Tacos, Tamales, Tortas, and Tortillas

 The Mexican taco is a corn tortilla folded over meat--generally shredded pork or beef-- and topped with a variety of salsas and pico de gallo, with cut limes and chopped cilantro to finish off the garnish. There is no cheese.

Street tacos are better than restaurant tacos, everybody knows that. This taco stand was directly across the street from my house in Veracruz. Such a favorite with guests! Their hours were from about 9 to 4. The one pictured below was a few blocks away and opened from 7 - 11 pm. So day or night, we could get amazing street tacos.

Now about tamales. At the bakery down the street, a lady would bring her pot and set up outside, selling tamales. People lined up to buy them. I don't have a photo, but they were the traditional Mexican tamale wrapped in corn husks. 

The photo below is of tamales sold in a mercado in Arequipa, Peru. People lined up for these, too. They look different from Mexican tamales but are just as good. I ate a lot of tamales in Peru.

A torta was one of my husband's favorite street foods. I wish I had a picture of him enjoying a large torta. These are basically a sandwich made of a thick bread filled with meat and cheese, then grilled. 

Did you know that what we call tortilla chips in America are called nachos in Mexico? If you order a plate of nachos at a restaurant, they'll bring you plain chips with salsa on the side.

The humble corn tortilla is so ubiquitous to Mexican cuisine, every meal comes with a basket of freshly made tortillas wrapped in a towel to keep them warm. 

When I traveled to South America, I missed the tortillas. In Chile, bread and empanadas rule, with not a tortilla to be seen. In Peru, it is potatoes. Oh, so many potatoes. And soup. No bread on the table like in Chile, which is a shame. Bread would be perfect with all that soup.

I think the tortillas in Guatemala are better than those in Mexico. They are handmade, without the large automatic tortilla mill used in Mexico, and there's something about the masa dough they use that has a distinctive flavor not found anywhere else.  This lady takes a hunk of dough, patting it and flattening it as she flips it back and forth in her hands. Then cooks it on the cast iron grill. They smell so good cooking and taste even better.

In Guatemala, the basket of unlimited tortillas comes with every meal, just as it does in Mexico.

This is an order of rabbit at a street fair in Mexico. To eat this meal, you pull off some meat, fold it into a tortilla, add your salsa and lime as you wish, and use it to help scoop up the rice and beans. That's a taco. That's a meal.

One more important point about tortillas. When a flour tortilla is used, it's not a taco. It is a burrito.

Sharks

 I lived along the Gulf coast for several years, in a city with amazing seafood and a renowned aquarium. Fishing is an industry there, not just for sport. More about the city is coming on Letter V day. 

Because of the Gulf and the aquarium, images of sharks were common around the beach area. I wish I had more in my photo collection from Veracruz, or El Puerto as it is commonly known. These are pictures of the sharks I took in the aquarium.

As you walk through, you can go under the tanks and see all kinds of fish varieties swimming above you. My personal favorite is the shark, of course.

You can also see sharks as you walk next to the tanks. These two guys are taking a rest from all that swimming for company.

The aquarium draws tourism to the city. It's one of the best I've seen. At the entrance, a sculpture of dolphins in motion greets people.

At my favorite neighborhood restaurant, La Palapa Perea, the shark is front and center. Can you see it?

And another one painted on the wall. This guy looks like Bruce from Finding Nemo.

The menu at this restaurant is amazing. When I have guests visiting, it's a big favorite. Breakfast, lunch or dinner--it's all delicious at the Shark Restaurant, as my young grandson named it.

Rolling the RRRRR

 I can manage the single R just fine. It's pronounced like the English letter d. But the double r is beyond me.

A friend from Guatemala, who taught young children, tried to get me to learn it. She said, "We have to teach the children how to pronounce it correctly. They don't get it naturally. We all have to be taught."

Of course, I wanted to know the method. Maybe it would work for me!

She explained: "We have them move their arm in a circle, like a car starting its engine, while saying 'rrrrr' like a car starting up, only trill the tongue in the double r sound."

I tried it, and it does work. I trilled my tongue while moving my arm in the circular motion, as one would do to illustrate an engine starting. Whenever I want to make the double r sound, I just move my arm and trill my tongue. Rrrrrrrr.

Except I can't get it any other way. I just can't seem to trill my tongue without also moving my arm like a 5-year-old starting his imaginary car.

Queretaro, a City and State in Mexico

 You might notice if you're familiar at all with Mexico that I'm leaving out the accent marks. This is because 1) I'm lazy and willing to cut corners when writing 26 posts in one month and 2) it makes easier reading for English speakers. 

(The accent on Queretaro is on the second e, and on the first e in Mexico, if you want to know the Spanish pronunciation.)

I have not been to Queretaro as it's in the northern part of Mexico, which I have largely avoided. Except for the wedding celebration trip mentioned in my Lobster and Limonada post, when our family went through Tijuana on our way to Baja.

My son went to Queretaro on a work trip. It was my last week before moving from my rental home in Veracruz. My daughter had flown out to see me, knowing it would be her last chance. (She tends toward procrastination.) Also, her timing was good for helping with the move.

And there is my son also in Mexico for work, trying to figure out the best way to finish up in Queretaro, get to Veracruz for a few days' visit and then fly home from there. He checked the bus schedule--too long on such limited time. Flying wasn't much better, but he was determined to make it work. 

Here he is with his silly face on. I am completely happy, having two of my kids in Veracruz with me. 

Travis barely had 48 hours with us. But in that time, we managed to sample the local seafood, visit the best taco stand in town, and enjoy a few walks along the malecon.

