Now that we are no longer living in Mexico, there are a lot of things I miss, but one of the things I think about on a regular basis, is the food. We got so spoiled by all of the local, fresh, simple foods that were sooo good and all so cheap. While we were living there, I made a conscious decision not to cook. I wanted to sample as much of the local food as I could, and it was a great decision! It was fun to try all of the different dishes, but it was also fun to try some of the staple dishes and many different places. Here is a sampling of what I am missing!
The Mojo de Ajo that we craved, perhaps Maurice the most! Tapatio had the best!
Enchiladas Mineras was the official dish of Guanajuato (I am sure) and Rico would know, had it at every restaurant in town!
Micheladas con Victoria. I had one or two :) Don't let anyone tell you you can't put anything in your beer!
Not the best pic, nor was it the best example, but we had Sopa Azteca everywhere!
Mexico knows how to do breakfast!
And the next time you here "Don't eat the street food" assume that it's because whomever said it, wants to keep it all for himself! The street food was the best! and cheap! Unbelievable...
From a place like this..
You can get the best Tacos al Pastor!
Damonte's favorite
And if you follow Emily's lead, if there is a line, the food has to be good. That's how she found amazing tortas here:
Preparing the Tortas
Mmmm... Tortas!
And following that rule, you have to stop here, right!?!
We have been lucky to have had so many wonderful people come and share this Mexican adventure with us. Thank you all! But when I heard in late January that my Dad had ordered a passport I have to say I was cautiously excited. I knew that Mom would be game as she has been to several places outside the US. My only trepidation for them was navigating the airports and navigating our callejon. Heidi indicated early on that she would join them-and since she knows GTO she would be the perfect guide as Erik and I had work and school. After listening to the wisdom of our family members we decided to rent a hotel in the center of town. This made traversing the city simple-but it also meant that they had to go to sleep to the sounds of a fiesta every night.
After a brief hiccup with the US State Department denying Dad's existence--and their diligence in proving to them that yes, Dad definitely does exist--the trip was set.
After an amazing visit we sent them home --well traveled but definitely not well rested.
Being educators in Wisconsin right now would really make you want to get away, and that is exactly what Sonja and Casey wanted to do. Get away, at least for a little while and try to get some rest and relaxation. It started out fine for them with a couple of days on the beach. But they didn't stay there... they made their way to Guanajauto. And while we gave them a chance to get away, the boys were not going to let them rest or relax! There were horses to ride, mountains to climb, and adventures to be had!
The Gang gets ready to head out
After starting out through a tunnel the rest looks easy!
Umm... Sonja, just because Maurice is in front of you,
doesn't mean you have to follow him!
Sonja Passes by a Mexican School
Again, cute animals!
Casey practicing his herding
Stop for a drink at a tienda
They also got to explore our great town, and sample the excellent food!
Eating gorditas and trying to take it all in.
We also got some great hiking in. You might wonder where the pictures are, well there is a story to that. Sonja emailed me before their visit, and asked if the needed to bring rain coats. I laughed. I actually thought she was kidding. We had been in Guanajuato for 4 months and not seen any rain. Each day is the same, completely blue skies and sunny. I responded, no, no rain coats, or umbrellas, or galoshes, or rain slickers, or ponchos, or rain boots... Well our first hike, we took a cab out and started on a trail over to Santa Rosa, about 2 hours. Sure enough, 10 minutes into it, it starts raining. Hard. All we could do was laugh. It rained the whole time. Luckily it was still quite warm and for us it was such a novelty we enjoyed it! and the bus came right away when we got to the road (if it hadn't we might not of enjoyed it as much as we did!). But it was too wet to take out the camera, and I didn't want any evidence, anyway! And as for the other pictures, on Emily's phone? you will have to go to a bus station in Mexico city, or whatever her phone's final destination was, as it was different than our final destination!
One day, I got a call from Emily. She was at school and said she just found out about an opportunity to go to aFútbol game that upcoming weekend. Being a big sports fan, but not knowing much about Mexican Fútbol, I of course said yes, without knowing any of the details. I quickly rushed over to her school, with the money for the 5 of us to go.
