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Posts Tagged ‘atms’

Another Whipped-Out Wednesday

Posted in Guatemala, Living in Antigua, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, central america, guatemala, tagged , , , , , , , , on July 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

le town is f…..king dead: unless you’re part of a Christian group taking salsa lesions…no, lessons…and obviously not a Baptist/Quaker/et cetera demon..no, denomination that prohibits ‘contact’ or shaking one’s booty…La Sala showing an uptick in attendence: maybe the new decor/menu? whatevah…how the hell does Mito’s, around the corner on 5th ave, stay in business? has anyone ever seen any people in there?…Riki’s? muerto…Cashbar…closed, at least for the night and if it weren’t for Djinn, Sangre would be its usual self aka dead…ha! got an idea for the Consejo and Da Mayor!….if you’ve ever been to Tombstone, Arizona, then maybe you’ve seen the staged shoot-outs on the streets….gunsels in Western garb(clothing) having staged duels…so, here’s the concept…narcos/zetas/betas/sigma chi’s..dressed in black, with a lotta gold chains, cowboy hats and MAC-10s/Uzis..up against our own crime-fighting troops otherwise known as the PNC….acting the parts, of course…schedule a couple of ‘duels in the dust’ on Saturday and Sunday…shooting blanks, with some tasty/toothsome(aka ‘hot’)narco/babes for signing autographs..like it? ‘thought you would..

‘you know, with over 150 places to eat and roughly 500 tourists(Christers, backpackers/spanish school students)the numbers don’t bode well(add up)for the food/bev industry in town, assuming that the number of 500 is close..i think it is but then again you know that math isn’t/wasn’t my strong point.

Scott S/wife/friend in O’lot earlier..Allen working a double shift..O’Lot and then Travel Menu…Robt aka Alabama Bob lamenting the loss of his debit card in the thieves’s paradise known as El Mercado recently and two weeks for a replacement and in the meantime his Guate visa expires in 8 days..Wendy the W going back to Turkey August the 13th, missing the incoming Elle and bride-groom for a celebration the following weekend…MM and new boyfriend cavorting at…love/lust…it must be wonderful…been so long that i forget who ties up who first and yes, Wendy’s unexpected appearance at Angie’s last week did summon up an old expression…”well, f…k me to tears!”…seemed appropriate at the time..

the short lived Antigua City Tour bus is back or at least parked on the square…’spoke with Juan Carlos last week and he said he’d sold the business…’hope this time it works as i thought(sic)that it was a great idea and good for Antigua..and our local plainclothes guy from the PNC,  Juan Mario Cervantes…in a coat and tie in front of El Portal? yep..

and if you’re walking along 6th calle, towards Travel Menu, there’s a BMW/Ford SUV/with California plates parked there..dusty…BMW equals ‘break my window’ which is exactly what happened..rear quarter wing…hello! anyone home? welcome to Antigua! bring money and an extra credit/debit card…

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Not Germane Nor German

Posted in Guatemala, Living in Antigua, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, central america, guatemala, tagged , , on March 14, 2012| Leave a Comment »

 

for kinky stuff..Ryan the Wheeler said he saw my double…or doppelganger, on the streets this week…perfect: now I have someone to blame stuff on….’nope, wasn’t me’…he’s doing the spanish immersion thing at CSA, the school with the greatest uniforms…..tight Black Watch plaid skirts and black stockings..yeah, I’m sick…sue me…

http://www.amazon.com/Our-Man-Antigua-Michael-Sherer/product-reviews/1468122940

yep…finally the 2nd Edition is in print…at Fernando’s, Mayan Kingdom and one at Whisky Den…another print run due on Saturday…I confess to coming down after a brief bout of grandiosity: hire Marvel to schlep it, lean on Frener to print 50 a week and turn my life into complete insanity…Marvel faded on me twice last Friday(thank you) and the handwriting was all over my wall…fuggedaboutit..and no, still no sign of the containr load from nor cal…only a month overdue…fine..and a giant tip of the moldy/stained panama to Bull Durham and his outrageously great pork ribs from Tecpan…I was snoozing aka conked out with my usual afternoon nap…he brought ’em to my door and left ’em on the kitchen counter…add some frijoles colorado from Bodegona, the Toledo brand from Mexico by the butcher counter and about the only thing missin’ would be some cornbread…

and a surprise call from Peter the G…’hangin’ at Fusion and talking with Carla…damn..if the bbq hadn’t been lit, everything prepped, I’da gone to town…’been a while since I’ve seen him…working his ass off in the City..

