Dropped Like A Hot Potato - Harvest Host

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I received this note from Harvest Host on Monday.

Dear Chris​,

Your Harvest Hosts listing and complimentary membership have been deactivated as we are no longer operating the Harvest Hosts Hosting Program in Mexico. We appreciate your hospitality to our Members and wish you only the best- Thank you!

Best,

Sam

Unique RV Camping

www.harvesthosts.com

I replied to the email and I am waiting for a response.  We really enjoy hosting and have met many wonderful and interesting rvers over the years.  I am posting on FB groups letting them know we will continue to offer a spot although it is limited to size; Class B and TTs under 21ft.

On another note, we will fly to Puebla next week for a six-day adventure.  We hope to visit the famous Hacienda Chautla, a castle built on a lake, and also a day trip or two, one trip including Cholula.  

Dementia takes its toll and affects many of us.  My oldest sibling lost her husband yesterday after a long battle with the disease.  Interestingly enough, he in some way let people know he was ready.  He refused to eat yesterday and wouldn't take his medications.  Hours later he passed away.  A sad situation and one I wouldn't wish on my enemies. It consumes a lot of energy and money.  At $7000 a month it quickly drains a bank account and many lose their patrimony.  

Gringo Backlash In Mexico

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Over the last two weeks, there has been a backlash caused by major hotel chains in Mexican beach resorts.  Mazatlan has had the most complaints from musicians who play "banda" music along the beaches, bars, and streets.  One major hotel owner has taken to social media.  He claims that the music is causing tremendous damage to the city.  The mayor backs the musicians and their music.  They may have come to a compromise.  

On Facebook groups in Mexico such as the New Civil List for San Miguel de Allende, some Mexican members have posted saying how unfair it is and that gringos should go somewhere else.  

I mention this because we have seen a change in attitudes of local sanmiguelenses.  It's not just with ex-pats but with tourists in general.  Housing prices continue to rise thanks to the influx of foreigners, chilangos, and queratanos.  Although change is good and it helps the economy grow, it isn't helping locals.  Tourist cities are like that.  San Antonio, Tx is a good example.  

At one time San Antonio had five military bases.  Military personnel would retire at 48 and then move into management positions in the few major companies in town.  This would reduce salaries and it still does.  The same hold true for the tourist industry.  Most jobs are minimum wage.  California has raised minimum wage to $20 an hour for restaurants with more than 60 locations within the state.  Many are closes because they can no longer compete yet I can't imagine living in California even on $20 an hour.  Impossible.  I left the state in 1984 asking for a transfer to San Antonio.  I couldn't buy a house in California but six months later I was a happy homeowner in Texas.

Sunset in SMA from the mirador!

We didn't buy the Durango I posted.  There were some irregularities.  The inspection revealed that the 8 cylinders had compression ratings from 140 to 190.  No one could explain how that would affect towing.  The company that did the inspection is very reliable.  The owners were once students of ours.  The head mechanic said that he would buy it and that it was in very good condition.  Not sure if anyone out there has any comments about the difference in compression on the cylinders.

Back home in Monterrey we said goodbye to all our Canadian friends who headed home after spending time in Mexico.  It was a great winter and it was fun meeting up on several occasions with all of them.  

A Great Time In Vegas - Heading Home

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It was a fun week and a quick getaway!  We did just about everything from free shows to a lot of walking, picture taking, and my favorite, people-watching.

Free shows:

Volcano at Mirage

Fall of Atlantis at Caesar's Palace

Egyptian Exhibition at Luxor

Fremont Street 

The Fountains at Bellagio

We took in two shows.  We wanted to see Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soliel but not at $200 per ticket.  The Vegas Show is a history of Las Vegas through entertainment and casinos.  It was great recounting the Rat Pack, the build-up of casinos, and then the implosions one by one.  Singers, actors, and dancers.  We really enjoyed it.  It was at the V theater which is due for a makeover but the place was packed and we had a good time.  The other show, The Ultimate, had some good acts but not what we expected.

