October 15, 2005
Mexican Avocados and Chinese Shoes: Free-Trade in the 21st Century
In the summer of 2000, picking up my morning copy of The Wall Street Journal a front page article caught my eye. "Bitter Fruit: Spat Persists Despite Nafta” was its title and it covered the U.S. avocado market. Specifically, it dealt with restrictions on the importation of Mexican avocados and the correspondingly higher prices in San Diego compared to Tijuana. This quote in particular stood out:
" 'The California growers want to control all of the supply -- that way they get the best prices,' complains Ricardo Salgado, who raises avocados on 25 acres outside Uruapan, Michoacan, which has some of the world's lushest groves. 'We'd love to have a bigger selling season, but right now we have to wait for the U.S. Congress to give us permission.' "
California growers claimed, at the time, that weevils and fruit flies in Mexican avocados could destroy Californian crops. Thus, lawmakers had restricted importation to a handful of Northeastern states for only a few months out of the year. The argument behind the law sounded like a dubious claim to me with Tijuana much closer to some California orchards than even Nevada. On the other hand, Salgado’s quote made perfect sense: California growers wanted to restrict the supply so they could sell at monopoly prices.
It got me thinking. A degree in economics, working for an economic consulting firm headed by a University of Chicago economist, and plowing through books by authors such as Milton Friedman and Russell Roberts had all giving me a strong basis in the benefits of free trade. Yet couldn’t all this theory be summed up into one simple question: Where was the justice in the fact that I was able to buy an avocado from someone named Richard in Fallbrook, California, but I could go to jail if I bought an avocado from Ricardo simply because he lived in Uruapan, Mexico? Should the random chance of being born on the opposite side of a border restrict our association in that way?
Put in these terms it seemed much clearer. Yes, any economist can tell you that free trade is efficient, but there was also a strong moral argument to be made. Individuals, I felt, could identify with someone trying to better their life, not by theft or fraud, but through the simple act of voluntary exchange. I, living in San Diego, want guacamole and Ricardo, living in Uruapan, wants to sell me his avocados. Why should anyone have the power to stop such a transaction?
This past August, some five years after I first read the article, I found myself in Uruapan attempting to track down the man who had inspired this thought. Arriving in the small city with only his name I quickly learned a bit more about Ricardo Salgado. It turns out that he was not only an avocado farmer with a small orchard, but he was also the head of APEAM, the group that has been leading the charge to help Mexican avocados gain entry into the U.S. markets. While he was initially a little thrown off when I called his office out of the blue, he agreed to meet with me the following day at 5:00pm.
With time to kill before my meeting with Mr. Salgado, I hired a taxi the next day and spent time touring both avocado packing houses and the orchards that supplied them. In the time since the WSJ article had been published quite a bit had changed with regards to the importation of Mexican avocados. As of January 31st of this year the Mexican fruit is now allowed to enter 47 states year-around and in 2007 importation will expand to all 50 states.
At the San Lorenzo packing house they were clearly taking full advantage of this opportunity. My wife and I toured the facility as workers were getting ready for the arrival of thousands of avocados that would shortly be on their way to Texas. In both the plant, and touring nearby orchards, it was made clear to us that the increased business had boosted their business and the local economy.
More proof of this point was the fact that while the San Lorenzo Empacadora was the largest Mexican owned plant, they were not the largest exporter. Anticipating a change in the law, U.S. companies such as Calavo Growers, Inc. entered the city, bringing with them state-of-the-art technology and jobs to boot. Clearly, Uruapan was benefiting.
Back in California, to many people’s surprise, competition from Mexico was not having the dire effects on growers that many had predicted. This past July, regarding the increased competition from Mexico, the owner of the Del Ray Avocado Packing House in Fallbrook, CA was quoted in the North County Times saying: "It's gone amazingly well… The U.S. market is more developed than we thought. Avocado lovers are eating more of the fruit, and we're getting new consumers."
So, in summary, the Uruapan economy is getting a shot in the arm, California growers are surviving better than expected, and U.S. consumers are now able to enjoy some of the best avocados the world has to offer. It makes you wonder, why didn’t all this come about sooner?
About this same time Mexican newspapers proudly displayed a major bust by the Mexico City police. Two hundred and eighty tons of contraband had been seized in Tepito, an area of the capital known as a market for guns, drugs, and an assortment of stolen merchandise. So what was this illegal merchandise that the papers displayed? Actually, it was none of the previously mentioned items. Instead, the illegal goods were Chinese shoes.
The city of Leon, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico is dependent on the sale of locally produced shoes like Uruapan is dependent on the sale of avocados. When the importation of inexpensive shoes from China made it very tough for local shops in the last few years, politicians passed laws practically prohibiting the sale of Chinese shoes in Mexico. According to one local I spoke to about the matter getting caught with just one pair of illegally imported Chinese shoes could land you in prison.
Was there not a parallel here to the avocado trade between Mexico and the U.S.?
When I told people I met in my travels across Mexico that during my current trip I’d be writing on economics I often got confused looks in return. Statistics on job creation? GDP? What exactly was I going to be writing about?
When I explained that I wanted to write about how economics affects real people and gave the example of how avocados from Uruapan cannot be sold in my home state of California, not only did the confused looks leave their faces but it generally changed into one of enthusiasm. Residents from Sonora to Chiapas would say “That’s a great thing to write about. Why aren’t Mexicans allowed to sell their avocados in California?” It was easy for many to relate with growers in Michoacan and see the injustice in our laws.
Alas, I did not receive a similar reaction when talking about Chinese shoes. Even after pointing out the similarities between California growers lobbying politicians to ban the import of Mexican avocados and shoe makers in Leon lobbying politicians to ban the import of Chinese shoes, many still were not convinced. “It’s different though,” I would hear people say, “We need those laws. The Chinese can make everything so cheap.”
But it isn’t different.
Lost in this government policy designed to protect shoe producers is the fact that the balance of payments must equal zero. If someone in Mexico wants to buy a pair of shoes made in China then there has to be a corresponding person in China that wants to buy something in Mexico. In short, the protection afforded to the shoe producers means less money going to other sectors of the Mexican economy. Why should shoe makers be protected at others’ expense? In addition, no one seems to be looking out for the interests of Mexican consumers who would prefer less expensive footwear.
What's more, the same basic principle of voluntary exchange among two parties applies. But again, despite these arguments, it was harder to evoke the same enthusiasm for people in China that had been displayed for people in Uruapan. But to my pleasure, one noteworthy person did see eye-to-eye with me on these principles: Ricardo Saldago.
After a long talk about all the work he and his organization had put into gaining access to the U.S. markets, I asked him about China. I noticed that one of their recent publications had “Ahora China” written on the front cover along with a picture of a boat outside Shanghai. Earlier in the day, I relayed to Ricardo, some had expressed a concern that China might start producing avocados itself and run Uruapan growers out of business. What did he think of the issue?
“Well,” he replied, “the world is changing. I can’t stop that.” But he continued to say that the way he looked at it he didn’t see China as some sort of enemy. He saw them instead as a billion potential customers. “If I could just get each person in China to buy one avocado a week, wouldn’t that be great for business?”
It was an admirable attitude and Ricardo’s words hit the nail on the head. The world is in fact changing and the truth is that change can be horribly tough. No one wants to make less money, struggle to keep customers, or even change professions altogether. But challenges are a part of life and are not restricted to producers.
Consumers face challenges as well. People have limited incomes and have to pick and choose what they spend their money on. More earnings going to avocados from California or shoes from Leon means less money to spend on other items. It should also go without saying that consumers and producers are not two groups at odds with one another. In real life they are one and the same people.
