William Ellery Channing

Lower Falls

2008-12-28T09:17:00.003-06:00

After a bite to eat I descended to the bottom of the canyon, taking many stairs and few paths. It was then I realized I should have visited the lower falls earlier in the day when I was not tired, as the further I descended, the further I would have to climb out.

I thought climbing out of the canyon that I would die--no, honestly! I thought they'd have to bring in a helicopter to the bottom of the canyon. Then when I got about half-way out I was dreaming of an ambulance. Drank a pint of water coming out of the "hole" then poured another pint over my head and body (as I started to feel chilled but my skin was dry--bad sign--I had heat prostration!) and sat in the shade. About 300 meters from the canyon rim was the first restaurant where I adjusted 5 seating cubes into a cross shape and lay down under an overhead fan. Took close to an hour lying there with people staring to cool down. Drank a GatorAid and felt a bit better for the 700 meter walk to the bus stop to get back to town. Just wasn't thinking about the extremes in the Argentine jungle. But I would return in a heart-beat--just drink more water along the way and rest more often.

All and all, it was the best day and the worst day of my trip so far.

I took a cab on the way to the airport to the confluence of the Paraguay River and the Iguazu Superior River. From here I could see Paraguay on the left, Argentina in the foreground and Brazil on the right.(lost the photo in the computer crash) Even more impressive than 4 Corners in the States.

The cab driver asked if I was a Christian and I replied, "Yes, I'm a Mormon". He exclaimed that his wife's brother was the Stake President for that area or the Mission President, but he wasn't sure which. Then without telling me of his surprise, he drove me past the local chapel.

Old church in BA

2008-12-27T17:46:00.000-06:00

This church was build between 1905 and 1908. From the outside it isn't as spectacular as others I've seen. But don't judge a church or a Latin American house by what you see from the street.

Photo of the stained glass in the church foyer. Not sure of the identity of the three military men.

The chapel was quite long and wide with multiple side chapels.

Here's a side chapel. The figure is life size.

This is a black & white photo of another side chapel--it was enormous! The color photo didn't show much detail.

This lectern is SILVER and very beautiful!

Examples of the beautiful tile floor of this church

BA anti-theft window shades

2008-12-27T17:39:00.001-06:00

Apartments in Buenos Aires have metal rollup window covers, much like storm covers in areas where hurricanes are frequent. I presume they are for security and are more esthetic than bars on the windows.

Here´s an example of metal covers on the windows. This particular one happens to be round.

2008-12-27T11:51:00.010-06:00

This morning there was a brief shower, which cooled things off a bit, but when the sun came out the temperature was hotter and the air much more humid. So much for the rain . . .

About 2 I went for comida, figuring here they actually eat at a reasonable time for my tummy. Yup! Had a chicken cutlet covered in ham and cheese--quite yummy. Walked around this neighborhood of Recoleta for about an hour until I was dripping a trail of sweat. Back to the B&B for reading under the fan.

Don´t come to BA in Dec. or Jan. I noticed that the hotels, B&Bs and apartments for rent are completely booked for Feb and March. I will be glad to get aboard the ship and head for cooler temps.

About 7 I went for dinner, hoping the place I had in mind would be open then. It was--I had a 12 oz. steak, oven roasted potates, a nice salad, a soda to drink and a lovely dessert--all for about $8US. The meat here is sooooo good, especially after Mexican beef which is not aged more than a few hours, is tough and has little flavor. Evidently, Argentines have found that half rotten meat is WONDERFUL!

Some observations--
1--The clerks in the large grocery stores sit on stools to process your order--smart stores!

2--Fresh milk comes in quart bags not cartons. Carton milk is shelf stable (I think it´s irradiated)

3--This neighborhood is primarily made up of large apartment buildings. The entrances to these buildings are secure, usually with a doorman and a single driveway for the tenant parking behind or underground. Each apartment appears to have a balcony, with the first floor balconies having wire mesh for security. And the windows facing the street all have roll-up metal shades, evidently for additional security. I have not seen this in Guadalajara, but perhaps I haven´t been to the right areas.

4--The door keys resemble our old skeleton keys. Even shop keys and locks are of this type. I haven't seen keys in use like this since I was a kid. From left to right is the key for the safe in my room, my room key and the front door of the B&B key.

5--For those of you in Mexico--the banks here have coin counting machines that roll coins in wrappers same as the States. For those of you in the US, Mexican banks don´t seem to use coin wrappers, unless you count cellophane tape around ten coins. I´m not joking, and these coins are carried from the store office to the register in plastic bags.

6--I´ve seen very few armed guards with AK-47s. There are a few security guards looking for shoplifters, but not heavily armed guards just inside a store entrance or on the sidewalk, as in Mexico.

Flying to Iguazu Falls on the Brasil, Paraguay and Argentina border tomorrow morning. Iguazu is taller and 3 times as big as Niagra Falls and should be quite spectacular.

Finally, Argentina!!!

