Living and Boondocking in Mexico

Newcastle And The Vampire Rabbit

2026-04-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

We reluctantly left Edinburg. We enjoyed many things. Among those were the architecture, history, food, and warmth of our hotel room. The weather this year has been brutal, according to the Brits we have talked to. A lot of on and off again sun and rain, warmth and cold.

We hit the roads, both highways and winding country roads. We saw more road traffic than ever. Being retired with no real set schedules, we have forgotten those routines we had drilled into us for so many years. Spring break is everywhere in the world, and here in the U.K., vacationers are on the go. RVs filled the roads along with the very popular car-top popup tent rentals.

We had no issues finding our apartment in Newcastle. Driving in the U.K. has now become second nature. We found parking in front of the apartment. Not the nicest of cities or the cleanest. However, each rental seems to have more positives than negatives. A nice two-bedroom with one of our best kitchens for preparing meals. Super good heating and comfortable heating. Again, I planned it so we were just two blocks from a bus line direct to the city center.

Newcastle has a population of 330,000. In a local museum, we read that the population in 1880 was 220,000. I thought that the difference was quite low.

We always check for the quirky things to see and do. There were two, and one was the Phil & Lit Library. Built in 1793 for a members-only meeting place where taboo subjects would be discussed, among those natural philosophy, or what is referred to as science today.

Phil and Lit is not a public library but a membership, just as it was started. It is the second-largest library in the U.K. In the basement, members only, is a crescent-shaped meeting hall. This meeting hall is where new scientific creations were presented. In 1879, Sir James Swan displayed the first light bulb and later. the first illuminated public space.

Inside the library a few finds, and one of them is two wall clocks. I was a clockmaker's apprentice in high school. Juan calls me the human clock. I can pretty much tell him the time pretty accurately without checking.

1880s Fusee 8-day clock.

Another "quirky" sight is the Vampire Rabbit. The statue was placed atop a doorway on a building in 1901, behind the cathedral. Legend says it watches over the cemetery to scare off grave robbers, years before. In the early years, three teens were found dead in the early morning hours with bloody and scared white faces. Another event found a known robber dead in the doorway, with the rabbit looking down.

St. Nicolas Cathedral was built in 1091.

This tablet commemorates the free lectures in the 1840s. Space was provided by the church for people to gather and discuss many subjects besides religion.

Grave markers of those buried under the church floor.

After renovation efforts, the riverwalk has become a place for tourists and locals. Many new businesses have opened up offices. This is the Glasshouse International Centre For Music.

We walked down by the river the next day. Since the 1500s, the river has been used to transport goods. By the 1800s, like in most parts of the world, new things were being invented. In Newcastle, it was steam locomotives, shipbuilding, and weapons. However, like Detroit, the decline came, and most factories, warehouses, and shipping came to an end.

Another great bottle of wine that we picked up on sale for less than £4.

I have yet to try haggis, but I'm willing. I need to find a breakfast plate or a type of roll that has haggis. They sell it in the markets, but I don't want to buy too much of something we might not like. If I remember correctly, haggis is made of a mixture of blood, liver, and barley. We grew up with blood sausage that was homemade in our neighborhood. In Mexico, we have morcilla, a dried version of sausage.

The Grainger Market is Newcastle's city market. Like most we've visited on this trip, there are small shops that sell clothing, food stalls, and, more than others, fresh produce, meats, and cheese. We bought a huge slice of Camembert that was delicious. It went well with wine on two occasions. It would be easy to say that 80% of the stalls or shops were dedicated to food items; Thai, buns, sausage rolls, smashed burgers (always makes us grin), and pastries.

The entrance to Chinatown. We really enjoy Chinese food, and when we saw this, we thought we had hit a goldmine. As we walked through, most of the restaurants were permanently closed. People we asked said that the economy was heavily affected by COVID, and they never reopened.

There is always more to bore you with, but we have fun doing all of these things. We've learned so much about the U.K. and its people. It explains much about our friends who are from England and Scotland, and why they are so friendly.

Edinburgh, Scotland A Magical Place - Even In The Snow!

2026-04-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Edinburgh is a very expensive city. We were very undecided on where to stay, and we looked for places outside the city. No go on that. We chose a hotel, and as all things go, once you arrive, you can find even more, less expensive options. You win some, and you lose some. We had a nice hotel near the airport with great transportation. Free parking is almost non-existent. Street parking runs from £7 to £15 (9.50 to 20.00 USD).

The hotel has to pay for parking, which they pass on to the guest. However, upon registration, they have a tablet where you can enter your license plate number, and that will be good for the three-day stay we had. The hotel was very luxurious and comfortable. It made us rethink our future strategy for travel. In fact, we are currently in Newcastle and heading to York tomorrow. We will be in a hotel there as well.

The hotel is 10 minutes from the park and ride for the tram to downtown. The tram only runs on one line. You can transfer to buses along the route. I would bet to say, although I haven't checked, the city is built around the tram. You pay with contactless (debit/credit). If you tap on and then off again at each station, you will have the daily rate of £5.50 for the day. If you don't tap off, you lose the deal. Park and ride is free parking, but the bus, tram, train, and parking in the U.K. is a huge moneymaker.

In the city center, there is a below-ground mall. I took this picture for a niece who has a similar coffee and ice cream shop in Monterrey. She now does events as well and is always looking for new ideas.

You probably know the tourist in this picture, enjoying his retirement and the views.

On our first day, we were off to the center of town. What a beautiful city, and one of the cleanest we have seen. The dirtiest and most littered is Newcastle. Liverpool was second in that category. There is a park that runs through the center of the city. It was 4 °C that morning and cloudy.

They call these winding staircases a "close".

It soon turned very windy to the point that the rain had started but you couldn't use an umbrella. People were running to take cover. We ducked into a Burger King for a coffee to review our plan. We moved to the front window to people-watch, and to our surprise, there was a snow flurry.

The wind had slowed down, so we headed to an indoor spot. The National Gallery was a good place. It was warm and dry. We spent a good two hours there with some great art and history. I'll only post one or two, but some interesting stories.

A monument dedicated to the writer and poet Sir Walter Scott

Balmoral Hotel 1902

The nine-hundred-year-old cathedral of St. Giles is known as the mother church of Presbyterianism. St. Giles or Aegidius was born in Greece and moved to France. He is the patron saint of the disabled and lepers. Outside on the ground is a heart-shaped figure in the walkway that marks the place of what was once a prison. Scots will spit on it for good luck.

Thousands of tourists are taking photos, videos, and selfies.

The next day off, we went to the city center. This time to see the castle. It is so Disney-like, and it sits high on the hill.

Being Easter Sunday, there were quite a lot of tourists. They were heading for the castle, but we wanted to save it for day two. Something I would have never expected to learn is that the castle is built on top of a 350-million-year-old extinct volcano. 1100 years old it has served as a fortress, residence, military base, and a prison. The castle has been the place of over 26 major battles and was the point of independence from England.

After, we returned to the hotel. Tesco is everywhere, and they come in all shapes and sizes, from superstores with a cafeteria to express stores (convenience). Next door to the hotel is a superstore as well as a restaurant. We were tired and had put on about 15,000 steps, so we ordered some fish and chips to go from Crab & Lobster. It's the only one in the U.K., but they are going to build another. This is the best fish and chips ever. In fact, the night before leaving Edinburgh, we went there for dinner.

Some advantages of the hotel: they deliver ice to your room, fresh towels and linens, they clean the room, and you don't have to prepare meals. We had our "Mate" with us to keep our ice, vodka, cheeses, and milk cold. Our rule is, "never do without".

As we left Edinburgh and headed to Newcastle upon Tyne, we took a coastal route, and sure enough, there was another castle!!!!

Hadrian's Wall - High Hesket - Airbnb In A Stable?

2026-04-07T00:20:00.000-07:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

We had some good stays, but as we said in the past, Airbnb has fallen quite a bit over the last few years. We are now checking Booking.com. I prefer their filter system better. However, you cannot always contact the host for questions.

Our Airbnb for High Hekset was a rare exception. The host sent us directions, but it was only a postal code and a picture with a red line drawn to show the way from there. As you can see from the pictures below, it is a spacious one-bedroom and reasonably priced. We arrived at the postal code and couldn't identify the place.

We parked and walked around. Just about that time, here come three people leading horses down the road. I jumped out of the car and asked for help. He said that it was the right place inside the stable. We hit a winner. Buildings dating back a couple of hundred years, the stables, animals, and peace and quiet.

This is the outside of the apartment upstairs.

Around the back of the stables. A real treat for us.

Here are a couple of horses and the gate to the street. The only thing in town is an antique store. The parish is made up of three small villages with a total population of 2588. There is the church, a pub, and a primary school.

Roman emperor Hadrian began building a wall as a sign of force. Began in 122 AD, it. took 15,000 soldiers six years to finish the 73-mile-long wall. Over the centuries, the wall as well as its use would change.

For the first three hundred years thw wall was maintained as a military base to keep out unruly and barbaric tribes. It provided a psychological barrier as a way to create subservience among the local tribes.

This section is one of the commanders' living quarters.

Around 500 years after it was built, Roman's had pretty much decimated their strength and money throughout most of Northern Europe. Little by little, locals began to slowly dismantle parts of the wall, repurposing stones and gates for other projects, including castles. In the Brougham Castle we visited, tombstones of Roman soldiers were used as roofing pieces on stairwells.

Along the 73 miles, there are five different structures apart from what you see here. It wasn't until the 1800s that it caught the eye of archeologists, and soon digging and investigation began.

Next to our Airbnb in the stable is St. Mary's Church. It was built in 1530. Amazing that for 500 years people have gone to this small church for worship.

The cemetery in the back belongs to the parishioners. During the great plague, the bishop granted High Hexket the right to use the land for that purpose. I suppose to help reduce the spread of disease.

