tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316258011439261572024-03-05T18:51:32.848-08:00s/v Rainy DaysThis blog is about our journey from our very responsible careers into a life of retirement, and from living in our home in Annapolis to living aboard and cruising our C&C Landfall 38, S/V Rainy Days, to living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for the winter of 2021/2022. Our journey began with the refit of our sailboat starting in 2013. Who knows where our journey will end...Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.comBlogger785125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-21376505453771369112022-02-15T07:36:00.001-08:002022-02-15T07:36:58.267-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bucerias Bliss</span></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in Mexico. We arrived by car </span><span style="font-family: arial;">in San Miguel de Allende (SMA) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. We then traveled 8 hours west by car to Bucerias where we are based for our last two months in Mexico. (We love the weather, the close proximity to the water, and the simplicity of life here in Bucerias!)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Friday, February 11</span></h3><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Yesterday, I answered a lot of boat questions (from the service manager in Galesville MD) about our ongoing boat maintenance. The issues involved corrosion of the engine mounts and the engine bell housing and the intrusion of salt water, in general. It seemed like we have had alignment problems ever since the engine was replaced back in 2017.<br /></span><br /> <div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeqhd_UejgUDxxZ7w6RgtFFekoR3J69vqAuV5YIy6uuh9rm2-nWthMaEKxx6S9BodQTv0j41ZRYqKeqJ9Scz9vdA-hsK4wSSdwy1UWZF5N2GfJS31--LpF7W3RF4EaOzsS__ozWlvK0ZRyMXWxjGAUjmkJIAkf0srlnyKIHO81kRg90zQkdjh0QCoB=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeqhd_UejgUDxxZ7w6RgtFFekoR3J69vqAuV5YIy6uuh9rm2-nWthMaEKxx6S9BodQTv0j41ZRYqKeqJ9Scz9vdA-hsK4wSSdwy1UWZF5N2GfJS31--LpF7W3RF4EaOzsS__ozWlvK0ZRyMXWxjGAUjmkJIAkf0srlnyKIHO81kRg90zQkdjh0QCoB=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>This morning may have been the <br />first time we had Bimbo-brand <br />bread. (Maggie made French <br />toast this morning.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">We drove to La Comer (the supermarket) in the afternoon and we learned a couple new things in the process:<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(1) how to properly turn left from Highway 200 into La Comer (use the far right bus lane),</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(2) how to get a refilled 20-liter bottle of drinking water (get a coupon at the courtesy desk),</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(3) the locations of a few more XOXO's (to get sugar-free Magnum bars), and</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(4) how to buy a substitute medication for FloMax (it's called Tamsulosina and it cost 130 Mexican pesos, about $6.50 USD, for 20 capsules. Here in Mexico, no prescriptions are required to purchase medications.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We also purchased one Mexican fruit that is new to us--it's called </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://sandinmysuitcase.com/fruit-in-mexico/">guanabana (or soursop)</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjkVsRzwvW_oqkXAjtQQiat6bgrNgtQUJIXhm0RKsquGjf_2Meuyx6r2tCUm76eULM6HTo3PPI2MvSNwDd5zhHWULJlnqG0jGwUtB2nPlCwzuGS0Qo30JPBE235wBAkxOx6sFPraAdTFOnoy3NeZ_c_LjhEzSZt0Qz3S2ueBf4QuIQvYiMKAvKU8GR=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjkVsRzwvW_oqkXAjtQQiat6bgrNgtQUJIXhm0RKsquGjf_2Meuyx6r2tCUm76eULM6HTo3PPI2MvSNwDd5zhHWULJlnqG0jGwUtB2nPlCwzuGS0Qo30JPBE235wBAkxOx6sFPraAdTFOnoy3NeZ_c_LjhEzSZt0Qz3S2ueBf4QuIQvYiMKAvKU8GR=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A guanabana (or soursop) fruit that we <br />purchased at La Comer today.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Supposedly, we simply cut it in half, discard the seeds and the casing and eat it raw. The taste of the flesh is supposed to be similar to a mixture of <span style="background-color: white;">strawberries, oranges and bananas. (We'll probably try it sometime this weekend. If this attempt is successful, we will probably try a different new fruit each of our remaining weeks here in Bucerias. We tried eating this fruit on Sunday afternoon and found out why is wasn't very popular.)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">----------</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">We pretty much filled our fridge with fresh fruits and veggies, and a few meat items. Our grocery bill came to a whopping 3,918 Mexican pesos (about $196 USD), which should last us almost two weeks. Nearly everything we purchased came from Mexico--the only exception was cheese and some wine which were imported (the wine from Chile).</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhq0tKCE7BSTNiWpOlNHOnEJXK8-7cnJMNYSGNevJtqAAHONgZHAz3aTnaK8ACpkO5o7E4ANzDx9IMhIqCyX9pOBJ8lcAe_1yn7U1HTJnRVK1u-LICbln4GpsEeqoQ5Rx2AixBkebrODExuDLgXYXGid1Ghbf4Or4e9gO0tJebtwpnMLo7a-vjIedM0=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="640" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhq0tKCE7BSTNiWpOlNHOnEJXK8-7cnJMNYSGNevJtqAAHONgZHAz3aTnaK8ACpkO5o7E4ANzDx9IMhIqCyX9pOBJ8lcAe_1yn7U1HTJnRVK1u-LICbln4GpsEeqoQ5Rx2AixBkebrODExuDLgXYXGid1Ghbf4Or4e9gO0tJebtwpnMLo7a-vjIedM0=w640-h614" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Weather prediction for <br />next several days.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigixq1svITLR43EtVid5JiOqB7GXdEhSnQ0td5wyj_bYEMvDgQ3Q9ZoY3IqfUeUKnCVBl4nOB0z6VWMgqyHz7ixo5IW8GYPw3_w0bg3mPn1O8cMmVgOmp9ukfYlUPdeggXVEh34fvA0L3VhKECC1jt39ATkd7iO58Xp221cLRDBXXzZxYUZZW2mjiu=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="489" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigixq1svITLR43EtVid5JiOqB7GXdEhSnQ0td5wyj_bYEMvDgQ3Q9ZoY3IqfUeUKnCVBl4nOB0z6VWMgqyHz7ixo5IW8GYPw3_w0bg3mPn1O8cMmVgOmp9ukfYlUPdeggXVEh34fvA0L3VhKECC1jt39ATkd7iO58Xp221cLRDBXXzZxYUZZW2mjiu=w490-h640" width="490" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Today's Happy Hour drink: vodka and <br />(sugar-free) berry-flavored tonic water.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Saturday, February 12</span></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I was awake at 2:30 this morning because of some “yappy” neighborhood dogs and the monotony of a bass drum of a far-away (maybe 1/4-mile) band playing. Mexican neighborhoods are notoriously noisy but this seemed extreme to me, even if it was a Friday night. The windows tightly closed and our bedroom air conditioner (a mini split) running at 22 degrees C wasn’t enough to overcome the exterior noises. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">While I was awake I looked up recipes online for steak marinades that would tenderize the steaks we just purchased. After a couple hours, I dozed off…</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">-----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the morning, I put together the a red wine marinade using the following ingredients: </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">3/4 cup red wine (Malbec), </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">1/2 cup (extra virgin) olive oil, </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">juice from 1/2 of a small lime, </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">1/2 tsp sea salt, </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">1/2 tsp ground black pepper, </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">2 minced garlic cloves, </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">1/2 minced shallot, </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">1/2 tsp dried rosemary, and a </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">dash of cayenne. I placed the jar of </span><span style="font-family: arial;">marinade in the fridge so that it would be ready to marinate the steaks 24 hours ahead of cooking them. (I used the recipe from this online <a href="https://www.asweetpeachef.com/best-steak-marinades/">source</a> while making some of my own minor adjustments.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today we had a leak between a 20-liter water bottle and the base reservoir. This was in our second and last water bottle. So, besides cleaning up the water that spilled all over the tiled kitchen floor, we had to go out and get two more bottles of water (which weigh about 44 pounds each). </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhq0a6rLr71CGcOYXcYsWl4c9bgmZCTLk03Y5ScPrAsNAstkX3B23OmTXz3thScqPKPtWcyeph7Z2K4udyz0tN1GlT1oV44rqzXtk0fvpCU1gT_h1KU6pXwGUGjVGlYtQaAgW6Yv7rqQbFOyY-H1E5FN0eeOrSUntbd7K5PB9VJvCCSlDvq88esi9e6=s269" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="174" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhq0a6rLr71CGcOYXcYsWl4c9bgmZCTLk03Y5ScPrAsNAstkX3B23OmTXz3thScqPKPtWcyeph7Z2K4udyz0tN1GlT1oV44rqzXtk0fvpCU1gT_h1KU6pXwGUGjVGlYtQaAgW6Yv7rqQbFOyY-H1E5FN0eeOrSUntbd7K5PB9VJvCCSlDvq88esi9e6=w414-h640" width="414" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A 20-liter bottle of purified water <br />weighs 44 pounds!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><br />In carrying the 20-liter water bottle up the outside stairs to our apartment, I realized how my strength has deteriorated as I approach my 75th birthday. (When I was young working in home construction to pay for college, I remember being able to carry two cement blocks at a time, weighing 35 pounds each. However, that was probably 55 years ago!) </span><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sunday, February 13</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Super Bowl Sunday</span></span></div></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After a light breakfast in our apartment, we drove to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle for a Sunday-morning Artisan's Market.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwi0CB2uue6Srmuw8pHbKlpm1u2BoKjVrvPLmIe-pfLx8hMV2YGoYUa_SRxXweapVRztYAV13yhWWSuyPcjQ5OPcmh15bKo_CS1wqFeQJoyRMf1sBY6_7bQMqsvmR38xU32bquJogelYXLe4j4GQLIUVlQ9IzcIbYfzL9XyEmqp0WDCm683bz-2pjV=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwi0CB2uue6Srmuw8pHbKlpm1u2BoKjVrvPLmIe-pfLx8hMV2YGoYUa_SRxXweapVRztYAV13yhWWSuyPcjQ5OPcmh15bKo_CS1wqFeQJoyRMf1sBY6_7bQMqsvmR38xU32bquJogelYXLe4j4GQLIUVlQ9IzcIbYfzL9XyEmqp0WDCm683bz-2pjV=w640-h400" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Similar to flea markets in the U.S., there were <br />many exhibitors with their own <br />tables and tents.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihwA87dqrnoV45YD44sdQGOr6w8BIT65GI1m_0Gd1hrSvv4raXSChMSY9344ZAU-iBPlSGEROlJ7_9ryt-qZNjjC0Ad2BBkP6QeD_MuXaiNJiJejEP7QcSf8IFcOeLFFsj5mCy0c7Se5aZ_93DmdVjIKnMkJwEu_c3Q5WvtMygcey9AKpQlJF4VWCq=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihwA87dqrnoV45YD44sdQGOr6w8BIT65GI1m_0Gd1hrSvv4raXSChMSY9344ZAU-iBPlSGEROlJ7_9ryt-qZNjjC0Ad2BBkP6QeD_MuXaiNJiJejEP7QcSf8IFcOeLFFsj5mCy0c7Se5aZ_93DmdVjIKnMkJwEu_c3Q5WvtMygcey9AKpQlJF4VWCq=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Colorful ceramic fishies.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCDCaVYsN5l-oDyW__Jbbxuqx-HFT-f2R3CsYyjIY6Q9Aw-aYK-BpoTxajSKK4bSClSAK1m8OjcJfrjyf9vcAzyq4E8dnGwdhRJJ3iLCSBpeeOaG9ytw6PVGtuokZR-lhap2i76Ox92ZQZ7fQA-SlXohmZlrU3hfEoR9IpKzCskNhFKu4Buk3J6gNh=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="491" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCDCaVYsN5l-oDyW__Jbbxuqx-HFT-f2R3CsYyjIY6Q9Aw-aYK-BpoTxajSKK4bSClSAK1m8OjcJfrjyf9vcAzyq4E8dnGwdhRJJ3iLCSBpeeOaG9ytw6PVGtuokZR-lhap2i76Ox92ZQZ7fQA-SlXohmZlrU3hfEoR9IpKzCskNhFKu4Buk3J6gNh=w492-h640" width="492" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Jewelry was for sale everywhere in <br />the market, particularly silver jewelry.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrfZYJtKzl2jReYsiolYkeqjU6VIiuJ9e7Mz1Kt4ppSM9nluFUtoGcVITzFAcVms5hBM0YGDyPpAaAaEEgxq_h1vfzTBkPrthjdlrSij-1CiTO8dTTSaMJ7poMcXwXvW7I78Dr2I3A64j6z4K7sTdNbpLl-DFN3J7lOsGMpyfQFVk2tUfEv019PIc9=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="640" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrfZYJtKzl2jReYsiolYkeqjU6VIiuJ9e7Mz1Kt4ppSM9nluFUtoGcVITzFAcVms5hBM0YGDyPpAaAaEEgxq_h1vfzTBkPrthjdlrSij-1CiTO8dTTSaMJ7poMcXwXvW7I78Dr2I3A64j6z4K7sTdNbpLl-DFN3J7lOsGMpyfQFVk2tUfEv019PIc9=w640-h396" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>These miniature wood carvings <br />of faces were very unique.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgD06WTE20_3zFsgtdrN1hoCgaDqI4OZ2c-_dzmMKRHAxSEuFkbEJTlfaul7CT-9ErCNhhstQe_vVfZATTT96Itm1RIHHksgV5wgspAq88KopxVjZFPhObZRsHNcVWyMco8Tf2_6kIsPWB_QNaGs-x-wwBSxp_AO5oSAiGWQmQyGYc9g1pJbelAjR_o=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="640" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgD06WTE20_3zFsgtdrN1hoCgaDqI4OZ2c-_dzmMKRHAxSEuFkbEJTlfaul7CT-9ErCNhhstQe_vVfZATTT96Itm1RIHHksgV5wgspAq88KopxVjZFPhObZRsHNcVWyMco8Tf2_6kIsPWB_QNaGs-x-wwBSxp_AO5oSAiGWQmQyGYc9g1pJbelAjR_o=w640-h490" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A carver finishing up a figurine constructed from <br />ironwood obtained in the norther desert area. <br />(He used brown KIWI shoe polish to make <br />the color uniform and to provide a shine.</i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2SUBbp5KgGwso4MCofjlDC6O1O-B1ePnU7s3YyGCVt5pLODprMla87WLnU2dXT1l1Eu2Z58pvLGiOg0zZlypOkDd75OhKgvnHMTm0dvLJGmE4zODvY-yvEtp8zoFse5I38NdMtDFvyhHMLHBbl3xP2yiKz6W_2JvRKSe8cXgEIT01AHL5rNEpYFij=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="640" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2SUBbp5KgGwso4MCofjlDC6O1O-B1ePnU7s3YyGCVt5pLODprMla87WLnU2dXT1l1Eu2Z58pvLGiOg0zZlypOkDd75OhKgvnHMTm0dvLJGmE4zODvY-yvEtp8zoFse5I38NdMtDFvyhHMLHBbl3xP2yiKz6W_2JvRKSe8cXgEIT01AHL5rNEpYFij=w640-h560" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>We had to stop and take more pics <br />of the Mexican pangas.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzuw5STmk3ucSB7Tj4pXajZ5T8GuSYij-dXWpcrdlcnlbmP-eppQrW85egUDhYnW_l57ND6xgSfYTcv6Wv9XzbFFXkrvHtF6IN3DR5dOpf-h49c9nwhzAuhzLUBAHUQ9FiiVWOCgmlXm_XrS80Q3TOvW9_HDJpU8y_5l5zIsREeFXiuF5c5LfoVUxb=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="640" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzuw5STmk3ucSB7Tj4pXajZ5T8GuSYij-dXWpcrdlcnlbmP-eppQrW85egUDhYnW_l57ND6xgSfYTcv6Wv9XzbFFXkrvHtF6IN3DR5dOpf-h49c9nwhzAuhzLUBAHUQ9FiiVWOCgmlXm_XrS80Q3TOvW9_HDJpU8y_5l5zIsREeFXiuF5c5LfoVUxb=w640-h492" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>We bought one red snapper and had it </i><br /><i>filleted for a dinner later in the week.</i><br /><i>(The price was 150 Mexican pesos <br />or about $7.50 USD.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As we were buying the fish, we realized that the Artisan's Market stretches all around the outside of the marina--we actually saw less than half of it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We watched the Super Bowl on my iPad using the FUBO.TV app. I predicted the winner (LA RAMS) and the margin of victory (3 points) before the game started. It was still one of the best Super Bowl games in recent history but the half time show sucked big time in my opinion.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Monday, February 14</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Valentine's Day</span></span></div></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We got up to the sound of tennis balls (I really think they are racket balls) bouncing on the nearby court. (I really should walk down the street and find out for sure.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">-----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Today was a relaxing day--we really had no plan nor did we do anything remarkable. Some days are like that. We cooked fresh red snapper for lunch and it was great. We treated today like a holiday but it clearly wasn't a holiday. Tomorrow is another day...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-9804626068962742532022-02-10T14:31:00.000-08:002022-02-10T14:31:11.938-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Second Week in</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> Bucerias</span></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in Mexico. We arrived by car </span><span style="font-family: arial;">in San Miguel de Allende (SMA) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. We then traveled west by car to Bucerias. This blogpost described our second week in Bucerias where we will be based for our last two months of this winter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Monday, February 7</span></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>A Road Trip to Sayulita</b></span></div><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We decided to take a short road trip to Sayultia today. it took us 1-1/2 hours to go the 11 miles! A bus had broke down along the 2-lane highway and blocked traffic coming from the south.As we got into Sayulita finally, we looked for a place to park our car and found one! Since it was already late, we walked to El Break for lunch--it is located right on the beach and situated under a lot of palm trees for shade--a perfect spot for lunch.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSyTVcnDxhIpDTkMIMcGXNNycTXIM3HxfebiA1TVm_Mgq6cbY7ochEKVEcKAPjkBEKVvhIlRVPT3jvxT-LH_5_8mxHj2AU6DkM_jBNyFjmvqSrHyoyj2fFpucDkjkl4i6JGqtkzJQ10rGRikXnIB78cenN0apefY7mQI3ks93HoszH4vpbTx3pfCvo=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSyTVcnDxhIpDTkMIMcGXNNycTXIM3HxfebiA1TVm_Mgq6cbY7ochEKVEcKAPjkBEKVvhIlRVPT3jvxT-LH_5_8mxHj2AU6DkM_jBNyFjmvqSrHyoyj2fFpucDkjkl4i6JGqtkzJQ10rGRikXnIB78cenN0apefY7mQI3ks93HoszH4vpbTx3pfCvo=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Our perfect lunch spot was inundated <br />with vendors walking the beach.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpxfeXs2szHW7lhJC082p0Mb8L7aUdOnQcjXLqLVGJD64gk3yJ9pr1Sw0Fr0PhlT9s1GlZkGmMQV4NsWOj1IZz4I7LZfuFg4fsSWl9n0t8AdpI1fWP9tuGlK_lvs4iYPZIX0a7PB6lPon4RdgSVvC-wZ_BodGhkIXgLxKxUbq-7KQ3o5bLXb2uEzFC=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="640" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpxfeXs2szHW7lhJC082p0Mb8L7aUdOnQcjXLqLVGJD64gk3yJ9pr1Sw0Fr0PhlT9s1GlZkGmMQV4NsWOj1IZz4I7LZfuFg4fsSWl9n0t8AdpI1fWP9tuGlK_lvs4iYPZIX0a7PB6lPon4RdgSVvC-wZ_BodGhkIXgLxKxUbq-7KQ3o5bLXb2uEzFC=w640-h496" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>This woman was selling necklaces while <br />others sold blankets, sunglasses, <br />carved wooden sculptures, etc.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_T9ZbvfikEwYXKxB4_JU1sfHqY_kgKtnr1CmIhegHXK0-5zpEQIheSwzQ-ghyQygsrnLrTMcOFKpP5sAEKglLz5zd9hZ-INdo0hrrPUBKsuvNreRi9kbWLEIb70G9oOPSU_dx1h7nSoJxIwYMIBZC4QI9qieqTFvDROEEoi2xu7gmLwwJ1MpwhYT/s640/surfboards for rent in Sayulita.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_T9ZbvfikEwYXKxB4_JU1sfHqY_kgKtnr1CmIhegHXK0-5zpEQIheSwzQ-ghyQygsrnLrTMcOFKpP5sAEKglLz5zd9hZ-INdo0hrrPUBKsuvNreRi9kbWLEIb70G9oOPSU_dx1h7nSoJxIwYMIBZC4QI9qieqTFvDROEEoi2xu7gmLwwJ1MpwhYT/w428-h640/surfboards for rent in Sayulita.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Surfboards were available for <br />rent on the beach.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">We purchased a very nice wooden bowl that was hand painted with beautiful Mexican colors. I also bought a t-shirt from beach venders. I also purchased eight oysters on the half shell from a beach vender but this could have been a big mistake.<br /></span><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwM4P-Q9XH19NW0zd2tLJvxHL8jx2m2tSsMZAFvnf1X-HEAOjs_hgaEORYhNEEg6N0aH4WlRUExLepba_-gicNbj9KscTbiSNtSWp_wI0uEVURgXl5LG-O4NGq-V_r1-47LiEXrosf2tRKLtm4cXcv8J-aA8vDs0cDOAYyol4tnTNgvIklNzNhFiz/s640/looking north on beach in Sayulita.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwM4P-Q9XH19NW0zd2tLJvxHL8jx2m2tSsMZAFvnf1X-HEAOjs_hgaEORYhNEEg6N0aH4WlRUExLepba_-gicNbj9KscTbiSNtSWp_wI0uEVURgXl5LG-O4NGq-V_r1-47LiEXrosf2tRKLtm4cXcv8J-aA8vDs0cDOAYyol4tnTNgvIklNzNhFiz/w640-h428/looking north on beach in Sayulita.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>People enjoying the beach in Sayulita. <br />(This view was looking northward.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlYqwOtuSgblKM6PutESuTsWhH5qwWHTJzt9Dnsvvin1HBcnoKysyvFcxALpCNDhiZNRpQKL8xDEBMVxgFr1wmbHBuaueBL3mkUEPqECR032pLHXHAPhPr7CPaM436uxm45hfUwirs5qwLa4N5cAgNNDInk4Ly68lBMvjg0vBvxUOjhlTziJ1781Y/s640/looking south on beach in Sayulita.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="640" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlYqwOtuSgblKM6PutESuTsWhH5qwWHTJzt9Dnsvvin1HBcnoKysyvFcxALpCNDhiZNRpQKL8xDEBMVxgFr1wmbHBuaueBL3mkUEPqECR032pLHXHAPhPr7CPaM436uxm45hfUwirs5qwLa4N5cAgNNDInk4Ly68lBMvjg0vBvxUOjhlTziJ1781Y/w640-h448/looking south on beach in Sayulita.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Looking southward on the <br />beach in Sayulita.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxQdpQpYQOka_nekMl_dOgmlcMglNpTb3TS0ejQK8DsVWAo2If4jZ7pDY2Q_8oyq5Nh1ybfLNDVWPjB7TJEblmO42I_0Vg_EyAZYOuL-oIQ6TYhjykTeUgsEQdUO0K1ByXKwDzSfoM2xzTM6ffqF-HN7r9ESRQ8g78dQ3MJ0j8XhzTV2MuHH57sz9/s640/main pedestrian walkway thru Sayulita.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxQdpQpYQOka_nekMl_dOgmlcMglNpTb3TS0ejQK8DsVWAo2If4jZ7pDY2Q_8oyq5Nh1ybfLNDVWPjB7TJEblmO42I_0Vg_EyAZYOuL-oIQ6TYhjykTeUgsEQdUO0K1ByXKwDzSfoM2xzTM6ffqF-HN7r9ESRQ8g78dQ3MJ0j8XhzTV2MuHH57sz9/w640-h428/main pedestrian walkway thru Sayulita.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The main pedestrian walkway <br />through Sayulita.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lH9r5Vszuga_Msdz07VCcVkTR0PuQL8fnxIt2SPrc5NyzcbMMJHps4ffWcwjNfSrqtPDgnGY3cAYfTDgsOhYDx7PI3TRLDCyAp_anHaVP55cB21P2qBB5s0R01SxnlhT9plP5DVD-Yywipx4oU-HNp0VlpCalvFG0BfUYfEfZLdx1A_EUul7TVcl/s640/sunglasses galore in Sayulita.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="516" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lH9r5Vszuga_Msdz07VCcVkTR0PuQL8fnxIt2SPrc5NyzcbMMJHps4ffWcwjNfSrqtPDgnGY3cAYfTDgsOhYDx7PI3TRLDCyAp_anHaVP55cB21P2qBB5s0R01SxnlhT9plP5DVD-Yywipx4oU-HNp0VlpCalvFG0BfUYfEfZLdx1A_EUul7TVcl/w516-h640/sunglasses galore in Sayulita.jpg" width="516" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Many venders sold sunglasses to the <br />noticeably younger crowd in Sayulita.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2t76ii8JrptTmJhHlSZlf8K78_kQyOLSQowe5wQ-KiiAzLyOMnlJgXbcOb3GHfabvcAuLbDiwdFfqkc62FD8vnZq7v4kmkJfe85jHQDrxKO6ehe8upcY0c4gAejbUfYgSTktvJECBqKaeQ7REBGVHYv9SrCULi8aoAchLLN8ykrNXBjAd3XrweebT/s640/Coconut vendor by the square.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="640" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2t76ii8JrptTmJhHlSZlf8K78_kQyOLSQowe5wQ-KiiAzLyOMnlJgXbcOb3GHfabvcAuLbDiwdFfqkc62FD8vnZq7v4kmkJfe85jHQDrxKO6ehe8upcY0c4gAejbUfYgSTktvJECBqKaeQ7REBGVHYv9SrCULi8aoAchLLN8ykrNXBjAd3XrweebT/w640-h530/Coconut vendor by the square.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>One vender by the main square sold <br />coconuts in various forms.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tuesday, February 8</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We spent today relaxing inside our Bucerias apartment. We had a leisurely breakfast and a fantastic lunch that Maggie made ("Perfect Chicken", corn-on-the-cob, and cucumber salad).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The local corn-on-the-cob was not nearly as good as back home on the East Coast--it was actually kind of tough (which was in contrast to all the other excellent Mexican veggies we've eaten). We have mostly tried (Mexican) veggies in which we are familiar--we have seen a lot of (Mexican) veggies that are unfamiliar to us which we are anxious to try. (We have tried n<span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(41, 41, 41); color: #292929;">opales</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 41, 41); color: #292929;"> in a restaurant--these </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 41, 41); color: #292929;">are prepared pads of the prickly pear cactus.)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 41, 41); color: #292929;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 41, 41); color: #292929;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZ1kJuyrOu5I9rQAHg2BqdRXixy_d9pK2wqv0FhNMyrmGihMJQNYd932UWjF1KSBSuhvBffITP82KcqONzDgnAh1QDETe7VIi4KJ5yCfxpr1v1O_UL9OhEwHH3gIbxphp-fiI692isc8hFrejNiaIegZqapxIruaNGzqEevpBTY4MTF4kckwhmtOhY=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZ1kJuyrOu5I9rQAHg2BqdRXixy_d9pK2wqv0FhNMyrmGihMJQNYd932UWjF1KSBSuhvBffITP82KcqONzDgnAh1QDETe7VIi4KJ5yCfxpr1v1O_UL9OhEwHH3gIbxphp-fiI692isc8hFrejNiaIegZqapxIruaNGzqEevpBTY4MTF4kckwhmtOhY=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A collection of conventional Mexican fruits <br />in our newly purchased wooden bowl.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 41, 41); color: #292929;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 41, 41); color: #292929;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 41, 41); color: #292929;">We (including our cats) love this area of Mexico much more than San Miguel de Allende.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 41, 41); color: #292929;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 41, 41); color: #292929;"><br /></span></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Wednesday, February 9</span></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A Road Trip to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj775VyTm93OSpZBlnAgcX6NsCJzTTXL6M7Q94HCkEiTEMy0f1C96yDVjgZmpnWCnceLm341xoVlLpv9yxgxeLHk4H7Q1grJfdG8JfnDyUl2cmcdaUErrJZsCiQ789blGpN0Smo_fjyJ_q5FUZ7C_sd_Th4P0NWNlsjpKmim3blS2eJfLvMn18dehZE=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="640" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj775VyTm93OSpZBlnAgcX6NsCJzTTXL6M7Q94HCkEiTEMy0f1C96yDVjgZmpnWCnceLm341xoVlLpv9yxgxeLHk4H7Q1grJfdG8JfnDyUl2cmcdaUErrJZsCiQ789blGpN0Smo_fjyJ_q5FUZ7C_sd_Th4P0NWNlsjpKmim3blS2eJfLvMn18dehZE=w640-h372" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The view from my morning shower--looking <br />directly outside onto the side porch <br />with no glass in the widow. (The <br />small bits of color hanging in the <br />sky are plastic clothes pins.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is located a short distance north of Bucerias--we passed it on our way back from Sayulita on Monday. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Our decision to visit this area was the presence of fishing pangas in the marina nearby and the photo opportunity they may represent. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Because we got a late start, we decided to go directly to a restaurant in the area for lunch, La Ballena Blanco (translated to "the white whale"). (We generally pick our restaurants using TripAdvisor--not just the overall ratings but reading all the diners </span><span style="font-family: arial;">comments as well. We also avoid restaurants having four dollar signs, $$$$, indicating that they are the most expensive.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPZTqKfG749idT4JzkVnGT09Q3t9NZ6X6pg74QBvSkfkgbVSV5E26ICMFxzEM8czzClm1nUhgdS7NBzBzgTQTcdYriL4O6kXl2FtFqX5Rh2atj4jr_IKHBN3gWuRi53F-r3W0DojiQvg_X_jVy5h3TTkVyuul0T1bS8TNtBcA24qy_XLeVIExcpnlV=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPZTqKfG749idT4JzkVnGT09Q3t9NZ6X6pg74QBvSkfkgbVSV5E26ICMFxzEM8czzClm1nUhgdS7NBzBzgTQTcdYriL4O6kXl2FtFqX5Rh2atj4jr_IKHBN3gWuRi53F-r3W0DojiQvg_X_jVy5h3TTkVyuul0T1bS8TNtBcA24qy_XLeVIExcpnlV=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The interior of La Ballena Blanca where <br />we had a delicious lunch today. (This <br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>turned out to be our favorite lunch <br />spot in the entire area!)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We had an absolutely delicious lunch at La Ballena Blanca! Maggie selected the best--shrimp tacos! After lunch we proceeded to the east end of the marina where the fishing pangas were located.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEBoPIIwT2A5F8FUPsszZwJrCet94Fbd-f8vVKNeE6Sv_-qqOaiPq61ylpfGx2viAFovtIQGpbbtHaUqanT1EOvWTwbXXGls80o2jDqCGNmf1fj6ij0qpROCqdNZoHwuPSfqpdgx-WjPdlZB7aYDrlXZUugpjfv_x4UDIEGK-m-eyR69XupGZLU0hm=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="640" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEBoPIIwT2A5F8FUPsszZwJrCet94Fbd-f8vVKNeE6Sv_-qqOaiPq61ylpfGx2viAFovtIQGpbbtHaUqanT1EOvWTwbXXGls80o2jDqCGNmf1fj6ij0qpROCqdNZoHwuPSfqpdgx-WjPdlZB7aYDrlXZUugpjfv_x4UDIEGK-m-eyR69XupGZLU0hm=w640-h392" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Three of the many pangas in <br />La Cruz de Huanacasxtle.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPgJ0c3wqavONh6OlAElx2wOJnulGj58v7BuoFNiZh2Vaz7CLPjYZR_hdYtziMTOGIQefU0mgfvdxePaZEaQrjUJqOqXW1amG1oXSWqsIfXa26g93MtEY6Z5IgcmqmIX2M_0O3m-tSeLN5sC85R1A--orz4TG4Cj_2ouyzx03IHbxlsKxunQ713Kcd=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPgJ0c3wqavONh6OlAElx2wOJnulGj58v7BuoFNiZh2Vaz7CLPjYZR_hdYtziMTOGIQefU0mgfvdxePaZEaQrjUJqOqXW1amG1oXSWqsIfXa26g93MtEY6Z5IgcmqmIX2M_0O3m-tSeLN5sC85R1A--orz4TG4Cj_2ouyzx03IHbxlsKxunQ713Kcd=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Susana - a panga <br />moored in the marina.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg01Yn6FTU3Eq3LnELBpSi4nyCvyT5sG7PrCjfj3vTChrbsoq6cXkyl29GveOuMRUOgUOQGnQ2lPPlk24xGjkQpJYpdLJaEJ0IlsF5HBjHWcABK10ZNh43U0TrX2-PhpLJuu1aXnwD48yrvdPBiDuqTgH9HRDsxgwQYHRLAif15D9rrW2XUDglG3HwU=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg01Yn6FTU3Eq3LnELBpSi4nyCvyT5sG7PrCjfj3vTChrbsoq6cXkyl29GveOuMRUOgUOQGnQ2lPPlk24xGjkQpJYpdLJaEJ0IlsF5HBjHWcABK10ZNh43U0TrX2-PhpLJuu1aXnwD48yrvdPBiDuqTgH9HRDsxgwQYHRLAif15D9rrW2XUDglG3HwU=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Sailing among the mountains.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipojzXYOr3FsrNoKtYqroogAQJ0b80AxsOFIvqKRxHEykPQFS3xf874qZA1TzkG0131E1AlZsbym-pGdsCHuuCNih_5eIQjb9dLGJqxZJx1S4KYqNxw0qgjhsu8CHe7h1nBx03Dw7H2b-ce4ViygSv0_g23S7urhYv6TSiL1VDPp91-_Vp7YzXJShv=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipojzXYOr3FsrNoKtYqroogAQJ0b80AxsOFIvqKRxHEykPQFS3xf874qZA1TzkG0131E1AlZsbym-pGdsCHuuCNih_5eIQjb9dLGJqxZJx1S4KYqNxw0qgjhsu8CHe7h1nBx03Dw7H2b-ce4ViygSv0_g23S7urhYv6TSiL1VDPp91-_Vp7YzXJShv=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A fisherman repairing his nets <br />in the shade of palm trees.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfDwiV75aGNW3GHXoamNHO0MuxoBM_zBy88-b0LKbnHAtlO8Gs981QHSx1cYhs8173ItavUao4iWB3CgE1ckDw26xrzyAnxhz7vmRoWaPAvT86ymlrtVw5KrrjzA3J3T7-Fs9YK3vNPXxDkbcOZCEzlDdw-336Yy0h85F-k-S4fbQ3-C3T30YCfCZn=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="640" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfDwiV75aGNW3GHXoamNHO0MuxoBM_zBy88-b0LKbnHAtlO8Gs981QHSx1cYhs8173ItavUao4iWB3CgE1ckDw26xrzyAnxhz7vmRoWaPAvT86ymlrtVw5KrrjzA3J3T7-Fs9YK3vNPXxDkbcOZCEzlDdw-336Yy0h85F-k-S4fbQ3-C3T30YCfCZn=w640-h514" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Cleaning fish in the fish market in <br />La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We had booked a week-long getaway at a B-and-B in the mountains above Puerta Vallarta--we booked it while we we landlocked in San Miguel de Allende. We considered cancelling it since where we are located currently is so nice. (We will make our decision tomorrow morning.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thursday, February 10</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This morning we decided to go out for breakfast to a local eatery, only a block away from our Bucerias apartment--it was called Shu-la-la. The restaurant was very small, maybe 12 foot by 12 foot, including the cooking area and the bathroom. There was barely enough seating room for eight people. Outside, the traffic on the street was pretty heavy in the morning.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxNH5PLyoNJGt0g9FF2h4CNl_zfqkwA_XQ9d3zHO82r7kO4n-McvDNHFJH2LJBexk4nORo8h2qg0aTX6NskmJoisZOeMXWh1xVnAGvOPVvLlIK07xTiawWneO2ecV29oZrYPiiD2utnAcvkq9aWw2XEsoEJp5Fv4oc5gsajwZDfkXaWZAwyiXvWMUu=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxNH5PLyoNJGt0g9FF2h4CNl_zfqkwA_XQ9d3zHO82r7kO4n-McvDNHFJH2LJBexk4nORo8h2qg0aTX6NskmJoisZOeMXWh1xVnAGvOPVvLlIK07xTiawWneO2ecV29oZrYPiiD2utnAcvkq9aWw2XEsoEJp5Fv4oc5gsajwZDfkXaWZAwyiXvWMUu=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The owner and cook was accompanied by </i><br /><i>his wife. The only coffee that they </i><br /><i>had was instant coffee and it <br />wasn't even hot. (The hot <br />cakes looked great!)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMkS1DgW7jOd2oP3SX1YpaiTKYWevjB1XW47YFqbD6b0BUlB__yAl_zksSqws4svFTOVex_ShJAyx6DWgypXLAXtwDJhJWA9ti6A1vZH2197OENgN0fpoyfsOSvoFDk57rq62DQcPjH54acGUIzh3uqjNVsp3NPvbJ3QDcMO5Kfd6LiG8Z1iO_Xjgj=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="640" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMkS1DgW7jOd2oP3SX1YpaiTKYWevjB1XW47YFqbD6b0BUlB__yAl_zksSqws4svFTOVex_ShJAyx6DWgypXLAXtwDJhJWA9ti6A1vZH2197OENgN0fpoyfsOSvoFDk57rq62DQcPjH54acGUIzh3uqjNVsp3NPvbJ3QDcMO5Kfd6LiG8Z1iO_Xjgj=w640-h494" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The total number of seats in the <br />dining area was about eight. <br />(Before we left all the <br />seats were filled.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">One has to admire the entrepreneurial spirit among the native Mexicans. The owner (and cook) supports his family from the proceeds of this small (10 foot by 12 foot) restaurant serving only breakfast.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_uE7QRrx800I1to-HHos3iyOPx8uTgSuB-eMxRNOQm6ZStzcooHFjzghKBed6-NRDMRDhQxWI6u_D1O2rBctU9pTBXbF7-AYZKgzH76CyLElt_EHmVJSI0Xx2OwBXMbYNVYmL30GcUUSgybGaJqkOm0trbQGulcoAu6Rm7M1cQSdakU5IVCUyi84u=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="640" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_uE7QRrx800I1to-HHos3iyOPx8uTgSuB-eMxRNOQm6ZStzcooHFjzghKBed6-NRDMRDhQxWI6u_D1O2rBctU9pTBXbF7-AYZKgzH76CyLElt_EHmVJSI0Xx2OwBXMbYNVYmL30GcUUSgybGaJqkOm0trbQGulcoAu6Rm7M1cQSdakU5IVCUyi84u=w640-h526" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The sweetener provided by the restaurant--there <br />was no sugar but this was a strange way <br />to offer stevia. (We didn't use this <br />sweetener because we were <br />not familiar with it.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Over breakfast we decided to definitely cancel our upcoming week-long getaway in the jungle just outside Puerta Vallarta. (It seemed like a good idea at the time we made the booking but things have changed after moving to Bucerias. We no longer feel like we need a getaway.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilF1S6vdWRaOlkXovWtfRwhKgovpMLG-Hkeql57biE2DwMFLq3FUpk3umud1ZdlUawSX-KwBJSy4Aza0IG9R3Vr5HuwmHNjlIcPdJaklKLtKYBKQf1bo_kZ6hOTMOgJqx_90VYXZtju_VIDcZ_CDkSEu0eGHqQtiuuR_b8TQoTGt1tjNnrWnRP_ZHB=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilF1S6vdWRaOlkXovWtfRwhKgovpMLG-Hkeql57biE2DwMFLq3FUpk3umud1ZdlUawSX-KwBJSy4Aza0IG9R3Vr5HuwmHNjlIcPdJaklKLtKYBKQf1bo_kZ6hOTMOgJqx_90VYXZtju_VIDcZ_CDkSEu0eGHqQtiuuR_b8TQoTGt1tjNnrWnRP_ZHB=w428-h640" width="428" /></i></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The outdoor seating of a small bakery <br />we stopped at for a latte and a <br />delicious cinnamon bun.<br />(This bakery was much <br />better adapted to <br />gringos!)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG81bT0TL3IbXexgyD2ag8gP_rRgDjEhQpAhu55cHF5EwGoKb1Jt70AyN-ROhPgHwEwaCxILsAAiDWmhNpr7tS7e8XqLBcdhPeF5ORsusCTRs24dyfBnvVD2RH1an8ybd5yJSIipcEbw9ztYWW55QRlOQ0qqOt-jtfePEDEvwLxsPT56PgI067lhsM=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG81bT0TL3IbXexgyD2ag8gP_rRgDjEhQpAhu55cHF5EwGoKb1Jt70AyN-ROhPgHwEwaCxILsAAiDWmhNpr7tS7e8XqLBcdhPeF5ORsusCTRs24dyfBnvVD2RH1an8ybd5yJSIipcEbw9ztYWW55QRlOQ0qqOt-jtfePEDEvwLxsPT56PgI067lhsM=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A beautiful white house with palm trees <br />was located near the bakery.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxjrQtQUk_TkXsplcbDyEp7CtxbUCYlyJVfDX7FUY2buprx6OmDRLVuzsowACnazgHAVdVJICn5PtVM017aOWngxN636-szXCLExVCoYfEB8YtikXIexiQJn7RLq7NLfuWuKBJwcrDeJyNqSDSu6gDsll_2R8DvqYEzFmguLB04rK_D2e2ffdk99Py=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="640" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxjrQtQUk_TkXsplcbDyEp7CtxbUCYlyJVfDX7FUY2buprx6OmDRLVuzsowACnazgHAVdVJICn5PtVM017aOWngxN636-szXCLExVCoYfEB8YtikXIexiQJn7RLq7NLfuWuKBJwcrDeJyNqSDSu6gDsll_2R8DvqYEzFmguLB04rK_D2e2ffdk99Py=w640-h450" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A small engine repair shop on the <br />sidewalk near our apartment.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyfbDAA8FzZICYGBbfDiWH8LTaxGrLtj9va2hffXnOF3OKgD7aorgwluCp35cXGDJvJHYNAJRyl3dRmD0IvteQ1PHBE_Sn_dc4YCov7_Xs12J0shXeY5K4dPAL73A3leOy_uGjZFc_3olfnatbf0BLEFs0gb0wKb25zkyLQo9E1i4YZ7SUF_avkzMg=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="640" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyfbDAA8FzZICYGBbfDiWH8LTaxGrLtj9va2hffXnOF3OKgD7aorgwluCp35cXGDJvJHYNAJRyl3dRmD0IvteQ1PHBE_Sn_dc4YCov7_Xs12J0shXeY5K4dPAL73A3leOy_uGjZFc_3olfnatbf0BLEFs0gb0wKb25zkyLQo9E1i4YZ7SUF_avkzMg=w640-h438" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Fruits and veggies in an outdoor <br />area of the corner store.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When we returned to our apartment I had to take a shower to get rid of the stickiness all over my arms from the cinnamon bun I had just consumed.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We had a little bit of a scare in the afternoon when Lola (our oldest Maine Coon cat) walked through an open door, down the front stairs and went on a walkabout in the neighborhood. We were able to successfully corral her and get her back inside the apartment before any damage was done.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Until our next blogpost (probably on Sunday evening), stay healthy and safe!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div><br /></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-62072711524544761762022-02-06T13:39:00.000-08:002022-02-06T13:39:01.218-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Settling in</span><span style="font-family: arial;">to Bucerias</span></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in Mexico. We arrived by car </span><span style="font-family: arial;">in San Miguel de Allende (SMA) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. We then traveled west by car to Bucerias. This blogpost described our first few days in Bucerias where we will be based for our last two months of this winter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thursday, February 3</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The cool temperature of the morning got down into the mid-50's--it was very comfortable sleeping with our windows open. This afternoon, like yesterday afternoon, it was expected to reach 80 degrees F.</span> </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiO5xNbHhXa_ZSCCVJ3drr9N6751u2UVuxNMN5bXrjgAJN7h0xOHflfJVt6oyiClff7SKTzM0ogzfvTo0NRKBEYRwU6G8E4wXuBigjsQlRnk7Cr0MDc1bC6Ukj150BWJb0MVbzUnRrh4-PMr3ijVKp2dqy9hFS7_meaHst-sU_Ep1pXRSrYWDzj8iGG=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="408" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiO5xNbHhXa_ZSCCVJ3drr9N6751u2UVuxNMN5bXrjgAJN7h0xOHflfJVt6oyiClff7SKTzM0ogzfvTo0NRKBEYRwU6G8E4wXuBigjsQlRnk7Cr0MDc1bC6Ukj150BWJb0MVbzUnRrh4-PMr3ijVKp2dqy9hFS7_meaHst-sU_Ep1pXRSrYWDzj8iGG=w408-h640" width="408" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Little frog sculpture and <br />signs by our front door.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We made it to La Comer and back this morning and the car has no crinkled parts—the good news of today’s story. The bad news is the huge disagreement we had in the process. Maggie can’t judge distances and she can't handle chaos and today’s driving situations were chaotic. The problem is that her navigation skills are somewhat lacking too, which was why she was driving and not me. After today I vowed that she will never drive again in Bucerias. It simply was not safe for anyone with her driving along a 8-lane highway (4 lanes in each direction) with both her hands over her eyes and simultaneously screaming that she couldn’t handle it.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We had lunch (half a meat loaf sandwich each) in our apartment after we learned that the restaurant we intended to visit, Culi’s, didn’t open until 3 PM. We walked to Culi's (0.3 mile away) after 4 PM.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJoo2IuY_Sq3xaBGGlt3wtN5aF70GTXtBXTBUBFXDHb_215YXmVFoMcOY3qCbJa5pSNRuDAqTNLI0RyoFkqxRwDhXEFopLquLlIjxZCktdc30VLPWYPYOoDDtWxcXEh8USUUyRj92R-AGfjp-LEYMQnHtpJbHhVEAzzaJ6iHaaHWU7oRkPivDq3u28=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="640" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJoo2IuY_Sq3xaBGGlt3wtN5aF70GTXtBXTBUBFXDHb_215YXmVFoMcOY3qCbJa5pSNRuDAqTNLI0RyoFkqxRwDhXEFopLquLlIjxZCktdc30VLPWYPYOoDDtWxcXEh8USUUyRj92R-AGfjp-LEYMQnHtpJbHhVEAzzaJ6iHaaHWU7oRkPivDq3u28=w640-h446" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Maggie at Culi's Restaurant.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Culi's was everything it was cracked up to be--excellent meals and superior service! Since we arrived so early in the day, we were one of only two parties there at the time. We both had mahi-mahi and we shared a large serving of grilled asparagus and scalloped potatoes. We even shared a dessert--a very elaborate presentation of vanilla flan.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEif_1DprP6TySoGFn4yny09hBI305of2Qebozt_aq3T9LsZoFKdB1ABeky6uuYW7Gh2vDvdNajoF2mT8moUn4nIRcxLcK6b79AJyLw7xdj7sCFGQwOEfXhKNzdcmCpk_xvphjm5AXpA4o9foIjWFyMdJkrIuN9OhmZUbX1px0l198D6UvpXs7Ajb5qo=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="640" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEif_1DprP6TySoGFn4yny09hBI305of2Qebozt_aq3T9LsZoFKdB1ABeky6uuYW7Gh2vDvdNajoF2mT8moUn4nIRcxLcK6b79AJyLw7xdj7sCFGQwOEfXhKNzdcmCpk_xvphjm5AXpA4o9foIjWFyMdJkrIuN9OhmZUbX1px0l198D6UvpXs7Ajb5qo=w640-h486" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Vanilla flan with caramelized spun <br />sugar around the outside <br />for dessert!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On the walk back we noticed some of the homes we had passed on the way to the restaurant. The homes covered the extremes. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwIQ6ksdmv6NrxJ7IwZFF0zih0PUx3GbLV9qwnK7pbpu1qY6WJ97ou7gAgffVdy2dBxPjGDvJ1RGYsLP9QRnZDLAHnnJueiAN7wXq-16BhBj8EeJV-zRv8VB1hPODKxSCDw-h9QPD3RdsKRdYexMfPspZaKihv0YHRXMtX5hKB7azcHAa96NJ9x6kd=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="640" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwIQ6ksdmv6NrxJ7IwZFF0zih0PUx3GbLV9qwnK7pbpu1qY6WJ97ou7gAgffVdy2dBxPjGDvJ1RGYsLP9QRnZDLAHnnJueiAN7wXq-16BhBj8EeJV-zRv8VB1hPODKxSCDw-h9QPD3RdsKRdYexMfPspZaKihv0YHRXMtX5hKB7azcHAa96NJ9x6kd=w640-h452" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A high class home on a corner <br />lot in Bucerias Centro.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZRJzS8-Dap7D5SCZ29YGHqMTEs5_pXz5z2U8QjLl9vTzhOO9xA2osi6ymyza-hx2ZPnYJH1LHYUqmBLg2KJJnf1YuE8Fj-zEzX8kMkponiR4EaCeYWijvTSNhef-flqF7NYaWNyzvKgrxhyVyk3pBYfS0Q-GBKw7YrAnjMTFPiiUvBOEFqQZ1zk5_=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="640" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZRJzS8-Dap7D5SCZ29YGHqMTEs5_pXz5z2U8QjLl9vTzhOO9xA2osi6ymyza-hx2ZPnYJH1LHYUqmBLg2KJJnf1YuE8Fj-zEzX8kMkponiR4EaCeYWijvTSNhef-flqF7NYaWNyzvKgrxhyVyk3pBYfS0Q-GBKw7YrAnjMTFPiiUvBOEFqQZ1zk5_=w640-h478" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A middle class home on an interior <br />lot on Calle Cinco de Mayo <br />in Bucerias Centro.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Friday, February 4</span></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Like yesterday, the day began with an overcast sky. It was 59 degrees outside at 9 AM but it didn't feel cold at all. We had the A/C on in our bedroom and set at 22 degrees C (71.6 degrees F) during the night.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Our major goal for today was simply to spend the day near the beach here in Bucerias. We started walking toward the beach around noon in search of a particular restaurant we selected ahead of time. However, we stumbled upon another interesting restaurant along the way, Los Tejabanes. It had a very interesting patio on the front of the restaurant but, today, we chose to use the inside dining area. