Sitting around the plaza on an October afternoon. (dial up warning - I should know!)

[Kali]

Old Casas Grandes, known as Viejo or El Pueblo

this was on a Monday so things were pretty slow

[MiddleFingerMom]

1. WTF?!?!?!? Was it siesta-time or WHAT?!?!?

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Even the hamburgesa joint looks deserted.
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Cool shots. You KNOW we want more!!!!!
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[Kali]

2. El Chapo doesn't even open until dark.

Great burgers, but you have to get a doble or triple - they are thin as paper. so good and fresh - the paquete on the sign is a big buger with fresh lettuce and tomato (and mayo) on a toasted bun with a foil wrapped roasted onion quarter, a huge baked potato with Mennonite cheese on top and two roasted jalepenos plus a canned soda for like $3.75. Make it a doble so you can actually taste meat and it is about $4. YUM - you can drive up and they will come to your car or walk up and eat at two little tables on the sidewalk or get it to go. Great late night munchie food when you don't feel like going to a real resaurant or *shudder* cooking something.

The biggest daytime action is on the weekends and right at noon during the rest of the week (Mondays are always slow in Mexico), or if there is some political or "town" related thing going on - the city hall is right across the street as well, but Sunday night is the MAJOR action - that is when everybody young and old turn out for the paseo - circles around and around the plaza on foot and in vehicles - see and be seen, food vendors, musica and just a fun custom for sure.

edit - yes it WAS siesta time

[siligut]

9. Now I want a hamburger with jalapenos.

I can make a griller tomorrow, too late to eat now. Great pictures, thank you. As stated down thread, it has been raining all day here (Seattle).

[tigereye]

16. all right- so what is Mennonite cheese? (made by Mennonites, I suppose)

but what does it taste like, etc.


Lovely pix, btw.

[Kali]

17. its a lovely mild white cheddar

melts beautifully and goes on anything - it can be used in place of any cheddar, or even mozzarella when it is fresh.

Chihuahua is a diverse state - there are Anglo Mormons, Germanic Mennonites, people with Chinese ancestry (there was a municipal official a few years back with the name of Wong) and of course the Spanish and indigenous mixtures. A few years ago we were traveling with 3 Hungarians and stopped for a meal in the little city of Guerrero at a nice restaurant. The owner turned out to have been a descendant of some pre-revolutionary Hungarian ambassador. (fascinating illicit love affair soap opera) story!

All the geography we seem to get in this country says it is basically a homogeneous poor place where all the people are trying to sneak across the border to come here. It is not and I have found that to be true of every other place I have traveled as well. We do SUCH a poor job of teaching/learning about the rest of the world. Yet despite our center-of-the-universe arrogance people are so welcoming most everywhere. It is humbling.

oh, sorry for the rant - yes the cheese is yummy, I always try to bring back a few kilos! - lasts for about a month before it starts getting too "ripe" for me.

[tigereye]

18. that's so cool - wonderful diversity - thanks for the explanation!

Most countries are nothing like the limited stereotypes that tend to be popular among some segments of our population!


and yes, the cheese sounds yummy, even though i have had to cut a lot of cheese out of my diet. Sigh.

:hi:

[MiddleFingerMom]

19. I know EXACTLY what you mean. In my life, I have had to...

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... cut a lot of cheese, too.
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:hide: :yoiks:
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[Kali]

3. one kick for, well...

Lunes.:-)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Good morning, my dear Kali!

Ah, nice pics!

I'd say the place wasn't slow.........it was DEAD!

It looks like a really nice place to sit or stroll...

:hi:

[Kali]

10. I just love the paseo.

Great community tradition.:hi:

[ceile]

5. Beautiful!

Would love to see pics of a Sunday night!

[Kali]

11. this is one from a few years ago in another town - Creel, up in the Sierras

a bit of a wilder location;-)

[Suich]

6. I wish I was sitting there right now!

Too much rain here...

[Kali]

12. me too

especially after today's Monday! what a day I had - bleh

[rug]

7. How do you find time to post?

[Kali]

13. I don't!

crazy busy:(

missing the people still here as much as some of the ones gone

[Ptah]

8. Thanks for sharing, kali.

Simply wonderful

:hi:

[Kali]

14. I feel the same about your pix!

Simply wonderful!

:hi:

[kimi]

15. Very cool!!

Thanks for taking the time to post these. I think one of the great things about forums like DU is that we get to see these pictures of others' lives and places where they live and what life is like elsewhere.
Thank you.