And while a world with increased trade can make life tumultuous, there is no denying that there are huge benefits to a dynamic economy that is the product of international commerce. Changes in the structure of the economy also create new opportunities. Think if there had been laws protecting all the agricultural jobs that once made up 80% of the U.S. economy? Desirable professions in computer programming, engineering, finance, biotechnology, and loads of other industries might never have been created.
As our meeting came to an end I expressed to Ricardo that, for me, the issue of international trade came down to the belief that individuals should be free to trade with whomever they want, even if that someone lived on the opposite side of a border. He replied that this was how he too viewed the world.
I believe it is here that one the most convincing argument in favor of trade is found. Whether Chinese shoes or Mexican avocados, we must remember that these are goods that are being purchased from another human being. They are individuals who have families, desire better lives, face challenges, yet they happen to live in a different country. What difference should that really make?
In that sense, Ricardo Salgado, by helping to knock down trade barriers, accomplished a noble goal. Back home in California I will soon be able to enjoy Mexican avocados just as I now enjoy my New Balance tennis shoes that happen to have been made in China. Not only does my freedom to buy such products lead to a more efficient economy, but it also leads to a more just one as well. That is an important point for people from the U.S, Mexico, and the rest of the world to remember as we debate globalization in the years to come.
Posted by Peter Mork at 6:43 PM | Comments | TrackBack
September 15, 2005
Wal-Mart in Teotihuacán
In a recent post over at the Wal-Mart Watch website, a leading critic of the retailer, the topic of Wal-Mart’s disregard for historical preservation sites came up. Among the many examples that were listed, one was of the Wal-Mart store built near the Teotihuacán pyramids outside of Mexico City. Specifically, they cited a Knight Ridder article from October 2004 that stated:
Wal-Mart Built Store on Traditional Mayan Grounds. “A Wal-Mart store rising near the 2,000-year-old pyramids of the Teotihuacan Empire has ignited the wrath of Mexican conservationists and nationalists, who say the U.S. retailer is destroying their culture at the foot of one of Mexico’s greatest treasures… Last week, 63 prestigious artists and intellectuals, in a letter published in Mexican newspapers, asked President Vicente Fox to stop the structure. They see it as a battle pitting Mexico’s heritage against encroaching U.S. influence. Wal-Mart is already Mexico’s largest retailer, with 664 stores in 66 cities, with sales of $12 billion.”
In the comment section Kevin Brancato made the point that the Teotihuacán example was overblown. To back up this claim he quoted my travelogue from our trip to the site.
This drew the response of another reader who posted a link to some photos of the pyramids. He claimed the photos “put it in better perspective” and they demonstrated that putting a store within 1 kilometer of the pyramids would clearly “have quite an effect.”
I thought I would take the opportunity to repost some of the photos and my response to the comments.
Here are a few of the photos that were linked to:
And here is my reply:
The photos in the link you provide do not provide a better perspective. The photo on the top right [the first photo in this post], taken from the top of the Pyramid of the Moon, is particularly deceiving as to how close the town of San Juan and various businesses are located.
The photo is taken looking directly down the Avenue of the Dead, a 2 kilometer stretch that will never be developed. If the photo were to be extended to the right you would see rows of small shops about 200 meters from the base of the pyramid that sell everything from clothing to Coca-cola.
Another kilometer past these shops is the town of San Juan de Teotihuacán. In the town, closer to the pyramids than the Wal-Mart, you will find every kind of shop you would expect to find in a small town. There are internet cafes, small grocery shops, pharmacies, and restaurants that line the plaza when you first drive in.
Following the street off the plaza towards the Wal-Mart (it is actually called “Bodega Aurrera”) you’ll see a huge “Elektra” electronics store pained bright red and yellow. Continue another couple blocks and turn to the right and you will find the Wal-Mart, tucked away in what used to be a vacant lot and further away from the pyramids than any of these businesses. A hotel located next door is similar size and color. The only difference is that the hotel has a large sign outside advertising its presence. The Wal-Mart on the other hand is one of the simpler buildings in town and looks more like a small warehouse with a parking lot.
Here is a picture of the store:
Here is a picture of the town (all businesses pictured are closer to the pyramids than the Wal-Mart):
More interesting to me was the reaction of some people we talked to in the town. We were told that the international press wanted to make it sound like the Wal-Mart was going to be put right next to the pyramids when nothing could be further from the truth. According to people we spoke with, the majority of protesters in San Juan were not residents who thought Wal-Mart was destroying culture, but store owners who did not want to face the increased competition.
Anyone that travels to San Juan and sees where the Wal-Mart is located is going to be hard pressed to come to a different conclusion.
Peter Mork in Antigua, Guatemala Monday, September 12 at 04:34 PM
If anyone is interested in reading the full account of our trip to the pyramids it can be found here.
Posted by Peter Mork at 10:11 AM | Comments | TrackBack
September 6, 2005
Cañon del Sumidero
We woke up early and headed to the town square where we were to catch the shuttle to the Cañon del Sumidero. Naively I thought we might be one of the few people on the trip but the bus ended up full of other backpacking tourists.
After an hour or so of windy roads we reached the river that flowed through the canyon and were soon on a boat. This excursion came into existance when a hydroelectric dam was built in the 70’s, flooding the river and allowing boats to travel up and down the river easily. The lush surroundings have been declared a national park.
It was an impressive journey. There were several crocodiles on the banks of the river, birds, waterfalls, and of course the impressive sheer cliffs that create the canyon. At one point we also had to make our way though a huge backup of driftwood and trash in the river that had collected due to recent rains washing garbage down from the hills. A few men in boats were gathering the trash in bags and hauling it away but they had an enormous task in front of them.
Once back in San Cristobal we made plans to meet Bob, a Londoner who was also on the canyon trip, for dinner. We had a good time drinking a few beers and sharing some traveling stories. Having traveled extensively in Southeast Asia, he gave us some ideas and advice. On this trip, before entering Mexico, he had traveled through the United State’s southwest. In Vegas, he actually won a Texas Hold’em poker tournament at the Sahara. Just as remarkable but much more devestating was his story of being in Phuket, Thailand last December during the tsunami.
Tomorrow it is off to Guatemala so it is our last night in Mexico.
Posted by Peter Mork at 6:54 PM | Comments | TrackBack
September 5, 2005
Immigration Office
We started our day at the immigration office in San Cristobal. It was shockingly easy. The immigration official that looked at our cards told us it looked like 90 days to her, and she typed it out on the card so we wouldn’t have any problems at the border. Like I said we left the office 10 minutes after we entered both surprised how painless the experience had been.
The day was now free as we had assumed we would be trapped in the immigration office for a good part of the it. We decided to head to the café where Nicolas worked to catch up on some writing and reading. He was there again and we talked with him and another co-worker about everything from Pemex (the state-owned oil company), to languages, to the Zapatistas between coffees and scribbling down posts for the website.
That night, we headed over to a small movie theater and watched a documentary on the recent Zapatista movement. It really left with me with more questions than it gave me answers. Where the general demands were made clear: justice, liberty, democracy for the indigenous people of Mexico, who do indeed face discrimination, the film was short on specifics. Days later I would read that some of Sub-Comandante Marcos’ more recent, specific goals are to unite the political left to fight neo-liberalism. My message to the indigenous groups would be less Marcos and more De Soto (one of my favorite economists who shows the importance of the combination of justice, liberty, democracy, and property rights), which would be the clearest path to better lives.
Tomorrow we’re off on a boat tour of the Cañon del Sumidero. It should be fun.
