Driving in Mexico. Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let down your... license plate?

Like most adventures in Mexico, yesterdays began with something a little humorous. I had arranged to borrow a friend’s car for the day to take some visitors to the nearby (about 50 minutes) town of Mineral de Pozos. This is a small colonial mining town that we have fallen in love with and are actually in the process of buying a house. More on that soon!  At any rate, the evening before I was supposed to pick up the car from the garage where it is stored, he called to let me know there was a slight problem. 

As we had found out earlier from our observations, when you get a parking ticket in San Miguel, the local traffic police remove your front license plate. This is pretty clever. It insures that you will pay your parking fines and get your license plate back as it is obvious that a car without a front plate has an unpaid fine! Driving around without a plate makes you a target for further harassment and is not recommended. It seems my friend had paid his fine and retrieved his plate, but had neglected to install it, so we had arranged to pick up the plate prior to leaving town.

Through the shop

The only catch was our friend was leaving town before we could come by, and we needed to get with his maid to pick it up. Simple enough it would seem, except in order to get to his apartment, one must go through a small curio shop that caters to tourists, but does not open until after we wanted to leave. “No problema” he exclaimed! “There is a door bell switch on the window frame of the first floor window directly under my balcony. Ring the bell and my maid will get the plate down to you. “Perfecto” I replied and finished planning for the day ahead.

The next morning was a beautiful day, and we met our traveling companions for breakfast at one of our local haunts. After a delightful and leisurely breakfast, we wandered down the cobblestone streets to my friends’ humble abode.

The switch

I found the switch for the bell crudely wired to the frame of the window and gave it a push. Very shortly the balcony door  opened and out popped a smiling Mexican woman clutching a small basket attached to a rope.

She quickly lowered this over the edge and in just a few moments I had retrieved the front license from the basket, given a big smile and a gracias to the helpful maid, and was headed off to the garage.

Luckily, I had remembered to bring a screwdriver, and was able to throw the front plate back on the car. I was just a little nervous, as this was not only the first time I had driven a car in five months, it was the first time I had driven in Mexico in many, many years and driving in Mexico can be a bit like recreating the Speeder Bike Chase in Star Wars. 

The roads can be narrow and rough, the traffic moves at a variety of speeds, farm animals appear out of nowhere, the Mexican speed bumps or “topes” seem to pop out of the pavement without warning and threaten to brutally tear the suspension out from under your car, turn signals are used as a warning for seemingly unrelated behavior, and passing is both a sport and a national pastime! Vigilance is a must at all times.  Somehow I managed to settle in to the drive, enjoy the scenery, and arrive safely at our destination without incurring the notice of the Policía!

Next up…Our new home in Mineral de Pozos!

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Casita Linda-Building Hope One House at a Time!

One of our goals upon arriving in Mexico was to devote some of our time to volunteer work. On our previous visit to San Miguel, we became aware of the non-profit organization Casita Linda. The group was founded in 2001 and does the honorable work of building homes for local residents at no cost to the family. This past weekend, we had the unique experience of visiting a few of these homes and the privilege of meeting the families as a way to become familiar with the scope of the project.

Photo courtesy of Casita Linda

Our guide and Casita Linda treasurer Gregg Blackburn, a retired attorney from Boston, picked us up at La Comer, a large modern department store located on the edge of town. Much to our surprise, we left the parking lot, turned down a side road maybe a quarter mile away, and entered a different world. The new highway we had just left turned to a rough dirt road, and we realized the row of businesses along its edge was hiding a landscape of tin shacks, unfinished brick buildings, scroungy dogs, feral cats, and some obviously poor people. Scattered among this however were a smattering of brightly colored homes, obviously of better construction, and clearly more well maintained. Like a beacon of hope, these homes shone above the rest, and the purpose of Casita Linda which means “pretty little house” became abundantly clear.

To qualify, the family must first meet a set of criteria established by Casita Linda to help insure that the family will take full responsibility and ownership of the home when it is completed. Interestingly, the first criteria is they must own the land on which the house will sit. The history of land reform in Mexico is complicated and stretches out over hundreds of years and many forms of government, but the bottom line is many indigenous people here own their land. The problem however is they are too poor to build a home, and many end up living in poorly constructed lean to sheds or ramshackle homes built with whatever materials they can scrounge. These buildings provide little comfort or protection from the weather, and the dirt floors often become a sea of mud during the rainy season. Mothers cook meals on open fires, the family sleeps on whatever they can find, and the children are often cold and have no place to study.  Life in general is pretty tough.

