We can’t imagine what it would be like to use this wheelchair ramp in San Miguel de Allende. Who were the brilliant engineers behind this? Talk about your wild ride!
Have a safe and happy weekend.
Torta Árabe con Queso
Tacos Árabe (Arabian Tacos) are very similar to the Tacos al Pastor that are served in the Yucatan. The main difference, the location. Tacos Árabe are a Puebla dish. It is one of the most popular dishes in the area, although not authentically Mexican. Tacos Árabe is a Middle Eastern dish that was introduced in the 1930’s with an interesting history. Easily served on a tortilla or torta, the meal was quickly adopted by the Mexicans.
Hard to make on your own, here is a recipe for them.
Real Tacos Árabe are made by layering pork loin and onions on a spit. This task can take over an hour to complete. Then the pork is slow roasted for many hours to perfection in front of red, hot coals.
In Puebla we enjoyed our tacos with a cold beer at a small chain called Tacos Tony.
Tacos are under $20 mxn ($1.50 usd) each or you can by meat by the kilogram. Tony’s was good, but the best way to enjoy Tacos Árabe is at an open air fair or market where people are lined up to get them and you just know they are piping hot.
You need a super sharp knife to chop the meat up.
This man really liked his knife!
La Fiesta de los Locos (The Feast of Fools or Crazy People) is held in San Miguel de Allende every June, the first Sunday after the Feast of San Antonio, so around the middle of the month. A few years ago we were “lucky” enough to have the fuel pump go on our truck forcing us to stay an extra week in San Miguel waiting for a new part. It just happened to be while the “locos” was taking place.
San Miguel was and still is primarily a framing community. The festival originally began as an act of faith, a thank you for a year of good crops. During colonial times many people dressed as scarecrows. Slowly over the year the festival became the celebration of more than just good crops, it was combined with San Pascual Bailón’s day, Corpus Christi day and San Antonio’s day (there always seems to be a celebration in San Miguel) morphing into the fiesta it is today.
People turn their “sun” umbrella upside down to catch candy.
Politically incorrect costumes.
Our personal favourite, a good jabbing at the press.
During La Fiesta de los Locos the streets are packed with people in costumes, some politically incorrect. Those not in the parade, line the streets hoping to catch candy thrown by the parade participants. Family friendly: music, dance and candy are the main ingredient that makes for a good time.
To all our friends who are away from our little town, remember “Puerto Morelos misses you”. Come back soon.
This is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site is in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, only 9 km west of the City of Oaxaca. Inhabited by the Zapotecs, Monte Albán (which means White Mountain) is one of the earliest cities of Mesoamerica. The ruin features an excellent variety of paintings and stone carvings from the period.
The site was literally carved out of a mountain and then inhabited for over 1000 years. In 1987 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage site. Structures have been constructed over large parts of the ruin to protect it from weather and sun. The site is large, but most of it can be seen once you reach the top of the mountain where the ceremonial area is. The hillside below the ceremonial area was covered with more than 2,000 terraces for houses and farms.
It is estimated that over 100,000 people lived here. Over 170 tombs have been discovered on the site. The ruin can be easily visited from the City of Oaxaca by taxi or shuttle. For more information visit Monte Alban Oaxaca.
Soccer or fútbol as it is known in Mexico, may be bigger than God. On any given Sunday, in any town in Mexico you will find men huddled around TV sets big and small cheering on their favourite team. This frequently makes Sunday a good day to cross the border into the country as we have found on more than one occasion the guards would rather watch the game than deal with our vehicle.
Growing up Mexicans usually become fans of their local team and are then committed to them for life, no matter where they move to. Rivalries between teams are fierce, but there is a new level of pride when it comes to the Mexico national football team. The country unites and cheers for El Tri (called this for it’s three coloured logo). During the 2014 FIFA World Cup you will find that the country stops during the games. Don’t even think about trying to get anything done when a game is on, especially when it is one of Mexico’s top rivals. So if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!
The guy to cheer for: Giovani dos Santos
Despite 4 coaching changes in the last four years El Tri is now under the strict supervision of coach Miguel Herrer. He has given the guys orders that they cannot have sex for 40 days and they are not allowed to eat beef for fear of any stray hormones that may come up in drug testing (this has happened in the past). The new regime must be working as Mexico beat Cameroon last Friday 1-0 even with two controversial disallowed goals by Giovani dos Santos in the pouring rain. Next up the home team.