2008-12-26T17:20:00.026-06:00

After boarding the plane in Guad at 2 pm and trying to read(a euphemism for sleep sitting up)most of the way to Panama, I finally gave in and laid my tired body across three seats between Panama and Buenos Aires. My lumpy, midget bed was OK for drifting but not for real sleep.

My first impression of Argentina was flat, flat and more flat. Probably all the way to the Andes, or Kansas. Beautiful squares of agricultural land, criss-crossed with roads and treelines emerging from river banks.

I didn´t see any cows, but maybe they were all at the slaughterhouse preparing for my dinner.

My taxi driver said that there are many folks from Italy that arrived here over the last 100 years and have left a mark on the country. His grandparents were from Italy; his Spanish had a lovely Italian sing-song lilt that was very easy on the ears.

It´s hot (over 90) and humid here. Most of the streets are very clean although my neighborhood could do with more folks actually hitting the readily available basura cans. My B&B is very nice with a fruit, yogurt and sweet bread breakfast which I ate with gusto at 9AM. The place also comes with it´s own mamacita, Maria. Where would I be wihtout a mamacita to replace my Juanita at home?? Then off to bed where I drifted until around 11 when I finally broke down an took a half dose of sleeping pills. The overhead fan kept me quite comfortable while I slept until about 5 pm. Took a much needed shower (in my separate but private bathroom across the hall) and headed out for dinner.

Sidewalks in BA are different from Mexico and radically so from the US. This is a typical BA sidewalk with repairs--it looks as if the concrete was dumped and never really smoothed out. Then before it was set the neighborhood walked by.

Typically latin countries eat dinner quite late, like 9 or 10 PM, but I couldn't wait. I found a COTO, which is a supermarket with a deli, the likes of which I´ve never seen. Maybe somewhere in the States, but certinly nowhere I´ve seen in Mexico, does a deli like this exist. It was more like a cafeteria with everything you could possibly want, but it was all take-out. And cheap! Then upstairs was a cafeteria-type restaurant with the same food but one could eat in the HUGE dining area of the food court.

I got a lovely hunk of roast beef, some roasted potatoes, Waldorf salad and a huge bottle of water for less than $5US. This place is a non-cooker´s dream and I wanna move here!!!

The native people here are much like cosomopolitian Mexicans in that most are light-skinned but with all variation of pigmentation. Like Guadalajara, it would be difficult to tell if someone where from Europe or Mexico or Argentina without hearing them speak their native language. All the other guests in this B&B are from Europe; Germany, the Netherlands and England. And they all speak English AND Spanish.

So far, I´m loving Argentina. Tomorrow I will take Tango lessons here at the B&B for free. Boy, are the Argentines serious about Tango. Even though the women partner has a more physical part, with all the deep knee bends, it´s the men who have the most difficult job in the Tango. They must lead their partner without pushing her around the floor. He must be very sensitive to her body and lead with his chest but remain quite erect.

2008-12-25T08:09:00.006-06:00

Well, here it is, Christmas morning . . . I"m just not with it this year. I haven't seen any posadas or nacimientos (living nativity scenes), no decorating at home, or Christmas eve party with my friends or planning Christmas Day dinner. But, surprisingly, unside my head and heart I still remember the "reason for the season". And that's the more important thing.

The owners of my house got here yesterday about 11 AM and we chatted for several hours while I continued with my "get ready for THE trip" chores. They shopped for groceries while I bathed the dogs and myself. Hair all over the bathroom! Got that cleaned up and drove around until we found something open for dinner. El Serape has pretty traditional Mexican food, which is somewhat difficult to find here at a sit-down restaurant. We enjoyed the meal very much.

I have a medium suitcase inside my giant suitcase and trying to limit it to 50 lbs. I can take two bags of this weight but I was only 6 lbs over; it doesn't make sense to split the stuff between two bags so I stuck some stuff in my carry-on. It's supposed to only be 22lbs but I'll bet it is 40. I will ask about an upgrade to 1st class. If I get it, the whole thing will be moot as I can then have 70 lbs.

Doing the last wash now and will iron one shirt when it comes out and I THINK I'm done! Yeah, right . . .

Next stop--Buenos Aires!!!!!

2008-12-23T11:13:00.006-06:00

I took my housekeeper (to my mind "maid " is a derogatory term) home sick today, after she insisted on washing the dishes. She really dislikes being at home when she can be out and about. She is one of those people, for whom home is a place to eat and sleep--her life lies outside in the "marketplace". Some people come alive at home and only endure the "marketplace" as a means to be able to keep that home going.

Soooo, besides trying to get started packing I must now clean the house ( with a lick and a promise, as my mother used to say), do a last laundry and ironing, get to the pharmacy for a last minute stock-up, bathe the dogs (oh, joy!) and decorate a bit for Christmas for my landlords, who will be staying here for the month that I'm gone. I had a feeling last week when I was sick and unable to do much, that time would creep up on me and then hit me over the head. Sure enough--I'm psychic!!!

So instead of getting in gear, I'm writing in my blog--go figure! Sometimes I'm so lame . . .

2008-12-23T08:43:00.005-06:00

It's a romantic full moon, when Pedro said, "Hey, mamacita, let's do Weeweechu."

