Thanksgiving for Gringos

We decided to celebrate Thanksgiving this year by hosting a dinner.  The group of gringos with whom we hang out were not having any organized gathering and none of the restaurants we've patronized in the past were that fabulous, so we had been left pretty much on our own.  We hadn't entertained in the 2-and-a-half years that we'd been in Mexico, so the time was ripe....

Although the table will extend to hold more, we were limited by the number of place settings we have - only six - and matching dining room chairs, also six.  And that's not counting only five creamed soup bowls that we have, thanks to my breaking one last year!  More than enough for the two of us and our dogs - not that the dogs sit on chairs at the table; they prefer to stand when eating.

So we planned a menu and invited four friends.  Our friends (other than those in the gringo group) tend to be nationals, so it was a bi-lingual dinner party.  They all speak English as well as Spanish, but there were occasional bursts of Spanish which neither Michael nor I particularly understood.  Guess we have to keep working on our Spanish!

[That's our famous Brussels Sprouts in the blue-glazed dish]

Two of our friends also brought dishes to share: Both a pumpkin pie and a Key Lime pie for dessert;  mashed potatoes topped with crispy shredded bits, and a wonderful guacamole which included chilies, tomatoes, and pomegranate seeds (and matching chips).  Everything was delicious! Hadn't seen guacamole with pomegranate seeds since finding it at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Phoenix - the Barrio Cafe.  So both the appetizer table and the dining table were overflowing.

Dinner was a gab-fest that lasted from around 5 until 11 pm through Pilgrim's Prides, margaritas, wine and coffees -- and we decided that we should gather for drinks at our favorite roof-top bar, La Azotea, Saturday night in honor of Jean's birthday (which was actually Thanksgiving). 

A new tradition begun?

Hawai'i

Yes, yes - I know: why would retirees to the beautiful town of San Miguel require a vacation?  Well, San Miguel was not our first choice.  We were thinking Ensenada since it was a simple drive to the border, near family and friends, and at the beach.  I'm not the greatest beach fan, but Michael is quite taken by it.

Then we started looking around and discovered San Miguel de Allende.  Upon comparing the social/cultural life in San Miguel with Ensenada (or other beach cites on the mainland coast), we came to the decision that San Miguel offered more opportunities.  So here we are!

However, the ocean still calls us - and we love traveling, so vacations it is.  Other than trips to San Diego for family/Broadway shows and an annual trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico for the opera season, most of our jaunts revolve around cruises: fun, travel, ocean all rolled into one.

Our latest adventure was a 2-week cruise to Hawai'i from the Port of Los Angeles (actually located in San Pedro).  This will be a very condensed account since many of the sea days were much like other sea days.  Don't get the wrong idea: we love sea days where, except for shows and certain attractive activities, you may do as you like - just show up for dinner on time!

The first couple of days before the cruise we stayed with a dear friend, visited favorite restaurants, ate at the Club, did some shopping for things we can't easily get in Mexico, and opened the numerous packages our friend had gladly held on our behalf before we arrived (anything to beat that 17% fee on imports, ya know?).

Then it was off to the port for embarkation on Sunday, October 14th.  A relatively simple drive (our friend had made the same trip for an earlier cruise) turned into a puzzle when roadwork confused the routing through the port area - majorly.  By keeping the Vincent Thomas bridge in sight when the road sign arrows were not clear, we finally made our way to the port on time for our early check-in time.

And there was the Wonder, in all her glory, waiting for us at the terminal!  The Wonder was our very first Disney ship for several cruises.  We had limited vacation time available, so would combine a trip to WDW with a 4-day Bahamian cruise and the Wonder often had that rotation while the Magic wandered further asea.  Although a twin to the Magic, the Wonder is slightly different in decor (art nouveau vs art deco) and some of the venues in the adult area are slightly different, but they are largely the same ships.  Just as the newer, larger ships, the Dream and the Fantasy (again, art deco vs art nouveau), are largely identical ships.

There were only 1934 guests aboard as this was a longer cruise during school times so it was an older crowd (who liked to dress up for dinner and formal nights) without too many children (we were told only 300 - and there are the famous Disney Kid's Clubs to keep them busy and out of the way most of the time).  The guest to crew ratio was about 2:1.  Many cabins, though holding 3 - 4 guests, were only occupied by two people.

