|
No ads in this category. Would you like to add one?
You MAY LOGIN HERE in order to add an ad. If you are not registered already, why not JOIN US HERE?
San Miguel de Allende -- Today is Tuesday, January 06, 2009 11:51 at our loyal server in the USAfrom MexicoDiscovered.com which also has a Discover Mexico magazine.
San Miguel de Allende and Pozos
Mexico's most cultured retirement haven - and most popular artistic destination, was declared a Mexican national Monument in 1926. This meant that while other towns pulled down heritage buildings and replaced them with glass and steel boxes San Miguel was off-limits to that form of modernization. Without this single gesture, San Miguel may have become just another slightly decaying backwater - that time and the major highways left behind - instead of the architecturally pristine city we love.
But what a National Monument! Its proximity to the nearby silver cities of the Bajio meant that by the eighteenth century it was an important way station en route to Mexico City and an agriculture centre supplying the needs of the burgeoning city of Guanajuato. Spaniards, wealthy from extracting silver, built magnificent palaces here and then enhanced their already enormous fortunes farming the surrounding countryside through huge estates with equally magnificent haciendas as their centrepiece. Further enhancing the architectural splendour are ornate churches and oratorios that owe their existence to the patronage of these wealthy patrons - and the sweat and slave-like servitude of indigenous Indians. Despite the fact that many of the palaces and haciendas were gutted and plundered during the Mexican Revolution in the second decade of the last century, the basic structures were still extant in 1926.
It was this slightly scarred and somewhat neglected eighteenth century architectural masterpiece that so enamoured the few foreigners who ventured through here in the late 1920's and early 1930's. Set in the pastoral rolling hills of the Bajio, watered by natural springs, enjoying a spring like climate all year and suffused with a light beloved by artists, how could they resist. One such person was American, Sterling Dickinson who, recognized the possibilities, and founded the now internationally renowned Instituto Allende in 1938 as a place of study for fellow ex patriots. This was the second pivotal action that ensured San Miguel de Allende's future for, with the end of World War II came the United States GI Bill that supplied education grants to returning servicemen. These GIs soon discovered their limited funds went farther in San Miguel and the Institute thrived. A vibrant artistic and cultural society grew up around a still small but permanent expatriate community that serviced their needs. Many of these visiting students never left, instead they became the kernel of a growing artistic community that, generations later, continues to be supplemented by new infusions of artistic talent that also fall in love with San Miguel's special "light". At the same time, many of the wealthy tourists originally attracted by the town's reputation, returned to reside here on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. Attracted by this charming and safe city with a perfect climate they, in turn, became the basis of the well-heeled semi retirement community that San Miguel is today. At the same time other less wealthy (or merely more ambitious) visitors saw the opportunities afforded by this influx and opened even more businesses to serve this expanding tourist and residential market. These North Americans had the desire and the funds to restore the many badly neglected buildings - in accordance with the strict 1926 guidelines - that, today, the town is effectively an eighteenth century wonder with electricity and running water!
Well, not quite. The ubiquitous internal combustion engine knows no limits and San Miguel is no exception. Her narrow, winding and often very steep cobblestone streets can soon get jammed with noisy diesel spewing trucks and buses as well as the latest gas guzzling SUVs. Ironically perhaps it is the modern SUV that is the most appropriate vehicle to ply the uneven 200 year old cobblestone streets. Certainly, its 4 wheel drive capability comes in handy when the summer rains hit and the more steeply sloped streets become slick and traction becomes your number one priority. If it isn't, you will soon get used to walking that little bit extra just to avoid the problem of finding that most rare of things in downtown San Miguel - a parking spot.
The relationship between the expatriate and Mexican communities is remarkably cordial. One even gets the impression there is only one community. This is born of the fact that the two live side-by-side and both benefit from the other despite the fact that (with the notable exception of a comparatively small number of middle and upper class Mexicans) most expatriates are wealthier than their neighbours. Poverty and crime do exist in the peripheral Mexican areas of town but a strong tradition of volunteer work within the expatriate community has ameliorated many of the resentments such an "invading army" of privileged foreigners could have engendered. Certainly, San Miguel attracts relatively wealthy people, but they don't flaunt it. That is not what San Miguel is about. Any such wealth is generally hidden behind the enclosed walls and high gates of the town - for this is a town that values and encourages cultural and social endeavours above overt displays of wealth.
