La Paz--Peace

La Paz literally translated means the Peace. But it is also a growing fishing city in the sea of Cortez in Baja California Sur. Of all my recent trips, this has been my favorite. The waters are so clear , warm, and contain a variety of sea life so abundant that Jacques Cousteau proclaimed it the "Aquarium of the Sea." And you can literally look down at your feet and see fish swimming. It is a tranquil place but the development is starting to pop up and in now time it will be as large and developed as Cabo San Lucas. But in the meantime I will continue to travel there in search of Peace.

Apart from the waters, you will enjoy the sea food. It is so fresh that when I was eating "chocolate clams" (so named because their shells are a brown color), the clam was so fresh it would squirm when I squeezed fresh lime on it. If you love fresh sea food you will understand. If you don’t you might think it strange but such is life.

I also has an epiphany. It happened when I went on a diving trip. I am not certified to dive but they have an option called the Discovery Dive where you are lead by an expert diver, two people at a time to scuba dive. Now understand, that if you have never scuba dove, it is a strange and unnatural sensation to be breathing and suspended in water. Most people panic their fist time underwater. It happened to me. I was ok with the concept and I was descending to ten feet when panic struck and I could not reason it away because the fear came too quick. I wound up coming up and returning to the boat while the instructor and second diver continued.

I was so disappointed with myself because fear had won out over reason, over adventure. I thought, "have I become this kind of person?" Reflecting I noted that I had become that kind of comfortable person that avoids risk and uncertainty. Most might not agree with me, but I had proof with this exprience. I resolved to not be ruled by fear and to take more risks so that I can continue to grow. That has been my way of life and I would continue on that path.

As luck would have it, we had an opportunity for a second dive and this time I was successful in overcoming my fears. The truth is that fear was ever present, but I let adventure and awe consume me more. And at 25 feet below the water, I experienced a world I had only seen on TV. Staying close to the rocks made it easier to be distracted by the colorful and exotic fish, including the Jaw fish, which borrows itself in the sand and uses it large jaws to remove debris from its hole, it is an endless job for the fish. However, when I would look over my shoulder to the deep dark waters of the open ocean, I was overcome with a sense of immense wonder and danger.

I was rewarded on this trip not only for conquering my fear, but by experiencing what it means to live. Most of us work so much that we are not living. The sea of Cortes was life and I was part of it. To bring the point home, on our return trip we encountered a family of dolphins. Some of you might be lucky enough to have seen dolphins riding the wake of boat but in this case, it was not a handful of dolphins but a pack of about 150. The water around the bout simmered with them jumping and swimming along with us. There were massive males and small babies and they followed use for 10 minutes and I felt inspired to be witness and felt the connectedness of things.

The next morning, while the town slept, I went to the beach to recollect my thoughts and soak up the morning sun. Then I took a short trip on a kayak—my first one. And in the peace of the morning with the tranquil sound of the sea, I found what little there is of peace, especially inner peace.

Burritos and Worm Tacos

As most of you know, I am a simple man. And my favorite meal is a burrito because of its efficiency. It can be eaten with a fork and knife or simply picked up with your hands. And the combinations are endless. If made correctly, it will not leak. It is the ultimate food-to-go. It can be made with beans and chile, or more complex. For example, my life generally improved when I discovered a Mexican restaurant named Gilbert's in Santa Monica, CA. It was there that I had my first pitcher of margaritas but also my first chile-relleno-burrito (a special fried egg-batter-dipped stuffed pepper wrapped in a flour tortilla). Sheer genius! It may not mean much to you, but it was matter of combining my two favorite foods in one efficient package. But the burrito is a U.S. invention. In Mexico they sell tacos, tortas, and other equally ingenious and efficient foods, but no burritos. As luck would have it, however, Mexico City (DF) is a culinary capitol. Here are some of my favorite places to eat (at least so far):

El Centro Historico
In the heart of the city, with the best views of the Zocalo (main plaza) and the Popocatepetl volcano. you will find Puro Corazon restaurant. It is across street from the Cathedral in the Arte Mexicano offices on the top floor terrace. The food is always good and features traditional ingredients. My favorite dish so far has been the octopus and cactus in garlic sauce. They also feature two of my favorite mixed drinks tramarind with Mezcal and jamaica (hibiscus flower) with Mezcal. I highly recommend this as a location to have a late lunch after a day of walking around the Zocalo and historic center.