Posted by Peter Mork at 6:50 PM | Comments | TrackBack
September 4, 2005
San Juan Chamula and San Lorenzo Zinacantan
We woke up and headed to the north end of town to catch a colectivo to the town of Chamula. The driver absolutely packed the VW bus with anyone looking for a ride to the town; kids sat on parents laps; a man sat in the very back of the van with the supplies people were transporting. And soon we were off. On the way I talked Gerardo, a 17 year old resident of Chamula who worked as a carpenter in San Cristobal. We spoke Spanish, but he admitted that he was still learning, as his native language was Tzotzil . He was a friendly guy and gave us some pointers about the area. San Juan Chamula is a gathering place for a Mayan community of 40,000 Tzotzile people.
The market was in the main square where Tzotzil speaking Mayans were gathered around selling various goods. My first impression was that it was clearly one of the poorest places we had seen in Mexico. Most markets we’ve visited vendors have their own stalls, here many people just laid their goods out across the ground. Chickens and dogs roamed the plaza. Children were approaching us more frequently than in other markets, asking for change or if we could buy them sandals as they were barefoot.
We had to buy tickets to visit the Church that sat just off the main square. We had to promise on our lives that we would not take photos inside. The scene was an interesting mix of Catholicism and traditional Mayan religion. Entering the church, there were no pews nor was there a traditional alter; people sat on the floor. The floor itself was covered with pine needles and rows of burning candles, with thick incense in the air. It was a very unique scene, but you’ll have to head to Chamula yourself to get a look.
We walked around the market. A girl and her little sister approached us trying to sell us woven bracelets. We bought one, but they continued to ask “Cinco peeeeessooos. Poooor favooor.” The older girl talked us into buying her barefoot sister a pair of sandals at a nearby stand. As we walked away, they continued to haggle with the sandal seller (another young girl), perhaps trying to sell the sandals back.
After another hour of touring the small market and the surrounding streets talking to people where we could, we caught another colectivo towards San Lorenzo Zinacantan and were dropped off at a fork in the road about halfway back to San Cristobal. It was peaceful waiting alongside the rural road. It took about 20 minutes to catch a cab (all the colectivos passing were full and would not stop to pick us up), but soon we were in the small town of Zinacantan which is in the middle of a beautiful valley. The Tzotzile community of Zinacantan is known for its flower growing, and it was possible to see the greenhouses dotting the valley.
We took a look at inside the town’s church, which was similar to Chamula’s, although from appearances seemed a bit more traditionally Catholic. Upon exiting we decided to accept the invitation of a young girl named Maria Elena to see her family’s textile shop. She was dressed in traditional Mayan clothing specific to the Zinacantan community that we had seen in San Cristobal as well (evidence that they were from this community) as along the road into town: an embroidered black, blue and purple cape with a dark skirt. We followed her down the dirt road and we asked her where she learned her excellent Spanish, as it was not her native language. “In school,” she replied proudly. Her family’s shop was actually an open air patio in front of their home a few blocks away. Her mother and a few other women came out to show us their goods that were all of excellent quality. Em ended up buying a small scarf (she had given away the one she had to a 6 year old girl who was admiring it in Chamula so it worked out well). We were about to head out and explore some more of the town when they invited us into their home to try some corn tortillas. We accepted, and walked through the house to the kitchen, an open-air, covered structure in the back of the house. Soon were watching Maria Elena cook fresh corn tortillas over an open fire, behind her were the family’s corn fields. We sampled the hot tortillas with queso fresco, pepper, and salsa. They were delicious. Her mother sat down to chat with us.
When we were getting ready to leave I offered them some money for the food but they absolutely refused. I persisted a bit, saying we would have had to pay for a meal elsewhere, but the mother continued to say no and even turned to Maria Elena and told her daughter it was her decision. Maria Elena smiled, but also refused, saying it was their treat. We said good-bye, first giving Maria Elena our contact card. We’re not sure if she has access to the internet anywhere, but maybe someday she’ll be able to contact us.
We rode back into town in another collectivo and called it a night after dinner.
Posted by Peter Mork at 6:49 PM | Comments | TrackBack
September 3, 2005
USA – 2, Mexico – 0
The day started searching for the post office to buy some stamps and send off some postcards to friends back home. Unfortunately, the lonely planet map was incorrect and put us on the opposite side of town. Eventually we found it though and afterwards headed to a café across the street.
At the café we helped out our waiter, Nicolas, with some Gwen Stephani lyrics he was trying to translate. We made some progress it was tough finding a counterpart in Spanish to the word “Hollaback” since I wasn’t sure what it even meant in English.
Next it was up a switch back trail to take a look at a church that sat atop a hill that overlooked San Cristobal. It was a great view and Em got some pictures of a baby pig on the way up. On the way back down we stopped by a travel agency to make plans to head into Guatemala. Looking at our tourist cards the lady at the front desk thought we should head over to the local immigration office as the number of days we were allowed to travel in Mexico was unclear. It was true. Thanks to the sloppy handwriting of the immigration officer at the airport in Cancun, you couldn’t tell if the number was 20, 30, 80, or 90 days. We had originally asked for 90. If it turned out to be 20 or 30 we would have overstayed our visas and at the minimum would have to pay a fine. The last thing we want to do is to spend all day Monday dealing with immigration officials, or have to pay a steep fine, but I guess it will be better than getting sent back here or to Mexico City from the Guatemalan border if there is a problem.
The Na Bolom museum was interesting. It was actually the former house of a anthropologist/archeologist European couple that had come to San Cristobal in the 40’s and decided to stay to document the way of life of the Lancodon people who lived in the Lancodon Jungle of southeastern Chiapas. The displays did a decent job of portraying the struggle between the desires of some in the community to keep the traditions of old, while others desired more contact with the outside world.
Leaving the museum at about 5:00pm it was still a little too early for the game so we stopped off at another bar/restaurant to get a snack and to kill some time. An hour later, leaving the restaurant, I asked the waiter huddled around the television watching pro-wrestling if they were going to watch the game. “What do you think we are waiting for?” was the reply. I shook my head as they told us Mexico was going to win.
At Café Tuloc the owner wasn’t present but we got a table right in front of the TV. The waiters were glad to see us as we were an excuse to turn the game on in the restaurant. I had to suppress my joy as the U.S. dominated the game. The waiters equally tried to suppress their disappointment. Another patron from San Cristobal left at half-time telling me that he was sure the U.S. was going to win the way Mexico was playing despite the score being 0-0 at the time.
His prediction came true as the U.S. scored twice in the second half to get the victory. Leaving the restaurant I told the disheartened waiters that we would have the rematch in Germany.
Posted by Peter Mork at 6:46 PM | Comments | TrackBack
September 2, 2005
San Cristobal
Since our Lonely Planet guide is from 2002, in Oaxaca I looked in a bookstore at the just released edition for Mexico. It recommended a great new hotel in San Cristobal at rock bottom prices. I plugged the name and the number into my cell phone so we’d have a good option when we got into town.
Getting off the bus there was yet another sign that this was a popular backpackers’ destination. As we all stumbled off the bus at 9 in the morning, all the passengers were greeted by a throng of salesmen and women with pictures of their hotels and hostels. We took the a pamphlet for what looked to be a decent hostel, but told the guy we already had a place in mind.
Unfortunately, the number I had didn’t work and the taxi driver had never hear of the place. So we instead headed to the hostel whose information we had just received. After checking the place out we actually decided to stay at a nicer place right across the street with a private bathroom that worked out fine.
After getting settled we headed out to get some breakfast. A few blocks off the main square we found a place called Café Toluc. Em was happy as she got a huge plate of fresh fruit. During the breakfast we talked with the owner who gave us some information about the town, some villages around the outskirts, and he also wanted to make sure we came back for the US v. Mexico game tomorrow. We said we probably would and set out to explore.
