Caray, Caray!

Well, it had to happen, but it all happened for Fernanda and Carlos at the end of Week 7. Couldn't they have extended their happiness one more week?

Misunderstandings, misinterpretations, lies of commission, lies of omission, fury, rejection, deception, sorrow, hurt, jealousy--it happened to just about all the persons integral to the story.

The person who hurts the most right now is Fernanda, the innocent schoolgirl who is in love for the first time with someone who seems to have been two-timing her with a former Miss Universe.

Pedro is a close second as he watches his one-sided marriage fall apart in front of his daughter's eyes. His anger at Amelia is somewhat justified for Fernanda's biological father is back in the picture and Amelia seems to be amenable to having him know his child. Pedro risks Fernanda's disappointment in learning he is not her "real" father, although he has been her real father for 19 years. In not wanting to tell Fernanda about her paternity, he underestimates the powerful bond they have if he believes Fernanda will reject him outright to begin a relationship with Luis.

One glimmer of hope for Carlos, the besotted novio, to rescue his relationship with Fernanda is that he learns from a reliable source that one of the proofs Isabela had for verifying her pregnancy is false. What will Isabela have to say when he confronts her with the news, as he surely will.

One glimmer of hope for Pedro is that he doesn't know Luis and Fernanda know each other already because they are embroiled in a bitter lawsuit which didn't go Luis' way. How will Luis react to the news that it is the same Fernanda Perez who is his biological child.

Labels: camino

---Notice: Univision has announced a fork in the Camino.  Camino is switching times with Sueno. Camino will be broadcast at 8:00 pm, not 7:00 pm starting Monday night (Apr 4). There has been no reason given why the switch was made (although we might suspect it is doing quite well and they want a stronger lead-in to the show replacing PyP at 9:00).

Carlos and Fernanda are also at a crossroad in their Camino. Fernanda has graduated from the prepa with honors and she has the whole summer ahead of her to decide whether to go to a local university on a full scholarship or study music at a renown school elsewhere. It's not clear where Carlos fits into her dreams. Carlos is ever more committed to a relationship with Fer, but he's faced with Isabela's pregnancy bomb. He wants to keep this information from Fernanda--for now, but too many people in his circle already know. Some want Fernanda to know about it and suffer.

Amelia and Pedro are also at a crossroad in their Camino. Amelia is proceeding with the divorce and plans to tell Fernanda when she returns from her school trip to Cabo. Although she still pines for Luis, she's at the beginning of a new friendship with Lic. Ordoñez, an important bank employee she's met. She's also wants to contact her long-estranged father and to tell Luis that Fer is his daughter. Pedro is conflicted over this turn of events. He's angry and frustrated that all his love and devotion to Amelia in 19 years has not changed her attitude towards him. She does not and cannot love him. She continues to resent him--big time. He does not want Fer to know he's not her bio-daddy.
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Labels: camino

---And Baby Makes Four, or Three, or Two, But Not One

Our ethical, dedicated, handsome and hopelessly in love Dr. Carlos, is on the horns of a well-calculated, well-timed dilemma, not of his own making. With the announcement of the (fake) pregnancy of his very recently ex-girlfriend, he has various outcomes staring at him.

1) There is a baby. He doesn't want to give up Fernanda, but his mother and Isabela are ready to take over the management of his relationships. Fernanda breaks up with him because she believes he must "do the right thing" by the baby. There will be wedding bells in his not too distant future.

2) There is a baby. He just can't give up Fernanda. He defies his mother. He begs Fernanda not to break up with him. They love each other madly, deeply. He is certain they can work this out and still be together. She agrees to stand by him.

3) There is no baby. He will try desperately to prove its non-existence. He begs Fernanda not to break up with him until there is solid proof, one way or another. If there is no baby, he won't have to give up Fernanda and his mother, Marissa, will finally be convinced Isabela wasn't right for him, or for her.

With time, 1 & 2 will be eliminated, but this week, he doesn't know that. Isabela says she doesn't expect anything of him (and that is as fake as the pregnancy). Marissa wants a wedding as soon as possible--with Isabela, of course, and to end his relationship with Fernanda, of course.

What will he do? How does he tell Fernanda? What does he tell Fernanda? What is the right thing to do?

This is not the CAMINO we wanted to take, but we will have to follow along and see where it goes. Tune in and see (7 pm).

Labels: camino

• D.D.  

