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Hola from Chihuahua, Mexico!

by Jeanne Horak on October 22, 2005 10 Comments in Mexico, USA

Mexican ponchos

Yup, you read correctly, the Cooksister is currently the Tortillasister! We are here in sunny Mexico for a friend’s wedding and we have been having a total ball since I last posted from San Diego.

Left San Diego in our adorable little convertible Chrysler PT Cruiser and drove to Las Vegas – what a mad, mad place.  But absolutely addictive all the same.  I had difficulty visualising all the hotels I’d read about recreating famous landmarks from around the world, but then you get there and it all becomes clear.  My favourite exterior has to be New York, New York but for style and class the Bellagio wins hands down.  And those fountains…  I could watch them all day.  We also might have slipped off to a little chapel to do the Vegas thing and renew our vows…  and Sally might have been there to join in all the fun, but you’ll have to wait till I get  back for a detailed report…

 

Mexico US border

 

After Vegas it was off to the Grand Canyon via the Hoover Dam.  Never expected the dam to be so exuberantly Art Deco!  And the canyon exceeded my expectations by about a hundredfold.  That was followed by a long drive to Phoenix to catch a flight to El Paso where we spent a night in The Biggest Hotel Room in Texas (I kid you not) and the next morning we took a bus down to Chihuahua where we are staying for a few days.  Mexico is amazing!  Hot sunny weather, friendly people, cheap stuff to buy, great food…  what could go wrong?! Tonight is a rehearsal dinner for our friends’ wedding and tomorrow is the Big Day.

I’ve taken about a million photos and eaten a ton of really interesting stuff, but you’ll just have to wait till I’m back in London next week to hear about it – sorry! 🙂

Buenas noches!

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  1. Sally says

    October 22, 2005 at 4:33 am

    Finally. I have managed to find a free WiFi connection and managed a brief blog of our meeting in LV. Also posted a photo of you and Nick. What fun we had. Jeanne – it was great meeting up with you, and catching up on all the news. Take care, and travel safe.
    Sally

    Reply
  2. Stephanie says

    October 22, 2005 at 7:45 am

    Yay, Jeanne!
    I’m glad you liked Vegas, and I have to ask: Which chapel?
    Because I, too, have a special connection with a certain chapel in Las Vegas…ehem.

    Reply
  3. shauna says

    October 23, 2005 at 8:38 pm

    Oh heavens, that sounds like delicious fun. I wish you had been in the Northwest instead of the Southwest. I’d love to have you over for dinner!

    Reply
  4. AugustusGloop says

    October 25, 2005 at 5:20 am

    Hola. Sounds like you are having a blast. Can’t wait for the update on pics.
    And guess what. EoMEoTE and yourself is famous. Well don’t underestimate the reading of the Melbourne Age’s Epicure section m’lady! http://www.theage.com.au/news/epicure/blog-in-dont-wait/2005/10/24/1130006035721.html?page=4

    Reply
  5. anthony says

    October 25, 2005 at 1:41 pm

    Hey Amigo
    Your poetry has been published!
    http://www.theage.com.au/news/epicure/blog-in-dont-wait/2005/10/24/1130006035721.html?page=4

    Reply
  6. anthony says

    October 25, 2005 at 1:43 pm

    Whoops! Still, worth saying twice.

    Reply
  7. Millie Garfield says

    October 28, 2005 at 1:48 am

    You certainly are making the most of your trip to the states! I have not been to Vegas in years so I enjoyed reading about your impressions of the great wild way.
    I’ll be looking forward to your pictures. I did a very dumb thing on my recent trip to the Grand Canyon, took a lot of pictures and when it came time to take the roll out, there was NO FILM in the camera.
    Fortunately I bought a lot of postcards, guess it’s time for a digital camera.
    Keep having fun.

    Reply
  8. Pille says

    October 31, 2005 at 4:07 pm

    Mmm. Lots can go wrong when going to a wedding in Mexico. I flew from Edinburgh to Mexico City at the end of September to attend a wedding, and look what happened:
    http://nami-nami.blogspot.com/2005/10/living-mexican-telenovela.html
    Enjoy your holiday!!! Am looking forward to reading about yout food adventures and compare the notes.
    Kind regards,
    Pille

    Reply
  9. Jeanne says

    November 2, 2005 at 7:15 pm

    Hey Sal!
    Thanks for the wedding post – I am still working through the REAMS of photos that we accumulated between your, my, Bron’s and the official photographer’s cameras!! Will have to make a collage or something…
    For those who are interested, here’s the link to Sal’s post http://www.sallyalexander.com/2005/10/las_vegas_weddi.html
    Hi STephanie
    Really??? COOL! We could start a super-exclusive society for food bloggers who also had weddings in Vegas! :o) We went to the Shalimar chapel (next door to the Little White Chapel) – not the world’s classiest venue, but a really lovely minister and a pretty little chapel. More details to follow eventually…!
    Hi Shauna
    Awww, NOW you tell me! I’d go anywhere for a free meal… 😀 Next time I promise to head yuour way!
    Hi Augustus and Anthony
    HEY WOW! I love myself in print, the colour really suits me!! (Unlike the colour of modesty which I find very unbecoming…) Thanks for letting me know – I will of course be printing off a sheaf for distribution to my family and friends 😉
    Hi Millie
    Oh, I loved it all. And the canyon was the perfect alternative to the crush of Vegas. We walked along the south rim for 5 hours and hardly saw anyone except at the viewpoints. Very peaceful! And having reviewed our photos, I think that maybe postcards are the best way to record the place. My camera just didn’t do it justice. And trust me, once you go digital you’ll never look back – it is SUCH fun to be able to take 100 photos of a party and not worry about the cost!
    Hi Pille
    Oh no!!! Just read your post – that must have been an Oscar-winning drama!! Our bride was very well-behaved by comparison – showed up on time, married the dude and threw us a party! I really LOVED the wedding afterparty – even more fun than the weding itself. Will definitely have to compare notes on Mexico!

    Reply
  10. Stephanie says

    November 3, 2005 at 5:37 am

    Little White Wedding Chapel for me…nice to see you back!

    Reply
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Are you a cook... or a baker?
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"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Anybody else got Lockdown Itchy Feet Syndrome...?? If it isn't an official disorder,  it certainly should be!

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But then... Corona 😞  I can honestly say that I am enjoying working from home; enjoying having the time to run every day; enjoying cooking proper meals; enjoying my own company; enjoying the lack of FOMO. But OH MAN, I miss travel. 
This image was taken 2 years ago in St George's, Grenada - my first visit to the Caribbean but  certainly not my last. This photo has me dreaming of the day I can throw off those bow lines and travel again... How are you dealing with the lack of travel during this time?

Am I the only one feeling faintly sad at all the S
Am I the only one feeling faintly sad at all the Spring bulbs that were planted last year that have been flowering in parks and public gardens with nobody (or fewer people, anyway...) around to admire them? Spare a thought for the gardeners at Holland's famous Keukenhof who planted SEVEN MILLION bulbs last winter in preparation for the garden's annual 2-month opening... but because of Covid-19 Keukenhof did not open at all in 2020. 
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When people tell me they don't like Brussels spro
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For 4 people you need:
500 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved and cooked (I roast mine in a hot oven)
1 x 2cm piece of ginger cut into fine matchsticks
2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Salt & pepper 
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

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