We located the street that the colectivos left for San Juan Chamula, a nearby village, and explored the market in the center of town over the next few hours. This was the first city we’ve seen where some of the men and women walking around town are dressed in traditional embroidered clothing alongside others who are dressed just as we are. After making our way back to the hotel and relaxing a bit we had a great dinner at a restaurant called El Fogon de Jovel . I had the parrillada chiapaneco , an assortment of grilled meats, chorizo, vegetables and queso fresco that came sizzling over hot coals. It was one of our favorites of the trip.
After dinner we made it back to the hotel where we were once again horrified by the news coming out of New Orleans on CNN. Truly depressing stuff and it was strange watching it from so far away.
Posted by Peter Mork at 6:31 PM | Comments | TrackBack
September 1, 2005
My Birthday
Today I turned 29. What did we do to celebrate? Play video games and drink beer? Nope, I’m married. We started the day at a botanical garden.
We showed up at 11:00 for the 2 hour plus tour of the botanical garden in Oaxaca that featured flora and fauna from across the state. It was actually very interesting. Oaxaca is one of the most diverse places on the face of the earth for flora and fauna. By the time it got close to 2:00 we had seen a good deal of it.
After the garden we headed over to another plaza on the north end of town and found a good place to have a nice birthday lunch. It was a seafood restaurant that Em had read about and we both had excellent meals and pretty much stuffed ourselves.
For the rest of the afternoon we finished uploading photos at an internet café. We then picked up our bags at the hostel and caught a taxi to the bus station right as a torrential downpour started. By nine we were on the bus and off to San Cristobal. Nearly everyone on the bus were backpackers just like us which was a new experience. Before long the windy road put us to sleep and so ended my 29th b-day.
Posted by Peter Mork at 6:28 PM | Comments | TrackBack
Heading South
Since our last update, we've visited avocado growers in Uruapan, relaxed with friends in Puerto Vallarta, celebrated a wedding back in Guanajuato, hit up the pyramids in Mexico City (and the Wal-Mart "next-door"), and have now made our way south to Oaxaca (photos to be posted soon). Scroll down to read all about it.
I've also put up my last piece on Cuba. It's really a condensed version of my daily notes with some new commentary. Hope you enjoy it.
We have a few more days in Mexico and then we are off to Guatemala . We'll be posting again soon. Thanks for keeping up with our travels.
Posted by Peter Mork at 5:45 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 31, 2005
Blessing of the Animals
Today we adventured around the city of Oaxaca , ran some errands, and tried some more good food. We also finally made it to the post office to buy stamps to get some postcards off.
At 4:00 in the afternoon we headed to the east side of town to La Iglesia de Merced. Today was the annual blessing of the animals at the church. Truthfully, it was hilarious. Dogs, cats, parrots, roosters, horses, and more all dressed up and ready to be blessed. The ceremony lasted about 2 hours and we made sure to get a ton of pictures.
Over dinner, we were approached by a young man that wanted to know if we wanted to be extras in a Jack Black movie called "Nacho Libre" that is going to be directed by the same guy who directed Napoleon Dynamite. Unfortunately, filming isn't for another three weeks so, reluctantly, we had to decline. It's due out in 2007 to 2008 and he said the name would probably change, but it sounds like it will be a funny flick.
Tomorrow is our last day in Oaxaca as we will be catching a night bus to San Cristòbal. We just keep on moving.
Posted by Peter Mork at 5:33 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 30, 2005
Reading Material
Today, after breakfast, we dropped off our dirty clothes at a laundry mat on the corner and then found a hostel for some cheaper accommodations. The place we found is only a few blocks farther from the main plaza but considerably cheaper.
Once we were settled we set out to explore the town. We found a fantastic bookstore and loaded up on quite a few new books that should only add about 20 plus lbs to the weight of my backpack. Hey, at least I'm staying in shape.
We went to an internet café to upload photos and to update the site, but when we were about halfway through a rainstorm slowed the internet connection to a snails pace.
The hostel we are in is a bit noisy but sleeping in bunk beds in our tiny room is fun. Tomorrow we'll be exploring more of the city.
Posted by Peter Mork at 5:30 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 29, 2005
Oaxaca
We got up, had some breakfast, packed our bags, and then taxied it to the bus station to head to Oaxaca and southern Mexico. Another successful Mexico City taxi ride. All in all I felt that we saw a lot of Mexico City. Our legs and feet are sore but it was worth it.
The bus ride to Oaxaca was beautiful. The majority of the road was atop high mountains looking down into deep valleys bellow where white goats were making their way along the mountainside. Even better there was only one other person on the bus besides ourselves so it was like we had chartered the trip ourselves.
Once in Oaxaca we ran into one of our friends Jonathan, a 23 year-old from Isreal who took classes with us in Guanajuato. He was on his way to San Cristobal, our next stop as well, and he gave us some pointers on what to do in Oaxaca before his bus departed.
We were unable to locate a hostel that had a room available so we settled for a mid-range hotel near the city center. Tonight we splurged on dinner at a great restaurant across the street from the hotel. Mole Negro is the specialty down here so I made it my main course; Em had a chile relleno stuffed with corn and shredded pork.
After dinner we walked around the town a bit and then headed back to the hotel to get some sleep.
Posted by Peter Mork at 5:26 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 28, 2005
San Angel and Coyoacan
Today we set out early to head down south via metro to the San Angel and Coyoacan neighborhoods of Mexico City. Before we left we went to investigate all the cheering that was coming from the main plaza near our hotel. The streets were also absolutely empty of traffic. It turns out there was a marathon going on that was concluding in the Zocalo. Having run the San Diego marathon this past June, I was impressed how well people were running here with the altitude and the pollution. Luckily, it was a beautiful, clear day.
Due to our Lonely Plane induced fears of catching a taxi off the street we've literally been walking all around the city. It's been a great way to get to really know the area but it is taking a bit of a toll on our feet. Heading to Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo's house we got a bit turned around in a neighborhood that featured some of the most beautiful homes we have seen in the city. Luckily a security guard for one of the houses, decked out in a bulletproof vest, helped us get back on track from behind a gated entrance. We thought, maybe Vicente Fox´s neighborhood?
We finally reached Diego and Frida's home, which was quite impressive and different, and in a great part of town. Diego´s studio itself was quite a site to see: a huge open room with lofts. He and Frida were socialists; supporters of Trotsky and then of Stalin. It is always ironic to me how people like this tend to continue living in the lap of luxury.
We next walked another hour plus across town to Coyoacan to see the house in which Frida Kahlo grew up in and where she eventually died; now it is a museum devoted to her. There was a good deal of her art here, but I was more interested in checking out the titles on her bookshelf which had not been disturbed since her death. This neighborhood of the city has the feeling of a small town which made the walk all the more enjoyable. Mexico City natives were everywhere enjoying the Sunday afternoon with music and a huge craft fair.
After the museum, we ate at a great Uruguayan restaurant in one of the plazas before catching the metro home. Once in the historic center of the city, Em broke down and had a 30-cent McDonalds ice-cream cone. Somehow I had a horrible headache that wouldn't go away so I went to bed pretty early. Tomorrow we are leaving for Oaxaca.
Posted by Peter Mork at 5:22 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 27, 2005
Teotihuacán, Wal-Mart, and more…
Today we woke up and after breakfast caught the metro out to the Northern bus terminal to catch a ride to Teotihuacán, site of the famous Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. The Pyramid of the Sun is the third largest pyramid in the world and the entire site is described as one of the must-see attractions in Mexico City. Once we were aboard the bus it took about an hour to travel the 50km. It went by quick though as two guitar players boarded the bus to play for tips and kept us entertained throughout the ride.
The Pyramid of the Sun was visible from quite a distance away as we approached on the highway. The bus pulled up to the outskirts of the ancient city and although it was full of people we were the only two to get off. The rest were continuing on to San Juan Teotihuacán. We made our way through the parking lot and past a cluster of shops to enter the grounds.