Members of the expatriate community who operate businesses here is one reason the town works so well. They have created jobs and so generated a higher standard of living and quality of life for all San Miguel residents. I was fortunate to meet a number of them - mainly in the real estate and hospitality fields - and was struck by the fact that many of them put as much time and energy into their social and charitable concerns as they did into their commercial pursuits. Dotty Vidargas of Vidargas Real Estate, for example, has lived in San Miguel for 40 years and is one of the driving forces restoring the nearby Santuario at Atotonilco. In contrast, Lane Simmons at Remax Colonial Real Estate became so involved with helping the town's poorer families and abused children that he and his wife have legally adopted two of the children he "rescued". Interestingly, most of San Miguel's realty companies are long established concerns. They know the San Miguel housing market inside out. As part of San Miguel society for decades they are able to impart to potential purchasers that they are buying into a community not just a home.
But whether they are house-hunting or just passing through, visitors need somewhere to stay. On the face of it that should not be a problem in San Miguel where the number of hotels, inns and B & Bs must exceed that of any town of comparable size in Mexico. Most, however, are small - with as few as 3 rooms - so don't be too confident you'll find a room without booking ahead! Old favourites in the deluxe class, such as the Casa de Sierra Nevada and la Puertecita must now compete with the intimate luxury of small exclusive enclaves such as Casa Quetzal among many where American amenities meet the best of Mexican design and influence, while less expensive old time landmark hotels such as the Mansion del Bosque remain perennial favourites.
Some San Miguelites have "discovered" a new San Miguel at Mineral de Pozos just 45 minutes from San Miguel. Popularly called Pozos it is a protected old silver mining town where many of its old mansions are being lovingly restored. In the main square are two hotels adjoining one another. The Casa Montana is the more recent addition but, even newer is the recently opened Real de Minas B&B. Both are American owned and are just two of the gringo vanguard already settled with established businesses here. Many more will come! | San Miguel de Allende
(Historical perspective taken from a 1998 AAA guidebook--interesting to see what is the same and what has changed in 2007)
The city is located about 170km south of San Luis Potosi. Driving time is about 2 hours. The city has an elevation of 6,134 feet.
San Miguel de Allende traces its history to the immediate aftermath of the Spanish conquest. As mines began to exploit the rich gold and silver deposits of Mexico's central highland region, mule trains were formed to carry the bounty back to Mexico City. These caravans, however, passed through territory occupied by the Chichimeca Indians, and many a skirmish erupted. The village of San Miguel was founded in 1542 by the Franciscian monk Juan de San Miguel, who established a mission to evangalize the Indians and also to teach European weaving and agricultural techniques.
The settlement prospered, becoming the local market center for surrounding haciendas trading in cattle and textiles. It also went through several name changes, including San Miguel de los Chichimecas and San Miguel el Grande. It was here that the native son Ignacio Allende, along with Father Miquel Hidalgo from the neighboring town of Dolores Hidalgo, planned the initial uprising that led to the 11-year War of Independence. "Allende" was added to the town's name in 1826 to honor the freedom fighter.
San Miguel entered a period of decline following the war. Its opulent churches and mansions fell into decay, and poverty set in as mining operations subsided. But in 1926 -- a century after it became offically at city -- the Maxican government declared San Miguel a national historic monument. Modern contruction was prohibited in the city center to preserve the atmosphere, and the old buildings were restored. Foreigners began moving in during the 1930s, and today there is a well-established permanent community of North American expatriates, augmented by teachers, artists and writers who call San Miguel home for up to 6 months each year.