Here is the 2014 FIFA World Cup schedule so far for the Mexico games.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014 2:00 PM (EST) • Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza • Group A
vs 
Brazil Mexico
Monday, June 23, 3:00 PM (EST) • Arena Pernambuco, Recife • Group A
vs Croatia Mexico
Watch for Rafa Marquez, the team captain of Mexico, Tuesday as he and his team take on Brazil. Let’s cheer on Mexico!
Vamos México!
Quinceañera also called quince años or simply quince, is the celebration of a girl’s fifteenth birthday in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. It is similar to when a Debutante makes her debut in the southern USA, but in Mexico it is a birthday celebration that marks the transition from girl to young woman. Families save for years for this event in which the young girl wears a formal ball gown and make-up. Traditionally it was to be the first time she wore either of these things, but most girls are now wearing make-up at a younger age. The dress is a huge part of the event with professional photos being hung in the family home for years to come.
Dresses in Puebla shop window
The celebration begins with a Catholic mass giving thanks. The entire family and extended families join in the celebration, along with traditionally 14 friends of the girl paired into couples known as damas and chambelanes. After the mass, there is a reception which includes a grand entrance made by the Quinceañera, a formal toast given by the family, and a first dance beginning with the girl and her father. This is followed by a family dance and then finally a party with gifts. During the reception, the birthday girl usually dances a traditional choreographed dance with her “chambelan de honor”, who is her chosen escort. A huge meal completes the evening, which goes well into the wee hours of the night.
When we are traveling through Mexico, we love to explore the markets. We often find wonderful foods, spices and cooking utensils that we are unfamiliar with. Recently in Cholula we saw these bright, coloured beans… but we have no idea what they are called or what they are used for. If you know, leave us a comment below so that we can solve this Mexican mystery.
Update: Thank you Guillermo Lomelin for writing and letting us know that these beans are called “guasanas” a typical Mexican snack that is often steamed or roasted. Mystery solved!
On our last day we drive from Saltillo to the border of the USA. It takes us just over 3 hours to get to the crossing at Colombia, just west of Nuevo Laredo. We cross here, instead of in Laredo because the crossing has more room for RVs.
People ask us all the time how long it takes and what it costs. So here are the states from our trip from Puerto Morelos to the US border.
Hours: 41 behind the wheel
Kilometers/Miles: 2901/1803
Average Speed: 71km/hour or 44 miles/hour
Tolls: $3484mxn ($271 USD)
Gas: $9079mxn ($706 USD)
Camping: $2028mxn ($158 USD)
Total Cost: $14591mxn ($1135 USD)
Tolls for a truck and travel trailer are about double what you would pay for a car. If you were not towing an RV you could do this trip much faster and much cheaper. Flying would be cheaper and fast again, but not as fun.
We took 11 days to do this drive in so that we could stop and visit friends and some of our favourite places along the way. Temperatures ranged from 37C (99F) to 7c (45F). We were as low as -6meters (-20feet) below sea level to as high as 2616 meters (8523feet), all in a five hour drive. This completes our 12th round trip from the US border to Puerto Morelos and back. It may be time to start flying.
We still have 3,494km (2171 miles) to go. We’re not even half way there!
From San Miguel de Allende we head to Saltillo in the north eastern state of Coahuila. As you leave San Miguel you pass stand after stand of fresas con crema (strawberries with cream).
The nicest Pemex in Mexico on the bypass around Matehuala
The highway north is filled with trucks. They pack the road heading to the US border delivering goods to the states. The roads are generally good with some toll and some free.
The drive takes about eight hours and at the end of it we park at La Fuente Hotel on the outskirts of Saltillo. To get into the hotel parking area you have to go to the front desk and ask them to let you in. They also like you to pay before you park. The cost is $200mxn ($15.50). For this you get a place to park with a plugin on a nearby light pole. There is also water on site and the world’s coldest swimming pool.
Saltillo is the home of the Mexican sarape and the city is very proud of its weaving. This city is also a commercial, communications, and manufacturing centre.
The Saltillo Cathedral, Catedral de Santiago, is an excellent example of beautiful baroque architectural and makes the trip into downtown Saltillo worth a stop.