Polanco
Polanco is Mexico City's long standing upscale neighborhood, akin to Beverly Hills. There are lots of fine restaurants but here are two notables because they represent the extremes of experience. First is the traditional Villa Maria. Great place for weekend brunches and family meals to sample many of the traditional dishes or mexico (and a good selection of Tequilas). I recently eat Tacos de Guzano de Maguey (worm tacos – a delicacy actually). You may have seen these worms in bottles of Mezcal (the famous worm!). The worms are butterfly lava that grow on the Maguey. The worms are cooked in oil and have very little flavor themselves but are a great source of protein, as are Escamoles (ant eggs), which I hope to try soon.

Fifty Friends is a hip modern Pizzeria located in the heart of Polanco's Lincoln Park (there is a statue of President Lincoln). The pizza and food is good but the ambiance and wine selection is great. People watching is also part of the allure since the restaurant is open to the street like a Paris café patio. The restaurant is packed nightly. The original spot is in the Colonia Condesa.

Santa Fe
Tierra de Vinos is said to be Mexico City's first wine bar or Enoteca. It is also my new "Zona Rosa" (that was my favorite restaurant in NYC). What I like most is that it has seating at the bar, unlike most of the city's restaurants. For solitary travelers or diners, this is a necessity. The flair is Spanish (although their recently added Angus burger has been a hit with me). If you love cheeses and wine, this is the spot for you. Plus the service is first rate. The original location is in the Colonia Roma. If you visit, tell the hostess or bartender I sent you.

La Buena Tierra: Generally I have food the food to be much healthier than in the US (street tacos don't count). But if you are a Vegan (not that there is anything wrong with it) or want something organic but tasty, you have to try La Buena Tierra. It is a chain of restaurants but I can't get enough of it. The juices, the salads, everything is good. Well, their desserts are ok. I love their Nopalitos (cactus) as an appetizer, then the al pastor fish tacos, which I drown with an agua de fresa (strawberry water) or Limoncito (lime mint water). I try and eat here once a week, especially for a weekend breakfast of chilaquiles.

Mexico Rain

Prologue: In the mother country. Some of you already know, other will discover with surprise, that I am approaching my second month of a six month assignment in Mexico City. I had only spent a year in California after my New York City assignment before I packed my bags again. Why? I have always wanted to live in Mexico so when the opportunity came up, I took it. After all, this blog is called the "Calavera Chronicles." What better place to relaunch the blog than the land of the Calaveras…

Mexico City gets a bad rap
Everyone I told about my assignment asked if I was scared given Mexico City's reputation for high crime rates. My answer, "every place is dangerous if you are not careful." Careful you must be in el D.F. (Federal District), but it is not the Wild West people paint it to be. I love it here. It is a cross between the diversity of L.A and the culture and nightlife of NYC. The food is incredible. The cultural and historical sites are not to be missed. The traffic: horrible. The people: welcoming.

Mexico City is divided into neighborhoods or "colonias." They range from the poorest to the trendy Polanco, or hip Condesa, to the corporate Santa Fe, where I live. I am at the western boundary of el D.F. The location is extremely new and safe. It boosts one of the largest in-door malls in Latin America. My view, of course, is spectacular. My apartment sits on hill and the eastern walls are all glass so I over look all of Santa Fe, down to the skyscrapers of El Centro, to the mountains.

However, the colonias also divide the socially and economically. El DF is a city of extremes. For example, the riches man in the world lives here, as do some of the poorest. It is a city that breaks my heart, but also inspires me.