When booking the cruise - since it was a long one and therefore on the expensive side - we had decided to try an inside, horizontal cabin.  It would be our first inside cabin since our very first 3-day cruise many, many (many!) years ago.  And I was a little hesitant about the cabin as I sometimes get a little seasick and find a verandah - or at least a porthole - helpful in overcoming the effects of said illness.

As we had the earliest check-in time (a benefit of having achieved Platinum status with Disney's loyalty program, the Castaway Cay Club), we decided to ask if an upgrade was available.  We also set a cost limit on this upgrade.  We had been successful on one previous voyage, being given a huge cabin with a spacious balcony for a pittance.  This time we did score a verandah - which was nice - but it was more than a pittance (the cruise was 14 days, after all).  So we gulped and said 'okay.'  It was a very civilized transaction - they simply charge the difference to one's shipboard account - so we immediately moved some funds over to that account before the charges hit!

On our last cruise we had been seated at a table for four (we knew our tablemates) and since we had linked our reservations with friends from England with whom we had sailed before expected the same sized table.  Imagine our surprise when we were shown to a table for eight!  Fortunately the other four people were a couple from the midwest and two friends traveling together without their husbands and kids from Utah.  As it turned out, a delightful mix of personalities.  Some chatty, some not-so-chatty, some with Disney cruises under their belts, some for whom this was a first Disney cruise, some more adventuresome when it came to port excursions, so not-so-adventuresome, some venturing off on their own, some on the same excursions.

We would meet up with our table mates in unplanned places and times, by happenstance around the ship.  It was always good to see them during the day, at shows, at the Promenade Lounge before dinner, and the occasional excursion during the cruise.  A friendly face and all that!

So, a typical sea day began upon arising and taking a walk/run around Deck 4; then a quick shower and it was off to breakfast: either a sit-down a la carte affair in one of the restaurants or the Beach Blanket Buffet (which I invariably called Beach Blanket Bingo in honor of a show in San Francisco which I never managed to see before it eventually closed).  Buffets are fine, with many options, but it's too simple to over-indulge!

Then off to the Quiet Cove area (adults only) for some coffee at the Quiet Cove Cafe (sort of a luxe Starbucks-type place) with shady spots in which to read on the deck or lounge by the adult pool til it was time for lunch and a visit to either the al fresco places on deck or a nip down to a restaurant for the buffet or a la carte offerings.  Then back to the cabin or the pool area til it was time to dress for dinner.

We had second dining, so there was entertainment first for us.  Disney does first-class musicals (Toy Story, Disney Dreams, and the Golden Mickeys were interspersed with additional acts brought aboard for the longer cruise: comedians, magicians, ventriloquists, and musical acts.  They were all good, some quite good.

The it was off to the Promenade Lounge for a drink and music while waiting for our appointed dinner time.  On Disney ships there are three main restaurants: Parrot Cay (tropical decor), Triton's (more stately and elegant), and Animator's Palate (a black & white venue that turns into full color during your meal).  One rotates between these venues according to the coding on your Key to the World card.  And the nice part is that your service team (server, asst server, and head waiter) rotate with you so they have a chance to get to know your likes and dislikes, wine service, and it's good to see familiar faces each evening serving you.

There is also Palo (no " 's," please; just Palo) a for-fee Northern Italy dining room aft on Deck 10.  Very elegant - though not so much as Remy's on the Dream and Fantasy.  Still very nice indeed.  As Platinum members of the loyalty program we were comped for one meal, but also booked a brunch on a sea day, and another dinner. Thoroughly enjoyed them all and managed to have the same server twice (our first dinner was the first night he had worked in Palo!).

So as not to sound like eating and drinking were all that were on offer, there was a full schedule of activities for young and old alike.  Classes, demonstrations, tours, games, entertainment groups performing around the ship, bingo (the closest that Disney gets to gambling), shopping, the gym and Vista Spa, lectures by officers and Disney Cast Members, movies (both in the movie theater and on your in-cabin TV, a ballroom dance class each morning at sea, the Officers' Ball, the Captain's Reception, Character Meet 'n' Greets (picture opportunities), a character breakfast for everyone on board, and a gazillion other things.  Yes, we tended to fall into a routine that was not as frantic as others who tried to do everything, but it was a relaxing time for us.  We even skipped the DVC (Disney Vacation Club) presentations, where Michael usually wins prizes.

