What I like and what I don't

Best things about SMA

1. The light here is so clear and bright. I can see why the artists love it. The colors just jump out at you. It's a delight to be outside. I wish I had a better camera to capture it.



2. Flowers. Bougainville drapes down the pastel walls like a curtain even in January. Brilliant poinsettia peek over a gate, or in the case below over a wall topped with glass shards.


3. Tacos. Cheap tacos of every variety are everywhere . The guy 3 doors down makes a good brain taco (also tongue taco) for only 70 cents I am told. I tried the chicken mole taco from a street vendor and loved it.

4. The locals smile a lot and seem happy. They are kind and friendly. I think the gringos provide a good source of income for them. If they resent us being here, they sure don't show it. I like the way they treat their kids, and their grandmas too.

5. The vegetables are fresh and cheap and within walking distance. They have a good deal of organic stuff here.

At the organic market on Saturday.


Lots of food to chose from


I ate gorditas. Yum.


They have stuff like rugs and baskets too.


It was cloudy that day.


6. You can walk almost everywhere, but a cab ride only cost three bucks or so if you get tired.

7. You could eat at a different restaurant everyday for a month!

8. The pharmacy in my neighborhood sells tequila which I consider very nice of them. So handy when shopping for shampoo etc.

9. The locals are veerrryyy patient with those of us who are trying to improve our Spanish. They speak slowly and try to make it easier. It helps so much.

10. There are so many interesting expats ( short for ex-patriot, a person living outside their country of citizenship) who live here and also numbers of widely travelled people passing through for a time. I love meeting them and hearing their stories. Fascinating folks! I learn so much!


The cons

1. It's a pain that you can't flush your toilet paper. You have to wrap it up in more TP and deposit it in a trash can next to the toilet. Ick. The sewer pipes under the streets are just too old to manage it, apparently, and they can't rip up all the streets to replace them without destroying historic stuff.

2. Along the same lines, you can't drink the tap water. Actually the water is fine as they have a good water treatment plant, however the pipes that carry the water are all old and corroded and contaminate the water. Replacement problem same as #1.

3. The cobblestone streets are heck to walk on after a while. Sidewalks are really narrow and uneven with many obstacles. You have to keep your eyes on your feet when walking and don't walk where it's dark.

4. It's really hard to learn the bus stops, routes, schedules etc because there are no signs. At all. Someone just has to show you where to stand to catch the bus. Once you figure it out, though, it's all good because it only cost thirty cents!

5. The electricity is unpredictable! Light bulbs burn out all the time and may even trip the breaker! The hair dryer can't do "high". Cross your fingers when using the microwave.

6. The kids here are in love with fireworks. If it's your birthday you can go wild with the firecrackers! Loud! Actually, I don't think you even need an excuse.
I wish the pic below were mine, but I found it on google.


7. Ice cream stand, bakeries, and candy stores are everywhere and it is nearly impossible to resist. Here are some candies I bought. They are made to look like tamales but are coconut inside.




8. Because the cable channels come in from Washington state for some weird reason, you can't watch Downton Abby until 11 pm and it's hard to stay up that late for us oldsters. I can't figure out when anything is on because some channels also come in from Miami. Solution: read a book!

9. There is no airport here. You have to take a shuttle to a town over an hour away to catch a plane. The silver lining is that there are no planes flying over. None at all. That's nice.

10. There are stray dogs here, which you rarely see back home. Also quite a few "roof dogs" that live on the tops of the houses. If you see water dripping off a roof, always walk way around it to avoid being splashed. People hose off the dog waste from the roof and you don't want to get mixed up with that! Sorry, no picture.

So that's my summary so far!

Location:San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

El Charco

On the edge of town is a botanic garden which is all about the cacti of course. I joined a group tour and spent a couple of hours hiking around the place. It was wonderful, my idea of a perfect day. The garden is called El Charco and it is set along the shores of a shallow reservoir . On the other side of the dam is a deep canyon with mysterious pools, rocky trails and loads of cool birds.





The barrel cactus below are less common than they used to be because people use them to make a popular type of candy. They rescue and relocate barrel cactus here when necessary.


Century plant putting out a flower.

















This pool is said to be inhabited by a spirit which will pull you down to the underworld if you swim there.


The structure below is made by indigenous people from parts of a cactus plant .








My absolute favorite thing was the incredible birds I saw there. I wish I had taken these two photos but I didn't . I did see both these kinds of birds though.



Vermillion flycatcher


Great kiskadee

I'm really looking forward to the bird walk next week!