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Labels: camino, hotel, poder, sda, telemundo, weekend

The Three Hombres and The Women Who Love Them

Luis Montero--The man with a plan

• Amelia Altamirano del Alamo de Perez, younger daughter of rich rancher, Fernando Altamirano. She fell in love with Luis (older, but contemporary in age), sometime after finishing her prepa 19 years ago. They had at least one encounter al aire fresco and she ended up pregnant. He left her in the lurch, saying neither she nor the bebe were in his plans for the future. She pined for him for the next 19 years while married to Pedro, the Altamirano estate gardener (whom she had treated as an older brother to have fun with), who saved her from the disgrace of having a bastard child. Although always his favorite, her father kicked them out of the house anyway.
• Mariana Altamirano del Alamo de Sotomayor, older daughter of Fernando. She's Amelia's envious sister, primarily because she was not the favored child. She fell in love with Luis, probably from seeing him with Amelia. He never showed any interest in her. Her father later forced her into a convenient, but loveless marriage to a rich (but ambitious) widower, Hernan. He has a daughter, Camila, from his first marriage. Mariana doesn't like her around. The couple is childless. Her interest in and immediate obsession with Luis is rekindled by a visit to his law offices with her father. She claims she's been in love with him for over 19 years. He is not interested in her amorous advances, but makes nice because she has information on Amelia he wants.
• Marissa Gomez Ruiz de Montero, widowed rich bank president, considerably older than Luis. She seduced him into marriage 19 years ago by offering him a trip to Europe with her and her then 10-year old son, Carlos, to live and study to become a lawyer. He accepts without hesitation--it was his plan. She is now cognizant of her age and is afraid to lose him to a younger woman. She's still in love with this jerk. He has cooled to Marissa's bedroom advances. (P.S. Her son, Carlos, hates him.)
• Andrea, leggy, young, blonde assistant to Isabela, the owner of a beauty/spa academy. Where she met Luis is not clear, but she fell in love with him and is blind as to what he is really like. He, on the other hand, knowing where his pocket change comes from, uses her for some afternoon delight and either thanks her or argues with her on the way out of the bedroom. She has decided that getting pregnant would be the ideal way to get him to leave his wife. So far, we've only been privy to one jealous temper tantrum from her when she caught him in his office with Mariana hanging all over him and looking like a kiss was happening.

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Labels: camino

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Labels: camino, index

A plea from the editorial desk: could anyone step up to post a few short overviews this week? I will be unable to take up the reins again until Week 5.

Lots happened last week. Pedro lost control and started to assault Amelia sexually; Luis can't be sure who is being truthful about Old Fer's granddaughter's existence; Marissa is beginning to doubt her allure for her husband, but our "May-December" pairing is still heating up, despite Amelia, Camila, Felipe and Isabela's efforts to break up Luisa Fernanda and Dr. Carlos Gomez Ruiz. Is this a love that is going to last a lifetime? Tune in to see.

Did you know that Luisa Fernanda is the name of a famous Spanish zarzuela by F. Moreno Torroba? It debuted at Madrid's Teatro Calderon on March 26, 1932. In many ways it was the last great romantic zarzuela. To quote, "Torroba's music certainly offers colorful Spanish charm, as well as fair helpings of graceful Viennese musical comedy and Italian operatic verismo....[his] melodies are consistently memorable and his theatrical instinct never falters."

Here is Placido Domingo in an aria from Luisa Fernanda--"Ay Mi Morena" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19-GI2LzOtc

Labels: camino

Anita is in the editorial chair, putting up the Discussion Page for this week (and maybe next week).

This is an invitation for those who have not yet checked out Un Camino Hacia el Destino. Put on your walking shoes and come along. You may actually enjoy it. It has nuns in white habits, a few schoolgirls, no annoying kids. It has a gardener who gets sweaty in undershirts, frizzy haired villanas, an old grandpa, a bitter disillusioned wife, sensible nannies, shyster lawyers and an earnest young guapo doctorcito.

It is not a teen novela (it's at 7:00 p.m.), although it may come close. It has a bouncy upbeat teenager on the verge of womanhood and her first serious romance.

It has a great cast and we're hoping the directors keep the producer in check. Earlier episodes are on Univision (at least I see 2,3,4 and 7,8,9--not sure what happened to 5 & 6), Hulu (I'm guessing) and OnDemand. Recaps for the first two weeks are on the first discussion page. New ones coming, as time permits. Please contribute to the discussions, though.

