Saturday in Guanajuato means tourists – lots of them; most from other parts of Mexico coming here to enjoy the historical and cultural offerings of this World Heritage site. And the number of visitors promises lots going on: more street performers, more music, more food stands, more sellers of souvenirs, more opportunities to people-watch. So a plan was hatched: I was off to city center to enjoy the activities and squeeze in a couple of errands. Bob would remain at the house to scout out a place for dinner. We arranged for a meet-up spot for when I was finished and we would try out the restaurant that sounded the most promising.
What follows is mostly pictures. If you are the type that cringes when someone suggests you come over to see their travel photos, you may want to exit now as the first part of this post is pretty much that. Or, if you are someone that rolls their eyes when you realize that you are going to be clicking through food photos, you may want to skip the end portion of this post. Consider yourselves warned…
Looking back up toward our street. We travel 5 of these step sections (in various forms) to get down to the main area of commerce.
Sometimes we take advantage of this park to catch our breath. I like they way the trees are shaped.
Stopped at the post office to mail a letter. This is the ONLY mailbox at the main post office in Guanajuato, and the only place we have found to send off our mail. Fortunately it’s not too far from the house.
A couple of winding blocks later I come to the Teatro Juarez. The steps were packed with people resting and listening to costumed University of Guanajuato students shouting out tourist information.
Festival flags on a street nearby.
One of the street artists portraying La Calavera Catrina.
Callejón Del Beso, the Alley of the Kiss. The passage is so narrow (27 inches) that a person can stick her/his head out the window of a building on one side of the passage and kiss the person across the way. There are many tales and legends that go along with this alley. One has it that if you kiss you lover on the third step you will have everlasting love. (Thus the long lines…) Not sure it this is confirmation or not, but Bob and I kissed on the third step last time we were in Guanajuato and we are still going strong.
On to Mercado Hidalgo and our favorite tortilla seller. Tortillas are made once a day. When they are gone, you are out of luck.
Passing the “candy aisle” as I head back out to the street. The international truth of the impulse buy.
One of the tunnels that lead up and down throughout city center.
Before leaving the area I stop at the bakery. First I pick up a tray and tongs.
Then I scout the shelves to see what will tempt me. We have developed a few guidelines: Never buy cookies. Pastries that have flaky (phyllo-type) crusts are much better than those that don’t. Any bread is amazing.
Down the street from the bakery I notice a mining cart used as planter.
And then I am at the Basilico do Guanajuato.
Where I notice a member of a wedding party waiting to enter the sanctuary.
One more stop before heading to our meeting place: the artisan’s gallery and market. This large space features artists from all areas of the state of Guanajuato, and the work is amazing. I am making a list.
At the Jardin de la Union – which is actually only about 10 minutes from our house. You may have noticed the iron benches in all of the parks, These are the legacy of Portofiro Diaz, a former President of Mexico and a declared Francophile. He wanted the parks of Mexico to reflect the refinement of parks in France so he commissioned iron benches be made for them. Incidentally, his brother, who owned an ironworks, got the contract.
Mariachis getting ready to perform.
Our chosen dinner spot. We look over the massive and highly tempting menu and decide to go with Menu Degustacion: “A gastronomic tour of our restaurant in a twinkling of an eye.” It is seven courses paired with wine. We’re in!
Course #1 Shrimp ceviche with coconut milk, basil, cilantro, serrano pepper, citrus and mango; smoked at the moment. I am embarrassed to say that I missed a photo of course #2 which was lychees stuffed with goat cheese and smoked salmon. I was just too into the experience I guess.
Course #3 Sweet corn cream with vanilla bean. When the martini glass came to the table there was just a cube of cinnamon and sugar in the bottom and the hot soup was poured over.
Course #4 Sesame seed encrusted tuna served with an oriental salad, accompanied by two styles of sauce.
Palate cleanser of lemon and mint sorbet. Truly, I could have stopped here but there was more to come.
Course #5 Beef tenderloin filet covered in Mole with corn, mashed banana and onion rings.
Course #6 Selection of cheeses with seasonal fruit, balsamic reduction and apple compote. Note: the green scoop is Gorgonzola ice cream. I loved it. Bob not so much.
Course #7 (and by now I am stuffed and sort of embarrassed that all this food came my way – but look at it!) Cinnamon and sugar Buñuelos with cinnamon gelato, piloncillo sauce, and caramel sauce.
