Everything is Just Peachy!

Sometimes it's the simplest things in life that create the most happiness! When we started cleaning up our back yard in Banámichi in 2008, we discovered a long uncared for tree struggling for survival next to the south wall. Upon examination, we discovered it was a small peach tree. We began to water and prune it and generally nurture it back to health.

The original peach tree*

It never occurred to me that a peach tree might grow and actually produce fruit in Mexico. From what I know of peaches, they need a period of cold in the winter in order to do well, and for the first few years, the winters in Banámichi were balmy. Just as I suspected, each year the tree produced a profuse shower of pink and white blossoms in March, then a few gnarly rock hard fruits that promptly fell off the tree, and then....nothing.

Meanwhile,  yet another small peach tree passed through several sets of hands before it landed with me. Always a champion of the underdog, I took pity on the thing and planted it not far from the first one, thinking I would eventually move it to a better spot in the yard. At least it would provide nice shade when the days became intolerably hot.

It grew like crazy, within a year becoming too big to move. But there it sat, also producing nothing. Maybe it was too young. Then, two years ago we had a big cold snap in the winter. I have previously written about the destruction that this caused in the garden. But the winner was the first peach tree! That year it had a bumper crop. The peaches were odd...small and hard and a bit green, but very sweet, very tasty. I harvested all of them and spent hours preparing the little marbles to make peach jam and to freeze the rest for some wonderful pies later in the year.

The next year, the winter was very mild. Once again, the first tree produced a few rock-like little nubbins that the birds finished off before I could see if they were useable. The smaller, newer tree just sat there, apparently too small and discouraged to bother producing anything.

This past winter, Banámichi had a two day cold snap, with nights sinking to 24 degrees. And, WOW!! This summer, BOTH trees have been unbelievably weighed down with fruit. There were peaches hanging in clusters along the branches like grapes!

Peaches or grapes??*

When we were in Banámichi in the middle of the summer, they were just coming into ripeness, but it was still too soon to pick them. It broke my heart to leave those darned peaches after all they and I had been through together. I told various friends to help themselves so at least they would not go to waste, and then forced myself to stop thinking about them.

To my great surprise, our neighbors who share our back yard were there at just the right time and harvested many of the little beauties. They courageously brought them back across the border to Tucson...US customs never even asked, and you know how it is: "Don't ask, don't tell!"  So we had a peach festival right here in my own kitchen! It surprises me  how much happiness that bag of peaches brought and the sweet history it held.

Odd little peaches...about 2" in diameter

Four of us set to work peeling and slicing the peaches.

Slicing and dicing

It was it big project - took 2 solid hours....they were small and hard and seemingly green, but the sticky juice was everywhere and the fragrance permeated the whole house. When we were done, we had enough for 3 large pies...one to eat right away, and one for Dan and me, and one for our trusty peach runners!

Filling the pies

Ever health conscious, we used a combination of brown sugar and a product called Whey Low... a form of sugar with fewer calories and a low glycemic index. We seasoned the mixture with cinnamon, nutmeg and a dash of almond extract. There wasn't quite enough crust to make a complete lattice for the three, but it hardly mattered. No one was in the mood to leave the fragrance and head to the store for more. We kept sneaking peeks as the pikes baked, and could hardly wait for them to cool enough to sample them.

Baked beauty, even if it is missing some strips

                                               

It's what inside that counts...

 






As you can see, the finished result was very much enjoyed by all!!

Yummers! And with ice cream too...

 Thank you cold weather (at least for this little gift!), and thank you peach tree Gods! At least we have this to look forward to if global climate change messes with the Banámichi weather.

* Thanks to Lynn Matthews for these photos!

A Few Odd Things...

Sometimes the small events that make up the fabric of life are just as curious and interesting as the bigger, splashier events that make for long blog posts.

De Colores
In the past I have posted about house colors in and about Banámichi. Whenever we drive along the Rio Sonora, I  look for newly painted, brightly colored houses. The colors always make me happy. So when it came time to paint our own house, we gave serious thought to the colors. Initially when we moved in, we painted our house a robin's egg blue with white trim, and it looked beautiful. However, even the best paint Home Depot had to offer faded quickly in the hot, bright, direct sun of a western exposure to become white on white.