Note to Carlos: Every time I type Dr. Carlos (Horacio Pancheri), I think of you.
Note to Susanlynn: Your Sweet Baboo gives the sweetest kisses.

Labels: camino

Hello friends, I'm not watching this and so far nobody has offered to recap it but a discussion thread will be posted every week. So, have at it! Jane

Labels: camino

Nandicta has said she'd like to recap this one. Other takers? Contact me at caray@mappamundi.com

Dream of Love tells the story of Esperanza and Ricardo and their desire to find each other again twenty years after living the intensity of first love. But today their lives are very different ...

Esperanza is a single mother and teacher in two different schools: in the exclusive Institute Palacios and also in the simple College Vasconcelos. She struggles every day to get ahead.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles Ricardo is married to Tracy, a woman who puts puts her profession ahead of their children, Rodrigo and Selena. For this reason Ricardo is practically a "single" parent who must combine parenthood with his work as an agent of Interpol.

Life reunites them when Ricardo arrives, as an undercover agent, at Institute Palacios; he is following the trail of the terrible criminal "La Sombra".

Betty Monroe -- Esperanza Guerrero: a friendly, patient, fair and brave teacher. She is the mother and father at the same time and gives unreservedly to her family. She has dreams: to have her family improve its station in life, to build a school for poor children, and above all to see Richard, the love of her life, again.


Cristián de La Fuente -- Ricardo Alegría: the man who fought for the American dream and got it. He's an Interpol agent and the father of two wonderful children. But living with his wife Tracy has become untenable. Ricardo will have the good fortune to reunite with the love of his life. With patience and a lot of affection, they will establish a "reconstructed family" with all their children.


Carmen Salinas -- Margarita Manzanares: bold, cheerful and witty. She's a lively granny who understands technology. She always gives the right advice and wants to help her family find happiness. There is conflict with her daughter Silvana, director of the pompous Institute Palacios bombastic while Margarita runs the simple College Vasconcelos.


La sombra: a very dangerous international criminal, an art and jewel thief and jewels willing to do anything to get what he wants. He's been a nightmare not only for police but also for Ricardo and his family. He can even abandon his identity so nobody can catch him.


Sabine Moussier -- Tracy Kidman: Ricardo's capricious, impatient and selfish wife. For her the job comes first, she neglects her marriage and children. But as soon as she realizes Ricardo and his family can find happiness, she'll do what she can to become their nightmare. She is American and has little command of Spanish.


El Chapo de Sinaloa -- Jerónimo Durán: a very cheerful and hardworking bricklayer whose talent for singing may turn him into the builder of his own dream.

Labels: camino, hotel, la-vecina, lichita, mivac, poder, proximas, qnc, sda

Starting at 6:30 pm tonight!! Anybody want to recap this one? Contact me at caray@mappamundi.com

Setting: the hacienda of the Altamirano family. Fernando Altamirano (Red Gustavo), head of the family, is a widower and the father of Amelia (Lisette Morelos), the eldest daughter, and Mariana (Ana Patricia Rojo), the apple of his eyes.

Pedro Perez (Jorge Aravena) is gardener on the estate. He has secretly loved Amelia forever. But she's in love with Luis Montero (René Strickler), an ambitious young law student.

At the age of 18 Amelia gives herself to Luis and becomes pregnant. But Luis rejects her in order to marry Marissa Gomez Ruiz (Eugenia Cauduro), a widow millionaire banker. Somehow Don Fernando comes to believe the child Amelia is expecting is Pedro's - he throws both of them out of the house.

Pedro marries Amelia and for love of her assumes paternity of the child whom Amelia christens Luisa Fernanda (Paulina Goto). (Luisa for the real dad and Fernanda for the grandfather).

Luis and Marissa's wedding takes place quickly because she has to go to Spain for bank business. She ends up paying for Luis to study law in Spain.

Marissa has a son, Carlos Gomez Ruiz (Horacio Pancheri), who despite his young age is not deceived. He's always known Luis is a playboy who married his mother for money. This makes for an awful relationship between Luis and Carlos.

Years pass ... Luisa Fernanda is a beautiful young lady of 18, who is finishing high school and has two passions in life: she plays the violin beautifully though she's never studied it, and she loves gardening, which she learned from her father Peter.

A meeting led by fate makes Luis run over Fernanda, ending at the hospital where Carlos works ...

Labels: camino, hotel, la-vecina, lichita, mivac, poder, proximas, qnc