The days on the islands, however, were busier as we had booked a shore excursion for each island.  On Maui (Kahului) we had booked a tour of two coffee plantations with a private company.  This turned out to be quite a private tour, with only the two of us being chauffeured around in the guide's MBZ.  We first visited a small, eco-friendly, organic coffee farm which grows and harvests/roasts/packages the coffee from their own trees.  Did a walk-through the groves with the owner and learned quite a deal about coffee husbandry.  After lunch at the coffee farm we drove off for a tour of a huge plantation planted on a former sugar cane spot.  [Sugar production moved from sugar cane (largely grown on the islands) to sugar beets (grown everywhere else), so there are immense tracts of vacant land just waiting for something to be developed on them.]  This large plantation also had lots for sale where one could build one's own house amidst the coffee groves which were tended by others.

Following that bit of the tour we stopped at the Maui Coffee shop for a sample of their local coffee.  While there, the cashier asked from whence we came.  Michael told him, 'San Miguel de Allende' and the cashier said, 'Oh; my grandmother just bought a house there!'  Small world, eh?  Then it was back to Whole Foods (they have free WiFi) and then a walk back to the ship.

WiFi aboard ships is an iffy thing.  It's slow (via satellite), which makes it expensive as you are charged by the minute.  Although there are some savings to be gained if you buy a package, it's still expensive.  We had decided that we would find WiFi hot spots on the islands and make do with occasional checking-in.  We had luck on three of the four islands.

The next day we were at Kauai (Nawiliwili), where we had booked a Disney tour of Kilohana Plantation and a train ride through the plantation.   Very interesting to see one of the original owner's homes and grounds and the extensive plantings of every imaginable plant and tree (and some that were new to us).  The tour also included a few stops for scenic views of waterfalls and the like.  We were eventually deposited back at the ship, from which we walked into a nearby town and found a WiFi place.  Here we also visited our first ABC store, a relic of early commercialism on the islands - still thriving and we left some money there, finding shirts, shorts, sunglasses, and a few more things we couldn't live without.

Oahu (Honolulu) held the greatest treat for us: a tour of Disney's new DVC resort: Aulani, on the western side of the island.  The tour was limited to DVC members, so it wasn't too crowded and we had a walk-through of the facilities and accommodations.  The Imagineer who was in charge of the development did an over-the-top job. The rooms and villas were stupendous (can two persons justify staying in a e-bedroom villa? Hmmm...) and the public areas are both creative and fun.  We managed to sign on to the resort's WiFi while waiting for our return trip to the ship, and started thinking about how to combine our DVC points from other resorts to manage a stay at Aulani soon.

We also met these charming people at the resort.

[I promise we'll add more pictures once we get organized!  They have been downloaded to the computer from the camera, at least.]

The last day was on the Big Island of Hawai'i (Hilo) where we went on a volcano tour that included a lot of local sights, waterfalls, and both the Big Islands candy factory/shop and the Macadamia Nut Factory with a private touring company.  The tour split into two trams (it was quite popular among those of us who had belonged to a Facebook group for the cruise).  (We had also stayed on the Big Island in the past, so had seen many of the sights already.)

We saw the other tram at the first stop and then not again until we returned to the ship.  Our guide was a native of Hilo and obviously wanted to show us everything.  Our 5-hour tour turned into over 7 hours.  At least our tour had a lunch stop at the Nut Factory cafe; the other tour didn't stop for lunch at all.  I had hoped to do some other things if the tour stayed within its announced time limits, but that was not to be.  We arrived back at the ship with about 30 minutes to spare, most of which was spent standing in line to be checked back onto the ship.  One drawback to using a private tour company vs a Disney shore excursion is that if you miss the ship, you miss the ship and have to travel to the next port on your own dime.  As the next port was back in Los Angeles, we wanted to be sure we made embarkation.  It was a wild ride back from the volcano to the pier!

The return sea days were largely like the going sea days - more relaxation. Although there were lots of movies on both TV and in the theater, the biggie on this cruise was the release of Frankenweenie, Tim Burton's 3-D stop-action production that was an embellished telling of a live-action short subject he produced about 30 years ago which got him fired from Disney.  How things change with time, eh?