Banámichi offices of thePAN political party

Then we visited Greece last fall and were very taken with the white with royal blue trim which is so popular there. We settled on these colors - a very classic, clean look. Then our friend Tracy reminded us that these are the colors of the PAN (Partido Acción Nacional -National Action Party) political party. As visitors in Mexico, we are not supposed to participate in any form of politics there. Our Mexican friend Beto was consulted. He said that if we used the blue and white, people might think that the PAN gave us the paint, or that we wee closet supporters. Not a good thing.

Our new house colors in Banamichi

So we reluctantly abandoned the blue and white concept. A visit to Sherwin Williams narrowed our choices to two, and finally we settled on white and "Fabulous Grape"...a vibrant purple that Dan calls "Goofy Grape." The white won't fade, and at least the purple doesn't  represent any political party! It looks gorgeous again, if a bit blindingly white in the western sun.



 


Cock-A-Doodle-Do

When we arrived in Banámichi this last time the weather was gorgeous...brilliant blue skies, wall to wall sunshine and pleasant temperatures. I ripped open all the windows and let the beautiful clean air circulate through the house. It was particularly lovely at night to go to bed bathed in silky air imbued with the fragrance of orange blossoms.

Somewhere around 4 AM that first night we were abruptly awakened from a deep sleep by a loud and jarring "RRRRK-A-RRRK-A-ROO!!! There were answering echoes from nearby streets and from all over town. Sleep was over. The thing was right outside our bedroom window across the path, in the neighbor's yard. Our neighbors had a new rooster and a seemingly solitary chicken who just clucked quietly and followed the rooster around.

So the windows were reluctantly closed. Even through the double glazing the thing could be heard from early morning on into the evening hours. Dan said it had to die. We were hoping the neighbors would decide to eat it for Easter dinner, but no such luck.

...and I thought they were gone for good...

One day, I saw the rooster and the chicken in the street. I tried to approach to take a picture and of course they skittered away from me, perhaps knowing that I harbored ill -will towards them. I thought, "Oh, good, they will run away and someone else will catch them and eat them!" But again, no such luck. The next morning, there they were in back in the neighbor's yard, in a cage, right under our bedroom window.

We thought for sure that they must be disturbing their owners as well, but there was never any sign of that. Maybe they had already learned to tune the poultry out. I never did learn to do that, and as of the time we left to return to Tucson, the rooster and it's lonesome chicken were still strutting about the neighbor's yard.

Mr. Lizard

All of us have seen a very large lizard on the back garden wall. By very large, I mean somewhere around 18-20 inches long, snout to tail. A big fellow. I googled lizards and learned that he is a desert iguana.

I always thought iguanas were the big green lizards with the crest along the head and spine -- like the one Dan once gave me as a birthday present while we were courting. I know, I know...some men give their girlfriends candy, jewelry, and so on, but I fell hard for the man who gave me an iguana.What can I say?

Mr. Lizard on the back wall

Anyway, our current iguana is sort of sandy brown with large powerful front limbs and claws. Our shed at the back of the garden has some square  hollow metal tubes that support the roof. They are just large enough for Mr. Lizard to enter at one end, walk to the other end and sit there, head protruding, completely protected, eying the activity in our back yard. Once in the tube, he can't turn around, all he can do is to back out amidst loud scrabbling and scratching sounds. He must live in the yard of the neighbor behind us, who has an old Mesquite tree in the corner just behind our shed. The area is overgrown, and Mr. Lizard probably feels secure there from flying hawks and turkey vultures. (There would be some good eating on this fellow!)

Mr. Lizard peeks from his hidey hole

When approached, he tips his head to one side, looking at the person or cat with one eye as if to say "I see you. How dare you come so close to the GREAT me!" He definitely has an arrogant air about him. He knows he is a grand creature and he has his pride!









Spring Break for Mexicans

The Thursday before Easter Dan and I, Lynn and her friend Pat loaded ourselves and a picnic lunch in Lynn's truck and headed to Feliz Estancia to spend a peaceful day at the hot springs. Silly us. Who knew that 2/3 the population of Mexico goes on break during Semana Santa - the week leading up to Easter - and that most of them would be at the hot springs? We started to have an inkling as we arrived and there was a line of cars waiting to enter the property and someone directing traffic.