We are currently in the rain season so every day it rains. Not like in Seattle or LA, it will be sunny all day then will downpour for an hour than clear up again. The rain is cathartic, cleansing the city, sky and our hearts. One of my favorite pastimes is to watch the evening sky streak with lighting or watch the rain coat the city in a new shinny skin.

Mexico City gets a bad rap. Through the next couple of months, I hope to dispel many myths while sharing my varied experiences. Stay tuned.

Wait, I almost forgot, if any of you find yourself coming to the city, let me know, I am a great host and tour guide. Happy Tacos!

Spider

My Tío Nacho (short for Ignacio) called me araña, spider, when I was a kid. It made sense then because I was very skinny, almost wiry, white-skinned, and had blonde hair. He said I reminded him of a newborn spider, and then he would pinch me. He would pinch me to simulate a spider bite.

Now I have grey hairs, my belly is rounder and my uncle has recently died from a heart attack. A month earlier my paternal grandfather, Ignacio Navarro, passed away during his noon nap. He was 98 and healthy but had lost his hearing--or so he claimed. He also had 22 children and at least 120 grand- and great-grand-children. He was a peaceful man and valued family. He would tell me, “See what I have spawned,” as he gestured to a wall of photos, then exclaim “puro Navarro!”

It was November 1st when I received the news about my uncle. Earlier in the evening I had been in Spanish Harlem celebrating el “Dia de los Muertos.” Nov. 1st was also my mother’s 59th birthday—the cycle of life.

Mexico doesn’t celebrate Halloween; instead on Nov. 2 we celebrate/remember our departed loved ones. In-home altars are erected with photos, food and other favorite items of the departed. To help the dead find their way back to us, candles and incense are lit, and cempasúchiles (marigolds) with their sweet scent are placed everywhere (the sent also wards off bad spirits). The night ends with a traditional visit to the grave of the departed.

Mexico’s ancestors did not fear death. They saw life as a journey—an earthly body was just one phase. Therefore, it is no surprise that the national figure which represents the duality of our existence is the skeleton. I view the calavera as our essential self stripped of all superficialities (thus, the title of this blog: the calavera chronicles).

The goal is not to fear death but to celebrate life—to continuously look to the next adventure. To my mother, I say, “live fearlessly.” To my grandfather and uncle, I say, “see you in the next life; I will be the white spider.”

Lost

Lost is TV at its greatest (Wednesdays at 9 pm, ABC)! Have you seen it? This is the second season. Basically, it’s about a group of plane crash survivors and their experiences on a mysterious island--which every day seems to have more people living on it. I am hooked because it serves as a metaphor for the status of our culture--Are we "lost" as a group? I believe our social fabric is tearing apart and we are all desperately trying to hold it together to survive. What does it mean to be American in 2005?

People have likened the show to the book the Lord of the Flies. There is also speculation that the characters are not “lost” but in purgatory, such as Dante’s Inferno. Each island inhabitant has a story and the development of their character leads to revealing their “demon.” In essence, each character is paying for past sins but with the chance of redemption. This theme has evolved in the current (second) season, embodied in the slogan, “everything happens for a reason.” It is a clever thread that intertwines each character’s fate, leading the viewer to the conclusion that the crash was inevitable and that everyone’s survival (or redemption) is tied to the group.

The main character in the show is "Jack," a doctor and the "'reluctant" leader. He is positioned as a “man of science," the rational one. Then there is "John," a “man of faith," who believes he (and everyone) has been given a second chance at a new life. He represents faith and spirituality.

These two characters have opposing philosophies on what to do to survive. It is building a tension--dialectic--which is very interesting to me because I have not resolved my own conflict between Science and Faith. I have not resolved the mysteries of my island…

Spring, Summer, now Fall

Time goes by so fast. We occupy ourselves with making money, buying things, paying bills, and every once in a while we stop to smell the roses. Robert Frost but it best in “Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening,” “The woods are lovely, dark and deep./But I have promises to keep,/And miles to go before I sleep,/And miles to go before I sleep.”

