Travel 2012 - A Look Back

In less than 24 hours I will be packing up the car and driving North to the land of America. I usually do a little look-back post, rather than a look forward post. I've never been one much for resolutions anyway...

2012 was a year 'on the move' with not so much travel as usual as I saved up my pennies to move to Mexico, but there were still a few highlights to share.

Let's see, it all began in Lincolnshire, England, but I don't have pics of Lincolnshire. So I'll start with Cairo in January 2012, one year after the start of the revolution.

In January & February I did a bunch of trips with the school National Honor Society to Wadi Degla and the Khan-el-Khalili. The Khan is one of my favorite places in Cairo, and going with my students had me seeing it with new eyes.

Following a quick trip to Baltimore to process paperwork, next it was off to Petra in Jordan - a dream of mine since I found out the closing scenes in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were filmed in a real, actual place!

From Jordan, I flew off to Istanbul: a city I fell in love with on my first visit in 2009. It was even better this trip!

In May, for my roommate's 30th birthday, there was one last trip to Luxor to be had - with a visit to Abu Simbel and a stay at the super-posh Cataract Hotel.

At the end of June, it was time to say goodbye to Cairo, and all my wonderful friends and students, and head off to Florida with my cat in-tow.

a home-made gift from my clever students

A few weeks in Baltimore again, then back to Florida before moving to Monterrey, Mexico!

From Monterrey there have been three trips (maybe I did more traveling than I thought):

Merida, Quintana Roo, Mexico

South Padre Island, Texas

Cancun / Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico

... and before the year is out I will have been back to the states, by car, which means driving across the Achafalaya Basin for the first time in 10 years! (It's the part of the drive I am really looking forward to!)

Still, Trip Advisor is telling me I've only been to 14% of the world, so there's clearly still many adventures to plan!

• View my profile
• Create your own travel map.

Slow-Cooker Sundays

One thing (among many) that I could not get in Egypt was a slow-cooker. I used my big, fancy Crockpot in Baltimore on occasion, but because it was so big I could rarely finish what I made. I would end up delivering portions to Momom and Pop or inviting over friends, which was awesome, but impractical for every-day cooking as my crazy travel schedule for work didn't often allow for delivering left-overs.

In Egypt, with my time much taken up by a long commute and friends over a few nights a week, a slow-cooker would have made my life much much easier. Unfortunately, I couldn't find one. Even post-revolution, when suddenly a larger variety of kitchen gadgets became available, I could not get my hands on a slow-cooker. It's not to say there were no slow-cookers anywhere in the country, just that none of my local merchants carried them and I would only dig so deep among Cairo's back-alley variety stores in my quest.

Long story still rambling on (sorry!) I bought the very first slow cooker I saw in Mexico. It's small with only two settings (high and low) and is a wonder. Now, every Sunday is "Slow-Cooker" Sunday. (Although on the occasional weekend, like yesterday, the slow-cooker is used on Saturday as well).

Today, like last Sunday, I am going to simmer a no-cream-yet-so-creamy Butternut Squash Soup. Yesterday, I slow-cooked boeuf bourguignon. Previous Sunday slow-cooker simmers have seen experiments in pork, tomato-jalepeno chicken to be stuffed into poblano peppers with couscous, acorn squash soup, etc etc.

The pork recipe is almost there.  It just needs a little something more, a flavor profile I'm missing. (Probably it just needs salt). The butternut squash soup has produced the best results so far (possibly because it involves an entire bulb of roasted garlic); and the stuffed-poblano peppers are a work in progress, I'm just not cooking the peppers long enough. May need to pre-roast, then stuff.

I always thought slow-cooking was for lazy cooks, but no, many of the recipes take more prep-work than my usual cooking. Right now, I have a bulb of garlic and two squash roasting away in the oven, which will need to go in the blender with onions, spices, and stock before hitting the pot. However, the mingling and melding of flavors in the pot as they swirl and bubble for hours is a pay-off that makes the hour of prep-work worth it.