We soon found out, It was not just any game, but a big game between 2 of the best teams in Mexico, and huge rivals, the Guadalajara Chivas vs Club America from Mexico DF. For American Football fans, I would compare it to a big Packers vs. Bears game.
Sunday morning we got on a bus, and headed for Guadalajara. It was a 5 hour ride, and I have to admit, I was a little concerned, the bus was mostly filled with America Fans (the away team). It was an amazing site pulling into Guadalajara, the fans for both teams were crazy! Flags and yelling and cheering everywhere! The city was filled with excitement!
Walking in to Estadio Omnilife
I would say at least 70% of the fans were wearing team jerseys. For my comparison, it seemed like even more team spirit than a Packer or Badger game! Not wanting to be left out of the excitement, the boys talked us into buying them Chivas jerseys in the parking lot.
Chivas Fan!
Standing room only section
The fans were non stop. From the drive in, to the parking lot, to the stadium, to the way out, their excitement and energy was amazing. The wave wasn't needed to keep this crowd involved! We were seated 2 sections away from the visitors section, which was worth the price of admission itself! Singing, chanting and cheering the whole time, this group would make the student section at a Badgers game seem uninterested! Here is a little clip of them. Understand, it was like this for the whole game!
Here is a little taste of the action...
Not sure if I was able to truly capture it, but the security was amazing! The riot gear they were wearing looked like RoboCop, and they were everywhere! The Visitors had a separate entrance and exit, and as you see below, they are escorted out, to keep the fans separated, and keep the peace. For all of the spirit, everyone was wonderfully behaved. Not a single problem.
This experience has made big FMF fans out of most of our family. And to top it off, the home town Chivas won 3-0! One more experience here that will have a lasting impact on us.
As I have written before, we have had a lot of great adventures horseback riding here in Mexico. Thanks so much to Tomás, Felix, Roberto, Roberto Jr. and Maria Louisa we have had such a wonderful time, beautiful views, fun company and great food. If you are ever in the area, be sure to look up the Xolotar Ranch, you will not be disappointed! But when Lon and Amy came down to visit, and said they were game for something a little more than our normal rides, the family gave us an experience we will never forget.
Instead of picking us up and bringing us to the Ranch, like they have done in the past, they brought the horses to us!
Getting ready to start, from Guanajuato
We started off on our adventure, which was an overnight trip from Guanajuato to the ranch, outside San Miguel de Allende. if you would like to see an approximation of the route, you can check it out here. We road through a wide array of environments, from gravel roads, to open fields, forests, canyons, rivers, and little pueblos. It was an unbelievable way to see Mexico, and to see sights very few visitors (and even locals) get to see. We met incredibly friendly people along the way.
Someone is working today...
Taking a break in a pueblo along the way
Each day we road about 9 hours. Half way through the first day, we stopped for lunch. Roberto, playing the cook role, made a delicious meal.
Roberto gets the fire started.
Real cowboys don't use grills!
But we can't sit around all day, back on the horses!
Roberto leads the right way
After a full day of riding, our bodies felt it. The last thing I wanted to do, was do any more galloping (even though the boys couldn't seem to get enough of it)! Amy, who hadn't been on a horse for a long time, and Lon, even longer, didn't even complain at all, and if I was sore, I knew they felt it more! But our experiences for the day were not done. We watered the horses, and settled in for a night of good food, camp fire stories, lasso exhibition, and tenting under the stars on an amazing piece of land.
A well deserved drink
Tomás and Roberto cook chorizo and aranchara tacos that were muy rico!
Tomás sees along night ahead for teaching rope tricks!
The view of camp the next morning
Roberto Jr. shows how it is done!
The second day was as long as the first, which meant lots of opportunities to take in the the sites, sounds and views of Mexico. Here are a couple...
What would a ride be without cute animals!
Good thing these horses are steady!
Every turn, a new view
Cacti in bloom
Emily is always enjoying herself!
Horses can never gallop fast enough for the boys!
And in the end we finished at the ranch for another great meal courtesy of Maria Louisa.
