Experiences in Five Cities

by Margaret Fleming

During the last two weeks we have spent time in three Mexican cities: Ensenada, Puerto Peņasco, and Hermosillo; and two American ones:  San Diego and Tucson. I've chosen a few "fabulous realities" from these places to describe.

We visited our daughter and son-in-law in San Diego. They live in an tiny apartment like a cracker box standing on its end--garage on the bottom, living room and kitchen on the first floor, bedroom and bathroom on the second. Because San Diego's high prices have made it impossible for them to buy a home, they have decided to stay where they are, but they have utilized a space we had never seen--their rooftop. A ladder pulls down under the skylight in the second floor hallway, making a place to climb up. On the top they have put a round table with an umbrella and four chairs in the center surrounded by low tables and shelves holding masses of flowers. A green indoor-outdoor carpet gives the illusion of grass underfoot, so it's a very pleasant place. We spent several hours one afternoon sitting up there enjoying San Diego's delightful weather. It was Saturday night, so after it got dark I went up again and was able to see the weekly fireworks display. I really appreciated them, since all our Tucson fireworks for the 4th of July had been canceled.

In Ensenada, our friend took us to an area south of the city, where we had never been.  One place was the notorious "Punta Banda" subdivision, where a number of Americans lost their beach homes several years ago because the developers had "sold" them property without holding title to it. We drove past about 200 homes, of which only a handful were occupied. The rest were sitting empty. They were beautiful too--gleaming white and elegant, monuments to greed.

Then we went to a small community overlooking the ocean called La Bufadora, which we were told means "the buffalo's nose." Every few minutes the sea rushes into a narrow cleft between two rocky walls and the force causes it to spurt water and spray straight up, like a buffalo snorting. The day we were there it was interesting but not particularly spectacular. Our friend tells us that some days it spurts twice as high with really dramatic force.

In Puerto Peņasco we went swimming in the ocean, which is always fabulous, no matter how many times we do it. The water was warm, just right for swimming, and there were some moderate-sized waves, fine for jumping. Every once in a while we saw flocks of pelicans overhead. Although they always look awkward when they are walking, when flying they are graceful and beautiful, swooping down to inspect the water in search of a good fish supper. We stayed in the water for maybe a couple of hours, till the sun had gone down in a flaming ball and the sky was pink with lacy clouds. Then we went home, relaxed, and sat outside drinking a margarita. What could be more fabulous?

Our visit to Hermosillo was to meet with a team of young architects, whose talents had already impressed us. They took us on a tour to show us several of the houses they had designed and built (see the ad on page 7). Then they took us to dinner at Restaurant Xochimilco. It is located in an older area of the city that reminded us very much of Tucson's Barrio Historico. The restaurant itself is spacious with large windows looking out onto a shaded area where cars were parked and there was a play yard for children.

Our hosts told us that you haven't really experienced Hermosillo until you've eaten at this restaurant. They ordered a meal of traditional Mexican food for us.

The salad course was a whole green chili (the mild kind, that is usually used for chiles rellenos) topped with a slice of tomato, a slice of cucumber, and a carved radish. It was very elegant and delicious too. Then the server brought a dish of barbecued ribs, some carne asada (which they told us is a Sonoran creation), and some tripitas, fried crisp. Yes, they are what you think, but they are very tasty. Accompanying the meats were salsa, beans, and some of the largest tortillas I have ever seen--almost as big as a tablecloth.

We ate a very satisfying meal, but there was more to come. Dessert was a pastry that I think is called empanada. It has a piecrust exterior around a brown sugar filling. After that, we had a drink whose name in Spanish, media de seda, means "silk stockings." It was pink in color, very cold, very smooth, and had hints of several different flavors: coffee, coconut, cinnamon, and I don't know what else. I think the base was cream and Kahlua. It was very delicious. What a fabulous taste of Hermosillo that dinner was!

In Tucson one of the things we most enjoy is swimming in our lap pool every afternoon. During these hot days we often wait till evening when the sun is less glaring. One evening recently we were swimming and we kept noticing some large insects flying overhead. I think they were Palo Verde root borers. At any rate they were as large as hummingbirds, with shiny, dark brown backs and wings. There must have been 4 or 5 that kept hovering over the pool, swooping down till we could see their large light-colored abdomens hanging down almost in our faces. It must have been some kind of courtship ritual going on because we saw them only that day and haven't noticed them since. Maybe they got married, fertilized their eggs, and flew away (or died). If they were Palo Verde root borers, they must have laid their eggs at the root of a palo verde tree, of which we have several on our property. We tend to think of insects as repulsive, especially large insects, but these were fascinating.

Life is full of fabulous realities. All we have to do is look around.