I've been meaning to keep track of Slow-Cooker Sundays here since they started, but have been far too busy with school work (Sunday is not only Slow-Cooker Day, it's also Catch-up-on-Grading Day, Planning Day, and Take-a-Walk-Outside Day), but now is the time. I think Slow-Cooker Sundays will have it's own little page, because my slow-cooker deserves to be honored, revered, and praised. Hooray for the slow-cooker - ever may it cook without gas or supervision!

Cancun: Pretty Tourist Trappings

Cancun is a beautiful beach resort. It is the kind of place where you want to lie under a palapa all day, sipping frozen drinks (easily signed to the room; no need to face the reality of their cost until your departure), and watching the clouds roll across a deep blue sky above a tidy-bowl turquoise sea.

After a day of palapa lounging and daquiri sipping, my group ventured off to Tulum, about 90 minutes south of Cancun. Tulum was a beautiful heritage site - it's unique position as the only Mayan port city, towering strategically above the ocean, perched precariously on cliff edges and surrounded by jungle foliage, lends it charm and enhances its beauty. Unfortunately, it was the most crowded heritage site I've been to - and here's why: I couldn't afford to get there any way but by tour bus.

Giant tour busses are not my preferred method of transit. I like to arrive to sites early in the morning, while the light is still shifting, and make my exit as the tour busses are just pulling up. Unfortunately,  the day at Tulum ended up being a tour bus trip. It's my own fault: I was far too busy and exhausted pre-trip to book more affordable, amenable options. We would get only an hour at Tulum (that would become an hour and a half when members of our party were late returning to the bus), and about three hours at Xel-Ha.

Xel-Ha was pretty cool (and refreshing after the heat of the morning in Tulum). In a large, protected lagoon there were tubing and snorkeling; and after a dip there were free daiquiris to be drunk in hammocks that were scattered all over the park. I held parrots and toucans and saw fish and dolphins and manatees and had fun and isn't that all that matters?

The next day, we all went ziplining. The ziplining company was excellent: great service, nice guys, well-organized - a good, affordable, beginner's course in ziplining followed by a ride on an army truck through the jungle to a cenote for a swim and lunch. Cancun's jungle is comprised of generally low-level vegetation, so the lines are short and low (but still fast). The only downside was that you were not allowed to bring your own camera (you could buy a $400 helmet cam that they would attach for you, or buy the photos the company took of you & your group). One of the highlights of my trip to Thailand had been ziplining and taking video and photos along the way and I was disappointed I couldn't take my camera here as well. (Of course, I bought the photos. I always buy the photos, I'm kind of a sucker like that.)

As I spent my last morning on the beach, finishing my book under sunny skies, I decided that while Cancun was fun, I won't be going back anytime soon. Like most beach resorts in the states, it was just too darn expensive (and the way Americans were throwing around money you'd think the recession was just a media ploy). It's not that there's anything wrong with Cancun, I think I just prefer little old towns to big, shiny new beach resorts. In fact, I can't wait for my next trip, to New Orleans in January, one of my favorite little old towns in the world.

Wherein I hit the breakfast buffet like a 12 year old...

The last few days I was on vacation in Cancun. As a part of my package deal, I had access to the "international" breakfast buffet.

I think my selections from the buffet speak for themselves: 

Day 1: Chilequilies, Bacon, Crab Shumai, Salmon Sashimi

Day 2: Pork Wontons, Seared Tuna, Salmon Sashimi, Chocolate Donut, Coffee

Needless to say, my tummy was very cranky by the last day of the trip.

A Walk in the Parque

About a 30 minute drive to the other side of Monterrey from my home is the Parque Fundidora. The first urban 'concept' park in Mexico, the designers of the park took a 142 hectacre former industrial complex and landscaped a park around some of the existing buildings, and repurposed industrial machinery pieces as sculptures, fountains, and planters.