Away from the carefully preserved downtown section there's an everyday scruffiness, with the drab adobe huts lining dusty streets. San Miguel also has experienced growing pains due to an increased number of tourists. While agricultural exports, particulary vegetables, bring in revenue, the growth in population and industry has put a strain in the available water supply.
Visitors gravitate downtown, where coats of arms are carved over the doorways of houses that formerly belonged to Spanish aristocrats; they prospered from the Zacatecas-Guanajuato-Mexico City silver route that once ran through San Miguel. Inner patios shelter fountains, trees and flowers. Some of these handsome buildings now house commercial banks.
Make your first stop the main plaza, located between calles San Francisca and Correo and commonly referred to as El Jardin. Shaded by Indian laurel trees, it's a great place to relax on a wrought-iron bench, listen to the tolling bells of La Parroquia, the parish church, and observe the local scene. Artists working on their canvases are a common sight in the vicinity of the plaza, and most of the city's attractions are within walking distance. Note: Wear comfortable shoes; the city streets are narrow, steep and cobblestoned.
| Mexican Coke: The 'Real Thing?'
By TOM RAGAN
Sentinel staff writer
WATSONVILLE
It's popping up just about everywhere in Latino communities across the United States: Mexican-made Coca-Cola in those old glass bottles, somewhat of an anomaly in the age of the plastic liter and twist-off cap.
Slightly worn and a bit gritty from all the coming and going, the 12-ounce bottles, which sell for roughly $1.25 a pop, are being bought up and sucked dry at record clips in cities across the country with large Latino populations.
And Mexicans and Mexican-Americans aren't the only ones swigging down the soda bottled south of the border, claiming it tastes different from its American-made counterpart, that its fizz seems to last longer because it's in a glass bottle.
If running diaries on the Web in the form of blogs are any indication, just about everybody who likes the heft of a good old-fashioned soda bottle is looking for the Mexican-made pop in the thousands of ma and pa convenience stores that cater to Latinos.
"Mexican Coke is selling like crazy bro, and I can't keep up," says Rudy Mendoza of El Gordo Taqueria on Main Street. Last week the 20-something Mendoza, Salinas born and bred, was cursing the underground distributor under his breath as the slightly green tinted bottles, with the words "Hecho en Mexico," started to disappear from his refrigerator.
In somewhat of a conundrum, the Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. has condemned the recent imports across the country as a form of "bootlegging."
But at the same time the company has recognized that it would be remiss if it overlooked the Mexican pop craze, which is why it is now buying Coca-Cola in bottles from Mexico and importing them to Texas and Southern California, two of the largest Mexican markets in the country, according to Mart Martin, a spokesman for Coca-Cola's North American division in Atlanta.
"We believe that the appeal of Mexican Coke is as much about nostalgia as it is about anything," says Martin. "It's like getting a piece of home in a bottle. You can't deny the fact that it's in a tall glass bottle, something you just can't find in most parts of the United States."
But it's the "same exact product," and Mexican bottlers are buying the ingredients straight from the company, says Martin.
"It's not like they're stirring it up in some backyard," he adds. "Coke is Coke is Coke."
The company, however, rarely elaborates on Coke's ingredients, and the secret formula is actually in a vault in a bank in Atlanta. Instead, the company line all along has been that there is "no perceptible taste difference" between Mexican Coke and the American-made Classic Coke.
As Martin says, "You have to consider the circumstances: the packaging, whether there's ice over it, the temperature, or whether it's in a can or a bottle. But what often happens is people think it tastes different because it comes in a bottle, and that's what we're trying to get our arms around. The 'why?' It could just be psychological."
Yet there is one kicker, and it's a fairly large one: Mexican Coke may contain the same secret syrup, but its sweetener is entirely different.
It's made from sugar cane, not corn syrup.
'The Real Thing'
Latinos are the fastest-growing population segment in the United States, and Mexico accounts for well over half of the roughly 33 million Latinos who live in the country, according to the 2000 census.
Certainly, this is not the first time the Mexican market has flexed its muscle, with an occasional borrowing from U.S. popular culture.