We did some touring and took a bus out to the sign next to the airport.  Everyone is trying to make a buck.  They had a line in front of the sign and a guy offered to take your picture with your phone or camera for a donation.  You can still do it on your own but good luck getting in front of the sign.  Every counter, every store, every every has a tip jar.  

Transportation isn't cheap.  Ubers are expensive although they are always minutes away.  The Deuce buses run along the Strip but they charge $4 for a single ride and $6 for a two hour pass.  We used RTC city buses that don't run on the strip.  A 24 hour pass is $5 but the secret is that the pass is good on the Deuce buses on the Strip as well.  It worked out well.   The Uber we took back to the airport was on $12.43 which was a bargain.

After Juan made his first post on Facebook, he received a message from our friend Clara.  She is an events manager for a major Mexican insurance company based in Monterrey.  They were a customer of our for many years when we still had the school.  She was at a hotel just two blocks from us.  We were able to have a long lunch together.  

We took the Deuce bus to Fairmont Street which is downtown by the Stratesphere Hotel.  That was a bit depressing.  Most of the area we saw on the bus (double decker) was rundown, abandoned with many homeless people.  I 've been watching a guy on YouTube, Nikc Johnson.  He has been traveling around the U.S. and documenting the depressed state of the country.  This looked just like one of his videos.  

These girls came up to me and started flirting.  I know what their job is but they were almost insistent on taking a picture with me.  The "full" dancer is from Uruguay.  She speaks perfect English and has little accent.  She was very nice and she and I made ourselves understood.  It was a nice conversation anyway.

As we walked down the mall area, a man came up to me and said, "interested in a hooker?".  I told him no thanks.  As I turned around to look back, there was a very tall and thin woman, dressed so very well with her hair coiffed, she looked like an actress from the early sixties.  She was waiting on the sideline.  Everyone is a hustler with something to sell.

We also took the bus to a Von's supermarket.  Wow!  Talk about expensive prices for food.  No wonder everyone is complaining.  A package of flour tortillas (10) for $4.99, avocados $1.50 each, half pound package of ground pork was $5.80.  We spent around $40 and that covered our meals for the week with the exception of one breakfast, a lunch and a dinner.  Not bad overall.  We found a good price on vodka and we had to leave some behind.  The maid I'm sure was happy to find that.   

Our trip home was uneventful.  Overall, we like to see the shows, the lights, and the people but I think if we were to go back it would be with the RV in tow.  I wouldn't want to stay there more than two days.

Las Vegas - Possible Near Miss? - How One Person Can Screw Up Travel Plans For Thousands

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A belated anniversary and birthday trip to Las Vegas.  Years and years since we haven't been here and it was in our RV both times.  I planned it a couple of weeks ago.  We left Tuesday morning for the airport, it has been raining for the last three days.  Not good rain just drizzle and light showers but it's water and we need it. 

We reserved parking at the airport.  Taxis from home are ridiculously expensive and few Ubers circulate in Santiago.  Ubers are banned at the airport anyway and if they are stopped they tow the Uber and a fine of 50,000 pesos.  Talk about corruption and union control of taxi concessions.  Here is the gate, we arrived early.  Vivaaerbus, a discount airline, asks you to be there 3 hours early.  I had to check out of immigration first before getting my boarding pass.

Our crew preparing for the flight.  Very friendly flight attendants.  Viva Aerobus charges for everything from seats, first on first off, water, bags, carry-on, etc. so we didn't get seats until we were at the airport check-in.  Not complaining, we got two seats together and then an empty seat in between.

The flight was uneventful until we arrived in Las Vegas.  On approach and over the runway, we slowed down for landing, and then all of a sudden . . .  the aircraft shot straight up into the air.  I've never been in that situation before although through my years of flying, I have seen and experienced many things including a near miss, a broken wing, a dead engine, and more.  After a fly around, the pilot said it was unstable air.   After we landed,  a guy across the aisle was talking about it and it dawned on me that we didn't hear the landing gear on the first pass.  I'll check the NTSB website later this week.

Breakfast before take-off and a lot of memories from my working days doing the same thing almost on a weekly basis.