Other qualifying criteria include:

• Provide proof that any school-age children living in the house are attending school regularly
   and receiving satisfactory grades
• Provide a drug-free environment with no abuse of alchhol or history of domestic violence
• Agree to work on the construction of their home and the one built before or after theirs
• Be employed or actively searching for work

After a thorough study of the potential families, Casita Linda’s Family Selection Committee writes a recommendation and submits it to the Board of Directors for a vote.  Once qualified, volunteers work with the family to configure the home for their needs, and construction is scheduled. The homes cost approximately $8000 USD to construct and generally include water storage, a small septic pool, and basic solar lighting as most of the homes do not have access to city services.

The first home we visited was occupied by a charming family whose matron Grisela herded a troop of small children around the house as we toured the property. Due to its proximity to town and the pleasant demeanor of the family, Grisela’s home is frequently used for visits, and the entire family was very welcoming. Grisela works at the brickyard for Casita Linda located next to her property. Working tirelessly, the crews crank out thousands of handmade bricks, mixing the clay with straw and other binding materials with their feet before hand-forming the bricks and laying them in the sun to dry. The bricks are then fired and become part of the next Casita Linda home. This is very hard work, and the long rows of bricks reflect the dedication of these hard working people.

The homes themselves are simple and utilitarian, but a far cry from the harsh conditions these families previously endured. They are warm and dry, there is a place to cook, and Casita Linda helps them secure the furnishings they need for basic comfort. We enjoyed out visit with the family and the warm welcome we received.

Photo courtesy of Casita Linda

Our next stop was to visit a home which needed the electrical wiring to be completed. The electrician who was slated to do the work had been unable to make time between jobs and the family has been getting by with a precarious looking set of open strung wires. I had told Gregg I had done some wiring in the past and he asked if I might be able to finish the wiring. We spoke briefly with the family and I inspected the tubing that had been run inside the walls to see what we were up against. Unfortunately, it appear that at some point, the wiring that is run inside the tubes prior to installation that allows for wire to then be drawn or spliced through the tubes, was missing. This presents a huge challenge, and we are trying to determine if we can track down some of the builders that did this project to see if they can shed some light on how and where the tubing runs before we attempt a repair. I am hopeful we can finally bring safe electricity to this family as we head into the New Year!


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More on this story later!

More Daily Life in Mexico-Taxi!

For the first time in my adult life, I do not own a car. Since the time I left home at 18, I have always had a car and it has been an integral part of my life for the last 45 years. But owning a car in Mexico is difficult and expensive. While San Miguel is situated at 6500 feet and nestled in a small valley with plenty of challenging hills, our daily walking ritual has whipped me into pretty good shape. 

A roof top bar

I love walking the quaint cobblestone streets as we make our way about the town visiting the various mercados and tiendas where we purchase our daily needs. In the evening we sometimes perambulate to one of the local cantinas or roof top bars where there is plenty of cerveza and tequila for about half the price at our old home.

In addition to walking, taxis are readily available and remarkably cheap. Walk out on the street, and within minutes you are trundling your way anywhere in town for 35 pesos, or about $1.85 at the current exchange rate. The last ride we took in Oregon was to the airport and cost $35.00! The cab drivers are generally courteous and polite, if not frequently amused at my Spanish. Although any kind of suspension is often long gone in these vehicles, and one can only hope that the brakes are working when they careen down one of the steep and narrow callejons (alleys) they use for shortcuts to avoid traffic. However, one usually arrives safely at your destination, and hey, the price is right!

Do I miss my car? I guess so, but I certainly don’t miss the car payment, insurance, gas, or maintenance. Those costs alone add up to more than our rent, or provide for a very comfortable drinking budget!

Tomorrow we will walk down to get our new Mexican based cell phone. The service includes unlimited text and calling in Mexico, the US, and Canada, as well as 3GB of data. For this we will pay the exorbitant fee of about $14.95 a month USD. Cancelling our $150.00 a month plan with Verizon really breaks my heart, but the extra $135.00 a month will come in handy. 

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Day 2-The Beauty and Intrigue of Mineral de Pozos!

As the town of Pozos continues to rise from the ashes, it has a lot going for it. Dramatic mountain vistas, remarkable ruins, charming cobblestone streets, and a growing art community are breathing life back to this once thriving town. Recently, over 30 km of well marked mountain bike trails cut through the cactus and sagebrush surrounding the town and allow bikers to visit the ruins while enjoying the incredible scenery. We were lucky to spend our second day here soaking up the past and the future of Pozos!

After a filling breakfast of eggs (cooked to your liking!), beans, orange juice, and coffee, all included in our modestly priced and beautiful room at the Posada de Las Minas we headed out for another day of exploration.