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirlLb2ZM-joSEm3KfWE369NC9kvDD5Zy9NK62OCEGTRxGs0SOC8aWxgfVR3reCXc2fICiJNlLicm-bFC44qERiacgVzbWFUBDFrcsPQuwYAvOeq3g1WBd48inE0Jrvf1ZHODp4dRFzU9Zr6srj0hYf2V5e3RntK4SPN1-7COcpX79st54CSYjFfABc=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirlLb2ZM-joSEm3KfWE369NC9kvDD5Zy9NK62OCEGTRxGs0SOC8aWxgfVR3reCXc2fICiJNlLicm-bFC44qERiacgVzbWFUBDFrcsPQuwYAvOeq3g1WBd48inE0Jrvf1ZHODp4dRFzU9Zr6srj0hYf2V5e3RntK4SPN1-7COcpX79st54CSYjFfABc=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The sunny portion of the outside <br />dining area at Los Tejabanes.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZOzXMMxyz5NnLjT_EVe-v4Jc4AoohZMBNH0yHkrZBZZQeRn2j-3eQtUzlmXmuYY1GctIGTKyAnhM-HnPh8HbDqs4zokY6UAWRyNsreGcODTQqDxvyn-NSxQjO7y4ZFoh-dSZV1b4jI8cTSCS0Jl0WZHbed_3j5VNEdczFHy4r_UGl7GWPIQN-YZLN=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="561" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZOzXMMxyz5NnLjT_EVe-v4Jc4AoohZMBNH0yHkrZBZZQeRn2j-3eQtUzlmXmuYY1GctIGTKyAnhM-HnPh8HbDqs4zokY6UAWRyNsreGcODTQqDxvyn-NSxQjO7y4ZFoh-dSZV1b4jI8cTSCS0Jl0WZHbed_3j5VNEdczFHy4r_UGl7GWPIQN-YZLN=w562-h640" width="562" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A cupola on the roof of a home on <br />the beach side of the highway.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnjGwg7lxHDPCGUCu1j5Lr8M1I6hG3clTydBjbcn-iY06Tvo-4K9YUWH-Mhc338SerTtONo-fmLJAa_vna6MA2gRpDjnIptzBy_Co8BKiBIWQSMo_uJaIhDbWkQmg_DwbI_3QUFBk7IR9YTjDSdWJRmX-1SAWiG_jgUgNEGPfp12lWY3EG0XJvxxw9=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="640" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnjGwg7lxHDPCGUCu1j5Lr8M1I6hG3clTydBjbcn-iY06Tvo-4K9YUWH-Mhc338SerTtONo-fmLJAa_vna6MA2gRpDjnIptzBy_Co8BKiBIWQSMo_uJaIhDbWkQmg_DwbI_3QUFBk7IR9YTjDSdWJRmX-1SAWiG_jgUgNEGPfp12lWY3EG0XJvxxw9=w640-h440" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>On the beach side of the highway, condos <br />were almost everywhere, many <br />still under construction.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We walked through the open air market area on our way to the beach where all types of beach things were being sold. (I bought a t-shirt.)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhe6KYaxRD0sI7R8phgq-BB9WMZZx6L6ql3AhINESwwXmw3y1fJ9JNkT3r7p_lMU-P9uy0ltdLR9xzYlFzwfagSU2ybEDT6rmDshH11I7BRWFjRxsrTsUS6oXN-8FlPRoQYlXT54tzkon9uYHEXr5RQFMVxIRr3etFiaxY6L1xI3tmczTv5VLe4a_3e=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhe6KYaxRD0sI7R8phgq-BB9WMZZx6L6ql3AhINESwwXmw3y1fJ9JNkT3r7p_lMU-P9uy0ltdLR9xzYlFzwfagSU2ybEDT6rmDshH11I7BRWFjRxsrTsUS6oXN-8FlPRoQYlXT54tzkon9uYHEXr5RQFMVxIRr3etFiaxY6L1xI3tmczTv5VLe4a_3e=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Bucerias sign by the <br />main beach area.<br /><br /></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5pWdT3ayoWChjHuSZzuFfDHxdbvAjX1uaaRv31-xb26p2LRETggrp2FLQVjVHgRxsYHnlGWoA--LBMgVUmRPuu6kul1BcugmE5UcmsiNpFdQe_5bHILitWv-LSgYts56gTMu-_f5hY4OxlDZ5h1mGSewEoyrGGU7EQHbLxzGz--27kfsdhm_XC_QD=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5pWdT3ayoWChjHuSZzuFfDHxdbvAjX1uaaRv31-xb26p2LRETggrp2FLQVjVHgRxsYHnlGWoA--LBMgVUmRPuu6kul1BcugmE5UcmsiNpFdQe_5bHILitWv-LSgYts56gTMu-_f5hY4OxlDZ5h1mGSewEoyrGGU7EQHbLxzGz--27kfsdhm_XC_QD=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Horse rides were available <br />on the beach.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGJwxcCa_CI4pGDtuoINx3KOUkYNXZkfEZDe3KB3Zn8JLRjEEmIc0CVldVUS-w9uzeh-97ZmXm7aq2N0tMgqJTKshHO19SqpNKadUshMZXccTAXnG4Qsov7D8JwglWjIF0QQeMCQCZAZv4IOTGqcMvjL1lIbHfs8GJk1XJbULO8naLUu8fkF6nK_V1=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="640" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGJwxcCa_CI4pGDtuoINx3KOUkYNXZkfEZDe3KB3Zn8JLRjEEmIc0CVldVUS-w9uzeh-97ZmXm7aq2N0tMgqJTKshHO19SqpNKadUshMZXccTAXnG4Qsov7D8JwglWjIF0QQeMCQCZAZv4IOTGqcMvjL1lIbHfs8GJk1XJbULO8naLUu8fkF6nK_V1=w640-h450" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Mexican families enjoyed <br />a sunny beach day.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We soon found out that there was no need to walk through the market, the sellers came to us on the beach.</span><br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNjxs4opS7X56EIfm_0xUoTC0egu51Xjvum67ZB2GxctjPpI8s9SL814Qf1mmJACj87SEyn8CHj50InLvg7EzGw7OuzHnIlsfyzPuf6R0yW88PywlaXL2A_8sQgWdC23Gmi0oRBt6GUkPg1P-TNUQMB5BYm7OU9n0P1bUuP14jTNMEdwHlcftbEaha=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="640" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNjxs4opS7X56EIfm_0xUoTC0egu51Xjvum67ZB2GxctjPpI8s9SL814Qf1mmJACj87SEyn8CHj50InLvg7EzGw7OuzHnIlsfyzPuf6R0yW88PywlaXL2A_8sQgWdC23Gmi0oRBt6GUkPg1P-TNUQMB5BYm7OU9n0P1bUuP14jTNMEdwHlcftbEaha=w640-h482" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A young girl selling little animal <br />bobbleheads on the beach.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">We took a taxi back to our apartment. To our surprise the taxi's were well organized--all we had to do was to walk to the nearby taxi stand and wait our turn in line for the next available taxi.<br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Saturday, February 5</span></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My primary goal for today was to accomplish a map update for our car's GPS. We lounged around most of the morning, updating our blogs, etc. By the way, Mexican neighborhoods are noisy! Maybe even more noisy than usual on a Saturday morning.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFrkYcs0t-9HUnyS6R9FcHS74t556KO3BDKQygqs8izCP3oyaZ8PV_t2n88Jh6zuZ4n5UPM8qt0q_ZU0ncIbufBS5b2YfbcGmMsORXa7O9vo9emZ5RGKQqXTIGPkuDouZ0Ucv9ag2VVuYPWBg_5XTSpgxx-gLf9al7vsN58FgZBuMO_uL_gjefiyIk=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="640" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFrkYcs0t-9HUnyS6R9FcHS74t556KO3BDKQygqs8izCP3oyaZ8PV_t2n88Jh6zuZ4n5UPM8qt0q_ZU0ncIbufBS5b2YfbcGmMsORXa7O9vo9emZ5RGKQqXTIGPkuDouZ0Ucv9ag2VVuYPWBg_5XTSpgxx-gLf9al7vsN58FgZBuMO_uL_gjefiyIk=w640-h580" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A yellow lily in bloom on <br />our dining table.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />About two o'clock in the afternoon we had lunch in our apartment--Maggi</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">e made pasta and pasta sauce--it was great! Then, I finally buckled down to accomplishing my goal for the day. I had a difficult time getting my laptop to recognize my Garmin GPS--after a lot of reading and experimentation I found out that I couldn't use the mini-USB connection on the GPS's mount because it only transfers power (not data!). It took a couple hours to figure out that I needed a different cable and I had to hook up between the actual GPS (not the mount) and the laptop. Once I got this figured out, it took another 2 hours to upload updated software and updated maps. By now, the day was shot but my mission was accomplished! (Incidentally there was no cost from Garmin for the map update! I used our apartment sufficiently fast Internet and my VPN with the Washington DC server location to make the transfer.)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sunday, February 5</span></h3><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />We spent a very leisurely Sunday morning relaxing in our Bucerias apartment, watching some new YouTube videos and catching up on our blogs. A nice ocean breeze blew through the open windows. The outside temperature warmed up from an overnight low of 62 degrees to the mid-70's in the afternoon--almost perfect winter weather in my opinion! (We slept using the A/C again last night mostly so that we could block out the outside noise by closing the windows.)<br /><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6l_Dhb1ppfo1ziQ_SCgfTac8QgE3eei-fZVUUUiXZ3_FiHDMmGF1zZchQDU32dHAxOITZmtRkBURqqkejvzGCq1DthhdZTfKZN3-_lyTehwE3m95HJ8lUDJMmx0cHu86z8OO8lZh3x1vzYghHMC79cXrORtqvopjWIIEgxSTb4KKAtzgj68OEJ0mZ=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6l_Dhb1ppfo1ziQ_SCgfTac8QgE3eei-fZVUUUiXZ3_FiHDMmGF1zZchQDU32dHAxOITZmtRkBURqqkejvzGCq1DthhdZTfKZN3-_lyTehwE3m95HJ8lUDJMmx0cHu86z8OO8lZh3x1vzYghHMC79cXrORtqvopjWIIEgxSTb4KKAtzgj68OEJ0mZ=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The view from our balcony.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We made a major finding this morning on how to make a left hand turn on Route 200 coming through Bucerias--it is done from the far right lane of the service road, believe it or not. When the traffic light on the highway turns red, traffic in both lanes stop. Then, traffic on the service road can make a left turn (or a u-turn) while watching out for traffic coming from the service road on the opposite side of the highway. (This was the chaos we experienced a couple days ago.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We watched the Pro Bowl as we waited for California Pizza to open at 3 PM. As we waited I made a Batanga (tequila and diet coke) for the first time. I salted the rim of the glass (using sea salt) and poured 1 part tequila and 2 parts diet coke and squeezed 1/4 of a lime into an old fashioned glass filled with ice cubes. It quickly became my new favorite tequila drink!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFsPMy3xn8k0opYD-XvL0HDiKB8a6xBrDYuptMIBO6825ejLPGaC2rpRq5BAYEKek63UhalJJrPe8NUG6aRV6I9ZKXX5QnvyVO8dGksz_KRRMMNPBjl3UvmcMf-3w1FJ_Ja-DQ-a5bCQqkAwHIya-2rUceIpFNlWXXADyfxbESvxSPfCJ_OnbQrRkW=s888" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="796" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFsPMy3xn8k0opYD-XvL0HDiKB8a6xBrDYuptMIBO6825ejLPGaC2rpRq5BAYEKek63UhalJJrPe8NUG6aRV6I9ZKXX5QnvyVO8dGksz_KRRMMNPBjl3UvmcMf-3w1FJ_Ja-DQ-a5bCQqkAwHIya-2rUceIpFNlWXXADyfxbESvxSPfCJ_OnbQrRkW=w574-h640" width="574" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Batanga: Tequila and <br />Coke (photo courtesy <br />of "<a href="https://www.acouplecooks.com/tequila-and-coke/">A Couple Cooks</a>")</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The afternoon could not have been more pleasant with the perfect temperature, consuming a couple Batanga's, eating pizza, and watching the Pro Bowl on my iPad.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">During the coming week we plan to visit Sayulita, a beach-side town just north of Bucerias, and possibly some other adventures before spending a week in the jungle south of Puerto Vallarta. Stay tuned...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div><br /></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-7140048813505456082022-02-03T06:17:00.002-08:002022-02-03T06:30:45.513-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">San Miguel de Allende</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">to Bucerias</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in Mexico. We arrived by car </span><span style="font-family: arial;">in San Miguel de Allende (SMA) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This blogpost described our road trip from San Miguel de Allende to Bucerias (near Puerto Vallarta) where we will spend our last two months of this season in Mexico.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Monday, January 31</span></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">San Miguel de Allende to Tonala</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We left our apartment in San Miguel de Allende at 9:07 AM, almost an hour earlier than planned. It was a mere 58 degrees F outside. We stopped by La Comer on our way out of San Miguel de Allende to pick up a few things we might need when we arrive in Bucerias tomorrow.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Our new-to-us GPS worked fine until after the first 30 minutes of today’s trip—then, the need for a map update became obvious. (We used our cell phone for the middle of today’s trip. Once we got near Leon the toll road was old enough to be on the version of the map we had in our GPS. The trip went fine all the way to Tonalá until we missed a turn as we entered Tonala—then we had to backtrack about 2 miles through city traffic. (Tonala is a city-like section of Guadalajara, which is similar in size to a the Bronx section of New York City.) Of course we hit bottom on almost every one of the speed bumps in town because of our car’s low clearance, particularly when heavily loaded like we were.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We arrived at our hotel at about 3 PM. (So, this supposed 4-hour trip took about 5 hours.) We parked our car across the street from the hotel until we got checked in, after which we were able to move it inside a garage owned by the hotel. The area of the city looked pretty rough just outside our hotel but the inside was like an oasis! We had two (opening) windows in our room that overlooked an attractive courtyard below. The hotel had a total of only sixteen rooms.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiT1-sPAjFmqUSQrME_-FKXI21ETeAdHBMy5q8Zptuy_skdAKcmw3WvoL-ZJsN8yhw5MnzisTh1osPxDhI8hMnVbvtrsH5aAwPfG-eXQtvgnogI_U-ZfSb7KnigpY8w376ukFsvXmV9CNX4SUjfD_49nxPyzM3T6tbUjTCZDPZSWxWNaBtw04Zq4Eef=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiT1-sPAjFmqUSQrME_-FKXI21ETeAdHBMy5q8Zptuy_skdAKcmw3WvoL-ZJsN8yhw5MnzisTh1osPxDhI8hMnVbvtrsH5aAwPfG-eXQtvgnogI_U-ZfSb7KnigpY8w376ukFsvXmV9CNX4SUjfD_49nxPyzM3T6tbUjTCZDPZSWxWNaBtw04Zq4Eef=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The view of the courtyard <br />through our room windows.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The tile floors of our hotel room still felt cold, despite the fact that we had really warmed up during the day’s trip and the two vodka and tonic drinks (which we had on arrival tentatively numbed our senses).</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The elevation of Guadalajara is 5,100 feet above sea level, a drop of roughly 1,000 feet from the elevation of San Miguel de Allende where we just departed. The shortness of breath common in the high altitude of San Miguel is not noticeable here. Also, the humidity seems to be a bit higher here (50% today). All in all, the atmospheric conditions are more favorable here, at least for me. I can see why this area is more highly populated (5.3 million people in 2021 but still smaller than New York City with its 8.8 million people in 2021). (Driving through Guadalarja reminds me of driving on I-95 through New York City.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tuesday, February 1</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Tonala to Bucerias</span></div></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We woke up around 8 AM. We went to the lobby to have a complimentary cup of coffee—there was neither decaf nor cream. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After a cup of black coffee we walked a couple blocks to find a local eatery. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFA8hFLZnYil6xSwBqcb7GLynVjklF46Qm95vclTZrQHAD1g-2m7uvGamuMTNK7Fpzf69qmjW38vAyZDpHjVqZiSiUPn48mQnp64qIkISywsvEdt2Be-dSHJJxqAFHUk9nYbjIloW4HQna-upQfiPT1K53EvuiAjcubgcYarOXG6qz87Xu6RhSNuu6=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFA8hFLZnYil6xSwBqcb7GLynVjklF46Qm95vclTZrQHAD1g-2m7uvGamuMTNK7Fpzf69qmjW38vAyZDpHjVqZiSiUPn48mQnp64qIkISywsvEdt2Be-dSHJJxqAFHUk9nYbjIloW4HQna-upQfiPT1K53EvuiAjcubgcYarOXG6qz87Xu6RhSNuu6=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The early morning streets <br />in Tonala were empty.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj36Sw1APItAD2W3mvGhQeQw3YAld6aKVuZmIDxwRGMW8iqPNLy5beKCxtPug1rLkdb_o0np2mUCQFvSzY_qXJxockH9pnvMQf69-GSC2D-hmS8V00psFcka_26eFUpaE3KEzFv3zpJdUcctuWLA8eGMRGDULaYmGUEioUffgN5FSkI82nbT9lWHCK4=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="509" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj36Sw1APItAD2W3mvGhQeQw3YAld6aKVuZmIDxwRGMW8iqPNLy5beKCxtPug1rLkdb_o0np2mUCQFvSzY_qXJxockH9pnvMQf69-GSC2D-hmS8V00psFcka_26eFUpaE3KEzFv3zpJdUcctuWLA8eGMRGDULaYmGUEioUffgN5FSkI82nbT9lWHCK4=w510-h640" width="510" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A woman sweeps the street <br />in front of her Tonala shop.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjozaBgBxLYDEASbY5NHEuPsCIaMkCFDOuNMoIjNdVsPynWnAiVqw5YmKM503WiA_WwTwEcs5NEBU4cu2TRaFd1IO9Q89Xis47OzZqJg-qIBToDlyOrh0ZI1DUjTmCBzMPTSBEnczqel7-rg8sF3HwWkz2u3bSofpFyrAjSpIQDDtSuzuTbVCsJi84g=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="640" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjozaBgBxLYDEASbY5NHEuPsCIaMkCFDOuNMoIjNdVsPynWnAiVqw5YmKM503WiA_WwTwEcs5NEBU4cu2TRaFd1IO9Q89Xis47OzZqJg-qIBToDlyOrh0ZI1DUjTmCBzMPTSBEnczqel7-rg8sF3HwWkz2u3bSofpFyrAjSpIQDDtSuzuTbVCsJi84g=w640-h416" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The only place we could find that was <br />open for breakfast in our <br />section of Tonala.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The only thing on the menu board was small, medium, or large (in Spanish)—we ordered two mediums with meat. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcvZSvxqxBEv3oarGOTjyWP26x2rYC1wysbUmzgc8-eU9y4PBziCBhTCHx_2P1DcirPNUmFKPs6SAosnHOFkMm4the7Zqf7bih3E7zaa-8w0nNuMZSBfQib6Lq2iq4zUL1-d9uJgNLR-W1ZecpOZmO_eMF9ibaUb7A96DLxzOVVpDHsq6xsX_ucPFM=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcvZSvxqxBEv3oarGOTjyWP26x2rYC1wysbUmzgc8-eU9y4PBziCBhTCHx_2P1DcirPNUmFKPs6SAosnHOFkMm4the7Zqf7bih3E7zaa-8w0nNuMZSBfQib6Lq2iq4zUL1-d9uJgNLR-W1ZecpOZmO_eMF9ibaUb7A96DLxzOVVpDHsq6xsX_ucPFM=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Two women prepare <br />items for meals.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The meat turned out to be pig stomach—the stomach lining was weird looking and had very little taste. We couldn’t eat much of our meal. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOST8hhSf6Xl_FvxxtwjkkBP0NwXlllwhyAmC9e61QxzDQsMvVChZYC8jKtRCcZe03o20gD2A28pgpg5yh05mpctQrQDQPbWhTfHYyWrXSkOJHBkRDTxh6mgSwxZViUYZpuJzM7eeSu21cXBipLi8xifQkLMKS65r0hlQ2Kexl91AUYURW6FWDe7Sd=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOST8hhSf6Xl_FvxxtwjkkBP0NwXlllwhyAmC9e61QxzDQsMvVChZYC8jKtRCcZe03o20gD2A28pgpg5yh05mpctQrQDQPbWhTfHYyWrXSkOJHBkRDTxh6mgSwxZViUYZpuJzM7eeSu21cXBipLi8xifQkLMKS65r0hlQ2Kexl91AUYURW6FWDe7Sd=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>This had to be our worst breakfast <br />ever--pig stomach (simply called <br />"carne") in vegetable broth.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By the time we got back to our hotel it was nearly 10 AM and time to leave for Bucerias. We left our hotel in Tonala at 10:30 AM. (Our cats decided to hide under the bed just for fun!)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2OlCZKBANhwkWQVhihARMO_8ehNrbxcHZt_vPBkgkoeWkv_dnEf30C8LLvHQYeTjnvlFrRGAgS91gZMcbS992YgI7oiPZepJkFj1QMJYbWHeOMVG_JOYgq3oOV1oy0b9Kk_3p9nD2M21LeHfScaQMiTswqQIxt1JRRb-ZjVqvVKYc27XjxneGNZIJ=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="640" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2OlCZKBANhwkWQVhihARMO_8ehNrbxcHZt_vPBkgkoeWkv_dnEf30C8LLvHQYeTjnvlFrRGAgS91gZMcbS992YgI7oiPZepJkFj1QMJYbWHeOMVG_JOYgq3oOV1oy0b9Kk_3p9nD2M21LeHfScaQMiTswqQIxt1JRRb-ZjVqvVKYc27XjxneGNZIJ=w640-h364" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The agave fields are the color <br />of the sea in the Caribbean.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today’s road trip involved a descent of 5,000 feet, most of it during the last two hours of our trip. Route 200 was a simple two-lane road that wound it’s way down the mountain range.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We got into our new housing in Bucerias at 4:15 PM, about an hour later than anticipated. Today’s 4-1/2-hour trip took the best part of 5-3/4 hours, 28% longer than our cellphone’s GPS predicted. Our AirBnB host (her brother owns the unit above his residence--our apartment) greeted us and helped us get settled—she even bought a bottle of red wine for us!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We went out for dinner after we got somewhat settled. The restaurant’s name was Encore—it was about a block off the beach. The food and service was great but it was more expensive than what we were accustomed to in Mexico—but $50 USD for both of us wasn’t bad though considering the quality of our meals and the fact that we had mixed drinks and a shared dessert.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Wednesday, February 2</span></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Groundhog Day</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We woke up at 8 AM, the first time in our new rental. The sounds of bouncing tennis balls (of all things) echoed through our apartment. A barking dog outside joined the methodical bouncing of the tennis balls. This area was clearly a different Mexico that what we had experienced up until now.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Dew was on our car and the big leaves of the nearby trees in the morning, a sure sign of the higher humidity and the coolness of the early morning. A nice cool ocean breeze made its way through our apartment’s opening windows, causing the fonds on the huge palm tree in front of our apartment to lightly sway. Even though our apartment was six blocks from the ocean, we could hear the ocean above the din of the traffic on the highway.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I noticed the brightly colored interior walls for the first time in the morning—one orange wall in our bedroom, a blue wall in the dining/living room, and a pink accent wall in the spare bedroom. Sunshine was abundant in this upstairs apartment—something we had sorely missed in our San Miguel apartment.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEin6Jf70yQufNNdKibM7MtQXqNebkOLPpHHVCf4pRxbcA8r9M1_aYcYQOiyJYrwSv4Aj9BFVC1Lf2ADZCbUao6Ge6JsC5r4T0rF8aCzA2w3pJZ943QuaUx5cN-sMzdnBYQqTfKyjxLWuAoF5R3sKfrWzhTPDnJTqVq2Lxl0dPhJOSajaVoKVfj1KFcA=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="481" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEin6Jf70yQufNNdKibM7MtQXqNebkOLPpHHVCf4pRxbcA8r9M1_aYcYQOiyJYrwSv4Aj9BFVC1Lf2ADZCbUao6Ge6JsC5r4T0rF8aCzA2w3pJZ943QuaUx5cN-sMzdnBYQqTfKyjxLWuAoF5R3sKfrWzhTPDnJTqVq2Lxl0dPhJOSajaVoKVfj1KFcA=w482-h640" width="482" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Our kitchen in our Bucerias apartment <br />was full of natural sunlight.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Our agenda for the day included a trip to the supermarket (there is a La Comer here as well) and an afternoon walk into the beach area of Bucerias. Well, our afternoon didn't go as planned. We decided to have lunch at a nearby restaurant called Famar--it didn't open until 2 PM. We found this out after we arrived. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCEZqA9qdfCzTrtIcaV6TSmWPdQ2geAHiTg_wMwRDRxRJ-4hQYXXIT4ui8IVrhr5wZUXmeuHCl_8VdpiImvofJWIjEn2_pDbYQJmD2qhbgiyt9pj59gIWXNIY2h0pCVydcdYxt9BLLYINXCB05JMSS3BlYM1nwpC7yFE2XGZdnFdyiWF4k8hJ3KTvj=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCEZqA9qdfCzTrtIcaV6TSmWPdQ2geAHiTg_wMwRDRxRJ-4hQYXXIT4ui8IVrhr5wZUXmeuHCl_8VdpiImvofJWIjEn2_pDbYQJmD2qhbgiyt9pj59gIWXNIY2h0pCVydcdYxt9BLLYINXCB05JMSS3BlYM1nwpC7yFE2XGZdnFdyiWF4k8hJ3KTvj=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>We sat inside Famar Restaurant <br />before they opened and <br />had a drink.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We delayed by picking up some fresh fruits and veggies at a tienda on the corner. Because we still didn't create enough of a delay, we went to Famar and had a drink, waiting for them to open the kitchen. We had a frozen mango margarita (which wasn't very good--Maggie drank most of it) and I had a cerveza (a Pacifico Clara) with my steak fajitas while Maggie had shrimp fajitas. Steak was not very good anywhere in Mexico and this was no exception.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We walked back to our apartment and I took a long nap that lasted until 6 PM--our afternoon (our day, in fact) was completely shot! There's always mañana...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-59260832501331525602022-01-30T16:15:00.000-08:002022-01-30T16:15:06.681-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Last 3 Days in San Miguel de Allende</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in Mexico. We arrived by car </span><span style="font-family: arial;">in San Miguel de Allende (SMA) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This blogpost described the end of our last week in San Miguel de Allende. On Monday, January 31, we will be driving to Bucerias near Puerto Vallarta, on the Pacific coast, for our last two months in Mexico this winter season.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Friday, January 28</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It felt a bit warmer today, particularly when we walked to the restaurant for lunch. We tried a new, highly touted, restaurant, Inside Cafe--it was even better than expected!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihgGISoaRosNDA8WtDNvqVxIaA6g70n1HF6XVpMByOZKFChs1bVYK1kRQPs4jn3iXUcD7FgJszy2WWw7iCfvNqYmIxm9WXvY37UmQfT-S7qvoaCbtrD1Ozy1oBKh_N4Mi0sUHRkl0eRySofTTh2Nuu_QBKG9BmtC96sNre36J09fBij_yksnwHer9-=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihgGISoaRosNDA8WtDNvqVxIaA6g70n1HF6XVpMByOZKFChs1bVYK1kRQPs4jn3iXUcD7FgJszy2WWw7iCfvNqYmIxm9WXvY37UmQfT-S7qvoaCbtrD1Ozy1oBKh_N4Mi0sUHRkl0eRySofTTh2Nuu_QBKG9BmtC96sNre36J09fBij_yksnwHer9-=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The main dining area was on the third <br />floor of a very nondescript building <br />right across the street from the <br />entrance to the Biblioteca.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI08cnFwn5Eo3Nf3ByWaUUobUfz741xefkHQbkIohknbC_CtcSaPxZM8uv5JNppI8u6OgVQtPuelfSofnOkHHf0WuWqnwau7LUMtuiCKjR-Y399E7PPreXYyfYhzNVqMHmtnJCD33GMf0-lT49Xr2Ki2d8UA7egZe0W1FyUWiSMswfzbY2P41rZsQf=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="640" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI08cnFwn5Eo3Nf3ByWaUUobUfz741xefkHQbkIohknbC_CtcSaPxZM8uv5JNppI8u6OgVQtPuelfSofnOkHHf0WuWqnwau7LUMtuiCKjR-Y399E7PPreXYyfYhzNVqMHmtnJCD33GMf0-lT49Xr2Ki2d8UA7egZe0W1FyUWiSMswfzbY2P41rZsQf=w640-h504" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>My lunch began with an excellent <br />craft beer produced in Queretaro.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjx3A242lOJ_ehj1ngKGiKm2lhytEB0unb7A226m4iwon5Sa7jPhDJL6IZe8RrTFlRkWcLg3GHPPQr5hxE52auFNhjmGZVt3yTxS1W_LBIF7GwEfm-76rwnTROTHKUqHA1cuSfoUP34qeGQ3P7mT6Y5QRCuSCr9LdPzSc5qXd4ovYDhafbJsa2QEO4Z=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="530" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjx3A242lOJ_ehj1ngKGiKm2lhytEB0unb7A226m4iwon5Sa7jPhDJL6IZe8RrTFlRkWcLg3GHPPQr5hxE52auFNhjmGZVt3yTxS1W_LBIF7GwEfm-76rwnTROTHKUqHA1cuSfoUP34qeGQ3P7mT6Y5QRCuSCr9LdPzSc5qXd4ovYDhafbJsa2QEO4Z=w530-h640" width="530" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The writing on the back of <br />the can of craft beer.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnVQyY7OKFPihEh4peqKICwUWwTixeOI43XWIBi2pjXLNEwuPYgtcM-ky2C0JtjG3A5agd2hdXakaJv0TTdSOJ6OjUV-utlorWBpSAbjkoalKZ7BuN_BwqqJcu6HcxQI2MELgm2ORMZsvlHPwjR4OYuMvqoIjPz31pNA6OtNwagEdCKRSOvYzrQ3gr=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="640" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnVQyY7OKFPihEh4peqKICwUWwTixeOI43XWIBi2pjXLNEwuPYgtcM-ky2C0JtjG3A5agd2hdXakaJv0TTdSOJ6OjUV-utlorWBpSAbjkoalKZ7BuN_BwqqJcu6HcxQI2MELgm2ORMZsvlHPwjR4OYuMvqoIjPz31pNA6OtNwagEdCKRSOvYzrQ3gr=w640-h504" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>For lunch I had a delicious pulled <br />pork and grilled cheese sandwich!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmdSGW4Zj_dKX4BleipPRu7sja0VTJUEwoE98Fk_Obdq8ccNunrtC85FHpVDa4trSPAI28hdYkEXot08H49DkwHEc9fyMDxv0jKQgfxpa3PcMBmejv33VYliqGHU064Bm3Y3QchUqCpnoapP57XZLFqFbHPGBJ6bX23Mz6iFBirVrC4HMtwRmzqRzx=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="461" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmdSGW4Zj_dKX4BleipPRu7sja0VTJUEwoE98Fk_Obdq8ccNunrtC85FHpVDa4trSPAI28hdYkEXot08H49DkwHEc9fyMDxv0jKQgfxpa3PcMBmejv33VYliqGHU064Bm3Y3QchUqCpnoapP57XZLFqFbHPGBJ6bX23Mz6iFBirVrC4HMtwRmzqRzx=w462-h640" width="462" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Maggie at Inside Cafe.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After lunch we walked to the Artisan's Market again today in search of another colorful Mexican switch plate. (They didn't have any more of the one we needed.) At my urging, Maggie purchased a heart made from Jade--we haven't seen them anywhere else and they were relatively inexpensive--it seemed like the kind of thing we shouldn't pass up.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In-home Storefronts</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In San Miguel de Allende and other cities and towns in Mexico, in-home storefronts must be a major source of personal income.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj95BYKhqY68lWMcKVHg8Gv8OBNF8cTQUgeKHd_6OfTv4m5zUTYAP9YuqPRAycWDddwsHH6HHOWLMW19saM20RrNh2orjutT5ZUUEaMTpmRZkR6PFcLdU-pbtHgBDZAf-zm6GmY1JWU8Mxv7djjXsh0qPfyVXviqCDQL4G5WqPRw_BCjfFiR5IECqZX=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj95BYKhqY68lWMcKVHg8Gv8OBNF8cTQUgeKHd_6OfTv4m5zUTYAP9YuqPRAycWDddwsHH6HHOWLMW19saM20RrNh2orjutT5ZUUEaMTpmRZkR6PFcLdU-pbtHgBDZAf-zm6GmY1JWU8Mxv7djjXsh0qPfyVXviqCDQL4G5WqPRw_BCjfFiR5IECqZX=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>In-home storefronts can be as simple as opening <br />your front door and spreading our your items <br />for sale, in the above case, used clothing.<br />(This one was right next to <br />our apartment.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJPSH-VepRaJuZli8AvRXbWUtuswvfoZ2uzCR8LVt7qrFqm-I7BBndbSvFuQKb0Ga5xqpR6jSweDHzu7btLdgqHqX2bD2XaEMIvWIHKCYivv0lQ0k1w0_jhV72WuxeBy2Bae5y_qJFN_3bltNORErx4Bqnr_slrIC9pj0kYKNtuoKi40MKXMSsjYFh=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJPSH-VepRaJuZli8AvRXbWUtuswvfoZ2uzCR8LVt7qrFqm-I7BBndbSvFuQKb0Ga5xqpR6jSweDHzu7btLdgqHqX2bD2XaEMIvWIHKCYivv0lQ0k1w0_jhV72WuxeBy2Bae5y_qJFN_3bltNORErx4Bqnr_slrIC9pj0kYKNtuoKi40MKXMSsjYFh=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>In the above case, the in-home storefront <br />specialized in knitted slippers.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0H81lju9m6ikmHbSnejUu16_ckOZhIJizQA596fB-E7-4wn0BG8nnkX1LbhEx93hP-mDYsAs4C_2Iz6bAAve-IfeI2LBPoQg9E4HirTw7jj3Jz5POLlEkkGvTtiKdDSpos9sfjLQHGrrEL2QnrvKmca8U-B4Z_c3w4qWUR40-7eVkjZUSTm_h3cHh=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0H81lju9m6ikmHbSnejUu16_ckOZhIJizQA596fB-E7-4wn0BG8nnkX1LbhEx93hP-mDYsAs4C_2Iz6bAAve-IfeI2LBPoQg9E4HirTw7jj3Jz5POLlEkkGvTtiKdDSpos9sfjLQHGrrEL2QnrvKmca8U-B4Z_c3w4qWUR40-7eVkjZUSTm_h3cHh=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>In-home storefronts are generally pretty <br />nondescript on the outside--this one <br />specialized in cleaning supplies.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;">Except for the occasional yard sale, one doesn't see in-home storefronts in the U.S. (I wonder why not?) </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We were back at our apartment by 3 PM, our day's outing completed but not completely fulfilled.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Saturday, January 29</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today we planned to do some major packing and loading things into our car-top carrier--our major objective for the day. Our other major objective was going out for pizza at the Pizza Guy Restaurant for the last time.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Maggie started out her day by doing laundry since it will take most of the day to dry, hanging on a clothesline on the roof.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As I was packing up my clothes I had to wonder what in the world was I thinking when I originally packed for this trip to Mexico. I have many more pairs of jeans than I used while here in San Miguel and I had no jacket or vest to keep warm in the cool mornings. I also had packed about a dozen pair of shorts--so far, I only wore one pair and that was maybe for one day. (Of course, Bucerias, which was not part of our original plan, will be different weather for sure.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjS5NOVWwAK_RRtu0ja1zvHJW37QjKxHtePaY9uLkTuDjN7wvp4pABXw7Ncx0KRePRsbT7EaWd_Lg_cKmNWMBy4BiJF_eXr9zVPceITQjEAnKH05UEB4CwAoq8KDPkUJjkRRtw9ZdB24IhBPRAoxkCPEN7VuwT47d7fhDnzmwChlPu4sGYRgwWegqzi=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjS5NOVWwAK_RRtu0ja1zvHJW37QjKxHtePaY9uLkTuDjN7wvp4pABXw7Ncx0KRePRsbT7EaWd_Lg_cKmNWMBy4BiJF_eXr9zVPceITQjEAnKH05UEB4CwAoq8KDPkUJjkRRtw9ZdB24IhBPRAoxkCPEN7VuwT47d7fhDnzmwChlPu4sGYRgwWegqzi=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Packing for Bucerias</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">While here in San Miguel de Allende, I bought another pair of shoes (because I wasn't really equipped for walking on the cobblestone streets) and a (pre-owned) sweatshirt to keep warm. I also bought another camera lens (a used one on eBay). So, we were packing a few more things for our trip to Bucerias than we originally packed to come to Mexico.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Back home, a bomb-cyclone level snowstorm created havoc in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic areas of the U.S., snow accumulating at the rate of 1 to 3 inches per hour! (I'm glad that there is no such thing as snow or freezing rain here!)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTfv2W0yHam1OqopZPRLUvQaxDhS66EMccbQqHhUzTBI6hBD7IV9-zAn2Y3hxK76tUWfZIgskPQL2yrW5_gtbNeO_rscUvILHPcAKStF9ILJnZXNG-34QpQdvyr5N3XNnqOpTvaLFdtb2--FYp1R4BGkBU27c7jeDJpxMMd_dl5HeCdXrjmqepaejA=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTfv2W0yHam1OqopZPRLUvQaxDhS66EMccbQqHhUzTBI6hBD7IV9-zAn2Y3hxK76tUWfZIgskPQL2yrW5_gtbNeO_rscUvILHPcAKStF9ILJnZXNG-34QpQdvyr5N3XNnqOpTvaLFdtb2--FYp1R4BGkBU27c7jeDJpxMMd_dl5HeCdXrjmqepaejA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Kali and Lola cuddling with me in bed <br />for the last time in San Miguel <br />de Allende.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We had our last pizza (for lunch) at the Pizza Guy Restaurant (we're going to miss this place!). Another minor thing on my agenda for the day was putting our upcoming destinations (our hotel location in Tonala and the address for our next housing in Bucerias) into the car's GPS. I accomplished this after lunch while Maggie was in La Comer picking up a couple grocery items.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It’s been a challenge putting Mexican addresses into the car's GPS primarily because we are not familiar with the Mexican states and, of course, the house number is the last item of the Mexican street address and always the first item to go into our GPS. After trying to input "Bucerias", it would only take "Bucerias Centro" for some reason. In addition, the GPS couldn't find the address of our next housing--it simply said "the address could not be found," even though it could find the address just four doors away. (Never having run into this problem in the U.S., I wondered what was in store for us at the end of this 2-day trip.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sunday, January 30</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The weather on our last full day in San Miguel de Allende was sunny with a low of 42 degrees in the early morning and 75 degrees F in the afternoon--very typical winter weather the entire time we were here. Our apartment still felt cold at 11 AM! </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This morning, we loaded our luggage into our car top carrier--it took about an hour. (Tomorrow morning, we will load our pillows and our fleece blanket into the car top carrier just before leaving.) What's left in our apartment were two big plastic boxes full of stuff (labeled "electronics" and "cat stuff")--the third big plastic box containing "household items" was already loaded into the car's trunk.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmgbzXL0dt2ilznh9-tvEOFs2Yo6WgTkCBnrXdOY8zohOx9Z5F32ARqNQ0lhzYa89SxGRRZV5jJNcfikOHSbAi7QL6fQqaQ5RRr_llKIa9w7sV2VaTQ1FmANhlulb8c1s5imEBXnui-40UeNiVS0q9UwTykrUjbS4ciQv-tdntV4p0FHO4iSyszyeM=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="640" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmgbzXL0dt2ilznh9-tvEOFs2Yo6WgTkCBnrXdOY8zohOx9Z5F32ARqNQ0lhzYa89SxGRRZV5jJNcfikOHSbAi7QL6fQqaQ5RRr_llKIa9w7sV2VaTQ1FmANhlulb8c1s5imEBXnui-40UeNiVS0q9UwTykrUjbS4ciQv-tdntV4p0FHO4iSyszyeM=w640-h470" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Kali in the hallway as we <br />were leaving for lunch.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We went out for lunch at nearby El Grandpa & Son (what a name!) for our last lunch out in San Miguel de Allende. (I had a delicious cheese steak!) We walked around the galleries in Fabrica La Aurora after lunch.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjz7EFizWt2QdCYI2X03JdYdnEa-5tTUgM0XAShrjzVQH4OWCbTyVZSNEGOVAWQe83vrGQSBt2VD4gHcIKFzE1teUeUfpMgRLKFuYvKcF8wbzE5HuwkFh6jd1KRIJY1Gk6-Jdwu3fo9q4RU7K1FzgqeSNvnJLpbK6_JxHIxRSelSm1yjY0GYRy7oWYo=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjz7EFizWt2QdCYI2X03JdYdnEa-5tTUgM0XAShrjzVQH4OWCbTyVZSNEGOVAWQe83vrGQSBt2VD4gHcIKFzE1teUeUfpMgRLKFuYvKcF8wbzE5HuwkFh6jd1KRIJY1Gk6-Jdwu3fo9q4RU7K1FzgqeSNvnJLpbK6_JxHIxRSelSm1yjY0GYRy7oWYo=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The main hallway in <br />Fabric La Aurora.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwyZ1zYhl2sqqFuxfxVdR22RNoqleFwmI8w9z1mwZdhN0vq_uPMcET18OY_qXbOgoHs-xceRB8T2pXPX3EsgX-IjgFKZc6kLT-jUaA6PgxH48cvV7uENz2--0OTnTN0nGNss7i6yw8muQ8Pjdnevssk9zEMMvDde1eP6CI_lOW-AEu2vaZj2NNwmeb=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="460" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwyZ1zYhl2sqqFuxfxVdR22RNoqleFwmI8w9z1mwZdhN0vq_uPMcET18OY_qXbOgoHs-xceRB8T2pXPX3EsgX-IjgFKZc6kLT-jUaA6PgxH48cvV7uENz2--0OTnTN0nGNss7i6yw8muQ8Pjdnevssk9zEMMvDde1eP6CI_lOW-AEu2vaZj2NNwmeb=w460-h640" width="460" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>An old knitting machine still in <br />place at Fabrica La Aurora.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtqfvURteeIjUovrcKaog2Agez7jc57__StIR61e6Io9-HeQVD8QlZrdaHeD1zC_PzpHo2lIbecT7LlwlQwoFn5KchgUnSGAKnSaLitJ7BnkbKqmAezlMgVdRFyE5rTSbCM23bJoea-usuFhaZ7zSlOWdPJAEQyT_ynLu-df9QiSc6rlnYnbVFDaVV=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtqfvURteeIjUovrcKaog2Agez7jc57__StIR61e6Io9-HeQVD8QlZrdaHeD1zC_PzpHo2lIbecT7LlwlQwoFn5KchgUnSGAKnSaLitJ7BnkbKqmAezlMgVdRFyE5rTSbCM23bJoea-usuFhaZ7zSlOWdPJAEQyT_ynLu-df9QiSc6rlnYnbVFDaVV=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A blue agave plant <br />up close.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0vN4N2qk6dqsq1gqb_WDOHcSyefyzpuZ4ejw2Ns2tvO6MGRHy0TebE--47hcf1woMc7hQKEyHz_7wcg551AxtUmcDKGHD1EzMbCTcPYSzl17KR9upIOmPV0ktkxtLyne8KlCNg1bMZrVSTtZo9mNz2XUiqWcg4SWKGJdmPU4A_T4csKtyhvLQp_OB=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0vN4N2qk6dqsq1gqb_WDOHcSyefyzpuZ4ejw2Ns2tvO6MGRHy0TebE--47hcf1woMc7hQKEyHz_7wcg551AxtUmcDKGHD1EzMbCTcPYSzl17KR9upIOmPV0ktkxtLyne8KlCNg1bMZrVSTtZo9mNz2XUiqWcg4SWKGJdmPU4A_T4csKtyhvLQp_OB=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Our neighborhood taco stand <br />on Sunday afternoon.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After lunch we watched NFL playoff games and drank rum and tonic (we had to use up a partial bottle of rum that we didn't have space to pack) as we packed up the few remaining items from our living room.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We expect to leave San Miguel de Allende tomorrow morning (Monday, January 31) for our hotel in Tonala (half way to Bucerias). (I don't think we will be coming back to San Miguel de Allende--it was nice for the first month or so but then we started missing the water. If we come to Mexico again for the winter, it will be somewhere on the coast.) </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-52855914710182881982022-01-27T16:40:00.001-08:002022-01-27T16:40:40.772-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Last Week in San Miguel de Allende</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15 in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This blogpost described our last week in San Miguel de Allende. (At the end of January we will be moving to Bucerias near Puerto Vallarta, on the Pacific coast, for our last two months in Mexico.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Monday, January 24</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This morning was the start of our last week in San Miguel de Allende. We were looking forward to being in a warmer area of Mexico on the coast but not necessarily looking forward to packing and moving.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Our agenda for today included finding some Mexican beads so that Maggie could continue with her bead projects. Of course, we combined it with lunch out. We originally planned to go to Testavere, which was convenient to the two bead shops we found out about. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We couldn't find the bead shops--they may have gone out of business. Our plan became a little wrecked when we couldn't find the bead shops. We also had second thoughts about eating at Testavere, based on our experience with another recent visit to a high-priced restaurant, Spice Market. So, we stumbled upon another restaurant that looked intriguing from the street, Cafe Monet.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9sn2OqwPkVEbBTY26NwDKyPaaIPuWZL9JemEDoBcDUHL27lR8oRXgaAtabjeaDbphKTEsQqLvPARHnTGy7g-GgbQRu72vpv5thmFaTxieZU1jZnZ5x7NKqva2mCgoNmUdlyS0ekreZ2Bysq0aXteTAFyZ8JtpbEEEin_zNG-4482GGLNm99YV-waN=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9sn2OqwPkVEbBTY26NwDKyPaaIPuWZL9JemEDoBcDUHL27lR8oRXgaAtabjeaDbphKTEsQqLvPARHnTGy7g-GgbQRu72vpv5thmFaTxieZU1jZnZ5x7NKqva2mCgoNmUdlyS0ekreZ2Bysq0aXteTAFyZ8JtpbEEEin_zNG-4482GGLNm99YV-waN=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Cafe Monet's windows and doors <br />opened into the street.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOjiG0wZJ0VkLuE6qD_nwU0lSVw-THwmG1F2Lye3_5cKzEwBKafPbQgCLSMvwosn7-p2m2RT9nJlxz6O6TY-a_X1AJJb5Mf40jUfKXqvHmK2V8p8Aojhk4jpTO7BgMm1umyoztE75P6C4mVQ931tcDOTSaY9mUWCZySUv3fTIapd1sKJl6Vyj51NZ_=s640"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="267" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOjiG0wZJ0VkLuE6qD_nwU0lSVw-THwmG1F2Lye3_5cKzEwBKafPbQgCLSMvwosn7-p2m2RT9nJlxz6O6TY-a_X1AJJb5Mf40jUfKXqvHmK2V8p8Aojhk4jpTO7BgMm1umyoztE75P6C4mVQ931tcDOTSaY9mUWCZySUv3fTIapd1sKJl6Vyj51NZ_=w268-h640" width="268" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Cafe Monet was filled with artwork<br />and the background music <br />was a very relaxing jazz.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cafe Monet </span><span style="font-family: arial;">was the kind of place that stirred my artistic interests. The simple (but elegantly presented) food was very good too. Maggie had fish tacos and I had lasagna--both were outstanding! During lunch it seemed like we were transported to a different place than the Mexico we have inhabited for the past four months.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghcqIst3lqwK5EpDwdo5XwkTq_2cqtt9DP6Dq0nLhAihX9Ahlsq52jV3i8LRX9hRBx5cW6FOcdmGNRh3XKn9ftPUigHcrvkPkep-NqLsBay0QZvJlEtQfXaf7BGB6P9k4QKpSDRpzjRCs1AoAJwqpiVmvikFC_hhOoqd_1TOUJOGJb2YZHzLh_8Odf=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="640" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghcqIst3lqwK5EpDwdo5XwkTq_2cqtt9DP6Dq0nLhAihX9Ahlsq52jV3i8LRX9hRBx5cW6FOcdmGNRh3XKn9ftPUigHcrvkPkep-NqLsBay0QZvJlEtQfXaf7BGB6P9k4QKpSDRpzjRCs1AoAJwqpiVmvikFC_hhOoqd_1TOUJOGJb2YZHzLh_8Odf=w640-h458" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Maggie's four fish tacos <br />for today's lunch.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After lunch we took a taxi to the Artisan's Market so that Maggie could get some beads. I captured the following images along the way:</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi33T2UaV-KJSCdOk_MTb1k4VS_DDR_IhIlI8mc-pcvVuX6miFORFFm5HRuCCuTSg0QxRKQt6x5qwwinzau_CXfdAnQo1s6sWRiSOuI0KaTgT3w4X5fymM9ChQHNC0YLGn4knehpMLI_JPxBhEc4xd3a7x0GrIQvUA_u3lpUdo10qhXiTTcZDEsCMQ0=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi33T2UaV-KJSCdOk_MTb1k4VS_DDR_IhIlI8mc-pcvVuX6miFORFFm5HRuCCuTSg0QxRKQt6x5qwwinzau_CXfdAnQo1s6sWRiSOuI0KaTgT3w4X5fymM9ChQHNC0YLGn4knehpMLI_JPxBhEc4xd3a7x0GrIQvUA_u3lpUdo10qhXiTTcZDEsCMQ0=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A rambunctious group of <br />handmade Mexican rag dolls.