Moving to Merida

Since we’re with Chuck, we get a private tour of Pesa – home to the intensely hot, 100% homemade (casero) habanero sauce. And they don’t just make the orange stuff there; they grow the peppers onsite too. It took several tries on slow-mo for me to be able to decipher the brand on the label. Armed with the name, I took to the web to find out exactly where those greenhouses are located. Turns out, the farm’s in Baca, only about 40 minutes northeast of Merida’s centro.

Pesa is a Yucatan-owned, family business that, according to their website, “gathered ideas and efforts and achieved the goal of building and operating a high-tech greenhouse for the production of top of the line, quality Habanero peppers with a variety of seed that turns into and outstanding color, size, and heat pepper… we offer our clients a unique product that us 100% homemade preserving the ancient Mayan recipe.”

Pesa Habanero Salsa

When we arrive at the farm, Chuck is greeted by the Perez brothers, who speak excellent English by the way, for a sampling of Pesa’s signature sauce. We hold our breath while Chuck takes in a big taste of the spicy liquid. Good thing Chuck likes hot stuff! He proclaims the sauce to be “amazing…it’s spicy, I’m not going to lie for a white guy, it’s got a lot of punch – ay! But I’ve never tasted anything so spicy that has flavor.”

Chuck manages to get though the tasting scene without sweating (or swearing), but that all changes when he’s issued a company t-shirt and taken out to back to the greenhouse, where he’s introduced to his new boss, Ruben. But, before he can get started picking the habaneros from amongst the 50,000 chile plants growing on site, Chuck gets a quick tutorial from Ruben, “When it’s hard it’s ready. Grab it by the branch, hold the stem and snap it off.”

Inside Pesa's Greenhouse - Home to over 50,000 chile plants!

Within a few minutes, Chuck begins sweating profusely, and looks as if he might just pass out. “They told me I was going to sweat, but this is ridiculous! Once the peppers are picked, they are roasted on a metal sheet, suspended by cinder blocks, over a small fire with garlic and onion thrown directly on the coals below. “This is where you get the color, smokiness, and ultimately the flavor.”

Chuck is drenched in sweat, and has a new-found appreciation for what goes into making hot sauce!

Chuck Roasts the Peppers for 15 minutes

Next, we go inside the production area to meet Filly, the cook and creator of Pesa’s salsa recipe. Once the sauce is made in that gigantic blender below, they sample it for quality control. Chuck lets out a hearty “whew,” but Filly doesn’t think the sauce spicy at all – “no pica mucho”! Check out the hammock hooks to the left and right of Chuck’s head!  We have several of that sliding style in our casa.

Chuck, making Pesa's signature salsa under the watchful eye of Filly!

Below is the habanero salsa recipe if you want to give it a try for yourself!

Pesa's Top Secret Salsa Recipe!

Next stop Uxmal!

Photo Credits:  The three of Chuck are screen shots from the Cooking Channel show, Chuck’s Week Off – Mexico.  The recipe is a screen shot from cookingchanneltv.com and the remaining two are from Pesa’s website.

I’ve only been to Canada once, Vancouver to be exact. Stanley Park, Granville Island Market, Gastown, and some awesome Asian food – all crammed into one weekend’s visit that left me wanting more. I’d go back to Vancouver in a heartbeat. But there are other places in Canada I’d like to see as well. I’m kicking myself for not talking the ferry from Seattle to Victoria when I had the chance, and you can bet that when I finally make it to Niagara Falls, I’ll be crossing the Rainbow Bridge for a gander from the Canadian side, too.

Lately, though, it’s Montreal that’s been on my mind. Mostly because of Chuck. I’m hooked on the Cooking Channel show, Chuck’s Day Off. I mean, a good-looking man who cooks masterful meals for his friends, suppliers, and various restaurant acquaintances on his only day off – what’s not to like! And now, there’s even one more reason to like Chuck. He had an entire week off, and can you guess where he spent it? Yep, Mexico! But, wait, it gets even better! One of the episodes was filmed in and around Merida!

For those of you who don’t get the Cooking Channel, the next three posts will recap the Yucatan episode of Chuck’s Week Off, where we’ll follow Chuck to a habanero salsa factory, a traditional Mayan village, and according to Chuck, meet Mexico’s hardest working man, Walter. Vamanos!

Vamanos! (Screenshot - Chuck's Week Off Mexico, Cooking Channel)

Episode airs again on January 24, 2012 (screen Shot from cookingchanneltv.com)

My New Year is off to a running start – literally! This past Sunday, I ran my first race ever – just a 5K – but, hey, it’s a beginning. I’m even considering a 10K next, but somehow, I suspect that’s still the endorphins talking!

3000 People in this 5K!

I Did It!

1a Carrera de la Fundación UADY

The devil made me do it!

Interestingly enough, when I was passing the Remate on my way back home, I noticed that crowd was beginning to gather for another race. They called this one a “Minimaraton”. I’m wondering if it was a 5K, and if “maraton” is just a term used for any kind of race.