Look closely at the Mexican man wearing that Texas Longhorns cap or the World Series-winning Chicago White Sox hat. There's a chance it came from a market just off the plaza in Any Town, Mexico.
But then there's the real Mexican deal, like tequila, which has anchored many a margarita happy hour; or tacos, as popular as hamburgers, without which there'd be no Taco Bell.
Mexico's a country that's put the popularity of chips and salsa right up there with ketchup and french fries.
And in yet another nod to the lucrative Latino market, Frito-Lay just came out with a "fiery habañero" flavor of Doritos that all but requires a bottle of water during consumption.
It's no secret that the meteoric rise in the Mexican population in the past few decades in the United States has given rise to all products Mexican, which has made its way into the mainstream of the American psyche — from canned jalapeños to cheaper laundry soaps to the corn tortilla.
But taking a brand name like Coca-Cola and undercutting the American-made Coca-Cola distributors on their own turf hasn't gone over well with the largest soft drink supplier in the world, according to Martin.
Although the bottlers in Mexico are authorized and are making the cola above board, it's the non-Coca-Cola distributors — the guys who are wheeling and dealing it in an underground market — that are causing all the problems.
Lawsuits have been filed, but no dispositions as of yet.
"They're trespassing on the territory rights of many U.S. bottlers," said Coke spokesman Martin. "Bringing it into the country is not illegal. But what it does do from the Coca-Cola standpoint is it violates contractual rights that we have with our bottlers. And it has potential trademark right infringements as well."
The controversy has even bubbled to the surface in several blogs.
Ordinary Joes are mixing their thoughts and opinions with the best of the high-browed corporate types who've made careers out of analyzing products that sell and those that don't.
Grant McCracken, a noted anthropologist with a doctorate from the University of Chicago, wrote: "Some consumers now insist that Mexican Coke is a more robust brand than American Coke, not least because it is charged with meanings that American Coke never had, or long ago gave up. In particular, Mexican Coke is charged with a powerful nostalgia, a remembrance of childhood south of the border."
Karina Alejandre, 22, a recently arrived immigrant from Mexico who now cooks at El Gordo Taqueria in Watsonville, remembers her first sip of Coca-Cola.
And guess what?
It didn't even come from a bottle.
"We'd drink from plastic sandwich bags with straws inside," she said in Spanish, an imaginary straw in her hand. "We couldn't leave the store with the bottles."
Since Coca-Cola was founded in the late 1880s as a syrup mixed with carbonated water, it's gone from the soda fountain to the bottle to the aluminum can to the plastic liter.
And now it's back to the bottle, courtesy of Mexico, a country that's usually a few years behind the times, often fashionably retro because of it.
And in the backrooms of some Mexican tiendas in Watsonville, from El Gordo to D'La Colmena, cases upon cases of the Mexican Coke bottles sit, proof that there's a demand, which is causing a stir but saturating a Latino and non-Latino thirst across the country.
As McCracken notes, "The bigger challenge of the Coca-Cola Co. is to admit that even the magnificent corporation that has created and preserved the 'real thing' authenticity must now admit to the possibility that there are many authenticities. This is the lesson of plenitude. This is the lesson of the long tail."
Miguel Perez and Leticia Martinez, Watsonville residents, don't know anything about corporate lessons learned.
They just know what they like.
"When we run out," says Martinez, "I buy the smaller American-made bottles. They cost more, but they're worth it. I love drinking Coke from the bottle."