We went to the church on Holy Thursday. Women in the back set up a table to offer mass goers tea, coffee, and homemade fruitcake. They were very nice and told us a bit about the church. The altar section is original from the 1500s and over the centuries more was added and updated.

It was a great stay and a very interesting three days in the area. As always, there is so much more to tell. We are leaving Edinburgh, Scotland, today and heading to Newcastle Upon Tyne. Edinburgh has been one of the highlights of our trip. I'll post about that trip in the next day or two. The weather is looking up. Today it will be 24 °C in London and 16 °C in Newcastle. A bit warm for us on this trip. We

Castle Brougham - We May Have An Issue

2026-04-04T00:06:00.000-07:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Being a holiday weekend, we are running into a lot of traffic. Along with people heading out of town and in a hurry, there have been a few accidents. This picture shows a slow down in a construction area, which also had an accident, or as they call it, an incident. The yellow sign says that if you break down, flat tire, or accident, just wait and they will show up and there is no charge for the service.

Open highway. Although we are mostly on country roads, the maps occasionally direct us onto highways for short periods. We have yet to take a toll highway, and there really aren't many.

Littering will bring you a huge fine. We stopped to take a look at this reservoir, and this sign was posted. We see no litter on the roads or highways. However, Liverpool had quite a bit of trash on the streets.

We are now in High Hesket, a small town near Carlisle. We were headed to Hadrian's Wall, a Roman fort and wall 173 kms long. That's for the next post. We had gone to the wall yesterday, and on the way back, we stopped for gas. As we were getting ready for our turn to pump, a guy came down and started closing pumps behind each car. No fuel. We found another gas station 10 miles away. They had fuel but were shutting down pumps one by one, and there was no diesel. Diesel will reach $10 USD this week. Fuel shortages caused by speculation, a true reduction in fuel deliveries, and the tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Back to yesterday and the Castle Brougham (pronounced Broom). We were on our way to High Hesket, and Juan found this castle on our route. We took it. It was a minor charge for entry and free parking. It is an abandoned castle and in ruins, but it has a long and interesting history.

Brougham Castle was built in 1214 by Robert Vieuxpont, the only lord loyal to King John. They were powerful land owners that had at least two more castles in the upper part of England near the border with Scotland.

Over the next 50 years, the land had been confiscated and then returned to the family. Later, it was given to the Clifford family through marriage. The castle later became a military base during the fight for Scottish independence from England.

The castle was so famous at the time that King Edward visited and stayed for a huge celebration that included the consumption of 63 sheep and 8 cows. It must have been quite a bash.

One of the Clifford sons was deemed a traitor and executed. After, the castle and the land were taken over by King Edward III. During this period, the castle was robbed and ransacked on several occasions by the Scots.

The Clifford family handed down the castle to other family members over the next 200 years. Again, the family had so many castles that they moved from one to another, and Brougham became less used and fell into disrepair.

By the 1700s, it had become the shell it is today. An attempt to restore the ruins took place in the 1800s. A very creative stone mason did a superb job of graffiti by creating stones in the walls with their names and dates. In 1930, it was taken over by the government and the conservation society.

Amazing how many of the original parts of the castle survive 700 years later. As usual, some of the stones and interior pieces were taken and used in constrution of other works in the area. We have seen tombstones that are lined up and used as walls or perimeters.

Off to Edinburgh today. We found that accommodations in Scotland are very expensive, and we have chosen to stay in a hotel for the weekend. After touring Edinburgh, we will head back down the East coast, stopping near York to visit Les' niece and nephew. We met them in San Miguel de Allende earlier this year.

We've made plans for our return trip to London. The return is on the 18th. We will stay at the Ibis Hotel at Heathrow on the 17th and return the car. The next day, we will return to the Airbnb that we had at the start of our trip. We are comfortable with the location as well as the ease of heading into London Central on the train (20 minutes). On Monday the 20th, we go back to the hotel at the airport and take off for Mexico early on the 21st.

The trip has been more than we expected. The British are very open and friendly people. Every time we turn around and look for help, they are more than willing to help. More to come.

Liverpool - Beatles And the Ferry Mersey

2026-04-03T00:14:00.000-07:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

We had a great three-day stay in Liverpool. Our apartment was easy to find, right off the highway. It was a studio apartment, but pretty well equipped. The neighborhood was quiet and residential. Again, we chose a spot that was on a good bus route. We walked five blocks to the main avenue, where we took the number 10 bus straight to Queen Square, which is the center of the city along the River Mersey. The cost was $1.34, no cash, only credit and debit cards. A 20-minute bus ride and you are at the train and bus stations, Queen Square, Mersey Ferry, museums, and more. We didn't even hit 8,000 steps per day; everything was so close.

We passed through the train station to check it out. They have a shopping mall and also a drive-through pickup and drop-off for passengers. Pretty cool.

First stop was the Ferry Mersey. Who could forget such a memorable song by Gerry and the Pacemakers? I've lived with it for over 60 years now, and when I think of Liverpool or listen to songs from the 60s, it brings good memories. The lyrics were always great for me, having left home at 17 and being on my own. It was always good to return to a place where people cared for you and a place you call home.

Along the docks is the Royal Liver building and its towers. It was built in 1911 and touted as Europe's first skyscraper. There are two birds on top of the towers, Bella and Bertie. Each faces a different direction. One faces the city for protection, and the other faces the water to protect sailors.

We walked over to the Liverpool Cathedral. It looks very old, but it was built in 1911. A beautiful church, but for me it was a huge disappointment. In the interior of the church, there are no pews, only chairs set up. They have moved the chairs out of most of the center and replaced them with a children's painting area where they can draw and paint. As we got closer to the altar, I could smell food. They also have a restaurant that opens to the interior of the church, and people are actually eating in the church. They have a church gift shop but sell souvenirs of the Beatles and Liverpool, all made in China. I'm not a religious person, but that is a true example of paganism.

On the left is the restaurant, and beyond the chairs before the altar is the children's play area.

A new gated community near where we were staying.

Gotta run now. We are in the very small town of High Hekset. We visited an abandoned castle yesterday on our way. Juan saw it in the distants and we made a quick turn. Today, we are off to the Roman structure of Hadrian's Wall.

While we were in Liverpool, we did a lot of walking and passed through the famous area known as The Cavern, which is filled with bars commemorating the Beatles and the music of the 60s. We stopped for two hours at the Walker Art Gallery and Museum. Excellent presentation of sculptures. Too much to post today, but I will catch up when we can.

Hiking Trails Along The Coast Of Wales (Aberaeron)

2026-03-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

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Even though the winds have been blustery and the light rains off and on, the sunsets along the coast of Wales are incredible.

These pictures were taken just a few feet from our stay in the caravan park in Aberaeron. We didn't stay in a caravan but they have a couple of apartments on the property in a house that used to be a 5 bedroom manor and has been remodeled.

Aberaeron Harbor to Lanechaeron has National Trust property with trails that go back several miles into the hills. Some are free and others include nature guides. We chose the free trails and came across some interesting finds. We started out on the bridge from the parking area. It crosses a small river taking you to the trailhead.

I had to dip my hand in the water, and it was mighty cold. The outside temperatures were 8 °C and the winds along the coast were around 35km.

I'm not sure why they call this "common" holly. It's a beautiful, dark, and shiny green.

Many trees are knocked over by the strong winds. The taller they get, some dying or dead, with shallow roots, are susceptible to the winds.

Wild daffodils.

Juan is taking a lot of pictures for his Facebook posts.

Fungi that have grown on the root system of a fallen tree.

This is liverwort or scalewort. You see a lot of different types of moss, fungi, and lichen from the very damp and wet area.

It was nice to get out and get our shoes off the pavement and cement. The hikes we took are one of the highlights of the trip.

Wee dander round mushrooms.

The weather not being so good, most people stayed home. It made it a great hike. It was quiet, and you could hear the birds and the water along the river. A very small but nice waterfall.

The river runs through the town and out to sea. The colorful houses are everywhere. Aberaeron was a small shipbuilding town founded in 1807.

Cardiff - Saint Fagan Castle - And Off We Go To Aberaeron

2026-03-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

We enjoyed our two days in Cardiff. The Airbnb turned out to be very well-located and comfortable as well. There is a huge amount of shopping along the main avenue. We took advantage of that and picked up a few items. The bargain grocery stores are Aldi and Tesco, with many of their generic products.

There is so much to see. We try to pick two specific days and whatever else we see along the way, with time allowing. Saint Fagan's castle was a good stop. It's historic, and at the same time hands-on and fun to tour. We had to park first. They use this whacky parking machine that looks as if it is 50 years old and has never been cared for or cleaned. You pay with cash or card, and the screen is so worn that it makes it difficult, not to mention the constant use of Welsh on everything. Not a complaint, but not necessarily easy for the tourist.

They have a visitor's center and museum housed in this building. The museum and castle are free. Inside is the history of Wales and the Welsh people. I won't go into a lot of boring details, but here are some things I found interesting.

The items in this case were found in a lake nearby and date back to 100 BC. The long chain connected up to five slaves. The items were found in the 50s and used to dredge the lake and remove old vehicles that had been dumped. It wasn't until years later that they discovered their history and value.

This picture and the posting board are in reference to the Aberfan disaster in 1966. Heavy rains caused this landslide, burying a school and killing 116 children and 24 adults. The board allows people, mostly school children on tour, to leave their thoughts about the disaster. Some of the children's comments are quite amazing.

After the walk through the exhibition, we started for the outer buildings. In the 1940s, the government moved 250 to 300-year-old homes, a flour mill, a bakery, and other buildings to the grounds of the castle. They were disassembled and restored. It is really interesting. We don't have much of that in North America.

On our way, we heard this beautiful robin singing in the trees.

The houses were made from stone, timber, lime mortar, and thatch. The mill was the most interesting. The grain came down from the second story through a chute. The water wheel outside the house along the river turned the stone underneath the chute, and the flour would pour out the bottom side. We saw a very similar mill in Simcoe, Ontario.