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEF5DGZMVdDEso_ASpqWSQ_zt2s4d-HR0z7z_vC4KTmKdjZXwUW5LR4K3-ezYp-c7aOVR3j3s-CPB3OdKyPE9At_3EPAyqyCNKNpHcMdqBq0kGvPbkOI7eFZlLGMQd-kwuvvF9tubwPeTGAExlPp9U0o_ENvn4V0CCb_KeosOq3K13jc2kr_uGP6Je=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEF5DGZMVdDEso_ASpqWSQ_zt2s4d-HR0z7z_vC4KTmKdjZXwUW5LR4K3-ezYp-c7aOVR3j3s-CPB3OdKyPE9At_3EPAyqyCNKNpHcMdqBq0kGvPbkOI7eFZlLGMQd-kwuvvF9tubwPeTGAExlPp9U0o_ENvn4V0CCb_KeosOq3K13jc2kr_uGP6Je=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Two colorful hearts <br />outside a little shop.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOpNMK80v87xGd6EbnbheucPHPjJzu4Cl9k9wDWG-EsUJkhK3muXjNC-rTW3Ipq7sEX_3g1Drb0Z2BgYjT0Wk3yxbWEoS_cqlX1VLwpJ3c7AhaVqr0K1HwpGGX2ORoJmHGysmPrvl8LG6MzNuxQg25UQ1ZDi4HuYslMkwGdv_kHREWgmPP6Z4VwJqu=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="367" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOpNMK80v87xGd6EbnbheucPHPjJzu4Cl9k9wDWG-EsUJkhK3muXjNC-rTW3Ipq7sEX_3g1Drb0Z2BgYjT0Wk3yxbWEoS_cqlX1VLwpJ3c7AhaVqr0K1HwpGGX2ORoJmHGysmPrvl8LG6MzNuxQg25UQ1ZDi4HuYslMkwGdv_kHREWgmPP6Z4VwJqu=w368-h640" width="368" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A red Coca-Cola chair in the <br />window of a little shop.<br />(Supposedly, there <br />is more Coca-Cola<br />sold in Mexico<br />that the U.S.) </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnDKuizelIl3KxtCoJBm8K-JMR-lCAEcVFAjAzHyArWzs2HPN7o27AgGoxDAU4-zf53_o1ZJmZ0RohXu8P0fdNpea3zUl0SH7V5QdUsyvG6POmNFetwMz3ZcXWBmhGULavOVYObtCWaGQ-SPvfiYl5N-0jLLzmx8DAjeU4t_-wQ5pXazre8e37egBl=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="413" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnDKuizelIl3KxtCoJBm8K-JMR-lCAEcVFAjAzHyArWzs2HPN7o27AgGoxDAU4-zf53_o1ZJmZ0RohXu8P0fdNpea3zUl0SH7V5QdUsyvG6POmNFetwMz3ZcXWBmhGULavOVYObtCWaGQ-SPvfiYl5N-0jLLzmx8DAjeU4t_-wQ5pXazre8e37egBl=w414-h640" width="414" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Just another beautiful <br />archway and courtyard.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We were back at our apartment by the magical hour of 3 PM, Maggie having purchased at least four necklace-length strings of different-color beads.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tuesday, January 25</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The low temperature last night was in the mid-40's, at least 10 degrees higher than normal! </span><span style="font-family: arial;">(Colder nights in the 30's were expected to return later in the week.) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">In the morning when we stopped by the corner cafe for breakfast, it was already 65 degrees, headed for a high of (only) 73 degrees for the day. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">---------- </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We went out for a leisurely breakfast ("desayuno" as it is called here) at the corner cafe. Over breakfast we talked about some possibilities for spending next winter: (1) in the Bahamas by boat, (2) spending the winter on board in Annapolis like we did this past winter, (3) spending three months somewhere on the coast in Mexico, or (4) somewhere totally different like spending time in a cabin with snow outside. (We're open to suggestions!)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When we returned to our apartment, the maid was there cleaning. (Kali was running around the kitchen and Lola was hiding somewhere--they have completely opposite personalities.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifHlVhqyFaH2dErRuNiPus243fsPNl7Wsjq5jQAF01R3fCOiS7uIubBHWVP_nqF5hM0eOSTIF9Q17Ez-UPsPNfXlBRYiInBGrfLh4l_eyf3RJ654I4F2UmWRsbK9MTN85QI0arwpj2T6C7WrC2eX-akSYGykIEkuUFzIYaBfSLLb20_on9eOruDdZu=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifHlVhqyFaH2dErRuNiPus243fsPNl7Wsjq5jQAF01R3fCOiS7uIubBHWVP_nqF5hM0eOSTIF9Q17Ez-UPsPNfXlBRYiInBGrfLh4l_eyf3RJ654I4F2UmWRsbK9MTN85QI0arwpj2T6C7WrC2eX-akSYGykIEkuUFzIYaBfSLLb20_on9eOruDdZu=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A skull planter on our table in the Cafe <br />de la Esquina. The plant and planter <br />were for sale for 150 Mexican <br />pesos (about $7.50 USD).</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Previously, I mentioned the primitive electrical wiring in Mexico. Plumbing is another issue that is quite different in Mexico. Because most buildings are more than 300 years old, toilets are typically mounted on a higher level than the surrounding floors so that the discharge plumbing could be fit underneath the toilet without ripping up and redoing the concrete floor.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizY8SQiNLlfxC_PG1-icyfeyWUzSY05_fF3_4ybtBg9Q4Ob_piqNHCZM1UXo5x6RPpB9sF1drm84OJ51wGaxZSuIpagVs0i6b6tuhODkbqrLWUy6IvH8ry-GGxdECNxEeCVRxJN8MsBAGBPySAbz2C7J-ubfcqQKEpNZan7fKgS5-ydvF8ltxGIIKF=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizY8SQiNLlfxC_PG1-icyfeyWUzSY05_fF3_4ybtBg9Q4Ob_piqNHCZM1UXo5x6RPpB9sF1drm84OJ51wGaxZSuIpagVs0i6b6tuhODkbqrLWUy6IvH8ry-GGxdECNxEeCVRxJN8MsBAGBPySAbz2C7J-ubfcqQKEpNZan7fKgS5-ydvF8ltxGIIKF=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The typical increased floor elevation <br />in the bathroom of our apartment.<br />(Note the trash can beside the <br />toilet for soiled toilet paper.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the U.S. wood floors are more common than concrete floors which is why the increased floor elevation is not common in the U.S. like it is in Mexico. Many times, the doors to bathrooms are made shorter to accommodate the increased floor elevation.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I found myself with nothing to do today, an unusual situation for sure--it started about 11 AM, after the maid left. Maggie started cooking a meatloaf for a late lunch. (Lately, we have been eating a later-than-normal lunch as our main meal of the day, most times skipping dinner. We still have Happy Hour almost every day but we have just one drink of some kind, albeit a beer, a glass of wine, or a mixed drink.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Wednesday, January 25</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This morning was relatively warm again (mid-40's outside)--it certainly beats the mid-20's back home! We had no real agenda for the day except lunch at Pizza Guy and a minor trip to the supermarket. We are trying to use up food items we have here in the apartment since we are leaving for Bucerias on Monday mo</span><span style="font-family: arial;">rning.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After a delicious lunch at Pizza Guy, our favorite pizza restaurant in San Miguel de Allende, we stopped by La Comer for a few grocery items.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwPmkJD3VEq1PnmQxUkDtXZI20DKSw9_JDSUEM98rXfxJtwZWfHBnB5IAyhPidaNVRqRJIHFhRu9fLYajJniqbM_aH1IY_sRw9Pe13chGbwagXkK292g-v7tW_CfemUcfT0vOy19IuU-DrbSuFXia21ZFBAwOkxV7nQDSvrC1FLDTaooN19-PlRFNn=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="640" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwPmkJD3VEq1PnmQxUkDtXZI20DKSw9_JDSUEM98rXfxJtwZWfHBnB5IAyhPidaNVRqRJIHFhRu9fLYajJniqbM_aH1IY_sRw9Pe13chGbwagXkK292g-v7tW_CfemUcfT0vOy19IuU-DrbSuFXia21ZFBAwOkxV7nQDSvrC1FLDTaooN19-PlRFNn=w640-h534" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>I was attracted to the moving colorful <br />lights of this sunglass exhibit <br />within La Comer.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">We were back at our apartment by 3 PM. For some reason I was really bored today--I don't know why today I was more bored than any other day but I was. I guessed it was time to start packing (or day drinking). The more I thought about it, day drinking seemed like a good idea (but was so out of character for me).</span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the middle of the afternoon, Maggie made a frozen mango margarita for me using a very ripe mango we just bought at the supermarket. The yellow mango was soft and very aromatic. After all, we couldn't allow the very ripe mango to rot--it would have been such a waste!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaKFES1OVeQKx2J0rfofdLBNuDlfOKFN4DPR1DGuyhw7AK1D7h2oo1vxbV0bxBgC7F9FU4H10lIbI1m_pxWEkamIV9tzKIKEbR3NFn4xZ82qRn_77OgH2hFpFg3aEH97Nh_KA6hT7TtCn-phtkUIn6a2OhkwCmCvueROw809rNW9iU98WGl3MID-pX=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="546" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaKFES1OVeQKx2J0rfofdLBNuDlfOKFN4DPR1DGuyhw7AK1D7h2oo1vxbV0bxBgC7F9FU4H10lIbI1m_pxWEkamIV9tzKIKEbR3NFn4xZ82qRn_77OgH2hFpFg3aEH97Nh_KA6hT7TtCn-phtkUIn6a2OhkwCmCvueROw809rNW9iU98WGl3MID-pX=w546-h640" width="546" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A frozen mango margarita made a <br />perfect mid-afternoon treat on <br />an otherwise boring day!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We were completely out of triple sec but had plenty of blue curaçao for the margarita--it made it a beautiful lime green color.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At the Pizza Guy restaurant today I noticed the higher floor elevation in the bathroom (like almost all other buildings in SMA). Their toilet was of a higher pressure variety and there was a sign in the bathroom about one <b><u>should</u></b> put soiled toilet paper in the toilet and not in the waste basket, contrary to normal practice in Mexico.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0inGSQw6Vx8ht3kGjccgsPBlukas3C0_J20PC47Flh0ZbVXJXi7hJpWLH1dyYlSorC5BXj1Qveh_MDviZEqxlX9Bd9OCsGj6u1N_onSMl0LrpFdk2wH-Kzev0xvl5A7DXE-WQ4qZU_c_0ELXwET5g_qYBcMAzZCnovy00bx2ziUs-zS7OgAmiOxaW=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="640" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0inGSQw6Vx8ht3kGjccgsPBlukas3C0_J20PC47Flh0ZbVXJXi7hJpWLH1dyYlSorC5BXj1Qveh_MDviZEqxlX9Bd9OCsGj6u1N_onSMl0LrpFdk2wH-Kzev0xvl5A7DXE-WQ4qZU_c_0ELXwET5g_qYBcMAzZCnovy00bx2ziUs-zS7OgAmiOxaW=w640-h504" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>This was a snapshot of Kali on our boat <br />just before we left for Mexico--she <br />was only six months old <br />at the time. (Now, she <br />is as big as Lola!)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thursday, January 27</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This morning was another relatively warm one--no temperatures near freezing! Our morning was very leisurely, having oatmeal for breakfast in our apartment. I took a nice hot shower around noon before heading out for lunch.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For some reason Lola (our oldest Maine Coon) was very needy this morning, trying to cuddle with me at every opportunity. She must have felt insecure for some reason.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We decided to go out for lunch at the first restaurant we visited when arriving in San Miguel de Allende, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Hierba Santa.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFvehbqCDGiGUwS3AgSPGisqnJuURxEwRZvK3O2DH-QreKSFIZ17i7J6o1uab-tkutodqghpo7JrM8uiyUZZLvj1ryUc-m9-MVOo3sCNWR19x6QT9vlArrBozvNbBR65r4_FVaBQoMUv78HGACtKCGkBgxubfI7nkapwicTuRHejpvJHd8QVE4hxCq=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="433" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFvehbqCDGiGUwS3AgSPGisqnJuURxEwRZvK3O2DH-QreKSFIZ17i7J6o1uab-tkutodqghpo7JrM8uiyUZZLvj1ryUc-m9-MVOo3sCNWR19x6QT9vlArrBozvNbBR65r4_FVaBQoMUv78HGACtKCGkBgxubfI7nkapwicTuRHejpvJHd8QVE4hxCq=w434-h640" width="434" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A handprinted sign for the restaurant <br />appeared along Aurora.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzioknt28O8ZtAvdYVNJWN4_pvFNnMMTD86qQWa4L4EWcr7qQq0U7VGgfyyGl2G3qfwM9iGjqCiCig5kH9EFGv42205T5RTPKLu0OoCIFDK2FOsi-3VmYMYIjXXZ-Mo22NNYanAoMpL7SBMrp_E4fRwfFBptJnkcI5ph0y5Bnl3VpR20B5MwX2NLp8=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzioknt28O8ZtAvdYVNJWN4_pvFNnMMTD86qQWa4L4EWcr7qQq0U7VGgfyyGl2G3qfwM9iGjqCiCig5kH9EFGv42205T5RTPKLu0OoCIFDK2FOsi-3VmYMYIjXXZ-Mo22NNYanAoMpL7SBMrp_E4fRwfFBptJnkcI5ph0y5Bnl3VpR20B5MwX2NLp8=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The dining area for Hierba Santa is <br />in this outdoor courtyard.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhi-ksZpPfyR1RZeAzIe_T_cMVQ5oniG81OAbzZxiEvcRSaSN-1eXhsXpR1Dn6zA9oFHNOuP_Ne8A1BIgfbvWEMoKXDsLFEsiChgn3ocmQlSztI6ir0FTV3DT5CYEo4oGOf2XsPUVbWG8KLWo5sRzxVKx-ggwzDLRfypoem9ayzTBFpK7EVh4wlUfF7=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhi-ksZpPfyR1RZeAzIe_T_cMVQ5oniG81OAbzZxiEvcRSaSN-1eXhsXpR1Dn6zA9oFHNOuP_Ne8A1BIgfbvWEMoKXDsLFEsiChgn3ocmQlSztI6ir0FTV3DT5CYEo4oGOf2XsPUVbWG8KLWo5sRzxVKx-ggwzDLRfypoem9ayzTBFpK7EVh4wlUfF7=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>I had very tasty fish <br />tacos for lunch!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After lunch we stopped briefly at the nearby OXXO (like a 7-Eleven) and checked to see if they had sugar-free Magnum ice cream bars--they didn't. Maggie continued walking into to town to get some more cash from the ATM while I walked back to our apartment.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixO3keIYl5jmFsSqtJbc0AYowsnpP9Bge3j9gxYtDTkHgMBzYaDxR8_IdOVjv-KOz1_G48-4MmxyevJ94qSgIITwqu3ZLGHd7717vnITfVfxTGjZPNuoN7c83_o9dHYS_UOCZ2DnoV4eRRu-Kl_ouf-W6yuFDytjh_Y5S7gaqmGiaK1Z_QfMooS2bU=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="640" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixO3keIYl5jmFsSqtJbc0AYowsnpP9Bge3j9gxYtDTkHgMBzYaDxR8_IdOVjv-KOz1_G48-4MmxyevJ94qSgIITwqu3ZLGHd7717vnITfVfxTGjZPNuoN7c83_o9dHYS_UOCZ2DnoV4eRRu-Kl_ouf-W6yuFDytjh_Y5S7gaqmGiaK1Z_QfMooS2bU=w640-h334" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Housing way up in the hills above the <br />town of San Miguel de Allende.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Well, tomorrow we begin packing up our things for our trip to Bucerias. We have one more new restaurant we want to try here in San Miguel de Allende before leaving. Stay tuned...</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-57122232614269112392022-01-24T07:18:00.002-08:002022-01-24T07:18:41.449-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Last Days in San Miguel de Allende</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15 in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This blogpost described some of our last fifteen days in San Miguel de Allende. (At the end of January we will be moving to Bucerias near Puerto Vallarta, on the Pacific coast, for our last two months in Mexico.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Wednesday, January 19</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today was our big outing: the Pizza Guy Restaurant and La Comer (the supermarket), all while our apartment was being shown to prospective tenants.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj80FUCc-aUY6ZQ1Vtm6NlAn0zZn2n-0oUD6Uu7T6Kg-xufRQo_X21u2wwDCNwrZf_aISlKlC6EFSpT6s3i-wgqipWe5tvOWNWGyk6f7yxQBWyB7fyOw4vCRv3Q7lg1wkMKba2msWvtLBZuZGjAU8kVnLyWBycirpnfLVlAmXh3Ku3QnLkWyDmo7LkD=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj80FUCc-aUY6ZQ1Vtm6NlAn0zZn2n-0oUD6Uu7T6Kg-xufRQo_X21u2wwDCNwrZf_aISlKlC6EFSpT6s3i-wgqipWe5tvOWNWGyk6f7yxQBWyB7fyOw4vCRv3Q7lg1wkMKba2msWvtLBZuZGjAU8kVnLyWBycirpnfLVlAmXh3Ku3QnLkWyDmo7LkD=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Two young puppies up for adoption near <br />the Pizza Guy Restaurant.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZBstN70__joUpRmoIy-Dn2i61dgawjSdV4-Kny-ZsWde_rcAMLkQeOGoWfX0WcGGtv-KVw1D2cZpXYkT2G3VeoM6YNUsVAP6TjVFMGW2z-yxAjwsRmk5G_d3D9jJ9iui1hwHzALqvWXjTBK_zuxvUs66UCrUTSbKgxFIXp2ZlYqw-WgitjLq2LLRc=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZBstN70__joUpRmoIy-Dn2i61dgawjSdV4-Kny-ZsWde_rcAMLkQeOGoWfX0WcGGtv-KVw1D2cZpXYkT2G3VeoM6YNUsVAP6TjVFMGW2z-yxAjwsRmk5G_d3D9jJ9iui1hwHzALqvWXjTBK_zuxvUs66UCrUTSbKgxFIXp2ZlYqw-WgitjLq2LLRc=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Pizza Guy himself greets <br />us every time we come in.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMEUXi_sR_juNuKkHp-lU7PhSd-eVRAw9PLIWRhkVGjMwKJNwzRMplpI_mLU17bow9RAusSD6ULbFX5A0RgS-rF7oV6k8wiyYoxBaqMxfcTrTwv5BU9eC6E6p5eegz5duyCzQxweaJS3hAuNwRnCYMB2RBS-XTeCVLn-msW0OtzCaJ1s67hWce7K1p=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="640" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMEUXi_sR_juNuKkHp-lU7PhSd-eVRAw9PLIWRhkVGjMwKJNwzRMplpI_mLU17bow9RAusSD6ULbFX5A0RgS-rF7oV6k8wiyYoxBaqMxfcTrTwv5BU9eC6E6p5eegz5duyCzQxweaJS3hAuNwRnCYMB2RBS-XTeCVLn-msW0OtzCaJ1s67hWce7K1p=w640-h394" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Bananas are grown in Mexico and they <br />are abundant in the supermarket!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlYKDg8Z5GyQr45uAYA2scn0JUFR5js0nksomUaIxe0D7KmbhGkjKRQP6t-aOgIwGzHqAgVkS0WZMC-6ty3-65qg1mDh3Dr2nUQ77PFNSnACIeE-j0y5sLqiD6-ipCl_tiqfMBbH3baHIVde7bHtpH_IOwzw9nhblJPWSpA-APGLTh44qG8nhjGKtr=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlYKDg8Z5GyQr45uAYA2scn0JUFR5js0nksomUaIxe0D7KmbhGkjKRQP6t-aOgIwGzHqAgVkS0WZMC-6ty3-65qg1mDh3Dr2nUQ77PFNSnACIeE-j0y5sLqiD6-ipCl_tiqfMBbH3baHIVde7bHtpH_IOwzw9nhblJPWSpA-APGLTh44qG8nhjGKtr=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>We see strange fruit every time we <br />visit La Comer. (You could never <br />find these fruits in the U.S.!)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We got back to our apartment shortly after 4 PM. As I typed up this blogpost, I ate one of the delicious little mandarin oranges that we keep in the fridge. (Now my hands are sticky!)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">During our late lunch we talked about things we want to do in San Miguel de Allende before leaving for Bucerias...</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thursday, January 20</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today was chilly, getting down to 41 degrees last night (and remember we don't have central heating). Fortunately, it was expected to reach 74 degrees in the afternoon. Our apartment was soooo cold--we had to get out today! On our agenda was Santa Ana Cafe for lunch, a visit to the mask museum, and a photo session at Bar San Miguel.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRWakny42aSRxhgixXaA-s8xcpi6LPV76moTvXmujKaIkq_qRuC7-YqTs0MkeRphTjRtoseg4ymLNZQgTAZeHrWt4CgHvRJnY6qjO46cyfQ0TydxfrN4KZiwOuaWTRcJSMvR5HgiZgiDhHjT-pR8sqgOKtHzKeL8IYdlSOUjjj5DGbO_VudXWtGrtX=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRWakny42aSRxhgixXaA-s8xcpi6LPV76moTvXmujKaIkq_qRuC7-YqTs0MkeRphTjRtoseg4ymLNZQgTAZeHrWt4CgHvRJnY6qjO46cyfQ0TydxfrN4KZiwOuaWTRcJSMvR5HgiZgiDhHjT-pR8sqgOKtHzKeL8IYdlSOUjjj5DGbO_VudXWtGrtX=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Cafe Santa Ana is inside the <br />Biblioteca (public library).</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSkROdRxN0wypAo7uGU_92ZciDTz_qPT7VP1Xwt7oBltq69-GMmXcqDCUx1Hf0RetpfINnzG4mZf5gmH3tqk1g9dlj6QlamWJmcVw7Vmd225ZEGhRbGZODkVrqMF_qvD8aCl9-XEtrjiuTSKFrnIE0ayBlDFzNrfMh84OuuhYSD5UMObmPMKMfjfLr=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="455" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSkROdRxN0wypAo7uGU_92ZciDTz_qPT7VP1Xwt7oBltq69-GMmXcqDCUx1Hf0RetpfINnzG4mZf5gmH3tqk1g9dlj6QlamWJmcVw7Vmd225ZEGhRbGZODkVrqMF_qvD8aCl9-XEtrjiuTSKFrnIE0ayBlDFzNrfMh84OuuhYSD5UMObmPMKMfjfLr=w456-h640" width="456" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A statue of a monk in the <br />garden at Cafe Santa Ana</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKrUSQ5-WMkAcA-39lTZFTG7z8u0E-zezHkrojaDh_7NIMVlkPWmIaH0JrmwJttIkcsGbTbSGkjXgTHJGs440A0wWuVd7Ld14DxlFJu2RPa-yzFk5rUoQQpzlwoTe7NqFsResC9lcyVV0GVlkvpsdBenWEE4pxGZfcB7HhzL4MnmjI2Bp3WXkbXl-Q=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="640" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKrUSQ5-WMkAcA-39lTZFTG7z8u0E-zezHkrojaDh_7NIMVlkPWmIaH0JrmwJttIkcsGbTbSGkjXgTHJGs440A0wWuVd7Ld14DxlFJu2RPa-yzFk5rUoQQpzlwoTe7NqFsResC9lcyVV0GVlkvpsdBenWEE4pxGZfcB7HhzL4MnmjI2Bp3WXkbXl-Q=w640-h420" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Plants in the outside courtyard of the Biblioteca--these <br />would make nice indoor plants back east.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We had delicious salads at Cafe Santa Ana, walking around the Biblioteca before leaving for the Bar San Miguel.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmcEy4HTkmOd9jTg_vDHXjSAdZ_AvIxMwWCB5IwWagedGi1uz5fbXwW3bXHZJGvnlvM6V4G6yl1Ayste_1mXLh77I9cwKllArpSWTV8rFYS8WXIqQIRBId5WWjwSbvVyy-qGra6_Io90gPMM5BSDobhCncvBdAvCupHkQoAIIUBStgwIZkMxLAVX51=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="463" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmcEy4HTkmOd9jTg_vDHXjSAdZ_AvIxMwWCB5IwWagedGi1uz5fbXwW3bXHZJGvnlvM6V4G6yl1Ayste_1mXLh77I9cwKllArpSWTV8rFYS8WXIqQIRBId5WWjwSbvVyy-qGra6_Io90gPMM5BSDobhCncvBdAvCupHkQoAIIUBStgwIZkMxLAVX51=w464-h640" width="464" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The beautiful courtyard <br />in the Biblioteca.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXp22k8ZSknN8Wv77D_2_l6AuXHv22Gqn-0c69uaejNV6KpNc7vhSi7aTT-OSXeGUHjISibawHqskmpyEuPhUaUpLP2wzKCblCuJkdvefzYLrTztiH3nmtbUHsf4DFzFjM8nLkpifsqEXB2pEGVuU7g_3TzKNFHRaoVFDDsJJStNQng-4kYo7fq83o=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="640" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXp22k8ZSknN8Wv77D_2_l6AuXHv22Gqn-0c69uaejNV6KpNc7vhSi7aTT-OSXeGUHjISibawHqskmpyEuPhUaUpLP2wzKCblCuJkdvefzYLrTztiH3nmtbUHsf4DFzFjM8nLkpifsqEXB2pEGVuU7g_3TzKNFHRaoVFDDsJJStNQng-4kYo7fq83o=w640-h484" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Bar San Miguel matches one's <br />imagination about Mexico.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVZANOWvmJNRV-YYpLNzC8-nLcH6UZ82IGMp7EAvT7121YgCtSpdxZo8gAuNw6Ai4ruPUoj13n9sR-K56gWZNovW73gxKEYwRN19VGRbLzdWD-wwsC4IhOv5OrH9NUYjUBuTboyeabkmQaP4IEFtMLu-JiYVNqdojtTsy94YI77WAWotMI2I9gE6li=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="537" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVZANOWvmJNRV-YYpLNzC8-nLcH6UZ82IGMp7EAvT7121YgCtSpdxZo8gAuNw6Ai4ruPUoj13n9sR-K56gWZNovW73gxKEYwRN19VGRbLzdWD-wwsC4IhOv5OrH9NUYjUBuTboyeabkmQaP4IEFtMLu-JiYVNqdojtTsy94YI77WAWotMI2I9gE6li=w538-h640" width="538" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Maggie was very attracted to this <br />red hat--I'm more attracted <br />to "shiny things."</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvCe015xbRXivl7t60n25_td6iGyghqEpKpxS0xXf8G3uEf631DJUfl1mSZGwklKqwzyXzvj56G7-sb8KIShhumKA2Rs1CMNyNBzRIxA7fue1fNNYWiRKknPWaOhizJupv9PT0rfVjMsA7pCQRbWAxPPmQJvoS9aeis0Wgxa03SMoXTFqlljP1T20c=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="640" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvCe015xbRXivl7t60n25_td6iGyghqEpKpxS0xXf8G3uEf631DJUfl1mSZGwklKqwzyXzvj56G7-sb8KIShhumKA2Rs1CMNyNBzRIxA7fue1fNNYWiRKknPWaOhizJupv9PT0rfVjMsA7pCQRbWAxPPmQJvoS9aeis0Wgxa03SMoXTFqlljP1T20c=w640-h472" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Street vendors along <br />today's travels.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj39wuQFWBFAgFpXbasePSRrczhkVfX1h_dXKGhEGsbeaYu-MUYGNezyYmchwoVXnuPVoaUFX0u8KoN4rg16Z5Rm_wd7_5A1g5DhKdrRhB0IhFPTnbr80oPDZaQvgEKV3xTrXcdS8gxUFJeKFdGrstwfOcx62dBqjxCuIPq4JXqTFfGSShPtUfFlCbk=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="429" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj39wuQFWBFAgFpXbasePSRrczhkVfX1h_dXKGhEGsbeaYu-MUYGNezyYmchwoVXnuPVoaUFX0u8KoN4rg16Z5Rm_wd7_5A1g5DhKdrRhB0IhFPTnbr80oPDZaQvgEKV3xTrXcdS8gxUFJeKFdGrstwfOcx62dBqjxCuIPq4JXqTFfGSShPtUfFlCbk=w430-h640" width="430" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>This dreamy image brings together <br />most of the colors of Mexico.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After walking more than two miles (on cobblestone streets) and much of it uphill, the mask museum was closed when we arrived. We took a cab back to our apartment, our legs aching from the day's uphill climb.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Friday, January 21</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The mask museum was on the top of our agenda today--but a different one. We decided to take a cab to a nearby highly touted restaurant for lunch and then walk to the (different) mask museum, making our outing later in the day than yesterday.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today's afternoon temperature only reached a high of 67 degrees F, nearly 10 degrees below normal. The sky was overcast and it WAS cool all day!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEha3ZoTI1rdAJYFHhmxC0yxSFJ5fLiy3U5X-Ix2aPkTOz5lU0ambLZG_rQmwH1w8xcbjG_ZUfNZSMbgaGenuqwGdIJuCnmE2P4llM5AzUxWTqjsk49yQJCaVRUq9X5dVoS8VwbMbbWTYBo6UcBe8jttKGRgqFbo9eLHCGKGyGx_8QC9DOdouXcnAIeQ=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEha3ZoTI1rdAJYFHhmxC0yxSFJ5fLiy3U5X-Ix2aPkTOz5lU0ambLZG_rQmwH1w8xcbjG_ZUfNZSMbgaGenuqwGdIJuCnmE2P4llM5AzUxWTqjsk49yQJCaVRUq9X5dVoS8VwbMbbWTYBo6UcBe8jttKGRgqFbo9eLHCGKGyGx_8QC9DOdouXcnAIeQ=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The interior of the Spice Market <br />Restaurant. (We sat at the <br />table on the left of <br />this image.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We had a delicious lunch at the Spice Market, an Asian restaurant. It was the most expensive restaurant we've been to in San Miguel ($90 USD for lunch for the two of us). The food and the service were great. (An Asian fusion dish of cauliflower was particularly noteworthy, though my sought-after steamed bun dim sum was not.) We were the only ones tin the restaurant (just after 1 PM)--I'm sure this restaurant gets crowded in the evening. We took a taxi there and back, not realizing that the restaurant was so close by (maybe 1/2-mile away).</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Saturday, January 22</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was cold again last night, in the mid-30's outside! Our apartment was so cold in the morning that we joked about removing all our food from the fridge and climbing inside to warm up. (Living on a sailboat during the winter in Annapolis was warmer than it was today here.) I had my second cup of hot tea at 11 AM. (I ate a delicious navel orange for a late breakfast.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We didn't have much on our agenda for the day--only watching two NFL playoff games, the first of which was scheduled to start at 2:30 PM local time.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We had a delicious lunch (left-over shepherd's pie that Maggie made about a week ago) in our apartment. (Shepherd's pie is the only Irish dish that I consider edible but I love this dish! Maggie's part Irish.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdpB1WuupQXWPuIbB1DIotIn8zEPf5YZoe1lKMHybCdNLi3wizveCfey_zQym303-zyEkwzHTI5cZIlMoF4v3GbxxDcVaDZttiBzWlbqLvA8LFTiCZgLAOa73OgRGCHalaJAQAJb602iBGyWi1Tuyyih9EtbrmhppR5m7xXTK-rtDPY1s0wjcCP1o9=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdpB1WuupQXWPuIbB1DIotIn8zEPf5YZoe1lKMHybCdNLi3wizveCfey_zQym303-zyEkwzHTI5cZIlMoF4v3GbxxDcVaDZttiBzWlbqLvA8LFTiCZgLAOa73OgRGCHalaJAQAJb602iBGyWi1Tuyyih9EtbrmhppR5m7xXTK-rtDPY1s0wjcCP1o9=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Left over shepherd's pie <br />for lunch today!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We tried again to make a reservation at a small (but highly recommended) hotel in Tonala (just outside of Guadalarja) for next Monday night on our way to Bucerias. (I tried to make the reservation online several days ago to no avail.) Today, Maggie tried by telephone. A representative from the hotel who spoke English called us back and we successfully made the reservation.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The NFL playoff games in the afternoon didn't involve any teams that we cared about, more so we wished certain teams would lose (namely, Green Bay and Tennessee) and, fortunately, they lost.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sunday, January 23</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This morning was a bit warmer (43 degrees F outside) than yesterday and we could feel the difference inside our apartment. It still felt very cold inside our apartment.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirudM7CFnzN3v0w4wK8qNBdZbEEYPRepEc4yXYtw0pZzmF7FHSnH9OssUHei67QAVN9ZcpOc2jeH0KsopdnhP1K_5XlCJni5HuNM16STVelVS5uIMM7rdiFjSNpKNbeB1k7kuDMaXSEUnvbsgjk5JjaZy0m7YD7gE3MlOtAx8cFTJTQ6Vzq3BXPcMb=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="477" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirudM7CFnzN3v0w4wK8qNBdZbEEYPRepEc4yXYtw0pZzmF7FHSnH9OssUHei67QAVN9ZcpOc2jeH0KsopdnhP1K_5XlCJni5HuNM16STVelVS5uIMM7rdiFjSNpKNbeB1k7kuDMaXSEUnvbsgjk5JjaZy0m7YD7gE3MlOtAx8cFTJTQ6Vzq3BXPcMb=w478-h640" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>I relied on green tea <br />to keep warm all <br />morning.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today's NFL playoff games involved one team I was rooting against (namely Tampa Bay--Tom Brady has had enough Super Bowl opportunities!) and one team that I was rooting for (namely Kansas City--how could you root against Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid?).</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiP5Q70EZya2wfTkhyVxvxrK0BSdVCkVvMqn7JUIxNXi74YtuQwsN3pl9KN8WrQisZNWJ73OHWzP41kxl9yLFJVyCdJnJGzXgYNYFd9UfzrrROn4Kr4LK4hDk5rqPEpFoAPUFuHJ7h7ugCaXGpAQtreoXW457ZnUba4rDWemmhhEszmwbrEWseIH9ZH=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiP5Q70EZya2wfTkhyVxvxrK0BSdVCkVvMqn7JUIxNXi74YtuQwsN3pl9KN8WrQisZNWJ73OHWzP41kxl9yLFJVyCdJnJGzXgYNYFd9UfzrrROn4Kr4LK4hDk5rqPEpFoAPUFuHJ7h7ugCaXGpAQtreoXW457ZnUba4rDWemmhhEszmwbrEWseIH9ZH=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Kali sitting on the table between me <br />and the TV during the second <br />playoff game.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;">At the end of the day both teams I rooted for actually won, Kansas City and the LA Rams. Next weekend, the LA Rams will play the San Fransisco 49ers in the NFC playoffs--I expect that the Rams will win. Kansas City will play the Cinncinnati Bengals in the AFC playoffs--I expect Kansas City to win. So, my expectation is that the Super Bowl will be between the Kansas City Chiefs and the LA Rams, which should be an entertaining game for sure.</span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-183038817827790092022-01-18T16:38:00.000-08:002022-01-18T16:38:34.537-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Last Days in San Miguel de Allende</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15 in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This blogpost described some of our last fifteen days in San Miguel de Allende. (At the end of January we will be moving to Bucerias near Puerto Vallarta, on the Pacific coast, for our last two months in Mexico.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Saturday, January 15</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Oatmeal made a nice warming breakfast today. The morning was spent very leisurely ending with a nice hot shower. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHadjS1DZ1YqBOfKGtaWxbTPqkEVfgy9Jg-HfeNaU0zUwLAHZDETMac335hVrj_xQMGjDSq5YQVSoxEYEjPxvixqGIg0vpmF5UH7ClbT8HdMaPG9dVdSZFsojs8giAEmu02rxg9XGTrUlGUgb6Mwm2tgZrsvVoeesoB0pvZA1hYH370sBspSaLztEJ=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHadjS1DZ1YqBOfKGtaWxbTPqkEVfgy9Jg-HfeNaU0zUwLAHZDETMac335hVrj_xQMGjDSq5YQVSoxEYEjPxvixqGIg0vpmF5UH7ClbT8HdMaPG9dVdSZFsojs8giAEmu02rxg9XGTrUlGUgb6Mwm2tgZrsvVoeesoB0pvZA1hYH370sBspSaLztEJ=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>You might be wondering what do these <br />pretty red onions have to do <br />with this blogpost.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Maggie was busy in the morning making shepherds pie for a late lunch. I was using my new iPad stand to watch the Hula Bowl on FuboTV. (I could only use FuboTV in conjunction with our VPN since, otherwise, it would not be available here in Mexico. FuboTV is a streaming service for all types of TV programs and sporting events. I was able to watch past episodes of "Life Below Zero", one of my favorite programs. I think I will continue to use FuboTV on the boat when we return since it was difficult getting acceptable TV reception on Kent Island.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4TBY7x6hfHszylzogPtqgHCa23UvDSlkpSlMnA6frwAvLNhIVkm1bK-DY15mPvbGQEaglpUvpTWalpm8Nwmx4zgNXvK5A9a_UPtwd63oHeh90mq2jWmhYEH5lmpHZx5w5QkB5Wq1sqC1zhFPR6zLWi39TVonNAUfNlJEoghl-HZ_mUfEDt4Qn9Dgb=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4TBY7x6hfHszylzogPtqgHCa23UvDSlkpSlMnA6frwAvLNhIVkm1bK-DY15mPvbGQEaglpUvpTWalpm8Nwmx4zgNXvK5A9a_UPtwd63oHeh90mq2jWmhYEH5lmpHZx5w5QkB5Wq1sqC1zhFPR6zLWi39TVonNAUfNlJEoghl-HZ_mUfEDt4Qn9Dgb=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Watching the Hula Bowl on my iPad <br />using my new iPad stand.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We watched two NFL wildcard games on TV today but we didn't do much else...</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sunday, January 16</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">More NFL wild card games were on the agenda for today. I got caught up on some YouTube videos to which I subscribed and watched a new episode of "Life Below Zero" on FuboTV.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We left our apartment briefly to allow for another "showing" in the afternoon. I was surprised that there were so many locals interested in renting an apartment. Actually, they weren't locals but rather gringos already living locally. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Another thing I thought about today was my love of shooting (particularly shotgunning) and the dramatically increasing cost (and unavailability) of ammo, particularly for my 28 gauge shotgun (up to $1/round). I used to reload shotgun shells to keep the cost down but even the components (primers and shot, in particular) are increasing in price. I thought about buying a CO2-powered pellet pistol to satisfy my love of shooting (not a substitute for a shotgun however) in a lower cost manner. I'm still deciding between a 0.177 and a 0.22 caliber for my yet-to-be purchased (German-made) Diana-brand pistol. (I'm leaning toward a 0.177 caliber. All of this thinking was about for when we return home.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Monday, January 17</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Remedios, the maid, just about caught us sleeping late this morning. We didn't get up until about 9 AM. We didn't accomplish much today except making a nice lunch in our apartment (salmon fillets, baked sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts).</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was one more NFL wild card game (on Monday evening), the Arizona Cardinals versus the Los Angeles Chargers--it was an evening game. The Los Angeles Chargers won unexpectedly but in a dominate fashion.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We didn't leave the apartment again today...</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tuesday, January 18</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Getting good photographs of most of the unique scenes in San Miguel de Allende was the primary activity on our agenda for the day. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I used </span><a href="https://slightnorth.com/instagram-spots-san-miguel-de-allende-map/" style="font-family: arial;">this site</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> to get a list of the best photo opportunities in San Miguel de Allende.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We went out for lunch at Hecho En Mexico and walked around the area after lunch. The following images were captured during out afternoon walk:</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4Z2B18fp090WiVOmTD88lClS9V2wr8_jaQWudt2PcysgiRMbeOrAhRvPKVOEQffAzzZk3AYrF0N4A3taAZvLqJbNKd6RXAzV_kGrR-aQ2DRUqTFIgSxmBZm5m8D3VfD9NAn1P3VnChdGJs_PHFI2JOUfS9tAQx3AIGeP1yWIzL30OFeKbqRMKVmEr=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4Z2B18fp090WiVOmTD88lClS9V2wr8_jaQWudt2PcysgiRMbeOrAhRvPKVOEQffAzzZk3AYrF0N4A3taAZvLqJbNKd6RXAzV_kGrR-aQ2DRUqTFIgSxmBZm5m8D3VfD9NAn1P3VnChdGJs_PHFI2JOUfS9tAQx3AIGeP1yWIzL30OFeKbqRMKVmEr=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A restaurant courtyard near <br />Hecho En Mexico.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3helZfoOiN7edx1Q2dKOvyxnlqKUZdWqq3EQV_ebLGq0_IaW7iONUS3zYQKWO6klRKTcL7q65NHPYlYSqKhi5mL50ysos3dENyc78suvgHjc8iZp8i5SCjD9-ktMc2SDpwq8bR5NuB0ANNU7Ek3UjJuf9vtoSaQUTf7mDnaUw5Hv4G0dQMcHUiSjj=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3helZfoOiN7edx1Q2dKOvyxnlqKUZdWqq3EQV_ebLGq0_IaW7iONUS3zYQKWO6klRKTcL7q65NHPYlYSqKhi5mL50ysos3dENyc78suvgHjc8iZp8i5SCjD9-ktMc2SDpwq8bR5NuB0ANNU7Ek3UjJuf9vtoSaQUTf7mDnaUw5Hv4G0dQMcHUiSjj=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Cafe Rama on Calle <br />Nemesto Eiez.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjH2Rp9yC5IE1DDv2q-56qURdnav2B4H8pqK3aCGhh_TIsyGmRsUzVg25eRFxzRDecf9gQwEDGbPbQqUXE4DyIJtwNspQMcnX1k5U9LiAJo76ny4pMBtsE2KGdhwYUQXD56pDrlT-V4Rede3bYBte8fF4S_i64EQs7YWwaVqFl-iMnHy4CLCpu16xm9=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjH2Rp9yC5IE1DDv2q-56qURdnav2B4H8pqK3aCGhh_TIsyGmRsUzVg25eRFxzRDecf9gQwEDGbPbQqUXE4DyIJtwNspQMcnX1k5U9LiAJo76ny4pMBtsE2KGdhwYUQXD56pDrlT-V4Rede3bYBte8fF4S_i64EQs7YWwaVqFl-iMnHy4CLCpu16xm9=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Condominiums across the street <br />from the Rosewood Hotel.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnuF1Fj-rouhHoz5en9oqPyzw06p0aF1s0WW2VcFUglbp_zQ5J5_kfOsn0qqTUe4QjZOLOrxg2-6w_3tGGbw97Cs19huA0m_1lOyE9940rP8pxQTFgsnSd2uClVF_4MJPIZ-_oZP_xuznOnjnOvLCXJKbEDhT18NmGJNcUelbjb4DKtVxFGCDUiJ65=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnuF1Fj-rouhHoz5en9oqPyzw06p0aF1s0WW2VcFUglbp_zQ5J5_kfOsn0qqTUe4QjZOLOrxg2-6w_3tGGbw97Cs19huA0m_1lOyE9940rP8pxQTFgsnSd2uClVF_4MJPIZ-_oZP_xuznOnjnOvLCXJKbEDhT18NmGJNcUelbjb4DKtVxFGCDUiJ65=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Adama Street: This was supposed to <br />be one of the best photo spots <br />in San Miguel de Allende.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We got back to our apartment about 3 PM, as usual. I still have several photo spots that are supposed to be great--tomorrow is another day...</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-33084870780722842602022-01-14T14:23:00.001-08:002022-01-15T09:38:00.035-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Last Days in San Miguel de Allende</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15 in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This blogpost described the first part of our last twenty days in San Miguel de Allende. (At the end of January we will be moving to Bucerias near Puerto Vallarta, on the Pacific coast, for our last two months in Mexico.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Wednesday, January 12</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We slept in a little late and went out for breakfast at the nearby coffee shop. It was so cool outside (upper 50's) that I could feel the cold of the glass tabletop through my (vintage) sweatshirt. During breakfast we discussed the possibility of spending the worst three months of next winter (January, February, and March or the like) in Mexico (but on the coast), as opposed to six months like this year.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdDIYeQuK6A5LERpEW_xX7V264S33EBzX3rO9a5snfHjge3SOjoQc_B56Cp74_bkJMWK-OAR9OiwoT75l4WPlkxOX7h5oriEPV-bs6bvsGWc1PCUVJOaMlTWRLbs2g8-CAaWzu-G1sg_Lalxze-QIvix8qS_0ULi0T9gBe8UNX5OrjNcVBM7UtA1su=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdDIYeQuK6A5LERpEW_xX7V264S33EBzX3rO9a5snfHjge3SOjoQc_B56Cp74_bkJMWK-OAR9OiwoT75l4WPlkxOX7h5oriEPV-bs6bvsGWc1PCUVJOaMlTWRLbs2g8-CAaWzu-G1sg_Lalxze-QIvix8qS_0ULi0T9gBe8UNX5OrjNcVBM7UtA1su=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>John's hat by the front door of our <br />apartment. (John was the <br />previous tenant who lived <br />in this apartment on/off <br />for the three prior <br />years.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We had no agenda for the day except for changing the 20-liter water bottle and changing a light bulb in the dining area. (The light in the dining area still didn't work, probably because of the wiring. Refer to my description of Mexican electrical wiring in a previous blogpost.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We simply relaxed most of the day--after all, that's what retirement is all about, right? We walked to the Aurora office of La Conexion (the small package shipping service) to check on two expected shipments. The guy at the counter looked them up in their system and told me he expects them on Friday (this week) or the following Monday. It was difficult to decipher if he was telling me the truth or just telling me what I wanted to hear. (I had not yet received an email invoice for either one which was unusual compared to my previous experiences.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Maggie was still experiencing a "brain fog" leftover from her bout from COVID in the U.S., at least that was her excuse for losing two games of Words with Friends in a row. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thursday, January 13</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The morning temperature was very cool (low 30's outside). The floor of the apartment was cold as usual. We got up around 8 AM and had a light breakfast at home (Cheerios with sliced fresh strawberries on top for me while Maggie had an English muffin with peanut butter and fresh strawberry halves). (The local strawberries were very flavorful!)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Our landlord scheduled a "showing" of our apartment in the afternoon at 3 PM for a new tenant (since we are leaving at the end of the month). Consequently, we scheduled our day's outing around the "3 PM showing." Our day's outing included a trip to La Comer (the supermarket), a stop at a scenic overlook (to take pics of San Miguel de Allende), and a late lunch at Pizza Guy restaurant.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The following images were taken in the mid-to-late afternoon:</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmFWM52UzeSMTmJRdyRu89cSOj0ejbIegxaDBFScpEDFchaXYn8hFzx5i-2jOiamRyWhMo1IeeKNlS9L3WBD_wQXww2FSGYTUNVQ1DyDaOvXrsXx_JWW0MBduQUAYJzEJeHLqCtcdTcEsEQmDNGSQpKoTiXZTz6pqHPp6oSecFgXWTmb5aWJ-CKtu9=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="640" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmFWM52UzeSMTmJRdyRu89cSOj0ejbIegxaDBFScpEDFchaXYn8hFzx5i-2jOiamRyWhMo1IeeKNlS9L3WBD_wQXww2FSGYTUNVQ1DyDaOvXrsXx_JWW0MBduQUAYJzEJeHLqCtcdTcEsEQmDNGSQpKoTiXZTz6pqHPp6oSecFgXWTmb5aWJ-CKtu9=w640-h372" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A funeral procession complete with <br />mariachi's heading down the <br />main road into town.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcPrsnbxq14CBBo2gnIUgWXzCIskHul3Xfv8nboO8n3jbPfARad0QkYjj7FFQNxu3aH_XYK8kDKAVxTaYcBuU4yNX1qPL2yNxDhUV2iRdwH1f5Id6EuZCIWNkFIca0lmsQHbSQXUEQEykBx6LNBNsAZ-H2LqCQp1J3rfi_L0eExbEGD38ltGulJqh2=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcPrsnbxq14CBBo2gnIUgWXzCIskHul3Xfv8nboO8n3jbPfARad0QkYjj7FFQNxu3aH_XYK8kDKAVxTaYcBuU4yNX1qPL2yNxDhUV2iRdwH1f5Id6EuZCIWNkFIca0lmsQHbSQXUEQEykBx6LNBNsAZ-H2LqCQp1J3rfi_L0eExbEGD38ltGulJqh2=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>San Miguel de Allende as viewed <br />from the scenic overlook <br />along the highway.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2lbi6y5IyKqgSYR3bwkEWQyL5DxxFJUb6jf6hg-WNuD6fEN1HkQUi1BYlcduIOsa_OWxoJqq8qbWS5RkqJfNEXRB4bxAmVokLaCZ7t2cz5jgcl4DSiEDrT_5GSPrTVHmTgF8PmW_-rb4x7qXmhLJojE_VAbPFE1_wg2L60CSxzIAmCgkUL5rxDKX7=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2lbi6y5IyKqgSYR3bwkEWQyL5DxxFJUb6jf6hg-WNuD6fEN1HkQUi1BYlcduIOsa_OWxoJqq8qbWS5RkqJfNEXRB4bxAmVokLaCZ7t2cz5jgcl4DSiEDrT_5GSPrTVHmTgF8PmW_-rb4x7qXmhLJojE_VAbPFE1_wg2L60CSxzIAmCgkUL5rxDKX7=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Looking toward the lake from <br />the scenic overlook</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwpLmx_Fc33fw0YzzBBru6nBkPqsbVCFHYgQH5I8ET1XUatIwa6kcAdL6e7KWLz6FFbNR9UsFJoOZSxMw9J4eYhYfQ4D1DxR_ylpOzqHgb3xnMAmesIjeJg6lcGS_HARHNZPVQ6fhaJplyadOA95epnSaI7XF1mooMFxShzIcreiCQL8l7HgtFaisq=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="640" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwpLmx_Fc33fw0YzzBBru6nBkPqsbVCFHYgQH5I8ET1XUatIwa6kcAdL6e7KWLz6FFbNR9UsFJoOZSxMw9J4eYhYfQ4D1DxR_ylpOzqHgb3xnMAmesIjeJg6lcGS_HARHNZPVQ6fhaJplyadOA95epnSaI7XF1mooMFxShzIcreiCQL8l7HgtFaisq=w640-h510" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Interlocked padlocks along the metal fence <br />at the scenic overlook. (Since the padlocks <br />have names on them and the scenic <br />overlook is probably a great location <br />for young lovers, one can only <br />assume what the named inter-<br />locked padlocks mean.