I went to a Leadership Symposium last week for work in Albuquerque. I have been to plenty of these kinds of things, but I always learn something new. This time a friend also went and we extended our trip a little bit and went to Santa Fe. I realized that as I uploaded my photos, that I don’t have a single pic of myself, so you’ll just have to take my word for it that I was there! I like to take pictures of doors and windows and here are a few:
Santa Fe is the home to the oldest church in the United States:
We ate lots of Mexican food – they always ask you if you want salsa verde or salsa roja or "Christmas" which is both. NM is also where sopaipillas come from, only they don’t eat them with honey butter like you do at El Matador’s here. You open your sopaipilla (which is basically a piece of Navajo fry bread) up and pour honey inside. It’s good. We also sought out a well-recommened chocolate store called Kakawa, which sold "elixers" of hot chocolate which you could have Mayan style with chile or European style. I thought it would be like the awesome chocolate store in the movie Chocolat, but it was not. The elixers were icky and it was overpriced and the service was poor. Kakawa was kaka.
Overall Santa Fe and Albuquerque were beautiful cities of the southwest, with a very different feel from the southwest of St. George or Arizona. There was a huge Mexican and Native American influence also, but it looked different with the style of the buildings and overall feel. There was also the 1950′s kitsch of Route 66.
(this was from inside the car – see we’re getting our kicks on route 66)
We also went to a spa. This spa was well recommended and had a hot tub you could go and relax in prior to your treatment. We should have been warned when they told us that swimsuits were optional. It was women only, but STILL. What is wrong with people??? I really don’t want to see your naked self. And please don’t talk to me with your shirt off in the locker room like it’s normal. And do not try to engage me in conversation when you have no clothes on. Thank you very much! The massage was good though.
The end to New Mexico. I have been there once before about 10 years ago or so. I don’t need to go again. Definitely been there, done that now.