A typical farmhouse from the 1700s.

The path leading through the grounds to the castle.

The original castle was built in 1098. It was reconstructed into a manor house in the 1560s by Dr. John Gibbons, a lawyer. He sold it a year before he died to Sir Nicholas Herbert of Cogan. Much of the construction was reused inclucing the original walls that surrounded it when it was built in the 11th century.

This Italian garden wasn't added until 1902.

I took this picture of the hedge. You can't see through it, although it is only about 50 cm thick. It feels and looks like plastic. Not sure what it is called, but it is common throughout many of the sites we have visited.

Pictures taken from the country roads we took that day. Very little traffic, but very winding and a bit difficult to see what was coming especially large semis. Sheep are everywhere, but we've yet to see lamb on any menus posted outside of restaurants. I like lamb so we are keeping an eye out for that.

Stonehenge - And A Visit With Friends From Canada

2026-03-26T01:28:00.000-07:00

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Friends of ours have been house-sitting in the U.K. this winter. While we were in Poole and looking for an ice chest, I received a message from Jane and Henry. They wanted to know if we could meet them at the bus station. They were picking up a friend. We agreed, and I sent her the location we were at, a Range store where they sell everything. I guess we'd call it a British version of a Maxi China. Turns out they were 10 minutes away looking at new motorhomes. Jane and Henry are from Ontario, and we met about three years ago. They found us on Boondockers Welcome while we were hosts, and the Boondockers were still serving Mexico. It was incredible to see them, and we chatted for a couple of hours over coffee.

Our Airbnb location in Christchurch (Poole)

What a great day. After our not-so-hot stay in Poole (Christchurch), we spent the morning and afternoon in Stonehenge. I first learned of Stonehenge when I was a young kid in primary school. We had an old set of encyclopedias at home, and we had to look up things we were learning in school. I remember it well.

We left Poole early in the morning. Our next destination is on the eastern coast of Wales, which happens to be the capital. An hour from Christchurch and two hours from Cardiff. We headed out mostly on country roads. It was a beautiful morning with blue skies and some white clouds. I've got the hang of driving now. I still feel a bit skiddish as many drivers are very impatient and drive fast. I got two horn honks in the last two days.

On our way, we passed Salisbury. From a distance, we saw an ominous church tower in the distance.

The beauty of having a rental car is that you can just pull over wherever you want. Although we were close to Stonehenge, we took the dive. This is the Salisbury Cathedral. Construction started in 1220 and was completed over 100 years later.

There are over 70 statues on the outside of the cathedral, saints, royalty, and religious figures.

Across the street is St. Osmond's Church. St. Osmond was a bishop in the 11th century and was canonized in 1457. The church is known for its stained glass windows.

We also saw this beauty sitting on the side of the road in front of Bishop Woodsworth School, which is next to the cathedral.

The school appears to be a very exclusive school for the rich, taking into account its location and its enormous size and medieval structure. Kids were coming out for lunch in their uniforms, having a good time. I asked Google about the tuition cost, and it turns out it is free and paid for by the state. How cool to go to school there!

Off to Stonehenge. We arrived about 15 minutes later. The structure sits in the middle of very large fields and can't be seen from the highway. Everything these days has become a tourist attraction in the sense of the word. Paid parking, $37 USD for the self-guided tour and walk around the structure. Well worth it, but the adventure part is lost. We decided we couldn't come all this way and not see it. So we did. These days, you can't do anything without an app. Even the parking. A worker came by and said, "Forget it, nobody checks, and the app is a PIA". So we did. Shame on us.

Buses come and go to take you on the five-minute ride to the structure. Before that, there is a very well-done exhibition with wonderful artifacts. The exhibition tells the story from what they believe is the beginning, around 4000 B.C. A burial and memorial site for the dead. 56 burial sites containing cremated remains were discovered along with tools, pottery, and the foundations of homes. Homes were in clusters, and the people at the time were cattle herders. This was about the time that cattle made their way to the British Isles from mainland Europe.

I think this is a jackdaw. The winds were so high that the birds couldn't fly; they were thrown back to the ground. One of the guards feeds the birds. The bird flew up on her shoulder, and she gives them corn flakes. Kids were more amazed by that than the megalithic monument behind them.

This piece was standing about 30 meters and one of the guides in the exhibition says there is no proof it is part of the structure, but was left by aliens. He wasn't B.S.ing, but I think he may have been.

Most of the tourists didn't stay long because of the wind and the cold. A lot of school groups of all ages.

After, we headed to our next destination, Cardiff. We found the place right off, but traffic was pretty heavy. I'll do a post later about the Airbnbs, their conditions, and the pricing. Very high. This is an expensive trip for us.

As for our desperate hunt for a "cool box," we found one at the Range store but it was £26. In Poole, we found what they call "cool bags". They are £3.95, so it works great for us. We still need a name for it. Remember the two ice chests we had, one in Spain, Neverita, and one in Italy, Maury? The issue with finding the chest is that it is considered seasonal. Finding the cool bag was the language barrier. I said insulated grocery bag, and everyone said no. On a much deeper explanation, one smart clerk said, oh, it's a cool bag! Done.

Buckingham Palace And A True Treasure The House of Commons

2026-03-20T14:58:00.000-07:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Early up and out to catch the train. We didn't leave the house until after nine to avoid the rush hour traffice. It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the station. The neighborhood is truly ethnic and you see many interesting people in different types of dress. The train was on time at 9:30. We arrived at the Victoria Train station 20 minutes later. Off to see the queen. The walk from the train is another 15 minutes. Huge crowds surrounded the palace and we arrived just as the change of guard was taking place. We saw the last few minutes. You need to get there early and wait. Unbelievable, there are so many people.

The skyline as we cross the River Thames.

The Royal Mews is the Queen's stables where the horses, carriages, and equipment are kept and cared for.

A view from behind the Queen Victoria Memorial. The memorial to the Queen was completed in 1924.

Looking through the gates at the Buckingham Palace. Originally built in 1703 as a country house, it was expanded in 1837. This was then known as the royal residence. It has 772 rooms on 42 acres of gardens, mostly daffodils and tulips.

St. James park on the side of the palace.

On our way to Trafalgar Square for a quick sightseeing, we passed this interesting building. It is the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. A club and meeting place for members, it was built in 1896. Its purpose is for chartered surveyors around the world to maintain standards and review regulations.

The London Eye is a major attraction in the city. 135 meters high, it sits alongside the River Thames. There are 32 capsules. It rotates at an average of just under 1 km per hour. 3.5 million people board this "ferris wheel" for great views of the city. We're not big on attractions, so we admired it from across the river and listened to kids asking parents to let them go for a ride!

Oliver Cromwell sits in front of the House of Commons. He was the Lord Protector and signer of the death warrant for King Charles 1st. "Tyranny to some and democracy to others".

As we passed the House of Commons we saw that they have tours. We asked some guards on the side of the building where the entrance was and if tours were going on that day. The guard asked us what our purpose was and we told him it was to see the architecture. He gave us a tip. Go two gates down, ask to sit in on a debate and you will not only see the interior but you will be able to see Parliment in action. Best thing we could have ever done. I'm sure we have all watched the news from the House of Commons as well as our own country's government in action on cable television. This was a rare opportunity for us. I'd love to do the same with the U.S. and Mexican Senates.

It was quite a process to go in with security checks and all. Once inside we walked down this great hall in a building built in the 11th century. The piked roof was added in the 14th century.

On the floor at the entrance we saw these three bronze plaques. This is the spot where royalty have lain in state. The three are Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Mother, and King Charles the IV.

I'm not getting old and shaky yet. I was writing on an old wooden bench. This is my visitor's pass for the House of Commons. I took the picture as a souvenir because they had to collect it to enter. After, they take you to a staircase and up three floors. From there you surrender all of your belongings, including cellphones. There are benches just like the ones in the Parliament for visitors to sit in from above and watch, in this case, a debate on global funds to eradicate polio, measles, and the continuing issue of poverty and famine.

In the main hall before you see the entrance to the House of Lords, eight statues line the hall. This particular statue is interesting. In 1909, a suffragette named Marjorie Home chained herself to the statue to protesting the treatment of women. They were forced to break the chains, breaking one of the spurs on the right foot of the statue.

After leaving the debate we headed downstairs. On the way to the bathrooms we passed this wall.

The plaque below says, "The wall behind the screen, which includes some examples of medieval masons, is part of Westminster Hall. The Hall was completed in 1099 and is the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster. The hammerbeam roof was completed in 1399 for King Richard II, whose white hart emblem can.be seen carved on some of the stonework inside".

As I read that, I found it hard to imagine a building of this magnitude, style, and quality being built and preserved for so many years. And to think, three hundred years later, they added the piked roof. Three hundred years had passed and yet the United States as a country has yet to reach that age.

This beautiful building is Westminster Abbey. We really wanted to visit, but justifying the $35 US to enter. We're finding in London that senior discounts are almost non-existent.

The Clock as they call it sitting next to the House of Commons. It shines from various angles depending on the sun which we are happy to say has been shining everyday so far.

Walking along the River Thames. "The Thames is liquid history". The phrase was coined by MP John Burns one hundred years ago. He compared it to the St. Lawrence and Mississippi Rivers, stating that the Thames is liquid history.

Monterrey to London - Just One Small Hiccup

2026-03-19T02:24:00.000-07:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.

Off to a good start on this trip with only one small hiccup. Woke up Tuesday morning and checked our flight, which should have left at 1 p.m. I had arranged a 9:30 a.m. pickup with the taxi. I opened Delta only to find out there were weather and crew issues in Atlanta. We had been watching it, knowing that the storm was passing through. Sure enough, we were changed to Aeromexico via Mexico City at 7:42 p.m.