Mexico on spring break at Feliz Estancia

Eeek! When we got inside, there were tents and chairs and campers everywhere. There were vendors selling soft-drinks, all sorts of snacks and even balloons and floaty-toys. I have never seen the place like this. Generally it is fairly quiet and peaceful. There would be no elegant trogons on this day.

We headed for the far end of the property to the new pool. Ahhh, peace....there were only a few children playing in it. Oh, the lovely warm water....so soothing, so delightful....for about 15 minutes until all of the new arrivals descended and very quickly, this area looked like all the other areas. Jam-packed with revelry and rough-neck water sports.

We withdrew to eat lunch. As we were eating, the balloon vendor started to speak to us in perfect English. He seemed sad and out of place amidst so much merry making. He told us that he had lived in the States for 39 years, and that he thought Mexico would be a great place to live if a person had money.

More crowds at Feliz Estancia

We don't know for sure and didn't ask, but suspect that he was deported back to Mexico as an illegal. I felt really bad for him...reduced to selling balloons, although once again, I had to admire the Mexican spirit of entrepreneurship and self-reliance. He was doing what he could to support himself in an area with few jobs. Somehow, it must be possible for our great nation to make room for someone like this man with such a strong work ethic, who contributed to our society for so many years. And, I have to admit, I felt a bit guilty, because I am among those who have enough money to live well in Mexico.

International Dining comes to Banamichi

The first sign of variety!

The gas station that houses the new Chinese Restaurant

As we drove into town after a long absence (think recovery from a hip replacement), the first thing I noticed was a neon yellow sign with the words Restaurant de Comida China. Huh? Chinese food in Banámichi? That seemed really odd and immediately memories of a dreadful faux-Chinese meal in a strip mall next to Home Depot in Hermosillo came to mind. I grimaced with the memory and was immediately skeptical about the promise of this new establishment. I didn't notice on that first pass-by that the restaurant was located in the gas station!



The dining-out situation in Banámichi has been very limited, as it would be in any small town anywhere on planet Earth. The nicest restaurant in town is located in the Posada del Rio Sonora Hotel. It offers top quality ingredients and is well received by the many people who eat there. The other choices in town have been more basic and these are the focus of this post.

On the side street next to La Posada is MacVer, otherwise known as "El Hamburguesa." I once and only once made the mistake of actually ordering a hamburger there. It was about as thick as a sheet of cardboard and had the same consistency - more breading than burger. Some of their other offerings are more credible..a decent chicken sandwich, and once some fairly nice grilled fish. I admit to being a bit of a "gourmet-mouth," so this has never been a choice dining opportunity for me, even though it has a cute front and a spruced-up interior.

Martín grilling carne asada

Around the corner and up the street from the Los Arcos Hotel, there is a place known very simply as "Los Tacos." No translation needed. Here, Martín presides over the grill turning out excellent carne asada (grilled beef) tacos....the only item on the menu. Sometimes he has grilled green onions with the tacos. The food is inexpensive and very tasty, if limited in scope.

Then there is "Pollos Nito" (Nito's Chicken.) Hardly more than a stand on Avenida Constitución, it specializes in fried chicken and tortas...sandwiches on large fluffy rolls. The tortas are quite good, and I especially like the big jar of pickled jalapenos they offer to every table.

So other than an occasional weekend hot dog or fish taco stand, that has been it for Banámichi.

Soon after we arrived. Tom and some of his guests braved the new Chinese place. The report was that it was  OK, possibly even good. So last night Dan and I decided to give it a try. I have to say that we are both very spoiled when it comes to Chinese food. We taught English together in China for 4 years, and Dan continues this summer into his 10th year. We have had the best of the best from state banquets with the American Ambassador down to homemade dumplings in someone's home in Rizhao. Real Chinese food is nothing like American Chinese food. It is so much better..beautifully presented, fresh, bright flavors, and no gloppy sweet sauces. After eating in China, I  don't much care for American Chinese food any more. I particularly dislike the now ubiquitous Chinese buffets where everything tastes the same to me. Whatever happened to the small mom and pop Chinese places where you could order a real meal?