The park's buildings are an amazing testament to the beauty of turn-of-the-century industrial architecture. Walking around the park I felt the same as I do touring ruins in any part of the world: that these are monuments of architectural ingenuity that represent a period of glory for their respective cultures. Monterrey is an industrial city, much like my home-town of Baltimore, and this park honors the city's industrial heritage. (Despite growing up in Baltimore, however, with the exception of one trip beyond the gates of Domino Sugar Factory (which was AMAZING) and the oft-repurposed Power Plant in the Harbor, I've rarely gotten to experience industrial architecture quite so up-close, and certainly not looking this beautiful.)

Beyond the industrial machinery and buildings, I especially love the way the water features in the park connect all the elements of the park. Fountains are made from old smelting pots (left) and other bits of machinery (below), and from these fountains, tiny streams criss-cross the park connecting the buildings (which now house art galleries - free admission, a theatre, restaurants, and an exhibition hall) to the woody paths, open fields, and playgrounds.There are also a little pond with ducks and paddle boats, an ice rink, outdoor (free) exercise equipment, and events every weekend.



On most lampposts in the park, tiny speakers play music (mostly Enya) that is played at the perfect level as to add ambiance and not be intrusive. I didn't think I could enjoy piped-in music in a park, but I have to say I do, the music adds a little something dreamy to a walk around the park.

I have made two visits to the main area of the park; and with a combined two and a half hours of walking I still have not seen everything (at least this time I remembered the camera!) I can't wait to go ice skating this winter and have a meal at the restaurant in the park (the baby goat taco appetizer on the menu caught my eye as I walked by this morning!).

I must say there has been something new to discover just about every weekend in Monterrey!

DELICIOUSNESS

Grilled Octopus and Marlin in Olive Oil with spices and chiles - served in a lava-stone mortar (molcajete).

So. Total. Yum.

Happy Halloween 2012

Shortly after sun-up this morning, the full moon hovered over the mountains. Just as I snapped the photo, crows flew across the moon.

Happy Halloween from Mexico!

Hiking Huasteca

The most striking feature of Monterrey, Mexico is the line of jagged peaks of the Sierra Madre Oriental that dominate the skyline everywhere you look. The town of Santa Catarina, where I live, is built in a narrow valley with tall, stone peaks that rise sharply on either side. On clear days, the peaks are illuminated by the sun and glow in brilliant whites, and other days low clouds simply hug the peaks as if cotton candy has been draped over them.

Just a few minutes drive from my home is the Huasteca Canyon. Just the other side of the dragon's back of peaks to the south of my house, you pass through a tiny, narrow canyon (currently unpaved, as a hurricane a few years ago destroyed all the roads) that, especially in late afternoon, has the appearance of the set of Lord of the Rings. Tall, graceful, white stone peaks shelter the dark passage into the canyon in a spectacular greeting. The canyon then widens into a beautiful, wide valley where there are a few quintas (small family plots of land with a few houses on them), but otherwise the valley is largely unpopulated. The silence, the beautiful light, and the adventure of driving on extremely rocky unpaved roads all add to the allure of visiting the canyon.

I've been to the canyon a few times to visit a friend who lives there, but yesterday my friend M, who has been wonderfully welcoming, took my roommate and I on a hike through the canyon and up to an abandoned house that was, at some point, built precariously into a hill/cliff face and subsequently abandoned. The two-hour hike featured beautiful vistas, hundreds of butterflies (the monarch butterfly migration is due to get here soon, I hope this cold front we are having doesn't deter them), and interesting bones of animals who have found their end on the canyon floor. In fact, driving through the canyon, you will find (live) wild donkeys, 'dingos', horses, cattle, and crickets that can jump as high as a man.

The hike probably could have been a half-hour shorter, but I slowed everyone down with my picture taking. Rather than ramble on anymore, here are a few of my favorite shots from the canyon:

a shanty in the canyon, poverty hidden in plain sight

abandoned house on the hill (photo taken by my roommate)

view from the abandoned house

All photos (except one) taken by the blogger in October 2012 - all were taken with a Sony NEX-C3.

COOKIES!

I just baked cookies for the first time in nearly 5 years (cookie making ingredients were not always readily available in Cairo).