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWPFeepdxzfNzck3AyvWtKhgV1IMLC0H1HUrw4xNeZRskL5QxblYXFNjeBoK-3qEBXgvEvKnQULjT9j6PwpsHRdSWrKz1T9TA7bdGHJWhF2Ik6_hTC5keAW07LNn59Wbgvd22m6G74atdfO39oCxN43MRfomjdBVXqAw8BICUny0GC98oCqH-ptcvY=s2636" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2636" data-original-width="1229" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWPFeepdxzfNzck3AyvWtKhgV1IMLC0H1HUrw4xNeZRskL5QxblYXFNjeBoK-3qEBXgvEvKnQULjT9j6PwpsHRdSWrKz1T9TA7bdGHJWhF2Ik6_hTC5keAW07LNn59Wbgvd22m6G74atdfO39oCxN43MRfomjdBVXqAw8BICUny0GC98oCqH-ptcvY=w298-h640" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A work break in selling <br />newspapers along <br />the highway.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We got back to our apartment at about 4 PM, later than usual for me. After putting away groceries and marinating salmon fillets, I settled down for a mango margarita using a very fresh mango that we bought at the supermarket. Our day wound down from there...</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Friday, January 14</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The outside temperature dropped to 31 degrees last night (actually early in the morning). We used three heavy blankets for warmth during the night. (Remember that there is no central heat in this apartment nor most others in Mexico.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We had an electrical power outage around 11 AM today— the second one within the 3-1/2 months we’ve been in San Miguel de Allende. It started by the (old style fluorescent) light bulbs dimming (first, in the bathroom, then in the kitchen) and the microwave chirping—it wasn’t an all out immediate power shutdown. After a few minutes though, it turned into a complete electrical power shutdown, including the server. (I was writing this on my iPad with about 50% battery power remaining, later transferred to my laptop when electrical power was restored.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5TNKbB-r9mkJdm1-w0nEY7lAALJb3luVnmrk1MOE5IxFmVfV42wsVRJYdrzNZ4GBCaCOVhZI5y3zFVmC_-G0Bq0WK4Y0dYsTJvBBc4lFSid0mTNhaO1XOJXYPkjAry4R0KKDRo6nbigApIT5ukFWmaZUVymS5UA_MDKJbb3w_2NGQV2v1DwexPIZq=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5TNKbB-r9mkJdm1-w0nEY7lAALJb3luVnmrk1MOE5IxFmVfV42wsVRJYdrzNZ4GBCaCOVhZI5y3zFVmC_-G0Bq0WK4Y0dYsTJvBBc4lFSid0mTNhaO1XOJXYPkjAry4R0KKDRo6nbigApIT5ukFWmaZUVymS5UA_MDKJbb3w_2NGQV2v1DwexPIZq=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Maggie at the Food Factory <br />for lunch today.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We went out for lunch at the Food Factory in Fabrica La Aurora—it was great just to be in the warm sun! After lunch we stopped and picked up our two packages at the Aurora office of La Conexion. One of the packages was a replacement GPS I bought on eBay back around the holidays. (The second package was a stand I bought for my iPad, primarily for use while I’m watching FuboTV.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjORTgjIb3WOUtaRsR-AEuyinlW4ylxwreKL_4MuxLMepzwcGt24_3bHCNhzOUMvAahKct2D7fFQi_gIwFXgVMOr7J8IEYlciD4c6FX9_CmsQ2GYQGEehfYUsJuY4NxlSbeQ2L9Skhj4Tf8RwbaE_yf_74QZQXZgHWaGZjtpEIYmNpvTwqC9wNZ2oBp=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="640" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjORTgjIb3WOUtaRsR-AEuyinlW4ylxwreKL_4MuxLMepzwcGt24_3bHCNhzOUMvAahKct2D7fFQi_gIwFXgVMOr7J8IEYlciD4c6FX9_CmsQ2GYQGEehfYUsJuY4NxlSbeQ2L9Skhj4Tf8RwbaE_yf_74QZQXZgHWaGZjtpEIYmNpvTwqC9wNZ2oBp=w640-h418" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Setting up our new GPS in <br />front of our apartment.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The new-to-us GPS looked like it had rarely been used and it fired up right away. The Mexican maps seemed fine but I have no idea when the last map update was made. I setup the GPS in our car during a “second showing” of our Guadeloupe apartment in the afternoon. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As the long shadows of the late afternoon crept across Calle Cancion India, a lone artist continued to work on his street mural. Our electrical power was finally restored at 4:05 PM.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Until next blogpost, thanks for following our blog!</span></h3>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-21189049553555462492022-01-12T08:48:00.000-08:002022-01-12T08:48:04.101-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Last Four Days Without Maggie</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15 in San Miguel de Allende, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This blogpost described my last four days without Maggie (she was in the U.S.) in early January 2022 in San Miguel de Allende. (At the end of January we will be moving to Bucerias near Puerto Vallarta, on the coast, for our last two months in Mexico.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Saturday, January 8</span></h3><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the morning after feeding the cats and having a light breakfast myself, our cats joined me in bed for an early morning nap. Lola slept up near my face while Kali groomed herself near my feet. (Since day one, Lola has been very close to me!)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGCyLZRatqMkLlMAA571xU05Y1PmMbtICYCTIOQ7jOh6rH3RoSpPjFEeBwAepJlSuESLUfVc3vA5SkhHLd7TJ_8muYUG6ABn5uyDS8zaOSPZhxNPlRtbqDeThkAmD57SVMRDLGATgafZ9UItyH8x1wD4_DhzRNv1fJBZUdygVZQQ6pQ6FtqvaDGL4Z=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="640" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGCyLZRatqMkLlMAA571xU05Y1PmMbtICYCTIOQ7jOh6rH3RoSpPjFEeBwAepJlSuESLUfVc3vA5SkhHLd7TJ_8muYUG6ABn5uyDS8zaOSPZhxNPlRtbqDeThkAmD57SVMRDLGATgafZ9UItyH8x1wD4_DhzRNv1fJBZUdygVZQQ6pQ6FtqvaDGL4Z=w640-h438" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Kali's morning grooming routine.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I decided to leave the apartment today and go out for lunch. I got a very tasty club sandwich at the Food Factory—the cost was 175 Mexican pesos (a little less than $10 US). The Food Factory mainly serviced gringos which is why it was more expensive than most nearby (Mexican) restaurants. However, my mood today was for a “familiar” meal—not Mexican.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLrj627yvvPJTAGvavEnDE8xidnCEKVVQl2sPPw9oj6Fr6HYzn6m2rt6TNJD5Wq2ncWqhQGFqcMBlX9pLVe2DiNRfvcF-eactItkXmDV5Mjmi_R6ZkCUyJ6SRkdFGsjXZlJ3PGND6DNzDTgVQBJDLIpu7TTZSWmgiNvG1x201W6Jj7Hqd1FrPYts0q=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="640" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLrj627yvvPJTAGvavEnDE8xidnCEKVVQl2sPPw9oj6Fr6HYzn6m2rt6TNJD5Wq2ncWqhQGFqcMBlX9pLVe2DiNRfvcF-eactItkXmDV5Mjmi_R6ZkCUyJ6SRkdFGsjXZlJ3PGND6DNzDTgVQBJDLIpu7TTZSWmgiNvG1x201W6Jj7Hqd1FrPYts0q=w640-h540" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Flan for dessert.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhryt9-I2JQVCeGfQLxVrTWZv4Z80EduRKI6qDk44Dkwe7mbm-gUpJAEI3uNMCxYGNQud5isruUhTU6_PaaW8PllE6CHqQ6XapGFTFPqSm5U_XMxUeriVBKHfYeIdcrnaWicSjM4-xNXzTs3hvQSP4Ow1jlzujey6_nvvziTEjpSILOxdexaS__qnS3=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="336" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhryt9-I2JQVCeGfQLxVrTWZv4Z80EduRKI6qDk44Dkwe7mbm-gUpJAEI3uNMCxYGNQud5isruUhTU6_PaaW8PllE6CHqQ6XapGFTFPqSm5U_XMxUeriVBKHfYeIdcrnaWicSjM4-xNXzTs3hvQSP4Ow1jlzujey6_nvvziTEjpSILOxdexaS__qnS3=w336-h640" width="336" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A pretty woman on a bench in <br />front of a mural at Fabrica <br />de Aurora.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjskO47RojBesoEJV3SZ4kyrNGhKQ0S1zcOYMV6QRd-jDArDq7hmVuEAu8OSo3LAknG2Fkwly4EUAbjPFHS-BYENx2iuPxczzbd_f2BigzWPGZSi8ljT4IYcOAm-L91VHUWzVXOAcbwwrIJZ0ITX3zJH7zqClK4l-MjFl4BDWd9MRPuk0XUe9IMylbp=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="550" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjskO47RojBesoEJV3SZ4kyrNGhKQ0S1zcOYMV6QRd-jDArDq7hmVuEAu8OSo3LAknG2Fkwly4EUAbjPFHS-BYENx2iuPxczzbd_f2BigzWPGZSi8ljT4IYcOAm-L91VHUWzVXOAcbwwrIJZ0ITX3zJH7zqClK4l-MjFl4BDWd9MRPuk0XUe9IMylbp=w550-h640" width="550" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>My daily companion, <br />camera and lens.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Many times since being here I wished that I had brought a good pair of sneakers (and a sweatshirt, down vest, etc.) along with me. Perhaps the reason I didn’t was because my sneakers didn’t fit that well. (One of the first things I plan to do at home is to buy a pair of good-fitting sneakers—I’ve been shopping online for them but I won’t buy them from here.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I checked in at the Aurora office of La Conexion while I was out and about since I was expecting two packages from the U.S.: (1) a used GPS unit for our car purchased on eBay and (2) a stand for my iPad purchased on Amazon. They had already closed for the day (Saturday) at 1 PM. Again today, I was back at the apartment by 3 PM.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sunday, January 9</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today was a lazy day of sorts--I DID get out of the apartment around mid-day! I drove to La Comer (the supermarket, but I still forgot cat food and a pizza cutter!) and then I went out to lunch at Pizza Guy.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When I sat down for lunch today at Pizza Guy, the waitress automatically brought me a Coca-cola light. I didn’t even realize how habitual I have become (at least in my eating habits). </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The proprietor greeted me at the door and asked about Maggie’s (COVID) improvement.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> (I’m going to miss this restaurant!)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Maggie has been gone (back in the U.S.) now for two weeks--today, I was really feeling lonely. I played some of my favorite songs on my </span><span style="font-family: arial;">iPad. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfv1sAlU7cgmflHu8apXqMhiP8qChh0hi-b5FW_1pUVxMNrKH7PnCUTOGkLUbGC6Oe197lby2ND0SZK2MA5urK0dnHLvRkI05-jZTdXO7Nq4rm9BFKYs62rQ7BaTEhID1-Y0aa8Ga3hlVhd51SvcHmT0_MKxDgstCZOhhxrbNtwb5QUvdKycs5ycsD=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="640" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfv1sAlU7cgmflHu8apXqMhiP8qChh0hi-b5FW_1pUVxMNrKH7PnCUTOGkLUbGC6Oe197lby2ND0SZK2MA5urK0dnHLvRkI05-jZTdXO7Nq4rm9BFKYs62rQ7BaTEhID1-Y0aa8Ga3hlVhd51SvcHmT0_MKxDgstCZOhhxrbNtwb5QUvdKycs5ycsD=w640-h578" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>K.D. Lang singing <br />Hallelujah</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have four all-time favorite songs: (1) "Hallelujah", composed by Leonard Cohen--<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--FrDSx-21k">the version sung by K.D. Lang</a>, (2) "Love of my Life", composed by Queen--<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAEoPKwBJfo">the cover by Martina Lynn</a>, (3) "All I Ask of You", <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfPLh_6ckzI">from Phantom of the Opera</a>, and (4) Rainbow Connection. music and lyrics by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher--<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAEoPKwBJfo">the version sung by Sarah McLachlan</a>.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Monday, January 10</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The day started out for me at 8 AM. After feeding "los gatos", I washed the dirty dishes that were in the sink from yesterday. The maid comes today. (We're going to miss having a maid!) Again today, I have no agenda. I've been keeping up with my grocery list and will be driving to La Comer again tomorrow. (We need cat food again and I have a few other items on my grocery list.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAuTv2xoBVJh4vOsrCPQXU-N8xr7l1vqqBQVmXW9scMPi5vbqSMNASlhOvehemaimasdZ25XWHawlHcX_FEO4Dp_Zfx6o2mnvnvFaStTxzybi0-YjcCObcTslrsZS4JXyBv1_VsoqSPLNGref6HoJ1k2AlEBIzVtV281LLQqTGv8p1BacZa4ftJenx=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAuTv2xoBVJh4vOsrCPQXU-N8xr7l1vqqBQVmXW9scMPi5vbqSMNASlhOvehemaimasdZ25XWHawlHcX_FEO4Dp_Zfx6o2mnvnvFaStTxzybi0-YjcCObcTslrsZS4JXyBv1_VsoqSPLNGref6HoJ1k2AlEBIzVtV281LLQqTGv8p1BacZa4ftJenx=w540-h640" width="540" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Sweet and tangy oatmeal <br />for breakfast</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I decided to make oatmeal for a late (9:30 AM) breakfast this morning I followed a recipe I found on line but then made my own adjustments. I used 1/2 milk and 1/2 water for the liquid and then I added about a half teaspoon of (Mexican) vanilla, two packets of Splenda, cinnamon, and dried cranberries. I cooked it for 15 minutes (three times the time called for in the recipe) on low heat, stirring frequently. (The Splenda provided the "sweet" and the dried cranberries made it "tangy.")</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioeP8Ga3sTyCugDKFAMS0k8Yd1pvCw2Vm3-vbutn-L1ep-RdUJdPsjqslpIjF5gorCpu2SoRix6zWy96KMfyPhY4Tl_jxzZmWRG-r5WTtOQTzpFntvUcYRvwV5UwHrnvYCI85pAlxtGT5PsytFNe3mBcXVjRc4UKhyj5dQuVgL4J467We1BJBi8vWP=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioeP8Ga3sTyCugDKFAMS0k8Yd1pvCw2Vm3-vbutn-L1ep-RdUJdPsjqslpIjF5gorCpu2SoRix6zWy96KMfyPhY4Tl_jxzZmWRG-r5WTtOQTzpFntvUcYRvwV5UwHrnvYCI85pAlxtGT5PsytFNe3mBcXVjRc4UKhyj5dQuVgL4J467We1BJBi8vWP=w500-h640" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Kali was in an extremely loving <br />mood this morning.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Kali was in one of her loving moods this morning as she sat on the desk beside me and my laptop. She walked all over my laptop keyboard and nudged me (not so casually) for attention. What she lacked in pretty markings, she certainly made up for in personality. (She is the most affectionate cat I have ever been around.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I felt a sort of nervousness today, anticipating Maggie's return tomorrow--it was a good nervousness. (She is expected to return tomorrow night about 9 PM.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tuesday, January 11</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the morning, I drove to La Comer (the supermarket). Traffic was very light, probably because of the Tuesday Market in progress. I got back to the apartment at about 12:30 and then walked to La Aurora (El Grandpa & Son) for lunch.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuLBT8OKviRKpAcZdpj1_2cbgrsQ3GostfQOFrv25g5CcPc3ayfyp0hDsj9A3v4l-VkMwzNbozvf8T2yOOvMNPFuULzSt3pGK8Jk6LC-PJfkEm9-2y5xxqiSaW0lnmf04fP-eHC2FtqItdgjyXe8xZX9Ihey2PRNxCAlo513IOsX_k2W46dKhgMBS_=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuLBT8OKviRKpAcZdpj1_2cbgrsQ3GostfQOFrv25g5CcPc3ayfyp0hDsj9A3v4l-VkMwzNbozvf8T2yOOvMNPFuULzSt3pGK8Jk6LC-PJfkEm9-2y5xxqiSaW0lnmf04fP-eHC2FtqItdgjyXe8xZX9Ihey2PRNxCAlo513IOsX_k2W46dKhgMBS_=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The atmosphere surrounding my lunch. I <br />looked onto the dining area of the <br />Food Factory (next door) while I <br />ate lunch at El Grandpa & Son.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Between lunch (a cheese steak) and dessert (a brownie with ice cream), I enjoyed the moment—the sounds, and the cool breeze amidst the warm afternoon sun. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghkfSALMTDqsY6o-2TCul1hJX24U-_2Y3TvZufSfAG3hQQT26KGcUsu8Zjtesok1ecBgStmdxzr5Id3NGZELARmEw85NUy40wetM-XW7sMfGHCvmDKR3eFfqLpoQyFky_sD_Hmuo_vMHHQ9CcxAqPQuOXPkKM5bw3KMQGkwvgPcyv2csc2uQ1e2SA-=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghkfSALMTDqsY6o-2TCul1hJX24U-_2Y3TvZufSfAG3hQQT26KGcUsu8Zjtesok1ecBgStmdxzr5Id3NGZELARmEw85NUy40wetM-XW7sMfGHCvmDKR3eFfqLpoQyFky_sD_Hmuo_vMHHQ9CcxAqPQuOXPkKM5bw3KMQGkwvgPcyv2csc2uQ1e2SA-=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>My dessert consisted of a brownie freshly <br />cooked in a little cast iron pan with <br />melting vanilla ice cream on top!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My goal for the day (a trip to La Comer) had already been accomplished and all I had to do was wait patiently for Maggie to arrive in the late evening. For some reason I was still nervous—it was more like anxiety than nervousness.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I received a text message from Maggie that her flight had safely landed in Mexico City—only a 3.5-hour bus ride ahead of her, after a several hour wait in the bus terminal. (The bus service in Mexico is great! It is a luxury service—not how you tyically think about bus service in the U.S. The cost of the bus trip was only $25 USD.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9enyxa09CW3j7yExzQ1Dw9VVKcXKo6MvBCN5U96GrHZKgsqnlCaddEtMWOpaaVXRFZE98_54mz1QRHwo3KDVTaprj_sIpdEFFPQwQl5Ket2WLcWIaAiSDPQRTTVkps35T93xKMko_GQbDg5BIVgC85QRuN6q9RAPQ75A4nL2hYVdcahL_L1EwXDW7=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9enyxa09CW3j7yExzQ1Dw9VVKcXKo6MvBCN5U96GrHZKgsqnlCaddEtMWOpaaVXRFZE98_54mz1QRHwo3KDVTaprj_sIpdEFFPQwQl5Ket2WLcWIaAiSDPQRTTVkps35T93xKMko_GQbDg5BIVgC85QRuN6q9RAPQ75A4nL2hYVdcahL_L1EwXDW7=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Sweeteners on the table <br />at the restaurant.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">From the restaurant, I leisurely walked home and fed “los gatos” right away—they have been getting a half-meal in the afternoon. They were waiting for me at the door. It was about 2:30 PM, well before my habitual 3 PM return time. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibhcvmRiXrmaJN9_iLBj5oADlZ4VJCyFfNNHPj4LXsBE3N_jKRW7XkZ8qxQzQqHDY1R0MTTTmi2_oW_lWGSpsLt81iTStSOF05bJs85DUfWBC-tYgevnj_O8OTqbXJulaiX6MItD5AS0o1sHwX-gpPONDe1JzFFyLn6nXKgyparNAzADKont8I0r5f=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="640" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibhcvmRiXrmaJN9_iLBj5oADlZ4VJCyFfNNHPj4LXsBE3N_jKRW7XkZ8qxQzQqHDY1R0MTTTmi2_oW_lWGSpsLt81iTStSOF05bJs85DUfWBC-tYgevnj_O8OTqbXJulaiX6MItD5AS0o1sHwX-gpPONDe1JzFFyLn6nXKgyparNAzADKont8I0r5f=w640-h546" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Kali and Lola waiting for me just <br />inside the front door. (I didn't <br />have the f-stop high enough <br />for this image since Kali <br />was out of focus.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I cleaned up our apartment a bit, showered and shaved, washed the dirty dishes in the sink, and made the bed before I sat with my laptop and worked on this blogpost. (At this point, I had 6 hours to wait for Maggie's return...)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Maggie finally arrived home at 9:30 P.M.!!!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div><br /></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-67041696253965758622022-01-07T15:25:00.002-08:002022-01-10T08:42:45.719-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Early January in San Miguel</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15 in San Miguel de Allende, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This blogpost describes four early days of 2022 in San Miguel de Allende. (At the end of January we will be moving to Bucerias near Puerto Vallarta, on the coast, for our last two months in Mexico.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tuesday, January 4</span></h3><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />It was very cold in the apartment this morning! I got up, fed the cats, had some coffee and a light breakfast and then I went back to lay in bed under the blankets for a while.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj38DcaXSkcCtEtNxwlk1iwO1d2yJdswKJVWcvMf9xsCM2EHY1zeSWGpHblOMkhg_01gZCUyaTCb0Rk8SZryB6z46H8neg-6r3AwySTUTpB-8b-PbYRyv-WwRCVK06oFvJALK86A9cnHSGNrHN_02mGukXr5a4-WRNAQvO8teFHuqU5P22I9z6QnTym=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="493" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj38DcaXSkcCtEtNxwlk1iwO1d2yJdswKJVWcvMf9xsCM2EHY1zeSWGpHblOMkhg_01gZCUyaTCb0Rk8SZryB6z46H8neg-6r3AwySTUTpB-8b-PbYRyv-WwRCVK06oFvJALK86A9cnHSGNrHN_02mGukXr5a4-WRNAQvO8teFHuqU5P22I9z6QnTym=w494-h640" width="494" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>With full bellies, both cats cuddled up <br />to me in bed at mid-morning.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I communicated with Maggie this morning via text message and she seems to be slowly improving, fortunately. (We talked later in the day by phone and she definitely sounded better, though still exhausted.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Again, I tried to finalize our AirBnB arrangements for an apartment in Bucerias (just north of Puerto Vallarta), after losing out on one of them a couple days ago. The host of the AirBnB unit, Miryam, only speaks Spanish and my Spanish is not so good. However, after using Google Translate, our housing arrangements were firmed up for the last two months of our winter getaway.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2Sw1IDWyn0DRRTGw2ZjJ5MrwkKdHCNBTBgPqHyijsy0w3yt7CSm1r8kzWTs1m_hEZGELfh_cefiZM4bE2oMmvMHoiwsYJ4CDGB_tRGm12cp2a_32PfNs03H-m65oVEg1rreSSer-hRNeoZrwkqh7-FmhSmAxovhPXdvOCQwpxA0dKkjlmjEaSKxmL=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2Sw1IDWyn0DRRTGw2ZjJ5MrwkKdHCNBTBgPqHyijsy0w3yt7CSm1r8kzWTs1m_hEZGELfh_cefiZM4bE2oMmvMHoiwsYJ4CDGB_tRGm12cp2a_32PfNs03H-m65oVEg1rreSSer-hRNeoZrwkqh7-FmhSmAxovhPXdvOCQwpxA0dKkjlmjEaSKxmL=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>An image from AirBnB of the terrace connected to <br />our new apartment in Bucerias. (We went <br />overboard on outside space and <br />windows this time around.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Our new apartment was located about six blocks from the beach. With our housing in Bucerias confirmed, I took and nice hot shower and went about my day. My goal for the day was to get a haircut and go out for lunch afterward.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">My haircut cost 350 Mexican pesos (about 18 USD), including trimming my eyebrows (really needed at my age). It was as good as any haircut in the U.S., at probably half the price. </p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpssXp0gz4xKxGx7Bg62SeiZYN1YWGyQrsq6pS4HRu3e41Tdpjyt8ZCVAe96-g2uJvb2IR_-reTgRGrnLHN4pV92JyZD2JM9-JVJRQxyQnId7ULgL1etsemsQqKeDcouoJYwOBQKhNY_4YJ_cbI_Yq6lz7k4yOyF8FM_87VtPdximo1D81j02i-j76=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpssXp0gz4xKxGx7Bg62SeiZYN1YWGyQrsq6pS4HRu3e41Tdpjyt8ZCVAe96-g2uJvb2IR_-reTgRGrnLHN4pV92JyZD2JM9-JVJRQxyQnId7ULgL1etsemsQqKeDcouoJYwOBQKhNY_4YJ_cbI_Yq6lz7k4yOyF8FM_87VtPdximo1D81j02i-j76=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The barber shop in San Miguel de <br />Allende was state of the art.</i></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The young Mexican barber spoke (broken) English but it was much better than my (very broken) Spanish.</p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">----------</p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">My lunch at Cafe Santa Ana made up for my spotty intake of veggies so far this week. I had a very large and delicious Cobb salad (and a muffin for dessert).</p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8pcNvvxdj3DEH4IKKPMWTvYxrrtUkg1d8t9DA7JecxKtuQTudSZXBfqdHDcJMfwlLxpuppN0ajcU9pkK26RZpwW6hEHtYcM61sLHYzZUKqp_wfwrYv184TUJzFGXn6l68uFdGixXOAMWNXtbnBej9QJVjffEmofm72d9Fi2-SbRIU9CJngY-aMxwB=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8pcNvvxdj3DEH4IKKPMWTvYxrrtUkg1d8t9DA7JecxKtuQTudSZXBfqdHDcJMfwlLxpuppN0ajcU9pkK26RZpwW6hEHtYcM61sLHYzZUKqp_wfwrYv184TUJzFGXn6l68uFdGixXOAMWNXtbnBej9QJVjffEmofm72d9Fi2-SbRIU9CJngY-aMxwB=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My Cobb salad for lunch today.</i></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Today, I walked to the barber shop, then to Cafe Santa Ana, and back to our very humble abode, a total distance of about one mile (as later estimated on Google maps). This was the longest distance I have walked in one day since we were in the Exumas in the spring of 2020. (I think I am finally getting somewhat back to normal. My recovery from prostate cancer has been very frustrating to say the least.)</p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1sakj6O9fuNnLFSxY1UBnPHL-j7Sp3J5C2_eIQ23g5V1R1Ap_leVy9ndvuVeGWC6OZ-hpSbArJNZzDzteZmTWW1m6AR7yDQdmjI442G83FvgmnqH60l8xpkxctkyHLrSyseFCrNXqUsFYf_TsXDjJ8JjIncDK0VLfeClvNbAmuGs3GlevzTCtSMlT=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1sakj6O9fuNnLFSxY1UBnPHL-j7Sp3J5C2_eIQ23g5V1R1Ap_leVy9ndvuVeGWC6OZ-hpSbArJNZzDzteZmTWW1m6AR7yDQdmjI442G83FvgmnqH60l8xpkxctkyHLrSyseFCrNXqUsFYf_TsXDjJ8JjIncDK0VLfeClvNbAmuGs3GlevzTCtSMlT=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A colorful mural on the side of a <br />brick wall along Aurora.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></p></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">So far, my goal of teaching our cats simple tricks has gone nowhere, mostly because I don't have enough patience for the task.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Wednesday, January 5</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I understand (from our landlord) that the cool mornings we have been experiencing end by about the middle of January (shortly before we leave for Bucerias). However, this morning was still very cold outside. Fortunately, it is nice and warm outside in the afternoons.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I spent the morning leisurely hanging around inside our (cold) apartment, catching up on the news, some YouTube videos, and talking with Maggie on my cell phone. Maggie was still isolating (due to COVID) in her hotel room in New Mexico. (She expects to catch a flight from Dallas back to Mexico City and then take the long bus ride back to San Miguel, all on next Tuesday.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Notes on electrical wiring in Mexico</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The electrical wiring that is typical here in Mexico would make anyone familiar with electrical wiring in the U.S. cringe. This is not a knock on the country but an illustration of the different cultures.</p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">For example, there are four overhead lights in our apartment in San Miguel de Allende—the weight of each of the four light fixtures are hanging only by their connecting wires.</p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh523QK_gmiLV3UyQJ2wn_nW-igwWVAn-0pvD1JggpT4itHzduomSEZCyZXRmau5yQcT3KwZhmZui0Dxzc1NvYuNI_zkq1cX9dE2KU36AVHcGJC9wQukqz0ysDnQtNmebMs8w_Ly0_PdTpmFNvFSJg3gjlMrdvbJbCYKkQ1tFr98ck3fY4afZlMNXrA=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="502" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh523QK_gmiLV3UyQJ2wn_nW-igwWVAn-0pvD1JggpT4itHzduomSEZCyZXRmau5yQcT3KwZhmZui0Dxzc1NvYuNI_zkq1cX9dE2KU36AVHcGJC9wQukqz0ysDnQtNmebMs8w_Ly0_PdTpmFNvFSJg3gjlMrdvbJbCYKkQ1tFr98ck3fY4afZlMNXrA=w502-h640" width="502" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>All four overhead light fixtures in this apartment are <br />supported by the connected electrical wiring. <br />(Also note that the inlet wiring has no <br />color code on the wires.)</i></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I haven’t found a circuit breaker or fuse block (as used in old homes) anywhere on this property. Wiring is embedded in the concrete walls and ceilings. As far as I can tell there was no conduit to protect the wiring used in these areas.</p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">There is not a single GFCI used anywhere in our apartment. You would think there would be at least one in the bathroom but that not the case. (Imagine what would happen if someone accidentally dropped an electrical shaver or a hair dryer into a bathroom sink full of water.)</p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">There are a few three-prong sockets used in our apartment but I understand that a dedicated ground is not used in Mexico—so, they are simply for ease of connecting common U.S. made appliances with 3-prong plugs.</p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Fortunately, there is very little wood or other flammable materials used in home construction in Mexico. So, fire prevention is not a driving force in making good electrical wiring like it is in the U.S. Also, Mexico is completely lacking in liability regulations. So, if a light fixture electrocuted someone it would be treated as “an act of God.”</p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Fortunately, we don't have what is called a "<a href="https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/112085/how-suicidal-are-electric-suicide-showers">suicide shower</a>" in this apartment, even though they are common throughout Mexico and the rest of Latin America. (By the way, "suicide showers" are the second leading cause of death in Costa Rica.)</p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhM1Eap9FXCDPCXXtYOE2_VyrTdu96AQs1gdgObPvic9AB582BNX9o-ND8CSmZSh9r9Wfzbv2H_fau6JDbPuxZXMaYo2xJA3qPTN53hggqi7QPvEW-IdCC7KIOBzf90l17C2FTtA9wN4Lvr4G7564Pq5PxgAi2R9j_XMrQVunzr5YZUm7Dk43a6bHgx=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="640" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhM1Eap9FXCDPCXXtYOE2_VyrTdu96AQs1gdgObPvic9AB582BNX9o-ND8CSmZSh9r9Wfzbv2H_fau6JDbPuxZXMaYo2xJA3qPTN53hggqi7QPvEW-IdCC7KIOBzf90l17C2FTtA9wN4Lvr4G7564Pq5PxgAi2R9j_XMrQVunzr5YZUm7Dk43a6bHgx=w640-h492" width="640" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I heated up a couple of (turkey) hotdogs for lunch, <br />wrapping them into a flour tortilla with <br />mustard and relish.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">After lunch, I walked to La Tienda de Gil, a little neighborhood market, to pick up a few things. I purchased milk, bananas, a couple very tasty muffins, etc. It was nice and warm outside (75 degrees F) and I took along my camera with my 20mm f2.8 wide angle lens attached.</p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuefX-ONBPlryh8qLclGm7cubp8fizzEBQ7hrL5tRfxHRWq4dlMfjaF3DFHRglthVMANKkIAk7EUcUvR4dr3XK-OsGRtRKSzfBBkO-C5U2HdR7wqtvsrVE6uKum2KuKypPTyntUHFZ7rCAzrQiPzj4hMfzSyLq1ZIXmaboCIOibgsVkqCP8fLtTJOU=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="551" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuefX-ONBPlryh8qLclGm7cubp8fizzEBQ7hrL5tRfxHRWq4dlMfjaF3DFHRglthVMANKkIAk7EUcUvR4dr3XK-OsGRtRKSzfBBkO-C5U2HdR7wqtvsrVE6uKum2KuKypPTyntUHFZ7rCAzrQiPzj4hMfzSyLq1ZIXmaboCIOibgsVkqCP8fLtTJOU=w552-h640" width="552" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The outside appearance of <br />La Tienda de Gil.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thursday, January 6</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Today is Three Kings Day and the fireworks used in the celebration kept me awake a good part of last night and early this morning. I spent the morning rather leisurely, not even eating breakfast--just my regular (decaf) tea. Of course, I fed the cats early or they would have driven me crazy</p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">----------</p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">At lunchtime, I drove to Pizza Guy Restaurant to have lunch out and afterward continue driving a short distance to La Comer (the supermarket).</p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-pt3Hl9wKR4bhOHzssrjNMw7e6eUp-nqvL-Q2ikrt-zhsJKIgcIKH_o_YNk_1QH0N37bkESlk68Q8-9g4sd-2R9szGDL_F89kW72QYDNUjzEWIMmEpB4Rgs-bkT2VR5w6RHnJa0t2rQTXjoykLHcgsw9PeqUkw_8quZ7bbKaz9k_PzGAkJlD998ax=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="640" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-pt3Hl9wKR4bhOHzssrjNMw7e6eUp-nqvL-Q2ikrt-zhsJKIgcIKH_o_YNk_1QH0N37bkESlk68Q8-9g4sd-2R9szGDL_F89kW72QYDNUjzEWIMmEpB4Rgs-bkT2VR5w6RHnJa0t2rQTXjoykLHcgsw9PeqUkw_8quZ7bbKaz9k_PzGAkJlD998ax=w640-h334" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Prime seating at Pizza Guy is a view of the main <br />road into San Miguel de Allende.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoCheVPsUaZ8ygLPBUj5dHXGuK98ZeMFE6k5L1ImGA343Z6HYnX1BMsqInG82JOL7L3oOTxfwoTNIDg_D1QTACfGs_XbQmLEz1clE7o9n66To1TIdJ8cKt904nadvtNO1HRFqssbKkky6WpBz6evOHhrZiobR7q5ApYO57qqA6wkZ-cPbv6LG8RLpH=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoCheVPsUaZ8ygLPBUj5dHXGuK98ZeMFE6k5L1ImGA343Z6HYnX1BMsqInG82JOL7L3oOTxfwoTNIDg_D1QTACfGs_XbQmLEz1clE7o9n66To1TIdJ8cKt904nadvtNO1HRFqssbKkky6WpBz6evOHhrZiobR7q5ApYO57qqA6wkZ-cPbv6LG8RLpH=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>For lunch, my pizza contained pepperoni, black <br />olives, and bell peppers. I took home <br />what I couldn't eat there.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div>At La Comer, besides lots of cat food, I bought fresh fruit in addition to some odds and ends I needed. Through Google. I found out that Mexico is a big producer of the bananas I eat almost everyday--they are produced in Mexico's southern states. I stocked up on delicious (Mexican-grown) watermelon too.</div><div><br /></div><div>While at La Comer, one of the outside attendants washed our car. (It cost 100 Mexican pesos, about $5 U.S., a great deal! Our car gets extremely dirty just sitting along the street in front of our apartment.)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">----------</div><div><br /></div><div>I got home (to our apartment) just before 3 PM. (It seems like no matter what I do or where I go, I automatically return home around 3 PM.)</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Friday, January 7</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Fortunately the mornings here have not been quite as cold lately--this morning's low temperature was 42 degrees F.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I started a new routine this morning--a shot of Rum Chata in my morning coffee. It really seems to set the mood right for the start of the day. (I bought Rum Chata yesterday, thinking that it was produced in Mexico but its not--it was produced in Wisconsin. Supposedly it is made using Caribbean rum and dairy cream. I highly recommend it for use in coffee!)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzLV7PNtQWXuSOjslS_quSlIn_BLmO14DuQX29wCDPwQ9AZsl1rBaBQl1SSq_vQ3uWAElRN9j6XrzklWO_SOKtrDwc-KNJr5A1JYZsdRwSias2TVx3NydKsTLcavYkCbkJIW5HLHASXUquLreWy7m8atWI3SbcoqXgRIQ9tTY5HQSYGCrYXZXShoyp=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="640" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzLV7PNtQWXuSOjslS_quSlIn_BLmO14DuQX29wCDPwQ9AZsl1rBaBQl1SSq_vQ3uWAElRN9j6XrzklWO_SOKtrDwc-KNJr5A1JYZsdRwSias2TVx3NydKsTLcavYkCbkJIW5HLHASXUquLreWy7m8atWI3SbcoqXgRIQ9tTY5HQSYGCrYXZXShoyp=w640-h540" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A tree painted on the side of a building in <br />the Guadeloupe neighborhood of <br />San Miguel de Allende.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I had no agenda for today and as the old saying goes "no plan results in nothing done."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I warmed up some pizza (from yesterday) for today's lunch and had a beer (a Pacifico brewed in Mazatlan to be exact) with lunch. After lunch I just had to have another coffee with Rum Chata.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_3TH2mE20xqkNJ_qPJ30AxcEkFbFDUUQmBOwOkskqMI6X1VsWgCksbQFluqHZDekGyVP43uqHRcYkzsbE3F-orRAFmZ0efJdz8DPf68EPIxWOL-z_1hWrIptUyK2rNHdYZz0Mr3bZpLYO7B2mthOzzadkeIUOntXgNzSWAS4Sgpd5W4RIDuDxdXMV=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="640" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_3TH2mE20xqkNJ_qPJ30AxcEkFbFDUUQmBOwOkskqMI6X1VsWgCksbQFluqHZDekGyVP43uqHRcYkzsbE3F-orRAFmZ0efJdz8DPf68EPIxWOL-z_1hWrIptUyK2rNHdYZz0Mr3bZpLYO7B2mthOzzadkeIUOntXgNzSWAS4Sgpd5W4RIDuDxdXMV=w640-h548" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Rum Chata in coffee--a great way to <br />start the day or finish it!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Maggie seems to be steadily improving from her bout with COVID in Texas--she expected to arrive back in San Miguel late next Tuesday evening. I can't wait for her return...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div><br /></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-45309231547187089512022-01-03T10:00:00.001-08:002022-01-03T10:01:51.247-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Beginning a New Year in SMA</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion to Mexico. We arrived in San Miguel de Allende by car on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This blogpost describes the first three days of 2022 in SMA. (At the end of January we will be moving to near Puerto Vallarta on the coast for our last two months in Mexico.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Saturday, January 1</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">This morning I slept in until about 8 AM. I fed the cats right away before they had a chance to tear the place apart.</span><p></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMZdGcR1FNOmdoSPLfJqqqX-_xlzCtSNBZPiCqJjcBIk5AbxU1_3YcBQQ1RU-Kzj1AtYUjD02dKcBbsUyK9WMr65SoaO1KIbaJ-ogB1WzTsO5ceL2ZFp8GueqakVixDdDF7JeEHHwjfq8rAgG1dZkGyOfi3JfoeeADXlBmq_ddVaKhhbaV-NA3T-J5=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="619" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMZdGcR1FNOmdoSPLfJqqqX-_xlzCtSNBZPiCqJjcBIk5AbxU1_3YcBQQ1RU-Kzj1AtYUjD02dKcBbsUyK9WMr65SoaO1KIbaJ-ogB1WzTsO5ceL2ZFp8GueqakVixDdDF7JeEHHwjfq8rAgG1dZkGyOfi3JfoeeADXlBmq_ddVaKhhbaV-NA3T-J5=w620-h640" width="620" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Kali starts out the new year in a box. <br />Cats can't seem to resist an <br />empty cardboard box.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I went back to bed for awhile and watch the news on my iPad. Both cats joined me in bed.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Penn State's bowl game (the Outback Bowl) started at 11 AM local time. At half time Penn State was ahead by a score of 10-7 but eventually lost to Arkansas by a score of 24 to 10.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I talked to Maggie in the early evening and she was very sick. She had administered a home COVID test and it was negative. Her symptoms seemed consistent with a very bad head cold.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sunday, January 2</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This morning Maggie tested positive for COVID on a home test, even though she has been vaccinated twice (once with the single-shot J&J vaccine and a second time with a two-shot Pfizer vaccine). Maggie is currently in Arizona visiting her youngest daughter but has quarantined in a hotel room. (She was feeling better by noon, probably because the was vaccinated so effectively.)</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Kali was in one of her lovey-dovey moods this morning where she climbed all over me and purred, getting as much attention as she could. (She does this to Maggie quite frequently.)<br />I've never had another cat quite like her--it is really unique behavior for a cat.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I watched some NFL games in the afternoon and ate leftovers for dinner. I didn't leave the apartment again today.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Monday, January 3</span></h3><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />I started this blogpost while at a nearby coffee shop, Cafe La Esquina. I was up early to take down our Christmas decorations in our apartment and to clean up somewhat in advance of the maid’s weekly visit. Our landlord had advised me that she would be taking photographs in the morning for the new ad to re-lease our apartment. The maid, Remedios, arrived as I was leaving for breakfast.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2v47iroDprwma3S470txJ465X2lxfC-lI7MglkRwi1QuHsdQ7Y1935dXzHOodbxzN6VZGy-VH84XJ7PUqe50kytndS4X4Es3Yao3NpML9wJLY5vP2rTJAH2lUHCfTqPyXd9SsGY2le7DtLSJkjbT9ER9QV_vEDuEXPgzQa86lGZsB3ZgW10PfKd0x=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2v47iroDprwma3S470txJ465X2lxfC-lI7MglkRwi1QuHsdQ7Y1935dXzHOodbxzN6VZGy-VH84XJ7PUqe50kytndS4X4Es3Yao3NpML9wJLY5vP2rTJAH2lUHCfTqPyXd9SsGY2le7DtLSJkjbT9ER9QV_vEDuEXPgzQa86lGZsB3ZgW10PfKd0x=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>My first latte of 2022. (This was the first <br />time I wrote "2022" and had <br />it wrong initially.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />The sky was overcast and the outside temperature was in the upper 50’s. The sun didn’t appear until several hours later. Today was my first day out of our apartment in the new year.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />In the morning, I felt like I had lost contact with Maggie—the last I heard from her was at 7:15 PM yesterday via text message. I knew she was in a hotel near her youngest daughter but I wasn’t even sure if it was in Arizona or New Mexico. (Because I knew Area 51 was nearby, I assumed she was in New Mexico.) My emails and my most recent texts had gone unanswered—I hoped it was because she was sleeping. Of course, I thought about the possibility that she could have been in a hospital somewhere on a ventilator. I felt helpless and distant.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">----------</div><br />Meanwhile on the news this morning I read “In Florida, (COVID) cases have risen 948% over the past 14 days." (So much for banning COVID health mandates and the irrational "right-wing" opposition to vaccines!)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">----------</div></span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">When my breakfast (omelet) arrived, I ordered a second latte. As usual, my omelet was artistically presented along with a small side serving of fried potatoes and a spoonful of mole on the side—it was all very tasty.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">----------</div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">As soon as I returned to our apartment (about 10 AM) I tried calling Maggie on her cell phone. I got through and, though she sounded awful, she was feeing a little better. My worst fears were put to rest. We talked about the need for her 10 days of isolation and how it would impact on her remaining visits. (I think we agreed that she would spend the remaining days of isolation at her hotel in New Mexico and then fly back to Mexico. However, I had my meds shipped to Rachel's house in Chicago that have to be forwarded to Maggie in New Mexico. I never thought that we would be safer in Mexico than the U.S. with respect to COVID!)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The following images were taken in our apartment (where I have spent a lot of time lately) in San Miguel de Allende:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjH9jVXQdWQDKwBauYDffksmnQNx-zX-vryaRYCA1PmZqsaQMWFe8ypu8Rm6O32-PME2DBAaT_IWUkDQqYDR1tUhcfWSaXhBKOyhjhINFxhaIlP4csveXLbo1GppQWHxiy7J0PiHoCwv_0w7PZgIf_OIhhs_lARGbrCCzYvb-l1Vb2F5iuaGfRtzV8A=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjH9jVXQdWQDKwBauYDffksmnQNx-zX-vryaRYCA1PmZqsaQMWFe8ypu8Rm6O32-PME2DBAaT_IWUkDQqYDR1tUhcfWSaXhBKOyhjhINFxhaIlP4csveXLbo1GppQWHxiy7J0PiHoCwv_0w7PZgIf_OIhhs_lARGbrCCzYvb-l1Vb2F5iuaGfRtzV8A=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The long skylight in the hallway between <br />the kitchen and the bedroom.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxTbfkGZPbUjJ9u7jWftdY5vyxJM4jMH2UODB_LzqbNV9w_I1Je9-HUgMaSH7j4P_kfD3mM8Ogc4awAS_vOOtA-9Ft73auXskzkfl1CX7xC5CIOIET0Ugu2puxpvzAmLQMHO7WPJQVSxD5qXVEc3FcdXvmsxFDoT0c7fOvbSazmqhdSvRUMWxzBULc=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxTbfkGZPbUjJ9u7jWftdY5vyxJM4jMH2UODB_LzqbNV9w_I1Je9-HUgMaSH7j4P_kfD3mM8Ogc4awAS_vOOtA-9Ft73auXskzkfl1CX7xC5CIOIET0Ugu2puxpvzAmLQMHO7WPJQVSxD5qXVEc3FcdXvmsxFDoT0c7fOvbSazmqhdSvRUMWxzBULc=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The skylight in the bedroom <br />provided a lot of daylight.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The lack of windows in this apartment still drives me (and our cats) crazy. All the skylights in the world don't make up for a window!