And after a short respite over a cup of coffee we head back up the steps…
Up the inclined paths…
And finally to our street where the lights of the tunnels tell us we are home.
Paracho: Guitar Capital of Mexico for over 100 hundred years. The home to most of the world’s guitar factories – though this is changing as mass manufacturing has moved to other countries where it can be done cheaper. (Have we heard this story before???) The city is now remaking itself and rather than being the maker of many guitars it is the home of some of the world’s best hand crafted guitars. And so we journey out to find a guitar for Bob. He had purchased a guitar in Paracho just over 30 years ago and loved it. Unfortunately, he loaned it to a friend and it was never seen again. Ever since then he has been hankering to get back and buy another.
Statue of Vasco de Quirga, priest, and a luthier (maker of guitars). The story goes that de Quirga came to Michoacán to disperse Catolicism and teach economically viable craft skills. He encouraged the citizens to take advantage of the vast forests that surrounded Paracho and produce items made of wood. Some individuals went into furniture and kitchen implement making but many more took up the making of instruments. Currently there are more luthiers in Paracho than in all of the United States.
Walking up and down the streets, Bob checked out the various options. Our very last stop of the day was at David Caro’s shop.
David, on the left, had Bob try out a few different instruments to get the feel for their sound and how they played. In the photo Bob is holding the guitar he eventually purchased – a beautiful instrument made of rosewood, red cedar, Canadian pine, and madera de Granadillo (an exotic hardwood).
Interesting backstory: David Caro is quite a famous and highly-regarded guitar maker. He is no longer making guitars but at one time he made 40 per year and they sold for $600 if purchased in Mexico and $900 if they were sent to the states. The guitar Bob purchased was made by his son, Salomón, who has assumed the family trade.
While Bob was finalizing his purchase I walked up the street to the Zocalo (town square) to take in some local color. My first stop was the cathedral. They have two very large mobiles hanging in the sanctuary – with guitars on them, of course.
Across the street from the cathedral I had a telephone siting! Another one for my collection.
I went over to look inside and noted the poster. My immediate reaction was to begin humming Manhattan Transfer’s “Operator”. For those of you who are not familiar I encourage you to go to this YouTube link – Operator by Manhattan Transfer
Each village in Michoacán has its own style of traditional dress. The garments are quite distinctive and colorful. Skirts are long and there are frequently layers of blouses, tunics (hupil) and ponchos (quechquémitl). This kind and handsome young lady agreed to be photographed. Though it is a bit difficult to see, her blouse is heavily hand embellished and embroidered. She is wearing a rebozo (shawl) as a belt. The color and pattern indicate that she is from Paracho. Her embroidered aprons is also typical for this region.
Other sites that caught our eye while we were in Paracho:
The view out the back window of our hotel. There is an interesting contrast of building styles and quality of construction.
The edge of the brick house in the right corner of the above photo is getting a patio. I was taken with the method used to put on the roof. Also interesting to me: most buildings that have columns begin with four, not necessarily equal, lengths of rebar. The rebar are set in and then bricks or other surround materials are added until the column is the height desired. Building on the column then stops and various portions of rebar are left sticking up out of the structure. This is common throughout Mexico. The lovely home we are staying in has rebar lengths atop all of the columns in the brick walls.
We stayed in a corner room and directly next to our little outdoor deck area was this electric pole. The wires were strung right next to the building making standing on the other deck impossible. I am familiar with overhead wire (Reno Midtown residents, don’t you know) but this was a bit close for even me.
I love the fact that Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo are on opposite sides of the 500 peso bill. BTW: at the current exchange rate 500 pesos is approximately equal to $25. You should see the bundle of money the ATM spits out when we go to get cash!
Before leaving town we walked over to Los Arcos for a bite to eat. As we stepped up and down along the sidewalk I couldn’t help but think of my father, Roy, who was a mail carrier. He would have immediately commented on the curbs to be navigated. Turns out each storefront or building owner puts in their own frontage, thus the variation.
Bob ordered a rum and Coke and was amused by the way it was served. No ice, of course – by request. There are still water precautions to heed.
I ordered a coffee meil (coffee with cream). Our gracious server made a real point of bringing me cream – a packet of powdered Coffee Mate on its own saucer. So adorable.