"Oh no, not now, let's look at the moon!" said Rosita.

"Oh, c'mon baby, let's you and I do Weeweechu. I love you and it's the perfect time," Pedro begged.

"But I wanna just hold your hand and watch the moon." replied Rosita.

"Please, corazoncita, just once, do Weeweechu with me."

Rosita looked at Pedro and said, "OK, one time, we'll do Weeweechu."

Pedro grabbed his guitar and they both sang.....

"Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year."

Feliz Navidad!!!!!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas . . .the only white I will see this year will be in the Andes--hohoho! to you in the norte.

Christmas Gift

2008-12-22T15:54:00.025-06:00

Please, click on photos for a closeup!

I got a most wonderful Christmas gift today!. One of my dear, sweet friends gave me a lap quilt saying, "This will keep you warm from your toes to your nose!" She hand-appliqued the Mexican figures out of many pieces of fabric (even lace for the senora's mantilla) and either painted the faces of some, or used an iron-on transfer. She took so much time to put this together; then sent it to Mexico City where a woman quilted it using a long-arm sewing machine. I am soooo grateful for this lovely gift and somehow don't feel deserving that so much thought and energy should be put into a gift for someone such as I.

As I type those words I realize it's the same way I feel about the gift the Son of God gave to me--his life that I may live again. And his Atonement that will make up the difference between "the best I can do" and the perfection I need to once again enter the presence of God. One so undeserving as I--both the spiritual and physical gifts make my heart weep. One so undeserving . . .

Preparing for THE TRIP

2008-12-22T07:56:00.004-06:00

I've been trying to get some projects done before I take off for my big trip to South America. But having a wretched cold last week, which incidently, kept me from singing the last Cantantes concert (oh poopies), has kept my pace down to that of a snail. I've managed to get presents wrapped except for one, and will deliver them today or tomorrow.

I start packing in earnest tomorrow. Packing for Buenos Aires where it's 90 and humid (remember this is their summer) and for shore excursions from the ship in the wilds of Tierra del Fuego where it's maybe, if we're lucky, 55- 60 and windy, I have a real chore ahead. Rather than buy clothing for the cold that I would never wear here at home, I opted for silk long johns and layering. I'm borrowing a polar fleece vest but only taking my raincoat with hood and hope I'm OK on shore. I did buy a pair of closed-toe shoes in a size too big in order to accomodate my heavy socks. The rest of the time I will wear my Chaco sandals, with or without socks. My feet are still so weird that shoes and socks cause burning in my toes, but it's either that or burning from frostbite!

The owners of my house are coming from Canada and will stay here the whole time I'm gone. So I'll put up some little Christmas stuff for them. Otherwise, I have no time or interest this year. I have been playing Christmas music and that always puts me in the mood. I'm paying no rent or utilities while the owners are here and they will care for the critters. I offered the use of my car but they prefer the bus. So virtually no expenses for the next month, if you don't count being in Argentina and Chile!! Everything's all paid for by credit card and the card balance is zero, so with no debt hanging over my head, it's almost like having a free trip cause the money's spent and gone.

2008-12-18T00:05:00.005-06:00

Click HERE for a little, silly Christmas green . . .

Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad!!

This is what Christmas COULD mean . . .

2008-12-17T14:55:00.017-06:00

I've been perusing a few Mormon blogs recently. And came across a really wonderful blog about one woman's feelings about Christmas. She said much better what I have been feeling. So with her permission I lifted it in it's entirety from her family blog: http://davesagegallagher.blogspot.com
I pray that this woman's sentiments will be mine for the coming year.

Each Christmas I try to resist focusing only on gifts for my family and myself (yes, I buy gifts for myself from “Santa”). This year I am thinking of the stark differences between the lives of us first-worlders and the rest of the world. As an average American have you ever had to struggle to meet your physical needs? Maybe you struggle to pay your credit card bills on time, or keep within your budget, or lose a few pounds, or find a better job? Or be on time to work? Or keep your home clean? Or be a better mother and wife? Or perhaps you struggle with depression or health problems? These are all valid, but have you ever had to struggle for water to drink and food to eat and clothes to wear? Too many of God’s children struggle with these basic needs every day.It is my belief that God put each of us where we are for a reason. But that reason may not just be that you deserved it. I think He wants us to reach out beyond ourselves, losing ourselves in the service of others.

We can find plenty of opportunities to do this if we look for them.I want to share a few scenes from my experience as a missionary in Peru from 1988-1990. For a few months I lived in a small mountain town called Huánuco that housed the poorest people up on the hills, the better-off people down in the valley. One day we met a small boy who looked about three years old struggling to carry a bucket full of water up the hill. He wore no shoes and his clothes were torn and dirty. We offered to help him. We followed him home, which required a climb up a ladder and scaling steep paths in the dusty mountainside all while carrying the bucket. I wondered how this little guy did this chore on his own.At the very top of the line of huts, we met his mother. She was humble and grateful for our assistance. She offered us a drink made from this precious liquid so carefully hauled up the mountain. We chatted with her about our work as missionaries as she boiled the water and prepared what appeared to be hot chocolate from the label on the can. Unfortunately, it was coffee and as Mormons we don’t drink coffee. I felt so bad that she had gone to so much work and we had to refuse her service to us. I think she quickly made us some chamomile tea, probably saving the coffee for later. My only consolation was to tell her that her beautiful view of the mountains would only be enjoyed by the wealthiest people in the United States. She seemed to like that idea.