There was a time not long ago that we had no Uber service where we lived. I hadn't checked in years. Well, we do now, and I checked throughout the morning. There were plenty. At 3 p.m. I called for an Uber. We had one in seven minutes. Everything went well after that. At the Monterrey airport, the person at the ticket counter told me that the plane change they had made for me was too close to get me to immigration for my sign-out. She moved us to an earlier flight and gave us aisle seats. Again, no charge for seats. It worked out beautifully.

An uneventful trip with great company, good food, drinks, and a whopper of a movie, Dead Of Winter.

Arrived in London, immigration was just a pass of the hand and facial recognition, off to buy the SIM cards, 150 gb for 35 quid (sorry, battling with the British pound sign on my laptop). Then the fun began. I've never seen so many people in such a rush to get somewhere. Literally running to catch the tube or a train. We had instructions from our Airbnb so we followed that and asked a dozen or so people along the way. Made it. We are using debit cards, so with contactless, you need to tap in and tap out on each leg of the trip. I'm waiting for the bank to update so I can check the charges, but it shows only $1.34 for the day. That can't be right.

We made it just before dark to the cottage we rented, and the host and her son are very nice. A lot of shopping is nearby in about a 15-minute walk. We were beat, but we went out and ordered some Hindu food from Royal Majal Nurbury. We shared a biryani and a wrap 140 pesos. Delicious along with the traditional vodka on the rocks. A quick glance at the news and we both had heavy eyelids. I woke up just a bit ago at 7 a.m., definitely not me.

We off today for our first adventure so stay tuned.

Survey Results And Our Decision

2026-03-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Thanks to all who answered the survey. Very few of the respondents use Google Pay. The majority use a credit card. Few answered regarding safety issues. I went to our bank, Banorte, and they were not very familiar with Google Pay in terms of the questions I presented in the survey. They are more interested in signing us up for mobile banking. The customer service rep said he would help me with the app if I was interested. I said I'd get back to him.

After, I called our bank in San Antonio. They switched me to the online banking and fraud department. They have had no issues with SSFCU cardholders and Google Pay. However, he said, I will most likely encounter card blockages from the bank should I choose to insert a SIM card from the U.K. We have done that in both Italy and Spain because it's cheaper and you get more data for much less than our Telcel travel plan.

The latest technology is the eSIM. It is downloaded without installing a new physical chip. All the information is downloaded via the app or a QR code. The issue is the IP address. If our bank doesn't recognize the IP as it does in Mexico, it could cause the card to be blocked.

Where are we now with this? We will use a debit card and make small transactions to the card as needed. We've yet to have any issues, but just for safety, it won't hurt and costs us nothing but a few minutes with online banking.

As for the trip, the flight we will be taking via Atlanta has been on time every day since the Iran issue started. We have a couple of family commitments to take care of that we hadn't really planned on. Juan's brother hurt his foot in an accident and had part of his leg amputated. We will visit him today. We have been inviting one family at a time to come for lunch or to spend the day over the last year. There are just so many in the family it is hard to fit them all in one space. We did not know Monday was a holiday (Benito Juarez) Family is coming on Sunday. We planned Sunday with the idea that they would leave earlier, as that leaves us Monday to tie up loose ends. Well, with the holiday, we don't know what will happen. Mexican culture is much different. People may show up and just decide to spend the night. Yikes!

Google Pay (Wallet) Help Us By Taking A Quick Survey

2026-03-03T08:33:00.000-08:00

To prepare for our trip we have spoken with several friends and family about travel in the U.K. In addition, we have watched many YouTube videos and we are finding that most if not all restaurants, stores, museums, and more accept Google Pay (Wallet) as well as use of cards both debit and credit along with cash. If you could take a moment to answer the "anonymous" survey it would be greatly appreciated. We value your opinions and thoughts. Thanks! Create your own user feedback survey

U.K. Count Down - And - The Aftermath Statistics

2026-02-28T07:19:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

We purchased our tickets last month. We're taking an almost six-week trip to the U.K. The plan is to spend a few days in London to get our bearings before picking up a car and heading out. We will be visiting Wales, Scotland, and hopefully Ireland. I'm sure it's not enough time, but none of us have enough of that anymore. I've planned a southern route through Wales and then up the West coast of England to Scotland. I need to check directly with the car rental, as there are many restrictions that require prior approval, plus a certificate for the ferry, along with additional fees.

Some of the sights we plan on seeing in London, the first few days are Buckingham Palace, Picadilly Square, Harrods, to name a few, and when we return to London, the British Museum and the Natural History Museum. We will be visiting two national parks, and hopefully, we will do some hiking there as well. On our route, we hope to visit Stonehenge, take the ferry across the Mersey, and stop at Tiger Bay. We're really excited about the trip.

Driving will be a learning curve, but they say it's best to start out in traffic and you can just follow along. Makes sense until we get to a roundabout, that might be a challenge. Food is another one. Maybe I'll take off a few pounds. Our trips to Spain and Italy proved to be healthy. We were in the 14,000 to 22,000 step range. I'm not sure what to expect when the fare includes beans on toast, bangers and mash, bubble and squeak, kidney pie, and so on. I know we'll do well and we are anxious to try all the local fare.

Everyone is well aware by now of what went down with the cartels. It was a complete disaster that could have been avoided had they never created Abrazos No Balazos. Its affect has been devastating to both daily life as well as the economy.

Stolen Cars

The economic impact of that one day:

$115,000,000 USD, 1 MILLION BUSINESSES AFFECTED, 4.8 MILLION EMPLOYEES (Businness adjusting their schedules, logistics routes slowing down, consumption postponed, and a perception of risk that makes everyday life more expensive)

Number of states affected in the 252 highway blocks that included burning commercial vehicles.

55 deaths (I believe it is as high as 70) that included soldiers from the Guardia Nacional.

In Puerto Vallarta alone, 200 cars were burned, 40 stores were destroyed, and this doesn't include the commercial vehicles and delivery trucks that were burned on highways. In addition, there was looting not only by locals but by Americans and Canadians. Be it a dozen or a hundred, it was an embarrassing display.

Insurance companies have announced that they will not provide new coverage for all vehicles in Jalisco, Michoacán, Colima, Guerrero, Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Nayarit, and Zacatecas. Good luck to those who may have a car in Mexico, be it on a TIP or plated in a Mexican state. The rules are changing as the days pass.

Here at home, Operativo Gran Muralla (Great Wall) was implemented. People were told to shelter in place. Santiago was empty on what is usually a busy tourist day. We had highway blockages in Linares, Allende, China, and General Bravo. People were turned back as they entered the highways to Reynosa. They were fools if they tried.

In the end, things have calmed down, but don't hold your breath. As the cartels reorganize, renewed fighting will take place.

The word on social media is that foreigners were never in danger, so many have continued their vacations. These same people say how safe Mexico is if you are a foreigner. I'm sure if it is a lack of morals or values, however, it shows very little respect for Mexican and the amount of death and damage that has occurred not only recently but over the last seven years. The problem again is the language barrier. Talk to local Mexicans, not those who cater to tourists, and ask them about disappearances, murders, and all the children buried out in rural areas. The emotional and financial effects are devastating.

Maybe tourists should spend a couple of weeks in Kyiv if they are so sure that they will not be in danger.

Nix Finding A Good Van - People Who Have Disappeared

2026-02-14T16:38:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

First things first. We've been looking daily for a van we could convert into a van camper (Class B). The search has been long, arduous, and fruitless. Many of the vans have been imported and were imported during the period of AMLO. Those laws were then deemed illegal and now that AMLO is gone you may own a vehicle with Mexican plates but crossing the border back into Mexico from the U.S. could imply confiscation.

We had this beauty picked out and decided it was time for a formal inspection. The van was perfect from the cosmetic side. The van was used to transport construction workers who remodel KFCs and Pizza Huts. These two restaurants are usually pair in the same building, and it is a Mexican corporation. The van owner is a contractor and a very nice person. The van was paneled in the back with "multipanel," a foam insulation product sandwiched between two sheets of laminate. The floor has 3/4 inch plywood and rubber matting. Looked good to me. I drove it and drove quite well.

We asked the owner if we could take it to the dealership for a complete inspection. It was there for a day and a half. We received the final answer and were able to draw some conclusions. The transmission is bad, and to find out, they would have to open it. Upon opening, if parts are broken (I don't know jack about a transmission other than Park, Reverse) they would not put the transmission back together but change it out at $2000 to $3000 USD. Other issues were suspension. Not sure how I didn't notice these things on the very short drive.

Conclusion: The vans we looked at in person and online were beat to sh-- on the interior. That was a dead giveaway. This particular van, it is now obvious that it was paneled, floored, and covered up any damage. In the end, purchasing a van for remodeling here in Mexico is out of the question. Look at how the delivery trucks and vans drive when delivering snack foods, packages, Coca-Cola, etc. They have no respect for the vehicle, and the companies do no maintenance. They drive them into the ground and then pass them on. The same holds true with city buses.

The red buses are gasoline and belong to the EcoVia route, which is a dedicated center lane on a few major avenues and requires an exclusive chipped card for the route. The green buses are the new electric buses but have been damaged and abandoned. Why? Drivers beat the shit out of these buses on streets that are in disrepair and full of potholes, racing with other bus drivers to gain more passengers.

Next topic, and one that we find very disturbing. Disappearances. For those who know our area of Los Cavazoa, the highway has five walking bridges taking tourists back and forth. Last week, there was a blitz by Las Madres Buscadores (mothers who have formed groups to find their missing children), and they are papering the cities with flyers looking for their loved ones. The government has attempted to cover up over 100,000 missing persons (actually many more). The government has now decided to remove missing persons from the lists if there is missing information; missing second last name, address, age, etc. or basic information.

If you can, zoom in on the flyers. The majority are young people who ended up being recruited against their will to work for cartels, sold into sex slavery, and we now know, unvoluntary organ donors.