Here's the BEFORE:

And here's the AFTER:

Ghirardelli chocolate and peanut butter chip = total tummy nummy-ness!

Before and After

Due to a phantom 'luggage embargo' when the new teachers were arriving in Monterrey (phantom because it seemed to only exist on an obscure link on the airline website, and not in reality), I arrived in Monterrey with only one suitcase (well, a suitcase, a carry-on, and a back-pack). I brought a few key non-clothing items: a photograph I cherish of me and some of my Baltimore Peeps that I do not have electronically, a wind-chime I've had at every apartment since I left America, a painting from Istanbul, some magnets, and some coasters (see previous decorating post).

As I mentioned two posts previous, the house was sparse when my roommate and I moved in. We each hung a few things we had squeezed into our luggage and the result was this:

Thanks to a few digital photos (that are now printed, framed and hung on the wall) and those key purchases I mentioned two posts previous, the result is this:

\

Those orange leather barstools are gorgeous, are they not?

People at work keep saying "I can't believe how much money you are spending (it's really not that much) - you just got here!" but here is what I learned in Cairo (advice all international teachers should follow):

You will know pretty quickly whether or not you are a 'right fit' for your school and vice-versa. If you comfortable and plan to stay a few years, a little spending up-front for creature comforts (a microwave, a tv, some wall hangings, a table and chairs for the garden) that will stay with you for a few years is a good investment! I wish someone had given me this advice when I moved to Cairo - instead, after four years of slowly accumulating everything I needed to feel 'at home,' it was time to leave and I had to do what I would have had to do anyway had I bought everything my first year there: turn-around and sell it all.

Signing bonuses, settling-in allowances, and cashed-out 401Ks (you know, the one you cashed out because you didn't have enough in it to bother rolling it over to an IRA before leaving the US) are there for a reason: to help you set - up "HOME" in your new home so you don't feel so much like an transient (even if, in a way, you are) in your new country.

I still have a few purchases to make, but I know that, for however long I'm here, I'm going to be comfortable.

The Awesome Button

My microwave oven in Egypt was nothing special: sure it was huge, but the instructions were all in English and there were no fancy 'pre-programmed' buttons. There was no "popcorn" button, no "scones" button (it was a British microwave, after all), and certainly no "fuul" button.

My new Mexican Microwave, however, is extra special because of one button. Right there in the middle of the top row... see it? It's a CHILEQUILES button!

I was hoping that, much like a food replicator, I would press that button and chilequiles would magically appear in my microwave. While that didn't happen, I can tell you that two cycles on the chilequiles setting is perfect for warming up a kilo of ropa vieja that was accidentally ordered last night when someone at our table was trying to order 'another mojito'.

(note: stringy-meat is not the same as gin-y mint, no matter how delicious the meat is the next day)

(second note: this was a total Spanish fail right after Spanish class which makes it extra embarrassing...for everyone at the table who thought the order was placed correctly)

(third note: the problem may not have been so much Spanish as a gesturing/pointing fail, caused by the fact that the person ordering mas mojitos had already had a few).

Anyway, there's also a TORTILLAS button - although I kind of like my special tortilla grill-pan and doubt I nuke my tortillas anytime soon...aw, who am I kidding - I'll probably nuke the heck out of them! 

HOORAY for my Cocina Mexicana!

Modern House, Vintage Personality

Here's my only challenge with my big, gorgeous house: the modern architecture.

Monterrey is obsessed with modernity. In the center of the city is a huge, flat, red brick tower sculpture, that projects a beam of light into the sky, meant to represent the economic prosperity of the city. A beautiful, modern suspension bridge spans the dry river bed that runs through the center of town. The majority of the housing communities in my area are gridded white blocks of gridded white blocks. Cubes of white-on-white with gray or black trimmed windows.

While I am fortunate enough to live in a colonia with some variety (the houses are different colors and vary in adornments), the interior of my home is rental house beige with neutral brown couches and beige-y tile floors.