Another scene in Lima, Peru near the Santa Anita neighborhood, involves a little boy in a light blue shirt and a big grin. I believe we met his family while we were walking in their dusty neighborhood. His mother was interested in talking to us. She lived in a tent-like structure inside a large enclosure where trucks were stored for repairs (I think). Even in that make-shift space, she kept things tidy and organized. She had one especially troubling problem. Her son did not have a birth certificate so the schools would not allow him to attend. She did not have enough money to buy the school supplies and uniform to send her ten-year old son to school, even if he did have the necessary papers. He did not know how to read. As missionaries, we’d been given a manual from the church on how to teach reading and writing and I had received some training. We had time to teach him for a month or so. He was a smart boy and tried hard to learn quickly. He signed my book of “recuerdos” (memory book) just before I went home. “Carlos ama Hermana Draper.” Carlos loves Sister Draper. He struggled to learn the letters and the sounds, but he mastered them well enough to write that sweet message to me.

American-style struggles don’t usually involve the basic needs of life. We struggle not to have too much clutter from our constant purchases, we struggle not to eat so much of the bounteous food available to us that we become obese, we struggle to find meaning in our lives—kind of opposite problems most people struggle with in the rest of the world. Our struggles seem mainly psychological or emotional in nature.

What a perfect match! If we could give more to help people struggling with physical needs, I think our emotional struggles would gain some healing. What do you think? We would have less to spend on clutter and overeating. We would feel a greater sense of purpose as we connect with those whose struggles are for basic needs.The people I met in Peru were not unhappy. I’m sure they struggled with similar things all humans do about their identities and such, but they seemed happier than many in our prosperous nation. I learned a great lesson as I served among the poor in Peru. Happiness doesn’t come from things, but from humility and gratitude.

I remember one family in particular that demonstrated great joy in their lives, even though they were very poor and lived in a grass-thatched hut in a “barrio joven,” (meaning “young neighborhood,” a euphemistic term for slum) where there was about one pipe of water where kids would take turns filling up their buckets and one hole for human waste (inside a hut for privacy) in the middle of hundreds of people. The husband was the mission leader for the ward (area) we worked in as missionaries. When we came to their home, they fed us a refreshing yogurt shake and rice and beans. I remember the wife cheerfully singing as she fixed some of their meager food for us. The sincere smile on her face still echoes beautifully in my memory.

Having such personal access to the lives of the poor changed me. I can’t live an American-style consumer-centric life knowing how many of God’s children struggle for basic needs in faraway places (and some closer to home too). I want to encourage all of us, as Americans, who may be struggling financially in an economic downturn, but continue to have our basic needs met above and beyond measure, to give of ourselves, even if it hurts a little. I told my husband I don’t want to get any presents this year (he was a little disappointed, but I told him he could buy me the stuff I need, like new gloves and phones to replace our broken ones). What I want is for other people to have more of their basic needs met.

What can we do? We can buy less of what we don’t really need this Christmas and help others who need the necessities of life. Donate to organizations that strike at the root of poverty, such as:
http://www.grameenfoundation.org
http://www.heifer.org
http://www.christianchildrensfund.org.

The Sounds of Mexico

2008-12-17T11:45:00.011-06:00

I just now heard the knife sharpener's whistle from somewhere down the street. It's a distinctive sound--2 tones descend one quick step at a time, the third step is held, then a "whew" jumping back up to the first tone. There are several men in the area who sharpen knives and support their familes doing so. They charge $1 per knive or scissors. They walk all over town carrying over their shoulder a fine stone wheel cranked by hand, that is fastened to a very small stool-looking device. The sharpener kneels astride the stool, turns the crank for the grinding wheel and works away on the edge of your knife. Some of the sharpeners are better than others; I wish I knew who the good ones were.

The other distinctive sound heard all over Mexico is the propane truck. There is no natural gas in Mexico, that I'm aware of, so everyone uses propane tanks. In the village, but not so much out here in the 'burbs, each gas company has a different "calling" card. One sounds like "Charge" being played by a very loud bugle. Another is a recorded voice screaming, "Esta GAAAAAAASSSSSS". Can you imagine driving a truck all day long, up and down the same streets over and over, with a screaming bullhorn attached to the roof? I'd be crazy the first hour driving a gas truck. The trucks are either filled with propane bottles which are swapped with one that is empty, or a large tank of gas from which they fill the tank sitting beside each house, or in some cases, a tank that sits on the roof. Imagine the traffic holdups when the driver stops in the middle of a narrow street, has to get his ladder out and haul the gas hose up on the roof. Fortunately, Mexicans and retired gringos are fairly patient in this regard. (I'm sure at some point I will write about impatient Mexican drivers I have encountered) Although the gas trucks are usually very loud so people have time to erupt from their houses and flag down the truck, the ones I appreciate the most have a quiet sort of "tinkle". But if I needed gas and couldn't hear the "tinkle" truck as he went by, I'd buy from the truck that had the loudest "calling" card.

