Pozos ArtWalk By Lena Bartula (July 14, 2006), England on 25 dollars a day? By Christine Foster

Part I: "But what do you do in Pozos?"

The artists and artisans of Pozos once again extend an invitation and open their puertas to visitors for the second annual ArtWalk. The event, begun in January 2005, was a great success according to the participants as well as drivers, vendors, restaurants and hotels in this former ghost town.

Since that time, an organization has been formed, called Mineral de Pozos Turismo y Cultura, A.C. Its members, both indigenous and expatriate residents, believe that culture-driven tourism will benefit the entire community, and thus is sponsoring ArtWalk 2006 on July 22 and 23.

For years now, artists have come and gone, but the artisanías remain constant, producing replicas of pre-Hispanic musical instruments that were essential to the dances and ceremonies before the Conquest. One of the talleres (workshops) hosting the ArtWalk, Ohtetl, recreates drums of wood, gourds or skins, and whistles and flutes of clay, adorning them with both traditional and contemporary designs. This family of craftsmen and musicians, the Sánchez-García clan, performs under the stage name Corazón Endiosado. Besides their formal performances, they often surprise and delight visitors with impromptu mini-concerts and demonstrations. They are located in Plaza Zaragoza, as is Puerta del Sol, another taller featuring instruments like those mentioned, as well as rainsticks, gourd trumpets, jewelry of semiprecious stones and other gift items. In addition to the merchandise created by the Ledesma sisters, who own the store, they offer interesting crafts bought on excursions to Oaxaca, Morelia and other regions of Mexico.

Historically, the women of Pozos have been a strong force; their men worked the mines or went off to fight in revolutions, and even now, many leave to try their luck in el Norte. One taller, Manos Creativos, was designed to help women develop new skills to benefit not only their families but also their community.

A collective organization that fabricates beautiful dolls you may have seen for sale in Boutique Hotel, Manos Creativos dolls are dressed in regional costumes, with elaborate attention to detail and tradition, including a wide range from mariachi outfits to Chinas Poblanas, and even a fabulous Virgin of Guadalupe doll. Another woman-based store, La Granja, is known for its hand-knitted toys, clothing and, especially, animals. Translated in English as "The Farm," the store specializes in adorable cows, horses, pigs and sheep-everything you might expect to encounter on a Pozos farm, but small enough to cuddle in your hand.

Also on Plaza Zaragoza you will find Mineral de Pozos, A.C., a community shop promoting the work of several local artisans, weavers and jewelers. Not only does the owner, Lucia Victoria García, create her own regionally inspired oil paintings, she presents an incredible selection of talavera ceramica, handmade paper journals, neck scarves and other treasures.

One thing you will not find, however, is an ATM machine. The town is still recovering from its decline around 100 years ago, and the lack of certain modern conveniences is one thing that makes Pozos so popular.

In truth, I believe it is the pervading air of a time warp that appeals most to visitors, and so the dichotomies presented make for even stranger occurrences. Who would dream that contemporary art exists in a tiny village where goats have the right of way? Or that one European photographer garnered an exhibition at the Venice Biennale with images of Pozos's ruins? (Because no one seems to know the photographer's name, this may be a case of "urban legend"). As one of the more recent artists to settle here, I myself left Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 2004 with my partner, documentary filmmaker Cynthia Buzzard, in search of a quaint little spot to get still, write and make art. We also came with visions of offering workshops in our compound at the Colectiva de Pozos. Now, between learning the legends, improving our Spanish, getting to know our neighbors, presenting workshops and focusing on our own work, we can barely keep a straight face when a first time visitor asks: "But what do you do in Pozos?"

Longtime favorite Dan Rueffert continues to divide his time between Pozos and San Miguel. Did someone say "busy"? He is also half of the Los Famosos Restaurant team, which includes a beautiful gallery space where he presents work for the ArtWalk weekend. Town or beach locales and characters encountered in his travels become the inspiration for his oils on canvas, profusely rich in color, line and composition.

One of the first artists to settle here, Australian-born sculptor John Osmond, will use the opportunity to show off his spacious new sculpture garden. With his beautiful wife, Karla, as his muse, his life-size and larger stone creations are Mayan-influenced, each one charged with strength, serenity and grace.

A group exhibition at Galería 6 on Plaza Principal includes an installation by part-time Pozos resident Janice Freeman, whose "Obras Recientes" are also at Galería Centro, plus new encaustic works by Ana Thiel and paintings by Mary Rapp, both well-known San Miguel artists.

All exhibitions and demonstrations are free and open to the public. Round-trip transportation from San Miguel for this weekend event is available at a nominal rate by calling 01-442-293-0032. Youthful guides, a su servicio, plus tourist maps will be available at the tourist kiosk at Plaza Zaragoza, courtesy of Mineral de Pozos Turismo y Cultura, A.C.