Here was the glitch in our arrival.  This is a partial shot of Biden's security detail.  As we walked out of the terminal to catch our Uber, the airport shut down for two hours.  Our Uber called and said he was stuck in another terminal with no in or out.  At the Las Vegas airport, they have a waiting area for Uber and Lyft.  Easily over 100 people waiting for their rides.  When it did open up it was chaos.

Our Airbnb for the week.  We go home on Saturday.  We found a supermarket nearby, a liquor store, and a bus line.  At the liquor store, we heard Hawaiian music and the guy behind the counter asked if we had been to Hawaii.  We told him we hade been several times over the years for work and pleasure and that my brother lived in Maui.  He told us he lost his aunt and uncle in the big fire last year.  They perished in their car trying to escape.  Nothing has been done and the locals are still suffering.  Sad.  Anyway, this is a great location and part of the MGM.  Very happy here.

Wednesday morning and we're ready to head out for the day.  The botanical garden and Caesar's Palace and tonight the water show at the Belaggio, the volcano at the Mirage followed by the pirates at Treasure Island.  Free things to do.  We also have a good friend here for a convention and we will meet this week for lunch. 

Now for a little reality.  I went to our post box in Monterrey last week to check our mail from the U.S.  This is what happens when you don't pay the bad guys every month.  In the states of Guerrero and Michoacan, tortillerias are forced to pay 10,000 per month, and the mom-and-pop taco stands are paying 5000 pesos a month.  The situation has become critical and it's not expected to get better any time soon.  They are so blatant now that on Monday of this week, they pulled into a major city in Veracruz, guns blazing, and threw the body parts of many people throughout the main plaza.  

Last but not least (the sandwich effect) , this may be our new tow vehicle.  It's not new by any means.  We will have it inspected on Monday and go from there.   It's time to retire the old one although it's been good to us.  475,000 km!

A Hike Through The Canyon - El Charco

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Back home again in Monterrey.  My allergies were really affected during this trip to SMA.  The altitude, the lack of rain, pollen at its highest, and the added 30C degree temperatures.  A lot of locals are affected as well.  You see men walking to work in the morning with a Kleenex waded up in their noses.   One of our friends had a bloody nose a couple of times during our visit.

Our friends Gail and Bill are also staying in San Miguel for a while right down the street from us.  Gail's nephew Jared came to visit for a week.  We invited him to go on a hike with us.  A young EMT with lots of energy but we were able to keep up with him.  

I had planned to go down to Jalpa where Les took us on our last trip.  I got to thinking though, and with a group of gringos and a Mexican all packed into a car and crossing farm fences we might run into cartel guys out in the middle of nowhere.  (Here in Monterrey last week they cut off a guy's hands for stealing from them and with the increase in tourist kidnappings I didn't want to be responsible for a Canadian getting into a mess).

We chose to go to El Charco del Ingenio the botanical garden on the road to Queretaro.  Once you get inside you can venture down past the dam and hike into the canyon.  Not easy in some parts, big boulders and a lot of space in between them.

Juan takes a short walk through the duck blind located on the edge of the reservoir.  A short video.

This is a blooming huizache tree.  More pollen in the air but Mother Nature is hard at work!

Approaching the edge of the canyon you can see just how immense it is although it is quite walkable down to the bottom.

Down in the canyon looking up at the dam that holds the water back in the reservoir. 

On the other side of the dam, there are a few abandoned structures.  I couldn't get this picture without the sun glaring on the camera.

Prince's plume is in bloom!  It's poisonous to cattle but local indigenous people use it for rheumatoid arthritis.  Not sure how they prepare the seeds but I assume it is a topical pomade.

Everyone likes to leave their mark.  Some of these are so old they can lo longer be read.

Lichens are a fungus but have a mutual relationship.  One is a fungus and the other an alga that by chance meet up and for this beautiful fungus-like spore.  So you probably see them everywhere on rocks and sometimes on trees telling us that the air is full of microscopic objects constantly floating around us.  It makes you think about viruses and the possibility that my allergy symptoms could actually be a variant of COVID-19. 

 

I spotted this golden-yellow lichen across the canyon and zoomed in on it.  It is so bright.