‘had another look at Alex of Fusion’s new project next door, in what was 709…the Oaxaca Mex place where the partner skimmed everything and left town in his underwear..per Alex, it’ll be Victorian/Art Deco/Colonial and there’s about a 7 or 8 tenant spaces, with a waiting list…the soft opening is scheduled for two weeks from now..’given the location, it should fly nicely…and a tip of the panama for sharing the old stories about Jay….amusing to hear from a long time Antigueno who knows where the past is buried..altho, that said, I’m always amused by hearing from other long timers about a 3rd party and with differing history….is there something in the water here? can we add lithium?

an unlikely duo seen on a moto….Lex C and Monica of Jungle Party? yep….big grins…and another loss to Antigua’s night life…Peter the Hodge accepted a job in China….some town called Wun Hung Low i think I heard…but, then you know that my hearing sucks…the first press run of the 2nd Edition came out last Friday and was totally gonzo by Tuesday…yeah, another 50 are ordered…money? what money? ain’t got any…the printer’s smiling though..and thanks to the folks for the comments about the ATM screw up here last Nov/Dec…yep, got them too and also for the kind words about the Smashwords ebook they bought..more happy customers and good reviews…thanks…

a bag of charcoal and some tasty scraps for the Rott and the Dobie that keep the Boogey Man outa the finca..lastly/leastly…there’s signs of commercial activity at what was Deliciosa on on 3rd Calle…there’s a semi-complete metal sign that seems to read “Pan E Fantasia”….nope, not a clue(typical)

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Gung Hoy, Fat Boy

Posted in Guatemala, Living in Antigua, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, central america, guatemala, tagged , , , , , , on January 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »

tomorrow…Chinese New Year’s…as with a lotta calendars, this is s’posed to be an auspicious year, assuming that one isn’t buying into the 2012 hysteria…last year, the Year of the Rabbit? totally sucked for most everyone, so any kind of improvement will be gratefully accepted…

ah, the old Pangea space? now transformed into something called Braulio, hosted/paid for by the demised Hot Road people(Fusion’s old space)…the Lounge? up for being rented out…they asked me how Ocelot worked…i said that Shaun worked it from Day One, personally handing out flyers on the streets and never ever quitting…a simple formula: show up and work your ass off eight days a week..and keep smiling..case in point..the 5-6 Happy Hour? drags in a crowd every day…some stay, some stagger home..ah, speaking of such, who was behind the bar tonight?

Neil Fucking Craig!…wearing a Movado twice the size of mine(and twice the price)…class, dude..is Maggie M getting a little broad across the beam? who cares? she smells great and gives great hugs.

ah…the ‘unauthorized ATM withdrawals aren’t over…CD,  a long time A-Town person had her card dinged for some 14K but the bank froze the deal…hint: change your pin #..

thanks and a tip of the panama to Piano Mike for noting that I’d called Antigua’s elevation at 4500 feet…he corrected the altitude with a real meter/feet correlation…actually closer to 5000 feet..no doubt about it, we’re high…one way or the other..

a quiet night on 5ta norte…lotta places closed: cashbar, studio 35, sangre…gaia with their lights on, hoping..caffe bourbon doing a few tables…

ah..thanks to Rich Neel, who showed me his printers…three different offices, three different stories, prices…Frener, on 5ta sur is gonna get my biziness, assuming that the proof copy out tomorrow is reasonably close..yep, the idea of having the booklet printed on the east coast and shipped there, here and so on…sucks..but, as with everything else, one must learn the ropes/dopes/hopes..its all been a major learning curve/experience but with a little help from my friends, it’s getting queer…no, clear…and yes, I’m getting used to being in the new location…funny how being a few feet higher and in the shadow of a minor hill drops the temperatures but with a bit of firewood, all is exceedingly bueno..one of the guard dogs has adopted me and sleeps at the foot of my bed…