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-28493536085349297602022-01-01T09:06:00.001-08:002022-01-01T09:06:43.927-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Last Four Days of 2021 in SMA</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This blogpost describes our last four days of 2021 in San Miguel de Allende. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sunday, December 26</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />This morning was another cold one (in the upper 30's or lower 40's). I slept in late. Finally, around 10 AM I got out of bed and took a nice hot shower and got dressed. (Maggie was up early doing laundry--she's such a trooper!)</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I was listening to music on my iPad as I made the bed--K.D. Lang's outstanding version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" brought up my spirits considerably. I couldn't get enough of this song for some reason--I must own six versions (and I played every one in the morning), including an instrumental one by Chris Botti, the famous classical trumpet player.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-IYl1LWCNORdAk6xfXycJ1majZpW1PGRtmP7dv7rtcrtoMtWjzqZkYSNJ8K0D12wIbysfNEIvMEcOUptrOjbglyugLE2b0lt3Pdn_zRBIo8QK2WF3SVITeGpE-jOCD0v22Bnmf7Gw50j3uuESJRHQ3GYyzV2T8Pv0B34HoLMC9yesMK2fLBHuEZji=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-IYl1LWCNORdAk6xfXycJ1majZpW1PGRtmP7dv7rtcrtoMtWjzqZkYSNJ8K0D12wIbysfNEIvMEcOUptrOjbglyugLE2b0lt3Pdn_zRBIo8QK2WF3SVITeGpE-jOCD0v22Bnmf7Gw50j3uuESJRHQ3GYyzV2T8Pv0B34HoLMC9yesMK2fLBHuEZji=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>We ate lunch (delicious hamburgers) at the <br />Food Factory today. Oh, and we <br />shared lemon pie for dessert.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />After lunch at the Food Factory, we drove to La Comer (the supermarket) to pick up a few extra things, including a 20-liter jug of purified water (which was heavy!). (I think I am all set now for the 2 weeks that Maggie will be back in the U.S. visiting her adult kids and grandkids--she leaves tomorrow.)</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">When we were at La Comer, I was seriously looking at a pair of very heavy socks to wear around our apartment with its cold floors. I didn't buy them for whatever reason, which I regretted later in the evening.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In the evening we huddled around the propane heater while we were watching a football game. We heated up a frozen pizza for dinner--unlike other frozen pizza's we've had here, it was awful!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Monday, December 27</span></h3><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />We were up relatively early for Maggie to catch a cab to the local bus terminal for her bus trip to the Mexico City airport. From the Mexico City airport, she flies to Houston to visit her son and grandson. She will also be visiting her daughter and granddaughter in Chicago, as well as her oldest daughter near Pittsburgh. It was sad for me to see her go...</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEGkUycGWDAyj4m2NCkwqA22s_LbL4fp_PACOP-Ki6sxD86kZgPJ3cSKCqv5ljw-Vp70b0aTYk_PPnfU7-IBhmRPHOiSovn3deG8zc3YB_MpTEuLuWTH7OB84J-gW1nP29T2DudQ218wl1nO6IotI8mshv93I68TMvy4tVsgy-3VDCMT03xZ0s4UJ_=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="640" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEGkUycGWDAyj4m2NCkwqA22s_LbL4fp_PACOP-Ki6sxD86kZgPJ3cSKCqv5ljw-Vp70b0aTYk_PPnfU7-IBhmRPHOiSovn3deG8zc3YB_MpTEuLuWTH7OB84J-gW1nP29T2DudQ218wl1nO6IotI8mshv93I68TMvy4tVsgy-3VDCMT03xZ0s4UJ_=w640-h458" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Maggie leaving in a cab for the local bus <br />terminal to catch her bus to the <br />Mexico City airport.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">I had a few small goals to accomplish while Maggie is gone for two weeks: (1) buy a replacement handmade margarita glass (that we broke) and (2) train our two cats to do at least one trick (this one will be very difficult). I'm sure I will come up with some other goals. (Addressing our failing GPS will be one of them for sure.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Maggie agreed to bring back some varied types of decaf tea for me and some good (U.S.) peanut butter. (The peanut butter we have purchased here has been terrible! Maggie plans to buy some in the U.S. and bring it back.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTCDbA1wf_PJuzubvf0Faj2ld8e4kKNdsPB71CsSNLH_1ocNfCLs9KMywEIM1gTIHpTPUaNYIAdWyUdu8NpXfE1hHkML0h6y6-VZ8DY_1W9um4IsOZn2WeDq8TqE2_OsRRuN1m3RIklXPza-A9yQJLTuy2n5argFh5WmbkDVTzPUiAdcwhgEW5M_i-=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="444" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTCDbA1wf_PJuzubvf0Faj2ld8e4kKNdsPB71CsSNLH_1ocNfCLs9KMywEIM1gTIHpTPUaNYIAdWyUdu8NpXfE1hHkML0h6y6-VZ8DY_1W9um4IsOZn2WeDq8TqE2_OsRRuN1m3RIklXPza-A9yQJLTuy2n5argFh5WmbkDVTzPUiAdcwhgEW5M_i-=w278-h400" width="278" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Mexican peanut butter is a pretty <br />sad excuse for peanut butter.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I moped around the remainder of the day, watching a minor college football bowl game, etc. I decided to start the cats' training sessions. I thought that having them come to me when called would be start and I would reward them with one dental treat each time they responded to my request throughout the remainder of the day. (It worked only once and only after they realized that I had a treat for them. More on this tomorrow...)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tuesday, December 28</span></h3></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />I slept in a little bit this morning--it was cold outside the three blankets I had over me. Even though it was 58 degrees outside at 9 AM, it felt colder inside our apartment. My goal for today is to write a convincing email to our landlord to release us from our lease so that we can move to another place (maybe even near the ocean!), salvaging our last two months (February and March) of our winter getaway. Taking a very conciliatory note in my email, I accomplished this goal by 10 AM. (I got a positive response from our landlord just after lunch!)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I made scrambled eggs and placed them in a folded-over flour tortilla for breakfast. While I can't call it "huevos rancheros" because I didn't add any salsa, it was still delicious. (I seldom eat eggs for breakfast--so, this was a rare treat for me.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Before the college football bowl games started, I investigated alternatives for our failing GPS. I came up with the following four alternatives:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(1) buy an identical (used) replacement on eBay ($60) with Mexico maps<br />(2) buy a newer model GPS and add the Mexico maps</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(3) Use our cell phones (the problem with this alternative is that we do not always have cell coverage)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(4) Use our built-in GPS in our Toyota Prius (which probably does not have Mexico maps)<br /><br />Alternative #1 became my clear favorite and I later purchased it--to me, it was a so-called "plug and play" solution with the least amount of things that could go wrong.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I spent most of the afternoon looking over possible housing near Puerto Vallarta for February and March. I had a lot to choose from just on AirBnB. I sent links to the best alternatives to Maggie who is currently in Houston.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Wednesday, December 29</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I locked our cats out of the bedroom last night so that I could get a full night's sleep--it worked! (Otherwise, they wake me up by rattling the doors on the armoire because they want to be fed early in the morning.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I watched college football (minor) bowl games on my iPad all day. (FuboTV used in conjunction with my VPN with it's server location in Washington DC was amazing! Most of the minor bowl games were covered by ESPN which we couldn't get here in our apartment in San Miguel de Allende.) Because our apartment was so cold during the day, I watched the bowl games while in lying bed and under several blankets--it was a real lazy day. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When it was time for bed (for real) I had to battle our two cats for space.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQXoeDs2yn1G7maonFcczdHIWTe_PDefaAJOwVv0e8Wx8zz4gfD5iH2789bg9wWQ2iVDsJeurChBK4FjBM-1KyCZ8ud04hrvu5RR7gvHOMmijavA7FHykbFo2LKpLcwd2ptJ330e2u2BJ6yygETPflVXglOwxwOs2nc4y4gpcN8Lle2PMezbkTzMc-=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="568" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQXoeDs2yn1G7maonFcczdHIWTe_PDefaAJOwVv0e8Wx8zz4gfD5iH2789bg9wWQ2iVDsJeurChBK4FjBM-1KyCZ8ud04hrvu5RR7gvHOMmijavA7FHykbFo2LKpLcwd2ptJ330e2u2BJ6yygETPflVXglOwxwOs2nc4y4gpcN8Lle2PMezbkTzMc-=w568-h640" width="568" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>I had to battle Lola and Kali for <br />space in bed in the evening.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thursday, December 30</span></h3></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Our landlord, an attractive young lady in her 30's, checked in on me this morning and carried a 20-liter jug of purified water up our front steps. This made me really feel old! I told her that I didn't need water quite yet but that I could handle it when I do--this was my inner macho voice talking.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I watched minor bowl games again today, cheering for other BIG-10 teams to win. First, I cheered on Purdue, a BIG-10 team, to beat Tennessee and they won. In fact, all three Big-10 teams in bowl games won today! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I spent a lot more time searching for a place to stay near Puerto Vallarta--I have a lot of them to choose from. Maggie and I communicated on our choices by text messages throughout the day. I didn't even leave our apartment today...<br /><br /><br /></span><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Friday, December 31</span></h3></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I just had to have fresh strawberries in my last breakfast of 2021 since we had just enough leftover in our fridge. (Strawberries are grown year round here in Mexico. Even in December, we ran across roadside stands selling strawberries and they are very flavorful.)<br /><br /><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxrVmSLoqkfVJl6IGm2-FkOH7bJM1BYYJasaNMolVh-HQ4tQiZ8knUCrMwUeQ56CQuGVfWjt1B1XRYRKa8Gj7f37c0LfcUVt6pWhBa5vLKqiZ1o3eKxVfiodAGoW6LsbgsELpn6Rig2bn-DSv7MFmoAd1jpyHPdS5bLYbZwspd5cVxIBNmEFIYG5jg=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxrVmSLoqkfVJl6IGm2-FkOH7bJM1BYYJasaNMolVh-HQ4tQiZ8knUCrMwUeQ56CQuGVfWjt1B1XRYRKa8Gj7f37c0LfcUVt6pWhBa5vLKqiZ1o3eKxVfiodAGoW6LsbgsELpn6Rig2bn-DSv7MFmoAd1jpyHPdS5bLYbZwspd5cVxIBNmEFIYG5jg=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>My last breakfast of 2021--sliced <br />strawberries on Cheerios with milk.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I decided to make a trip to La Comer (the supermarket) today to pick up a few small items (like "Cheez-its" for one) and then go out for lunch at the Pizza Guy restaurant. At the Pizza Guy restaurant, I had eggplant parmesan--it was absolutely delicious! (For some reason, I really craved good Italian food today! I also bought a cold cut sub to eat at home during the Penn State bowl game tomorrow.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It felt a little odd to me to be driving today without Maggie. During our travels in Mexico, the non-driver was always the navigator--so, today I had no navigator. (It's good that I knew my way to La Comer and back!) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">---------- </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I lot of famous people died this week: John Madden, Harry Reid, and Betty White (age 99), to name a few. They were all older than me by 10 years or more but, still, they were a reminder of my mortality.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We hope everyone a Happy New Year! Thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div><br /></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-15278381357433383492021-12-25T14:21:00.000-08:002021-12-25T14:21:27.431-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Driving Back to SMA for Christmas</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This blogpost describes our trip back to San Miguel de Allende from our week-long getaway in Mazatlan and the days leading up to Christmas.</span></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thursday, December 23</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />We left Mazatlan at 7:45 AM with an estimated ETA at our hotel in La Piedad of 4:40 PM--but we didn't arrive until about 8 PM due to heavy traffic all the way. We spent a lot of time in traffic jams miles ahead of major toll booths, I guess due to traffic headed to Mexico City for the holiday. We were so glad to be staying in a nice Holiday Inn! We had about 2-1/2 hours of driving to get all the way to San Miguel for the next morning.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With all the driving we did today, a few things about driving in Mexico became clear: (1) speed limits and traffic signals should be treated as mere suggestions, (2) speed bumps are very serious obstacles that must be honored, (3) don't drive in Mexico after dark, (4) it is customary to pass on a two-lane highway by both the passed vehicle moving over to the right shoulder and the opposing traffic moving over to the opposite shoulder, and (5) for the most part Mexican drivers are courteous.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Friday, December 24</span></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">(Christmas Eve Day)</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We left our hotel (a nice Holiday Inn) in La Piedad after breakfast at about 8 AM with a 2-1/2-hour drive ahead of us. We encountered a tractor trailer that had completely flipped over onto its roof and traffic was detoured around it--this was within the first hour of driving. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh, and our car's GPS completely froze up (which has never happened to us before). I unplugged it from its power supply and allowed it to reset on its own. We used our iPhones for navigation for the remainder of our morning's trip. Much later, I plugged the GPS back into its power supply and it started up and operated just fine.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We stopped at La Comer (the supermarket) coming into town at mid- morning to restore our grocery supply and to pick up a few things to go with our planned Christmas dinner (duck). We arrived in San Miguel de Allende at about 10:45 AM and got back to our rented apartment at about 12:15 PM. It took us another 1-1/2 hours to unload everything from our car and put it all away.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">When we finally got back, our apartment was cold, literally and figuratively. Our landlord sent us an email stating that she recently received a bill for electricity which was $200 more than other recent months and wanted us to pay the difference. (What a Christmas surprise! Of course, we will not pay it, out of principal, since "all utilities were included" according to the original ad for this apartment.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">December 25</span></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">(Christmas Day)</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Last night, we slept under flannel sheets and three blankets to keep warm—the low outside temperature overnight was 37 degrees! On Christmas morning, the (outside) temperature had increased to 42 degrees F by the time we woke up—our inside temperature still felt very cold. We moved the propane heater into the living room where we huddled around it for warmth while we ate hot oatmeal for breakfast. (We cracked the window in the living room's skylight open a bit for ventilation.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFgpxhC5qPEUo4hgtZX_GBYV1S-C-5c8jHbXj-Wme0ES8LEbIcqOEHVBVWlhxtprCsm5PS3UIoal3sLxwulQFghxEwe0ZFur1NhCgWpxVU5EmfY6wTBlMG2mXqlmxHE07Vlxy0ztrQtS1rjpSAtA5R0H4AVb6U8yb8XXfedei8NLQbyrHWdt1cC6yP=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFgpxhC5qPEUo4hgtZX_GBYV1S-C-5c8jHbXj-Wme0ES8LEbIcqOEHVBVWlhxtprCsm5PS3UIoal3sLxwulQFghxEwe0ZFur1NhCgWpxVU5EmfY6wTBlMG2mXqlmxHE07Vlxy0ztrQtS1rjpSAtA5R0H4AVb6U8yb8XXfedei8NLQbyrHWdt1cC6yP=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>On Christmas morning, we huddled around <br />this propane heater while we ate <br />hot oatmeal for breakfast.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhihnS6K5HjoS7E9EYDjg4-2g39mPxHiu5nIVSSpDttOoBp7NJgofIecsy1nrBYe6sBhfnOV2nxYj1Qg2UA1yaWuJIH0539Jmm58Qagx9uIhr-hkVQNy0n1etSd0XfmNOTcJ9k4X6Ft79rxkexQ8Tc2RwnHmwHoIv-e2NZyRZhBviQVtOwhR5cVkD65=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="521" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhihnS6K5HjoS7E9EYDjg4-2g39mPxHiu5nIVSSpDttOoBp7NJgofIecsy1nrBYe6sBhfnOV2nxYj1Qg2UA1yaWuJIH0539Jmm58Qagx9uIhr-hkVQNy0n1etSd0XfmNOTcJ9k4X6Ft79rxkexQ8Tc2RwnHmwHoIv-e2NZyRZhBviQVtOwhR5cVkD65=w522-h640" width="522" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>We cracked open one of the little window <br />panes in the skylight for ventilation.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Here in Mexico, there are no constraints against using unventilated propane-powered appliances indoors like there is in the U.S. (We have known of deaths caused by using unventilated propane water heaters on sailboats--their sale is now prohibited by law.) In addition, the apartments here do not have carbon monoxide detectors--so, the use of the supplied propane heater is unsafe. (We will not use it overnight!)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We had roast duck for our Christmas dinner--a big change from our more usual turkey or ham.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAOKlO9GG93GKEVunqSHCvfkztus2ZrfYao4Lm3Mu2AwkBkxSexCK83Wvl6riYYf6Lh52rFk0bFlxJBDr_Imk2QexUBM8ncZu6flGRnZnrkSBB7HrCOvJ0607Vq9RTEpsMl762kPxaE1O-8Wo4EMVu9tZEgbKYdTn06s4jThzjlF9-lLKHpOrRVKf4=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="502" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAOKlO9GG93GKEVunqSHCvfkztus2ZrfYao4Lm3Mu2AwkBkxSexCK83Wvl6riYYf6Lh52rFk0bFlxJBDr_Imk2QexUBM8ncZu6flGRnZnrkSBB7HrCOvJ0607Vq9RTEpsMl762kPxaE1O-8Wo4EMVu9tZEgbKYdTn06s4jThzjlF9-lLKHpOrRVKf4=w502-h640" width="502" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Our roast duck for Christmas Dinner.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjl4JK6qP5OeGc57XiO2iFq8OH3TGE_9pC8b4QHcT0Vug43414osdfwAlteuBcAc4TPF8COE8X_XR3XPrguy4jR2IIk5ID3DuRzp0yP1UCPPLrQ6zSs2UKcMjTCLUgAN_89GWAHXJKzFRyQkOngjEixklZkLOMQ_0LKLb5fUpfbniEFpL8nO4XLnghU=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="640" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjl4JK6qP5OeGc57XiO2iFq8OH3TGE_9pC8b4QHcT0Vug43414osdfwAlteuBcAc4TPF8COE8X_XR3XPrguy4jR2IIk5ID3DuRzp0yP1UCPPLrQ6zSs2UKcMjTCLUgAN_89GWAHXJKzFRyQkOngjEixklZkLOMQ_0LKLb5fUpfbniEFpL8nO4XLnghU=w640-h488" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Our Christmas dinner consisted of roast duck, <br />mashed sweet potatoes, Brussels <br />sprouts, and red beet salad.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Maggie did an excellent job on our Christmas dinner! During the afternoon we watched some NFL football games on TV. Meanwhile, the propane heater continued to run...</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That's all for this blogpost--our next blogpost will be in three or four days. Until then, we hope everyone had a very enjoyable Christmas.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following out blog!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-28998243532005294402021-12-22T13:18:00.000-08:002021-12-22T13:18:59.027-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Our Week-long Getaway to Mazatlan</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This blogpost describes the last four days of our week-long getaway to Mazatlan on the Sea of Cortez. </span></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sunday, December 19</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />A nearby wedding reception kept us awake until almost midnight last night. We closed all the doors and windows and turned up the A/C but it didn't help much as the loud music reverberated through the rock and the building's concrete foundation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsCsw3TGr3Kb7a6YRan0ddBbz3Ar37NSqnaITcqCgFsRf518zc3Koy8VHQ3tSqVInlsm_HedgaVB1rneq7sLPR3613piBi_I7m7BJlK7Prd9Di-z0jOqWVieu5UFuXR8wcSgkuTqUBbXckiuaVV2QYQsKI2-Mzini6CJYlIGyOxydtH1COV2gxw1UM=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="640" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsCsw3TGr3Kb7a6YRan0ddBbz3Ar37NSqnaITcqCgFsRf518zc3Koy8VHQ3tSqVInlsm_HedgaVB1rneq7sLPR3613piBi_I7m7BJlK7Prd9Di-z0jOqWVieu5UFuXR8wcSgkuTqUBbXckiuaVV2QYQsKI2-Mzini6CJYlIGyOxydtH1COV2gxw1UM=w640-h494" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A wedding reception was underway next door <br />until almost midnight last night.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhj47pvP-b7pzn-44t7pEzQcL0giVJ8uK3DBq0FHi0FFiKPID91_M5seC7vsi8nHHiRsw0UKWO7-jH0HQG2qFLFZewy4gpR4pTE5Yc8yIH2BMIDNamRzAmZHsp7LannHdZsukowEil2X6wF_2U8pGjHc5j2c_P1BYflEerVwxe0rwDGoXxVZLg1qu8Y=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhj47pvP-b7pzn-44t7pEzQcL0giVJ8uK3DBq0FHi0FFiKPID91_M5seC7vsi8nHHiRsw0UKWO7-jH0HQG2qFLFZewy4gpR4pTE5Yc8yIH2BMIDNamRzAmZHsp7LannHdZsukowEil2X6wF_2U8pGjHc5j2c_P1BYflEerVwxe0rwDGoXxVZLg1qu8Y=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A view from our balcony looking the opposite <br />direction from the sunset.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In the morning we had breakfast (desayuno) with the locals at a nearby shoreside "diner type" restaurant that wasn't even listed in TripAdvisor. I ordered an omelet with cheese and that is exactly what I got--an egg omelet with a cup of grated cheese on the side. (We also ordered a fruit salad to share.) Maggie ordered chilaquiles (sunny side up eggs with chips and bean sauce). We were the only gringos in this restaurant. Our waiter was very friendly and only spoke Spanish. He asked us where we were from and he asked if it was very cold and snowed there. Christmas music, some in English, played in the background as we ate breakfast.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We walked back to our rented flat along the sea, taking pictures as we walked.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0hpwNeIscHJmiJC6bY8dR0XhF5rRo4hL_K4TnNESGMiI4lH9wLNULJHYmwZcuRyBsbvd2uA0LUT7cCU2d86PWIER82y9fBvpMkuBNNIDw5KbegJ5NjDejdDZkIlCbxbjXRWfzoS6nHAeg_qbFBajkwTkrzbwIO__Oix_0WiNBcxuNKwIiS_DEyAuO=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0hpwNeIscHJmiJC6bY8dR0XhF5rRo4hL_K4TnNESGMiI4lH9wLNULJHYmwZcuRyBsbvd2uA0LUT7cCU2d86PWIER82y9fBvpMkuBNNIDw5KbegJ5NjDejdDZkIlCbxbjXRWfzoS6nHAeg_qbFBajkwTkrzbwIO__Oix_0WiNBcxuNKwIiS_DEyAuO=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A view from the Malecon to the Presidio <br />in the morning. (Our rented flat was <br />located in the upper left hand <br />corner of this image.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKohtd2jiUSjL5-Md6DLiw4iO8lAhSbNYxXxfOasuWb4F5kBp0VI7QoqaG-k4AMvF_vNUlx-pWIAU_0JRKbiooLJ4Z52mxczlX9w3bRfS694COlz2ak1rJHsGS9XC-pzZ1ra7qT8V_9Il1ABFyVUfiyrJueqeWVQndhJOvMlsui0cfw_ISTGxZi-DQ=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="603" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKohtd2jiUSjL5-Md6DLiw4iO8lAhSbNYxXxfOasuWb4F5kBp0VI7QoqaG-k4AMvF_vNUlx-pWIAU_0JRKbiooLJ4Z52mxczlX9w3bRfS694COlz2ak1rJHsGS9XC-pzZ1ra7qT8V_9Il1ABFyVUfiyrJueqeWVQndhJOvMlsui0cfw_ISTGxZi-DQ=w604-h640" width="604" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A lone surf fisherman on the <br />beach in the morning.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Monday, December 20</span></h3><p></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Again last night we were kept awake by very loud music from the nearby venue--it was like ten bands playing their individual types of music (using amplifiers) simultaneously! At times sounding like a revival (it was a Sunday night), it continued until 1 AM. Shortly after it ended a cherry bomb was detonated nearby. (Sometimes I think Mexicans are scary crazy but they probably think the same thing about us gringos.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Our goal for today was to explore the south side of Mazatlan, over the hill from our rented flat. We flagged down a little white open air buggy to take us to La Puntilla, a local seafood restaurant, for lunch.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhx5k3B5L24iL0vWyzQkvCzwOsxC_iqhs1LKp4UytTnzMrUoGDZ5UErd42A9j4bnwxk1Nv3YFxkypUUun1bDx1kT1s0tirwzyCYp_rv1sFDkIZQ4RWv1lwvT4yCQOWP0CnQgqWo68IuulUJBOyMpKETGvWI8jkJdEcs6ktPSi-JFOvs7cc3yt1xqbY9=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="640" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhx5k3B5L24iL0vWyzQkvCzwOsxC_iqhs1LKp4UytTnzMrUoGDZ5UErd42A9j4bnwxk1Nv3YFxkypUUun1bDx1kT1s0tirwzyCYp_rv1sFDkIZQ4RWv1lwvT4yCQOWP0CnQgqWo68IuulUJBOyMpKETGvWI8jkJdEcs6ktPSi-JFOvs7cc3yt1xqbY9=w640-h564" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>One of the many little white open air buggies <br />that roam the streets of Mazatlan.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">At La Puntilla we ordered a broiled sampler plate for two--this gave us a chance to try many different types of seafood--we liked the coconut shrimp the best. During lunch we fed some of our broiled fish to a scruffy cat that came up to our table and begged for food.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYDpWNUIht4BnaFgCnVw2yWVCAWrtuyzwjE1bRus4SBXrbqRwmemwhybXuCzuaF_dFqQDH0ltn3nljh0N22IthtIbLeLDYipeiftBU8jDxdQmhLjY0BKqkNaVrC9RoXCheCSk-xVYx6Nb9mmmuLUMV5zpD-vEgU2-mviNoeSeLolva1ioiqXq6MEhZ=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="438" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYDpWNUIht4BnaFgCnVw2yWVCAWrtuyzwjE1bRus4SBXrbqRwmemwhybXuCzuaF_dFqQDH0ltn3nljh0N22IthtIbLeLDYipeiftBU8jDxdQmhLjY0BKqkNaVrC9RoXCheCSk-xVYx6Nb9mmmuLUMV5zpD-vEgU2-mviNoeSeLolva1ioiqXq6MEhZ=w438-h640" width="438" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Our new little Mexican cat friend <br />looked a little scruffy.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzNut5bLw476iquEtGwVIAxYx0JCitPNXHmuGb8S8R-sStdJVxXlQn2cvbsmN78-G9k4CGx4k3tuAKMna9PvLN4NT069tXwTqfnVsM0gAk7skOqT_tTnKfxtJykWNbq7iCHkCuZcZseMbtVsBcgsPsMrOYL41bth9YG1yT_1_t0FYNYXST1DS-xbJt=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="640" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzNut5bLw476iquEtGwVIAxYx0JCitPNXHmuGb8S8R-sStdJVxXlQn2cvbsmN78-G9k4CGx4k3tuAKMna9PvLN4NT069tXwTqfnVsM0gAk7skOqT_tTnKfxtJykWNbq7iCHkCuZcZseMbtVsBcgsPsMrOYL41bth9YG1yT_1_t0FYNYXST1DS-xbJt=w640-h546" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Several fishing boats tied to the <br />beach at Playa del Sur.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We came back from our day's excursion early and did some reading and catching up on YouTube videos, while hearing the waves crash on the nearby beach.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tuesday, December 21</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I had another night of not sleeping very well--this time the culprit was our cats. Maggie had closed all the doors and windows in the living room last evening (we usually leave them open with the wrought iron gates closed) and they had nowhere to release their energy during the night except scratching on the corners of the sofa.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Early this morning, I was plagued by thoughts about nearing the end of my life--not really a fear of dying. I thought about the end of my Dad's life and how he couldn't walk at the end. Lately, walking long distances has been a major effort for me (at 74 years old and after my radiation treatments for prostate cancer). Walking is such an elementary freedom that we have as humans--I'd hate to lose it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm not making any progress on my search for purpose at this point in my life. Perhaps, purpose is not supposed to be important at this time. Who knows? I have had plenty of purpose in the past--it has been only recently that I can't seem to find it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiohAMTgwF3vYNk2_3lt4T-g2p4Zml4tE3htNJ_Vglhs1OstWnEpDVXz-2CTDO-tvKm5fhpqeeZ1G7fYzvRom_k0Ey17gkjtT3YGjexxoHIfHnB_kl5S_IYEhScBg0Ay8mhEoOvV4D5HcrymlfS06FlVh9B3rxrV4gOpXyguVysViyS10d51hwF-h4F=s6016" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3272" data-original-width="6016" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiohAMTgwF3vYNk2_3lt4T-g2p4Zml4tE3htNJ_Vglhs1OstWnEpDVXz-2CTDO-tvKm5fhpqeeZ1G7fYzvRom_k0Ey17gkjtT3YGjexxoHIfHnB_kl5S_IYEhScBg0Ay8mhEoOvV4D5HcrymlfS06FlVh9B3rxrV4gOpXyguVysViyS10d51hwF-h4F=w640-h348" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The early morning sun came through the <br />four glass blocks near the ceiling of <br />the East wall of our bedroom</i></span>.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As the sun came up and the sunlight showed through the four glass blocks installed high on the East wall of our bedroom, we could hear the waves crashing on the beach in the opposite direction. (A slight sea breeze kept our rented flat nicely cool without the need for A/C.) Today was the second to our last full day in Mazatlan...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcFi0yWF16po5biG0ogQSE-gV1BIYUtDE7_vjaHcwNnvaKIkgW4s0szpdk3ez-jofTMvDiUZ4ho3sB4hmPnm29Pcu4irJohjKRe3JAHVGPJuoqOepUyyT0OD9HthgKs6uMiH2MZiEkw910ey_9Fyy2ioBXBWguV66QWivxigj9ICjzwvBF9qy1Pexp=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="640" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcFi0yWF16po5biG0ogQSE-gV1BIYUtDE7_vjaHcwNnvaKIkgW4s0szpdk3ez-jofTMvDiUZ4ho3sB4hmPnm29Pcu4irJohjKRe3JAHVGPJuoqOepUyyT0OD9HthgKs6uMiH2MZiEkw910ey_9Fyy2ioBXBWguV66QWivxigj9ICjzwvBF9qy1Pexp=w640-h458" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Lola (left) and Kali (right) sit contentedly <br />in the open window of our living room. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We walked to Angelina's (about 2 blocks away) for a delicious lunch--we both had Fettuccini Alfredo with chicken and it was superb!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWDLkPBeAB7WBHEdmWahrcddayOxNJdjNhypn3eUJzweESi2XHoc2jIIn_mI_ExPLum1Zi3YAFJlDyKppUDJ-K6U0icYYnk58suUthcP-dr0_XxABUyu7Ykj58k4_fTNTa8xGnSQLNE-Aw1tY5ziJMFhPT99tmvhBMVESVfNJUK6nblDgZSMfpGJUc=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="640" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWDLkPBeAB7WBHEdmWahrcddayOxNJdjNhypn3eUJzweESi2XHoc2jIIn_mI_ExPLum1Zi3YAFJlDyKppUDJ-K6U0icYYnk58suUthcP-dr0_XxABUyu7Ykj58k4_fTNTa8xGnSQLNE-Aw1tY5ziJMFhPT99tmvhBMVESVfNJUK6nblDgZSMfpGJUc=w640-h440" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Luis was our waiter at Angelina's.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Late in the afternoon, we walked to the beach where Maggie took a swim in the tidal pool and in the ocean. (I went along to take pictures.) It was 5:30 PM when we returned to our rented flat. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I made reservations at a pet-friendly Holiday Inn in La Piedad (about 7 hours away from Mazatlan) for on our way back to San Miguel on Thursday. (We are planning another excursion to the beach in the early Spring--this time to Puerto Vallarta which is about 4 hours south of Mazatlan.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Wednesday, December 22</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Today was our last full day in Mazatlan--it was kind of sad because we really liked being near the water.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We followed our activities from our first day here, taking a taxi to the pangas on the beach and having lunch at Muchacho Allegro (on the beach). In the following three pics, I tried to imagine the equivalent activity around home.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQX1x3sFtpB1h5ZtWyxqtkIqhL-1g3QBvMoQ4pPOVaMpu5S8MCAD_c9HfbHpA0JFbD_oGaAdTiTLeRNq1cf2TfEOg6MBluIObJVcSejkAFebpDCCcEa9wOfNuUe0Cbzs9bwUHUmFAfqvTrFDUOvo914xxB9KOIUYTMMviSJcTdkc6IWzqGKIL5jgRo=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="571" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQX1x3sFtpB1h5ZtWyxqtkIqhL-1g3QBvMoQ4pPOVaMpu5S8MCAD_c9HfbHpA0JFbD_oGaAdTiTLeRNq1cf2TfEOg6MBluIObJVcSejkAFebpDCCcEa9wOfNuUe0Cbzs9bwUHUmFAfqvTrFDUOvo914xxB9KOIUYTMMviSJcTdkc6IWzqGKIL5jgRo=w572-h640" width="572" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Just another day of work <br />on the Malecon.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-3LmT7pt-CQb5yHEtWrEvX_7U420jVTebXfLYQrygtQPKYHhbE4XT9CEFLv7-sBsfABAq5ibqRUxXc8ighItwZEgRreDGQ7dIfBQVIavPlFIcrcLij-rZKnfGVZXAMygbLHKebNdQdqTvgE06Fd-9ht2qwYSqAym8Vb09hYxJGcci_ZAdvRLrsh8E=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-3LmT7pt-CQb5yHEtWrEvX_7U420jVTebXfLYQrygtQPKYHhbE4XT9CEFLv7-sBsfABAq5ibqRUxXc8ighItwZEgRreDGQ7dIfBQVIavPlFIcrcLij-rZKnfGVZXAMygbLHKebNdQdqTvgE06Fd-9ht2qwYSqAym8Vb09hYxJGcci_ZAdvRLrsh8E=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A discussion around the <br />water cooler.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0OCavpQ1Tj52TgFneX3o7dWaKGrV6ZCW0W7J48l55rOztkcUfKyoEoQAhi0q-YLHcD-R_50HDTEi6nL3cDlvk8iuf3OJN3Shf6p5uiuOjIWrwvGnMnmDeTMDQOtRvsql-UvelRVvKLBT0ulToVupw81yrNWnPV_607UWSh7Uhs6BxSuJKwGsbQ2jU=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="640" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0OCavpQ1Tj52TgFneX3o7dWaKGrV6ZCW0W7J48l55rOztkcUfKyoEoQAhi0q-YLHcD-R_50HDTEi6nL3cDlvk8iuf3OJN3Shf6p5uiuOjIWrwvGnMnmDeTMDQOtRvsql-UvelRVvKLBT0ulToVupw81yrNWnPV_607UWSh7Uhs6BxSuJKwGsbQ2jU=w640-h330" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Helping your co-workers so that <br />everyone can quit on time.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The following pics were attractive to me for various reasons:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhe-zO-3c0M_AhAGUxROTIkkXUmv9k_FYcHQgVN1_p_V_O8HB6lZkUPD_cehvQXIcuQ3DR6gwIiWQy-ATxAws7rqtBXo09KIHQCUX8HlRRw_FtXv2SZa38WBisrbrotr8cSpvsJ-JQgDdBuYnM6f4MRDHp70L2H5_niB9RGwXxDgviO5p52XZFeLqHl=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="640" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhe-zO-3c0M_AhAGUxROTIkkXUmv9k_FYcHQgVN1_p_V_O8HB6lZkUPD_cehvQXIcuQ3DR6gwIiWQy-ATxAws7rqtBXo09KIHQCUX8HlRRw_FtXv2SZa38WBisrbrotr8cSpvsJ-JQgDdBuYnM6f4MRDHp70L2H5_niB9RGwXxDgviO5p52XZFeLqHl=w640-h408" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A fisherman cleaning his day's catch and <br />feeding his fishing companions.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAI4EP0B0z3vdCOyVKvuOfIuejo_mtZ0kS2mKlBQBUqNm1i6Xs2mI6HAPI241Sv2Cg3UeaIYElWgDB7wlxzfv2xFeN3TyH7lUV0ggqjoWdu7jFaKw7LXXkOs2-yxkfVX0Iimdj_rF0_2VJiSPvWaAgwsfBENPLzOdWaopOrafze92_S7JFEJ1-zqpi=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAI4EP0B0z3vdCOyVKvuOfIuejo_mtZ0kS2mKlBQBUqNm1i6Xs2mI6HAPI241Sv2Cg3UeaIYElWgDB7wlxzfv2xFeN3TyH7lUV0ggqjoWdu7jFaKw7LXXkOs2-yxkfVX0Iimdj_rF0_2VJiSPvWaAgwsfBENPLzOdWaopOrafze92_S7JFEJ1-zqpi=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Many of the pangas have <br />little inboard motors.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVyRhLOgjxr2wetHn5ETuSbR-VgVD8VtCTQ9LJkSA3RGYEPmM1418OSEgGVvQTo4H3ExNXe1Jr5G6gvuNfjGLBgR1iHABJefDRoIExZR8s0FTewNaczwXQt3e30XVLh6hP1zWBIL62bPSKqoHUKL9U1hpG2sHgv1NLil7Jo8TfGU_9k2ZlfsOCWpTd=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="438" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVyRhLOgjxr2wetHn5ETuSbR-VgVD8VtCTQ9LJkSA3RGYEPmM1418OSEgGVvQTo4H3ExNXe1Jr5G6gvuNfjGLBgR1iHABJefDRoIExZR8s0FTewNaczwXQt3e30XVLh6hP1zWBIL62bPSKqoHUKL9U1hpG2sHgv1NLil7Jo8TfGU_9k2ZlfsOCWpTd=w438-h640" width="438" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Colorful pangas at rest.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvNZ2X6qHXsbYJQO34q_MMpIUs8PqnEc0EkfErrxrR92RD1IdFH5x26PUj7IrlVDTvFCPpTVWDBAk_kb4DWAGovJrBh103dm_yqR8Bb2DCH6jPV8M2FMs9XF4zQV6Mw6DfLdkTtyYkXvy0e1hxJIUfa1ekXzXYnNG_JjmmUkZ-4WG4dt7kc3posFBR=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvNZ2X6qHXsbYJQO34q_MMpIUs8PqnEc0EkfErrxrR92RD1IdFH5x26PUj7IrlVDTvFCPpTVWDBAk_kb4DWAGovJrBh103dm_yqR8Bb2DCH6jPV8M2FMs9XF4zQV6Mw6DfLdkTtyYkXvy0e1hxJIUfa1ekXzXYnNG_JjmmUkZ-4WG4dt7kc3posFBR=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Blue seems to be the favorite <br />color for pangas.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMzKfEFmHvyHuPjsQlCltC6btYbBOAzYBQQ9Z2V111-a3i_T5CgpOs5z2_jmIqX-iBt3Tf_byqsoAzAg8wb7_rfI5DQCdrHyaupZNtB4tGVvYkuSySgcIIH2WWx70A0m_DlbGn6JVNHk2caEapk6hHZxUWrhRqXoe6ruhTVIs2zMjE6MNJE5pI4uNK=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMzKfEFmHvyHuPjsQlCltC6btYbBOAzYBQQ9Z2V111-a3i_T5CgpOs5z2_jmIqX-iBt3Tf_byqsoAzAg8wb7_rfI5DQCdrHyaupZNtB4tGVvYkuSySgcIIH2WWx70A0m_DlbGn6JVNHk2caEapk6hHZxUWrhRqXoe6ruhTVIs2zMjE6MNJE5pI4uNK=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Most of the anchors I saw on the pangas were <br />home made using reinforcing bar.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Well, it is time for us to pack to go back to San Miguel de Allende. This was an enjoyable week-long side trip for us...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-142828616020626762021-12-18T14:35:00.002-08:002021-12-18T14:36:32.305-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Our Week-long Getaway to Mazatlan</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This blogpost describes the first few days of our week-long getaway to Mazatlan on the Sea of Cortez. </span></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Wednesday, December 15</span></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>(San Miguel de Allende to Tlaquepaque)</b></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Just before we left San Miguel de Allende our power went off--it was off over the entire Guadalupe neighborhood. We had to be on our way, so we didn't wait for the power to come back on. We got everything loaded into our car and were on the road by 9:45 AM, on our way to La Comer's (the supermarket) Cafe to get coffee and something to eat for breakfast. We were underway again pretty quickly.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The first part of our trip took us through Comonfort, a small town southeast of SMA and then around Celaya. It was very slow going through this part of the trip and there were lots of serious speed bumps causing our car to hit bottom at almost every one. (We tried taking them at an angle, taking them extremely slowly, but nothing seemed to help--we simply didn't have enough ground clearance.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1PTaGXM54NY9Mm5x4VFu-RzqlW2gcc9L8SSQQ49jAh0uFok0UuvgA20mG8-xjkTOXCairnQX0eUZV14zvdfxpSaCCW4O6pxtlMwY5-bWZbQh0SIE3v785jv7BA0YoGpFveGacUzOdjBXOx-pVeqqSO5KIA-E4_e3cMN9NI3azhRzf-msUtz5z8O3M=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="640" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1PTaGXM54NY9Mm5x4VFu-RzqlW2gcc9L8SSQQ49jAh0uFok0UuvgA20mG8-xjkTOXCairnQX0eUZV14zvdfxpSaCCW4O6pxtlMwY5-bWZbQh0SIE3v785jv7BA0YoGpFveGacUzOdjBXOx-pVeqqSO5KIA-E4_e3cMN9NI3azhRzf-msUtz5z8O3M=w640-h548" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A map of our total journey to Mazatlan, traveling <br />through the four states of Guanajuato, <br />Jalisco, and Nayarit, and Sinaloa.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">After getting past Comonfort, we found good highway conditions on a toll road. The agriculture in this area was mainly corn crops, although there were other crops (maybe beans) we couldn't identify.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We arrived in Guadalajara (not Tlaquepague as intended) at about 3 PM following our GPS rather blindly. As we arrived at our supposed destination, we could find the small hotel where we reserved the night's lodging--the street number was 113. Along the street with the correct name, #113 was simply a house. (For some reason the house right next to it was #95?) We walked to the intersection and talked to some workers at a small factory (they produced women's plastic legs for clothing displays). The workers were very helpful, despite the fact that they only spoke Spanish. Eventually, we called the hotel and one of the workers talked to the hotel clerk on my iPhone and found the correct location--it was in another section of the city about 4 miles away. (They "dropped a pin" on the hotel's location in MAPS for us!)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This navigation error was caused by me in not being careful enough on picking the right one of three locations with the same street number and name, all within a few miles in the morning. (I simply picked the first one of the three, not realizing the difference between the listings.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It was well after 4 PM when we finally got to our hotel, La Hacienda Tlaquepaque. It was a very small hotel </span><span style="font-family: arial;">(only 5 rooms) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">in a very quaint neighborhood of Guadalajara. (Guadalajara has a population of 5 million people and it is spread out like Los Angeles. The 5-million population makes it as large as Chicago and Houston put together.) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFro5K7bX2cq5V34aHLkHrq9gu-VpbyUhO2CdfUclWIsGCTAbvSDu7kWP7Zm5Rtc5weo8RZWmbpFumhVXxUqejZ1v9XWB2qGUdAKs6s2jjo9e0E_tdm3MU6S_JSnoK58rSEmWNxmIZ4wWZlzsuCB99TvKQntZqri6UBffDRfhTHguZZys3sE7n1Njj=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="452" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFro5K7bX2cq5V34aHLkHrq9gu-VpbyUhO2CdfUclWIsGCTAbvSDu7kWP7Zm5Rtc5weo8RZWmbpFumhVXxUqejZ1v9XWB2qGUdAKs6s2jjo9e0E_tdm3MU6S_JSnoK58rSEmWNxmIZ4wWZlzsuCB99TvKQntZqri6UBffDRfhTHguZZys3sE7n1Njj=w452-h640" width="452" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Our car parked inside courtyard of <br />our hotel in Tlaquepaque.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghdpobARG8lah3hh1zFgHIHy14lIEVJ1xXevG__pGNZ8DiSoNUyTOOB6qbYqrZRpcC06EqgsdMtpC-16bWW-87V3M3vAex8JhLFWJAUGerBWuK8XUP5GoiO-bA-rrmUYRan6sedIuj_H2dpHIKV3JnULmP7KMuE4Kpi5cV68bn_DYnTwo9r444_7TX=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghdpobARG8lah3hh1zFgHIHy14lIEVJ1xXevG__pGNZ8DiSoNUyTOOB6qbYqrZRpcC06EqgsdMtpC-16bWW-87V3M3vAex8JhLFWJAUGerBWuK8XUP5GoiO-bA-rrmUYRan6sedIuj_H2dpHIKV3JnULmP7KMuE4Kpi5cV68bn_DYnTwo9r444_7TX=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Inside courtyard of our <br />hotel in Tlaquepaque.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We were able to park within the hotel's courtyard, which was a nice treat. However, our room was very primitive--is was a very basic 12 foot by 12 foot concrete room with no windows and a bathroom (with no shower curtain).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We decided to go out for dinner since we didn't have anything to eat since about 10 AM and the hotel manager recommended the restaurant next door. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEishlEdW10pqHIRDRFT4Y2mbaNCyCJZKRknNRq2DubfLbx1-tcbjMoQFS4BT7TtN6N7jXkzPvwo7d8XKEZiYz7_ynWPTpNGnv2bT9R3U8-BqMQu0tOVrvdSWFfeZ6W3stu4YIK5d8byRkZbv9_3Sm4YOAzE1-G2LI-DiAJLCTMCfaLnludheVnk-QHr=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="503" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEishlEdW10pqHIRDRFT4Y2mbaNCyCJZKRknNRq2DubfLbx1-tcbjMoQFS4BT7TtN6N7jXkzPvwo7d8XKEZiYz7_ynWPTpNGnv2bT9R3U8-BqMQu0tOVrvdSWFfeZ6W3stu4YIK5d8byRkZbv9_3Sm4YOAzE1-G2LI-DiAJLCTMCfaLnludheVnk-QHr=w504-h640" width="504" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The sign above the restaurant next door.