It is simply amazing that these structures and complex cities were built nearly 2000 years ago. Teotihuacán clearly had an economy that incorporated a good deal of division of labor (although the means might be suspect). Yet despite its greatness in many regards, as we all know, it would eventually collapse for reasons that are still debated today.
Standing atop the Pyramid of the Sun all these thoughts were passing through my head as I also observed today's civilization that was clearly visible from the vantage point. At each entrance to the site there were various small shops. To the southwest there was a large power plant, a starting point for electrical wires and polls that made their way throughout the large valley. Directly to the west lay the center of San Juan, although in any direction you looked houses and businesses could be seen. In spite of all this development there was one structure I was unable to locate, a new Wal-Mart that had drawn quite a bit of international attention just this last year.
"Wal-Mart to Open Near Mexican Pyramids" cried AP headlines last November. It was the ultimate symbol of a corporation intruding on a culture symbol, and not surprisingly this enraged many across the world. But as I noted at the time not everyone thought this was a bad idea.
After the long decent down the face of the pyramid, we jumped in a taxi to take a look at the town and grab some lunch. I asked the driver where the Wal-Mart was located (to be clear it's actually not even a Wal-Mart, it is a Bodega Aurrera, a subsidiary of the firm). It was south of the main square he told me. When I inquired about the protests that surrounded its opening, he confirmed that there was quite a commotion at the time.
"What do you think about it?" Emily asked.
"Truthfully," he replied in passionate Spanish, "I think the protesters are all nuts."
He went on to say how half of the protesters were store owners that didn't want the competition, how the jobs were better at the new store, and that while the protesters wanted the world to believe the store was being built a stone´s throw from the pyramids, nothing could be further from the truth. To get his point across he threw in quite a few expletives that had me and Em laughing in the backseat. By the end of our ride there was no mistaking his point of view: Wal-Mart was a good thing for their small community.
Once we had eaten lunch we set off on foot to take a look at the store ourselves. Passing by various shops selling an assortment of products along the way made it look like other businesses were doing reasonably well. I'm sure that the increased competition hurt, but we were not walking through a ghost town of empty storefronts where thriving businesses once existed.
The Bodega Aurrera was on the outskirts of the business section, nowhere near the pyramids, and in many ways not what I had expected. Not only was it much smaller than the Wal-Marts back home (or even in other parts of Mexico), there were no obvious signs on the building or elsewhere advertising the store's name. Yet I guess there was no need for such direct advertising, as people seemed to know exactly what was inside. Shoppers flooding in and out showed that the business was clearly busy. Em took a picture of the outside of the store in the parking lot, but a security guard quickly asked us to put the camera away. He told us that If we would like, we could ask management for permission, but due to all the negative publicity the store had received we would need their ok first.
Inside it was just like any well run department store or market you could find anywhere in the world. Clothes, beauty products, fresh fruit and vegetables… you name it. I've heard complaints throughout the trip how expensive electronics are in Mexico compared to the U.S. but in this store the prices seemed very comparable. A 5-disc DVD player went for a little over $600 pesos (around $60 USD). Everywhere you looked there seemed to be happy customers filling their shopping carts. We joined in and bought some basic supplies we needed for the trip.
I talked with a few employees about the store but for the most part they seemed to be tight lipped and downplayed any tension between the local business community and the location near the pyramids. Yes, they said, there were some protests at first but everyone seemed to like the store now. It seemed they had orders to keep quiet about all these issues so I just went about finishing my shopping.
We caught a taxi back to the pyramids and were soon heading back to Mexico City on the bus. We actually passed the Wal-Mart on the way out and it was ironic to see a large hotel right next to the store. It was painted a similar color and was a similar size but I don´t remember reading an uproar around the world about hotel corporations invading this sacred land. Wonder why?
Back in the city we stopped by an internet café to check email before heading back to our room. Quite appropriately Radley had this post on a new Wal-Mart that went up yesterday in Oakland:
August 26, 2005
WalMart Comes to Oakland
And Oakland rejoices.
11,000 people applied for the 400 available positions, and shoppers swarmed the store on its opening day. The store received no city subsidies, and still pays its employees an average above the city's (moronic) "living wage" law, even though it isn't required to.
It wasn't without a fight. Only one member of the Oakland city council attended the opening-day festivities. Others fought to keep the store ought, including passing an ordinance prohibiting retail stores of more than 200,000 square feet from opening shop in the city. That ordinance basically meant WalMart couldn't open one of its "superstores." WalMart Superstores also host a grocery store, with fresh produce at low prices. Keep the Oakland city council's ordinance in mind the next time some leftist public health activist complains about how urban populations don't have access to fresh fruit and vegetables.
Read the whole thing.
Walking back to the hotel we stopped for a few more licuados and then called it a night.
Posted by Peter Mork at 5:16 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 26, 2005
The Stock Exchange, The Zoo, and Art Galore
Today it felt like we walked all over the city. We started off by walking down to the Zona Rosa where we got to go inside the Bolsa Mexicana de Valores, or in English, Mexico's Stock Exchange. It is all electronic now so there was not as much action as I had hoped for, but it was still fun to look around the place.
We then made our way down the Paseo de la Reforma to a park called Bosque de Chapultepec. There we saw the Museum of Modern Art, the famous Museum of Anthropology, and we got a glimpse of the Chapultepec Zoo. Luckily, we made it in time to see the giant pandas before the exhibit closed. I could tell that Em was missing the San Diego Zoo.
For dinner we headed south of the park to a lively zone called Condesa. We ate sushi tonight (we are definitely taking advantage of all that the big city has to offer). We caught the metro back to the hotel as the sun was setting and prepared for our day tomorrow at Teotihuacán, first grabbing a Liquado con leche y mango at the smoothie place next to our hotel.
Posted by Peter Mork at 5:13 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 25, 2005
Surviving el D.F.
The combo of our Lonely Planet book's Dangers and Annoyances sections, along with horror stories and advice to avoid the Districto Federal altogether from residents of Northern Mexico, had us a little on edge as we pulled into the bus station in still-dark Mexico city at 6:30 in the morning.
Things didn't seem any more secure when I found out the hostel we planned to stay in, which had a shuttle service from the bus station, had gone out of business. So in its place we found a decent priced hotel in the Centro Historico that had a room available. We got a ticket from the authorized taxi stand inside the terminal and after warily checking out our taxi driver and matching the license plate number to the one painted on the side, we were soon off to the hotel. The ride, of course, was perfectly fine, and so was our nice taxi driver.
The hotel is perfect and they put us on the top floor so we have a bit of a view. Since neither of us slept that well on the bus we crashed for a few hours in the room. Once up we grabbed a bite to eat in Chinatown, which wasn't too far from the hotel. We walked around the city a bit and went to the Diego Rivera mural museum located in the city park, Alamada Central across the way. Rivera´s mural "Sueño de una tarde Dominical en la Alameda Central" or "A Dream of a Sunday afternoon in the Alameda Central," housed in the museum depicts all sorts of figures from Mexico´s history.
Instead of dinner tonight we headed to a place that serves churros and chocolate, one of my favorites in Spain. It definitely lived up to expectations.
All in all it was a good day and we've definitely gotten a little more comfortable in the city.
Posted by Peter Mork at 5:08 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 24, 2005
From Beach Bums to Chilangos
We spent today at another beach to the north. After a good lunch, some jewelry bardering, and boogie boarding (Em and Jill were completely taken out by a few waves), we strolled through a time-share where various families were enjoying their vacations in a pretty elaborate pool. Em and Jill jumped in quickly to cool off. It's incredible how much quality development has been built north of Puerto Vallarta, but it still has maintained a small Mexican coastal town feel.