About Queretaro, Travis had this to say: "It's a really nice city. You should go, Mom. You would really like it." 

Maybe I will try it out for a few weeks, just to say I've been. I do know there is quite a large expat presence there, likely due to its proximity to the US. I will add it to my list of Mexican cities worth seeing and staying for a while.

Has anyone been to Queretaro?

Panajachel, Our First Home as Expats

 We arrived in Panajachel, Guatemala in February, 2014, excited beyond words. We had no plans to leave, only to stay forever, God willing. We had come to help our daughter and son-in-law with a small hotel in town. My book, We Burned our Boats, tells the whole story. We did indeed burn our boats, with great enthusiasm and no regrets.

Bruce and me with Lake Atitlan in the background

One of our sons, his wife and their little girl had come for the same reason, to help with the hotel, Travis taking a semester off school. Having Travis, Jessica and Emree there with us was such a joy. The memories we hold of that time together are priceless.

We all fell in love with the beautiful Guatemala highlands. There's a feeling in the atmosphere that is hard to describe. Certain words I heard visitors use were magical, tranquil, peaceful, healing, spiritual. It wasn't just the beauty of the hills, skies, or surrounding volcanos. Or not even the calm, happy, friendly local people. The air itself seems infused with some remarkable something. 

You felt blessed to be there and never wanted to leave.

A waterfall on the road outside of town.

Words barely do it justice, although I wrote an entire book about it, so I did try. I will close this post with sharing photos that make me happy. For one thing, Maya people are beautiful at any age.

Lake Atitlan is a misty marvel, surrounded by striking volcanoes, three of which are named Peter, James and John. In Spanish, Pedro, Santiago and Juan, with towns along the border with the same names.

The final two photos are of the location where we brought my husband's ashes to float down and out over the lake. When I die, our kids will return here with my ashes where I will join him.

Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, and the Highlands of Guatemala. Beautiful, beautiful, spiritual, peaceful.

Oaxaca, a Favorite of Expats, Tourists, and Chefs

 I do not know anything about Oaxaca except for what I wrote in this post title. I do have some small personal experience with it, along with photos, which is why I chose it. Also, it conveniently begins with the letter O.

Oaxaca is one of 32 states in Mexico. It is also the name of the state's largest city. I have the city of Oaxaca on my weather map, because it has warmer temperatures than several other places I have stayed. A big reason it is on my go-to list. Maybe next year.

When Bruce and I lived in Comitan, one weekend we noticed large tents set up in the main park for a traveling celebration of Oaxacan cuisine. This is how I know they are famous for their cuisine. Also, because I like watching Food Network, and I've heard chefs mention it more than once. 

The cooking was all done outdoors on grills. I took these photos of our order getting made. The chef used some kind of long handled metal shovel/spatula to move the crust around on the grill, flip it and serve it.

It was some kind of marriage between a pizza and a giant taco. Absolutely delicious and quite large, more than enough for two people.

Nature is my Love

 A big reason that I'm a weather-chaser, is because I love getting outdoors in the natural world. Preferably on my own two feet, breathing the air, seeing and hearing the birds. In Utah, there are hikes near where I live in the gorgeous mountains. But I have to drive to get to them. In Mexico, I just walk outside my door and walk through the neighborhoods to the nearest park. 

Comitan, Chiapas, evening at the central park downtown

Every town I've lived in Mexico has many parks and tree-lined streets lined with sidewalks for people to walk safely. People walk to shop, they walk to work, kids walk to school. Everywhere you go, people are outdoors walking from place to place. There are plenty of cars too, but vehicles and pedestrians coexist in courtesy. 

Also in Comitan, a small city with so many beautiful parks.

Mexico is also filled with natural wonders and national parks. This one is near the Mexico/Guatemala border.

In Veracruz where I lived the longest, there is something called a malecon that runs along the coast for miles and miles. There are several long piers reaching out from it to the sea, where you can view crabs, a variety of birds, colorful fish underwater. I walked along the malecon every morning, often at dawn to enjoy the sun rising over the water.

In Mexico, outdoor life is rich and varied. Taken for granted, actually. It's such a beautiful country with perfect weather to enjoy the natural beauty in any season. Following are pictures I've taken while enjoying nature as offered all throughout Mexico.

And sometimes nature gets indoors, like this really big butterfly resting on our curtain.

Market/Mercado

 One of my favorite activities is walking to the open-air markets to buy my produce. A real plus for any place I'm looking to rent is if it's in walking distance from a good mercado. 

These markets are what I love about Latin countries and what I miss the most in America, where it's all supermarket shopping. One might find the occasional farmer's market during growing season, but usually the prices are ridiculously high compared to deals at the local supermarket. And selection is quite limited. It's a shame, because I'd love to support local growers if it fit my needs and budget. 

In Mexico, everyone shops at the mercados. They have their favorites, where they might experience lower prices or better selections. For an American, the wide selection and low prices are unbelievable compared to back home.

I can get fresh pineapple year-round for two or three dollars each. Beautiful avocados for a couple dollars for a kilo. Today I found them for 25 pesos a kilo, or just under $1.50 for four large avocados.

Where I'm living now, this small market is a ten-minute walk from my apartment. There is a much larger one about thirty minutes away, and uphill. I won't likely shop there since this one has everything I buy regularly. And it's so close that I don't even need a taxi home for my shopping bags.

Check out the size of this celery. The broccoli in front is normal sized, outshone by the giant cabbages and celery squeezing it on both sides. I love Mexico!