Pozos ArtWalk 2006, Saturday & Sunday, July 22 & 23, Mineral de Pozos

England on 25 dollars a day?
By Christine Foster

Would you believe $250? That's assuming you want to rent a car but don't want to sleep in it. And assuming you want to fill it up once in a while-at US$2 a liter. And assuming that you want to eat three meals a day and see a few shows.

So, yep, that's an average of US$500 a day for the two of you.

Can you afford to go? Can you afford not to? It's all still true: "This sceptr'd isle, this other Eden, demi-paradise." London may be denser by the year, dazzling but throbbing, sometimes manic-but honey-colored country towns still slumber on in sun or drizzle, hedgerows still crowd lanes that wind through green and gold shires straight out of Tolkien, rejoicing in names like Nether Wallop, Bishop's Itchington and Eggsford Bottom. Pubs with flower-crowded patios, called "The Eagle and Child" or the "The Firsty Ferret" still serve warm but heart-warming local ales under signs that have creaked for centuries, while roadside warnings advise you politely of mysterious dangers such as "Adverse Camber" or admonish you to "Change Priorities Ahead." But the price tag for all this quaintness and cheer is, as ye olde guidebooke would say, a trifle heavy on the pounds sterling.

The problem is that the British earn and spend a pound sterling pretty much as we do a dollar. So everything is roughly twice as much. A dozen eggs doesn't sound like much at £1.50-but that's three bucks.

Hotels in London-with rooms barely bigger than the double bed, and a shower stall roughly the size of a red phone box-won't run less than £120 for the two of you. If you want something roomier or well located or with a view of something other than a brick wall, you can double or triple that.

But there are a few ways to reduce the pain. Start by going online and looking at short-term London apartment rentals. This is ideal if there are only two of you but a real budget beater if you're a family. A one-bedroom flat will probably include a dishwasher, iron, TV and DVD, a washer/dryer (a single machine that finishes the wash cycle, spins, and goes right on to languidly blow warm air on your clothes; you'll still end up hanging your jeans, but it works a treat for shirts and knickers). Booking through a site called London Short Stay, we paid £125 per night for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment for three of us (with nice features like heated towel racks) within easy walking distance of the West End (where all the theaters, trendy Soho, and the even trendier Covent Garden are located).

Once you've got your apartment, you can go out and buy those eggs and save some money by eating in from time to time. Sainsbury's has supermarkets everywhere, and they brim with decent take-away food. Beer and bread are, happily, about the same price as in a North American supermarket.

Cheese is actually cheaper. Grab a bite in a pub at either lunchtime or supper and enjoy good soups, salads, fish and chips or meat pies and the like for about £10 per person with a pint of decent bitter or cider. The new "Gastro Pubs" have trendier grub and trendier prices.

Other good budgetary news: At £30 to £50 pounds for excellent seats, theater tickets are a bit cheaper than Broadway these days. (Half-price tickets are often available on the day of the performance in Leicester Square.) But beware-you pay for the program: £3 for a small one without the nice color pictures. You can ask for a free cast list, though. They keep them under the counter. Just don't buy the tiny ice creams at intermission-they want $6.

On the other hand, all the museums are free, including the wonderful London Museum with its re-creations of Roman and Victorian Streets, the fabulous Imperial War Museum, and the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden. All the galleries are free, too.

Attractions like the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace charge about £7 for adults and £5 for under-16s and seniors. (Seniors and students are often listed as "concession" prices. Be sure to ask.)

To get around, you can buy a day bus pass at any convenience store for £3.50 and ride happily around upstairs on a double-decker seeing all the sights, getting on and off anywhere, and saving your feet. One-way trips are normally £1.50 a shot, so it quickly pays for itself. For another 50 pence you can add in the Tube (subway).

If you're heading out to the countryside, be sure to pick up a free bed and breakfast guide (ask for the "little green book") at most tourist information spots. Things are a bit cheaper outside London, but not much. The prices at B&B's all over Devon and Cornwall are £25 to £30 per person per night. But that's better than over £100 for a double room at an attractive hotel in any historic town. Breakfasts are included at both and are so enormous you can often take a bit of fruit and a bacon sandwich for the car.

By the way, at the moment wifi hotspots for your laptop are not free. You must log in with your credit card and pay US$10 an hour. An internet cafe is half that. But outside London, it's hard to find either, and the majority of the population is still blissfully indifferent to Blackberries, Palm Pilots, cell phones and email.

The total price tag for a week in London and a week in Cornwall and Devon for three people is about US$8000. Seeing five plays, castles, National Trust estates and gardens, stone circles, Roman baths, and walking historic streets and cliff paths until our feet were sore: priceless.