After heading back to the house and packing up we set off to pick up our business cards before catching our bus. On the way, the rain started to come down in buckets. By this time we were also running late, so Joanne had to do her best impression of an Indy Car driver to get us to the bus station on time. Needless to say, we are completely impressed with her driving ability in Mexico . We made it with no less than a few minutes to spare. We said goodbye and thanked them for the wonderful, relaxing time. It was just what we needed before taking on the metropolis of Mexico City.
Once on the night bus we were asleep pretty quickly, and the twelve hours went by in a flash.
Posted by Peter Mork at 5:06 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 23, 2005
Relaxing in Nayarit
Today we drove out to a little beach about 20 minutes north of the house called Sayulita. We ate fish tacos under a palapa at the beach and spent the afternoon enjoying the weather and watching the surfers. At about 4:00 we headed back into town to take a look at the proofs they had put together for our business cards. We picked one out and they look like they are going to be great.
For dinner Joanne drove us out to Punta Mita for dinner. The waiter set up a table for us on the beach with tiki torches. It felt like we were back in Baja having lobster on the beach. During dinner a huge lightening storm started off in the distance. I got a few pictures.
I drove us home in the rent-a-car and although the road was pretty rough we made it home safe and sound. We sat out in the back yard watching the lightning until it started to rain. We headed in and called it a night.
Posted by Peter Mork at 5:03 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 22, 2005
Doctor's Visit
I woke up this morning and with my throat still killing me I took Joanne up on her offer to go see a doctor. When she called the property manager to get the name of a physician, we were informed that one could come to the house if we would like. Even better.
The doctor was here about a half hour later and diagnosed me with strep throat, which explained why I wasn't improving. Em and I both stocked up with antibiotics and hopefully this will put an end to our week of sickness.
We spent the day mostly relaxing which is exactly what we needed. The girls took a walk along the beach and had cocktails. One trip we did take was into PV to have business cards made with our contact information so we´ll have something to give to people we meet on our trip. At the shopping center, as we waited for the printer to open after the siesta, we snacked at a great little restaurant run by a couple from Guadalajara . The restaurant was appropriately named Tortas Ahogadas because that is what we ate.
For dinner, after an informal driving tour de Joanne around the center of Puerto Vallarta, we headed out for some good pizza. It was a nice change of pace from Mexican food. Now we're off to bed with full stomachs and drugged up on antibiotics.
Posted by Peter Mork at 4:59 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 21, 2005
El Pacifico y Las Amigas
We woke up early to head to the bus station to make our way to Puerto Vallarta to meet up with our friend Jill. Door to door it was an all-day trip which included a stopover in Guadalajara. We arrived in Puerto Vallarta at about 7:30 pm and after talking with Jill and her mom, Joanne, we took a taxi to the airport where they picked us up.
Their flight had arrived a few hours earlier. It was great to see friendly faces from home. Joanne owns a rental house in a community on the beach in a little town north of Puerto Vallarta called La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. She had lived down here for seven months a year or so ago. Practically a local, she was ready to take the three of us to all the hidden, fun places she knew of. After we dropped our backpacks off at the house and Jill loaded up her purse with Coronas, Joanne took us into La Cruz to "Tacos on the Street", a restaurant that is only open Saturdays and Sundays. We ate carne asada tacos and quesadillas at a table literally set up in the street. They were delicious and just what we needed. Afterwards, it was back to the house to get some sleep after a long day of traveling.
Posted by Peter Mork at 4:18 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 20, 2005
La Boda de Claudia y Ulises
“¡Qué padre sería si vuelvan ustedes para la boda!” said Claudia on our last night in Guanajuato over an intense game of Mexican Monopoly and a few beers. Maybe she was just trying to distract me strategically as I was winning the game, but when she said it again, that was all it took to convince Peter and I to backtrack through central Mexico the following weekend to attend her and Ulises’ wedding. Right away, we knew we wouldn’t miss it for the world. While at our language school, we had spent a lively and fun two weeks living with the Prado family. We were thrilled at the notion of coming back to see this wonderful family and touched that they would give us such a special reason to do so.
The head of the household Maria Elena, her three daughters, Claudia, Myra, and Haydeé, and her son Alex kept us well fed and speaking Spanish and always laughing. Their house never stops flowing with activity and people. The four siblings, all university students, would zip off to class all in different directions at different times driving their car or on Claudia´s scooter through the winding streets and tunnels of town. When we arrived to stay with them, the family was hosting another student Ryan from Alaska who had just begun his year-long stay in Guanajuato with the family. Eldest sister Flavia would visit from Leon with the little star of the family, four-year-old Jorge Alexander. Neighbors/siblings/comedians Barbara and Fernando would drop by almost everyday for a laugh. Sam, novia de Alex, Reynaldo, novio de Maria Elena, and Ulisis, novio and fiancé de Claudia would stay for long evenings of comida and conversation. The family had made great friends (¿amigos o amigovios, Haydeé?) with former students Sebastián and Jamie, who were in town visiting for the wedding. It was amazing that amid all of this melee, and with a wedding about to take place, they still had room for us and made us feel at home. We felt incredibly lucky.
The following Saturday with much anticipation, we returned to our new hometown of Guanajuato, dressed ourselves up as best we could, and caught a taxi up to the Templo La Valenciana, a dazzling ancient church perched on a hill overlooking the city. Claudia had told us that the ceremony was to start at 1:30 in the afternoon even though 1 pm was printed on the invitations. We arrived at 1:15, and to our dismay, a ceremony was already occurring inside. We snuck into the church, and after scrutinizing the bride and groom for a few minutes, we realized that this was not Claudia and Ulises’ wedding. Hoping that we had our information right, we quietly tip-toed out of the church to look for someone we knew. With relief, we spotted Ulises outside looking sharp in his tails and shiny new shoes from León. Happy and ready to be married, he gave us hugs and began to greet his other guests that had begun to arrive. We saw the sisters and Alex, and ran over to see them. Their little cousins and nephew Jorge Alexander arrived all dressed up and full of energy. The courtyard outside the church was full of guests. It was to be expected that pastors in especially important churches would perform more than one wedding in a day, and so we waited. Claudia and her entourage arrived in the polished Escalade that Ulises had borrowed from GM, but she stayed out of sight. Suddenly the church emptied, we entered, and the ceremony began. Claudia, looking fabulous and happy, walked up the aisle with her uncle. The golden façade of the church glimmered in the candlelight throughout the ceremony and mass.
Templo La Valenciana is named for La Mina Valenciana, a famous colonial mine of Guanajuato. After the ceremony, we made our way down the street to the grounds of La Mina for the reception, and were greeted with tequila shots served in roma tomatoes. The party had begun! Bright colors swirled (maybe an effect of the tequila), little kids ran around on the grass in their nice clothes and threw themselves onto the inflatable trampoline that was set up for them, a lively band began to play, and Ulisis and Claudia entered in the Escalade to cheers and toasts. Dinner was served, and the dancing began.
The newlyweds danced the first dance. As Ulises skillfully swung her around the dance floor, I remembered that Claudia had mentioned that Ulises and his family loved loved loved to dance salsa. Next the couples danced with their parents and then the rest of their family joined them. Las solteras (single ladies) were called to the dance floor for the legendary bouquet toss, but first they joined hands and danced around the newlyweds and then around the entire reception. It began to rain and thunder, but under the tent no one seemed to notice. Everyone got up to dance. As the night went on, the music changed from salsa to ranchero to brazilian carnival to popular latin music. The band played their last song, a line dance, said goodbye and left the reception.