And we are finally on our way back to Guanajuato. It is about a 4 hour drive, and we took different routes down and back so we had lots of time to take in the various cities and expanses of countryside. We drove through Morelia, the capital of Michoacán, on the way down. Morelia is a large city and currently experiencing rapid growth which puts it at odds with its historical roots and there has been controversy about how native forests are being overtaken. We were especially interested in seeing the beautiful Spanish buildings, most made of pink granite, which the area is known for. I believe my favorite building was the Palace of Justice; isn’t that a nice name for courthouse?
Wondering where your strawberries come from in January? I am guessing it might be from one of these huge agri-business areas. In addition to the miles and miles of green houses, we passed roadsides stands that tempted us with “Fresas and Crema” (strawberries and cream). In many areas it felt like we were in a major California produce zone. One of our biggest surprises along the drive was the expansion of corn farming. It has been about 20 years since we spent a significant amount of time traveling through Mexico and the changes are notable. So much more mechanization and commercial farming. Dekalb and Pioneer corn signs are ubiquitous; huge corn shelling operations and storage silos frequently dotted the landscape.
And finally, another agricultural product – blue agave. We drove through one of the main areas for tequila production. Though not a drinker of tequila myself, it was interesting to learn about. The majority of agave is grown in the state of Jalisco, where the town of Tequila is located. The drink, tequila, has a “domination of origin status” (think Champagne or Manchengo cheese) so any liquor that says tequila on the bottle must be distilled (though not necessarily bottled) in government-designated areas of Mexico. In addition, tequila that is sold in the states must be 41%. Tequila sold in Mexico is 37.5%. Most distilleries bottle many different brands of tequila and the quality and price can very greatly – and a higher price does not guarantee a better drink. More than you wanted to know? But, if you are interested in further information, here is a site that I found helpful: Taste of Tequila
León: the largest city in the state of Guanajuato with about 1.5 million people; very industrial; known for leather goods. Also the location of a very good Mac Store which helped me solve my USB port issue so I could use my photo card to get pictures uploaded for the blog – Whew!!!
Aside from the relief of having my technology working again, the brightest part of our day was a visit to this jewel of a museum.
We were greeted by this massive sculpture at the entrance to the building.
And the architecture of the museum itself is stunning. It reminded Bob and I of C.Y. Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State University in its use of form-marked poured concrete and wood slatted ceilings. We even checked to see if it may have been the same architect – nope.
Our first stop was the Sala de Cultural Regional. The Iowa theme continues – corn (el maiz).
Corn goddess.
This gorgeous mural portrays the role of corn in community life. I think the figure in the center is mesmerizing. That face.
But this … the little babe in the pack with legs sticking out on each side. And the tranquility of the child holding both the babe and flowers. So lovely. (And be sure to notice the young girl has a dog to care for as well.)
The section of the exhibit that displayed early artifacts had this intriguing representation of madre and nino.
One of the featured exhibits was by Jorge Yazpik, a conceptual artist whose focus is materials and form.
If I could have purchased one piece, this would have been it. Beautiful from even angle.
The highlight of the tour was this beautifully curated exhibit, and of course photos were not allowed. There were samurai costumes and glowing illustrations on paper but the end-of-show pieces that were a fusion of Japanese-style painting of Mexican motifs was incredible. Very modern yet classically recognizable.
Our final stop was El Canon Griego – reproductions of “33 important Greek and Roman sculptures”.
Yes, there was Winged Victory and Clio, the Goddess of History, but who doesn’t love a good interpretation of Child with Goose? Remember this is one of 33 important sculptures!
As we left we walked though the Jadin do las Escultures – my weakness, a sculpture garden. The photo at the beginning of this blog post is one of the cubes from this piece.
There are no flat lands in Guanajuato and it has been interesting hiking up and down throughout the neighborhood. We try to get feet on the streets at least once a day and that has meant lots of stair climbing. The rental home’s owner claims we walk up five flights to our entry but it certainly felt like more, so we did a bit of math. The winding road up to the house is pretty much 50:50 steps and ramps. We counted 75 steps. At a rise of 8 inches each (on average) that comes to 600 inches in all, which equals 50 feet. Figuring 12 feet per story that means the steps alone make up 4 stories; add in the ramps and we are probably closer to 8 stories. No wonder we have been feeling exhausted when we get to the top!
And while we are on the subject of math, remember the adage, measure twice; cut once? Seems not to be a guideline for the person who was responsible for the preparing the footers on one of the houses across the way from us.