The people in these pictures are dead, will never be found and never will they return home. Yet, people run around saying how safe Mexico is, but always ask on forums and FB pages about "how safe" a route is. I wish no ill will to travelers, but take precautions and be safe.

Christmas In Chiapas - Part 3 - El Sumidero Canyon (National Park)

2026-01-25T15:47:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

When the Spanish first arrived in Mexico, there were fierce battles with the indigenous peoples. Many of the warriors threw themselves off the cliffs and into the canyon, preferring death to slavery. The warriors believed they would be taken to the afterlife.

The embarcadero in the Sumidero Canyon

On this particular day, we took a tour of the Sumidero Canyon. It was much more than we had expected in many respects. The boats, the security, the length of the ride, the crocodiles and monkeys, and most of all, a very good explanation of the canyon on the part of our captain.

Our group met for breakfast at the hotel, and the tour van picked us up at 9 a.m. Off we went for a ride through the mountains. Up we went to the park that overlooks the canyon to get a view of where we were going to spend the next several hours. From the windows, we would get a peek at what was coming. We stopped at a lookout and we could see the river winding its way through the canyon.

After half an hour, we were off again, beginning our descent to the embarcadero (docks) where the boats load passengers and take off. No one was exempt from wearing a life vest, which was a good thing. The boats have giant outboard motors, V8 engines capable of going 90 kph. Our maximum speed was 60 kph, and that was fine by us. You can see in the picture below that there was some apprehension on my part!

Off we went with our group, life vests and the captain at the wheel. He was an older guy about our age and had over 30 years of experience on the river. He would make stops along the way, sharing factual information about the river as well as some sights that you'll see below.

This fern grows on the canyon wall is known as the Christmas tree because of its shape. During the rainy season it becomes a waterfall. We stopped very close to it, and water was still sprinkling down on us.

In November 2021, a German rope walker, Alexander Schultz, crossed the canyon on a tight rope. Get this, he did it blindfolded. The length across the river was 1,712 meters, and at a height of 800 meters. Talk about nuts! I'm glad there are people like that. They can do the work for me. I prefer to have my two feet firmly planted on the ground. No parasailing, hot air balloons, batwing flying, etc. I'm happy watching. No death wishes here.

The pink, brown, white, and black colors in the "Cave of Colors" within the Sumidero Canyon are produced naturally by the minerals and salts dissolved in the water that filters and runs down the rocky walls, creating vivid hues on the limestone. There were many boats on the river that day, and we had to take turns going into the cave.

This would make a great campsite! Imagine spending the night there. Watch out for crocodiles, though!

Left middle, you can see a monkey sitting in the trees. It wasn't an easy shot, and the captain hit some rocks, damaging the propeller on the engine, but not enough to affect the tour. He got things going again within minutes. Should something have happened, he would radio another boat going by, and all would be fine.

As you pass other boats, everyone gives a big wave!

As our trip was coming to a close and we were leaving the canyon, yellow flowers began to appear. These are "yellow bells" (Tecoma stans), also known locally as candox or tronadora.

National park check to make sure everyone on board has a ticket. Some of us didn't, as we have the Mexican old-age card. We waved it in the air as we stopped in front of the station, and we were good to go.

Out of the canyon now, we were nearing the end of a great tour, ride, and much, much more. Always nice to talk to people from other places. We met a couple and their son from the Yucatan. They told us what a disaster the Tren Maya has created with all of the pilings bored into the cenotes. Rust, cement, trash from the workers, and more, now lie in the once crystal waters that people use for drinking water.

Saving this picture for last. Yikes!

We got off the boat at a town called Chiapa de Corzo where we were to meet the driver to take us back to San Cristobal de las Casas. We had time for a quick snack and a walk around the town square. It was a great day. Back at the hotel we rested up and headed out for dinner.

Christmas In Chiapas - Part 2 Trip To The Indigenous Town Of Chamula

2026-01-11T16:09:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

The group decided to take a tour of the indigenous town of San Juan Chamula. We're not big on tours, but we agreed to do two during our time together. This was a good idea as Chamula is a closed town. In other words, you are a guest of the people here. We met at the hotel restaurant for a quick breakfast, and off we went down the street to the main plaza. Our contact, Raul, showed up right on time. He introduced us to our guide, and we met two other couples from Spain and Holland (Linda and Stefan). The ride was short and the road winding.

When we arrived, we got out here at the cemetery. This was a walking tour, so we weren't sure exactly what to expect. Our guide started off with the rules, and there was really only one: take no pictures unless instructed that it was allowed. No pictures of people, especially children. Should you get caught taking a picture and there are people in it, the fine is 4200 pesos, and you'll have to erase them from your phone or camera.

The name of the people and their language is Tzotzil. Their religion is a mix of Mayan and Catholicism. There are no tombs but only well-constructed dirt mounds. They offer Coca-Cola, liquor, and fermented alcohols such as "pox" (puch). Most are bilingual but always speak in their own language.

Women dress in a long skirt made of black sheep's wool. On the first days we were in San Cristobal de las Casas, we would see a few women wearing dresses, but we thought they were fake fur. They shave the wool from the animal, card it, and weave the dress. All the women wear this and nothing else. For me, it is used for long coats similar to those from the "roaring 20s" in size and shape over jeans with the tan colored construction or work boots. For the men, it is a sign of money and power. How would they know if we are taking pictures? Leaders, both political and religious, carry radios and alert others to photographers, thieves, child kidnappers, and other crimes. When the call is given, they gather and corner the delinquent and perform justice. I imagine it is probably lynching.

Off we went for a walk through the town. Like most places today, cellphones, social media, music, and lots of flashing lights dominate the small shops. There is a government office for Bienestar, which hands out money for the bimonthly stipends for people 65 and over, women 60 to 64, single mothers' pension, and money for students. That said, it is a thriving town with paved streets and many cars.

Next up was a visit to the church. Much different from what anyone would expect. Again, no pictures, no pews or seats, floors covered in pine needles, and thousands of candles, life-size statues line the perimeter, but not on the walls, in cases standing on the floors.

The statues lined up around the walls all have a mirror on their chest. Since there are no priests, only leaders and shamans, you look into the mirror to confess your sins. Pine needles cover the floors as I said, along with the candles. There is no electricity in the church, so the little light that exists comes from the candles, which fill the interior with smoke. Of course, most foreigners commented on the chance of fire. It's never happened. Americans are full of rules and what-ifs. Tzotzil women give birth to their children in the church with family gathered around and a meter or two of cloth held up to provide privacy. Chickens and sheep are also sacrificed for certain holidays or rituals.

Coca-Cola is everywhere. You find it in the cemetery, used as an offering in the church; it is more common than water. The average person in Chamula drinks 2 liters a day. Apparently, back in the 60s, a deal was struck between the cola distributor and the town leader, establishing the drink as the official religious offering.

The last part of the walking tour was a visit to a local Txotxil home. Women were weaving tableclothes and mats and in the small house, another woman had built a fire and had black beans, tortillas, and guacamole for us to eat. Although simple, it was quite delicious. My favorite Mexican food is flour tortillas with freshly cooked beans, nopales with pico de gallo. Simple always seems to bring out the best taste.

The last stop for the day was the town of Zinacantán. This is another Tzotzil community about 20 minutes from Chamula. Quite a bit different, the people are more open to outsiders. You can take pictures, but with permission. Known as the "pueblo de flores" (town of flowers), the area is known for its fresh flower production.

Two shaman are waiting in the plaza next to the church. They will participate in a ritual that takes them from the altar area of the church to the outdoors. There, they formed a circle and passed around bottles of pox.

Apart from their colorful dress, the shaman are identified by their shoes. The shoes are made with a solid wood platform and leather tops to cover their ankles and the tops of their feet.

Spaniards arrived to the part of Chiapas in the 1480s. 80% of the population can read and write but have an average educational level of 5th grade primary. Basic education and then off to work with family business or work on the farm.

The day we were there, an event was being held in the church with piñatas, fire crackers, and of course the drink. The altar is filled with saints, those taught to them by the Spanish upon their arrival. However, it is mixed with cosmovision, or the connection between Mother Earth and the cosmos.

After a day touring Chamula, we met later for happy hour, a walk through town, and then dinner out.

Christmas In Chiapas - Part 1

2026-01-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

It was that time of year again. Oh, how I love Christmas time. The Christmas tree, the lights, the overall laughter and good cheer. So many memories as a child growing up. This year, like the last few, we have gotten together with two other couples. We chose San Cristobal de las Casas for this year's Christmas. We've never been to this state before, so we were really looking forward to it. In my work travels, Chiapas was off the list because of Comandante Marcos and the EZLN guerrilla groups.

Before leaving home, we decided to put up the tree and a few Christmas decorations. I'm glad we did. Now that we are back home (both with horrific colds and flu symptoms), we can enjoy sitting in the living room and reminiscing.

Our flight was uneventful. Again, we chose to fly Vivaaerobus which has a one-way flight to SCC. The flight was scheduled for 6 a.m., meaning we would have to leave the house very early, waking up at 2:30. Not anymore. We chose a hotel at the airport which is located 500 meters from the car park. Driving and parking is cheaper than taking a taxi. No more application drivers, such as Uber and Didi, allowed in or out of Mexican airports. In a few months, the new metro line to the airport will be completed, and that will make it easier, faster, and less expensive. Everything worked as planned. Up at 4 a.m., coffee in the room, and dropping off the car at the parking. The shuttle was waiting for us (we made a reservation online). We arrived at the terminal and into the security area minutes later. We still had 30 minutes to spare, and with only one carry-on and a personal item, we walked right on to the plane, no check-in required.

I think they fudge on their travel times to improve their on-time performance. Maybe not, I'm no expert on that. The flight is said to take 2 hours and 20 minutes, but checking flight times, it arrives at 10:35. Pretty good. We don't pay for seats so we were separated this time by one row but both of us had aisle seats. We bought a coffee on board along with a muffin to share. Well worth it and much cheaper than airport food when you can avoid it.