Upon returning to terra firma in the good ole USA, I promptly became ill, nearly embarrassing myself on a return visit to Club 33, but pulling myself together for dinner the next night at the Carthey Circle - a recreation of the theater Snow White premiered at - turned into a restaurant in the newly re-imagined California Adventure.  The food was excellent, but a bit rich for my poor tummy; had a wonderful time with our friends from Chicago, who graciously treated us for dinner.  And, having dined at the CC, we were given tickets for priority seating (well, standing, actually) for World of Color.  We had had hotel reservations for the opening weekend of WoC before we moved to Mexico, but the opening had been pushed back and we had never managed to see the show on other trips.  The viewing area couldn't have been better - dead center.  I think I still like Fantasmic! better, but this was quite the show!

And so, after a few more days in the parks, meeting up with a friend who had also been my boss in the court's training academy, we returned home: nearly 24 hours of traveling, but we were home again in beautiful San Miguel de Allende - home, sweet home!

Walking

Good news that isn't about rainfall!  (Yes, it eventually stopped, though it's still cloudy and cool.  Glad we have electric mattress pads on our bed!)  We had noted that, in our absence, some of the sidewalks on our path into downtown had been repaired.  Narrow sidewalks were widened a bit; rough places made plain.  And there were lots of rough places!  We didn't know what had been the source of the repair work, but it was all of the same style so figured one entity was responsible for the work.

We had also noticed upon our return that the nearest roundabout, or glorieta as they're called here, was being reworked.  Lots of brickwork going up around the base that supports El Pipila - the statue of the miner who approached the warehouse in Guanajuato where the royalist leaders and their families had taken refuge, with a slab of stone on his back (so he wouldn't be killed by gunshot as he approached) and burnt the door down with tar and torch so the revolutionaries could take control of the city.  It will be a much grander centerpiece when completed. [See this link for an interesting telling of the revolution (mention of El Papila is sometimes been omitted, but recent investigation has suggested that he actually existed): http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/latinamericaindependence/p/09guanajuato.htm].

Michael also noticed a change in the statue near the eastern entrance to the city as our cab careened back into town after our vacation.

So yesterday, walking into town in a light drizzle, we came upon workmen continuing the work on the sidewalk - and they were Public Works employees - at least their truck was a public works truck!  I'm guessing that they will extend the work at least up to the intersection with Sterling Dickinson.  Not sure they will be working on the west side of the street as it's in pretty good shape and would only need a few places repaired.  The side on which they are working has been a challenge to use the past couple of years living in our current location - but it has trees, so a shadier stroll into town.

Downtown, of course, won't be touched, as Centro Historico is under protection against changes.  We did get access ramps built into the corners of intersections last year, but some of them are both short, narrow, and quite steep.  Because the sidewalks in Centro are quite narrow, a wide ramp would have taken up the complete corner and presented a danger to any pedestrian encountering one while already on the sidewalk.

We've recently had a change of mayor here, and he seems to be wasting no time making the repairs and improvements the former mayor delayed or ignored so she could place supporters in the government (some say).  As walkers, we're very grateful for the improved sidewalks!

Dia de los Muertos

I know, I know - it's been so long since I wrote about the weather you were missing it, no?

Well, we were away for a vacation (more later), but have returned in time for the Dia de los Muertos festivities.  There was a festival featuring, among other things, a concert with an earth harp (you don't really want to know what we thought of that, do you?), cemeteries to visit, altars to ancestors to view; all that sort of stuff.

Then, after the big party last night, it began to rain.  It's still raining tonight.  For most of last night and today it was a slow, gentle rain but it has increased at times so that there's plenty of runoff on the streets.  [About 0.86" as of now.]  We took the bus downtown today rather than a taxi to save our pesos, and when we returned (also by bus) we walked across the supermarket's parking lot, past the gym, and then was faced with our street.  The street runs up a hill so there's always lots of water down at our end.

We made it through without getting too wet.  And earlier we had the challenging feat of finding a bus downtown in the downpour.  Bless large umbrellas.  The weather was bad enough that not too many folks were taking the bus, so there were seats available.  Count your blessings where you find'em!

Perhaps tomorrow I'll tackle the beginning of our vacation report - Aloha!