You can tell it hasn't rained for a very long time and when it has it didn't do much.  The water in the pools (charcos) is green and full of algae.

I wish I could figure this out.  I'm sure that there are some interesting things scrawled on here.

I mentioned before that we may move the rv to a Texas storage place temporarily.  I'm just not comfortable anymore driving it around rural areas and we're not that much into rv parks or staying at buggy beaches.  It will be cheaper to drive to the border not paying tolls for the rv, the long inspection times, extra fuel, and the storage is relatively cheap.  Time to enjoy other things besides just Mexico.

San Miguel de Allende Great Weather - The Surprise Party Was A Success

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We've been here for almost a week and really haven't accomplished much.  We've been visiting rvers who have flown to Mexico again this year.  Two couples are renting very close to our house, both within a couple of blocks, and that makes getting together very easy.  

The weather has been hotter than usual with daily highs around 30C but nights are cool and the house never seems to get hot.  Morning exercise in the cool air makes for a great workout.  

On our trip down, we stayed at an Airbnb in Matehuala to break up the trip.  I found what I thought was a jewel at a bargain price of 580 pesos.  Well, Airbnb hasn't been doing a good job lately and it is obvious in the pictures below.  What you see and what you get aren't always the same thing.  This unit is very well located, has bus service at the front door, and a garage with a locked garage door.  That was the seller for us.  We could take the bus into centro and leave our car at the Airbnb.  Well, the next set of pictures are a bit disturbing.

For starters, the apartment is for four people with two bedrooms.  The walls are pretty marked up and could use repainting, the beds were okay but the pillows were like Kleenex.  This pic shows the complete set of cutlery.  There are no knives or utensils for food prep.  There are no glasses, napkins, or coffee filters.

I got up the next morning and because the hot water is heated via solar, I thought I should turn on the faucet while I put together my things for shaving and shower.  First off, it turns out there isn't any hot water in the bathroom or kitchen sinks.  I came back and the bathroom was flooding.  The sink was stopped up.  Juan took off the sink stopper and began digging out all the crud in the sink.  What a mess.

I'm glad we had decided early on to go out to Las Palmas for dinner.  I wouldn't cook on this stove.

Because we are good renters, we stopped by Walmart and bought two glasses, napkins, and coffee filters which we left behind for the next guy.  We almost always pick up an inexpensive item that is missing but would be useful and leave it in the Airbnb.

Our dinner out at the Las Palmas Motel and Rv Park.  After dinner, we drove around the back to the rv park and the lot was empty.  Sad.  We use the Hotel Oasis across the street with 30 amps, water, and wifi for 150 pesos.  Works great for an overnighter but this is sad not to see not even one rv at Las Palmas.

The hike we took the other day was really a walk.   Several locals offer tour services, some expensive some for donation only.  We met at the train station.  The group was 90% women and 90% were over 75 years old.  All very nice but not the most exciting bunch to hang out with.  We wanted to introduce our friend to some of the local walking/hiking groups as she will be here for another two months. This was a 2-mile walk to the old San Miguel de Allende chapel built over 400 years ago.   We met here at the train station.  The train station no longer has passenger service but cargo does go by at least once a day.  It was built in the 1800s.  If the current president has his way, he will force rail companies to provide passenger service on all rails. 

The fort below was built by friars when they arrived in the 1600s.  It was a fort to protect those friars living there during the conversion of the Chichimecas to Christianity.  Funny you have to force people to convert.

A maguey field that no longer produces tequila or pulque.  The owner of the ranch keeps it more for show.

The chapel was our final destination.  We're not allowed by the locals to enter without permission and there was no one around that could do that.  I'm not an expert but I do quite a bit of research.  The tour guide, who is bilingual, did a great job but there was some misinformation.  One important point was the floral designs around the doors and windows.  They flowers but they are actually peyote buttons used in rituals.  I think they just liked to get high like many people today.