Inside the gas station restaurant

Anyway, so we went to the Chinese place in the gas station last night. Dan's enthusiasm for anything vaguely Chinese carried me through my skepticism.. It turned out to be a pleasant room painted brightly in orange and yellow with clean white tablecloths with orange toppers. Each table had soy sauce and a bottle of Sriracha sauce. OK, any place with Sriracha can't be all bad. There was a steam table with bins of 5-6 dishes: beef and broccoli, orange chicken, red pork with vegetables, sweet and sour chicken, chop suey, and a huge bin of fried rice. The woman behind the counter was Mexican... a sweet young person who was very friendly. She claimed no Chinese ancestry. Behind the window in the kitchen I noticed an equally fresh-faced young man who looked like he might have had some Chinese ancestry a few generations ago. Word around town has it that they are from Magdalena across the mountains to the west of Banámichi.

Some of the food available

Unfortunately many of the bins were almost empty. They must be doing a reasonable business. The cook was just finishing up making more fried rice and orange chicken, so we waited. I tried the two entree plate with the orange chicken and the remnants of the beef with broccoli. The latter was excellent - lean and tasty and I wished there had been more of it. The orange chicken was very sweet, as is to the taste of the local population more than to mine. Still, it was hot, crunchy, fresh and tasty...definitely better than the equivalent at an American style buffet that has been sitting on the steam table for hours.

We would happily recommend the place as a long-awaited change from tacos, tortas and poor imitations of hamburgers. We are very pleased that these folks have chosen  Banámichi to start their business. We'll definitely go back, as much to support them and the culinary variety in town as  for the food itself. We wish them the very best and hope that their business is wildly successful!

Making Do

I was working in the garden with the irrigation running when I heard the alarm on the tinaco (roof top reserve water tank) start screaming, indicating that the water level was falling. I ignored it. That was a bad mistake.

A rooftop tinaco, somewhere in Mexico

We put the tinaco on the roof because of the frequent water outages in Banámichi. The way it was designed, all the water for for the two houses first runs into the tinaco and then flows out to the garden or the house. Then we realized that if the city water supply went down, the irrigation would run the tinaco dry in a very short time, so Dan designed and built an alarm system with an exceedingly raucous alarm and warning lights. When the alarm goes off, we can turn off the irrigation, thereby insuring a reserve water supply for the house.

The only problem was that it took awhile to work out the quirks in the system, so there were many false alarms. When the alarm went off this time, I never even considered turning off the irrigation. I was lulled into complacency. It had to be another false alarm.

But noooooo, not this time. A short while later, Dan called out the door: "We're out of water." Ok," says I, "No problemo, it will probably come back on within an hour or so as it always does." Well, not this time. By evening, Dan was scrounging around in the shed to find the 5 gallons of water we had stashed away for emergencies. This situation qualified! The 5 gallons lasted for a couple of toilet flushes and for washing the dishes. By now, we were down to planning meals that could be served with a minimum of dishes.

Fortunately, drinking water was never an issue, since we purchase purified water for that purpose from an establishment called River Water in Aconchi. River Water is a misnomer....it is purified and distilled.

The next morning, there still was no water. Of course, rumors abounded -  the mine was sucking up all the water, or, some guys had gone to Hermosillo - in the middle of the night - to get parts for the city pump. All that day, we expected the water to come on momentarily. The dishes piled up and the toilet went unflushed. All of us gringos commented on how foolish it was to have only one pump for the town, and groused about our waterless lot.

Lynn asked Ramón, "Why don't you Mexicans revolt?" He just shrugged. I think it is just not the Mexican way to complain. Mostly, it won't do any good and is a waste of energy. Why ask the city to buy a second pump, when they hardly have the money to maintain the one they have? Mexicans don't complain, they just make do with what ever they have and with whatever happens. In contrast, I recalled a TV news item during Hurricane Sandy where an American woman in New York was shrieking about how it was two days already that she had been without electricity. Two whole days after a disaster of that magnitude! Her face was contorted with rage. What was somebody going to do about her problem? She as truly ugly about it. We Americans are SO spoiled!!

