I don’t know what made the sky that color, but it certainly gave Avenida Constitución an interesting look.
Tijuana at Night
1
Leaving Tijuana
Heading east by bus.
Bernardo Fernández, Bef – Cuello Blanco
My rating: 4 1/2 stars
Andrea Mijangos is back. Sadder and wiser, but still intensely loyal to family and friends, she’s intent on revenge, but this time she has the financial resources to do something about it. In her cross-hairs is Lizzy Zubiaga, the beautiful cartel leader who revolutionized the Mexican drug trade in Bernardo Fernández Bef’s lively previous novel, Hielo Negro. Cuello Blanco is a fun mix of genres, intertwining a gumshoe private detective investigating a very ordinary crime that may or may not have taken place, with busting a massive international money-laundering scheme with the dubious help of the American FBI and DEA.
The characters are outrageous, but at the same time well-realized. Former cop Andrea isn’t afraid to rough up a team of French flics, but also unwittingly stirs up the most basic instincts in the men she meets. “If you lived in the 1950s, you’d be a movie star” … “No, I’d be a wrestler, helping Santo fight mummies and vampires.” And Lizzy Zubiaga, while yet again revolutionizing Mexican organized crime, is into cosplay, extreme performance art and vicious murder, and has a truly frightening attitude to relations with the opposite sex.
The action is almost non-stop. There are murders – by gun, by knife, by explosion… even by sexual over-stimulation. There is a complex financial fraud, a Balkan arms deal, shocking performance art, a gang war and an explosive climax. You know, all the things you’d expect from a Bernardo Fernández, Bef novel.
A fun read!
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Óscar Salgado, dueño de la casa de bolsa Blue Chip, es secuestrado y amenazado para obtener la información financiera de Lizzy Zubiaga, la reina de las drogas sintéticas. Ella decide entrar de lleno al negocio del lavado de dinero junto con Salgado y su socio, Alberto Suárez. Su plan: crear un banco internacional para criminales de alto nivel. La única persona que puede detenerla es la ex policía Andrea Mijangos, con su nueva agencia de detectives. Mientras tanto, al otro lado de la ciudad, un misántropo dibujante de cómics aparece muerto en un cuarto cerrado por dentro, sin aparente violencia ni móvil. Son los primeros casos de Mijangos como investigadora privada, quien sigue obsesionada por ver a Lizzy tras las rejas. Ayudada por el Járcor, su ex compañero de la policía judicial, y con la ambigua amistad de Henry Dávalos, agente de la DEA, Andrea se verá cara a cara con traficantes de armas rusos, bandas de asaltabancos armenios y traficantes de tabaco albaneses en la segunda entrega de esta trepidante serie. Con el estilo único de Bef (Premio Grijalbo de Novela 2011 por Hielo negro), que combina lo mejor del género negro con elementos de la cultura pop, Cuello blanco es una novela explosiva que estallará ante los ojos del lector.
La Cerveceria Union – Puerto Vallarta – Huachinango
The sunset was beautiful, and everyone was out for a stroll on the Malecón. There are hundreds of restaurant choices in Puerto Vallarta, ranging from wildly elaborate theme restaurants to thinly-disguised discos to American chains like Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Company. I didn’t find the internet very useful on this trip, so I was left to make my best guess for dinner. Something about the casual atmosphere, upscale clientele and interesting menu of La Cerveceria Union gave me a good feeling… not to mention the oyster bar.
It’s a lovely big room, with an open patio perfect for watching the sun set. I ordered the huachinango – red snapper – and was delighted with the way it was presented. It was a perfectly grilled fish with only the slightest spice rub, served on a wooden carving board, and smothered with fresh cilantro and red onion.
Service was quick and friendly, the people-watching was fun, and manager David Monjaraz made me feel right at home.
Hotel Executivo – Culiacán
I was tired when I arrived in Culiacán. It had been a 12 hour bus ride from Hermosillo, and I wanted to stay in a nice hotel. I looked at various websites, and saw that Hotel Executivo was exactly where I wanted to be, within an easy walk to the Cathedral, and had very good ratings from previous guests. It was a little more expensive than my budget allowed, but I thought it would be worth it.
From the moment I set foot in the lobby, I felt at home. The front desk manager was pleasant and helpful, and even gave me a rate that was close to the internet prices I had seen. My room was attractive, the air conditioning set in a comfortable place, and I even had a nice view. The bed was comfortable, I had lots of cable TV choices, and there weren’t even any strange echoes in the hallway.
I had a wonderful breakfast the next morning. There was a wide range of choices, and the hostess even went out of her way to be sure I was putting the right things on my chilaquiles.
There’s no question that I will stay here again the next time I’m in Culiacán.
Here’s the website: http://www.executivo.com.mx/executivo.com.mx/ES_Portada.aspx
El Huequito – Mexico City – Tacos al Pastor
Tacos al Pastor is one of the most celebrated dishes in Mexico City. In all of Mexico, actually, but especially in Mexico City. El Huequito is my secret favorite place – not such a secret, though, as it was featured in an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s show. It’s a nice restaurant downtown, with a wide menu, but the pastor grill is outside, where you can grab a couple of quick tacos on the run.
The basic tacos are pretty, uh, basic. Slivers of caramelized marinated pork sliced onto warm tacos, splashed with a spectacular sauce of guacamole, thinned with orange and chile flavors. I like to go a little crazy, though, and order the Especial. It’s sort a make-your-own-taco affair, in which enough meat for several tacos is served in a towering pile, laced with delicious sauce, accompanied by a stack of tortillas on the side. My one and only complaint is that they don’t serve orange Fanta, my favorite drink with spicy tacos.
Sunset on the Malecón – Puerto Vallarta
The sunset was stunning before the rain.
Tortilla Soup
The first time I ever heard of Tortilla Soup, I was in Guadalajara in 1992. I thought it was a joke, so I ordered it as a novelty. What I got was a rich, beautiful soup with big chunks of chicken, avocado and dried chiles, generously supported with toasted tortilla strips. It was absolutely delicious. The Belair Hotel in Los Angeles is justifiably famous for its Tortilla Soup, but it’s something I rarely see on a menu.
It seemed appropriate to have Tortilla Soup on my recent trip to Guadalajara, 21 years after I had it for the first time… It was still great.
Hermosillo to Culiacán by Bus
It was an 11 hour ride from Hermosillo to Cuiacán, but it was a joy to see the wide open spaces and beautiful cloud formations as the geography gradually changed from desert to rich, red-earth farm land.
Dairy Queen – Hermosillo, Mexico
I developed a taste for Dairy Queen when I lived in Omaha, Nebraska, and have been disappointed that they are not widely represented in Los Angeles.
I was thrilled to find a Dairy Queen on a recent trip to Hermosillo. It was a blazing hot day, and it felt like an oasis in the desert. As I ordered “un Blizzard con Butterfinger, por favor” I was reminded of John Travolta’s rant in the film Pulp Fiction, as he recalls ordering “le Big Mac” at McDonald’s in Paris.
Bruce Critchley's Mexico Here and There 