Last Friday was Juan's birthday.  Number 66 and still quite young.  It's very hard to plan a party when the person is always there with you.  I ordered a cake from a woman who makes cakes.  I posted on a local Facebook group.  I received over 25 different offers and settled on Daniela.  She and her husband have a small restaurant that has a few tables.  She was easy to work with and I liked the work she showed me.  The cake was red velvet with buttercream frosting.  The joke that night was that when I picked up the cake it said "Jose Manuel" not "Juan Manuel".  I told everyone to say Jose that night and he couldn't figure it out until I told him the story.  The name was changed when I picked it up so no one really would have known but it was funny anyway.

We had quite a group, Paula and Jerry, Gail and Bill, Jared, Terri and Mike, Cheryl, Christine, Sarah, and Stephanie.  A great time was had by all!  He was surprised because he thought it was just the two of us for dinner and was not happy about that.  Surprise!!!!

A National March - Heading South - Helping A Friend

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Photo of the march last year to protect Mexico's National Electoral Institute to ensure fair elections.

Gearing up for the national elections in June, the country is choosing sides and looking for ways to defeat their opponents.  This week alone the truckers across Mexico had a national strike blocking major highways, and intersections and shutting down border crossings.  They are fed up with the number of truck drivers being murdered, kidnapped and extorted.  The day before the railroad engineers shut down the railways and blocked intersections unhappy with their union.  On Sunday there will be marches in 106 cities throughout Mexico to demand fair and honest elections and to protect Mexican democracy.  We will be downtown bright and early.

Our president is on the attack since the claim came out that he accepted 2 million dollars from the cartels in his 2006 campaign.  He has talked about it every day this week in his three-hour morning talk show.  Well, yesterday afternoon a cartel leader was interviewed by a very famous news outlet and he confirmed that it is true.  The Catholic diocese in the state of Guerrero attempted to have talks and negotiate with the cartels this week but to no avail.  They are determined to take over local and state governmental positions.  Thanks to Abrazos no Balazos.

We're leaving on Monday and heading to Matehuala.  We found a great Airbnb at a super good price to break up our trip.  I want to see if it's something we may want to do from time to time if we are going to stay for longer periods in SMA.  It would be nice to take a break on the six or seven-hour trip down.  I like driving but I'm not the only one in the car.  We did the drive for years to San Antonio every few weeks and I wish we had stopped somewhere on the trip.  

The weather here in Monterrey has not been the best.  It's been cool and clouder bordering on cold in the mornings.  It doesn't stop me from my exercise though.  It actually makes it better than in the hot summers.  It's drizzling and chilly now and the temps will drop tonight and over the weekend.

On a somber note, a Canadian friend who blogs about Mexico had some not-so-good news.  Her daughter's family suffered a severe house fire. A good portion of the house was burned and the rest had heavy smoke and water damage.  Some of their beloved pets didn't make it out but the family is fine and looking to overcome this tragedy.

Here is a short reel or video taken at the time of the fire.  

House Fire

Kathy's sister has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for expenses while their home is being rebuilt.  There are so many causes and GoFundMe pages but I am passing this one on.  

Help My Niece and Family Rebuild

House Is Painted - Weekend Trip To San Luis Potosi - Back Home Again

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Great views from the rooftop!

Finally got the house painted.  We had bought the paint on the last trip and made the appointment.  It took for days and three guys painting the walls, trim, and the bars on the windows.  The previous colors were like the townhouse to the right.  I didn't like the red and that was the original paint from 12 years ago.

My walks/runs take me on new routes now to break up the exercise.  This corner shop has no name but it has the best quiche in town.  In fact, the quiche they sell comes from a baker who distributes them to many restaurants.  A full pie at one particular upscale place goes for 1100 pesos.  The last one we purchased at this place was 450 pesos.  Talk about price gouging but people buy them.  They also sell individual pies and a great one that is like a semi-hard chocolate with a fantastic pie crust.

Coming down through the Aldea there are some pretty cool and detailed murals.  These are just two examples.  Murals are becoming more common and keeps the graffiti guys at bay.

I've taken quite a few pictures over the years of places in Mexico that I know are several hundred years old and turning them into black and white or sepia.  It helps me imagine what it might have looked like in a photo from the 1800s.  

