The colors of Mexico

One of the questions a friend asked is why we can't have colorful buildings, buildings with character. My answer: architects. Damn architects. The lasdt couple of years saw site plans and buildings laid out with acute angles - this fad seemed to have brainwashed architects until someone realized it was pretty stupid. Green is now the latest, and possibly the most sensible fad - but I snickered when I heard some green kids discussing "brise soleis" (shade devices) with a frightening intensity. It is all about jargon.

Getting a photo of the cathedral in Puerto Vallarta is dicy unless you can rent a helicopter. The day we visited, a funeral mass had just finished and we wandered inside to be mildly awed. As we have been attending church in a palapa that used to be a bar, we could show some awe. Several years ago, Robert had his flight cancelled and didn't make it down in time for the Christmas Mass and a friend and I went. We coul only understand a few words but felt we were part of something celebratory, as we were.

There is a lot of gold - but out of the photo was the stand of votive lights. I kept throwing in American coins and wondered where the matches were. Now this is a holy place and there has to be some matches - I looked down and realized that each time I put a coin in little lights were coming on.

The snickering this time was coming from Robert.

This spring has seen a cloud of sulpher yellow clouds, similar to the shower trees in Hawaii, only pure yellow against the dull green of the hillsides. We are in the dusty time here in PV and the color is magic. Now the pnk trees are starting to do the same thing, and the African tulips ---the answer to the question, then, is most of North America doesn't have the glorious trees to inspire building colors.