I am thinking that this is more a case of using what is available, but the entire operation looks a bit shaky (literally) to me.
There is a lot of building going on in our neighborhood right now. We enjoy sitting on our deck watching the crews and marveling at how they get things done.
This fellow has loaded concrete block on his back and will carry it up about four levels to where they are putting up a wall.And the other day these bags were filled from a sandpile near the curb and stacked for manual transport. The bags were to be carried up, dumped by the concrete mixing area and brought down for refilling. It is quite a process. The guys (we have only seen guys) are so strong and hard-working! This load of bags was already carried up by the time we returned from our market outing – no more than an hour.
We imagine what it would have been like to build the home we are staying in. We have admired the construction and craftsmanship and can only wonder at the manpower involved. Interestingly, we have also noted that many of our outdoor walls are still being built as they were way back when Mayans contracted their buildings.
Concrete between large rocks has small chips of rock and brick embedded in it. This construction technique is one of the ways they can date the Mexican pyramids.
Warm greetings from central and mountainous Mexico. We have been here about 24 hours and are pretty settled into the rental property. It is an architectural delight; totally worth the 5 flights of outdoor stairs and walkways it takes just to get to the front door. Once inside there are three uniquely configured floors (bedrooms on first level, kitchen and living area on second level, outdoor patio/balcony on third level.) Needless to say, we have had to admit to our lack of cardio fitness and are hoping that daily trips into town will soon make it possible for us to go from the street to our kitchen without losing our breath. FYI: For you design types I will be posting some of the features of the house as the blog unfolds.
After two trips up and down the hill unloading we actually decided we had enough stamina left to venture out for dinner in town. Our hostess recommended a lovely French Restaurant that was less than a 15 minute walk from the house (more up and down steps, of course). But she was right, the food was excellent and we got a kick out of the Edith Piaf recordings playing in the dining room.View from our dining table out onto the plaza. The restaurant is on the third floor of a building right next to the Teatro Principal. The area was teeming with people – many families and young couples.On our way back we stopped for a bit at another plaza – just to watch the world go by. Everyone who passed greeted us with a “Buenos Noches”. It was lovely.
Today was about practical things: finding a grocery store so we could get staples and a trip to an ATM so we could finally operate using pesos. Our host took us on a car tour so we could get a feel for the layout of our area of the city. She is very familiar with the tunnel system (cars go under, not though the center of the city) so that was a great help, even though we will mostly travel on foot. She also pointed out some good restaurants, parks, and entertainments. Tomorrow we plan to go to Mercado Hidalgo for more local foods and flavors. After that… who knows!?!
A final image that struck our fancy. When was the last time you saw a pay phone in the USA? I have always loved taking photos of them as we have traveled throughout the states and in other countries; thought the opportunity to capture them was over. Maybe not…
We set out west this morning for some wine tastings and a happily anticipated family wedding celebration in Santa Barbara. Homer, our trusty motor home is our transport and lodging.
We do our time on I-80 and turn south on I-5 towards our initial stop in Paso Robles when one of our tires succumbs to the plethora of serious potholes on the road and we have… tread separation.
This equipment failure is not new to us, but here is how today was different: Bob knew we were in need of a tire change so we travelled slowly along until we could get to a gas station. Voila! Upon arrival at our first available service point we pull up to the pump and Bob spots a highway patrolman parked at the adjoining island. Bob approaches and says, “Just the man I have been looking for.” And the patrolman says, “What did I do wrong?” (Already, you have to love this guy for his humble wit. And his demeanor totally made it work.) Bob explained our plight and asked about a tire store. The patrolman got us information on the nearest place – Billingsly Automotive – complete with address and phone number.
We s-l-o-w-l-y head on down the road and shortly thereafter are aggressively flagged down by a cowboy-hat wearing gentleman (literally standing in the middle of a traffic lane) who is wanting to make us aware of our tire problem. And while this roadside exchange is going on another driver stops and asks if we know that one of our tires is failing.
And THIS IS THE MOMENT. We are in jeopardy and an array of totally unrelated souls reached out on our behalf. It was so personal: being the beneficiary of non-obligated kindness.
And yet – there is more. The head dude, Pat at the tire store we have been directed to, has tires to fit and arranges to do the replacement as soon as we arrive. He will also have a matching pair of tires ready for Homer’s other side before we make our way back up the coast and home to Reno. He has gone the extra mile to make things work for us. (And he is funny and has a sly drollness that sings of familiarity.)