The morning of the next day, Dan took several 5 gallon buckets down to the irrigation ditch and filled them with greenish water. I did worry a bit about bacteria, but we both have pretty good immunity, so we went ahead and did the dishes. We blew right through those buckets of water and soon needed more. It is shocking how much water gets used in a normal house..even if one is being frugal with it.

Dan filling up at Feliz Estancia

By this time, some people in town had a trickle of water coming out of their faucets, but random others - including us -  did not. In the afternoon, we went out to Feliz Estancia, the hot springs, so we could soak and clean ourselves up a bit. While there, Dan filled several more buckets with water from the swimming pool.

As we entered the 4th day without water, we were finally able to fill our buckets with clean water at Los Arcos Hotel. Others were also getting water from friends and relatives. Little old ladies were seen carrying heavy buckets of water up Calle Obregon. Making do the best they could. Finally, later that day, when I had given up all hope of having water before we had to return to Tucson, Dan turned on the faucet...and whooosh!! There was a healthy stream of water. The crisis had passed. Within a few hours, the neighbor's washing machine was gurning away, and laundry hung in every yard up and down the street.

There is something to be said for knowing how to make do with what one has instead of looking to someone or something else to solve problems. It builds self-reliance and creativity. Mexicans have made an art form of doing this. When we first moved into our house in Banámichi, we had an armoire that we were using as a pantry. Because the floor sloped where it had to sit, we had it propped up and balanced on a large rock. Ramón stopped by one day, and when he saw that he roared with laughter! "Muy Mexicano!" (Very Mexican!) he said!

Using what one has....

If you look around in Mexico, everywhere you will see the evidence of making do. When the water heater breaks, or you have no money to pay for the gas it takes, rip out the wiring and build a wood fire under it! Have an old washing machine that doesn't work? Use it to prop up your swamp cooler. Your car is missing a couple of doors? No worries....drive it anyway. No work? Sell tamales or coyotas (jam filled pastries) door to door. No money for carne asada? Eat beans and tortillas. And what is there to be ugly or complain about? Be happy! Life is good.

Elegant Trogons!

Hot Springs at Feliz Estancia

For many years I have heard about the beautiful but elusive (at least in Southern Arizona) Elegant Trogon. " This stunning bird is related to the Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno), the bird of the Maya emperor-gods." A friend told me she had seen one in Madera Canyon south of Green Valley, Arizona, but nature had never graced me with this experience until we began to visit the hot springs at Feliz Estancia near the town of Aconchi, to the south of Banámichi.

I am not a bird-watcher in the sense of collecting species seen on a life-list, but I love watching animal behavior, so I do tend to notice birds. The first time I saw a Trogon flit by was several years ago during a visit to Feliz Estancia. I have had several glimpses of them since then, but only just glimpses.

This week we visited Feliz Estancia again. I noticed how now, when we go there, I always have a longing to get a really good view of the Trogon. After several hours in the lovely warm water, we were about to leave and noted to myself that once again the Trogon had been elusive. Just at that moment, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a flash of color which registered as a Trogon! Then there were 3 of them, two males and a female, right there in the tree in front of me.

Female Trogon showing me her back

Male Trogon rubbing his beak on a branch

Male Trogon giving me the stink eye from a stone wall

According to the Audubon Society description,  "The male Elegant Trogon has a metallic deep green head, upper breast and back, black face and throat, and red-orange lower breast and belly. He shows grey upper wing coverts. It has a stout yellow bill and a square tipped tail. "  They like to move along canyons and streams through sycamore woodland, and range from south-eastern Arizona to Costa Rica. According to Birds.com they are about a foot long and weigh about 1/8th of a pound.

Notice how he can swivel his head almost 360 degrees!

I stalked them as silently as I could with a camera. I noticed how they could incredibly swivel their heads through nearly 360 degrees as they followed my progress. Each time I got too close for comfort (unfortunately this was also about as close as I needed to be for a really good picture!) they took off, flying  to another nearby tree...never too far, but very fast.