Location:SMA

Things I learned today

I learned lots of new things today! I love it! I went to the cell phone company, riding the bus with the locals, and bought a new cell phone for use here in Mexico. It is a cool phone that, though it is not "smart", can show tv! Ok, yes it is only four Spanish channels but watching tv is free! Now how cool is that for only $25? Plus I got 100 minutes with that. Here is my cute phone with its antenna up. There's actually a tv show playing in that yellow square on the screen. Also has a camera and fm radio! In the background is a fun book set here in San Miguel which I have been enjoying reading.



Another thing I did was go to the Mega store, which is kind of like superwalmart. I bought all kinds of groceries and determined to make chicken soup tonight. First I had to soak the raw veggies in a vinegar bath for about twenty minutes. I boiled the raw chicken in some chicken broth with garlic and bay leaves and some onion. Then realized I needed celery. I walked the fifty steps down to the little corner store where I found the celery. It was huge! The guy in the store said you just break off however many stalks you want. Then I consulted with a knowledgable looking grandmother about which pepper would go best in my soup (my Spanish must be improving) and within 7 minutes was back at the stove!
I think my sopa turned out pretty good for my first try at cooking in Mexico. The cilantro really makes it.








The next thing I learned was something I have been very curious about for a long time, and that is medical care here in Mexico. A friend was ill in the hospital so we went to visit. The hospital was small, but clean and modern. Most of the doctors seemed to speak English, and my friend feels she is getting good care there.







The room was quite a bit nicer than the ones I have visited in Austin, with a couch to sleep on as well as a recliner and plenty of space. The nurses seemed capable, but it really helps to be able to speak a little Spanish. The small cafeteria was handy and clean. All in all, a lot better than I expected. Good to know. Oh, and one more thing, the doctor actually took time to show me how to program numbers into my new phone! Talk about service! Also, most all the doctors were really handsome, which helps if you don't feel good.

Lastly, I am happy I am conquering riding the buses around town and learning the streets so I don't get lost. Also I am getting so good at negotiating with cab drivers to get the best price. Hopefully I don't get pegged as a tourist right away. Blending in as much as possible is the way to go.

Tomorrow meeting up with a friend of a friend at the organic market for coffee and on to the fine art fair !

Location:SMA

South of the Border

As luck would have it, one of mi amigas from Austin is spending a few months down here in Mexico and has been kind enough to share her lovely abode with me. I am really enjoying her company as well as this beautiful Mexican home she is renting. The same people have used it as their vacation home for eighteen years ( I think) and have filled it with colorful art and fascinating books about Mexico. I have my own suite on the 3rd floor complete with a gas fireplace and a view.









Above me is a rooftop terrace where I snapped these photos.

That's the famous cathedral on the left. The sky behind it looks smokey , I think, because they have started burning the fields already out on the farms. I saw a number of fires and blackened fields on my shuttle ride into town.



Luxury homes



There is a building with a large goose on top in the photo below. My best understanding it that it was supposed to be a restaurant at one time. Now defunct. Were they serving goose? Who knows!





Many folks are unfamiliar with the town of San Miguel de Allende. It is located in the mountains about 3 hours north of Mexico City . I flew into León and then rode a shuttle van about an hour and a half into the city.



The weather here is pleasant all year, with cool nights and mornings (sweater weather) during the winter, and sunny days in the upper 60s and low 70s. Summers are not hot, if you can believe it! This is due to the altitude ( approx 6500 ft) and the rather arid environment.
San Miguel was founded in 1542 by Franciscan monks and became a colonial city. Now it has about 140,000 people, a few thousand of whom are expats, mostly from the US, Canada, and Europe. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. There's lots to explore here.

On Sunday I went on the home and garden tour held by the library. The first garden we visited was several miles out into the country in a small village. It was fascinating to see the countryside and all the locals out visiting with their families. This lady built this house about 8 years ago and has developed all the gardens. She has quite an imagination.




The green fence is about 8 ft tall so these are not small pieces.



This is the head of a snake planter that entwined another 30 ft or so behind along the pathway.


I wondered what this red guys story was but didn't get back to ask the owner.


The palapa was lovely.





La Caterina, an icon of Mexican folk art for over 100 years, reminds everyone that rich or poor, death comes to us all.



The next home we visited belonged to a local artist who has been living in SMA for over twenty years. He has collected beautiful rocks, crystals and fossils in addition to plants and artwork. This is the little patio by the front door.







His mask collection is impressive.





His back patio was lovely.




Next week there will be different houses! Yippee!

After the tour I went down to the plaza and had some ice cream. The kids were bouncing these large pencil shaped balloons (?) all over the place and having a grand time.






Then I went home to my own little patio!


My view includes a few leftover christmas decorations, hanging laundry, and a lemon tree. I think it is pretty cool.


Hasta luego, amigos!

Location:San Miguel de Allende, Mexico