How to explain this? I won’t try. I am caught up in the deliciousness of the goodness that surrounds us. Namaste.
The inner view of our fated tired: broken chords. Now mended in human accord.
Since we first came to Reno we had been hearing about this amazing opportunity – a culinary class taught by chefs flown over from Italy. But the catch – the venue only seats 40 people and attendance is determined by a random drawing. Well, you know the old saying, “You can’t win if you don’t try.” So try I did. And we were chosen!
Part of the fascination with the class is it’s location. The kitchen/dining facilities are in a historical mansion which was designed by Fredrick deLongchamps, Reno’s premier architect. It is currently home to Arte Italia, a foundation whose goal is to commemorate and perpetuate Italian culture through the exploration and conservation of culinary and visual arts.
Built in 1914 for Joseph Giraud, a local sheep rancher, this home has been the site of a number of restaurants and was the first building on Reno’s Register of Historic Places.
Without knowing who would be teaching the class or what the menu would be we immediately sent in our reservation request. As we walked into the kitchen we saw that our teacher for the evening was already at work.
Master Chef Marcello Spadone is a contemporary Mediterranean chef who ties his Michelin-starred La Bandiera menu to the traditions of Italy’s central Abruzzo region.
While waiting for the other participants to arrive we enjoyed small bites and wine. We also looked over the menu and the accompanying information pages that listed the various ingredients that would be used throughout the evening, many familiar but others not (eggplant powder?).
The appetizer, Eggplant Parmesan – Revisited, turned out to feature one of my favorite ways to serve dishes – deconstructed. Always a fan of eggplant, I was eager to see how this would play out. In Chef Spando’s restaurant this dish is served in a hand-blown sugar “bowl” that looks like a baby eggplant. When the ingredients are layered inside the “eggplant” falls open and reveals the luscious interior elements; grilled eggplant cubes, buratta cheese, Parmesan chips, oven dried tomatoes, fresh basil and oregano.
As the chef prepared the dish we watched the chef’s son create the eggplant-shaped sugar vessel. The dish comes to the table with the shell intact but cracks apart as the warm insides cause the shell to crack.(Note the speckled pieces to the upper right in the photo.)
Because it would be impossible to make 40 candy shells and be able to serve in a timely manner, we got our eggplant parmesan in glass globes. We were able to admire the lovely layers and we also got the addition of a light foam on top. (Foam – a topic for a complete blog post! Don’t get me started…)
On to the first course: Duck a’la Orange Tortelli with BlackTruffle.
Watching the chef make the pasta was great fun. Truthfully, the duck stuffing took longer to create, but the hand-working of individual pasta, done well, is quite a show stopper. The chef to the left is Chef Philippe Léveillé, from the El Dorado here in Reno. He choses the visiting chef and does much of the translation during the class.This is the beautiful bowl of food that was set before me. The black truffle, which the chef brought with him from Italy, was milder than I have had before and the touch of orange in the duck filling was a perfect way to cut the richness of the dish. The sauce is a simple (though not low calorie or low fat!) combination of Parmesan cheese and whipping cream with a bit of demi-glace. The pasta was incredibly thin and seemed to practically melt in the mouth.
On to course number two: Chicken and his Grain. The chef created this dish as a whimsical tribute to chicken as a food source. The grains on the plate represent all of the things chickens would eat as they are raised. (Of course we are talking locally-raised chickens as used in Chef’s restaurant, not those from poultry facilities. If the latter we would have had some sort of manufactured kibble strewn about.)
The chicken breasts were lightly grilled and then finished off in the oven. The dark meats portions were made into croquettes. Our table participants had quite a discussion on which meat serving was their favorite. Interestingly, it split 50-50.
And on to dessert: Ginsing Creme Brule with Almond Sorbet and Dill Broth.
This is the dish that threw me a bit. Though I am more than fond of creme brule, the ginseng was too much of a flavor profile for me. The ice cream, however, was sensational. And I am still not sure where I stand on the dill broth. The fragrance was robust but, when tasted, it didn’t have much punch. It was suggested we could drizzle the broth over the dish or use it as a palate cleanser. I did a bit of each, drizzling to see how it affected the taste (minimally) and then saving some for the end of the course. I was glad I did the saving as the dill was a nice counterpoint to the lingering ginseng flavor.