 Male Playing hide and seek

The Audubon society says that they like to nest in "sycamore tree cavities, abandoned woodpecker holes and earthen banks. They line the nest with straw and anything else that is soft. They lay two-four eggs." Feliz Estancia must be a perfect place for them...it has a canyon, warm water, sycamore trees, woodpeckers and earthen banks.

Finally, I thought I had chased them far enough and we got in the car to leave. As we drove out, we saw them again, this time, the female and one male in a nearby tree while the second  male sat on the ground munching on a grasshopper...apparently their diet consists of insects and fruit, mostly caught on the fly, and it is fairly unusual for them to spend time on the ground.

Feeding on grasshopper...notice the iridescent green back

We headed home in a celebratory mood. What a great experience and treat to have finally seen not just one, but 3 Trogons playing together in the woodland! Banámichi and the Rio Sonora continue to find ways to delight me.

Why Go To Hermosillo?

One of the realities of life in Banámichi is that occasionally trips to Hermosillo become necessary. Where is Hermosillo? It is 2.5 hours drive to the south of us, and is the capital of the state of Sonora, our nearest large city. Why do such trips become necessary? It could be anything from a need for diversion from the quietude of Banámichi, to a  desperate need for items not available locally.

One such item is fresh vegetables. Well, OK, we can get some things locally... iceberg lettuce, green chilis, onions, and sometimes some limp green beans. As you may have surmised I am a bit of a "foodie" and am especially partial to good veggies. So when our friend Gerlinde showed Lynn  a special market with fresh produce, I planned a trip to Hermosillo.

It is a big deal to go to Hermosillo. It requires a whole day and is always a bit of an adventure. You never know what you will encounter and where. This time our first surprise was at the military check point in Mazocahui, about an hour down the road from Banámichi. This is a place where the military is usually out in  the road with automatic weapons asking "Where are you going? Where are you from? What are you carrying?" I suppose this could be somewhat intimidating, but generally they are very young good-looking men, who are given to being friendly and polite when they find we are cooperative and also friendly.

This time, we pulled up to the checkpoint and the men were chatting off to one side, not at all interested in us. But a medium size brown dog with curly fur stood in the road in our path, staring at us. Dan inched the vehicle towards him. He didn't blink. Dan honked, and he continued staring as if deaf. Finally, Dan sighed and drove around him. The military guys cracked up, smacking their hands together as if to say "just hit him!"  and waving us on. We all had a good laugh and off we went.

The main room of the "Old Ferreteria"

Our first stop in Hermosillo was at the Ferreteria Maderas, AKA the "Old Ferreteria," a hardware store that surely must date back to Aztec times. It is the only place around that sells an assortment of Talavera tiles and many unidentifiable bits of rusty metal. Oh, and it also has birdcages, ancient pink toilets, tortilla presses and brown clay cooking pots. It is a truly strange establishment that closes for the day at 12:30PM, meaning that we have to leave Banámichi very early to get there. Anyway, I got the Talavera tiles that I need to re-do a window ledge at the house, and off we went to look for the veggie market.

Random metal parts inside the "Old Ferreteria"

Talavera Tile display inside the "Old Ferreteria"

Driving in Hermosillo can be a nightmare. Most maps are inadequate to the maze of one way streets, huge traffic circles and terrifying flyover bridges. After being in rural Banámichi, the traffic seems insane.
Fortunately we had Lynn with us who mostly knows her way around and so we wove our way to Bulevar Solidaridad and headed north. Lynn said "There it is! Turn left by the tall circular sign." and I realized we would never have found this on our own.

Chaos at the market

We took a ticket to get into the parking area and headed into the utterly chaotic fray. There were cars and trucks driving in every direction, guys weaving in and out on bicycles, and people calling out to us, inviting us to buy huge sacks of potatoes that had to weigh 50 pounds. This was obviously the place where all the restaurants and stores in town came to buy their produce. The market was probably not meant for individual buyers, but since no one stopped us, we entered a lovely shop.

Me choosing avocados

There were some of the most beautiful vegetables I have ever seen.. big, perfect and fresh. There was most of the stuff you can get in a US supermarket, only fresher and prettier, as well as some more exotic items. WOW! I wanted some of everything! I bought stuff without regard to how I would use it, just because it appealed. I wound up with huge green Mexican grilling onions, lots of avocados, super hot jalapenos, gorgeous cilantro, Mexican limes, tomatoes, mandarin oranges, persimmons that were sweet and soft as mush and just ready to eat, and guyabas - guavas. All of this was well under 10 bucks!