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Here, at La Vid, I had the best meal I've had since coming to Mexico--it was called Tequila Chicken. (Maggie had a very good Fettuccini dish.) I couldn't taste any actual tequila in my meal, instead it was like a balsamic reduction over a well-cooked piece of chicken accompanied by pieces of cantaloupe. (I've always loved good mixtures of meat and fruits.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTnfzAQNxoW-LMnkmEkLx2KRbCSnv6L6x0QQtRyqoegwDaKB_ZomyFqvEHhE4pZSSV0_-q79XPURzNMdDIDu_I-8TFWcA_inh_nX1LWz26Pq0D6HD-yFQjXYSfIc63ALRlnHZ6JGk3P7geWlp-qwLiOOMRimcqa0BMD2A48q2tSIlV_YPhL7f86VlS=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTnfzAQNxoW-LMnkmEkLx2KRbCSnv6L6x0QQtRyqoegwDaKB_ZomyFqvEHhE4pZSSV0_-q79XPURzNMdDIDu_I-8TFWcA_inh_nX1LWz26Pq0D6HD-yFQjXYSfIc63ALRlnHZ6JGk3P7geWlp-qwLiOOMRimcqa0BMD2A48q2tSIlV_YPhL7f86VlS=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Tequila Chicken at La Vid restaurant was <br />the best meal I have eaten in Mexico!<br /></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Since we had our doubts about the cleanliness of the hotel, we didn't use the shower. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thursday, December 16</span></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">(Tlaquepaque to Mazatlan)</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We were up early in the morning and raring to get out of town. The hotel manager (her name was Lulu) made us coffee and some scrambled eggs even though it was much earlier than was supposed to be available. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It took us 1-3/4 hours to get out of Guadalajara because we were in the middle of "rush hour" traffic when we left our hotel (another big mistake!). We eventually made it onto a toll road where our speed really picked up (110 km/hour). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We traveled by toll road (supposed the safest) for the remainder of the day's trip. We drove through many different agricultural areas with fields of tomatoes, sugar cane, corn, as well as many large fields of blue agave (for making tequila). In fact, most of the land we saw was dedicated to producing blue agave--it must have been most lucrative. (The fields looked like the pretty color of the water in the Bahamas!)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVG4DDiy04HDQ3bG_umPzw8L-rzBLo7WxjKh4CFEJTKkOU6cIR393aX0yGyWPDCc_ACLQjWjeauZHG-vvoJY_B7MRIeKWMFgSa60V4gEQQdKgWiGE9SqQ0GiElE8rTlXTYe-0BVM80nSTpZ3Z8e4zfzTqusgMY3mo9xPqED9OZxWdcoAxqXT9pp7MC=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="640" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVG4DDiy04HDQ3bG_umPzw8L-rzBLo7WxjKh4CFEJTKkOU6cIR393aX0yGyWPDCc_ACLQjWjeauZHG-vvoJY_B7MRIeKWMFgSa60V4gEQQdKgWiGE9SqQ0GiElE8rTlXTYe-0BVM80nSTpZ3Z8e4zfzTqusgMY3mo9xPqED9OZxWdcoAxqXT9pp7MC=w640-h294" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Fields of blue agave plants.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Along today's trip we were stopped along with everyone else on the toll road for inspection by the national guard--they simply asked us about carrying fruits and we were quickly on our way again. We saw a large National Guard presence which seemed out of the ordinary--we suspected it was to provide resistance to the drug cartels.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We arrived in Mazatlan at about 3:30 PM (Mountain Time?) and had a lot of difficulty finding our AirBnB for the week. We had to call our AirBnB host for detailed instructions. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3ZezINNwBNReIFRR1vKnvISoD-noQoY5aH6dc-eQkP1OPeREx6vW_QLIP9q4_T9XCLf6Znebwx16BYjSQh4nbhwfkGfzDdTQQsusvC8bEYwtJ9WRQlL22SQDKHCJmKSFlLpVI3ugSK6osJp51zR4lUB1JzxdmYzH_hw-mwqdFo8jY0tUvUQNEu4M0=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3ZezINNwBNReIFRR1vKnvISoD-noQoY5aH6dc-eQkP1OPeREx6vW_QLIP9q4_T9XCLf6Znebwx16BYjSQh4nbhwfkGfzDdTQQsusvC8bEYwtJ9WRQlL22SQDKHCJmKSFlLpVI3ugSK6osJp51zR4lUB1JzxdmYzH_hw-mwqdFo8jY0tUvUQNEu4M0=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Our car parked inside the "front porch" <br />at our Mazatlan flat.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We finally got settled into our very modern flat about a block away from the ocean and instantly felt "at home." The combination of the sea breeze, higher humidity, and lower altitude were felt very positively almost at once. (Clearly, we are not "mountain people.")</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhouSxRSjCjeZMUrAVg30_cOpw3u1qtJc2MKXDmQYUhs3FtJuJImQnink_9T_Xm5IlCLovanMtZ2NUZyka8_I-ZSz12p4ciRScOE03EvG4spH1lt2YYPQ3NKDXC04kjZd-mYq9S1jW2U6MRQnAoQQQwsUJel_8tp07XzuwwYZmBTMiLZ2wr5_ZGZN_4=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="640" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhouSxRSjCjeZMUrAVg30_cOpw3u1qtJc2MKXDmQYUhs3FtJuJImQnink_9T_Xm5IlCLovanMtZ2NUZyka8_I-ZSz12p4ciRScOE03EvG4spH1lt2YYPQ3NKDXC04kjZd-mYq9S1jW2U6MRQnAoQQQwsUJel_8tp07XzuwwYZmBTMiLZ2wr5_ZGZN_4=w640-h616" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Finally, lots of windows! We have three windows <br />like shown plus two sliding glass doors <br />and they can all be opened!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Friday, December 17</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A simple task we couldn't figure out in the morning was how to use the induction cooktop in the Mazatlan flat we rented. The problem turned out to be a power switch (hidden beneath the kitchen countertop) that had to be turned on before use. (We found this after finally texting the AirBnB host and after our googled instructions for the stovetop was unsuccessful.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">After a light breakfast in our apartment, we walked along the Malecon toward the large collection of pangas (fishing boats) on the beach at Playa Norte. (It was quite a walk but one that Maggie did twice today already, once for her morning exercise.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1bKrwurzZ-RtEf0gtez3MVrKkLBvE4gyL1Dor5dsU8kETA3Gr1YlohzO1RmDW89G4cM6tyKuWAkP6kDqhovrmV1F0EFU4mie-eAOx2WRB-a4u1EGSuxmC_3OXWk7RDKpK-GW7mzjZisKEsu0EqHwuzVFMeTnOUlRWxh9kT34-5PK6J1XcWC7AXrwL=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1bKrwurzZ-RtEf0gtez3MVrKkLBvE4gyL1Dor5dsU8kETA3Gr1YlohzO1RmDW89G4cM6tyKuWAkP6kDqhovrmV1F0EFU4mie-eAOx2WRB-a4u1EGSuxmC_3OXWk7RDKpK-GW7mzjZisKEsu0EqHwuzVFMeTnOUlRWxh9kT34-5PK6J1XcWC7AXrwL=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Pangas along Playa Norte</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFm3sGSSUow1DouKySDidt-w_pX7ki8iiLU-NOFGoha89fnbJArRF7Dtosc-tEZUjpgeK7YgQUgStuxSnDciZSsmhotuCa6248mxm8ATv8S0OV4bJQDQtNLX9yIX7M4mgpoePwt7Vo1PkdGcUxPRwv7B_35zZfHbLRC0jrQCuZc7HSk3ZJgKbWyI5u=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFm3sGSSUow1DouKySDidt-w_pX7ki8iiLU-NOFGoha89fnbJArRF7Dtosc-tEZUjpgeK7YgQUgStuxSnDciZSsmhotuCa6248mxm8ATv8S0OV4bJQDQtNLX9yIX7M4mgpoePwt7Vo1PkdGcUxPRwv7B_35zZfHbLRC0jrQCuZc7HSk3ZJgKbWyI5u=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The fish cleaning station <br />for the fleet of pangas.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7LVAXs79zORLqf80bpAC6adnsX9p_eTb5m_Za27B8I_kkK903vI_YZLoZYjj6bdcFnl-Swtk-rq7b1euFJlOf2WDhObFIW7rUImvTL5K8ljXfS5Sd9hUfjPvjnZ_hbGXVPWbXujYGBm_QdQm1ZG22vy0VH6ZvVmxP9GnYFUeBTyqyhTGg2jVtGm3X=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="640" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7LVAXs79zORLqf80bpAC6adnsX9p_eTb5m_Za27B8I_kkK903vI_YZLoZYjj6bdcFnl-Swtk-rq7b1euFJlOf2WDhObFIW7rUImvTL5K8ljXfS5Sd9hUfjPvjnZ_hbGXVPWbXujYGBm_QdQm1ZG22vy0VH6ZvVmxP9GnYFUeBTyqyhTGg2jVtGm3X=w640-h370" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Freshly caught fish awaiting cleaning.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We had lunch at a seafood restaurant (El Muchacho Allegre) on the beach-side of the Malecon. We each had a delicious shrimp dish and there was no doubt about the freshness of the shrimp. Most of the diners around us were Mexicans but probably from out of town.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipODoPP499ALCRQyc6g8v4tPtIF2ZGAsTaZQsXhmhWN3OxbdLXI_7hLb0bDMMpG6MkOoNc_MZLkEd3mXmYrHa66J19Dx9-Uo-_7w8yhm9TJBlZUhXd0WauJQ0IXPfanYlWUN_sIpfney9gixaQhkkNDhBqKCpkpiH7dRpNC1iwn1vD8WuuoKFvlol3=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipODoPP499ALCRQyc6g8v4tPtIF2ZGAsTaZQsXhmhWN3OxbdLXI_7hLb0bDMMpG6MkOoNc_MZLkEd3mXmYrHa66J19Dx9-Uo-_7w8yhm9TJBlZUhXd0WauJQ0IXPfanYlWUN_sIpfney9gixaQhkkNDhBqKCpkpiH7dRpNC1iwn1vD8WuuoKFvlol3=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Shops opposite Playa Norte.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After lunch we caught a white (open air) tourist buggy back to our apartment and downloaded our recent photographs and got caught up on our blogs.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiymlHUPgukZfCMw7eSHowCOh_gObLbr1ilWgDRY0Tyxc0Yc7EhKEfdZecKv7ryWdutZxNwnsiNTTA-s8SH4lDN5qJC3GV13kBYwezbf86kH-ovJMXAJ6XPK5yDv41hijQ_bnMKaQq-WPfM24X4AbeWBE2lPayDa-zLGjXn6wB7gN11Cv4Fycu5HKnh=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiymlHUPgukZfCMw7eSHowCOh_gObLbr1ilWgDRY0Tyxc0Yc7EhKEfdZecKv7ryWdutZxNwnsiNTTA-s8SH4lDN5qJC3GV13kBYwezbf86kH-ovJMXAJ6XPK5yDv41hijQ_bnMKaQq-WPfM24X4AbeWBE2lPayDa-zLGjXn6wB7gN11Cv4Fycu5HKnh=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Looking down on the rocky shore <br />near our apartment.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Saturday, December 18</span></h3><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We could hear the ocean waves hitting the nearby rocky beach in the morning--it was so relaxing. Everything about this place was peaceful and relaxing.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">While Maggie was out on her morning (exercise) walk, I took a cold shower (because I couldn't get any hot water this morning) and I was playing <i>Guantanamera</i> on my iPad (a Cuban song because it was the closest music I had on my playlists to Mexican).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6cHajT5XfoOgvnIp4rK7sd3ouIYCv95aBeeh_pUglkGZ_Re3BzVZTgp1c0qzAhLtVXB67PR6JYIzm-Lcc300k50_mP4ErorHPcov627RWZ9mGZY10lcWcpFk1XLkd0d48LOVd53EXrjOZTuOL-iW3oAJZAxEhB_R1-_65MYDKo5A6717EyGJ9XsIV=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="451" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6cHajT5XfoOgvnIp4rK7sd3ouIYCv95aBeeh_pUglkGZ_Re3BzVZTgp1c0qzAhLtVXB67PR6JYIzm-Lcc300k50_mP4ErorHPcov627RWZ9mGZY10lcWcpFk1XLkd0d48LOVd53EXrjOZTuOL-iW3oAJZAxEhB_R1-_65MYDKo5A6717EyGJ9XsIV=w452-h640" width="452" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A scene through our living room <br />window, capturing some of <br />the colors of Mexico while <br />focusing on the extreme <br />needs for security.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Our goal for the day was to visit the Marina Mazatlan. During our delicious lunch (pizza and a salad) at nearby Angelina's, we discussed our options for the remaining 3 months of our time in Mexico in an attempt to figure a way so we were no longer staying in San Miguel de Allende. Thinking that we couldn't get out of our six-month lease, we opted to extend our springtime stay near Puerto Vallarta by a week, making it two weeks.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After lunch we hailed a little white open air buggy for our 2-mile trip to the marina. We found out that there were two marinas and we focused on the Marina Mazatlan, the largest of the two marinas.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZh0qrptwdExrc5EyDCSu-MCLvLEZxdZ3hWJ4uycV3Exq7AOwgmMdFYtjXSCTcbDzEYUFiTZ1TZBN9v8vVY7umCnBIsLZnsDtihtpzK_Nn1JwZ1feKEjDxhMf5ai8DH1hOTS7zh9t1ivlq2rNskk2bSqpKqXH0JagJbRBInDTPaKnQBJ3-hEfgXUeO=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZh0qrptwdExrc5EyDCSu-MCLvLEZxdZ3hWJ4uycV3Exq7AOwgmMdFYtjXSCTcbDzEYUFiTZ1TZBN9v8vVY7umCnBIsLZnsDtihtpzK_Nn1JwZ1feKEjDxhMf5ai8DH1hOTS7zh9t1ivlq2rNskk2bSqpKqXH0JagJbRBInDTPaKnQBJ3-hEfgXUeO=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A trimaran on the t-head of <br />one of the docks.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfEtQmQm5DpswVgD2zHZPh5kzUGIWXygur-b0ZD4pIxtgqD-jAy1IOVbDxeoUvyu5-FOYAkgjzpvisNwDSeTJ6F83uzCKb5KLdQbjlc9i9kOQfUU0iOkCOTBRT3CtM43EyGBkiJWWZVO-6Od_-hliEFIWh9uMOuSNLZKZWfwAk8-VafiHhRpgV1i2d=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfEtQmQm5DpswVgD2zHZPh5kzUGIWXygur-b0ZD4pIxtgqD-jAy1IOVbDxeoUvyu5-FOYAkgjzpvisNwDSeTJ6F83uzCKb5KLdQbjlc9i9kOQfUU0iOkCOTBRT3CtM43EyGBkiJWWZVO-6Od_-hliEFIWh9uMOuSNLZKZWfwAk8-VafiHhRpgV1i2d=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>All the gates to the individual <br />piers were locked.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUy29LQp5xcV2RTFMiMSsLnwwczLQgtb4ETQ-7C4eY7Ak9Zwv-Esgz2FsRH5DwnFYUzZArJNuqMs-DiFpcm78Fv5t9QGlb1t-zddDngE6fkQn26F7NfMAo5wLpFdBwJYVTF6yU3pkO4tviFEoOor014FIYvW2bTbiB7GMlXpKLguPrm9VLTzgIQpBC=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUy29LQp5xcV2RTFMiMSsLnwwczLQgtb4ETQ-7C4eY7Ak9Zwv-Esgz2FsRH5DwnFYUzZArJNuqMs-DiFpcm78Fv5t9QGlb1t-zddDngE6fkQn26F7NfMAo5wLpFdBwJYVTF6yU3pkO4tviFEoOor014FIYvW2bTbiB7GMlXpKLguPrm9VLTzgIQpBC=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>One of the about eight floating piers, <br />this one with mostly sailboats.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>We met a liveaboard sailor (his name was Marvin and he was 84 years old) and his wife on one of the main docks--he owned a catamaran which took up two slips. His cost was $400 per month (which was cheap for two slips by East Coast standards).</span><br /><p></p><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhf9LUlGLrHOuZwNmf20sXtjFEWRHFtzfX09WifzcJaV_t8xTacVIqUoPHg05u5b7VfczjHEoRZz5lseYSHpt7VkNCpsoELCpAC_Eutivun5LDyJ30bUq-sPVMcpu2jTCnpgb4vefCfMRMWBozJh_rlJ_ah0Z9NhhQ4Z1XZh7slLEP76CVYtmeOdQxX=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="640" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhf9LUlGLrHOuZwNmf20sXtjFEWRHFtzfX09WifzcJaV_t8xTacVIqUoPHg05u5b7VfczjHEoRZz5lseYSHpt7VkNCpsoELCpAC_Eutivun5LDyJ30bUq-sPVMcpu2jTCnpgb4vefCfMRMWBozJh_rlJ_ah0Z9NhhQ4Z1XZh7slLEP76CVYtmeOdQxX=w640-h398" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Radio towers on a rock hill just <br />north of our apartment,</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We got back to our apartment by 3 PM and proceeded with our Happy Hour. Stay tuned for our last four days in Mazatlan. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-50884040738391760382021-12-14T14:53:00.002-08:002021-12-14T14:53:53.607-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Preparing for a Week in Mazatlan</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. These few days were spent preparing for a week-long getaway to Mazatlan on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. </span></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Saturday, December 11</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />We leave for Mazatlan on Tuesday morning, December 14. Our planning is not lonely for our week-long getaway but for our return to San Miguel de Allende just before Christmas, December 23. On Tuesday evening we plan to stay in in a suburb of Guadalajara, T</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85)">laquepaque</span>, whi</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ch was a little more than half way to Mazatlan from San Miguel de Allende.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuP9AZsK5nptede-QWJ32BSb4M-eyrIfCuVnGesiLmIgroVjfQY-AJvqx3g8XHh_6jfc_oEqKGG8LkyMXE6276cd1zBYaosheg1JnsA9jw_md0SadPEfceHLo7FpDFIjpOomJQkO30pg39-EgX6guvEbFRzLxlZw65OxmKPOMk9rwrv2Z7NX1I9VLZ=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="640" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuP9AZsK5nptede-QWJ32BSb4M-eyrIfCuVnGesiLmIgroVjfQY-AJvqx3g8XHh_6jfc_oEqKGG8LkyMXE6276cd1zBYaosheg1JnsA9jw_md0SadPEfceHLo7FpDFIjpOomJQkO30pg39-EgX6guvEbFRzLxlZw65OxmKPOMk9rwrv2Z7NX1I9VLZ=w640-h534" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Two artists working on a mural on </i><br /><i>Calle Cancion India. (I think <br />they were making a mosaic <br />using very small tiles.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Today, we walked into town to visit a Bazaar, offering lots of things that interested Maggie. Afterward we went out for lunch at a small cafe on the first floor of a small hotel--it was very tasty!</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We took a taxi back to our apartment in time for the start of the Army-Navy game at 2 PM local time. Navy (previously 3-8), from our adopted hometown of Annapolis, upset Army (previously 8-3) by a score of 17 to 13. <br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sunday, December 12</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Fireworks (sounded like "cherry bombs" from my youth) were going off all night long due to some type of celebration, some seemed right next to our building. The explosions echoed up the canyon. It was almost like we were trying to sleep in a war zone. They were still exploding as I wrote this paragraph at 8:30 AM. Lola was still hiding under our bed in fear during breakfast in the morning.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5qPoTs_GUMQaA4HjhGn_RLPQ-jSVOhyAksPr0BjFWCKB78TDoXX4j53pRQpbAO0Npj21AhyUXVlr99hsdBGwQ8N2kyjaJ0QbSOByTDepxYYvaAaYkZ8PPgsVqsxWX_p0iUzA8dGfWgw6zNCYSvCHE-HCYKvincwv5qDSAdf5sh4MeuVBNQz7gtl2D=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="469" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5qPoTs_GUMQaA4HjhGn_RLPQ-jSVOhyAksPr0BjFWCKB78TDoXX4j53pRQpbAO0Npj21AhyUXVlr99hsdBGwQ8N2kyjaJ0QbSOByTDepxYYvaAaYkZ8PPgsVqsxWX_p0iUzA8dGfWgw6zNCYSvCHE-HCYKvincwv5qDSAdf5sh4MeuVBNQz7gtl2D=w470-h640" width="470" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Lola after being spooked by all <br />the fireworks last night.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I later found out that December 12 was the <a href="https://www.iexplore.com/experiences/festivals-events/dia-de-la-virgen-de-guadalupe-important-mexican-celebration">Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe</a> (Guadalupe is the name of our neighborhood in San Miguel de Allende) which didn't fully explain the fireworks but at least I found out the reason for the celebration. (The fireworks continued during the day.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For lunch today, Maggie walked to a nearby Pollo Feliz (translated to "Happy Chicken") and picked up take-out. (Pollo Feliz is similar to KFC in the U.S.) We had differing views on our lunch--I hated it, though I usually like fried chicken.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">---------- </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Our planning for our week-long getaway started with Maggie visiting a nearby ATM for the second day in a row so we had some cash for our trip. Meanwhile I gathered the necessary addresses so that I could put them into our car's GPS. (I couldn't get a GPS signal in our apartment because of the concrete roof--so the address entries must wait until tomorrow.) The complete trip to Mazatlan (according to our electronic maps) takes 9 hours and 27 minutes. Since we will be stopping overnight in Tlaquepaque on Wednesday, it will take 4 hours and 12 minutes from San Miguel de Allende--when we have a 2 PM check-in time. This would leave 5 hours and 15 minutes for Thursday morning when we have a 1 PM check-in time, meaning we should check out of our hotel in Tlaquepaque at 7:30 AM.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxhf8wkJ69Ev3XCAU1E8eSJ2-uSGxtzWG7I8aVRS3B4eIdwZO09q-w494vxgsSdypBG2bUKeWqKrYZ-sz6ktvbXBT6vVqvzJekcrn6hjdvf52rQ6XdT_Ye4ZzAFl53uZY6rE3hkBBudOrUW7NyQ-SyO70tntLmcCnXYEbR2STO_YsNIn39oj5s3ruE=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="640" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxhf8wkJ69Ev3XCAU1E8eSJ2-uSGxtzWG7I8aVRS3B4eIdwZO09q-w494vxgsSdypBG2bUKeWqKrYZ-sz6ktvbXBT6vVqvzJekcrn6hjdvf52rQ6XdT_Ye4ZzAFl53uZY6rE3hkBBudOrUW7NyQ-SyO70tntLmcCnXYEbR2STO_YsNIn39oj5s3ruE=w640-h600" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Our complete 9-hour route from <br />San Miguel de </i><i>Allende <br />to Mazatlan. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As you can see on the above map, Mazatlan is about equidistant as San Miguel de Allende from Laredo TX. This means that if we come to Mazatlan for a future winter, it won't require driving any further in Mexico.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In the process of the above planning, the website for the hotel we are staying at on Wednesday night stated that they don't allow pets. We called to make sure they understood that we were traveling with 2 cats and it was OK with them.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The weather in Mazatlan (as well as Tlaquepaque) was predicted to have high temperatures in the low-to-mid 80's and lows in the low 60's with little to no chance of rain as far as could be safely predicted. (This meant shorts and t-shirts instead of jeans and sweatshirts!)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Monday, December 13</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We ate oatmeal for breakfast this morning--the hot cereal seemed to go so well with the very cool mornings here in San Miguel de Allende. Putting the two new addresses into our car's GPS for our upcoming trip and driving to La Comer (the supermarket) for groceries. (I couldn't put in the complete address for our Mazatlan AirBnB for some strange reason.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We went out for lunch at Rustica for the second time and it's getting old for me already. I had the same thing both times (which was a mistake), the steak sandwich. Maggie tried something different, a breaded chicken dish (a chicken breast was hammered down to a thickness of about 1/4-inch, then breaded and fried) which tasted great. (</span><span style="font-family: arial;">While we were in the restaurant, we got our car washed again--for only $5 USD--it needed it badly. With so little rainfall during the winter months, the streets are very dusty and so was our car.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPti8h3Dw9771L10KgDDVxFuVndrc1CWSdp4BQ-DVZZVNfU21NbUneAyKneKmhFOXng1IafmkCE0Mc1ez8cL_TwMuLg4y_t7XBDoQiIFOugGi5cC3AomV9zJP8Yq1AEmZAR5BYOykbZL57oC7WGB-oXFcyO-qQ6djunRzPZwBYvmtRwL8FoIjKEYZh=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPti8h3Dw9771L10KgDDVxFuVndrc1CWSdp4BQ-DVZZVNfU21NbUneAyKneKmhFOXng1IafmkCE0Mc1ez8cL_TwMuLg4y_t7XBDoQiIFOugGi5cC3AomV9zJP8Yq1AEmZAR5BYOykbZL57oC7WGB-oXFcyO-qQ6djunRzPZwBYvmtRwL8FoIjKEYZh=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>We had lunch today at Rustica--it's our second time <br />there. This restaurant is for gringos--it is an <br />overly-themed restaurant in my opinion.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When we returned to our apartment around 4 PM, Maggie graciously offered to check at the nearby La Conexion office for our last package in the pipeline. (We finally got it!)</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpM0Pns-Rnjr63w4EjNi8hVVrP2oF34sD_lgS8WXB4Xr5mbQpAPNFUUgoQ0mu6XCirpfx4ep9dgirrFAHHyL7pEs3aNuV7NHLNFuQpW-crZlqA7NMYgyZfnsYHfsRevBayA50APg1I-1wk2xrcw9cZZt8c61VyMrtDQ05kFIPyqgPv64p0lDFnzz2L=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpM0Pns-Rnjr63w4EjNi8hVVrP2oF34sD_lgS8WXB4Xr5mbQpAPNFUUgoQ0mu6XCirpfx4ep9dgirrFAHHyL7pEs3aNuV7NHLNFuQpW-crZlqA7NMYgyZfnsYHfsRevBayA50APg1I-1wk2xrcw9cZZt8c61VyMrtDQ05kFIPyqgPv64p0lDFnzz2L=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>We started packing our bags <br />for our trip to Mazatlan.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tuesday, December 14</span></h3><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today was our last day in San Miguel de Allende for a little over a week, eight days to be exact. We spent the day trying to finish up our packing, making little adjustments as we proceeded. (We will load everything into our car tomorrow morning.)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I loaded up all my camera lenses--I was originally going to try and gt by with one lens (my new one) but decided against it at the last minute.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This was a short blogpost because we have more packing to do before we leave...our next blogpost will be made from Mazatlan. Thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-43483036757865544802021-12-10T14:50:00.000-08:002021-12-10T14:50:09.176-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Mexican Dirt Dwellers</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This has been quite a change in our life style!</span></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tuesday, December 7</span></h3><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />It was a little strange starting a new blogpost on a Tuesday, but oh well. I enjoyed a cup of my favorite tea this morning, thanks to my recent Amazon shipment.<br /><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDiatuJIlRvUD11iMp12_dNGB6E0wtlxka_ha2W5YSrX-u-rg1JZYzxwtNZXEAekNO5SPDACTf6gPa9ZgVQHfHR4M9Y2WL2p31TI1sfZrZNdQrO6orP9oLFaaiDwxGATPMJ7RceBtaTXMIM5ZLg-WxUE0Sl1Ud97DoHXhxYoVXX4dnQh7GAtL0Glpq=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="534" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDiatuJIlRvUD11iMp12_dNGB6E0wtlxka_ha2W5YSrX-u-rg1JZYzxwtNZXEAekNO5SPDACTf6gPa9ZgVQHfHR4M9Y2WL2p31TI1sfZrZNdQrO6orP9oLFaaiDwxGATPMJ7RceBtaTXMIM5ZLg-WxUE0Sl1Ud97DoHXhxYoVXX4dnQh7GAtL0Glpq=w534-h640" width="534" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Ahh, my favorite tea! Thanks, Amazon!<br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><i>(BIGELOW tea is harvested on a tea <br />plantation near Charleston SC--we <br />drove past it a few years ago when <br />we spent the winter in Charleston.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Wow, a nice hot shower can make you feel 5 years younger, which was how I felt this morning! As I sat here in our small living room writing this blog on my laptop, the whir of the little space heater was a reminder of the cold tile floors and our inability to keep them warm. (There was no central heating system nor air conditioning of any kind in most of the homes in San Miguel de Allende, including our rented apartment.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We decided to go into town today (after the outside temperature warmed up a bit) in search of a small pedestrian area called "Life Path" and have lunch at a restaurant in the area. (The afternoon temperature was expected to be in the mid-to-upper 70's, very typical here in the winter.) We walked about half way to the restaurant and picked up a taxi for the remainder of the trip since we probably couldn't find it on our own.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After our body temperature was checked (a COVID screening), we were seated in the courtyard.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilCRopttb5bwYNOt6RoEY_imCqTu_UHwhBVFDiJ9Tl3TQV7h1Hs5lzwhFnEycj6sLGhVOXnR6XAPi-1mNnZq5_Ktss71iADwjVJFoH_KoAlLvBbrCnYh9O4poVHvsLT-3qrfaVJyIS4iIRRIGYfj_LrFCwO0AOis7rhjPHxECiDuOgDyaZHwT4qYVs=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilCRopttb5bwYNOt6RoEY_imCqTu_UHwhBVFDiJ9Tl3TQV7h1Hs5lzwhFnEycj6sLGhVOXnR6XAPi-1mNnZq5_Ktss71iADwjVJFoH_KoAlLvBbrCnYh9O4poVHvsLT-3qrfaVJyIS4iIRRIGYfj_LrFCwO0AOis7rhjPHxECiDuOgDyaZHwT4qYVs=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>We chose to have lunch in the courtyard of <br />the restaurant, Hecho en Mexico.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaX2zmzRVoNpIyaP7BUJub4XCmLrdqZtjmK0n6c2KNg83BH0JElAh_QYOsF-i-EE_VPVHVs_pdJRP3Z8UyvfSE9t1jYHzUjAvLXT1MZ_s5XAvIhtDUZTYWPDx1AhnKmLtIyfofUJQwuKJ5wEwS9P2lfSdi9liVMzDIOYpnhuohCd7Joy5uZtwXjX0h=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaX2zmzRVoNpIyaP7BUJub4XCmLrdqZtjmK0n6c2KNg83BH0JElAh_QYOsF-i-EE_VPVHVs_pdJRP3Z8UyvfSE9t1jYHzUjAvLXT1MZ_s5XAvIhtDUZTYWPDx1AhnKmLtIyfofUJQwuKJ5wEwS9P2lfSdi9liVMzDIOYpnhuohCd7Joy5uZtwXjX0h=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>My lunch consisted of three fish tacos, sweet potato <br />casserole, and grilled cactus (napoles).<br />(Excuse the red cast on this image <br />created by the red umbrella.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The food and service at Hecho en Mexico were excellent. I tried grilled cactus for the first time and it wasn't bad--it tasted like green beans and it needed a squeeze of lime and salt to make it palatable to me. We had apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream--even the apples were grown in Mexico. Our lunch was excellent, certainly among the top three restaurants we have tried here in San Miguel de Allende.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After lunch we sought out our goal for the day: Life Path. The best way to describe Life Path is about a 1/4-mile long pedestrian walkway that is lined with murals, all types of flowers, and colonial homes. (</span><span style="font-family: arial;">All of the following photos were taken using my new 35-70mm lens.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkx8EAMoV10FiRgqG6NjBD3QeCKW4qP1Ap9tPF3dKs35qkQDUZ4aRObLCY9ODGXl8RznDhWcYImpn4Ms4wb4qOfN9jPwKX3rGSVVPamkpbPzTTDI-gU8eiuR4g6mUVbClpKdLAXqgkwYWgXMkYdFyWt32I-guqDYqv3DKQBvD5ODerqHkJZ-Qgajom=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkx8EAMoV10FiRgqG6NjBD3QeCKW4qP1Ap9tPF3dKs35qkQDUZ4aRObLCY9ODGXl8RznDhWcYImpn4Ms4wb4qOfN9jPwKX3rGSVVPamkpbPzTTDI-gU8eiuR4g6mUVbClpKdLAXqgkwYWgXMkYdFyWt32I-guqDYqv3DKQBvD5ODerqHkJZ-Qgajom=w428-h640" width="428" /></i></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The doors and windows on the left are <br />simply painted on the wall--they are <br />not really doors and windows.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZnB7HORND4rWo_o_p83wklSEOBHFWUVBCaEDQYLj3-u2uC9aqaE13RkdphgCslTYY-KYtW_hL1w4LnpAWY9GjmxfnFGiPPTeZ1BgMX_5u6_iYr59J4nR3qVp71tpzB24Se_BaQEhqu7LxIjveJNgifcKmZbP7ksrLmefznyQ_WUjTjFHLUFxMu3FC=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="640" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZnB7HORND4rWo_o_p83wklSEOBHFWUVBCaEDQYLj3-u2uC9aqaE13RkdphgCslTYY-KYtW_hL1w4LnpAWY9GjmxfnFGiPPTeZ1BgMX_5u6_iYr59J4nR3qVp71tpzB24Se_BaQEhqu7LxIjveJNgifcKmZbP7ksrLmefznyQ_WUjTjFHLUFxMu3FC=w640-h444" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A flower blooming within Life Path.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFfJl5OP55G2FutxpQr2u6KYK5jVcs8YhV6_Zhydb-_EfhTdOiCzcaBN2LSLXj7siHuvtMusdtTzAq18HJzmBggqbTAnacHyfwNqDGTD9C026_GaZ7AiLTLqCG1zpzn8ub6AyPv4lEFG0bqCpYkes5IebpCtaTgFcopWmdwx0yCM2hkeXuGXF90m7k=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFfJl5OP55G2FutxpQr2u6KYK5jVcs8YhV6_Zhydb-_EfhTdOiCzcaBN2LSLXj7siHuvtMusdtTzAq18HJzmBggqbTAnacHyfwNqDGTD9C026_GaZ7AiLTLqCG1zpzn8ub6AyPv4lEFG0bqCpYkes5IebpCtaTgFcopWmdwx0yCM2hkeXuGXF90m7k=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Colonial homes within Life Path.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmJIBhxUCleNhwWxBZjKBe-mguf_stfnht7MMxcZnkgO5wc69BME2Rxt5uf-lOMd9EPeoMHaeJnVs14yMz0kx5_SObeBEN3pVpiPTsUk4yt4NygpTfuNJtUokB0hZnY4pfAj_TEbmUlQrQlv6bpPdffPTW6Tkt52CfkiUXfKpb4iH6eZVziHbYUAuK=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="433" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmJIBhxUCleNhwWxBZjKBe-mguf_stfnht7MMxcZnkgO5wc69BME2Rxt5uf-lOMd9EPeoMHaeJnVs14yMz0kx5_SObeBEN3pVpiPTsUk4yt4NygpTfuNJtUokB0hZnY4pfAj_TEbmUlQrQlv6bpPdffPTW6Tkt52CfkiUXfKpb4iH6eZVziHbYUAuK=w434-h640" width="434" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A beautiful colonial home just <br />outside of Life Path.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We got back to our apartment at about 2:45 PM, taking a taxi back home.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Wednesday, December 8</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In just one week, we will be leaving for Mazatlan, on the Pacific Coast of Mexico for a one-week getaway. (Generally speaking, it will be 10 degrees warmer than San Miguel de Allende and much more humid. We probably won't experience the chilly mornings that are typical here in San Miguel de Allende.) From my perspective, this trip was intended as an evaluation of another place in Mexico that could serve as an ultimate retirement spot for us when we can no longer liveaboard our sailboat or, at least, a better spot for spending winters.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I realize this is an exaggeration, but I feel "imprisoned" here in our apartment since there are no windows and the floors are always cold. (Thankfully, there are skylights!) When I selected this apartment many months ago, I didn't even think about this situation in a negative light. (However, from now on, we will for sure! This experience has been a learning exercise.) I am also (kind of) bored here right now...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We had lunch in our apartment today--Maggie made Steak Diane for the first time--it was delicious! We also had a salad using the very fresh cucumbers we recently bought at La Comer--they are crispier and taste so much better than those from back home. (However, meats, particularly steaks and pork chops, are not nearly as flavorful as in the U.S.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I paid for a total of four little packages that cleared customs and were delivered the Calle Almada Office (downtown). (Based on my experience, it typically takes 2 to 3 weeks to get a shipment from Laredo in the U.S. to San Miguel de Allende. So, the current deliveries are things that I ordered before Thanksgiving.) Maggie stopped by the Aurora Office this morning and was told that the packages were being delivered from Calle Almada and would arrive anytime and that they would call me when they arrive. (I have never received a telephone call for email response from this company!)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When we returned to the local La Conexion office in mid-afternoon to pick up our deliveries, we were told that they were still in a car being delivered to this branch from across town. They thought for sure that the car would be here by tomorrow morning. Being a Type A personality, I could feel my blood boiling with the total incompetence I was witnessing. I tried to remind myself that this was just a different culture and that I must be more patient...but it's tough.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrIYFkgohoK3Qvvx-_M4vlJW7vP47f4hdzFcIGQgpSpQhD9LInTgWO3qKyCAMXTjEcKHVoqBxZl4aCYovRQ6FWqXzcZxdEf99gSBXQYqDCSsT38u1UGX75ZmeVU2cjkwNpPd1PALA-WsOtTXSPTD1RLViPSSbFkBxEqGKmnPXOzL7D8I1Vf-eIPk7q=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrIYFkgohoK3Qvvx-_M4vlJW7vP47f4hdzFcIGQgpSpQhD9LInTgWO3qKyCAMXTjEcKHVoqBxZl4aCYovRQ6FWqXzcZxdEf99gSBXQYqDCSsT38u1UGX75ZmeVU2cjkwNpPd1PALA-WsOtTXSPTD1RLViPSSbFkBxEqGKmnPXOzL7D8I1Vf-eIPk7q=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Vertical multi-colored ribbons are a sign of <br />something available for sale since <br />billboards and banners are not <br />allowed in SMA.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3TUis9OJ3wLzqjVetSIB-OTDGYkY3gRg4TOhdm-AhOQ3usTpEYwWC1RAA-HPzU48bC78XNUTe3igfFQ3F36sYGcUEhvUadOjB5wzgJXJKU_bgecJJKnkR-m8AFNDAzavYF18zp23YT6Xj6oqvzIEqZePQdTnBmlUMOnTvFVhpBYg5C08Sb_EE4O6c=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="502" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3TUis9OJ3wLzqjVetSIB-OTDGYkY3gRg4TOhdm-AhOQ3usTpEYwWC1RAA-HPzU48bC78XNUTe3igfFQ3F36sYGcUEhvUadOjB5wzgJXJKU_bgecJJKnkR-m8AFNDAzavYF18zp23YT6Xj6oqvzIEqZePQdTnBmlUMOnTvFVhpBYg5C08Sb_EE4O6c=w502-h640" width="502" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>These leaves hang down from a <br />tree nearby--the tree looks like <br />a weeping willow tree.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlt-03Z_9zHt2O84wFg0_eulDuuIKA4jluxvJwCGy5DKbWr1e-j6cOWTQBTIUEUD-CHwCI5xRnwdsjxXVWLYLY9PYMMOgX9opfG5B5hTOCuzGl4pJnGrdBMNZi2H-PiC-9WEd_1IWiS5m4BmXzGAE7Rjl-ZFlmOqwLeVgHUibd-H8sP8nY4R1QSUDJ=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlt-03Z_9zHt2O84wFg0_eulDuuIKA4jluxvJwCGy5DKbWr1e-j6cOWTQBTIUEUD-CHwCI5xRnwdsjxXVWLYLY9PYMMOgX9opfG5B5hTOCuzGl4pJnGrdBMNZi2H-PiC-9WEd_1IWiS5m4BmXzGAE7Rjl-ZFlmOqwLeVgHUibd-H8sP8nY4R1QSUDJ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Tonight's frozen margarita really helped my sore <br />throat (from swallowing a very hot piece <br />of a muffin this morning).</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thursday, December 9</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Today started out by tracking down my packages--they never arrived at the local branch of La Conexion and, in fact, they were supposedly still in transit from the Calle Aldama branch. We took a taxi downtown to the Alameda Branch and were told that they we taken to the warehouse where they would be re-routed to the Aurora Branch and they said they would definitely be at the Aurora Branch by the end of today. (This statement proved to be "telling us what we want to hear" and not necessarily the truth. They weren't at Aurora by the end of the day.)</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;">(Two of the packages contain several new camera lens filters (to replace the two recent broken ones), and a device to assist in fine tuning the autofocus of my lens/camera combinations. Nothing valuable...)</span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We went out for lunch at PizzaGuy and had a delicious (New York Style) pizza--we shared a medium pizza. After lunch, we drove to La Comer (the supermarket) where we did our grocery shopping for the week.</span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After returning to our apartment and stowing our groceries, Maggie walked out to a nearby hardware store to pick up a hook for our wreath and stopped by La Conexion to see if our packages had arrived yet--only two had arrived at the Aurora Branch. There were still three small packages that were lost in the local system. (I don't think I will be using La Connexion ever again because of my recent bad experiences.)</span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOAJf92_9PNgc-tVAJN-X2h8TCX7usb4pi0MBwkNGAWNOj8_lj0OxqRhGQyKpB-8_zr4Z-ifH-Px2uUBJnWAC3FxBzLTuKckHz22w3Kbqj0yaUvWzmBJFAwG9YxKx7L3xRmVILbINs9woQ0sT35uGe0bWqmfXtx3tTMGMbEXkg8XueDB6HdWZ9OvWj=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOAJf92_9PNgc-tVAJN-X2h8TCX7usb4pi0MBwkNGAWNOj8_lj0OxqRhGQyKpB-8_zr4Z-ifH-Px2uUBJnWAC3FxBzLTuKckHz22w3Kbqj0yaUvWzmBJFAwG9YxKx7L3xRmVILbINs9woQ0sT35uGe0bWqmfXtx3tTMGMbEXkg8XueDB6HdWZ9OvWj=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Our wreath on the front door of our <br />apartment--it was made <br />from corn husks.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Late in the afternoon, I put the three new filters I had just received on my camera lenses so that they were properly protected from mechanical damage.</span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Friday, December 10</span></h3><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today, I decided to work on the fine tuning of my auto focus system, particularly with my new 35-70mm lens. I spent about an hour at mid-morning adjusting the AF fine tune feature in different directions but the adjustments were so small I couldn't tell which one was best. </span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguzFyM_W1AYt6fcGNhMW5LhTTT-3G0h7MAK8nnCnBVslTb5iWKJDkQa9xAz0ugsK3IUosWVds-mGECAd6P5rxad3lNkCG9OAmYhjlfcQokNzCaaEwdpW0rMOZ7CP500zs84gc7079uc8mX8vEY4llRGpvY6sXyGWEap44PP1yi0LTxyUMIUwJFMORR=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="542" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguzFyM_W1AYt6fcGNhMW5LhTTT-3G0h7MAK8nnCnBVslTb5iWKJDkQa9xAz0ugsK3IUosWVds-mGECAd6P5rxad3lNkCG9OAmYhjlfcQokNzCaaEwdpW0rMOZ7CP500zs84gc7079uc8mX8vEY4llRGpvY6sXyGWEap44PP1yi0LTxyUMIUwJFMORR=w542-h640" width="542" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A view of the lens target <br />for AF fine tuning.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE66be6RxP_kKG9t9KxNIckFTpIDc4-8NSCuXe61ZfeD14j1DMc30oYCIFFLjSVTGHzDNq1qUZiC46crk5BaSj5kgK4os_0zExsIeSJsgHrujst7f9fv6R3twz_x2Ny1R-pit1Wyb6tPuXd239gnlVEyA3uTFZLta2oePMS2JXA7FeNSkFOpfC4wki=s1062" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="668" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE66be6RxP_kKG9t9KxNIckFTpIDc4-8NSCuXe61ZfeD14j1DMc30oYCIFFLjSVTGHzDNq1qUZiC46crk5BaSj5kgK4os_0zExsIeSJsgHrujst7f9fv6R3twz_x2Ny1R-pit1Wyb6tPuXd239gnlVEyA3uTFZLta2oePMS2JXA7FeNSkFOpfC4wki=w402-h640" width="402" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An enlarged view of the scale <br />after I made adjustments.<br />(Maybe I needed <br />more light?)</i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Supposedly, it is "right on" when the "zero" on the scale is perfectly in focus and 1/3 of the distance in front of the focal point is equal in clarity to a point 2/3 in back of the focal point. I didn't have a tripod with me, so I used a high ISO and a very fast shutter speed to minimize the effects of my movements on the outcome. (I didn't think this exercise was conclusive at all.)</span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Two additional packages arrived today, a new lens hood (that didn't fit my lens) and an infinitely small container of lens cleaner. (I'm hoping that that's all the packages in the pipeline. I never got a telephone call as promised or an email about their arrival--what a way to run a business!)</span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1MEgG8BgFU9y2i49Yc_lCPnt1g_aomUh5DWEWoRaSoBiLmjQNDM3bhezxKQHsnzEolMQXlb3FIgSvogyy9AGS5vBJTDdddlsCDLkwGOdo0Id0UifNJ9Rpq2G-l7b-xoS-JmXfQZrTflkEoMw5wRy-mXgQy8xmOoXXmnRK4hek8FfE0ysHAKYBSVKJ=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="515" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1MEgG8BgFU9y2i49Yc_lCPnt1g_aomUh5DWEWoRaSoBiLmjQNDM3bhezxKQHsnzEolMQXlb3FIgSvogyy9AGS5vBJTDdddlsCDLkwGOdo0Id0UifNJ9Rpq2G-l7b-xoS-JmXfQZrTflkEoMw5wRy-mXgQy8xmOoXXmnRK4hek8FfE0ysHAKYBSVKJ=w516-h640" width="516" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A scene from a cafe in <br />Fabrica Aurora.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLO35JmZCPsDyeG9lU_1ep5Q6m6AE__CPP0EMb16bE3ubZMaNGVRFh_ZOvksoQUhIIF8zCbdzE7MSnvyzRt2kqOe7tlhSXlG4H39tVdwm2joMiEbdChQvpgR9LHGtl7jhJihUx4herOHIbLvhEKTg6r_benawQ543yPJRKkcr4tpb_n4mKIY3mWMeV=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="640" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLO35JmZCPsDyeG9lU_1ep5Q6m6AE__CPP0EMb16bE3ubZMaNGVRFh_ZOvksoQUhIIF8zCbdzE7MSnvyzRt2kqOe7tlhSXlG4H39tVdwm2joMiEbdChQvpgR9LHGtl7jhJihUx4herOHIbLvhEKTg6r_benawQ543yPJRKkcr4tpb_n4mKIY3mWMeV=w640-h370" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A particularly amorous couple at a cafe in <br />Fabrica Aurora. I called this image <br />"Putting on the Move."</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Stay tuned as we prepare for a week in Mazatlan on the Pacific Coast. Thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><br /></div></span></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-69181561470405222021-12-06T12:21:00.000-08:002021-12-06T12:21:14.765-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Mexican Dirt Dwellers</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This has been quite a change in our life style!</span></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Friday, December 3</span></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>(A Day-long Guided Tour of Santiago de Quaretaro)</b></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Our tour guide picked us up at Fabrica Aurora right at 10 AM. We were the only two that signed up for the tour for today--so, we were driven in the tour guide's car.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_QeajHJRXaosHF2oNftI3uwF1MKszRYZ8IJvLce6Ub8S_TK2vw3oT3Fhbyf-ShMvkWRn09XmxuqjJ7mkM2dYKc2Zh3eq8KAMpfgLoB6-b-yq61ytIaYOhzPe0fSzbq4Kh2zHsZdRGkgHVMavfXZU-vMhkujrTgeW0ymyWeKyG9G9rk_bugsJgI4oC=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_QeajHJRXaosHF2oNftI3uwF1MKszRYZ8IJvLce6Ub8S_TK2vw3oT3Fhbyf-ShMvkWRn09XmxuqjJ7mkM2dYKc2Zh3eq8KAMpfgLoB6-b-yq61ytIaYOhzPe0fSzbq4Kh2zHsZdRGkgHVMavfXZU-vMhkujrTgeW0ymyWeKyG9G9rk_bugsJgI4oC=w600-h640" width="600" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Corridor en el templo y ex-convento de <br />la Santa Cruz de los Milagros <br />in Queretaro, Mexico.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Our very personalized tour began on the drive to Queretaro. We drove right along the aqueduct that Queretaro was known for--the aqueduct was originally built to transfer water from the mountain springs in La Canada to the city in the late 17th century. The arches that support the water trough are huge and there are 74 of them.