I must admit, I did not take full advantage of all the days in the last few months, but I did manage a good run. First, I took a much needed vacation in the Dominican Republic and stayed at the Paradisus Resort (pictures). It was an all-inclusive deal, which worked out perfectly because my only goals were to rest, get some sun, read a book and have some coconuts with run (lots of rum). The beach was so perfect it felt like a Corona beer commercial. May is the tourist off-season so there weren’t that many people but enough to make some new friends. The strangest part is that the resort had a small zoo (which is unlocked 24hrs—long story) that included a camel and some monkeys—YES, monkeys!

My next notable experience was a weekend in Boston that included a drive with auto journalists in convertibles to the town of Kennebunkport, Maine to eat lobster. This was my second year attending this event. Strangely enough, George Bush senior has a summer home here and Martha Bush was seen leaving the Inn as we were arriving (she must have been warned). The event is known as the Ragtop Ramble and is preceded by an evening cruise of the Boston Harbor. It was pleasurable to be on a boat, beer in hand, on a cool summer evening admiring the Boston skyline. During the day, I followed the Freedom Trail and hung out at Paul Revere’s house.

Other worthy mentions: A trip to Sleepy Hollow (from which the titled story got its inspiration--the street signs have the logo of a headless horseman) and to neighboring Tarrytown, which has a “castle.” Both are very small towns surviving on tourism and make for charming one-day excursion. Another favorite event occurred in the Bear Mountain State Park, which is not too far from the West Point Military Academy. The event was a Ride and Drive for journalist to test drive FMC products. The funfest included a room which housed a working merry-go-round—nothing funnier than journalists riding a carousel when no one is looking.

The last thing I’d like to mention is my opportunity to drive the famed Ford GT from Boston to NYC. The car is amazing with 500 horses of power. I always say, if you can’t have horses, you should have horse power. The car was black and looked like a stealth bomber. But it was not stealth enough to save me from my first speeding ticket in over 10 years. Having been clocked at 90 MPH, while only in 2nd gear, I gladly accepted the ticket.

May -- Time of Change

Everything changes. It is the nature of things. Only our memories and emotions remain static. This creates a problem, a dichotomy, and I am reminded of the book “Who moved my Cheese.” We are always looking for answers, but usually we need solutions instead. This is why I try to stay in a process of change; to incorporate it in my life. I try to reinvent myself continually to encourage growth. One reason is that there is no use denying change. The second reason is it is more exciting…but it is not easy.

I turned 35 in January. I am told this is supposed to be a milestone year. I think it is a beginning, nothing related to time, more related to momentum. As you may know, last year was a time of great change, yet things are not ready to be settled.

On the home front, returning to California for Christmas vacation was great. The sun, family, friends, and some rest give me time to reflect. It made me realize how much changes in one year, yet how much stays the same and where you end up depends on momentum. My mother and siblings are stable and doing fine. However, my nephew and nieces continue to grow, the number is up to 13. Two major milestones: Julia Reyburn was born on Thanksgiving Day. My oldest nephew John turned 19. The blessing is that they are all healthy, safe and I love them all.

Yet returning to a never-ending NYC winter took a toll on my enthusiasm. I didn’t let it get me down. Instead I regrouped, knowing 2005 would continue to be a year of transition. Three of my friends will be married by the end of summer. And one of those will move back to California, creating a vacuum of a close male friend. Worst yet, the Chef of Zona Rosa, Adrian Leon, has left to work in Philadelphia. Good for him, bad for me. Even the bartender Nester is planning to leave. Now I need to find a new hangout and increase my circle of friends.

Change is in the air at work also. We have new players and some old friends will be leaving. It is a stressful time.

However, its spring and the city instantly transforms: The trees and tulips blossom overnight. Central Park becomes green. Cafes spill out into the streets. People come out of hibernation. They walk the streets at all hours of the day—well, more than in winter. Fashion moves out of black and into colors (or at least during the day). The best part is the added sun and general enthusiasm have increased my spirit and fortified my will.

Everything changes. I persevere, knowing this will all lead to something greater.