One of our first stops was a street that houses some of the small artists’ studios, several of which offer a fascinating array of Pre-Hispanic musical instruments. We spent some time with Luis Cruz, whose shop was lined with an incredible selection of drums, flutes, and stringed instruments. Luis was happy to play them for us, and the melodic sounds of instruments long forgotten, individually crafted from local woods and materials including mesquite, cactus, and cow bone, were a joy.  

The growing mountain biking scene in Pozos has blossomed recently, thanks to the completion of over 30 km of well-marked trails. There are trails for all skill levels, and a well equipped bike shop near the trail head offers rentals and other services for visiting mountain bikers. The scenery here is breathtaking, and you can visit some of the abandoned mining sites as you make your way through the rugged countryside on your bike. Part of the trail is even illuminated at night with solar powered lighting! There is a great deal of hiking available as well, but make sure you wear sturdy shoes and watch out for mine shafts!

As we wandered about town the first day, one of the many local dogs that wandered the streets decided we looked good, and followed us around for part of the day. On our second day, we encountered him again, and although he seemed to ignore everyone else that passed by, he wagged his tail with joy when he saw us and once again accompanied us on our walk for awhile. Not sure what the attraction was as we never feed the dogs, but I guess he just sensed we were dog people!

There are spectacular ruins everywhere you go in Pozos, and we covered a lot of ground exploring them. Once again we were struck by the thought of what it must have looked like here during its hay day.

All too soon, it was time to meet our driver for the ride back to San Miguel. We are looking forward to returning to Pozos when the street projects are completed to spend a little more time getting to know this lovely town!

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The Cobblestone Diaries gets a lesson...How to make a cobblestone street!

We arrived in the quaint mountain village of Mineral de Pozos a little after 10 am. Our driver finally managed to navigate a series of roadblocks created by workers who are in the process of laying cables and pipes under the cobblestone streets. This is a massive undertaking and is mostly done by hand. While the work meant that we would have to make numerous detours to get around town during our visit, it was extremely fascinating to watch the workers first dismantle, then rebuild the cobblestone streets. I had never thought about the process of building a cobblestone street. I guess I thought of all the streets were old, as they look old immediately even after being rebuilt. I kind of assumed the process might be a bit of a lost art, but it is very much alive and well!

The process of chiseling out the stones by hand, digging up the channels for the wiring and pipes by shovel, and replacing the stones one by one, is extremely labor intensive, but the amount of progress made during our two day visit was impressive to say the least!  I made a point of checking on the work and was able to photograph the process. The workers came to recognize me and would smile and wave while I took my pictures.

The process itself is relatively simple. First, a bed of concrete is laid onto the soil and tamped into place. Next a crew of workers begins to lay the stones out, carefully checking them for level. Finally a layer of cement is pushed into the cracks between the stones to stabilize the roadbed. A little wash with some water and a sweep with a broom, and viola, a cobblestone street!

The project to put the wiring underground in Pozos is significant. Wiring in Mexico is interesting to say the least, and a number of beautiful views are often spoiled by a rats nest of wires and cables. How an electrician can even decipher some of the connections is beyond me! Burying the wires is part of the progress being made here under the Pueblo Magico program, and will help restore the village to some of its colonial glory. We look forward to visiting in the future to see the results!

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A Visit to Mineral De Pozos...If Only the Walls Could Talk!

We recently traveled to the nearby historic mining town of Mineral de Pozos, or “Pozos” as the locals call it. Located at 7500 feet and about an hour away from San Miguel by auto, we had heard good things about visiting and decided to make an overnight journey of it. I called ahead and arranged lodging with the young lady who answered the phone at the Posada de Las Minas, and although she spoke no English, I managed to muddle my way through it and was only slightly amazed when an email arrived confirming our reservation.

Pozos, has a long and fascinating history, beginning with its founding as a fort to protect shipments of precious metals to Mexico City in 1576. When the Jesuits arrived some time later in an attempt to convert the indigenous Chichimeca Indians, they soon discovered that the area was rich in mineral deposits including vast quantities of gold and silver. They began using European mining techniques to extract the riches and the town flourished. 

When the Jesuits were forcibly removed from the area around 1767, other Europeans eventually moved in and things really started to grow. By 1895 the city was booming and there were over 300 mines and nearly 80,000 residents! Eventually however, the mines started to decline. The Mexican Revolution of 1910, and the subsequent purposeful flooding of the mines by either rebels or the mine owners during the Cristero Rebellion of 1926 was the final death knell for Pozos and the last mine was shuttered in 1927. The city then began a serious decline and by the 1950’s there were only about 200 people living there. As the city fell into ruins, the buildings were looted and stripped of their roof beams for firewood and many of them eventually collapsed or became uninhabitable. 