So – what will I take away from this class? Appetizer round: I learned a new method for oven roasting eggplant and I am still not a fan of foam. First course: I will definitely make the simple pasta sauce but it will be quite a while before I make my own pasta. Second course: Our Thanksgiving plates may have a new look this year. Bring on the popcorn! Dessert course: Old bread, crumbled and combined with a bit of brown sugar and butter, makes a scrumptious topping using things I typically have on hand. I also want a browning torch.
So – with apologies to those who are tired of seeing food photos, this ends the tale our adventure. Except to say that, as a dietary correction, it’s green salad for dinner tonight!
It was on our bucket list. We entered the lottery for tickets three years running. We bought and totally refurbished a motor home just for the event – and finally…finally… we were on our way!
Down the road we go in Homer, our beloved Odyssey motorhome. Our trip takes about 2 hours and we get to see lots of scenery that looks pretty much like this.Getting close to Black Rock playa, the dried lake bed of ancient Lake Lahontan. More than 100,000 years of lake sediments form the white playa and surrounding basin. It only takes a 5mph wind to raise dust clouds/devils that skip across the surface of the dried bed.Traffic lanes, eight wide, are set up from the main road into Black Rock City. At times those pesky dust devils rise up and it is like driving in a white-out. You cannot see the front of your vehicle, much less the cones marking the lanes – which have already turned from orange to dusty white.In line to go through the checkpoints: tickets and car tags, vehicle inspection (no forbidden items or stowaways in Homer!), and the information post where we get updated maps and a book listing the hundreds of offerings we can participate in during our stay.Map of Black Rock City (BRC from now on). Blue areas are theme camps. The brown area in the center and ranging outward is the space for art installations. The circles are blow-ups/insets explaining what you will find in the plazas within the grid. It took us a while to figure all of this out…as you can imagine.After a drive to check out the neighborhoods we decide on a spot for our campsite: just down from the intersection of 6:30 and Kundalini. It is almost straight out from Center Camp, which makes getting around very convenient – especially since we will be doing it on foot of by bike.View from our “front yard” down 6:30 street and onto the open playa where the art is aglow for the night. The white-lighted center structure is the Burning Man installation.It’s Tutu Tuesday! I am off to a meditation class followed by some biking around the central playa which is home to most of the 270 pieces of art. Yes, I have on my sunscreen. And I have my camera, and a bandana in case of dust; my water bottle was still chilling when the photo was taken but was definitely on board when I headed out. In addition to what I brought with me there were plenty of offers of food and drink along my route. One of the principles of Burning Man is gifting and generosity is abundant throughout the community.The vastness of the art and the range of patterns coming from above were amazing. I struggled with finding a way to photograph the overwhelmingness of it all.Another perspective on playa art; dust devils add to the moment. The Temple is in the center of the photo. Off to the right is the Tree of Tenere. It is such a monumental piece – 90 people can sit in the limbs of the tree. I was thinking this would help give a sense of the scope – but I am still not sure that is doable.More dust is being stirred up…but that does not stop anyone from being out experiencing the sculptures – most of which are interactive: climbing, swinging, playing music, moving parts, writing messages, dancing, etc. Photo was taken from the base of The Man, looking back into the community space.Dust storm getting serious…The neighborhood watches as the storm approaches.Within minutes of arriving home the dust arrives at our “front door”.And after the whirlwind we head out for the evening.The reward for a blustery day.Another afternoon of appreciating the art: The Temple. The figure to the left is a mobile art piece. She roamed the playa, dressed differently each day. She also attracted an entourage of bike riders.A close up of The Temple.People gather at The Man.The Man – close up. Each of the art pieces are also feats of engineering. To realize that they are brought in and erected no more than 30 days prior to Burning Man is mind-boggling to me. I have been telling people that I was gobsmacked – but I think I need a new and bigger word for it all.One of the camps that struck our fancy.Humor on our walk back from Center Camp to Homer.A collection of our fellow Burners.There is an international flavor to the community.The the sun sets on another day of BRC experiences.Once more – out to see art.Who doesn’t love a good flamingo piece?Art cars are a great way to get around the playa. And they are a delight to behold. These vehicles and their faithful drivers are on the move pretty much 24/7 providing both visual interest and access. They are critical modes of transport for some of BRC’s citizens but sometimes they just traverse the streets to spread good will and cheer.The “eggs” inside the hen are beanbags for those who want to lounge and enjoy the view.It is a good thing that lighting plays a big part in the art displays as this sculpture’s beauty is masked by dust. If you look closely you will see the blue stained glass panel on the trunk of the tree. At night the lights shine through and it is stunning. In the day the wind chimes compensate for the loss of color – what a brilliant balance.Couldn’t resist capturing this lovely moment between Burners…And as the dust settles – literally – we reflect on the experience.