from www.santacruzsentinel.com |
Major Regulatory Agencies for the State of Guanajuato with names of Officials
where indicated |
| Descripción |
| Presidencia
Municipal de San Miguel de Allende
José Jesús Correa Ramírez |
Contraloria
Municipal
José Antonio López Ortíz
|
Desarrollo
Integral de la Familia ( DIF ) Municipal
Gabriela Bribiesca Rocha
|
Dirección
de Desarrollo Social y Humano
José Luis Téllez Santana
|
Subdirección
de Desarrollo Rural y Agropecuario
Juan Rodríguez Vázquez
|
Subdirección
de Desarrollo Social y Humano
Mario Carballo Carlva
|
Dirección
de Desarrollo Urbano y Ordenamiento Territorial
Angel Gastelum Cadena
|
Coordinación
de Administración Urbana y Regulación de Usos de Suelo
Francisco Javier Villegas Sánchez
|
Ventanilla
de Licencias y Permisos de Construcción
Alberto Cervantes Matehuala
|
Coordinación
de Conservación del Patrimonio Histórico y Cultural
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Auxiliar
Centro Histórico
Julio César Grimaldi Zuñiga
|
Coordinación
de Planeación Estratégica y Ordenamiento Territorial
Jesús Téllez Molina
|
Coordinación
Técnica
Zeferino Gutiérrez Grimaldi
|
Estudios
y Proyectos de Equipamiento Imagen e Infraestructura
Jesús Tellez Molina
|
Coordinación
de Regulación de Asentamientos Humanos Irregulares, Ejidales Predios Agricolas
y Ganade
Javier Rángel Arellano
|
Auxiliar
de Asentamientos Humanos
Juan Manuel Ramírez Regoytia
|
Subdirección
de Desarrollo Urbano
Francisco Javier Villegas Sánchez
|
Dirección
de Educación y Cultura
Verónica Agundis Estrada
|
Casa de la
Cultura
Myrna Verónica Salinas Guerrero
|
Departamento
de Educación
Jesús Ledesma Hernández
|
Dirección
de Medio Ambiente y Ecología
Donald Wayne Patterson
|
Coordinación
de Gestión Ambiental
Erick Morales Montes
|
Administrator
de Panteones
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Encargado
de Parques y Panteones
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Coordinación
de la Prevención y Control de la Contaminación
Ana Karina Yael Villa Ayala
|
Coordinación
de Normativa Ambiental
Blas Huerta Carrillo
|
Encargado
de Promoción Ambiental
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Encargado
de la Estación de Transferencia
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Dirección
de Obras Públicas Municipales
Jorge Zavala Ramírez
|
Coordinación
de Maquinaria Pesada
Jorge Montes González
|
Coordinador
Administrativo A
José Martín Rico
|
Subdirección
de Obras Públicas Municipales
Francisco Peralta Elizondo
|
Coodinación
de Construcción y Supervición
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Jefe de Brigada
Topografíca
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Jefe de Precios
Unitarios
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Coordinación
Administrativa
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Jefe de Expedientes
Técnicos
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Jefe de Solventación
de Observaciones
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Coordinación
de Maquinaría Pesada
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Subdirección
Operativa
Jorge Flores
|
Dirección
de Seguridad Pública Municipal
Daniel Adrián Trujillo García
|
Subdirección
Academica
Hugo Fabián Barrón Martínez
|
Subdirección
Administrativa
Juan Carlos Godínez Arzola
|
Subdirección
Operativa
José Luís Olguín Gómez
|
Dirección
de Servicios Públicos Municipales
Luis Francisco López Chávez
|
Administración
del Restro Municipal
Eduardo Manuel Villegas Juárez
|
Alumbrado
Público
Luís Felipe Luna Morales
|
Departamento
de Limpia
José Gilberto M. González Valero
|
Mercados
y Comercio
Ángel Martín Saavedra
|
Subdirección
de Servicios Públicos Municipales
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Administración
del Rastro Municipal
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Alumbrado
Público
Emisael Espinosa
|
Jefatura
de Limpia
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Mercados
y Comercio
desconocido o ya no ocupado
|
Dirección
de Transito y Transporte Municipal
José Samuel Daniel Mercadillo Escobedo
|
Comandante
Administrativo
Roberto Prado Baeza
|
Comandante
Operativo
José Luís García Osornio
|
Jefe de Transporte
Municipal