By this time it was around 9 pm, and Peter and I were convinced that the night must be coming to an end. But…nobody got up to leave. Everyone mingled and kept on talking in the candlelight. The newlyweds circled the room laughing and talking. The bar was still serving drinks. And suddenly, out of the darkness a full mariachi band entered. The dancing and serenading continued. Beautiful and exhausting, exhilarating and drunkenly happy, the wedding continued after midnight. Claudia and Ulisis visited and talked with guests until everyone but the families had left—unbelievable, because they had a five o’clock A.M. flight to New York to catch to begin their honeymoon. At the night´s end, we thanked them and said our goodbyes to the fun-loving, generous and kind Prado family. Alex and Fernando dropped us off at our little hotel, and we said goodnight to Guanajuato and the gorgeous night.
Querida familia:
Muchísimas gracias para todos. ¡Qué familia y boda increíble! Ojalá que le disfruten las fotos. Nos vemos. Muchas felicidades y mucha suerte,
Peter y Emily
Posted by Emily Marie Stremel Mork at 4:21 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 19, 2005
Back to Our Home Away From Home
Today we woke up and after breakfast headed to the bus station to make our way back to Guanajuato. The bus ride was non eventful but it is always relaxing and fun to watch the Mexican countryside pass by outside the windows.
We got to Guanajuato and checked into Hostel Cantarranas in our same little comfy room that we had when we first came to this little town. Originally we planned to head up to visit the Prados, but after dinner we were both still feeling under the weather. Instead we called them on the telephone to let them know that made it to Guanajuato intact, and said we would see them tomorrow at the wedding.
Posted by Peter Mork at 4:12 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 18, 2005
Sickness Strikes
Well, both Em and I are coming down with nasty illnesses. My throat is starting to kill me. Luckily, Em brought some vitamin c drops with Echinacea and zinc which are helping me to fight off this cold. Em is getting hit with a double-whammy. Not only does she have a fever and a sore throat but sheｴs having stomach problems. We knew this would happen eventually.
We switched hotels to a place on the plaza, which will hopefully be a bit more quiet than the little place we were in last night where the night watchman had a special love for ranchero music. Today we rested as we are trying to recover before the wedding on Saturday. Pátzcuaro is beautiful. Very different looking from colorful little Guanajuato, though. Here, all the buildings in town look exactly the same from the outside. All are whitewashed with a stripe of brick red along the bottom. From the outside the only way you can tell a butcher's shop from a florist is their business name written in small red and black letters above the door.
Tonight for dinner I ate about 200 little fish called charales. Not sure they were the best thing for my sore throat but they were the regional specialty and rather tasty.
Posted by Peter Mork at 4:09 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 17, 2005
Off to Pátzcuaro
After a successful trip to Uruapan, we decided to catch a bus to Pátzcuaro today to see some more of Michoacan. We spent the morning exploring more of downtown Uruapan, walking through the street market, the tianguis.. It's interesting, a good deal of the stands near the plaza have signs declaring the importance of the informal economy to poor families in Mexico. When I asked Armando about it yesterday he said that there is a plan to move these informal shops to another location further from the city center. Obviously many are not happy with this plan.
After lunch we caught the one hour bus to Pázcuaro. I spent the ride with the window wide open just taking in the scenery. Beautiful pines and fresh air. Once in Pátzcuaro we found hotel a couple blocks off the plaza. As soon as we were settled we made our way into the center of town to explore around and get some dinner. While we were at a café it started to absolutely pour rain, the hardest we have seen it come down on the trip. The streets began to flood.
To wait out the rain, we found an internet café and checked our email. Waiting in my inbox was an email saying that the CFA Level 3 results were out. Unfortunately, I failed the test. I was so mad about it I ended up not being able to get to sleep until about 4 in the morning. During my many hours of staring at the ceiling I've decided that I'm going to take it again next year in Cape Town, South Africa . Studying should prove to be difficult while traveling but if I wait another two years to take the test I'm going to lose too much of the material I learned this last year in my many hours of studying. If nothing else it will be a good practice exam, and if I do end up passing it would be great to say that I took and passed the L3 in Africa.
Posted by Peter Mork at 4:05 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 16, 2005
Oro Verde
This morning we woke up, headed down to our new favorite caf・for some breakfast, and returned to the hotel to get ready and to arrange our taxi. Armando arrived ten minutes later and we were off to look for an empacadora that might be able to show us "journalists" around.
The guard at the first packing warehouse we stopped at informed us that there was nobody currently on grounds and that we should try the San Lorenzo warehouse around the corner. On the way to San Lorenzo , Armando told us that Fox had visited this particular business a month ago. After talking with the guard at the gate and a few calls we were allowed to head into the main offices.
Everyone was friendly, but I realized I have to come up with a quicker reply when people ask me what company I'm with. "I'm an economist with Economics with a Face" doesn't quite roll of the tongue, nor is it a company. Free-lance journalist is probably a decent reply but it also doesn't seem like a response that will open many doors. But despite my fumbling around searching for a job title, we were soon in Rosangel Ruiz' office, the manager of outside sales, talking about avocados.
She was extremely helpful and we scribbled down notes as she showed us around the warehouse that was designated for export to the United States. Since January 31st of this year, Mexico, for the first time in 80 years has been able to export avocados to 47 states in the U.S. year-round. San Lorenzo, the biggest Mexican owned packing plant, was taking full advantage. A USDA inspector is on grounds daily to break the special seals on the incoming avocados trucks (the trucks are sealed after avocados have been picked at a USDA-approved huerta), randomly inspecting a percentage of the avocados for weevils, and making sure the quarantine areas are in compliance. Rosangel made clear that in her 15 years working at this plant she had never heard of even one weevil found in even one avocado in their or any of the surrounding warehouses.
Unfortunately there wasn't much going on in the plant as the avocados normally arrived later in the day. We saw the processing and packing line, and Rosangel explained how the process worked. We were able to get a good feel for how the place has been working since the law change earlier in the year. After the tour and back in her office we asked if it would be possible if she could help us arrange a visit to one of the many growers that the company buys from. She said she could make some calls but admitted that while she drives by them everyday, she herself had only been out to an avocado grove once or twice as she was in the sales department.
She tracked down a manager, Antonio, who said he would be more than happy to take us out to an orchard. We all piled into the taxi and headed out to get a first hand look.
Antonio was a wealth of information. This particular huerta was a large one; he told us that the company works with a whole range of growers of different sizes. We walked around the orchards overflowing with hanging fruit, got to see the irrigation system, a nursery of young trees, picking machines, and as a bonus, a trout farm and roosters bred for cock-fighting (!). One thing I hadn't realized is that avocados originated in central Mexico. This particular area of Michoacan is known for exceptional avocados. Chefs around the world prefer the unique taste of avocados produced here because of the volcanic ground in which they grow.
We dropped off Antonio and thanked for the great tour of the orchards. Armando, who had asked a lot of interesting questions himself during the tour, asked if we wanted to go see a beautiful church in San Juan Nuevo, a near-by town. We thought it was a great idea as we still had some time before we had to meet with Ricardo at 5:00 .
The church was beautiful. Inside was a special figure of a madonna that had originally been in the cathedral in the town of San Juan Viejo. People now visited this figure from far and wide because she was thought to create miracles. A volcano erupted in the 1950s and lava engulfed the town of Viejo all except for the cathedral. All of the townspeople escaped alive. To this day, the cathedral in Viejo stands alone amid the lava rock. San Juan Nuevo was built a few miles away, the miracle madonna was moved to its cathedral and now sheｴs famous.
Afterwards, Armando bought us all a few tunas, the sweet prickly-pear fruit from a cactus, which neither of us had tried before. After the excursion to San Juan Nuevo we decided to head back to the hotel to get a little rest before our meeting.
At 5:00 we headed over to the APEAM offices to meet with Ricardo Salgado. It was funny, all these years I thought Ricardo was simply the owner of a small orchard outside of Uruapan. While indeed he is, he is also the person who has been leading the charge to get Mexican avocados legally imported within the United States.