Then we headed across the way to a meat shop. Somehow I thought we would find beautiful New York steaks neatly laid out in plastic trays, but instead we were led into a cutting room, where random hunks of meat were sitting on counters and a spray of red meat coated the wall behind a saw. The man pointed to his head and offered us cabeza - head meat, a Mexican delicacy - and pointed to a bloody blob on the table. No thanks! This is why I was a vegetarian for 25 years! We wound up buying a 5 pound block of frozen shrimp for a ridiculously low price and calling it good.

Restaurant Xochimilco

After running several more errands to Supermercado Ley and Costco, we decided to go to the Restaurant Xochimilco for lunch, which we had heard about but never visited. They have been in operation since 1949 (they must be doing something right,) and specialize in grilled meat. We ordered the goat to avoid the beef tripe which we were all a bit squeamish about. The Mexicans eat everything from the cow but the moo, and I admit that as Americans we are spoiled, but tripe? I don't think so! Anyway, we got a big plate of grilled goat, and it fabulous! Melt in the mouth tender and mild flavor - like the very best lamb. It was simply some of the best meat I have ever eaten anywhere in the world, and it came with a large salad, beans, tortillas, salsa and guacamole. What a treat!

Salad at Xochimilco

Meat grilling behind glass partition at Xochimilco

Trailer selling fireworks

 After lunch we made a few more stops - one has to make the most of these outings since they are so arduous - and then got on the road back to Banámichi. The last stop was just north of the town of Ures where there is a solitary trailer in a dusty field selling "cohetes" - fireworks. We wanted some for the New Year's Eve party at Los Arcos Hotel that has become a tradition in out little community. It had clouded over, and the wind had picked up. Outside, a stray dog jumped, startled by a piece of flying cardboard, and inside, the trailer rocked on its foundation in the wind and the doors banged and pounded. The mood was high, though, as we joked with the clerk and picked out a large assortment of miscellaneous things that go BANG!, and another large "box o' bombs"...ball shaped fireworks about 2 inches in diameter with a big gnarly fuse. Should be fun. I wouldn't light them myself, but have to admit that I like explosions!

By then it was almost 4PM and time to make tracks for home before darkness settled in. As we passed the town of Huepac, it started to rain. Winter has finally come to the Rio Sonora. Hermosillo was fun this time and then it was so good to get back to our nice warm, dry little house in Banámichi!

Vacation From Banamichi

We came back to Banámichi two weeks ago during the last gasp of summer heat to find our yard full of waist high weeds AGAIN!! RATS! The two Dans declared that they did NOT want to deal with the weeds, and my priority was to prepare and plant the vegetable garden, so I was not going to do it. We asked all the usual sources to try to find someone...a Mexican laborer... who might want a day's work to come and clear the mess. Francisco told us that all the able-bodied men were busy working for the Santa Elena mine.Good for the community and for the weeds. Bad for us.

First, Ramon told us that his nephew Miguelito would come. He didn't  show up. The two Dans got out the hoes and rakes and half-heartedly began poking and scraping at the vegetation. Then Rosa told us her uncle would come the next day. The two Dans wound up sitting in the shade shooting the breeze after deciding "why mess with the weeds when help is on its way?" The next day came and went, and no uncle showed up.

The two Dans got serious and began chopping in earnest. One of them borrowed a weed whip and the other wielded the hula hoe. After 2 1/2 days of hard labor and at least one dump run, the yard looked pretty good, all except for the nasty invasive grass that is trying to establish itself on the south side. This will need a herbicide.

We were all exhausted...me from clearing the garden, forking up the dirt, raking and planting, and the guys from the weeds. On a whim, we decided to go to Kino Bay for a couple of days of  R&R at the beach. As it turned out, some of Dan D.'s teaching buddies from China offered us the use of their condo.

