"Traveling is not just seeing the new; it is also leaving behind. Not just opening doors; also closing them behind you, never to return. But the place you have left forever is always there for you to see whenever you shut your eyes.”
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
a pleasant pandemonium
a pleasant pandemonium...
Going shopping in Guaymas is all a discovery adventure in itself. The 20 minutes ride in a jolty city bus with its derelict gear box is a nice start to get us out of the more ”refine” and quite boring San Carlos. Guaymas is not an attractive town, not touristic at all, although certain efforts have been made on the waterfront to attract the guests of some lost cruise ships which venture once in a while in the Sea, on their way down from Alaska.
It was a big fishing harbor, still is and some factories and plants make it now an industrial city. Nothing historically important, but the city is set in a splendid bay. Sonora with its desertic wild ranges has never been a big Spanish settlement to start with.
But precisely it is this chaotic feeling that appeals to us. The shops with their outrageous signboards, the sreaming loudspeakers playing popular local music on the pavement, the medical offices and lab side by side with tire shops, and tacos stands, the young and indolent crowd huddling on the side walks on this Christmas Eve, even the screech of the klaxons and the broken exhaust pipe of the derelict cars make all this mess likeable.. It is a view of Mexico, not disguised as the gringo colonized San Carlos is with its outrageous over bidding estates for wealthy retired americanos.
One has to forget the organized world, the over stocked department stores. Here, you have to know where and how to do your shopping. Of course, one can always go to the new Wal-Mart or Sam's Club with their outrageous prices and poor stocks (those two are the closest to San Carlos...for a reason).
We finally found the very well stocked and price wise very economical supermarket in the center of Guaymas after trying two others the previous weeks. And this a regal full of local products that I love to try out.
It is not the lack of shops, but it is impossible to find some electrical tools. Not willing to search for ever, we found what we needed (a battery powered drill) in a cash and go shop, a pawn shop. Those shops are quite numerous in town, all with no less than 3 employees plus a security guard for just a few items... Anyway it is a good buy.
We needed no more than three other different shops to find some thread, a little broom et some rugs... But now we know where things are.
We spent a full day to go shopping for a few items, not forgetting some food for our quiet Christmas dinner, but we came back happy from our little raid downtown. Despite the chaos, the native crowd is congenial, non agressive and cordial. No bawling and shouting at each other, no bad mood or rude gestures toward us the gringos, on the contrary.
The wind blew today and dusty Guaymas stick to our skin as we return to the yard where we unpack our goodies so hardly gathered...
If the drill was a good buy, the sewing machine bought from our host does not work, it a heavy duty old Paaf and so far Magnus has spent a day working on it. I have tons of sewing to do, pockets, leeclothes etc.. all prepared and cut to be sewn... It is a not only a disapointement but a great inconvenience to say the least....
FELIZ NAVIDAD !!!
Monday, December 6, 2010
A water hole
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| Nacapule Canyon |
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