Here in Chula Vista, I phone the gas man when I need a delivery. He's usually here within an hour. His name is Jose (of course), is my age, cute and polite. And for good measure his gas is the cheapest.

One more sound that most of you would abhor is the rooster next door. He crows day or night--maybe he's blind. Where I lived before there were chickens down the street and horses/cows a couple of blocks away. Just the sound of the guy herding his cows from the field by my house to his house to milk them was such a distinct difference from the sounds in my US neighborhood. I found the animal sounds quite peaceful somehow. So I was overjoyed when the neighbor got his rooster. I'm more comfortable now that the rooster and the dogs in the area make noise all the time. Weird, eh!

No matter where I've lived at Lakeside I can hear church bells at different times of the day. Usually at 30 minutes before each mass the bell tolls 3 times then maybe 20 rings then 3 distinct rings; then fifteen minutes before mass the bell tolls twice, 20 rings then 2 distinct rings. And finally, just before mass the bell tolls once then multiple times then one time again. When someone dies, day or night, the bell tolls very rapidly for about 5 minutes. There are other signals given out by the bells, but I haven't mastered them yet.

Stellar Snowflake Cluster

2008-12-16T20:52:00.001-06:00

At this time of year, this photo seems particularly appropriate. It's amazing that not only did God send us his Son, but the stars in the heavens as well! God is good!!!

Newborn stars, hidden behind thick dust, are revealed in this image of a section of the Christmas Tree Cluster from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The newly revealed infant stars appear as pink and red specks toward the center and appear to have formed in regularly spaced intervals along linear structures in a configuration that resembles the spokes of a wheel or the pattern of a snowflake. Hence, astronomers have nicknamed this the "Snowflake Cluster."

Star-forming clouds like this one are dynamic and evolving structures. Since the stars trace the straight line pattern of spokes of a wheel, scientists believe that these are newborn stars, or "protostars." At a mere 100,000 years old, these infant structures have yet to "crawl" away from their location of birth. Over time, the natural drifting motions of each star will break this order, and the snowflake design will be no more.

While most of the visible-light stars that give the Christmas Tree Cluster its name and triangular shape do not shine brightly in Spitzer's infrared eyes, all of the stars forming from this dusty cloud are considered part of the cluster.

Like a dusty cosmic finger pointing up to the newborn clusters, Spitzer also illuminates the optically dark and dense Cone Nebula, the tip of which can be seen towards the bottom left corner of the image.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/P.S. Teixeira (Center for Astrophysics)

Critters

2008-12-16T13:27:00.027-06:00

I keep getting requests to post pictures of my dogs--well, actually, two requests from one person . . .

Here's Mate--pronounced "MA tae". She's Lab and some terrier. So she looks like a miniature Black Lab, if there were such a thing, with a slight curl to the hair on her back. She weighs about 25 lbs. I found her at a gas station 3 years and she got her first bath in the town of Matehuala--hence her name.

And here's Gamina--the world's ugliest dog. She's miniature Schnauzer and some thin-bodied dog. She has Schnauzer hair, long, skinny back legs and weighs about 23 lbs. I went to an Italian restaurant a couple of years ago and came home with a dog. Sometimes that's the way it happens . . .

And finally, Princesa, who's real name is Natasha. My housekeeper calls her "Princesa" because she acts like she rules the house. And she does--with an clawed paw. Don't know how much she weighs but she's BIG. She doesn't like to be petted, touched or held. The only time she wants to be stroked is when she's sucking on the bathroom rug or eating her kibble. Evidently, she was taken away from her mother too soon so still has a sucking complex. I kept her for 3 months when my girlfriend went north for the summer. When my friend returned, she decided that I'd had Princesa longer than she had and since Princesa kept the dogs in line, I could have her. So . . . I have a "ratter".

All three critters follow me everywhere. Right now the dogs are on the bed and the cat is curled up on the rug by the bed. If I retired to the bathroom, all three will follow me (I don't need any help, but evidently they don't know that). And into the kitchen it's jumping and meowing . . .

Later I will post a video of the critters that allow me to live at their house.

My New Treasures

2008-12-15T12:35:00.048-06:00

I went to the Ajijic Society of Artists fair in the plaza this weekend. There were also 8 artisans from Michoacan. Let me show you what I found. Click on any photo to see a close-up version in a new window.

These two prints are by a wonderful local young woman artist by the name of Luz Preciado (Precious Light). The single woman is mixed media of pastel for the face and shawl, acrylic for her dress and oil paint for the surrounding geometric shapes. The mother and child is charcoal. I loved both of them so much, I just couldn't decide which one to buy--so I picked . . .