Glad we did it? Absolutely! Do it again? Maybe. As in most things in life, it’s relative…doing Burning Man in our 60s has to be different than doing it in earlier decades of life. We also know we have been blessed with an wealth of experiences – coming of age in the 60s/70s, protests, rock’n’roll, SF with Bill Graham and Grateful Dead crowd, MN wilderness camping, overseas travel, diverse and talented friends.
For those of you who are intrigued – hop on the Burning Man train at least once. I believe there is always something to be learned through novelty. But be warned: they are looking to raise the population of BRC to 100,000. (Nerd that I am, I went to the Earth Guardians Camp for a lecture by a National Park Ranger. The topic was the ecology of the playa and the impacts of Burning Man. I learned that Desert Research Institute is doing an impact study to figure out how to increase numbers.)
Stay hydrated. Keep an open mind. Reserve judgement.
Don’t you love it when things you enjoy doing cycle back unexpectedly into your life? That is what happened to me yesterday. I was asked to work the wardrobe call for Che Malambo, an all-male Argentinian dance company which was performing during Artown. (Check out their video: Che Malambo)
Background: My first wardrobe duty came in 1974 with Disney on Parade, originally when they were touring in the states and had a week-long stop in Ames, Iowa where I was finishing undergrad work and working at the arena they appeared in, and then later in Mexico. Such fun times! It was during the Mexico leg of the tour that my Bob (who had also worked with the company in Iowa and subsequently taken a job as the unit’s Technical Director) and I become friends and, in a parking lot in Mexico City, decided we would marry. (There is still some discussion about who proposed to whom.) We have a special place in our hearts for all things Disney and can still sing parts of “It’s A Small World After all” in Spanish.
Second wardrobe stint was in 1982 (married, two children; back in Iowa) and a Broadway touring company of “Annie” was playing in Des Moines. It was as much fun being backstage as I had remembered. In an interesting twist, they had just had one of their wardrobe crew leave and they asked if I would like to join them for the rest of the run. (Who knew those Home Economics classes would pay off in such an interesting way???) Flattered as I was, it was a offer I could easily refuse and happily head home to my guys.
So yesterday brought back sweet memories. The steaming and ironing and mending and button sewing amidst the activity of rehearsal, stage set-up, and sound check was still as much fun. In the evening I sat in the audience and watched Che Malambo perform their amazing dances and routines. It was a fabulous show that included effects from Mother Nature as storms rolled through behind our venue. With all of that going on I still could not resist thinking to myself, “And I pressed Pancho’s pants.”
Majesty. Name inspired by the purple of our mountains. And, yes, that is a cup holder. Hooray!
It was a fun weekend at our house. In between Artown activities we got serious about our lists for Burning Man: food, clothing, shelter, transportation, what to bring to share, etc. The food list was not too perplexing as we have done quite a bit of wilderness camping, spending anywhere from a week to 10 days in the Boundary Waters Area in Minnesota. Shelter was straightforward as we will be lodging in Homer, our Odyssey motorhome. (Though we did put exterior painters tape on our purchase list because there will be spaces to seal up against the inevitable playa dust.) Additionally, I ordered a new sleeping bag as our last ones were donated when we moved from Virginia. And Bob did his Amazon thing and ordered firefly lights for the canopy.
Transportation was next, and we both agreed that taking our around town bikes out into the desert was not a good idea so Bob jumped on Craig’s list and found us some wheels. Ironically, these bikes have already been to Burning Man (contrary to us newbies) and even came with lights.
Bob’s wheels: the Playa Flyer (or so he hopes!)
As many of you many know, there are 10 Principles of Burning Man. Burning Man Principles
One of them is Gifting: “Burning Man is devoted to acts of gift giving. The value of a gift is unconditional. Gifting does not contemplate a return or an exchange for something of equal value.” I am collecting a satchel of goodies to bring along. I also have an art project (of sorts) planned and there may be some gifting related to this as well. More on all of that later in another post.
