Simple Life

Today is the second day of our trip through Guanajuato, Mexico.  Today I will take you through some of the villages that we visited while we were there and share with you some of the photos that enjoyed taking like the one on the left that I photographed.  This photo was taken with my Minolta Dimage 5.  We visited the village that my mother-in-law grew up in and it was an amazing experience.  The photo in the left contains the donkey looking at us as we walked through the village.  The farmer had some hay burning in the background and it just seemed amazing.  I converted the photo to Black & White using Adobe Photoshop.

  The photo on the right is of some dried corn that I got down on the floor to take this photo.  The village has a lot of things that just seem to be lying around on the floor.  I guess the corn is for the rats and chickens to eat.  Not sure but we did come across a dead mouse.  No photo of that here but I do have it if you would like to see it.  Just let me know.

 

This photo to the left  is of one of the houses my mother-in-law grew up in.  In the backyard they had an old structure that looked like a small home.  It appeared to be run down now and the roof caved in, but the light was shining through this doorway and the flowers were just amazing. 

That is all the photos I have for today but stay tuned for tomorrow as we continue our tour through Guanajuato, Mexico.

Thanks for reading!

Semper Fidelis,

Manuel Perez

Photos From Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico

Today is our last day to share my experience of Guanajuato, Mexico with you.  I am going to share some photos of Leon, Guanajuato, which is a very large city that has a lot of things to do.  Food at almost every corner sold by local street vendors. 

Tacos al Vapor were just one of my favorites.  My wife has a cousin that sells every morning on one of the popular street corners.  They have a large variety of tacos.  From chorizo to beans and on one of the last days I was there I had him invent something he still sells today.  A torta de tacos.  We went and bought a couple of bollilos (bread rolls) and opened them up to reveal something like a sandwich.  Then we laid a couple of tacos inside the bread and added some cheese and chile and closed it up and it was heaven. 

There is just so many different things to see in Leon.  From El Centro (Like the City Mall) to the parks and just the streets.  Over on the left you can see a house that has a motorcycle hanging over their front doorway.  Interesting.  There is even a hill that you can drive up to and see the whole city.  It kind of reminds me of Los Angeles.

  The local vendors have so many ways to make things work and improvise in ways that I wouldn't have thought of.  On the right you can see a photo of a vendor that rides a horse and carriage with rubber tires selling fruits and vegetables.  They carry a horn speaker and microphone to let people know they are coming. 

I still remember the propane sellers.  They have these large trucks that race through the streets yelling on the horns announcing, “El Gas!”.  Since there aren't any gas lines in the homes they have to purchase propane tanks and the salesman go through the neighborhoods announcing their presence.  People that need gas run out to stop them and get their refill.

I also remember a scene that I don't have here but it is still in my mind.  The scene of dogs eating crunchy tortillas lying on the floor.  I guess since Dog Food is probably too expensive so they just get the leftover tortillas and throw them on the floor for the dogs to eat. 

Mexico has a lot of culture.  One that I miss very much and cant wait to go again.  I love getting up early in the morning and heading over to the market to get a fresh milkshake or “liquado” with all kinds of delicious fresh fruit and all the good nutrients a grown boy needs. 

The market has so many fresh produces.  From freshly cut pigs to fresh fruits and vegetables.  The market is the place to be, unless you are a pig or other type of animal.  Over on the left you can see a photo from inside the market looking down at some fresh cut pork.  They skin the pork to make pork grinds. 

That is all from my trip to Leon and Guanajuato.  Next week I plan to share some more of my photos from other trips.  Remember, if you have photos of your favorite Mexican hangout please share them with us and let us know what you love most about Mexico.

Thanks for reading!

Semper Fidelis,

Manuel Perez

Barn Owl

Ok, I know you guys are probably going to think I am going crazy because I am taking photos of dead animals but trust me I am not.  I was reading an article last week that discussed that California actually developed a website to track the deadliest roads for animals. 

The California Roadkill Observation System is a system that is allowing volunteers to enter in observations of when they come across a Roadkill!  It is very simple to do and it cost nothing to get started.  The observation entry form can be a little tricky when it comes to picking the exact location of the observation but if they had an iPhone app for it I am sure it would be popular. 

 

I actually have entered in two observations in two days.  I came across two different Barn Owls that seemed to have been struck by something.

This one doesn't look too bad but it is very shocking to see all the different areas that are being tracked on the map.  I looked at Highway 33 which is one that I travel along everyday on my way to work and I didn't see any entries so I figured I need to do my part and start helping scientists to find a reason why all these animals keep getting killed.

If you would like to do your part and enter observations for Roadkills then visit their site today and get signed up.

That's all for today!

Thanks for reading!

Semper Fidelis,

Manuel Perez

Campeche

This is a photo of a street sign from Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico.  I took this photo back a couple of years ago when my family went to Mexico to visit some family.  The street we used to visit is the Boulevard Campeche Col. Chapalita.  It is a very nice place.  I haven't been there in such a long time that I wonder how things are going with all the crime and drug wars going on. 

I thought of a way to get you readers involved on this one and would like for you guys to send me a photo of the street sign that you like to visit when you go on vacation.  If you like you can post them here or if you are not interested then please let me know.

Next week I plan to do a week about Mexico and include some photos from my trips to the area.  If you have any great photos from Mexico and would like to share them then please feel free to let me share them with our readers.

Thanks for reading!

Semper Fidelis,

Manuel Perez

Castillo De San Felipe - Guatemala

A sign marking the “Torreon De Bustamante” dedicated or created in the year 1595.  This photo was taken at the Castillo De San Felipe just in the middle of Lake Izabal or Lago Izabal which feeds out to the Gulf through the Rio Dulce.

The Tower where the canons are still in place.  This is a very beautiful place to see if you are ever in Guatemala. 

From Destruction Comes Change

Last November, a fire erupted from within the Dos Palos High School burning down the Auto Shop, the Future Farmers of America classrooms, along with the Wood shop.  Because of the asbestos in the room and the smoke, they also declared the Cisco Network Lab unusable.  They destroyed everything. 

They are working to rebuild the classrooms but not fast enough.  So the school has decided to build or actually bring in pre-fabricated classrooms in another designated area where the classes can continue until the final phase of construction process is complete.  Below you will see a photo of the crane dropping in some of the buildings. 

I plan to keep you posted on the different phases of the construction process but we will see how long it takes to get these classrooms ready.  I know they will not be ready by the time school starts. 

Thanks for reading!

Semper Fidelis!

Manuel Perez

Purple Jellyfish

These are some photos of the Purple Jellyfish that are located at the aquarium inside the Academy of Science Museum in San Francisco, CA.  These creatures are beautiful.

 

 

 

 

I came across another photo of the purple critter on flickr from user cdubya1971.

Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Manuel Perez