Reilly’s! noted as being the top dispenser of liquor/booze/alcohol in Central America! is this a Guinness thing?..nope, can’t spell Guiness one way or the other but the concept is there..and a belated thank you to Pat Farrell, whereever you are…the outdated concept of having mules schlepp in the booklet was okay at first but subsequent moves have proved otherwise..gracias, Pat… 

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‘Pulled the Trigger Today

Posted in Guatemala, Living in Antigua, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel Safety, Travel, central america, guatemala, tagged , , , , on December 27, 2011| Leave a Comment »

no, not the flare gun nor the Beretta…the book, Our Man in Antigua, will be available in print very soon…they’re shipping it to me on Jan 6th, proof copies…wuz gonna wait for the ‘graphics people’ and hope that the cover would be the same as the ebook…let’s just say that there were technical issues and leave it at that…’did the cover myself and cranked it..for a look, go to https://www.createspace.com/3755222  and out on Amazon.com next week…

kudos to Ocelot for pumping 100 Reasons why I like Antigua..however…different subject…the closed circuit tv attraced one dude who thought he was watching television…in a way, yes…no commercials..and no remote…

Nadooush, the new Gaia style joint on 6th  avenida norte? long, narrow…visualize Sangre’s footprint..dunno ’bout their business plan unless it’s another laundramat…the Restaurant Daikiri, in what was part of Restaurant Roadkill(previous Fusion)…gave up on the coffee shop idea and is now configured as a bar..

the new jewelry store next to Katun on the square? had their first robbery yesterday and now has a guard…’welcome to Antigua..speaking of Sangre…where the hell is the Man from Austin…the previous landlord/tenant? ‘haven’t seen him in months…

and why are there still tons of people in town, walking the streets after dark? shopping or at least window-gazing..ever wonder how/why Jades Antigua can afford two stores on 5ta norte? one at least huge..staff of 5-6, several rooms and an electric bill that’s gotta be staggering..Pat F back early from the YouEss of A…yep, it was cold..’brought back a jar of pickle relish for a pal(and he declared it in customs) the divine Miss E and Peter the H in Texas together? i’d heard that they’d had a ‘thing’ long time ago…rekindled?no, not the ebook reader…thank you, P.F for suggesting the shuttle drivers as a place to pimp the book…’hadn’t occured to me..duh..a few more days and this year is dead, gonzo and over..someone asked about the bandidos up north…Guate’s doofuss about to be ex-president declare three ‘States of Siege’ this year…some kinda record? one would hope that the incoming dude has the courage to clean up that part of the country and bring back tourists(alive and not robbed)..the only thing that Gautemala is #1 is in credit card fraud…not a record to be proud of..manana? Hump Day…go ‘do’ someone…lastly, Ignacio the Cuban? playing at Pangea tonight…why? for who? get the $$, dude..and then play..stick a fork in that place(they’re done)

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A Long Weekend

Posted in golf, Guatemala, Living in Antigua, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, central america, guatemala, tagged , , , , , on December 26, 2011| Leave a Comment »

and maybe a long week ahead, judging from the crowds downtown…el parque central packed, coffee/ice cream stores jammed…por que, I asked  a long time ex-pat…don’t know…whatever, it’s just another ‘Antigua’ thing for which we love this place…no fireworks, at least so far…last night? I’ve come to be told that 4th avenida norte is #2 is the processions/parades and let ‘er rip’ in the pyrotechnic sense…after last night, I’m inclined to concur(agree)….’trying to get to my door at what was El Palacio de India, I was held up, mid block…yep, the statue of Mary, the band, the loudspeakers and the ‘Torito’…whiz bangs everywhere…the smell of gunpowder…no, the clouds of gunpowder…my landlady, next door, offered a cocktail or two…open bottle of run…well, hell..why not? 2 or 3 later, I thought why not bring out the flare pistol?…they’ve got rockets goin’ off left and right…what’s one more flare?….yes…the crowd at my front door now let me in/out as I reloaded…flares and rum…my kinda night…’love this town…the truck with the extension cord and the loudspeakers eventually went around the corner, to disturb another neighborhood.. 