In 1982, the city was declared a National Historic Monument, and some efforts at restoration began. The town continued to fight its way back to life, and in 2012 was declared a “Pueblo Magico”, a designation that would allow it to receive large scale restoration assistance from the government. Today the town is really starting to show the results of these efforts, and many are comparing it to the San Miguel of thirty or forty years ago. Fortunately however, some of the things that many people consider to be mistakes made in San Miguel may be avoided in Pozos. Rather than allowing Gringo money to dominate the economy, there are groups helping the local population to create businesses and jobs, and there is a focus on fostering a culture of sustainability.  Many of the tourists you will find here are Mexicans from the nearby city of Querértero or as far away as Mexico City. They come to get away from the big city and immerse themselves in the history and culture of the area. Tours of the abandoned mines are popular, and over 30 kilometers of newly constructed trails are creating a haven for mountain bikers. A number of local artisans are recreating and selling some of the pre-Hispanic musical instruments, and a small group of hotels, restaurants, and bars are springing up in the town.

We arrived around 10am, checked into our lovely hotel, and began our walking tour of the town. After a hearty lunch served by a family run Mexican restaurant, we continued our leisurely stroll and sightseeing tour. Walking the quiet streets among a curious mixture of inhabited and ruined buildings, it is sometimes hard to imagine this town as a vibrant city of 80 thousand souls, brimming with life and hundreds of colorful stone buildings. The ghosts are everywhere, but for those living here the city is coming back to life. 

Next...The Cobblestone Diaries gets a lesson!

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Daily life in Mexico…The Garbageman Always Rings Twice!

One of the first things you learn as a newly minted expat in Mexico, is life is different here in more ways than you might have imagined. Sure, most people speak Spanish, and that in itself is a bit of a challenge, but it is adapting to the different way day to day life functions here where your new life really begins!

Garbage collection

Let’s start with a few of the easy things. At “home”, garbage service was usually just a matter of either ordering up service and dragging the cans out to the curb each week, or taking your trash down to the dumpster in your building. Here things are a bit different, and it took us a little time to figure it all out. While the garbage service here is somewhat less sophisticated it is, if nothing else, frequent. After moving in, we discovered that a garbage truck comes down our street on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday merrily ringing a bell that alerts you to their presence a block or so ahead of their arrival. There are however no garbage cans, you simply take your bags out and place them at the curb, or hand them directly to the garbage collectors, who in this case is a family of Mexicans ranging in age from Grandma to the older children. We wondered about recycling, as we did not see how we might accomplish that, only to find that once received, the family members quickly sort your bag out and remove the glass, plastic bottles, cans and anything else that looks interesting. This apparently is how they make their money as the garbage trucks are privately owned and operated under some kind of system that seems to work very well, but which we may never fully understand!

Checking the gas

Next there is the gas. Nearly every home here runs primarily on propane, and there is a large tank located somewhere on the property. These are filled on demand, and once we figured out how to read the gauge (climb up a steel ladder on the side of the house, flip open a cover and see what’s left) our housekeeper would order a filling for us. The truck usually appears out of nowhere fairly quickly, a couple of good natured gas guys jump out and fill the tank in short order, and smile as you pay them with a large wad of cash. Very simple, efficient, and a far cry from paying an online bill with PG&E!

Fortunately our current home includes most of our utilities as most residents pay their bills in cash (no online option yet), at the various offics at the end of the month. This can result in some rather long lines at both the bank and the utilities as the end of the month is also pay day for most residents. The long suffering Mexicans take this all in stride, and don’t really seem to mind the long lines and the wait. I think it is a bit of a social occasion for them rather than the nuisance we gringos would perceive. 

La Tienda

Most people are familiar with the admonishment “don’t drink the water” in Mexico, and while this is generally true, much of the water in San Miguel is considered “safe” with many homes having a filtration system installed. We do use bottled water for cooking and drinking, but tap water for everything else. I have been brushing my teeth daily with tap water and have had no deleterious effects. Bottled water is readily available, and we have been buying it from the little “tienda” across the street. The little woman there stocks an amazing array of fruits, vegetables, beer, and Mexican packaged sweets (very popular here), and she has taken a liking to the crazy gringos.

Don’t get me wrong, the quirky little things are half the fun, and living outside your normal routine is both challenging and stimulating. Daily life in Mexico takes a little getting used to, but like anywhere once you figure it out it, life goes on!

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