We left SMA on Friday morning.  Monday was a holiday and truckers were planning a national closure of highways.  Too many have been killed and robbed by cartels and they are fed up.  They are getting no help from "Abrazos no Balazos".  They canceled the strike later Sunday evening and are having a national highway blockage on February 15th.  We headed for San Luis Potosi and spent the weekend with friends Paula and Jerry.  They have a nice Airbnb with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths.  We had a blast catching up and also having some good laughs.  

We took off for home on Tuesday morning with no issues and missed the holiday rush.  Back home all is well and the weather has been great.  I've been consistent with my exercise routine and even take my weights to San Miguel.  

I had what I thought was a recent issue with a bridge.  Juan's brother is a dentist and he took a look and said the gums on the bottom have receded over the last 22 years since it was installed.  The gold cap underneath is well seated in the gums and presents no problems for now and there is no movement in the bridge.  His advice is to let sleeping dogs lie (mas vale dejarlo estar).  I was happy when he said I have excellent oral hygiene.  I had dental issues since I was a small child to the point where all my teeth were capped to keep them from breaking.  

The Worst Head Cold Ever - Back in San Miguel de Allende

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I'm just coming off of the worst head cold ever.  Wednesday will be two weeks.  The first week I stayed at home.  The weather was bad anyway so I couldn't go out.  I did go out and tried walking and it was okay.  A walking friend was on the road so that helped me to finish.  The next day I blew it off and then the next.  I went out after that and the heavy mist or almost light rain turned me around after about 20 minutes.  I've been back to my weights at home.  Some days are easier than others.  I'm not weak, it's just hard to breathe and the constant buzzing in my ears.  That has all subsided.  

Three phases of the storm we passed through on our way down to San Miguel de Allende.

Sunday we drove down to San Miguel for a couple of weeks.  The house painter is coming.  We made the arrangements the last trip and bought the paint.  It's the exterior only and the painter says two days.  We made the trip down in record time.  Sunday is now our drive down day and Monday our drive day back.  Sunday truckers are off the road for the most part and people are heading back north.  Monday it's reversed.  

Juan is in the 3rd stage of the cold.  His is worse.  We went to the ISSSTE clinic here in SMA.  They took him in right away and said he has a mild infection in his throat.  They prescribed the usual, dose of antibiotics.  

Today we hung out and ran some basic errands but it's still downtime.

I created a firestorm on Facebook yesterday on a local SMA group.  I wanted to share the simple fact that expats who are PRs have the right to collect the old age pension which is now 3000 pesos per month.  I posted a brochure and all the requirements with the idea that they can spread the word to those in the campo.  So many people do good work helping the poor but require funds.  What better way than to solicit the stipend and then use it to help the poor.  In addition, also encourage those Mexicans over 65 to enroll and collect the money.  Believe me, if both husband and wife collect the stipend that is 6000 pesos a month.  That is more than most Mexicans make in a month.  It is truly a help to the population.  I do want to add that even though the current president has increased the amount, the program has been in existence for more than 20 years.

On the FB post, Mexicans said expats shouldn't have the right to claim the stipend and also some expats said that, but they overlooked the purpose of my post.  Helping the poor.  We have more poor in Mexico today than five years ago.  So, I found the constitutional reform that states that Mexicans, nationals, and permanent residents who reside in the country have the right to collect the stipend.  That shut down a lot of people.  

This comes direct from the DOF (Diario Oficial de la Federación) which they publishes all changes to laws including taxes, reforms, and constitutionality.  

As for Mexican politics, the president's plan of Abrazos no Balazos has had quite an effect. The cartels are now charging homeowners extortion to live in their houses.  First, it was tortillerias, then tire shops, small stores, and the list goes on.  In one state alone, 30 communities have been forced to leave their homes as they have no more money to pay.  Along the U.S./Mexico border cartels are shutting down highways and setting up checkpoints of their own.  Most recently, on the road from the Colombia Bridge to Hwy 85 rvers have been stopped, robbed, asked to make videos saying they were not harmed and then left to go on their way.  The murder rate has skyrocketed and each day more and more innocent bystanders are being killed in the crossfire.  The rest you can read in the news but it's important to point out what is happening.