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXJ6vbEY1Ik1VnBQPSlngI8L3bRCQ0QqKTryVMDUty6MtvF6bLovjyZO38Rl7sTnuzPrBKnGkJJEAFjAT8kLMD3DHz_XASy6W_sEeO6V7AyQMykCUSop0mr3r9EwKo8wZ8_-SPGZuCD8sDGPta9gAax_2FmyD0rre1ju5yT2HbMeIN7362g0ipMr7W=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="640" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXJ6vbEY1Ik1VnBQPSlngI8L3bRCQ0QqKTryVMDUty6MtvF6bLovjyZO38Rl7sTnuzPrBKnGkJJEAFjAT8kLMD3DHz_XASy6W_sEeO6V7AyQMykCUSop0mr3r9EwKo8wZ8_-SPGZuCD8sDGPta9gAax_2FmyD0rre1ju5yT2HbMeIN7362g0ipMr7W=w640-h600" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Driving along the aqueduct <br />entering Queretaro.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />The first stop on our tour was at el temple y ex-convento de la Santa Cruz de los Milagros. At this site we were given a tour by the staff in Spanish which wasn't all that useful for us but our tour guide interpreted things he thought would interest us. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGLmjfhFQQBL5CXh2LqlzmVYa-zLICCsqISrDNEZv9t1IDOiIz4vw4cMIVPeygW005dyg5GYK6Vuvb2lXAVEtlRL_XcHUhstVnUQUJ8XctqYzZedHtKDdiPlNlUz-3vd9JnkNQbrSF27oa-nrVPp-ZVzuZiYE19HH4uSRRMZliI0GAJWNhpIycM28K=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="402" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGLmjfhFQQBL5CXh2LqlzmVYa-zLICCsqISrDNEZv9t1IDOiIz4vw4cMIVPeygW005dyg5GYK6Vuvb2lXAVEtlRL_XcHUhstVnUQUJ8XctqYzZedHtKDdiPlNlUz-3vd9JnkNQbrSF27oa-nrVPp-ZVzuZiYE19HH4uSRRMZliI0GAJWNhpIycM28K=w402-h640" width="402" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Inside the Temple of Santa Cruz<br />in Queretaro, an active church.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We then walked through the Centro section of Queretaro which was very similar to that of Guanajuato or Leon. (I should point out here that Queretaro is the third largest, and probably second richest, city in Mexico.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipTSZI1TsS5btKtpyZpP7T_rVIVaI5cea-h4w-ShMadCcRBTHuDxRleivhuWIRTnNF5tuMlqN-BRZ2MBhydfI-pyO6MPIC7aM_t-3Z5RjvNfv29qt5b5kRfjBaPUjPPmr_iwrz8xrN6CZviDzvxqrGaeTa_YNRzsMzSFJcpec-0pbqoXFMQELH9zOX=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipTSZI1TsS5btKtpyZpP7T_rVIVaI5cea-h4w-ShMadCcRBTHuDxRleivhuWIRTnNF5tuMlqN-BRZ2MBhydfI-pyO6MPIC7aM_t-3Z5RjvNfv29qt5b5kRfjBaPUjPPmr_iwrz8xrN6CZviDzvxqrGaeTa_YNRzsMzSFJcpec-0pbqoXFMQELH9zOX=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>We ate lunch outdoors at El Meson de Chucho <br />el Roto while a guitar player entertained us.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />We had a delicious lunch at a hotel/restaurant called El Meson de Chucho el Roto. (Maggie and I both had chicken and cheese enchiladas.) Our tour continued during lunch in that we learned a lot more about a typical Mexican's life. For example, we learned that the new President of Mexico increased the minimum wage from $5 USD per day to $10 USD per day.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I also learned about a situation that has intrigued me since coming to Mexico: why all the security measures? Our tour guide (who lived in the U.S. for a while) pointed out that the government does very little to protect ordinary citizens (unlike the U.S.) and therefore it is easier and less expensive to invest time and money in razor wire, etc. than it is to compensate for stolen items. Consequently, burglary crimes seem to be very low.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">While we were walking around downtown after lunch, Maggie fell over a small step in the pavement that was poorly marked and sustained a bruise on her knee--this ended our day's tour. However, we were both beat and ready to go home anyway...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Saturday, December 4</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Today was a day reserved for watching college football conference championship games--there were three of them today. I watched the first of three (Baylor vs. Oklahoma State) on my iPad (FuboTV) while using my VPN app with a Washington DC server location. We were able to watch the last of the three championship games (Big Ten Championship) on TV but I couldn't stay awake until the end of the game. Michigan beat Iowa for the Big Ten Championship.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I thought I would spend a little time here describing bathroom habits that are unique to Mexico and other Latin American countries. It is customary here in Mexico to not flush toilet paper down the toilet. Supposedly, the reason for this is inadequate sewage piping (and since I haven't seen it I can't confirm it). However, generally speaking, there is a waste basket in every toilet stall, including those at home. (I'll spell it out for those unfamiliar with the situation, you wipe your butt with a minimum of toilet paper and then deposit the soiled toilet paper in the nearby waste basket.) It was rather easy, for me at least, to adopt this custom. (Only one time have I found a toilet without a nearby waste basket and that was in a fancy hotel with high-pressure flushing and that was in the city of Leon.) In many public places, attendants take care of distributing toilet paper and cleaning out the waste baskets. (It is not as primitive as it may sound.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Somewhat related to the above, only purified water is used in personal consumption in Mexico, even by native Mexicans. (I think that the ground water is negatively impacted by sewage, though no one admitted this problem.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My first two shipments (my new lens and our forwarded mail) thru La Conexion arrived in San Miguel de Allende--they will be ready for pickup on Monday morning at 9 AM. For this service we use an address in Laredo TX and La Conexion handles the transfer thru customs and gets them to an office a block away from our apartment. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I didn't even leave our apartment today...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sunday, December 5</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Sunday was another day of relaxation. I did a lot of research ahead of our upcoming trip to Mazatlan, mostly on YouTube but some on TripAdvisor. I am really getting anxious for this trip and being near the ocean! (Yes, I really miss the water!)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGSvUFni3fPCDNFEhiH8PezsiGbT0-JN1kfes4S_TtGiDotDQAVO4O8M37zCQWXcK7JEQTGLYFsqwrfm1ruJbeii-JLDZJBq4YwGxAouy8rsgpVL_VTqWN2W32Nkd4ljZJW6KfLVcyOQtdKjJFEp55q2O-1B31AW4YPeY_O22nfb-cVrisXyXB-za9=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGSvUFni3fPCDNFEhiH8PezsiGbT0-JN1kfes4S_TtGiDotDQAVO4O8M37zCQWXcK7JEQTGLYFsqwrfm1ruJbeii-JLDZJBq4YwGxAouy8rsgpVL_VTqWN2W32Nkd4ljZJW6KfLVcyOQtdKjJFEp55q2O-1B31AW4YPeY_O22nfb-cVrisXyXB-za9=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>For lunch we had delicious pork chops and <br />sweet potato casserole (a leftover from <br />Thanksgiving) and a salad!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We watched some NFL football games during the afternoon, nothing memorable though.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgD4odRuk2c2hNDSQLNEd8PaYDfy53MvpsgiY3r6Mmolt0eYo5UNW7g3G2vy3oyB0T_0Hu8oH-PodsOV3r9RZX3H6_TaDUyrWNnoWSLSxIqFOB34PhC-HEdROqQyo3WH6iYJ36AQ4qcUToZCXxk55ZmAIuj2V-55ofohWL__66mCh99RYndsSM3LwYX=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgD4odRuk2c2hNDSQLNEd8PaYDfy53MvpsgiY3r6Mmolt0eYo5UNW7g3G2vy3oyB0T_0Hu8oH-PodsOV3r9RZX3H6_TaDUyrWNnoWSLSxIqFOB34PhC-HEdROqQyo3WH6iYJ36AQ4qcUToZCXxk55ZmAIuj2V-55ofohWL__66mCh99RYndsSM3LwYX=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Lola sleeping beside my <br />laptop in the afternoon.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Another shipment arrived for me today--this time, decaf tea bags (something that is very difficult to get here in Mexico, except for green tea). (I still can't pick up the shipments until 9 AM tomorrow.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We weren't able to receive ABC, NBC, or CBS stations on our TV today--I'm not sure what the issue was but the three blanks screens offered no clues. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I didn't leave our apartment again today...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Monday, December 6</span></h3></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">A nice hot shower was the first thing on my agenda in the morning--the second thing was picking up my incoming packages at La Conexion, our local package service from the U.S. Our packages were delivered to a different office here in San Miguel--so, we had to take a taxi to the Almada Street office downtown. We had four packages waiting for us. (There are a couple more still in the pipeline.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrFrtTpkXn3JtIBPTTF2x54Kb3grj1PagI0x1zmixTHsECrUKbwHNCMJKIm39jm5JbGUw-GNo5n6oueZCbNX1vlvG5nbEM8PndnVF09MoJRtjdmIXIBbNmXX2loIARdDGgN-yRSzQuukA5DzLhZVg6AIdm5-TgZsQdP2L9OQGrxKw8Kfyde4BUo9HM=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="588" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrFrtTpkXn3JtIBPTTF2x54Kb3grj1PagI0x1zmixTHsECrUKbwHNCMJKIm39jm5JbGUw-GNo5n6oueZCbNX1vlvG5nbEM8PndnVF09MoJRtjdmIXIBbNmXX2loIARdDGgN-yRSzQuukA5DzLhZVg6AIdm5-TgZsQdP2L9OQGrxKw8Kfyde4BUo9HM=w588-h640" width="588" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>My new 35-70mm f2.8<br />camera lens arrived!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxeNy1ICeTDlMA8q896Qc0uH14-vc6lrmMPeYfNj3wbiuPociJ86acNgjVaa-KDViNIVyWJwxmBXpQa0XIHmJRJV2h2mRuxqj3gStVqoeZ7TeSomK0ZFLIlSlaL116qVHggPO8dG028cr0PyhxKjLFvLkeFEHzzcx5Yquvt5DtMLg6kMjy3_FAy7IV=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="640" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxeNy1ICeTDlMA8q896Qc0uH14-vc6lrmMPeYfNj3wbiuPociJ86acNgjVaa-KDViNIVyWJwxmBXpQa0XIHmJRJV2h2mRuxqj3gStVqoeZ7TeSomK0ZFLIlSlaL116qVHggPO8dG028cr0PyhxKjLFvLkeFEHzzcx5Yquvt5DtMLg6kMjy3_FAy7IV=w640-h380" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Our goodies from Amazon which came in </i><br /><i>two separate packages arrived as well.</i><br /><i>(This image was captured using <br />my new camera lens.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Of course, our fourth package was our mail which was forwarded from Green Cove Springs FL.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We decided to go out for lunch at Cafe Santa Ana located in the bibleotecha---it's one of our favorite lunch spots! I took my camera long with my new lens to give it a try. We got as far as the restaurant next door (Gambos) and changed our mind and had salads there.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After lunch we walked to La Tienda de Gil to pick up milk and a few other small items.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGUZB3gEt34kNiCf-g0cYO2e9-l5y6c2DEp-Lne7oYiR8t-omeA7jbMwPljfqlNhrKNGQk9xnhIddU7VTrGA92sCqRBZvOa02tHx11bj3Rdx-rUtl6L6Y9vGp3Ib-GZpyBimWAFxdt7llMC1ZqlwWMxHzQzX-NY3MdcbdCKksGiMwWrUsg1FGS7vfc=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGUZB3gEt34kNiCf-g0cYO2e9-l5y6c2DEp-Lne7oYiR8t-omeA7jbMwPljfqlNhrKNGQk9xnhIddU7VTrGA92sCqRBZvOa02tHx11bj3Rdx-rUtl6L6Y9vGp3Ib-GZpyBimWAFxdt7llMC1ZqlwWMxHzQzX-NY3MdcbdCKksGiMwWrUsg1FGS7vfc=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: arial;">Well stocked shelves at </i></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>la Tienda de Gil.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9zwIOeZY4WdnfqohvHnyS8U3NidiOy71Y7v0TBivLr4OWosKFnM_dA5Owgrdn-0xH6thUkLdKwYKX_BbT0AXZSNyjX974_oYOnaOrciRnZOM0KLNOEVmlib8TIjjxB_bMDbj-DtApAJNn_Il8ZLQLc5hK4jzsp190aJx73JBIHziQu-I5TSffTG15=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="640" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9zwIOeZY4WdnfqohvHnyS8U3NidiOy71Y7v0TBivLr4OWosKFnM_dA5Owgrdn-0xH6thUkLdKwYKX_BbT0AXZSNyjX974_oYOnaOrciRnZOM0KLNOEVmlib8TIjjxB_bMDbj-DtApAJNn_Il8ZLQLc5hK4jzsp190aJx73JBIHziQu-I5TSffTG15=w640-h482" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A native girl cleaning the thorns and skin </i><br /><i>from cactus leaves outside Tienda de Gil.</i><br /><i>(We bought one to try--we intend to <br />sauté it with olive oil and sea salt.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQopk2qRfZTgL4th8aOQCb6XDHyWcM9Px_nsXElq1e4YsX5tl5RHf9y8LlKc2PIh_i9s94CUIB_jku7jox9R14L9RQIDT-zBDTiBtD9lmNyy60BBeisYgH1XNmIB1MWqD6l_MGSF5OyYUnOtInpquusZ7lKHF2a4iQGvjqqNnUo0w0zpmdbNAV7m_X=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQopk2qRfZTgL4th8aOQCb6XDHyWcM9Px_nsXElq1e4YsX5tl5RHf9y8LlKc2PIh_i9s94CUIB_jku7jox9R14L9RQIDT-zBDTiBtD9lmNyy60BBeisYgH1XNmIB1MWqD6l_MGSF5OyYUnOtInpquusZ7lKHF2a4iQGvjqqNnUo0w0zpmdbNAV7m_X=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Buying a vase from a street vendor for <br />200 Mexican pesos ($10 USD)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBAf-XtOv2nd1VfFiX41DkqSIFkFzAA-QbVWqxUSAVLVDsU8x2Ns_pLXbkwrW8vj6gqbjrQcHa0XRKRZedF2cBjau0b_ZQ1xbDpRj4Uk24FJYJZFRmlTLlbn7tkg0Z7-rYAjXPcxZvR6vGFvu9PvfD328_bkcWdaNgZVIWyvqlL3GsWrnkQEh7bbsO=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="565" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBAf-XtOv2nd1VfFiX41DkqSIFkFzAA-QbVWqxUSAVLVDsU8x2Ns_pLXbkwrW8vj6gqbjrQcHa0XRKRZedF2cBjau0b_ZQ1xbDpRj4Uk24FJYJZFRmlTLlbn7tkg0Z7-rYAjXPcxZvR6vGFvu9PvfD328_bkcWdaNgZVIWyvqlL3GsWrnkQEh7bbsO=w566-h640" width="566" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>An electrician working on cables <br />outside a colonial home.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We got back to our apartment before 2 PM, all warm up by the early afternoon sun. (The last four images in this blogpost were captured using my new camera lens--I think it's a keeper!)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div><br /></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-42548829449491394332021-12-02T13:39:00.003-08:002021-12-06T12:24:13.097-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-large;">Mexican Dirt Dwellers</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This has been quite a change in our life style!</span></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tuesday, November 30</span></h3><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />I was moving slow from the get go today. We finally got confirmation for our car's service appointment for tomorrow at 10 AM in Guanajuato. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I lazed around watching YouTube videos most of the day, one on building a log cabin in a snowy wooded area--I'm not sure why I was so intrigued with this one--I guessed it was because it was so different from what I was used to.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We had lunch in our apartment and we went out for a light dinner later at Chill SMA--we both had personal pizzas. We talked about how our experience here would have been so different if we had found a better place to rent, in particular an apartment with windows and an outdoor space. (We made sure that our AirBnB rentals in Mazatlan later this month and Puerto Vallarta in February have both windows and outdoor spaces!)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNvJWxVqNre488TERoSf6i87EmFgcoQiLIMJaq5KRMjoIF1yxEn8NfHB-dpjlS7zr2AQn8gOulytLKU-jkphi66BqinvCE0HPEMBR4h-B5-Ls0TwmqyrloGt_B-NezfFWdDjAyYf1hbhADIf0ggFdJNf6m9orsVyEY2-i_K475nTHU3s57dA_X9Xii=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="640" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNvJWxVqNre488TERoSf6i87EmFgcoQiLIMJaq5KRMjoIF1yxEn8NfHB-dpjlS7zr2AQn8gOulytLKU-jkphi66BqinvCE0HPEMBR4h-B5-Ls0TwmqyrloGt_B-NezfFWdDjAyYf1hbhADIf0ggFdJNf6m9orsVyEY2-i_K475nTHU3s57dA_X9Xii=w640-h476" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Of course, the pandemic has affected <br />our experience here as well.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Wednesday, December 1</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">We were up early, driving to the Toyota dealer in the city of Guanajuato. We allowed 2 hours for the 47-mile trip and it took every bit of it. When we got to the Toyota dealer (just after 10 AM), no one spoke English and technical terms were beyond our limited Spanish vocabulary. We used our translate app to get things started. Finally, Oscar, from the Toyota sales department, introduced himself to us—he spoke excellent English and told us that a nearby (actually next door) Applebee’s would be a good place for us to have lunch. (Our car service was expected to be completed by 1 PM.) We both had big salads (Southwest Chicken Salads) for lunch--they were pretty much the same as back home.</p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-3jT_Kyzk0WJBfM-XuKyqBjPc3JVToRj-ZNiYcQL-ussBXqp4H5kjZTGY1SdO9XT2MkvhuY_n_P6kjMoXQ7Dy08OzXIy8Fv7Xqfkh5yT9dQPiNMNS-Fm5JaFk0jJZLMIJLy8_zUEeBA-i9ad0VpvZJyGSNK_33mj_qmmst61PRLs8ikhvpDwTUvhj=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-3jT_Kyzk0WJBfM-XuKyqBjPc3JVToRj-ZNiYcQL-ussBXqp4H5kjZTGY1SdO9XT2MkvhuY_n_P6kjMoXQ7Dy08OzXIy8Fv7Xqfkh5yT9dQPiNMNS-Fm5JaFk0jJZLMIJLy8_zUEeBA-i9ad0VpvZJyGSNK_33mj_qmmst61PRLs8ikhvpDwTUvhj=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Toyota dealer's small service <br />area in the city of Guanajauto.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The Toyota dealer’s facility was very modern, rivaling those in the U.S. but much smaller. Unlike a typical dealer in the U.S., there was only one service manager (and probably 3 mechanics)--back home there was about 5 or 6 (and a dozen or so mechanics). (They were able to access our car's service records using our VIN number.) The cost of our car service (for the 120,000-kilometer interval) was 4,362.99 Mexican pesos ($218 USD) which was more than I expected. (I thought since almost everything else was cheaper here in Mexico that car service would be as well, but apparently not.) At one point it was questionable whether we could use our U.S.-based credit card for payment but it was eventually approved.</p><br />We arrived back at our apartment at around 2:30 PM and glad that the task was completed successfully. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">It was unbelievable to me how a simple 47-mile drive can be listed on our GPS as taking 1 hour and 19 minutes and, in reality, take 2 hours (each way). Part of the reason as to why road trips take so long is the frequent occurrence of large speed bumps. (Back home, a 47-mile trip would typically take only 45 minutes or thereabouts!)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thursday, December 2</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Outside, it was a cool 38 degrees F this morning but, fortunately, the temperature was expected to rise into the mid to upper-70's by the afternoon. By the time we were up and about the outside temperature was comfortably cool (mid 60's).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Our primary goal for the day was to get some groceries, by first, walking to the nearby butcher shop (for the first time) and, then, drive to La Comer (the supermarket).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7rgFNGO60ORwSEnLwuQ8RqeX-V0ITYVztD-EemMrRROmR3ZjBJCZGLGw_fOMx2vd5YCqpOeJPiYudeqAsJREip9MFZqexwyOrDWatDumkd-Do2prHzSqN3Ja21yKWzhJm4bFX8969LV-i0eaVLf-p1LJdGqZRr-vFPZKdQkvJwU7mexHL1hnLdYP4=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="640" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7rgFNGO60ORwSEnLwuQ8RqeX-V0ITYVztD-EemMrRROmR3ZjBJCZGLGw_fOMx2vd5YCqpOeJPiYudeqAsJREip9MFZqexwyOrDWatDumkd-Do2prHzSqN3Ja21yKWzhJm4bFX8969LV-i0eaVLf-p1LJdGqZRr-vFPZKdQkvJwU7mexHL1hnLdYP4=w640-h374" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The exterior of the butcher shop <br />down the street.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjICCm7bgw3L2C-NUaisbGQmKzLPpCmFUDozAyjeo_YSFpgYL-VExbPr5c5U3eDLcfvpp4_gMUoiwdsnhPM6bfuHnds0gzYf9CcUnktxHd54EMc9z4mLkGhv0LBbQ2OCO9SCvAB0rW-UTbuh8bzN0jGGvPxnzAYlqE8fr9M3WKzydhtJGaXiOmIMqlO=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjICCm7bgw3L2C-NUaisbGQmKzLPpCmFUDozAyjeo_YSFpgYL-VExbPr5c5U3eDLcfvpp4_gMUoiwdsnhPM6bfuHnds0gzYf9CcUnktxHd54EMc9z4mLkGhv0LBbQ2OCO9SCvAB0rW-UTbuh8bzN0jGGvPxnzAYlqE8fr9M3WKzydhtJGaXiOmIMqlO=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The inside of the nearby <br />butcher shop.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The butcher simply pulled out a side of beef, trimmed some fat off, and cut two steaks off for us. Before wrapping them up, he tenderized them with a tenderizing hammer. We also purchased two thick pork chops and 2 kilos of hamburger, all for under $15 USD.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">From there we drove to a new-to-us restaurant near La Comer, it was called PizzaGuy. The owner was from upstate New York and his wife was from Mexico City. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitaatKBI-2D8KHpRUYCewkJGBXGYCeY8SAoCZbzeE4UiBU-PGk5FPD66FHUZdwNYW5IYc0I55ygQjO-b6LJkqRQH13yjsKPQi9YNrH2GkKm4Mmf-_c26z_4mes6Tb_d4LA9rwOl-h4YcArNqLKzQaOrTDKFfVzOuLaKgi0Ua6_VsHdpKzDrWUoYS25=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="640" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitaatKBI-2D8KHpRUYCewkJGBXGYCeY8SAoCZbzeE4UiBU-PGk5FPD66FHUZdwNYW5IYc0I55ygQjO-b6LJkqRQH13yjsKPQi9YNrH2GkKm4Mmf-_c26z_4mes6Tb_d4LA9rwOl-h4YcArNqLKzQaOrTDKFfVzOuLaKgi0Ua6_VsHdpKzDrWUoYS25=w640-h302" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Just inside the entrance of PizzaGuy.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihcEXLHYbeTKdfLmkylvEmqyjfoRKjip6wfAXh4j9bmqp41fyXCz1oJPLMAAOVI1Cv2_F8L8Yph1ZSDY-W_5Gl7KeJHNJ8y4BVT2w1dk4oiwNt_-z-IEIWQkl9-rBxzF4TYT9QEmmPzt6UOjBGAFp5DDRaCvPqla1WuG20d9SwV54G0OmdBCLwkiOR=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="640" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihcEXLHYbeTKdfLmkylvEmqyjfoRKjip6wfAXh4j9bmqp41fyXCz1oJPLMAAOVI1Cv2_F8L8Yph1ZSDY-W_5Gl7KeJHNJ8y4BVT2w1dk4oiwNt_-z-IEIWQkl9-rBxzF4TYT9QEmmPzt6UOjBGAFp5DDRaCvPqla1WuG20d9SwV54G0OmdBCLwkiOR=w640-h296" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The inside dining area and cooking <br />area for PizzaGuy restaurant.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We ordered Italian dishes for lunch (Cheese Ravioli for Maggie and Lasagna for me--they were both delicious--the best we've had since leaving Annapolis!) We purchased a pizza to go to have while watching the football playoff games on Saturday. (We will definitely be coming back to this restaurant!)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After lunch, we did our grocery shopping at La Comer and then called it a day...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!<br /></span><br /></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-59315305973923686682021-11-29T12:48:00.001-08:002021-11-29T12:53:41.141-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">November Dirt Dwellers in SMA</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This has been quite a change in our life style!</span></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Friday, November 26</span></h3><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />This morning, we were really missing being on the water after being land-locked for about six weeks now. I was really looking forward to our trip to Mazatlan on the Pacific Coast in a couple weeks (December 16 through December 23). (I think that if we come to Mexico next winter, we will be sure to stay along the coast somewhere.)</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We decided to got out for lunch at the Santa Ana Cafe (in the bibliotheca) and then walk downtown to see an exhibit of Mexican textiles and other artwork. The following images were captured on our walkabout.<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLlNrDivogGOFKKWKazFyeUNOfb0kYzzQLxqblEKSaEHV2U8z5aBLw3JvMe_RH-vSP0DFAl2MCUCbqTPJxGNuhQbKpsFK0E9IfwYbVGy-bPdoSz7yZ7i20LXPKVEg3OtqPHr28_HB-B1z1nWRL7RvEusZUnx98oqMoFQmfvKoUwtxqvpa9qH8lTCZn=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="640" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLlNrDivogGOFKKWKazFyeUNOfb0kYzzQLxqblEKSaEHV2U8z5aBLw3JvMe_RH-vSP0DFAl2MCUCbqTPJxGNuhQbKpsFK0E9IfwYbVGy-bPdoSz7yZ7i20LXPKVEg3OtqPHr28_HB-B1z1nWRL7RvEusZUnx98oqMoFQmfvKoUwtxqvpa9qH8lTCZn=w640-h540" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Razor spikes installed on the top of a wall <br />surrounding a nearby gringo compound. <br />(Behind the razor spikes is a wire <br />fence and there is razor wire <br />on top of the fence.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJT425852YQfPUOzkRDO__6vulInQEDydEH5OC7oTr6jV3C_X6Pe_jmHJnCl3fR25TeCCYLr2YdLeN2iGr6oZKN3l4hmieBnAA0C_-C-wrFHVNgMzdx8E7oc0UjOi5OPUYVEiM12GxQ6o07l4KAYEiWdzxNBzatn_6JqoeRBgD4aHLxtHPRV2KuFMY=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJT425852YQfPUOzkRDO__6vulInQEDydEH5OC7oTr6jV3C_X6Pe_jmHJnCl3fR25TeCCYLr2YdLeN2iGr6oZKN3l4hmieBnAA0C_-C-wrFHVNgMzdx8E7oc0UjOi5OPUYVEiM12GxQ6o07l4KAYEiWdzxNBzatn_6JqoeRBgD4aHLxtHPRV2KuFMY=w448-h640" width="448" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>An unusual knocker on a door <br />along Hildalgo Street.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhR8BUYBjVI3fHOgs1AylQMhixDd4ajIbC-TZtaoSLWV58uw29onDRDaiiIA8M7-z0IyrfbmbbPV7l1qOJ_zk-0jq_vJ_txF5QNJVZQwQ4TPI02F4YWUM_9axoaLpf-qRkMHHdMshOqfzLforpZy2Ww0nH5S1D095kHUd6nwUtBv_mPhVAafpHuwqt4=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhR8BUYBjVI3fHOgs1AylQMhixDd4ajIbC-TZtaoSLWV58uw29onDRDaiiIA8M7-z0IyrfbmbbPV7l1qOJ_zk-0jq_vJ_txF5QNJVZQwQ4TPI02F4YWUM_9axoaLpf-qRkMHHdMshOqfzLforpZy2Ww0nH5S1D095kHUd6nwUtBv_mPhVAafpHuwqt4=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A plethora of motor bikes <br />along Hildalgo.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrCwDoVVDTl8sX9QIMgEDDgV5TbHcqxtQbApO0Bsw0YVymz46tQYVI1yoiC_zK0JDqiJGwkPGXgXjaquEugO9vSwhD488yjWEMuL81a1MOqb1I5DslCL4UtID6bnYdjUnBHbcx6SkynSWXGw4pwavaP_FaFzrGYnRZC74xZv2pda_r7idS8nalLsKf=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="463" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrCwDoVVDTl8sX9QIMgEDDgV5TbHcqxtQbApO0Bsw0YVymz46tQYVI1yoiC_zK0JDqiJGwkPGXgXjaquEugO9vSwhD488yjWEMuL81a1MOqb1I5DslCL4UtID6bnYdjUnBHbcx6SkynSWXGw4pwavaP_FaFzrGYnRZC74xZv2pda_r7idS8nalLsKf=w464-h640" width="464" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Mexican textiles displayed <br />around the jardin.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8HJLWKYEXsvFUb1F2KkBYQZUlpkilqzHvVETIxgtEmUKvT9wS7R6aTr7OPyGQnVsABCqnsLlMCla-0NIgPa8Y5illChH1ASqyUCbZ2gZ4xpKgN_hCk97wxt4KeLraggKzAmy9pNBis-38vRyeVb7nCsHjz7fNgA7F3icCPHC4g1e-0YPOFV0uaNDM=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8HJLWKYEXsvFUb1F2KkBYQZUlpkilqzHvVETIxgtEmUKvT9wS7R6aTr7OPyGQnVsABCqnsLlMCla-0NIgPa8Y5illChH1ASqyUCbZ2gZ4xpKgN_hCk97wxt4KeLraggKzAmy9pNBis-38vRyeVb7nCsHjz7fNgA7F3icCPHC4g1e-0YPOFV0uaNDM=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The looms used to make the Mexican <br />textiles were very crude.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Saturday, November 27</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Today was dedicated to college football for me. The day started out with Michigan thoroughly beating Ohio State by a score of 42 to 27, which was great! However later in the day, my Penn State lost to Michigan State on a snowy day by a score of 30 to 27, another 3-point loss! (Penn State has lost five games this season, all by relatively small point differences: Iowa by 3, Illinois by 2, Ohio State by 9, Michigan by 4, and finally Michigan State by 3. The five single-digit losses throughout the season were very frustrating.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">A couple more images captured yesterday:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSuGFLZWBwTazOeO6Ex-ZnYRCtnobCfE8WnKTy5d6e5HrnDRFm-4ZKmIYr33_-Ba0cIMWPmwCMc-9Gh5E5yGNrRwFd0XU0Tsru1CgnzoeL0n20p-mNbwpGnj0JObNIIvRxkJepbOo3ymCbvyz15vvy_CT5MlCmqCeCxDeUTo1dXFS_B04MGpp8YDd3=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="426" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSuGFLZWBwTazOeO6Ex-ZnYRCtnobCfE8WnKTy5d6e5HrnDRFm-4ZKmIYr33_-Ba0cIMWPmwCMc-9Gh5E5yGNrRwFd0XU0Tsru1CgnzoeL0n20p-mNbwpGnj0JObNIIvRxkJepbOo3ymCbvyz15vvy_CT5MlCmqCeCxDeUTo1dXFS_B04MGpp8YDd3=w426-h640" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Looking into one of the many fine <br />restaurants in Centro.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCrx0jlbVBNiYpjKDYZQeJfODNTNIhqGo-wXIRSttcEN9cM7NHyD2jJME1igVjM8kHpzqVeBBhb9IyI1jnHTp2ju00D1jSJodb3RTArMlgwOrDPlt8TijRY68Gvnh8yzRKg6NN8o7XjQ2oofv_uTe07-iO4pP7YnOg6AoZzPjySX4x5pbu2HtwwJJH=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="588" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCrx0jlbVBNiYpjKDYZQeJfODNTNIhqGo-wXIRSttcEN9cM7NHyD2jJME1igVjM8kHpzqVeBBhb9IyI1jnHTp2ju00D1jSJodb3RTArMlgwOrDPlt8TijRY68Gvnh8yzRKg6NN8o7XjQ2oofv_uTe07-iO4pP7YnOg6AoZzPjySX4x5pbu2HtwwJJH=w588-h640" width="588" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A musician getting setup to play along <br />one of the streets in Centro.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">At times during the football games, Kali was climbing all over Maggie begging for attention--her occasional (almost-desperate) need for attention is a unique part of her personality that makes her different from any other cats I've had in the past.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Later in the day, Maggie strung up Christmas lights in the kitchen and living room.<br /><br /><br /></span><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sunday, November 28</span></h3></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We were awake relatively early this morning and had a delightful breakfast in our apartment. Then, we attended a Colonia Guadalupe Bazar de Navidad right around the corner from our apartment.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjU6Pv5zWxvuLT7Ilq2uxSXiJEoITKF2fiJpFONyBMbXqcmPnhq8lveIC17vLJ6BcNbvVJPUKdQ9D-Y0FGgY0iY53imw2_-zf9fWpKkIKgp9WcJ796j7aBWYjqHsaZ686s91GYzqnF_U89FgV9h6NI9Vj2Gb7pS1peN_YtRpvPLVzpb4X_9wK4lekpr=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="640" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjU6Pv5zWxvuLT7Ilq2uxSXiJEoITKF2fiJpFONyBMbXqcmPnhq8lveIC17vLJ6BcNbvVJPUKdQ9D-Y0FGgY0iY53imw2_-zf9fWpKkIKgp9WcJ796j7aBWYjqHsaZ686s91GYzqnF_U89FgV9h6NI9Vj2Gb7pS1peN_YtRpvPLVzpb4X_9wK4lekpr=w640-h260" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Hand-made paper mache Navidad dolls <br />were available at the nearby Bazar.<br />(This was not my photo. We<br />bought one of these dolls.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We got at the bazar a bit too early (9 AM) and left only to return about an hour later when the displays were completely setup. On our way to the bazar we saw more mural painting along Calle Cancion India.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoTC9m0Wltmqgx1J4_wyMTy_rw24clRzv0SBV1sSWESUVwpxVmJsRbkpbCK3NGz5Pa7pKcb5IJn5kcV0oxHT3tw5aGBNz4MuvretpfCGqF7zhIluqyIQ-dWypWd141LQCgcFwcXoI3Is_NL96EsR6D5wO4I0EEqfomSjIVPkaVCmKwzptGkRfDdOk-=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="413" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoTC9m0Wltmqgx1J4_wyMTy_rw24clRzv0SBV1sSWESUVwpxVmJsRbkpbCK3NGz5Pa7pKcb5IJn5kcV0oxHT3tw5aGBNz4MuvretpfCGqF7zhIluqyIQ-dWypWd141LQCgcFwcXoI3Is_NL96EsR6D5wO4I0EEqfomSjIVPkaVCmKwzptGkRfDdOk-=w414-h640" width="414" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>More mural painting along <br />Calle Cancion India.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQ10lkYcuv46ZbuCVNY-dM0U35CbnfXJzfmSwM2aC8MzBDL_YJV0U00egvT8tMvVY3wCDVJRWk2bafdBB-IizqzQHaFG3qHLL01b90lnYuc_HgWPtMQxfFQ6Byq33pnF06ImlTIyb0WYSKVzaXMQeLSIoYUlQEvgVnIAxDchpSbzMUvCjO29EBY36T=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQ10lkYcuv46ZbuCVNY-dM0U35CbnfXJzfmSwM2aC8MzBDL_YJV0U00egvT8tMvVY3wCDVJRWk2bafdBB-IizqzQHaFG3qHLL01b90lnYuc_HgWPtMQxfFQ6Byq33pnF06ImlTIyb0WYSKVzaXMQeLSIoYUlQEvgVnIAxDchpSbzMUvCjO29EBY36T=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Bazar de Navidad. We purchased a paper <br />mache doll, a hand-painted T-shirt for <br />Maggie, and two very tasty desserts.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Later in the afternoon, we watched NFL football games and the afternoon ended with our usual Happy Hour. (We finally found fresh cranberries and made cranberry sauce--we used some of cranberry sauce to make the very tasty frozen cranberry margarita.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhprhgrpdaFi4IT5n6QQ4Ur9WLuCUhrkYwqT2VA9UOh2PuPAA1mOMShIEitfJNXv8yE7GpDhGmR7UFqX3Vgxwm2_q0BcEyxvGl0pKQ4eofogdtEyr4LCWdaTN-zVXh2q2V5mTv5xy6YWcxs1IaMN1WQeKa2gEqVqsZChJjoV_FmfyTRou0ajz06wqZw=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="509" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhprhgrpdaFi4IT5n6QQ4Ur9WLuCUhrkYwqT2VA9UOh2PuPAA1mOMShIEitfJNXv8yE7GpDhGmR7UFqX3Vgxwm2_q0BcEyxvGl0pKQ4eofogdtEyr4LCWdaTN-zVXh2q2V5mTv5xy6YWcxs1IaMN1WQeKa2gEqVqsZChJjoV_FmfyTRou0ajz06wqZw=w510-h640" width="510" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A frozen cranberry margarita for Happy <br />Hour--the perfect combination of <br />sweet, sour, and salty.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Monday, November 29</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I took a nice hot shower this morning, which we don't do everyday because of a limited water supply. As usual, when I got out of the shower Kali was waiting for me on the toilet beside the shower.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA-J0V8h5kNTpxdc6p0XkinoKJGVMex00aR7DQs-CC_H7_Rs1kiZvpAh_fpu2HrLn8xNj5kfl5J8zu-WRvviDBM8QaBLmyOgBfabxbB_zypWT6K7DcQVPmRVQDNPovbqGoFGHg7NFRoP1NNKbxnKbGIKaM4kzPrwbiUTSOKDyN0PKXKcPZqVNiQ0YF=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="514" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA-J0V8h5kNTpxdc6p0XkinoKJGVMex00aR7DQs-CC_H7_Rs1kiZvpAh_fpu2HrLn8xNj5kfl5J8zu-WRvviDBM8QaBLmyOgBfabxbB_zypWT6K7DcQVPmRVQDNPovbqGoFGHg7NFRoP1NNKbxnKbGIKaM4kzPrwbiUTSOKDyN0PKXKcPZqVNiQ0YF=w514-h640" width="514" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kali usually waits for me to get out of the shower, <br />sometimes sitting on the toilet seat and other <br />times on the toilet's water tank. (She <br />is intrigued by the water in <br />the shower.)</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Our primary goal for the day was to make an appointment for service for our car in a nearby city. We checked all the Google reviews on nearby Toyota dealers and settled on one in the city of Guanajuato--it's located 1 hour and 15 minutes west of San Miguel de Allende. (Several of the local Toyota dealers had terrible Google reviews! I had to convert the 73,395 miles on our car's odometer to 118,118 kilometers.) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We accomplished the goal of setting up a service appointment online through their website. (They are supposed to call us back for confirmation of our 10 AM Wednesday appointment.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We decided to go out for lunch at the Food Factory in the Fabrica de Aurora which is close by our apartment. As we were walking up the road to the Food Factory we met a guy along the road who kinda hailed us, noticing my camera. As it turned out, he was born in Stevensville, MD (near where we keep our sailboat in the summer), moved to Baltimore for a big part of his life, and lived in Elkridge, MD (which is southeast of Baltimore) before moving to San Miguel de Allende. (His name was Tim and he was 76 years old. He retired and moved to San Miguel when he was 73--he is now 76 years old.) It was quite interesting talking with him. He rents a 2-bedroom house ($800 per month) high in the hills above San Miguel. (I wished that I got his contact information so we could connect again sometime.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidDOb7LMK-w7-flCE9qtq-Nr-YR876zSLTW6Xxif0B1wDJ6BdwPwevc29U5OqEumLjfcrn__qcDWxUq5di9YtIP6oWiU1UCeWfpa-OqkL5h2C61qEDv7kmQBXQHaLiMR9K0Unvs9YduiYh5vV0-zWRMsN9dtyiYdUDJcO_okFYGnx_7vmvN_v2Qdya=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidDOb7LMK-w7-flCE9qtq-Nr-YR876zSLTW6Xxif0B1wDJ6BdwPwevc29U5OqEumLjfcrn__qcDWxUq5di9YtIP6oWiU1UCeWfpa-OqkL5h2C61qEDv7kmQBXQHaLiMR9K0Unvs9YduiYh5vV0-zWRMsN9dtyiYdUDJcO_okFYGnx_7vmvN_v2Qdya=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The daily menu board at <br />the Food Factory</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As we were eating lunch we were discussing the advantage of living somewhere near the coast in Mexico during the winter and in San Miguel de Allende during the summer. After a very nice lunch at the Food Factory we each had a cobbler for dessert--mine was cherry and Maggie's was apple. They were more like a mini fruit pie in a small dish with a scoop of ice cream on top.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiL7qKewCJw9uld_HIO225JPz3Tb_d9mGcqSjigWcoUlzjekVp44JAaCdv5fK5mHGZwM-dwu6yl3TEjk2wCNT_ys5vZCGgtYk5L54DCCjQ476q1o8DnLAKkUf_bZLNAFuqzUlE1dy6r7To3Fu2GF6x_ncukG9_f1_b-zAPm3FCbLhLk1ml9k-Sf-7G2=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="640" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiL7qKewCJw9uld_HIO225JPz3Tb_d9mGcqSjigWcoUlzjekVp44JAaCdv5fK5mHGZwM-dwu6yl3TEjk2wCNT_ys5vZCGgtYk5L54DCCjQ476q1o8DnLAKkUf_bZLNAFuqzUlE1dy6r7To3Fu2GF6x_ncukG9_f1_b-zAPm3FCbLhLk1ml9k-Sf-7G2=w640-h404" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Floating poinsettia leaves artistically arranged <br />in a large ceramic bowl in the courtyard <br />of Fabrica de Aurora. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">That's all for this blogpost...thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div><br /></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-29982599414297464072021-11-26T07:01:00.003-08:002021-11-26T07:01:47.167-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">November Dirt Dwellers in SMA</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This has been quite a change in our life style!</span></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tuesday, November 23</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7dbLjKBM6UstFd0MSk3wgiQZNCal1YoWKFJY1Y1-UmrAhdJ3UtE3Hy69QaNe0gIsAuL17YGXR4i1IOgabCF3mY3O2lMOSLqlWPk_sSVRX5I-Rg2xiy5zKz6GrORebdmrFDdiG8QiNCVW8Ysh5DvPUAO84AiJF0ry4ZL7apMpjKAI-RUe5cdTe38vt=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="640" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7dbLjKBM6UstFd0MSk3wgiQZNCal1YoWKFJY1Y1-UmrAhdJ3UtE3Hy69QaNe0gIsAuL17YGXR4i1IOgabCF3mY3O2lMOSLqlWPk_sSVRX5I-Rg2xiy5zKz6GrORebdmrFDdiG8QiNCVW8Ysh5DvPUAO84AiJF0ry4ZL7apMpjKAI-RUe5cdTe38vt=w640-h486" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Kali watching us leave through <br />the front door this morning.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Today was another leisurely day for us. Leaving about 10 AM, we drove to La Comer (the supermarket) primarily to get poultry seasoning for our Thanksgiving dinner which we forgot on Monday. We picked up another couple frozen pizzas and some other small items.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />We researched restaurants (on TripAdvisor) before leav</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ing and we decided to try a restaurant called Rustica which had great reviews. The restaurant was in a neighborhood called Guadiana which I recognized from looking at rental apartments before we came to San Miguel de Allende. (Apparently, the neighborhood is populated mostly by gringos like us. Most of the occupants of the surrounding tables were speaking English.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQp9eexQ52nlfLjxqtk0ifNNUXE-m59M4Xidpfb4bgeC6gcEj99dA3bOW6maguzqHOxNdFzf1nMAG_jDL1uBBaaxVZ6obRWKEZ15euIQ7ulqzdZPQavk-l-TMksuf2yEw0YO1dxmf7eArYOXEB_sWB8Qpu6pscmZW3vv76PXT1GLJCkYnGblK7Zr3V=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQp9eexQ52nlfLjxqtk0ifNNUXE-m59M4Xidpfb4bgeC6gcEj99dA3bOW6maguzqHOxNdFzf1nMAG_jDL1uBBaaxVZ6obRWKEZ15euIQ7ulqzdZPQavk-l-TMksuf2yEw0YO1dxmf7eArYOXEB_sWB8Qpu6pscmZW3vv76PXT1GLJCkYnGblK7Zr3V=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The outdoor dining area at Rustica.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlMSYcT8c5nGvtuWhxWGVIaQrtS9HXGYsX1c4WU0zaTY1FjfK3Jr2A9qNQPi0FrOhqZ4wO2_4MaQZui6CdmydGWhO9CFE0BKAZTIYCIuOylMP2uyGxs3SxkLep9lnyB2M-8Bc9g-1njhWNlSjWuZaSxyTfSma3x4DvkKVLdDIzrwx13RkwDLi6F2Ln=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlMSYcT8c5nGvtuWhxWGVIaQrtS9HXGYsX1c4WU0zaTY1FjfK3Jr2A9qNQPi0FrOhqZ4wO2_4MaQZui6CdmydGWhO9CFE0BKAZTIYCIuOylMP2uyGxs3SxkLep9lnyB2M-8Bc9g-1njhWNlSjWuZaSxyTfSma3x4DvkKVLdDIzrwx13RkwDLi6F2Ln=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The old broken brick wall beside our table <br />with a plant in the window space. </i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>(The "rustic" theme was carried <br />throughout the restaurant.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"></span><i><br /></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">At Rustica, Maggie ordered fish tacos and I ordered a steak sandwich, Mexican style--it was a solid steak (not shaved) with fried onions on ciabatta bread--it was very tasty!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2V3J-znm7b39Lv4zXAa6XMmTnU5H6Zce9eM0axDUAlj8v37reKEszbzQWYnuGjJbI7op5UOe7fexB9kG7u43wNUZz-7A6M6zjQzf5V7eVd1vnnYAaa47smu4nmdfjx_mRXNVBLfggvQVT7LjnTb9jncTJQ1kcY6zGE8L9tbO83_2HGClQMAuWH940=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="640" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2V3J-znm7b39Lv4zXAa6XMmTnU5H6Zce9eM0axDUAlj8v37reKEszbzQWYnuGjJbI7op5UOe7fexB9kG7u43wNUZz-7A6M6zjQzf5V7eVd1vnnYAaa47smu4nmdfjx_mRXNVBLfggvQVT7LjnTb9jncTJQ1kcY6zGE8L9tbO83_2HGClQMAuWH940=w640-h612" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Our shared dessert of a chocolate brownie </i><br /><i>with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.</i><br /><i>(Note the artistically presented <br />sliced fresh strawberry!)<br /><br /></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Lunch for the two of us (with a very tasty chocolate brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for our shared dessert) cost 570 Mexican pesos (about $28 USD)--this was among the most expensive lunches we had since coming to San Miguel but it was also one of the best.<br /><br />In the afternoon, I worked on the fine tuning of the autofocus on my camera and lenses. I have never done this on this (Nikon D750) camera previously although I have done it on my previous (Nikon D700) camera. (I ordered a plastic device on Amazon that will assist in the lens auto focus tuning process.)<br /><br /><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Wednesday, November 24</span></h3><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I was very thirsty last night due mostly to the lack of humidity here in San Miguel. I got up in the middle of the night and drank some sugar-free Fresca and did some reading. Consequently, I didn't sleep very well last night.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Today was the day before Thanksgiving and even though we bought a turkey and plenty of fixings, it just doesn't seem like Thanksgiving time here. I just got an email notice that the marina back home is turning off the water at the end of this month--it was always a sign of imminent cold weather. Lately it has been a little warmer here in the mornings but still in the mid-70's in the afternoons. I don't miss the cold but I do miss the water. (I'm hoping that our upcoming trip to Mazatlan in December uncovers a nice inexpensive place in Mexico to spend the winters near the water, even if the ocean is on the wrong side. For the most part, places in Mexico near the water are full of tourists and high prices.)</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">On today's agenda was going out for lunch at Cafe Santa Ana in the bibliotheca and then searching the nearby artisan's market for a (ceramic) pie plate needed for tomorrow. Instead we stopped at the corner coffee shop and had sandwiches--it looked more inviting in the warm sun.