Ocelot’s gonna be looking for more help…Ruslan and lady leaving soon..Pangea’s still advertising for a bartender…Plumb Bob!…hair raising stories of being held up in Dos Pilas…snakes, scorpions and bandidos with bandoliers…Nicky Z with new lady…looking over Franklin’s creation of the silver tee and silver divot tool…not going to a tournament but to his boss…..great gift idea..

my new Pin #../ not…dipshits at my boutique bank in sausalito haven’t done what i asked, two weeks ago..i’ll call ’em in the morning and chew sum butt..coulda been worse, as i was able to pull some q and cruise thru the week now…thank you very much..Plan B, the book cover for Our Man is done..assuming that one outa the  three graphics people I’ve outsourced this project don’t get their act together by the end of the week…in the meantime, more local people have asked me to display($)the paperback version in their tiendas/bars..and if you’re interested, go to https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/114724…. it’ll also be on a different outlet next week…Amazon.com, at twice the price(shipping, handling and printing $$), factors outa my control…as are a lotta things..jeez…is it really Monday night?

 

 

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The Christmas Goose

Posted in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Living in Antigua, Mexico, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, central america, guatemala, tagged , , , on December 25, 2011| Leave a Comment »

the town at mid-day very quiet…what few shops were open you had to wonder why…very last minute presents?….very strange, unless it was better than staying home. Even the street artists were late setting up and the streets? covered with more firework remnants than ever: the only better remains i’ve seen were in Amsterdam, on New Year’s Day…an inch of slush and the streets were pink with paper..yeah, the Dutch…go figure…Maggie M at the counter of el Portal…she’s such an elegant lady.

so…Mexico…spending 52 million dollars on tourist promotion for 2012…plugging all their ‘end of the world’ spots…and how much is INGUAT spending? let’s see, after salaries and perks…52q?  the exception may come next year with a new head guy and Walther F, the local el jefe…if their email announcements of things, happenings and events are any clue, they’re tryin’..what kind of tourist slogan could they come up with? Come to Antigua for the end of the world, after you use the ATM’s at BAC?  gotta give the PNC a tip of the panama, at least for today…they’re patrolling the hellouta the streets…’visibility’..

ever wonder if the street guys who sell the flutes would do better if they learned the theme song from a Fistful of Dollars? or if the guy who’s schlepping the brown Maya figurines would do better if he spray painted them gold? I did all of mine that way and they look great..and no, I didn’t stay up for the midnight orgy of fireworks…earlier there was a parade on 4th norte…that was enough..I’m getting jaded, it looks like.

Sarah G’s back from Hell A…Caffe Bourbon open for the breakfast semi-crowd and even Lili La Prensa took the day off…I  kinda am, still twitching with the graphics for the book cover and blurbs for the back…you think writings’ easy? get it down and then get it edited and then do the publishing route plus graphics? and then marketing? helllooo…watch the pennies roll in, one at a time..hey, I’m retired…what else would I be doing? no, not the Del Rey…Christmas sucks there…oops, wrong adjective…

its beginniing to look a lot like Christmas

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Fruit Cake 2.0

Posted in Guatemala, Honduras, Living in Antigua, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, central america, guatemala, tagged , , , , , on December 9, 2011| Leave a Comment »

no..it’s not another ‘gay’ joke…just got to thinkin’ about the usual cakes sent, delivered or passed around for Christmas…those heavy impossible to eat suckers with nuts, fruits…no, don’t go there…i guess that the inevitability of Christmas is sinking in but at least, sans TV…well i have one but it’s never on, that i don’t have to watch commercials nor count the remaining shopping days.