The Michoacan artisans included Phillipe Horta, whose uncle was a Maestro (Master) of Mexico and included in the book of the same name. Phillipe, like most of his extended family, are mask carvers. The masks that I bought from him are very old, but in good condition. I have no idea where he found them or who carved them, but older masks are difficult to find so I grabbed these two before another savvy shopper spotted them. The green one is a man's face, although somewhat scary, not as scary as some I've seen.

The other mask is of a pig, even though it looks somewhat like a dog. It has leather ears and a long snout.

The last photo is of my "Mask Wall". Although it is a modest collection, the addition of these two older masks are a welcome addition. I hope to acquire more older masks in the future, although they are very difficult to find. I have tried to include masks from different regions, differing materials and different uses or meanings. Each one just "hit" me and I had to have it no matter how strange it looks. You may click on the photos for closeups.

Dia de Guadalupe

2008-12-13T10:02:00.014-06:00

Last night Cantantes sang at the Festival of Lights in Chapala, on the Day of Guadalupe. After a 3 hours rehearsal, a light dinner and bus ride to Chapala, we arrived at 7:30 for a concert time at 8. We stood around on the cathedral steps for an hour watching the totally inept sound people trying to get microphones set up for us. They managed to get the keyboard plugged in correctly but the sound system was so bad that I'm sure we sounded like cows stuck in a mud puddle. But the crowd seemed to enjoy the music and we certainly enjoyed singing for the Mexican crowd. One song in French, a couple in English and the rest in Spanish. The crowd really lit up when we sang Mexican Christmas songs with which they are so familiar. It was really a joy to bring their cherished carols to them on such a holiday as Dia de Guadalupe. Guadalupe is the most revered saint in Mexico so her day is very special.

What was sort of disconcerting was the noise level while we were singing. There were kids running around playing and making noise between the church steps where we were singing, and the entrance to the church. It's probably 40-50 feet of space with screeching little kids running all over. You'd think I'd be used to noisy gatherings, being LDS and all. The crowd in general were somewhat noisy too so it was difficult to concentrate on singing. It seems Mexicans are less unruly indoors than an outside setting. However, this evening was a big deal for them so it's to be expected.

The temperature Thursday night got down into the high 30s-low 40s so we were forwarned and didn't wear our tradition concert dress. Instead we wore long johns, hats, thick socks and heavy coats. Thank heavens the cold snap started the night before our concert, otherwise we would have been caught "cold" with no warning and been dressed for 60 degrees.

Immediately after our concert the fireworks started. This night the venue was the cathedral itself. With lots of flare-type fireworks going off along the front and up the two bell towers, throwing out eerie light and lots of smoke. The sound system was working well when the lovely music was playing in accompaniment to the fireworks. The song changed and so did the fireworks. It was quite spectacular with music swelling as huge rockets of white sparkles were shot from the roof of the cathedral. The whole crowd was very quiet as we stood there in awe of such beauty. And, as if God himself had planned the event, the largest full moon in 15 years had risen just to the left of the largest bell tower of the church. Click here for a video that was taken that night. I think there were a few tears in the crowd; I know us gringos were certainly moved. CLICK HERE for short info on the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Reasons to Live at Lakeside

2008-12-11T18:27:00.012-06:00

1. Climate is arguably the best in the world; no need for A/C or a furnace. Seldom a rainy day as it usually rains at night during the rainy season, June-Oct.
2. Cost of Living is much less than in the USA and more easily controlled.
3. Culture/Language; hospitable, friendly, smiles, color, fiestas, music, great food, etc.
4. Relative Safety compared to the USA or many other places.(See "Why I Love Mexico" for my comments on the lack of fear)
5. Access to other English speaking people from many other countries but mostly US and Canada.
6. Small town atmosphere but with lots of activities, restaurants, theaters, multi cultural events, music and dance clubs etc.
7. Access to Guadalajara international airport within 30 minutes by car. Access to the world.
8. All the advantages of being close to a large, cosmopolitian city like Guadalajara, but living a more rural lifestyle.
9. Expat clubs like American Legion, Shriners, Rotary, Lake Chapala Society, etc.
10. The ability to drive to the US border in about 12 hours on pretty good toll roads.
11. Easy day trips to fascinating villages, pre-hispanic ruins, alpine villages or tropical seacoasts.
12. Fertile ground that will grow just about anything. It is said that if you plant a wooden clothespin, it will sprout.
13. Excellent health care in private hospitals and inexpensive doctor/dentist visits. They care!
14. Availability of DSL, cell phone towers, movies, live theater, folkloric dances, firework displays & music everywhere.
15. The local food: Mexican, Greek, Chinese, Italian, French, Japanese, Thai, Hungarian, American etc.
16. A temple in Guadalajara. There are twelve temples in Mexico; I picked the Guadalajara area as the most liveable, for me, in Mexico. The eleven other areas were either too hot and humid, too dry or too many earthquakes nearby.

CLICK HERE for more Info on Lakeside. Be sure to check out the maps, etc. (along left of site) so you can see the towns in reference to one another. It's about 16 miles from Chapala to Jocotepec.