PS – Sorry for all the weird formatting, I can’t get this to look pretty tonight, and I’m pooped. So, it is what it is!

To say the past couple of months have been a whirlwind is an understatement! Towards the end of October, I was fortunate to take my longest trip to Merida yet, which meant working like a fiend for the weeks leading up and doing exactly the same once I returned. Although, thanks to my newish flex-schedule, I only missed 10 actual days of work – when in reality, I was in Merida just shy of three weeks!

My time in Merida was wonderful. Our neighbors greeted us like long-lost friends with plenty of abrazos grandes, besos and the works! We spent time with old friends and made several new ones. And a real bonus was that this trip coincided with the 4th Annual Latin Blogger’s Conference. It was such a pleasure to meet some of the folks behind the blogs that I’ve been enjoying for so long, and to discover a few new ones as well! What a treat getting to see Nancy and Paul again, too. Hard to believe it had been more than a year since we met up with them in Mazatlan! One of these days I’ll get around to blogging about that trip…

The conference was held at the Tecnologia Turistica Total.  How kind of Joanna and Jorge to open their doors and host this event!  I’m really glad that I’ve read Joanna’s book, Magic Made in Mexico. Knowing all of the hard work and sacrifice behind the creation of  TTT, made the beautiful campus even that much more special! Lastly, a big shout out goes to all of the committee members (Barry, Debi, Joanna, Jonna, Theresa, and Marc) for organizing such a fun, informative event!  Thank you!!!

4th Annual Latin American Bloggers Conference Committee

All of the sessions were really good, but I particularly enjoyed Marc’s photography presentation.  Keeping things simple was the mantra – get rid of unnecessary objects and get in close!  He also reminded us to take advantage of the best lighting situations during the “Golden Hour”.  I was so inspired that I practically sprinted from the conference to start snapping away – after all, it ended at the beginning of the “Golden Hour”!

During Golden Hour (Just Barely)

Getting in Close

I was hopeful the conference would be just what I needed to motivate me to write with more frequency. And I’m still hopeful that I’ll be able to find a good balance that will allow just that. But lately, I’ve been focusing my spare time on getting in shape. I’m fast approaching the 40 mark, and a quick diet doesn’t have the same effect it used to whenever I need to drop a few lbs.

In an extreme effort to counteract my sluggish metabolism, I’ve started running. And to my complete surprise, I’m enjoying the challenge more than I ever imagined possible. I’m up to 3 and 4 mile runs/walks, 3 to 4 times per week. But the trouble is that I work a LOT, so my new hobby really cuts into my spare time, and my new regimen has filled much of the time I used to spend on the computer.

These days, I’m up for anything that keeps me active! The weekend after next, I’m even going on an all-gals kayak trip in the Texas Hill Country! I wish I could say that I’ve dropped a ton of weight, but I haven’t. I do feel stronger, and better all around, so that’s been enough to keep me motivated. In fact, I’m registered for my first-ever race on January 15th!

In keeping up with my fitness quest, I even bought a bike when we were in Merida. It was a total whim, and the bike is unequivocally a P.O.S. Not at first glance, though. On the surface, she’s a beauty – red and shiny, hence her nickname, “Reddy.”  She even has soccer ball-shaped bell that I love to ring, ring, ring!  Although not pictured, “Reddy” has some serious pegs. You should have seen the looks we received when TJ and I rode the bike home from the shop on Prolog. Montejo all the way through the streets of Colonia Mexico and Itzimna – him in the driver’s seat and me standing up tall right behind him, both hands on his shoulders, straddling the tire and carefully balancing on the pegs the entire way home!  But that’s where the novelty ends. I want a bike with gears and hand brakes or just some brakes that work when they’re supposed to for that matter.  Oh, yes, that sure would be nice!

"Reddy" - Just not road ready!

Luckily, TJ was with me when my chain came off during Bici-ruta.  He got it back on, but it just kept popping back off every time I hit a bump and the tires were rubbing the fenders terribly, too.  So, I had to walk my bike from about La Ermita to the Bicimaya booth on Paseo Montejo (roughly 2 miles), where a conscientious duo spent the better part of an hour working on my bike. They tightened every single spoke, and in the end, we finally decided the shiny fenders had to go.  The bike works better, but I still wouldn’t trust it on long journeys.  By the way, the Bicimaya service is free with tips happily accepted, but not expected.

These Bicimaya Guys Were Great!

The funny thing is that my bike is identical (minus the snazzy bell and basket) to the ones our friend, Francisco, rents near the Remate. Every time (3 bici-rutas this trip) I stopped by to say hello, I was mobbed by people trying to rent my bike. When I finished my last Bici-ruta, I asked Francisco if he would be interested in buying “Reddy” – he’s aware she has issues. Although swamped at the time, he said he’d definitely take her off my hands. I’ll be keeping my soccer bell, though!

For the first time in several months, we’re getting some serious rain here in Houston. The doors and windows are open wide, and the damp, fresh air is filling the house. I’ve missed the rain so much. In fact, we I haven’t seen a good rain like this since the last time we were in Merida.