‘ran into Brielle duFlon early, on her way to work(she’s doing both the Galeria de Arte and dos Reillys’…asked about her show at Panza Verde last month…or was it two months ago? whatever…she sold 8…yep, 8 outa 14 paintings…major talent in town…and a note from John R (one of the original ‘unindicted co-conspirators’)reminding me of a name similarity to  John R. Wilbur and his presence (still)on the Interpol list…nope..no news from Roatan..’haven’t seen/spoke with Max in a while, nor have any of my island/Copan contacts answered any emails asking about details..’last i heard from Max is/was that the ‘case’ is slowly being dealt with..Reilly’s Guatemala City new location opens next Friday..16th..

neil c’s last night at ocelot is sunday…6pm start of the evening shift…go by..i’ ll do so..peter the hodge and LM checking out on sunday..back to the YouEss of A for a while…might end up in Puerto Vallarta for a spell. 

lethargy is still me this week…is it the full moon or the  lunar eclipse? ..no urge to go out at night…however…weird/good news re BAC and the ATM stuff…a local gringa had her account hacked a week or so ago…so, you say? the bank CALLED her to ask about any suspicious transactions and then…refunded her loss within a week…WTF! is it possible that BAC is finally…finally taking steps to stamp out this local problem?

the only thing that Guatemala is #1 these days is in credit/debit card fraud…’could be worse..Honduras has the #1 spot for murders…they’v just enacted a law providing for only one person on a motorbike…hmm..didn’t Guatemala have that law in place? right…lotta good that did…maybe the new US Naval base on Guanaja(Caribbean/Honduras)will choke off some of the drug activity passing by…kinda doubt it…Roatan being known as Coke Island won’t change, given the support of the locals/politicians..kinda like the Peten region..too much $$$ to change things…maybe, just maybe  Otto can make a difference: this country’s taking a beating in the press..La Prensa reporting that tourist $$ are down…wow..big news..ask any of the local proprietors(owners) I’m of the opinion that this country is too big to effectively get a handle on the drug traffic…not enough radar, cops or strike teams…too much graft…alas..again, ‘welcome to Chinatown, Jake’

ok…off the sap/soap box…smile, Polly Anna…

the evening stroll…fabulous full moon(the hair will start growing on the back of my hands shortly)..more personnel changes in the wind…one of our(well, mine)more popular duos not gonna be playin’ at a certain place. Why? who knows? the venue hasn’t changed, their music hasn’t changed but the crowds have…go figure…Neil C! ran a bar tab last night that’s historical…i counted 26 various cocktails…oughta frame the tab but it runs to both sides of the paper..Alex B of Fusion…also shakin’ his head at the inconsistency of the trade…up one day/week, down the next…ah..that ex-mex place next door, the shortly lived ‘709’? whatta tale of deception/ripoffs between the owner and his so-called partner…ask Alex..it’s so very very Antigueno chisme…however…come February that space will be hosting something new and different…with Sr Bell and a group of locals, there’ll be ‘Antigua by/for Antiguenos’..foods, crafts, cha cha…again, ask Alex..

the O’lot patio and space at Lava…f….king packed at 6..the new morena version of Flor wrapping up her shop, off to meet the sweet Gina C at El Portal…and Ms C is a grandmother? one of the better looking grandmother’s I’ve ever seen…ah, the Bistro Casola by night, Zoe’s clothing shop by day..5th calle..as a concept,  I like it…wonder where they put the clothes away?  ..lotta folks going thru major changes…Peter the G’s taking a position in a different kind of real estate market…once this financial f….up that’s worldwide gets resolved and once that Otto gets his hands on the reins of power in this country, who knows?  I think i’ve got it that the Pelicanos restuarant in Monterrico is for sale…these last few months have been brutal for that town…the floods, the ….fill in the blanks…and thanks for asking about the book release…next week it goes up into cyberspace and gets translated into various ‘languages/codes’ by the “Meatgrinder’…really…nope, don’t ask..I don’t get it but so what else is new? time to go howl at the moon.. 

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