Celebration of THE Birth

2008-12-11T14:31:00.008-06:00

The Mexicans really know how to celebrate a Christian holiday. Take Christmas--in each village a posada is staged for 10 nights before Christmas (a parade of sorts with children usually playing the parts of "Maria" on a burro being led by "Jose" trying to find a place to stay for the night ( an inn is a posada) in Bethlehem, followed by village members. The procession wends it's way through the village visiting homes in succession where the couple ask for lodging; part of the Christmas story is either acted out or somehow displayed by the homeowner, but the couple is turned away. Then carols are sung and candles twinkle in the dark as the parade makes it way to the next house on the route. Each night is a different route in a different barrio (neighborhood). At the last house each evening, the crowd is fed a small portion of some traditional holiday fare Usually a fire is lit on the street in front of the last house (we have cobbled streets). Whatever food is offered is usually cooked over this fire while the crowd sings. All are invited into the house, where the children hit pinates for the candy they contain. The people here take Christmas much more seriously than many Americans. It's about the birth of Jesus Christ, not Papa Noel bringing presents. While Mexicans exchange gifts, it's not the main focus of the holiday. At Easter I'll write about the Passion Play (it involves dragging a heavy cross up the mountainside to a little chapel) and how they celebrate that sacred holiday.

Golden Strings Concert

2008-12-11T09:21:00.009-06:00

The concert was a great success with the house of 385 seats almost full by intermission (Mexicans count time differently than Americans). We sang a mini concert then the kids did their part. The last third of the concert was Strings and Cantantes together. Strings conductor, Senor Medeles, is a great director and easy to follow. Despite we only had about an hour to rehearse with him and the Strings, things went well. The music was much slower than normal for us, but the younger kids just couldn't play some pieces any faster! We had long, sustained phrasing but fortunately we know how to stagger breathe so no one fell off the risers! At the conclusion of the concert the audience wanted more. Evidently Strings didn't have a encore planned so we sang the last song of the concert again, Silent Night (in English and Spanish). Even our director, Tim, joined the tenors and sang the encore. Kinda strange to sing a song twice, but the mostly Mexican audience loved it!

Every concert we have with Golden Strings, we donate our time. The Strings keep the door receipts; it's our way of supporting them with revenue and lending our name to their concert. We've performed enough with them over the years, that we recognize most of the teenage students and I've picked my favorite grade school kids to watch in the future. They are so honored to perform with us (as if we are a big deal) because we're gringos, whom they admire.

I didn't get home til a little after 10 and the dogs were nuts. I have been keeping a friend's Bedlington Terriers for the week. The male wants to mark the territory (being the only male with five, count 'em, five girls! Can you blame him?) so I keep a Man Band on him--a cloth fastened with velcro that goes around his loins and covers his pee pee. For extra protection I stick a "masculine" hygiene product (can't let him know it's a feminine product) to absorb better. My dogs and the Bedlingtons don't argue exactly, they just don't play and mostly avoid each other. Maybe another week and they would be rolling around together, but I don't think I could take 4 dogs for that long.

Anyway, got the dogs fed and my heavy makeup removed and hit the hay. I was tired but more than anything my feet hurt. I'm thinking perhaps I'll wear my black rafting sandals for Friday's concert. I wore them once before several years ago with resounding success; at least my feet thought so even if they aren't particularly feminine with a long, black gown with sparkly trim at the neck and wrists. Friday we will be standing on the concrete steps of the Chapala church, which is a killer for old feet. And sexy I don't care about--most of the eligible men here want a "purse" or a "nurse". The others are divorced for a darn good reason.

Los Cantantes del Lago

2008-12-09T14:26:00.011-06:00

I belong to a community choir called Los Cantantes del Lago (The Singers of the Lake). There are members from all over the world, who live here at Lakeside, as well as Mexican singers. Our director is a professional director and is quite a task master; it's good for us because he gets quality from us we didn't know we had. Our music is 16th Century sacred music to "White Christmas" with songs in French, Latin, Spanish and English. This afternoon will be our last rehearsal before our first Christmas concert on Dec. 10. We will sing with the Golden Strings, which is composed of Mexican students who otherwise would have no chance to learn to play music. They are directed by a local composer and musician; he has created a really wonderful group of musicians out of children of all ages. Some of them will no doubt go on to play with the Guadalajara Symphony.

Our next concert is Dec. 12 on the steps of the church in Chapala. Chapala is having it's first annual Festival of Lights with a fireworks barge on the lake. This is will be opening night and should be spectacular. I only hope we don't freeze singing at 8 pm as it gets quite chilly this time of year; maybe down to 60 degrees F. Our dresses are long but have chiffon sleeves; the men will be OK in their tuxs. Then three concerts throughout the weekend and next week in our own venue.
All this, not counting mini concerts around Lakeside--whew!

Our choir is getting better and better as our director presents more challenging music for us to sing each year. We generally have a Christmas concert series and a Spring concert series. Last summer we were invited by the government of Ecuador to represent Mexico in a music festival in Quito. It was a wonderful experience for me as I've never been to South America before. And quite gratifying to see an LDS chapel a short distance from our hotel. Next summer we are going to tour our own country. Visiting Patzcuaro, Morelia (for their annual music festival), San Miguel de Allende and Zamora. We may have other venues as time goes by, but this is what's scheduled so far.