When those hard, fast rains come down in Merida, our street fills up in no time at all.  Our front doors are quite a bit higher than the street, so I don’t think the water ever rises to become level with the bottom of the doors.  But there’s always a large, watermarked outline at the base of our entry to let us know that the rain is making its way inside. Most likely, the water seeps in through the gaps between the floor and the doors when the waves, created by passing busses and swift moving trucks, swoosh underneath.

Gaps

On our last trip, we learned that some recent improvements had taken place on our street. Directly in front of our across-the-street neighbors (F & L), the city installed a brand new drain. L told me that she’d been asking for over three years, and she couldn’t believe it when they finally came through a few months back. But they didn’t stop there! Four new drains were added on our street, spanning a couple of blocks to either side of us.

Ponding prior to the new drain! (Google Image, 2009)

New Drain - Installed in 2011

With these recent drainage improvements, it will be interesting to see if those familiar stains will be back to greet us when we return in a couple of weeks. But just to be safe, we’re planning to have our front doors repaired and new sweeps installed at the base of each. So, if the drains didn’t completely remedy the issue, those new sweeps might just do the trick!

The lengthy video below features before/after photos, design insight and a tour of one mighty spectacular restoration in Santiago.

Design by architect Rubén Portela Rodríguez of AMBIENTES Architectural Design and day-to-day project management by architect Oswaldo Sánchez Castellanos, who has since branched off to open up his own firm, Punto Exacto Arquitectura.  Anyone have some feedback to offer up on either of these two?  I’m intrigued!

I admit to being more than a little freaked out after reading a recent article and the associated comments on Yucatan Living.  As you may recall, only a couple of weeks before it was written, I’d put myself in a situation that, according to the article, could have not only jeopardized our entire plan of moving to Merida, but cost us big time financially, too.

I’m not completely naive.  I was already aware that as a foreigner in Mexico, I am not allowed to get involved with politics or speak out against the Mexican government in any way.  Ever mindful that I am a guest in Mexico, I fully intend to be respectful of my host country’s laws. So I was very careful not to comment with my perspective on the underpass construction or even the dynamics of the protest itself.   But it’s the, “you could find yourself arrested and deported…for even being close to the protests,” part of the article that gives me a deep pit in my stomach every time I think about it.   

It’s hard to imagine that something as simple walking back home after lunch, via my normal route, and snapping a few pics along the way, could end up being conceived as anything other than innocent curiosity.   But, regardless, I don’t ever plan to put myself in that situation again.  It simply isn’t worth jeopardizing our future in Mexico for first-hand observations and a few digital memories.

An excellent, easy to remember zip code in el centro. 

Pretty Mailbox in Downtown Merida

This is the first entry in the “Random Reasons I Love Merida” category.

The Canadian Armed Forces recently celebrated their very first traditional Jewish military wedding. Only the wedding wasn’t held in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, or anywhere else in Canada for that matter. Of all places, it was held in Merida, which, according to this article, happens to be the couple’s favorite vacation spot.

Hacienda Chichi Suarez (that’s fun to say) was the setting for this particularly gorgeous wedding. Wanting to learn more about the lovely hacienda, I did some Googling.  And a few clicks later, I ended up veering on to Elizabeth Medina’s website. Oh-my-gosh! I’m still experiencing eye-candy overload after viewing this Merida-based, wedding photographer’s portfolio. Medina’s photos are vibrant and full of life. She has a real talent for capturing the fun and joy of the celebration.  Click here and here to view fairytale moments from the Canadian couple’s beautiful boda at Hacienda Chichi Suarez.  The military uniforms, complete with raised swords, against the backdrop of the old hacienda walls are stunning!

Interested in seeing more?  Medina also showcases the weddings she’s snapped at Hacienda San Ignacio Tisip, Hacienda San Jose Cholul, Hacienda Santa Rosa , Hacienda Temozon, Hacienda Teya,  and Hacienda Xcanatun just to name a few.  Click here, and scroll down to Yucatan Weddings!

I’m spending a laid back Sunday afternoon with Rodrigo and Gabriela strumming away heartily in the background. This gifted, guitar duo from Mexico City sure has come a long way from their days of playing in sleepy beach bars and busking on Dublin’s Grafton Street. If you haven’t heard of Rod and Gab, they’re best known for their fast-flying fingers and unique fusion of classical and metal music. Their self-supplied percussion is also amazing to watch.

I recently caught the pair on an episode of Guitar Center’s Sessions, where they chatted about their early days of trying to make a living while staying true to their metal influences. They would play acoustic Slayer and Metallica covers for unaware, cocktail sipping tourists in Ixtapa who thought they were swaying along to romantic flamenco inspired tunes!  But don’t let all of the metal talk scare you away. It’s impossible not to tap your toes when you hear Rodrigo and Gabriela play. Give the first song until the 2 minute mark…it gets sooo good. The second song, Tamacun, is my favorite.  Enjoy!