The airport in Chiapas has recently been remodeled. Wow, what an incredible experience. Pictures do not do it justice.

Juan had booked a collective taxi, which was waiting for us. A very nice van with 13 seats. We were taken to a drop-off point in SCC and then we took a taxi from there. 350 pesos per person versus 1400 for a private taxi. Great scenery as we climbed 1,600 meters, winding and curving.

Our friend Paula made the hotel arrangements and they were the best we have ever had. They had arrived a couple of days before us and she sent me a message saying how much I would like it for its cleanliness. It is super clean and very comfortable. We shared many evening happy hours together. The owner is the best ever. A hotel started from a family home on a large lot that now has 23 rooms and a small restaurant. The hotel employees bend over backwards to help the guests and are the friendliest ever. We couldn't have found an Airbnb for that price.

The gardens are beautiful. Judge for yourselves. We met every morning in the courtyard and on several occasions had breakfast at the inn. I highly recommend the place. Three blocks to the city square, where there are historic sites, museums, and street after street with all types of restaurants and prices to fit any budget.

Arriving early in the morning gave us a chance to catch up with everyone and go into the square to get acquainted. They do have small coffee makers in the rooms. We were told they don't do much in terms of hot coffee. I carry my trusty heating coil and small packets of Nescafé and that worked well for us this trip, except for coffees out!

More to come as we experienced a trip to the indigenous town of San Juan Chamula and all its secrets and a boat ride through the Sumidero Canyon.

Thanksgiving 2025 - Christmas Is Coming

2025-12-14T14:34:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

It was a fast ten days in San Miguel de Allende. One of the strangest trips down the highway as well. Our friends Paula and Jerry are in SMA along with their friend Pat. We met Pat back in 2014 in Nova Scotia on our Canada RV trip.

It was a fun time, going for walks, visiting the markets, and showing Pat around Mexico. She stayed for a week and went home just after we did. It was interesting to get someone's view on Mexico who had never visited before. SMA is not a real picture of Mexico, only a small part, but it does show several facets of the country.

Christmas is everywhere, and you can see in the picture that it is becoming more and more commercial even in the south of the country, known for its traditional and cultural aspects. We went to the mall to do some banking, and it was well decorated.

We hadn't made any special plans for Thanksgiving, and most of our friends had made theirs weeks in advance. Canada had already celebrated their Thanksgiving in October, so we put it off. Then, one morning, I thought we could at least stuff a chicken. I rang up P & J, and they agreed to dinner. No one had to do anything. We bought a few things, and I set out cooking. Juan makes a truly delicious green bean casserole with bacon, small potatoes, and mushrooms.

I made the dressing using day-old ciabatta and multigrain from the Canadian bakery. Delicious! I don't mean to brag, but it always turns out great. Homemade mashed potatoes and gravy. It was a fun evening, and a good time was had by all.

Few things we don't like, and some things we don't buy because of our favorite go-tos. Our friend Cheryl had us over a few weeks ago and served some warmed brie with honey. It was fantastic. I decided to do the same, and it was great. Add that to the list of favorites.

Here's the bird. Turkeys this year in Mexico are very expensive. I'm glad that we didn't buy one more for all the leftovers since there were only three guests.

Homemade cinnamon rolls!

Christmas decorations give somebody a photo opportunity!

Many of the restaurants in town have become high-scale and very expensive. This is the restaurant inside the City Market. It's pretty fancy, but the prices are very accessible.

On one of our walks, we came across this iris. My mom was well-known for her flowers and flower beds. After she passed away, my sister dug up the bulbs and shared them with all of us. 30 years later, my sister still has a flower bed with the irises.

While making a reservation at the famous La Tratoria, Juan came across this photo of the fork in the avenue where the restaurant is today. This dates back to 1963. Much is the same, and yet a lot has changed.

I'm still trying to get used to the empty driveway. Good times with that RV, and it was a great place to go to for trip planning and happy hours. Oh well.

Van Builds - Hindsight Is 20/20

2025-12-03T16:01:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

An example of what we would like to do. It has to have a shower and toilet.

Hundreds of floor plans and ideas to choose from or to modify to your needs.

Now that the travel trailer is gone, it's time to move on. We've thought about a van for quite some time and have met many people who have them and watched dozens of videos. There are floor plans for all brands and models of vans, including pre-built containers that slip right into the van of your choice. From cheap to very expensive, it's all there. The main purpose is stealth, to be able to travel without being harassed or extorted by police, Guardia Nacional, and military, mostly in checkpoints.

First thing is to find a van. We considered importing a used Class B from the U.S. The problem is, our infamous president made a change to the import program. If you import a vehicle, you can have it legalized in Mexico, but you can't take it out of the country. Many unsuspecting persons who imported a vehicle crossed into the U.S. for many reasons, and upon return, had their vehicles confiscated.

I'll begin looking locally first to see what we can find. I would prefer a vehicle purchased originally in Mexico. Price is the first criterion and then year, length, and condition. I need to check on the above information about importation, as many of the vans I have found in the past were imported and may apply to the new rules.

Now on to the latest events in Mexico.

This was painted on the 10-foot-high barriers put up before the demonstrations began.

A lot is going on in Mexico right now, and that has allowed me to reflect on many things. Yesterday, the 15th of November, three important marches took place in the country. In fact, 55 cities were involved.

1) The Sombrero Movement was started by the now deceased Carlos Manzo, ex-municipal president of Uruapan. His grandmother led the march from her wheelchair in Mexico City.

2) Generation Z The mobilization adds a public dimension to the debate on generation: social participation, youth visibility, and questions of origin. Mexico's youth are concerned about their future; safety, employment, direction of the country.

3) Farmers have been on strike now for over a month, blocking major highways, especially the routes from Mexico City northbound. They are asking for an increase in the price per ton. They are about $90 US short per ton compared to international corn market shares. It's a lengthy story about a fraudulent campaign initiated by AMLO to provide more resources to rural areas, aiming to create a stronger socialist agrarian society.

Many people in the U.S., Canada, and expatriates in Mexico were not aware of the marches and the current news developments. Get with it, turn on the television, watch some local Mexican news stations, and get out the translator for the headlines. Pick up a local rag and review the headlines. Get the old head out of the sand. I know, most people really don't seem to care as they don't have a stake in the country. When Mexico heads south, tourists and expats will head north. Guerrilla wars are taking place in many parts of Mexico, and they are creating havoc: extortion, cobro de piso, kidnappings, disappearances, and tens of thousands of murders.

Our sticker was similar to this one. I recommend that people put some type of satellite pic, or GPS sticker on their vehicles. Mexican companies use them on their vehicles.

My hindsight came into play with the marches above and all the organized crime activity taking place. When we had our travel trailer, I had a sticker on the back 20cm x 60cm that had a satellite icon and the GPS letters. We didn't have an issue with bad guys attempting to push us off the road, cut us off, or anything of that nature. I took that sticker off before we went to the States in December for our Quartzsite trip. I'm wondering now if I had not taken it off, we wouldn't have been assaulted. Who knows, the whole thing is a crap shoot.

Day Of The Dead - Family Visiting Videos and Pictures

2025-11-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

We were fortunate to have visitors from the U.S. My oldest niece and her husband came this last week. They left yesterday completely exhausted. We took them everywhere we could think of sans the thermal waters and the pyramids. They would have needed a professional translator but the cost was $80 USD per person.

The main purpose of their visit was to see and understand the Dia de los Muertos, which we did. Each day we had an activity.

Dia de los Muertos in San Miguel de Allende

Trick or Treat in the Jardin. Childen and adults of all ages participate in this event. People come to see the costumes and hand out candy to the kids. Someone said we shouldn't do that but pass out toothbrushes. 😅

The next day was a visit to the cemetary and the big parade. It was huge. Thousands participated as well as thousands of onlookers. Truly an event to remember. I know we dragged our niece around for six days but we wanted them to take in as much as possible.

Parade Videos

This gives you an idea of the dimensions of the parade.

Day trip to Atotonilco, starting off with breakfast.

We took a day trip to the Charco del Ingenio Botanical Gardens. My niece is a hiking guide and naturalist. She takes groups in Ohio on backpacking trips and hikes that include meditation and natural healing. She truy enjoyed the botanical gardens.

An exhibit of the investigation, research, and life of Helia Bravo Hollis. The first female biologist who founded the first university degree program with a basis in native plants and cactus. Very interesting and informative.

Barrel cactus. It takes decades to reach its maximum size. The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. The seeds are ground and used as flour.

Calendula is used for softening the skin and for superficial burns.

Who's this guy in the greeenhouse?

Morning Glory, used for scorpion bites and a tea for indigestion.

The presa or lake at a pretty full capacity thanks to recent heavy rains.

Saying goodbye as they take their bags to the van. BajioGo is a good shuttle service. Roughly 1200 pesos for the 1 hour and 40 minute drive to the airport.

I'm so glad they found each other. They make a perfect couple!

The militarization of Mexico continues. With all the financial and personnel support, nothing is being done to combat the cartels. Abrazos no balazos, looking at ways to find the and attack the root causes 😊

12 Billion USD for military defense

Increase of 59% in military personnel. 425,000 soldiers

The military now controls the following:

Guardia National

AIFA (Felipe Angeles Airport)

Mexicana Airlines (the complete airline is run by the military, pilots, flight attendants, maintenance)

Tren Maya

Interoceanic Corridor (train that runs from coast to coast in the Isthmus)

All new hotels related to the Tren Maya

All new railines that are being built or refurbished for passenger use. (throwback to the days of the great Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz):

Sad News - End Of An Era

2025-10-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

I practically threw myself in front of it as we signed the papers. The Funfinder is no more. A couple came yesterday to look at it, and even though the price was lower than we had asked, it was a good deal and time to move on. He'll pick it up the first week of November.