LATER: Returned from our rehearsal tired but jubilant. The choir is prepared for concert! That hasn't always been the case; in years past we have had trouble with balance within the choir as well as knowing the music just before a concert. As I said, we are getting better and better. We now have 62 voices and the newest singers have good quality to add to our mix.

Couldn't believe it . . .

2008-12-05T11:02:00.010-06:00

I saw Elvis Stojko in the Wal-Mart the other day. I vaguely remember hearing that he bought a house here about 5 years ago. When I saw him, surprisingly, I immediately knew who he was. Being a massage therapist and a dedicated man-watcher, I could see beneath his coat and Levis--whoohoo! About as tall as I am with large calves, nice fanny and a well-muscled torso. When I got home I looked him up on the internet just to see if I had the right name for that cute face. There were pictures of his professional and private life. I was right--he's got a BOD!!

Why I love Mexico!! an ongoing post

2008-12-05T00:51:00.016-06:00

I want my friends in the States to know how much I really love living in Mexico. I intend to never (I know, never say never) move back to the States. I intend to live and die in my beloved adopted country.

The people are warm and generous. With few exceptions they are also not to be trusted because of the clash of perceived poor vs. perceived rich. I say perceived because, after all, life is a matter of attitude and perception is part of our attitude. In some arenas gringos are resented because they don't work but but live a high standard of living. The idea of a pension is relatively rare in Mexico; if you don't work, you don't eat, simple as that. (Quite a novel idea in the US.) However, those who are willing to open their minds and hearts to the other culture, have experienced wonderful and fulfilling relationships.

One of my greatest joys in Mexico are the birds. Having been an off/on again bird watcher over the years, I find myself fascinated with the birds here. In the winter I've seen eastern US birds that I've never observed in the wild before. And the rest of the year there are many species who inhabit this area AND the Pacific NW. So they are familiar. But the resident birds that are much different than what I've seen in the US are truly delightful because of their (mostly) colorful plumage and tropical-sounding voices. Sitting on my terrace in the early morning is a true joy as they flit and sing from my bougainvillea hedge to the orchid tree and up into the palms.

Here are two of the bird I see all year as this is their home range. The first is a Vermillion Flycatcher that lives in my front yard and loves to perch on the banana leaves.

And this is Kiskadee because his call sounds like he's saying "kis-ka-dee". They are loud and noisy, especially when you get more than two together; they are about the size of a robin and live here all year.

The painted bunting I've only seen once but I was soooo excited when I did spot and identify it!!! It was so colorful; I couldn't believe I lived in a spot that this gorgeous bird wanted to share with me.

And this is a Mexican green jay. They actually live over at the coast about 3 hrs. from here. But I saw one in a cage once (AAARRRGGG) and the green on his back was so stunning, I couldn't believe a feather actually could look like that.

And then there are the butterflies--oh, what a delight they are!! Small black wings with thin white lines radiating out from the body to the edge of the wings that are lined in white, with two small scarlet circles at the base of each wing. Or the giant white ones that look like a hankerchief flitting on a breeze. We don't have Monarchs here, but in Michoacan, about a 5 hr. drive is where they winter--literally millions of them. I've been wanting to see them every year and something happens that I can't. But 2009 is the year for SURE.

The weather right after the rainy season is wonderful. Very much like the fall weather in the NW; cool nights, 68-75 during the day, 30-50% humidity, clear blue skies and a light breeze. It's simply perfect--for me.

There is less fear in Mexico. People can let their kids out the door in the morning and not see them until dinner time, knowing that the kids will arrive home safely. And Mexican kids walk to school or ride the city bus. There is no fear that some weirdo is going to grab them. These kids have freedoms that I had as a kid; but not US kids today. I'd want to be a Mexican kid.

Mexican Moments--another ongoing post

2008-12-04T23:50:00.027-06:00

The dicatomy of Mexico is so evident in daily life--Mexico is the 19th century running headlong into the 21st. A perfect example is the day I saw a man along side the road riding his burro and talking on his cell phone. Unfortunately I didn't have time to take a photo. However, since then I've kept my camera handy to record the peculiar things I see in Mexico; things that simply wouldn't happen in the US.

If you run out of room on your sign, just keep going on the next line . . . This sign is advertising "Coctel de Frutas con Chantilly" which translates, "Fruit Cocktail with Whipped Cream".

Here's a guy along the highway herding his burros home. The fire wood may be for heating his home during the winter or for daily cooking.

The owners extended the upper floor out over the sidewalk, not thinking that perhaps the power pole might be in the way. Can't move the pole so correct the construction to fit the circumstance. Didn't the architect or planning department notice? What planning department? There are building codes?--not.

Blueprints don't seem to be used much here either. IF there's a blueprint at a building site, no one involved in the construction can read it. There don't seem to be any building codes either. A light switch may be behind a door and anywhere from 3 to 4 feet from the floor. Oh, well . . .

ESSSSS MEXICO!