For someone who loves living with color (and in homes that are, themselves, antiques), this has been a challenge: how do I marry the look of vintage / antiques and pops of color I love with the "paint them and it will cost you dearly" square beige walls and black trim?

Here is what my roommate and I have come up with:

First, today's purchases - an antique wooden cabinet (with iron nails and painted leather sides) on a stand assembled of pieces of antiques. It stood out awkwardly when first placed in the modern, tiled dining room, but when we hung a blown-glass flower I bought a few week ago over the cabinet, it somehow brought the room together. It also helped that we hung the orange Turkish tapestry in the dining room across from the cabinet, and moved the green Tt to the living room to go with the new 'ethnic pattern' (according to the tag) patch-work turquoise throw pillows purchased at, of all places, Home Depot, to liven up the couch. (note: I sewed ribbon/yarn to the tapestries, and the batik I bought last week, and hung them from patterned chair rails bought at the Home Depot for about $2ea).




Next, a painted metal mirror in muted oranges and greens (bought at the same place as the antique cabinet) was hung over the very modern staircase to, again, help the wooden cabinet not stand out so much.

Finally, little bits and pieces - a painting I bought in Turkey; drink coasters and tiles from Greece, Turkey, Egypt, and Mexico (the ones from Italy are still in Florida, awaiting transport to Mexico); magnets from both me and my roommate's travels; flowers and pottery acquired in Mexico; a Balinese (but bought in MD) windchime; the day of the dead batik (see last post); my roommate's Zabaleen cushions from Cairo; and lots of photos from home and away have made the house finally seem a bit more home-y and a bit less rental-property.

The final purchase was a "well, they are kind of too expensive" pass today, but I think I'll go back and get them now that I've seen how the dining room is coming together: 'rusted' iron barstools with orange leather seats! Photos to come...I hope...if they are still there when I go back in two weeks!

Coffee Sippin' Reminiscin'

8:43 am.

The detritus of last night's birthday celebration lingers: mi casa's hangover. Brightly colored flowers in pinks, yellows, oranges, reds, greens, and purples, and the echo of last night's chatter, are draped over every surface; a nice distraction from the mountains of sticky, crumby dishes and dirt-smeared floors.

Contentment and coffee.

It's been a productive hour since I woke (a productivity that MUST persist if I am to get all my grading done today!). I have created a web-page (see tabs at the top of the page) of my favorite restaurants all over the world - with links my original posts on the restaurants if they exist. I am enjoying my second cup of coffee. I moved a single dirty dish closer to the sink. I feel accomplished.

Since the topic came up often last night, I thought this morning is a good time to reflect on last weekend's trip to Merida (beyond the food and the awesome hotel).

Merida seems to be a jumping off point for tourists wanting to visit the archaeological sites in Quintana Roo. While its proximity makes Merida great for pyramid hunters, on its own it is a lovely town to visit - the town has personality and "personality goes a long way."

My visit to Merida coincided with Mexican Independence Day celebrations. This meant fireworks (which I missed as I fell asleep hours before they went off), parades, performances, street fairs, and a generally festive atmosphere. It was a great time to be introduced to the liveliness of the city.

There are several museums in Merida (all were closed when I went) and great craft shopping. On Saturday, at a little shop called Minaturas, I bought mermaids (a La Sirena-meets-Day of the Dead one, and a chubby angel mermaid), a Day of the Dead photo frame, and some great hand-painted cards. At the Sunday market (every Sunday in the main square) I purchased an AMAZING batik from the artist that made it. The Yucatan textiles were also amazing, but virtually all my money went to the batik, so the textiles will have to wait until my next trip.

Merida has an odd mix of Art Deco and colonial architecture, all painted the sherbet colors you expect of a Mexican town. The grid-patterned streets, flat topography, and healthy police presence make walking around Merida pleasant, easy, and safe - even in the dark hours.

In the Winter / Spring, there is a flamingo migration that winters near Merida that is said to be an amazing sight! There are also many other great restaurants to try, and cooking classes at Los Dos that I am eager to take. Needless to say, I'm already planning my next trip!