The details of our talk will most likely be a topic of an upcoming essay but I'll just say it was a great meeting. It was an especially relevant time to talk with him about my book and the avocado trade between Mexico and the U.S. since they had just recently accomplished their goal of securing importation rights for their products. He loaded us up with a good deal more information and we took a picture together before we left. As his story had been an inspiration to me, I promised him that if I ever get my book published he will be one of the first people to get a signed copy.
We next walked across town and had one of the best dinners of the trip at a tiny restaurant that specialized in arrancheras. Now we're back at the hotel and planning on getting some sleep (but only after practicing our salsa, Em insists).
Posted by Peter Mork at 4:01 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 15, 2005
Uruapan
We made a specific point of coming to Uruapan in order to learn a bit more about the Mexican avocado market. This morning we put that goal on hold in order to get some of our writing up on the website. After breakfast and a walk around town we headed to an internet café where we camped out for about 3.5 hours while we uploaded the rest of our pictures and gave our work one final proofread before we put it up.
In the afternoon I gave Ricardo Salgado a call and actually got a hold of him. He was a little thrown off when I first called as he had not received my email due to a problem with his computer, but after a short talk we decided to meet tomorrow at 5:00 so we could talk face to face.
Em and I walked along the huge city park (it is actually a national park) to the other side of town for dinner. We made it to the restaurant we were looking for right before it really started to rain. It was a nice place that overlooked the north end of the park and the rushing river and it specialized in a variety of trout dishes, which we both had as a main course.
After dinner the rain was coming down even harder, so we decided against walking the mile or so back into town. Across the street we were able to grab a cab. Although this was more expensive it was well worth it. The driver mentioned that we could pay him by the hour if we wanted to head out to a volcano that was a tourist attraction outside of the city. I let him know that we were really interested in taking a look at the avocado industry, but did not have a meeting with our contact in town until 5:00. He said there are several avocado packers in town as well as avocado ranches, huertas, on the outskirts he could take us to, so as of now that is the plan. He seemed like a friendly guy so we're going to give him a ring tomorrow morning and just pay him by the hour to take us around the outskirts of town.
He dropped us off at a café famous for its coffee and teas where we tasted uruapanesa coffee and a banana split. Eventually we walked back to the hotel. After paying at the front desk, we noticed that our laundry bill was about three times what we usually spend, so Em practiced her new and improved Spanish skills figuring out what was wrong. To prove weｴd been overcharged, Em brought the bellhop to our room to count our belongings. The woman at the front desk was skeptical and so finally they brought all the clothes back downstairs so that the boss could count everything. Returning with money in hand, Em entered our room with a smile.
We practiced salsa to Ruben Blades Pedro Navaja. Now it's off to bed. Tomorrow should be a fun day.
Posted by Peter Mork at 3:49 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 14, 2005
Making our way to Uruapan
Today we woke up early and although we really were not expecting it, Maria had some breakfast ready for us. She also gave us two coin purses as a going away gift that we’re both already using. If that were not enough she gave us a ride to the bus station to make sure that we made it on time. We let her know we planned on making it back next week for the wedding so it made it an easy goodbye.
The bus ride to Uruapan was gorgeous. It feels more like we are going through Oregon than Mexico to me. Everywhere you look is lush green hills, lakes, and forests. Once we arrived we found a perfect hotel not too far off the town square.
After getting some dinner we made our way over to an internet café. I was able to locate the phone number and email of Ricardo Posada, who is the avocado grower mentioned in the about section of this web page. Tomorrow I’m going to give him a ring and see if we can meet up while we are in the area. Hopefully, he is not out of town, but considering the amount of avocado trees we saw driving into the city it shouldn’t be hard finding someone to talk to about the industry.
Posted by Peter Mork at 12:40 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 13, 2005
Our last weekend in Guanajuato
Today we woke up, had some breakfast with the family, and then headed into town. Once there we bought our bus tickets to Uruapan at the travel agency in the center of town so we are all set to leave on tomorrow morning.
After some coffee we started the arduous task of uploading the photos from the last 2 weeks. Unfortunately, we had so many pictures that we didn’t have time to get them all up. At 4:00 we headed back up to the house and on the way bought some flowers for Claudia for her despedida which was scheduled for tonight. Shortly after we were back at the house Ulysses swung by to pick us and Ryan up and we all headed over to see the church where they are going to be married next week.
The Templo La Valenciana was magnificent and is one of the oldest churches in Mexico. We also swung by the mine where they are going to have the reception about a half mile away. It was a gorgeous place as well.
Afterwards we headed over to Ulysses (and soon to be Claudia’s) home. It’s a great place with an incredible view of the city. Some friends and the sisters arrived a bit later and we all had fun watching soccer, listening to music, playing some card games, and drinking some beer. Before we left Ulysses gave us a CD with a ton of salsa music on it. This made Em’s day as now we can continue practicing what we learned in classes this last week. We’ll see how long it lasts. We also decided to head back for their wedding next week. They are both so nice and really want us to come if we can make it, so next Saturday we’ll be back in Guanajuato. We’re both really looking forward to it.
Now we’re off to bed and tomorrow it’s off to Uruapan.
Posted by Peter Mork at 12:23 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 12, 2005
The Last Day of School
Today was our last day of classes and they went very well. Em got some more pictures of all the teachers and of the school. We watched two interesting short films in my practical spanish class with Hugo, and during salsa class we spent a half hour watching professional salsa dancers on DVD. Basically there was a good deal of watching TV today in class, which made for a relaxing end to the week.
Tonight, we were planning on heading down to La Dama again to see how much I had learned during the dance classes during the week. Unfortunately, a major thunderstorm hit and by the time it cleared up it was already late and Em was feeling a little bit under the weather. We took advantage of the time though, planning out our next leg of the journey and getting advice from Ulysses on his home town Mexico City.
Tomorrow, we should get some stuff up on the internet and also plan on heading over to Ulysses house in the evening. Should be fun.
Posted by Peter Mork at 12:11 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 11, 2005
Gorditas con Pollo en Mole
School is really winding down as it was our second to last day. I really feel though that both of us have taken our Spanish to another level with the classes. Emily is especially talking a lot more. I think taking one private class with Esme has really helped her out. As for me, I find the pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo is rolling off my tongue a bit easier.
Today trying a new street taco stand between classes I discovered gorditas con pollo en mole. I’ll definitly be heading back tomorrow. They were delicious. The more I think about it maybe we should just scrap this economics with a face book idea and just start keeping track of our favorite foods for a recipe book. It would probably sell more copies.
Back at the house everyone was out, so while Em took a nap, I watched some TV for the first time in quite a while. It was just like being back in San Diego. When I turned it on the Chargers were playing the Packers in a preseason game live.
Once everyone arrived home about 8:00 we had dinner, stayed up talking for a bit, did some homework, and then it was off to bed. Tomorrow is our last day of school.
Posted by Peter Mork at 12:09 PM | Comments | TrackBack
August 10, 2005
Writing, writing, and more writing
Classes didn’t start until 1:00 today for me so I spent the morning working on the computer and putting together several of the essays I have in the works. In truth, I’m hoping my writing not only gets better during the trip but that also I’ll be able to pick up the pace a bit.
It was a relaxing day of classes and we finished it off with another salsa lesson. Today my brain hit overload with the dancing. I was forgetting the easy stuff just as we moved onto the more complicated moves. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Back at the house it was a lively scene as a former student, Jamie, who stayed with the family last year has come to visit for a few weeks and to attend Claudia’s wedding. She was handing out gifts to everyone when we got back so not surprisingly everyone was in an extra good mood. We stayed up and talked for a while before eventually heading to bed.