I can't believe it's 17 years old. It was a cheap model. Some might remember the story. We had sold our 18ft Funfinder, but I needed something on wheels. We searched for months and found this unit on RvTrader. I sent an email, and it turned out it was the factory. They had done a trial with consignments to dealers. It failed, and they returned the units. This one had been on the lot for some time, tied up in the bankruptcy. Brand new, everything in the box for $8500, no warranty or dealer repairs. We took it. I wanted to drive to Indiana, but the snows was coming. I put it on a site where movers bid for it. Prices were all over the place and over $2500. One bid came in at $850. What! I asked the guy if it was a mistake, and he said that he used biodiesel. He delivered it to San Antonio. As he pulled up, we could smell the French fries. I sold it today for $8100! That was a deal of a lifetime.

So here I sit broken broken-hearted. We have trips planned for San Miguel and San Cristobal de Las Casas this year. Spring will take us to the United Kingdom, we're hoping. Then, we will start again. A van? A very small travel trailer to keep in Texas? We won't use a standard RV in Mexico anymore, but a van would do the trick.

Back to the headlines in Mexico. People really talk up the president. Yes, she's a woman, but you vote for the best candidate, not gender. Her approval rating is soooo high, and it's all we hear about. Of course, for those it's high. Everybody receives a check now.

65 and over, you receive 3000 pesos a month

60 and 64 women receive 1500 pesos a month

30 to 64 men with a disability receive 1600 pesos a month

Birth to 29 indigenous and Afro-Mexicans with a disability receive 1600 pesos a month.

Farmers with less than 5 acres of cleared land receive 6250 pesos a month.

Hell yes, people are happy and happy to vote too!

As Hugo Chávez from Venezuela said, "cuando los pobres dejan de ser pobres y tienen [propiedades], entonces se vuelven de derecha y viene el problema". "When the poor stop being poor and have properties, they will return to the 'right' and then become a problem. Promise them hope, give them enough to just barely get by, and they will continue to be on your side.

At the same time, the perception of insecurity has risen and continues to rise. Statistically, homicides are down, and at the same time, disappearances have replaced that higher number. One has been traded for the other. If you have disappeared and mothers are digging holes all over the country looking for their children, isn't that a pretty good sign that they are no longer living?

A Couple of Projects Finished - The Plot Only Thickens

2025-10-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

September was a long month in terms of getting things done here at the ranch. We had the cover put on the patio a few years back, but we never finished the job. It was supposed to be sheet rocked and painted but like everything else, always put off until tomorrow what you could have done today. It was worth the wait, and we are very happy with the work.

We also had some interior work done. It may look the same to those that know our house, but it was pretty much a refresh. The electrician did his thing and moved the outlets in the bedroom and also put one behind the television. No more ugly cables. Not sure why we are living with cables anyway. It must be big business. Everything should be wifi. The cracks in the walls were fixed and the bedrooms painted. Looks the same but fresh and new!

The stackable washer/dryer finally gave out. It was 25 years old, and we had it repaired a couple of times for minor issues. We didn't spend much on repairs, but it kept it going. Old reliable. A guy here in our town buys, sells and repairs appliances. I pass his place everyday on my morning walk. He had a nice used unit that comes with a lifetime warranty (his lifetime). He should be around for a few more years. New units were running 23,000 to 35,000 pesos. He let us have this one for 11,000. Works great and we should get another 10 years or more out of it. Looks new.

I saw this guy when I went for the Sunday paper this morning. What a cool Vocho. Many moons ago I had a 1972 navy blue with white interior.

The weather has changed and now we have cool evenings and mornings. We can enjoy our new patio and spend more time outside. It has been great the last two weeks on my morning walks.

The Mexican oil scandal continues taking more people with it. We are now at 11 murders and two suicides. A naval officer on the most wanted list was picked up in Paraguay. The other is still on the loose and not sure where he could be hiding. The total estimate of stolen oil and money is at 11 billion U.S. Amazing how it is dragging in Mexican port authorities, aduana personnel, and admin employees who faked documents. This is now considered the largest corruption scandal in Mexican history. In 2019, just after his election, the then president AMLO said that if there were corruption the president would have to know about it. Well, I guess he dug his own grave. We don't know where he is hiding. I just think of all the poverty and where all that money has gone. Out of the pockets of tax-paying Mexicans and permanent residents. In the chart below are senators and state governors who are still in office and trying to climb out of this scandal. Good luck fellas.

My new look for fall!

Another Day Trip In San Antonio - The Riverwalk and La Villita

2025-09-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

During our stay in San Antonio the weather was typical. High 90Fs or 30Cs. It was muggy and humid the whole trip, but that is to be expected for this part of the country. Our Airbnb had great central air conditional although a new style of thermostat we have seen more frequently.

I'm sure most of you have been to San Antonio before. It's a city rich in history, a very large lower middle class economically, and mostly hispanic. San Antonians are proud of their city and everybody knows how to get just about anywhere you want to go. The city has expanded quite a bit over the last few decades. It has five military bases. I may have mentioned that, and that affects salaries as many military retire early and still have another 20 years of work life left taking many of the higher salary jobs.

It's history dates back thousands of years and Native American tribes such as the Coahuiltecan, Tonkawa, Comanche and Apache inhabited the area. The Spaniards built a series of five missions in the area and several are state monuments today and include the famous Alamo. We have been to the Alamo a few times, mostly when we lived there and had visitors. It's an interesting place with a lot of controversial history. About that time, Mexicans began moving north as well.

Because of the heat, we held off doing too much afternoon activity and decided to lie low at home. On the Sunday of our visit, we decided to head downtown. Again, being well located, we were about 15 minutes by car, and we could have actually walked. Being a Sunday, parking was easy. Tourists are a huge draw in SAT and parking lots abound and so do the prices. On Sunday, however, street parking is free after 6 p.m. We parked next to the bus station and off we went.

Jefferson United Methodist Church

Methodist Youth Building, my photo versus a professional photographers.

Our first interesting encounter was the Methodist Youth Building around the corner from the church. The highlight is the tallest stained-glass window in the shape of a cross in the U.S. It was donated by the Porter Loring family, a San Antonio tradition in the funeral home business. It was pieced together and installed in 1950. It is 51 feet tall and made of 4700 pieces of stained-glass from Belgium, England, and France.

By the mid 1960s, the downtown area was run down, full of bars, a drug haven and prostitution. The 1968 World Hemisphere came to town and gave the city a complete facelift. It was the city's 250th anniverary and a reason to celebrate. The fair lasted for six months and included cultural and technological events. The Riverwalk was developed and became a national attraction.

We enjoyed our stroll along the river. Quite a bit to see if you enjoy people watching. The restaurants have pretty reasonable prices and we had a chance to see what people were ordering. Tex Mex was the most popular and everything smothered in cheese. The weather was perfect for sitting there and enjoying a glass of wine.

The boat rides are very popular just as they are in Monterrey. Tickets are a bit expensive but several boats passed us and they were full.

Adults: Approximately $14.50
Children (ages 1-5): Approximately $8.50
Local Residents of Bexar County: Around $12.50
Seniors (65 & older): About $11.50

We made our way down to La Villita where in the 1800s squatters built their homes. The Presidio military base was nearby and provided protection against indian attacks. Some had small plots of farm land as well.

During the Texas war of independence, La Villita became the site of revolutionary activity. Rumor has it that this is the site where Santa Ana's brother-in-law surrendered to Texas forces. In 1835 after a five day siege, the war had ended and Texas gained its independence.

The buildings you see are actually from the 1800s. This house in particular, is now a wine shop that offers Mexican wines. The owners are from Saltillo and have a wine tasting room. She gave us a tour of the house including what was the kitchen and bedroom. When she realized we weren't buying anything she politely ushered us out the back door.

As time passed, people began to settle La Villita again and Mexicans, Germans, and Americans dominated the site and Irish, English and slaves lived nearby. By the 1870s, La Villita was a thriving part of San Antonio. Small businesses and shops opened providing stone masons, shoemakers, cabinetmakers and all the skills required for building a city that was growing fast.

As time went on and the city expanded, La Villita fell out of favor. Here is a picture from the 1970s along with a comment from one of the architects who was responsible for the restoration of the area:

"When I first saw it, it was like 1926, and it was just the worst slum you ever saw. You wouldn't believe there'd be a slum in the middle of town like that--there were 26 families living in there and they had as many wrecked cars as you ever saw in your life, just piles of them."

As we walked back to the car the sun was setting and it was time to call it quits for the day. It was a fun and we both reminisced over the years we lived and have visited San Antonio. I'm sure we'll go back next year sometime.

A Place I Always Wanted To Visit - The McNay

2025-09-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Starting off, I have noticed a magnified amount of views on the blog. I've it's in the thousands now and it is not normal. If you have noticed anything different, please let me know. Also I am using a new grammar checker and the font may be changing off and on.

Another one of our visits was lunch with our long-lost friends Terry and Lupe. We worked together at Datapoint/Intelogic Trace for many years. Lupe was a facilities manager and Terry worked in the Planning department. At times, we had our ins and outs with work-related matters but always managed to maintain our friendship.

After work, I would go to aerobics class and then slip next door for happy hour. Yes, a bit of an incongruency, but it always seemed to do the trick for stress relief. As I mentioned in the last post, it was very stressful towards the end. We would meet at a place called Scandals. It didn't matter what level you were, from director down to warehouseman, we would all go there and have a blast. Sometimes, it was too much of a blast. Disagreements and agreements were settled and made there. Good laughs and good times.