Jorge Salas Luna
|
Juridico
de Transito y Transporte
Juan Víctor Manuel González Bautista
|
Dirección
de Turismo, Fomento Económico y Relaciones Internacionales
Francisco Peyret García
|
Atención
a Inversionistas y Mejora Regulatoria
Oscar Baltazar Arteaga Gil
|
Coordinación
de Promoción de Inversiones y Gobierno Integral
Julián Roberto Villela Ríos
|
Coordinación
de Relaciones Internacionales
Fabiola García Lasierna
|
Enlace de
Empleo y Capacitación
Ma. Auxilio Ángeles Olalde
|
Enlace Institucional
y Promoción Productiva
Tanía Noriz Martínez
|
Instituto
Municipal de la Mujer
Araceli Martínez Sánchez
|
Oficialia
Mayor Administrativa
José Alfredo Orduña Rodríguez
|
Departamento
de Informática
Leopoldo Barcenas Hernández
|
Pensión Municipal
Jorge Armando Ramírez Capitán
|
Recursos
Humanos
Cirila Margaíz Ramírez
|
Recursos
Materiales
Laura Valadez Sánchez
|
Protección
Civil
José Alan Álvarez Flores
|
Coordinación
Municipal de Desastres
Ramiro Arroyo Guerrero
|
Secretaría
del H. Ayuntamiento
Christopher Thomas Finkelstein Franyuti
|
Departamento
de Fiscalización y Control Municipal
Rafael Torres Sánchez
|
Departamento
de Jurídico
José Ramón Correa González
|
Secretaría
Particular
Tomas Federico Ramírez
|
Sistema de
Agua Potable y Alcantarillado de San Miguel de Allende
Alfonso Sautto
|
Tesorería
Municipal
José Eduardo Adrián Soria Cruz
|
Departamento
de Catastro
Gustavo Arellano Arroyo
|
Departamento
de Egresos
Mónica Barajas
|
Departamento
de Ingresos
Jorge López Páez
|
Departamento
de Predial
Saúl Bautista Espinosa
|
Programas
Especiales
José Luis Pérez Arredondo
|
| There are a thousand and one descriptions of San Miguel de Allende written over the past decades. Here's one writer's short take:
San Miguel's reputation as an arts center was established by the founding of the Allende Institute. One of its American founders, Stirling Dickson, came to Mexico as a tourist in the 1930s and fell in love with the city. A painter and engraver, he helped inaugurate the institute in 1950 and was its director until 1987. The lovely building housing the school once was owned by the wealthy Canal familiy. Fountains, arcades and courtyards gardens grace the grounds of the campus, which has extensive classroom space, two are galleries, a theter and a library.
Students from throughout the Americas take advantage of the art and language classes offered, and the institute also functions as a campus abroad for several American and Canadian art schools. The Centro Cultural Bellas Artes, is also known as the Centro Cultural el Nigromante (its official name) and the Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramirez. It is a branch of the wellknown Instituto de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. The impressive building, which dates from the mid-18th century, was once the Convento de la Concepcion and features an immense, tree-shaded courtyard. It offers music, dance and visual arts classes; a bulletin board lists lectures and concerts given both here and elsewhere in the city. Several murals are also exhibited, including one by David Alfaro Siqueirs.
San Miquel is known for the variety and quality of its regionally produced handycrafts. Metalwork -- masks, trays, lanterns, picture frames and decorative objects made of tin, copper, brass, bronze and wrought iron -- and the design of local silversmiths are particularly worth seeking out. Also available are pottery, weaving, sculpture, straw items, hand-loomed cambaya cloth (a material frequently used to make skirts), and folk and traditional art.
The colonial furniture is some of the finest produced in Mexico. Open-air Mercado Ignacio Ramirez, the city market, fills the plaza in front of the Oratorio de San Felipe Neri, and spreads onto the surrounding streets. Livestock and fresh preduce share space with inexpensive everyday items and souvenirs at the cheaper end of the price scale. The Mercado de Artesanias consists of vendor stalls in an alley. Pricier boutiques are scatted throughout the downtown area. Art galleries are concentrated around the main plaza, and exhibit openings are big social events. Two that showcase both regional and national talents are Galeria San Miguel and Galeria Atena. | |