I had misgivings about going to Kino. Every other trip we have made there was either disappointing (think camping on cement pavement in a ratty trailer park) or fraught with outright disaster. Once a friend walked into the beautiful clear waters of the bay and within 30 seconds was nailed by a sting ray. After trying the usual remedies without success, we wound up spending our day sitting at the Mexican Red Cross with him waiting for treatment. Another time, we were chased from our estuary paddling adventure by a thick cloud of biting no-see-ums right into the path of an illicit drug operation which was scary as all get out. We haven't been back to Kino Bay in years now.

View from our balcony

Millions of shells

This time was the charm. The condo made a huge difference...it was right on an isolated stretch of beach south of town. We had a lovely balcony overlooking the water and the comings and goings of the shrimping fleet. The beach was covered with millions of great shells. The water was the prefect temperature...so deliciously warm that I could have stayed in all day, floating and riding the waves.

Fisherman's shrine

 The town is divided into Kino Viejo (old) and New Kino. Old Kino is a dusty hard-scrabble fishing village of concrete block homes and tar-paper shacks. It doesn't even have many of the usual Mexican tourist area  curio shops. Real life happens in Old Kino. Fishing boats go out and come back in. It is clear that seafood is the big thing. The seafront is a mishmash of fish vendors, open-air fish restaurants and crumbling fish warehouses. Kids play in the streets along with cats scrounging for scraps and flea-bitten dogs chasing each other with loud barking and snarling as dogs are wont to do. Locals clump together chatting with neighbors, or eat seafood at the many street stalls.




We did our share of eating while we were there as well. La Palapa restaurant served us wonderful fish and shrimp tacos. The Marlin in Old Kino had a great Sopa de Siete Mares (Seven Seas Soup) and Ranchero style shrimps. El Pargo Rojo (The Red Snapper)  in New Kino had amazing crab tostadas. We were invited to a potluck at the Condominios Jacquelynn where we were staying. Someone brought an appetizer that had at least a pound of solid crab meat in it.YUM!




New Kino is not much more than a strip of large houses owned by Gringos (Mexican slang for US citizens), a few hotels and trailer parks and a handful of restaurants. It's relative modernity and affluence provide a sharp contrast to Kino Viejo. The primary focus is on the lovely bay and the recreational opportunities it provides. The city has established a park of palapas...palm frond covered ramadas...for tourists to rent to relax on the beach and have some shade.We succumbed to the allure of getting out of the sun and rented one. It was lovely and peaceful, except for the indigenous southern Mexican vendors who were schlepping and trying to sell us everything from jewelery to hammocks, pottery and wooden bowls.

At least it was peaceful until a busload of high school student from the town of Ures moved in right next to us. We moved to a different palapa to escape the noise and the general activity level.  They seemed like nice kids though, and it was gratifying to watch them enjoy themselves without much of anything. The boys played soccer and the girls chatted in groups and buried each other in the sand. When they went in the water, there was the usual teenage sport of "let's splash the and dunk the girls," accompanied by much screaming and laughing.

Enjoying Myself in Kino

Leaving Kino was tough this time. We had a wonderful time. As we were leaving we went around town trying to find crab meat and fresh fish and shrimp to take back with us, but unfortunately we were too early in the day, and the fishing boats had not returned yet. We did come across a too-thin, sun-browned and wrinkled man of indeterminate age with a bucket of freshly caught  Pargo he was willing to sell us. He took us to an empty but spotless outdoor warehouse where he fileted the fish while a cat with a mis-shapen mouth yowled under the table. The man smiled, obviously tenderhearted, and threw her a skin which silenced her immediately.

The trip back to Banámichi was uneventful. We stopped at a small open stall for friend Lynn to buy 5 ristras (long heavy wreaths) of red chiles. The folks running the place found it amusing that a Gringa wanted so many. Then, when I tried to buy 3 green chiles for our dinner, I could tell that the woman thought I was crazy. The man before me had bought 2 kilos. She told me, "it's only 8 pesos (about 70 cents) for a dozen!" I bought the dozen and challenged the Mexican view of Gringo mental health.

Back here in Banámichi, finally the heat has broken and the mornings are turning cool. Gracias a Dios (Thanks to God)!! The seeds are starting to come up in my garden. The invasive grass has already grown several inches since it was chopped to the ground. Gotta get that herbicide!