Nowadays, all four of us are retired. We talked about where we ended up and what we are doing now. The girls live out on Canyon Lake. Their lives took a turn for the better after the company closed. Many didn't have it so well. One very close friend of our group, Becky, is now in a nursing home and suffers from early-onset dementia. We wanted to go see her, but Terry attempted to have a phone conversation not too long ago, and it didn't go well. But, here we are, and we were happy to have shared a wonderful lunch. It is a Brazilian espada restaurant. Excellent service and they keep bringing the swords with different cuts of meats and sausages along with a top drawer salad bar. Prices are also according to the service and the menu 😅

That was a full day and we went back home to do what I do best. A one-hour nap. We had Roku service on the boob box. I never figured it out and we watched mostly news from every other city except San Antonio. I could never find it. We're not cable guys and use YouTube for everything including live news and shows.

I was so naive when I first moved there. I had spent previous years in California just working and going to "discos" in L.A. at the time. When I moved to San Antonio, my first apartment was four blocks from this artistic wonder and I never gave it a glance, although I had heard about it. Finally, we made it a point to visit, and I'm glad we did.

The house above has been maintained in its original design with little to no changes. A new wing was added in 2008. The gardens are spectacular with sculptures throughout.

I'm glad the guard was reading a book rather than using a cell phone but I couldn't get the big lug to budge.

The next day we headed off for the McNay Museum. The building itself is worth the visit. The museum was founded by Marion Koogler. She was an art teacher and painter. Her parents died early on, leaving her a fortune from oil investments. She traveled and married a rich person. In the 1920s, she had the mansion above built. As a widow later in life, she fulfilled her dream of creating a space for the arts in San Antonio. She passed away in the 50s after having suffered pneumonia.

The museum is highly rated for a modern art museum but doesn't compete with the likes of the Louvre. There are works by Picasso, O'Keefe, Gauguin, and a rare Van Gogh.

Van Gogh, Women Crossing A Field

Christ in Exstacy by El Greco 16th Century

Aristide Maillol The Nymph 1911

(I would never do it, bu it did cross my mind,head and arms)

Guess who?

There is also some great local sculpture on display.

Too much to post but it is well worth the trip. For us it was half a day and if they didn't charge we would have divided it into two days. I like to read and research what I am seeing and get some background on the artist or the art.

Today's news is about huachicol. If you don't know what it is, it is wreaking havoc in the world of Mexican corruption. Huachicol had its start back in the fifties with the adulteration of alcohol. Buying, adding ingredients and reselling.

Millions and millions of liters.

Modern day huachicol started in 2019 with the oil industry. The president denied it was happening, but we were in Lagos de Moreno when all the gasoline stations shut down. A duct used for transporting gasoline was tapped and created an explosion that killed 137 people. After the duct had been illegally tapped and a tanker filled, the locals went running with buckets, jugs, even 1 liter bottles to collect as much gasoline as they could. It ended in tragedy.

For the last seven years, to avoid fiscal responsibility, tankers fill up at PEMEX refineries and travel to international waters before returning. It appears as if they are coming from another country. The paperwork is falsified and the contents of the tanker labeled as residuals or additives. The tax is much lower and the fuel makes it back to a Mexican port where it is then sold.

It has been in the news now for years, denied although proven by good investigative reporting. Top marine officials have been paid 1.7 million pesos per tanker that they allow into a port to unload. When the first pictures of a tanker unloading onto a line of oil tankers appeared, the official answer was that the photographs were faked.

This week, the story has officially broken and two nephews of a retired admiral have been detained. A whistleblower has been killed by someone, another one committed suicide the day before yesterday. The dominos are falling, but it is still a coverup. PEMEX is so deep in debt at this point (110 billion U.S.) that this will only break the back with government funding and investors. How many people are involved? This goes all the way up the ladder and may include the last president who denied its goings-on.

Visiting Friends And The Past In San Antonio

2025-09-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

The next day after arriving to San Antonio, we didn't waste any time. Up early and out the door we had a couple of errands to run. We're kind of picky with certain things and, at the same time, real troupers. Our Airbnb was the best, actually, one of our top three so far. However, the new thing is Keurig and pods. We're not podsters. I always carry a couple of packets of our favorite instant coffee for emergencies. That worked for the first two cups, but it's never the answer. We needed to do some basic grocery shopping, so off we went to HEB. This time we found the mega of mega HEB supermarkets. It even has a women's designer shop inside.

We picked up some coffee, filters and then headed to a thrift store we can always count on. We found a very nice coffee maker for $2.50, clean and heated up right away. We took it back home and gave it a couple of vinegar rinses and cleaned the inside well. Worked great. We didn't find any cocktail glasses or wine glasses at the Airbnb. They had some modern stuff but not good for a vodka on the rocks. We found two etched crystal glasses for $2.00.

This my friends is classic Texas Tex-Mex and it was just as delicious as it looks!

Being in Texas and San Antonio you can't do anything first thing in the day without some delicious TexMex.

We were located in a very "posh neighborhood" called Alamo Heights. What made it so expensive and posh? As San Antonio grew, the city surrounded Alamo Heights and Olmos Park. Alamo Heights is a municipality in the near downtown area of San Antonio. With no room for expansion, it became the place to be with strict zoning and what is now the best public high school in the state. An interesting place where homes first appeared after WWII. Originally small two-bedroom cracker boxes, they are now the place to own and live. Another interesting point is there are no sidewalks. When the war ended and housing projects started, they decided that the car and the streets were the thing of the future. I always say, "Who would walk in Alamo Heights anyway?" It's nice, but it's not the all to end all.

Many moons ago, when Juan studied in San Antonio for a couple of years (he also worked at the international student office and a television station), he would go on a Friday with his coworkers to Chris Madrids. This restaurant has been around for decades and was started y Chris himself. He passed way and his family has continued. The place has been updated and remodeled over the years but it still looks the same. I had never been there and after 35 years Juan said that we should check it out.

For me, everything in the U.S. is expensive except for green beans in a can. However, it was really great food! The macho cheeseburger, enough for two, was excellent. Who needs fast food chains.

I belong to a Facebook group from my job in San Antonio. I've mentioned before that Datapoint was the first to create a desktop computer. The founders, along with other tech specialists, created a museum to highlight technology and that includes Datapoint. Founded by Dave Monroe, a Datapointer who created the first videoconferencing technology, the museum has become a place for STEM students from around the state. I wanted to show Juan my first desktop. It is a 2200 terminal with cassette backup technology. So popular, although uncommon, you might see a purchase order for 100,000 of these units. At its peak, 10,000 employees globally, but then greedy and faked sales ramped up manufacturing to the point that the equipment from the fake sales was shipped to imaginary companies (warehouses), hotel rooms, etc. and the end came.

Bankrupt, Datapoint was split into two companies, manufacturing and service. I had already left seeing the writing on the walls. An investor, Asher Edleman, who is a 40% owner of the Louvre Museum, bought everything in a fire sale and it was all gone. Very good memories. I like to say that I grew up there.

Boeing also participates in the museum which houses flight simulators. You can fly a range of Boeing equipment as well as some fighter jets. San Antonio has five military bases, so it is very geared towards the military and national defense. It is very common to see B52s from Randolf Airforce Base out on flight exercises.

Interesting to see that the interns follow skills we were teaching as part of 21st Century skill training used in all walks of life that include tech skills, the 4 C's, problem-solving, and social and emotional learning (SEL).

One of the couples we wanted to visit were James and Terri. We house sat for them for several years in San Miguel de Allende. They are great people and fun to be around. They were in San Antonio visiting their son and his family. Adam is a chief in the Air Force and recently transferred to SAT. They have lived in several European countries as well. They had just arrived the week before and were getting settled in their new home. James and Terri sold their place in SMA three years ago and moved to Conway, AR. We got together for a fun and entertaining evening at their Airbnb about 5 minutes from ours.

One of the many highlights of our visit that night was seeing our housesit kid Mompita. She is an incredible little being and she went crazy the minute we walked in. I couldn't leave her alone.

Still much more to come, but a small commentary.

The state of Sinaloa and especially the city of Culiacan has been under siege by rival cartels now for over a year. As of June 2025, Culiacan has the perception of insecurity. 90% of the population say they feel insecure. The violence has led to over 1500 "known" murders. We'll never know how many innocent or criminal victims are buried somewhere and will never be found.

Thousands have disappeared and of millions of pesos have been lost and businesses have closed. Yesterday there was a shootout between rivals in front of a kindergarten, leaving the children and parents terrified. The victim was left hanging in a doorway for all to see. Most schools are open, but students are not attending.

This morning, we saw the news about the kindergarten shootout and the government comment was that they continue to send in reinforcements, tanks, patrol vehicles, troops and more equipment, such as bullet-proof vests. I got to thinking about this, and I looked up the government price for a bullet-proof vest purchased in bulk pricing. The cost is $1325 US. Imagine the cost associated with fighting the cartels? Had we continued the fight against them that President Calderon started near the end of his term, we may have had much better control.

I'm not an interventionist, but there comes a time when you say to yourself, we can't do it alone. It's time to call in reinforcements. The level of corruption has skyrocketed. "Abrazos no Balazos" has been a complete failure and actually trickled down into society. To the point that, well, read this account that now is very common.

Im creating this warning post for those trying to cross at brownsville texas into mexico. At los tomates bridge.

We spent 2 hours trying to cross the border, only to have to turn back around. Every. Single. Worker there is corrupt, attempted to get over 500 in bribes, and was sending pictures of us up ahead if we were to go thriugh to let their cop buddies know we are a target.

Couple things i learned if you are going to get targeted.

1. They made copies of our fmm, and gave us the copies.. all the mexican nationals had originals.

2. Same went for the tip, which the customs officer made copies and asked us to put 300 american discreetly into our passport and give it to him to allow our 3/4 truck and camper across saying it was too heavy.. even though we saw 5 3/4 tons and a one ton cross with no problems.

3. They will find any excuse to try to squeeze you. And will try to do it by hiding behind curtains or in cotners or outside on a bench.

We will be crossing at another port of entry later on, farther away under a different visa, thanks to help from a broker and a friend.

It amazed me the level and scope of corruption at the crossing... just the sheer number of people involved in it.