</span><br /><br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiNmVc-O8M4XPa77gHCtSqEp6dl1cxthiYLpoZjKvTp5fpMg9MeFEGm02mqlA9QkDNowg1_n8AUZMOnLQm27qnQlUgdTtN4jrGDzSmIeCq7fGYCdZUmKoTq_IhP3QegzP0-xEmrrjR9oPmtt0QrcRI2zmMYgcSEkJMmupRY0Lk3UaJcq-UhW3XNhSF=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="640" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiNmVc-O8M4XPa77gHCtSqEp6dl1cxthiYLpoZjKvTp5fpMg9MeFEGm02mqlA9QkDNowg1_n8AUZMOnLQm27qnQlUgdTtN4jrGDzSmIeCq7fGYCdZUmKoTq_IhP3QegzP0-xEmrrjR9oPmtt0QrcRI2zmMYgcSEkJMmupRY0Lk3UaJcq-UhW3XNhSF=w640-h498" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>New college buildings near our <br />apartment. (Note the solar <br />panel in the foreground)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">We checked out a local butcher shop after lunch--it looked great! We made a note to try it out in the future. It was nice and warm outside but I was having some difficulty changing my camera from it's single point focusing mode--I came back to our apartment early to fix it. Maggie went on to look for a pie pan (but never found one nearby).</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thursday, November 25</span></h3><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial;">Thanksgiving Holiday</b></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />The turkey was in the oven and the Thanksgiving Day parade was on TV, all the typical signs of the Thanksgiving Holiday back home. I had just taken a nice long hot shower and the world was good. The weather was perfect (highs in the mid-70's and lows in the mid-40's), as usual for San Miguel de Allende. Obviously, Thanksgiving is not a holiday in Mexico, except for us visiting gringos. (I was surprised that we were able to purchase a frozen turkey at La Comer--but we were not able to purchase fresh cranberries!)</span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The delivery man for fresh water was supposed to come this past Monday but he never showed up. No one but us seemed to be concerned about it. Beto (the onsite manager?) went out and purchased a 5-gallon jug of purified water for us after I mentioned the fact that we had no purified water. In this situation back home I would be calling the water delivery company and complaining but this is Mexico and I have to conform my first reactions to the cultural standards of the country. So, we will simply wait until the water delivery man eventually arrives and be grateful for the delivery.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My friend Bill called yesterday to let me know that he had not received my recent blog posts--he thought I may have been kidnapped and held for ransom. I have contacted the company (follow.it) who is responsible for my blogpost distribution--I had this same problem once before. I hope it gets fixed soon but I'm looking for a more reliable alternative in the meantime!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We invited Christine, the Polish lady from the apartment below ours, to have Thanksgiving dinner with us. We had a very nice dinner in the middle of the afternoon. (Maggie spent almost all day cooking!) We have plenty of leftover turkey for next week...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!<br /><br /></span></p>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-16269604823291150522021-11-23T15:31:00.000-08:002021-11-23T15:31:00.695-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">November Dirt Dwellers in SMA</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This has been quite a change in our life style!</span></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Friday, November 19</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We were both a little lazy this morning, finally eating breakfast at 8:30 AM. Previously we were thinking about going to Mescal-Art for a mid-afternoon meal (like the locals) and mescal tasting but neither of us were in the mood for mezcal tasting at the time.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifUI-MNJN5zlziHXmt2RkXlDEqv1mGTDLyLhwS2pkQyquV32tz6LdHz2fDkJ692x0sadBRIQaMvNvKMq8VTIlDbzL3TI8mLfqrA2Uqb9pvdoErjFDxRF_k3IkX7uqn9cDUCo111LtFzyj7a6SvXuCcSEX-7YMtRMlcUGtyCwAfJtv2Poj2E3G5mzm5=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifUI-MNJN5zlziHXmt2RkXlDEqv1mGTDLyLhwS2pkQyquV32tz6LdHz2fDkJ692x0sadBRIQaMvNvKMq8VTIlDbzL3TI8mLfqrA2Uqb9pvdoErjFDxRF_k3IkX7uqn9cDUCo111LtFzyj7a6SvXuCcSEX-7YMtRMlcUGtyCwAfJtv2Poj2E3G5mzm5=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>My new leather camera strap <br />I purchased in Leon.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />As much as I researched the weather in San Miguel de Allende before arriving and after having been here for one week previously, I totally misjudged my clothing requirements for the winter season here. I would bring less shorts and more sweatshirts/sweaters/jackets, maybe even a down vest.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Without a particular goal or destination today, we went out for lunch at Hierba Santa - Cocina del Sur, only a couple blocks away. We opted for the fish entree which was delicious! After lunch we decided to each try a shot of mezcal. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBrByl8n7HUegbIZ7EOl7TjGQ9ZD-4DAvwdHYwo_DYo2NGBypAbfEhuiJwUd0ZGRmQiPCRQylriewGJCHEhPDrRiRWzFlE7kzdeoS9BnRctSSxkyHCphv31uxWBgp6locKLsfzs6vmUkNzi83Ve1Mkb3_gHJTy4sdH0vB554W9-BlunqH7IxgapxAy=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBrByl8n7HUegbIZ7EOl7TjGQ9ZD-4DAvwdHYwo_DYo2NGBypAbfEhuiJwUd0ZGRmQiPCRQylriewGJCHEhPDrRiRWzFlE7kzdeoS9BnRctSSxkyHCphv31uxWBgp6locKLsfzs6vmUkNzi83Ve1Mkb3_gHJTy4sdH0vB554W9-BlunqH7IxgapxAy=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Our first taste of mezcal <br />was not a good one!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It tasted like what I imagined "hor</span><span style="font-family: arial;">se piss" to taste like! We were given lime slices with the mezcal which tasted sweet compared to the mezcal. I don't think we will be buying a bottle of mezcal anytime soon.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5xq3LYDIZ71NzXR4zPj5_0KMxHwi7Nal4CThWNSYWwuh-FUVCQhJAvYoXQ0BiVwQ1Erp9ny5JPAwwuxF0t6K47Lzd4fi0mrfmA3y6Vz0sbVVOzCumg0E-SYHjWJf4XQZXdEjUIUp_2EH_jhvLO4bipGhoz80H_0Op2nLz1tY0lT1vKJnvrmBmCqZ3=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5xq3LYDIZ71NzXR4zPj5_0KMxHwi7Nal4CThWNSYWwuh-FUVCQhJAvYoXQ0BiVwQ1Erp9ny5JPAwwuxF0t6K47Lzd4fi0mrfmA3y6Vz0sbVVOzCumg0E-SYHjWJf4XQZXdEjUIUp_2EH_jhvLO4bipGhoz80H_0Op2nLz1tY0lT1vKJnvrmBmCqZ3=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A colorful scene from the restaurant looking <br />outward toward various shops.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPysoa35nhRacrfXOtiVfoEEGoZiFqnwA7EmW4GND8tx4gpbq98wYeQv7p7DzodjRwy8oYbm_NSWe3y_5O5BDx_qnVNVhYLINnKAf-vVH8KTz2mNhEgrP6XA-NwBzTKUM8l1OG4nArKv1ERGs1KWSTcNVE4xRdha5sqRqMoEHgt45HU-0oL6KBXY-k=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPysoa35nhRacrfXOtiVfoEEGoZiFqnwA7EmW4GND8tx4gpbq98wYeQv7p7DzodjRwy8oYbm_NSWe3y_5O5BDx_qnVNVhYLINnKAf-vVH8KTz2mNhEgrP6XA-NwBzTKUM8l1OG4nArKv1ERGs1KWSTcNVE4xRdha5sqRqMoEHgt45HU-0oL6KBXY-k=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>An interesting doorbell on a gallery down the <br />street (Aurora) from the restaurant.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In the afternoon I got caught up on my TripAdvisor reviews, something I have tried to do while on this trip. Not only do I add a review, but I add photographs as well--all this to help other travelers.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I still haven't done much of anything with my photography--I'm talking artistically. Maybe I will start doing more work on the photograph above (the interesting doorbell). I could start by using the rule of thirds and composing the photograph better.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Saturday, November 20</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This morning was my first attempt to improve a photograph and make it more artistic while here in San Miguel de Allende. I started by determining the focal length of the image I had already taken--it was 48mm. The f-stop was f16 and the shutter speed was 1/60 sec. I could improve the photograph by using a slightly faster shutter speed, maybe 1/125 sec (at f8 or f11 aperture). </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I took another photograph of the unusual door bell (with the door) this morning using my wide angle lens--this was simply for research purposes. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXA_A9uf4Z3OWzgOatC8kuoMsiDQkmdG5pVBPnbSYa7VBLDWDMnNjzO1suYQXR3a2ZDTasrdpAaIjemMQ5WQa3PlYDDMDatJOi566SXDvC9SUUzafQrRAKrQwDNHWdiRaTfkAaELBAIX_ak_FT8BYJlGP8ETFAxQoxdK_AFEsYOIUzSWSPw2AKkFlo=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="496" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXA_A9uf4Z3OWzgOatC8kuoMsiDQkmdG5pVBPnbSYa7VBLDWDMnNjzO1suYQXR3a2ZDTasrdpAaIjemMQ5WQa3PlYDDMDatJOi566SXDvC9SUUzafQrRAKrQwDNHWdiRaTfkAaELBAIX_ak_FT8BYJlGP8ETFAxQoxdK_AFEsYOIUzSWSPw2AKkFlo=w496-h640" width="496" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Taking a photo of the entire doorway doesn't provide <br />sufficient detail on the unusual door bell. I also <br />wasn't aware of the fact that the walkway <br />was sloped--this would detract from <br />an overall image if not properly <br />accommodated.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Today was Penn State-Rutgers game day. We watched the entire game on my iPad since it was not on a major TV network available to us here in San Miguel de Allende. Penn State won the game by a score of 28-0! Penn State was now 7 wins versus 4 losses on the season. (Our second string quarter back played most of the game.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">By the way, our VPN (ExpressVPN) was essential in this effort to watch Penn State football since we couldn't get access to FUBOtv any other way. (There have been times that a particular selected server location, like Washington DC, was busy.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Before the game, during half time, and after the game, I worked on removing the second failed camera lens filter. I cut eight 1/8-inch deep slots (using the hack saw blade I purchased this morning) in the outer edge of the filter. After cutting the slots I used the pliers of my LEATHERMAN multitool to pry the segmented filter from the camera lens. (At this point the aluminum filter frame deformed and simply popped off.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpJtz-FRPEu3Cwj5P9O9kTaNGnjhI8Rb5HmKI6ZyFjM9w3U7R9nhOP-oO2cFYS8zf2daT0R3EhgqWYauwKs2xGVwcE9-NdWTp-O-7UroSX978YVGBHEv6nUb8_cDRaRCuqu2iSmkF3heMaoUOwQym8QvJQE5SOx_kvKJMwnhNDQ8Nkczm7v55tvnHn=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="640" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpJtz-FRPEu3Cwj5P9O9kTaNGnjhI8Rb5HmKI6ZyFjM9w3U7R9nhOP-oO2cFYS8zf2daT0R3EhgqWYauwKs2xGVwcE9-NdWTp-O-7UroSX978YVGBHEv6nUb8_cDRaRCuqu2iSmkF3heMaoUOwQym8QvJQE5SOx_kvKJMwnhNDQ8Nkczm7v55tvnHn=w640-h478" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>I finally removed the second broken camera lens <br />filter by cutting eight slots in the outer edge <br />with a hack saw blade and then prying <br />off the lens. (This destructive method <br />may not have been pretty but<br /> it was effective.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Next, I made a list of the lens filters I needed to purchase to protect my lenses. The list of lens filters that I needed was as follows:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For 20mm f2.8 lens: 62mm filter</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For 85mm f1.4 lens: 77mm filter</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For new 35-70mm f2.8 lens: 62mm filter</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I ordered the needed filters on Amazon today, paying particular attention to the multi coatings and generally on the quality of the filters, and ordering a slim version for my wide angle lens. (I stuck with HOYA-brand filters because they seemed to have the quality I wanted.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sunday, November 21</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Sunday morning was quiet and peaceful after Kali got sick on something she ate last night. (She has a habit of trying people food when made available--when not, she has been known to sample from the garbage can to accommodate her insatiable appetite.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Today was a day of relaxation and watching NFL football games on TV.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTx4YSw9ko0p-q5DUsSyw25puD5EJKPzT_S8_Jk7g5W8V1Ztm9WDvw-OCnBgQ3JY_CGjeTvSWH3zKsulNGCqHMSYKMLrJbC0x_xEjygoN8tkK7ZoKu0J1Ht4ecsNoOu3eEQ8g12ZrGPqEXlPege2PZkzvv7p8WRkbLvs_AeLAq7REcGcb3BIgGDPwi=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="640" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTx4YSw9ko0p-q5DUsSyw25puD5EJKPzT_S8_Jk7g5W8V1Ztm9WDvw-OCnBgQ3JY_CGjeTvSWH3zKsulNGCqHMSYKMLrJbC0x_xEjygoN8tkK7ZoKu0J1Ht4ecsNoOu3eEQ8g12ZrGPqEXlPege2PZkzvv7p8WRkbLvs_AeLAq7REcGcb3BIgGDPwi=w640-h414" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Lola slept on her sheepskin <br />most of the afternoon.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2f2ec0diSF8cHXZi3jKdkCTu1pBucJDI7e9z1K6uLYoB8Nbl0JgAr--ib8__wF1emAIfV1teNnxHqKqzqdq7M_GSKsOjUSGXmlp6ltMNbxW375IFq_fb4RlKdNdQPwqwDcab_aBFYtdc7IxYWa4PJlqU88Hu-HIZVCczJKQnBFRNTz5k1r5Gi8MSp=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="389" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2f2ec0diSF8cHXZi3jKdkCTu1pBucJDI7e9z1K6uLYoB8Nbl0JgAr--ib8__wF1emAIfV1teNnxHqKqzqdq7M_GSKsOjUSGXmlp6ltMNbxW375IFq_fb4RlKdNdQPwqwDcab_aBFYtdc7IxYWa4PJlqU88Hu-HIZVCczJKQnBFRNTz5k1r5Gi8MSp=w390-h640" width="390" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A reflection of the hallway and <br />kitchen from the glass in <br />our bedroom door.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Monday, September 22</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This morning's outside temperature was rather mild by recent standards--the low was 47 degrees. After taking a shower this morning, Kali was sitting on the toilet seat beside the shower curtain, waiting for me. (I think it is so cute when she does this!)</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgecCmatODMgGAv3d7w1cEplPW2FrGHdxBqJUqPIdCXZ3opI8-A-FhPQXiaa7dB6oqI1t7LnZ4PjhqXNfeakrSdzGT6I0eXAyQP0QqHyS7cmiMUeLYSqwt3pVu841mqa8okD3Gl0RGz1dcR9hDJTSGfmuQixQn1McERn5KioapNXo3CoT7S6g7vYuhx=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="559" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgecCmatODMgGAv3d7w1cEplPW2FrGHdxBqJUqPIdCXZ3opI8-A-FhPQXiaa7dB6oqI1t7LnZ4PjhqXNfeakrSdzGT6I0eXAyQP0QqHyS7cmiMUeLYSqwt3pVu841mqa8okD3Gl0RGz1dcR9hDJTSGfmuQixQn1McERn5KioapNXo3CoT7S6g7vYuhx=w560-h640" width="560" /></i></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The best shot from Kali's photo shoot this morning. <br />(I didn't focus on her eyes very well though. She <br />wouldn't sit still for very long. I have to work <br />on this more--next time using my <br />faster 85mm f1.4 lens.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We decided to drive to La Comer (the supermarket) this morning to get some things we still needed for our Thanksgiving dinner and some regular groceries. We invited Christine, the Polish lady from downstairs, to join us for Thanksgiving dinner.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Early in the afternoon, getting back to my photography and working with the wide angle shot I took for research, I cropped the rough image to obtain the approximate image I wanted in the end.</span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjs-SFJVxcvrUNP-tHEir8Yn_EPspEUwwXZt5Iqj_hSjmpXOyf6sLf4AMUvpK1t4tK8H7dLQ6Oa4kIMnBve1-fGEbVmaEsaXl59Qd9pIFWf5ovdRzlIUaiJ9NHq2K_dBIT77kcY6sit7YV9oBNe9BVm5nFogMLCALRflkzMXl9tW1ZReI31F2jYmtyx=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="640" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjs-SFJVxcvrUNP-tHEir8Yn_EPspEUwwXZt5Iqj_hSjmpXOyf6sLf4AMUvpK1t4tK8H7dLQ6Oa4kIMnBve1-fGEbVmaEsaXl59Qd9pIFWf5ovdRzlIUaiJ9NHq2K_dBIT77kcY6sit7YV9oBNe9BVm5nFogMLCALRflkzMXl9tW1ZReI31F2jYmtyx=w640-h496" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>By including the lock, the fact that it was a "door"<br />bell became more evident. However, I needed <br />to show a little more space to the left. (I <br />estimated that a focal length between <br /> 24 and 30mm would be required.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At this point, I knew the range of focal length (24 to 30mm), the f-stop (between f8 and f11), and the shutter speed (>1/125 sec.). With this information, I took more photographs in the afternoon, the best of which follows:</span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-4tldNotFt2jFRm9d2FUJOvvoOgLB_oybCLo2rhgNS3YprzDUmdavn7J7YIpuaFyIoyerT5DSEdK75TpNBwm1J4LTGqP2clCWVh5gWbue79PYEVG0GxlUEJPboihKf83byuef1k7ffuniPVeSQFlRfibAbYxLAkVTp3r6TIbIpudpAjvFDa6ARJ20=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="640" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-4tldNotFt2jFRm9d2FUJOvvoOgLB_oybCLo2rhgNS3YprzDUmdavn7J7YIpuaFyIoyerT5DSEdK75TpNBwm1J4LTGqP2clCWVh5gWbue79PYEVG0GxlUEJPboihKf83byuef1k7ffuniPVeSQFlRfibAbYxLAkVTp3r6TIbIpudpAjvFDa6ARJ20=w640-h434" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>In this version, I brought out the wood grain in <br />the door and added some saturation. In <br />this image I used 65mm, f11, 450 ISO, <br />+1 EV, and 1/60 sec shutter speed.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Time of day was still a variable to be considered to make the best possible photograph. I took the above photograph at 2:45 PM on a partly cloudy day, which wasn't bad but I'll try a few different possibilities before completing this effort.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">That's all for now...thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></span></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-36340760269288610482021-11-18T16:31:00.006-08:002021-11-18T16:31:55.588-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">November Dirt Dwellers in SMA</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This has been quite a change in our life style!</span></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Monday, November 15</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Today was the day for Kali's surgery for neutering. She had to fast for 8 hours before her surgery and that was tough for her--she couldn't understand why she wasn't being fed in the morning. This was probably as tough on me (worrying about her) as it was on her.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We drove to the vet’s office (and I use that term loosely)—it was in an industrial building which seemed anything but a medical facility. I had visions of the vet selling removed animal parts to nearby taco stands. This ugly vision made me worry about Kali in the near term and affected my view of taco stands permanently.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjam8oIAIsSZ83j0FZt983AuQasvpRcogPK1n6zomV9MYqT5aSGXjfc4rrDektE8_vtisMo5mV8tBACKqq7rS0vVbrHLi_3VF8ScSG6LNQ658N9uKieGP7u9zxzjbI_LjQNtoTEtLxoqIxhVGkQKxw2kVlHGxvZcQEdErmDWm20fVCQ4thdxXi_ufMN=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjam8oIAIsSZ83j0FZt983AuQasvpRcogPK1n6zomV9MYqT5aSGXjfc4rrDektE8_vtisMo5mV8tBACKqq7rS0vVbrHLi_3VF8ScSG6LNQ658N9uKieGP7u9zxzjbI_LjQNtoTEtLxoqIxhVGkQKxw2kVlHGxvZcQEdErmDWm20fVCQ4thdxXi_ufMN=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The outside of the vet's facility looked like<br /> the other nearby industrial buildings.<br />(Note the cross on the roof.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA230Y6i1lGYDnFxmrXVuw6gbHrfFULOFdYG-cpCUHeaxQdvwwe_usxo4KYLv6erb5u_s9PuVYpb7jIt9cMhTBqiqPrPhSMx6szcq0aHSIGuJ8PpGOhRVkeyCDLLwaVjEUUQkUGYpVW03B9Ea3USxRsDljRSiHuIv8jhlcu4afNlzOlYgbFjrRWxYA=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA230Y6i1lGYDnFxmrXVuw6gbHrfFULOFdYG-cpCUHeaxQdvwwe_usxo4KYLv6erb5u_s9PuVYpb7jIt9cMhTBqiqPrPhSMx6szcq0aHSIGuJ8PpGOhRVkeyCDLLwaVjEUUQkUGYpVW03B9Ea3USxRsDljRSiHuIv8jhlcu4afNlzOlYgbFjrRWxYA=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A courtyard opened up immediately inside <br />the front door of the vet's facility.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Against my better judgement, we dropped her off and we were told the cost would be 1800 Mexican pesos (about $90 USD) and we found out that credit cards were acceptable forms of payment. They said she should be ready about 2 PM (earlier than the 4 PM previously stated on the phone). </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We spent most of the morning grocery shopping at La Comer (about 2 blocks away from the vet's facility), focusing on many items we missed previously but I couldn’t help worrying about Kali.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjye-uWFinQCrgb5pbKDkN8BqxyNk_51WhJwqUSTj4nJ7VwncJeGPqJy-WMaJ_OwS-fWPafFQsGpKkPmeh_foqFtK6JqcJ3hFoVHcymxRaUKaLtb6oY6zlPUJvi6Q4f8mlFVAayDnk6pAjI96H9kb11hvcVCPO6a_T4OQJlzNW6-Q-5FtQCjtiyOPXg=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjye-uWFinQCrgb5pbKDkN8BqxyNk_51WhJwqUSTj4nJ7VwncJeGPqJy-WMaJ_OwS-fWPafFQsGpKkPmeh_foqFtK6JqcJ3hFoVHcymxRaUKaLtb6oY6zlPUJvi6Q4f8mlFVAayDnk6pAjI96H9kb11hvcVCPO6a_T4OQJlzNW6-Q-5FtQCjtiyOPXg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Fresh papayas for sale <br />at La Comer.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We went to Mario’s for lunch, a very short drive from La Comer. Today, we met Mario, the owner.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKiGOE3jX9N4GLf2WzxfrDJJDtQoD2IyCB4AWplBi3JMZeHmEnqwHcU-72BvqSp80UnjRyuPQ_GZNxVNf0NUS57xVp-g6c8OpOZyMT8c1TqDg5MK6LQZIodxO53bMmK7p3ZOkO7rqxHHiwtUXyXgF4ab3svHEKngg1DHN--6xBSaB0WEdGExmC6V4q=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="640" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKiGOE3jX9N4GLf2WzxfrDJJDtQoD2IyCB4AWplBi3JMZeHmEnqwHcU-72BvqSp80UnjRyuPQ_GZNxVNf0NUS57xVp-g6c8OpOZyMT8c1TqDg5MK6LQZIodxO53bMmK7p3ZOkO7rqxHHiwtUXyXgF4ab3svHEKngg1DHN--6xBSaB0WEdGExmC6V4q=w640-h450" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Mario, the owner of Mario's Mariscos <br />Frescos, with Maggie at <br />lunch today.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mario mentioned to us that we should visit Mazatlan, spending two days to get there (staying overnight in Guadalajara). We thought about it awhile and decided to spend the week before Christmas there as one of our side trips. (Another week-long side trip we were considering making was to Puerto Vallarta in February.)</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXkAxed-vpCnNNWV2TYRLEfN8WgHV7WhSBbzIIP3hBsn6vKUSRbGsz_HSotXx4rffi2JLGPi3bUzIgAQQzYhDNeieEXyUSQMX1n84BnUNqUjtdZkDL6RiUFX3BInUhfv3GlXSGPq9-xZyiuija-DHkXFqGmsE5AX-cjdflHTIJbdT3OZFlYiJ-mwY6=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="640" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXkAxed-vpCnNNWV2TYRLEfN8WgHV7WhSBbzIIP3hBsn6vKUSRbGsz_HSotXx4rffi2JLGPi3bUzIgAQQzYhDNeieEXyUSQMX1n84BnUNqUjtdZkDL6RiUFX3BInUhfv3GlXSGPq9-xZyiuija-DHkXFqGmsE5AX-cjdflHTIJbdT3OZFlYiJ-mwY6=w640-h522" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A colorful image from inside Mario's <br />involved reflections from many <br />different surfaces.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitBBMg-JnDeodp1pG7REIQlHtaCZqTfKQVI2NLvELKyvUWAe2Nuq1VqQ1S7sV5ZYacEmec-jBmcJB272HFS5OyJfw2F7W5sUFam9PQaVQeDfSaJvfOgMGhGl5EUk3E8JkOVi7Xo4TysgHm0vBHrXSMbNtpHrb0iKiU8Gk_4ETgn-aZGpDGq6Hfw-dA=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitBBMg-JnDeodp1pG7REIQlHtaCZqTfKQVI2NLvELKyvUWAe2Nuq1VqQ1S7sV5ZYacEmec-jBmcJB272HFS5OyJfw2F7W5sUFam9PQaVQeDfSaJvfOgMGhGl5EUk3E8JkOVi7Xo4TysgHm0vBHrXSMbNtpHrb0iKiU8Gk_4ETgn-aZGpDGq6Hfw-dA=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>This painting of a swordfish was painted <br />on a simple piece of 1/2-inch <br />thick plywood.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After stopping again at La Comer to buy some frozen items, we drove back to the vet’s facility and we were there nearly an hour early. We were anxious to pick up Kali!</span></p><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When we walked into the vet's facility we were able to meet the vet and get personalized instruction about Kali's recovery. He pointed out that he expected a male this morning based on Maggie's instruction (using the word "castrado" for the operation) and that is why the surgery cost more than originally quoted. (The total cost was 2200 Mexican pesos or about $110 USD.) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After meeting and talking with the vet, that ugly vision I had previously (about him selling animal parts to taco stands) went away. He was a younger (Mexican) man in his thirties or forties and spoke excellent English. He was very professional and his care about the animals he treated was evident.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We had to keep Kali in her carrier for 2 more hours after getting home. She was heavily medicated but kept trying to get out of her carrier. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">After leaving the required 2 hours of confinement, Kali couldn’t get enough of our attention. She would alternate her (desperate) needs for attention between Maggie and I. Her pupils were still dilated, apparently from the medication, and she was quite active throughout the evening, considering what she had gone through. Later at night, she came in to sleep between us on the bed. (In some strange way, Kali became emotionally closer to us today.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tuesday, November 16</span></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When we woke up at 7 AM, the outside temperature was only 37 degrees! Still, the outside temperature was expected the reach the mid 70's in the afternoon. (The weather report actually listed a 2% chance of rain today.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We didn't have anything planned for the day because of Kali's recent surgery. We went out for lunch at el Grandpa & Son Burgers and had delicious hot dogs, even though that may sound strange--it was one of our days of craving food from back home. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLae1CMwKNpxvUu4nT5xIr1Z9hJFBgRZJkFW-4ytthGN47QRDpH6d3p5V2u34s5RW9Wf4NULut88Sacjs5rf5cP02wFrmZv0gV5a2AwJ2BwjAqB3ub0ITeoFejSY2f91Ck9Gj1eHYXvH1L_V9QujN6x5l6aRqi4ijb3zxt45e8cWLF3E01EPUwDRiC=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="640" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLae1CMwKNpxvUu4nT5xIr1Z9hJFBgRZJkFW-4ytthGN47QRDpH6d3p5V2u34s5RW9Wf4NULut88Sacjs5rf5cP02wFrmZv0gV5a2AwJ2BwjAqB3ub0ITeoFejSY2f91Ck9Gj1eHYXvH1L_V9QujN6x5l6aRqi4ijb3zxt45e8cWLF3E01EPUwDRiC=w640-h224" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The sign above the restaurant <br />where we ate lunch.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhd1oTN2LO54E44lHDDe6cHE4hkB-w-PHn_lMv4dSLB37IYXbau2PgoxBw1oH1wPQtg2SjwZpcmguYnkBQ7J3LGkLFoGuKHPVUwr2QS12_pvZWBSKSJTeZPtQJCKdg7szqk6dykFXDJ-X8OgM2YuoE1PgXiZEpKTXCoEtoHLV6_GC79tStScEQGGSCG=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhd1oTN2LO54E44lHDDe6cHE4hkB-w-PHn_lMv4dSLB37IYXbau2PgoxBw1oH1wPQtg2SjwZpcmguYnkBQ7J3LGkLFoGuKHPVUwr2QS12_pvZWBSKSJTeZPtQJCKdg7szqk6dykFXDJ-X8OgM2YuoE1PgXiZEpKTXCoEtoHLV6_GC79tStScEQGGSCG=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>I look like a tired old man in this photo and <br />like I'm contemplating something <br />serious just after lunch.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">At lunch we decided to take a taxi to the Tuesday Market. The Tuesday Market is like a large collection of individual flea markets.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjypO81PujP3A1Y_EA9JjRocXkANjS5Vw1eTcUzn0tHHR_svQGeJ6XFDSfPVz27qBHSvrEphkqJqwiVrKvPLv9-vPdtk3sZQlVuP-4sK8cSIpTto-nDLc-Xg1EhPrv3sYTDF0I1qud81cSPl_GexVb3Ie7uL_vWknGdN1ZSp8adPFMSWShgGraUd0Sd=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="640" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjypO81PujP3A1Y_EA9JjRocXkANjS5Vw1eTcUzn0tHHR_svQGeJ6XFDSfPVz27qBHSvrEphkqJqwiVrKvPLv9-vPdtk3sZQlVuP-4sK8cSIpTto-nDLc-Xg1EhPrv3sYTDF0I1qud81cSPl_GexVb3Ie7uL_vWknGdN1ZSp8adPFMSWShgGraUd0Sd=w640-h478" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The massive structure housed all <br />types of vendor displays.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNgAOTaHkE7X9zfkDGbN8n4M853CowF_ebBDIbNdCOgzm5jt2q2DCXqpMyMcp1K17yb6QRE7RkmHRiImc3WYA-XZIg6Yfn38ioH15_04XkV74cEIxaO02iBOSDX5hmSsZIdi0HmtTC4V3AUohG-gWpeaY42wQZZtZ1BNCi2eEfZJAHLZ33RjdDsMUq=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNgAOTaHkE7X9zfkDGbN8n4M853CowF_ebBDIbNdCOgzm5jt2q2DCXqpMyMcp1K17yb6QRE7RkmHRiImc3WYA-XZIg6Yfn38ioH15_04XkV74cEIxaO02iBOSDX5hmSsZIdi0HmtTC4V3AUohG-gWpeaY42wQZZtZ1BNCi2eEfZJAHLZ33RjdDsMUq=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Most of the stalls involves <br />clothing or grocery items.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNMTaXc6MAOci8z3MovWEsVNyv6R1_pObctdPFYS1jEJBeWLMV-mEpGfVZ9D5whbIZeVjnxC3_mO3VOVDC-X8hKK8-0vzLIIulbDs9lHBYiYjabHnZY1lVK08BuZ7sjI5L-c3ct2AAW8n-dWgso6gIKKYB61mrq_zHl1BiikYespdsp9okKDsLD95y=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNMTaXc6MAOci8z3MovWEsVNyv6R1_pObctdPFYS1jEJBeWLMV-mEpGfVZ9D5whbIZeVjnxC3_mO3VOVDC-X8hKK8-0vzLIIulbDs9lHBYiYjabHnZY1lVK08BuZ7sjI5L-c3ct2AAW8n-dWgso6gIKKYB61mrq_zHl1BiikYespdsp9okKDsLD95y=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Mexicans are fans of American clothing.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWCM-XHRwbjd_2rNoEvEPnTlGKycU9ZU5t0gwS9lGn-qgKeA2miw1aoEIqlhxZP0UtoEXf21Xub2qZ8xHzdhLAJ5EbL8v6wCT2WGqEbtmTmBZ2uQRrWldqCyMCTPXiNFt2emrkhz2ZHM-rzHLput0OR_ijU735o00TFyNREwzPuk_b16S-3LqBoEgZ=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWCM-XHRwbjd_2rNoEvEPnTlGKycU9ZU5t0gwS9lGn-qgKeA2miw1aoEIqlhxZP0UtoEXf21Xub2qZ8xHzdhLAJ5EbL8v6wCT2WGqEbtmTmBZ2uQRrWldqCyMCTPXiNFt2emrkhz2ZHM-rzHLput0OR_ijU735o00TFyNREwzPuk_b16S-3LqBoEgZ=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Colorful baseball caps <br />covered an entire wall.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibdBXT9V9zozPdArxnk2uW7PkKVccFSfl67tWf0WObJm95aGp1yc13GQ6U29LE-RStZx0hse9ZDDebnw8rdtXEg8QeQy0hH4jffaOwb08M0CjxkSkYJw7MO_JVGuvTISoeEMlumfz5KZTvcBoA7WXb-jom4_BVdYk96mryuAxG4OWUJLlj4_3qJHnA=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="640" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibdBXT9V9zozPdArxnk2uW7PkKVccFSfl67tWf0WObJm95aGp1yc13GQ6U29LE-RStZx0hse9ZDDebnw8rdtXEg8QeQy0hH4jffaOwb08M0CjxkSkYJw7MO_JVGuvTISoeEMlumfz5KZTvcBoA7WXb-jom4_BVdYk96mryuAxG4OWUJLlj4_3qJHnA=w640-h586" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Lots of colorful bags at one stall--Maggie <br />must not have seen this one!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEEUQUt0nRCOYBSwlSDN0BuqP2IyMa8ahG25YHsN_roR-BIxb3HO-7U9lc4Ck3SDQN4GKahU6HrpW4ch-JJL08ZwdgyhDAo7MMBTZUC8N6Y2zptR45S28VXZOQuhQmdEJ7G3MEsQRsbQloLBZsjnnbatAGg3wldfO8pKVYWcC5Y3S75RegWEFhjtbH=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="640" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEEUQUt0nRCOYBSwlSDN0BuqP2IyMa8ahG25YHsN_roR-BIxb3HO-7U9lc4Ck3SDQN4GKahU6HrpW4ch-JJL08ZwdgyhDAo7MMBTZUC8N6Y2zptR45S28VXZOQuhQmdEJ7G3MEsQRsbQloLBZsjnnbatAGg3wldfO8pKVYWcC5Y3S75RegWEFhjtbH=w640-h530" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Maggie dug through this mass of Christmas <br />ribbon to find enough to hang <br />our Christmas lights.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZoZ3cQVWQKvZ-fARKuvCI8Mesb_iJ202gbLDokny0oKY7sv-xzt376FVqAn639PWH2BITgCFjITipAr244rWEywSyhVZ5gm7ggC76iydk2A9YTau2WCJPqC2o-kmg-CTa-_gRqr28hjh2go9Xs0rWTT9MM3obgk5_s-yD5zHtotJl_jaOcLkvsIJr=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZoZ3cQVWQKvZ-fARKuvCI8Mesb_iJ202gbLDokny0oKY7sv-xzt376FVqAn639PWH2BITgCFjITipAr244rWEywSyhVZ5gm7ggC76iydk2A9YTau2WCJPqC2o-kmg-CTa-_gRqr28hjh2go9Xs0rWTT9MM3obgk5_s-yD5zHtotJl_jaOcLkvsIJr=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>We took a public bus home from <br />the Tuesday Market--it was <br />standing room only.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We got home sometime after 3 PM and we were beat, mostly from standing through the 45-minute long bus ride home. The Tuesday Market was simply overwhelming for me while Maggie can usually shop until she drops! We purchased some needed shoe laces, an extension cord, and Christmas ribbon.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In the early evening, Lola knocked my camera off the desk and onto the tile floor in the living room, about a 3-foot drop. The glass in the filter shattered into a million pieces and I was faced with removing another filter frame--this time on my 20mm wide angle lens (which was attached to my camera at the time).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Wednesday, November 17</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This morning we were up early to take a taxi to the bus station and catch our 7:30 AM bus to Leon for our planned day trip. I decided not to take my big camera and save the wear and tear on my body a little bit. It was very cold in the morning as we rode in the taxi and waited for the bus at the bus station. (I guessed that the outside temperature was in the upper 30's.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We have always enjoyed traveling by luxury buses in Mexico and today's trip was no different. The Primera Plus bus we were riding on was manufactured by Scania--the parent company of Saab. The bus left on schedule at 7:50 AM and stopped at the Guanajuato bus station on the way to Leon. (Guanajuato was a little more than half way to Leon.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When we got to the Leon bus station, we hailed a taxi to take us to the designer (his name was Xavier and he was the </span><span style="font-family: arial;">exhibitor at the recent Alternative Design Bazaar</span><span style="font-family: arial;">) of the shoes I wanted to buy. We met him at his very modern house in the hills above the city--it was beautiful!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After I </span><span style="font-family: arial;">purchased my new pair of shoes and a leather camera strap, Xavier drove us back downtown and gave us a tour around Leon's beautiful historic center. The historic buildings were preserved as in other cities but the streets were improved far beyond the cobble stone streets in San Miguel--this was such a welcome change. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">---------- </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">While the historic section of Leon is very old and small (several blocks long), the city is quite modern and has a population of nearly 2 million people. (We marveled at the modern walk signals at the intersections in the city, equal or better than most equivalent U.S. cities.) Most of the cars we saw were small Chevy's, Nissans, VW's, or the like. There were some BMW's and Volvo's.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Xavier dropped us off at a very nice hotel (<a href="https://www.hotsson.com/en/hotels/leon-poliforum">Hotsson</a>) for lunch--this very modern hotel was within a couple blocks of the bus station. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicL18xO9Qcuw6KMvqINaM9iM7lhmpetRlbtNmO6hGVdDtVktA24Rlg_3OMn_4_ESf24xWqDIyxsoIUeC-o6u83o9zkyFXlZ9dFUnS_2GcSI4mK2FWjwnqpcKQab8xCByyare0jRPn1r3q8C3HVQ9_9DtBPS9Sx-qCfjlhfRXTzdvnq5ck9_GqaJStQ=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicL18xO9Qcuw6KMvqINaM9iM7lhmpetRlbtNmO6hGVdDtVktA24Rlg_3OMn_4_ESf24xWqDIyxsoIUeC-o6u83o9zkyFXlZ9dFUnS_2GcSI4mK2FWjwnqpcKQab8xCByyare0jRPn1r3q8C3HVQ9_9DtBPS9Sx-qCfjlhfRXTzdvnq5ck9_GqaJStQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Maggie looking at the restaurant's <br />menu (by using the QR code <br />reader) on her cell phone.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We ate outside on a sort of veranda within sight of an old red church. The hotel pool was also nearby on this (second) level of the hotel. (We decided that if one of us found out we only had a month to live, we would want to live our last month at this hotel.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjo2gfHCPhaHU-1sC7CjNwxWT36GcNSXcZVsfRrGXl2CwxHpYBDdy7dmJ-cAUq7a6Go2ZYoEPJicBQUVftOM_PdQUW-smXMG3ZIRWd-tb2B_Rm8jM_Cd1Ar3k-9CcO0anYM6I9ZUYgANKr0CKPqqmHECNA4Bc47ZRmygu5f4mTQbyLTncqfxdsZa50H=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjo2gfHCPhaHU-1sC7CjNwxWT36GcNSXcZVsfRrGXl2CwxHpYBDdy7dmJ-cAUq7a6Go2ZYoEPJicBQUVftOM_PdQUW-smXMG3ZIRWd-tb2B_Rm8jM_Cd1Ar3k-9CcO0anYM6I9ZUYgANKr0CKPqqmHECNA4Bc47ZRmygu5f4mTQbyLTncqfxdsZa50H=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>This red church was located adjacent to the <br />hotel's veranda where we had lunch.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">From the hotel, we walked several blocks in this thoroughly modern city to "Zona Piel" (where all the leather shops are located) and the bus station (which are in very close proximity to one another). We walked around "Zona Piel" for probably two to three hours.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiziEkKKoqiCzbJ9lSIdY371RyYo61M2T_HJU6zp6scpL_DkDJJ9UTsyip2GCL34RRwDU1WENN1-TOaml0oGbTKxtxdAjbnvpYQ8YNPB7Qw9gMURbypvhZ1dxlPQkQjBqe69l22mMaHhNecLNtvTqh-0Yk4qw0F2Bq8ErtT14lTDTAUlhBwACnrUCo-=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="640" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiziEkKKoqiCzbJ9lSIdY371RyYo61M2T_HJU6zp6scpL_DkDJJ9UTsyip2GCL34RRwDU1WENN1-TOaml0oGbTKxtxdAjbnvpYQ8YNPB7Qw9gMURbypvhZ1dxlPQkQjBqe69l22mMaHhNecLNtvTqh-0Yk4qw0F2Bq8ErtT14lTDTAUlhBwACnrUCo-=w640-h546" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A photo looking down just one of the <br />several streets of "Zona Piel."</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhU8jzHrAHiwefR3rtLiWJMOnL7QWwZMQCJQ9p7iwsjI924LHt6crCUMnkdZPUj9vQm2UqOz8kslDRPNOOvOajx6pLYXQ0onfsGY8JHKxqnDfwBSVEe_P2GywpRORqcx0JDPIzitW-LB2Lq1zxExgBJywVZruZ2Lpaxpr4D-He_d1lMxi_38FrhLjl8=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="640" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhU8jzHrAHiwefR3rtLiWJMOnL7QWwZMQCJQ9p7iwsjI924LHt6crCUMnkdZPUj9vQm2UqOz8kslDRPNOOvOajx6pLYXQ0onfsGY8JHKxqnDfwBSVEe_P2GywpRORqcx0JDPIzitW-LB2Lq1zxExgBJywVZruZ2Lpaxpr4D-He_d1lMxi_38FrhLjl8=w640-h600" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A display of shoes in just one of the several <br />thousand leather shops in "Zona Piel."</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghtUYt6ZNCubqhKKlztvjIpbmre9BxItfz6wTQOCq0k-8XzcMKdAbPOMx5zoAtwCO9HbTuDK2Vo0Itms2CJm0pmeyDmbVsb1AY9aW779xldhqabjl_j0cmtvw5OZUjPOZa72NP7Ae8ZpCNHc-qJdlnTi-X8zPkI8rJ_3jJ6LjBkAwU9PNISx3MKkf3=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghtUYt6ZNCubqhKKlztvjIpbmre9BxItfz6wTQOCq0k-8XzcMKdAbPOMx5zoAtwCO9HbTuDK2Vo0Itms2CJm0pmeyDmbVsb1AY9aW779xldhqabjl_j0cmtvw5OZUjPOZa72NP7Ae8ZpCNHc-qJdlnTi-X8zPkI8rJ_3jJ6LjBkAwU9PNISx3MKkf3=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Where there are many shoppers, <br />there had to be taco stands.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We were good consumers for the Mexican economy as Maggie purchased two purses, a pair of shoes, and a few other little things. (In a way, it seemed like we were spending monopoly money since $1 USD was currently equal to 20 Mexican pesos.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We got back to the bus station in plenty of time to make the scheduled 3:50 PM departure. (Our temperature was checked three different times while in the Leon bus station because of COVID-19 and, of course, all passengers had to wear face masks.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As the bus made its way back to San Miguel de Allende via Guanajuato, most of the trip was through "high desert" terrain with occasional corn fields and villages. (At the time, corn was just past harvesting in one of the three growing seasons of this area of Mexico. Corn stalks were being plowed under the soil to increase the soil's fertility.)</span></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHF2h2s9_AqL9Ki1ak3gh97CuACjmlShl4wozmpTAXWuo_vWUxSUMNvduztxGrhNM9NVXMAaB9dXDC-MZQUtOoGAeNjSzH_Xq9KjWcgbgYbi1_WO417irtLJC_FfTAELdA3c2dHNoIKRs-ci8AzPaJkCtdYf8RWQEfj__1kFtEPwkT-7WLCH3Dq5v6=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHF2h2s9_AqL9Ki1ak3gh97CuACjmlShl4wozmpTAXWuo_vWUxSUMNvduztxGrhNM9NVXMAaB9dXDC-MZQUtOoGAeNjSzH_Xq9KjWcgbgYbi1_WO417irtLJC_FfTAELdA3c2dHNoIKRs-ci8AzPaJkCtdYf8RWQEfj__1kFtEPwkT-7WLCH3Dq5v6=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A photo I took with my iPhone out the window <br />of the bus on our return to San Miguel de <br />Allende. (This scene was typical of<br />"high desert" terrain of Mexico's <br />central highlands.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It was dark outside when (six-ish) we got back to San Miguel de Allende. By the time we completed our taxi ride back to our apartment, it was a long day for us old folks. We had a drink, warmed up a frozen pizza for dinner, and went to bed soon after.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thursday, November 18</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Today was a day of playing catch up in a way. We caught up on our rest for sure. One of the things we accomplished today was setting up a procedure for getting packages delivered from the U.S. Almost everything we need to get from the U.S. will arrive in packages.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDkljzzsTx2ki2bPSoaGxZzo2HQRA07MsGT5vfMF9KmjCNBpyB2wAEGJt58Z8BPzsRvYOH7z8TxAy5_V4cIeBh1lERPMtiZJHyni6k_e0rA7BVONVnBBLiCBy7qDO-5KD-dkoyys3MdV5Ju8bIAMR2NOBpbI7r9M6PW8qPITX-uea5TFUrTneDDycH=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDkljzzsTx2ki2bPSoaGxZzo2HQRA07MsGT5vfMF9KmjCNBpyB2wAEGJt58Z8BPzsRvYOH7z8TxAy5_V4cIeBh1lERPMtiZJHyni6k_e0rA7BVONVnBBLiCBy7qDO-5KD-dkoyys3MdV5Ju8bIAMR2NOBpbI7r9M6PW8qPITX-uea5TFUrTneDDycH=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>I purchased a (used) Nikon 35-70mm f2.8D <br />lens on eBay today--hopefully, it will <br />become my everyday lens.</i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Another accomplishment for me today was installing my new leather camera strap on my Nikon D750 camera. Every time I picked up my camera today, it had the pleasant smell of leather.</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I also had our collection of mail sent from Green Cove Springs FL to our new address in Laredo TX and forwarded to us here in San Miguel de Allende.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi41cRQG6ZkUJ5Nh5GTW6ldYreC5xdIxd92jowPa_aFI1Ahfo_AClOkldgMPI86gyFHgCIOHj5opFY8g9F6oN9Amy5MtAmfM0tEJvrF5dDpIYxkDRSxBt73NEwj1kW8pvRjB4Z0LeDnqf7sG-cjlWrM0Fao2icPdgt5GbAX3im2F8upFBM4kEs_a1Bk=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi41cRQG6ZkUJ5Nh5GTW6ldYreC5xdIxd92jowPa_aFI1Ahfo_AClOkldgMPI86gyFHgCIOHj5opFY8g9F6oN9Amy5MtAmfM0tEJvrF5dDpIYxkDRSxBt73NEwj1kW8pvRjB4Z0LeDnqf7sG-cjlWrM0Fao2icPdgt5GbAX3im2F8upFBM4kEs_a1Bk=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>One of the beautiful houses that we noticed <br />on our short outing today.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzbYWj8_5d31qJf8Ae2iXNFdn4W50e1Fdifp2L9o9ZMJ_jSnkNRncEB4wRi9wMfiGwq3IqpFFOI5gXnF2WPOk_MTzliDFv3ikMEAKiYy4SXHYkDzXa90fQE9C95VUGWnjURzgB2ABwt5a2T0otEGP7FOD_oFdexw_X6hGRGaCb2-lUYe1flpkjfG7i=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="640" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzbYWj8_5d31qJf8Ae2iXNFdn4W50e1Fdifp2L9o9ZMJ_jSnkNRncEB4wRi9wMfiGwq3IqpFFOI5gXnF2WPOk_MTzliDFv3ikMEAKiYy4SXHYkDzXa90fQE9C95VUGWnjURzgB2ABwt5a2T0otEGP7FOD_oFdexw_X6hGRGaCb2-lUYe1flpkjfG7i=w640-h492" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Kali trying to keep warm today.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We also finalized our arrangements for our trip to Mazatlan just before Christmas...more on this later...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks for following our blog!</span></div><div><br /></div>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231625801143926157.post-51370355376833557922021-11-15T06:03:00.001-08:002021-11-16T16:23:09.179-08:00<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">November Dirt Dwellers in SMA</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">—Blogpost written by Bob</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blogpost, we continue our 6-month winter excursion in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), Mexico. We arrived by car on October 15, traveling from near Annapolis, Maryland where we live on our sailboat. This has been quite a change in our life style!</span></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thursday, November 11</span></h3><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It has been cold the last couple nights, reaching lows of 38 degrees early the mornings but the afternoons still warm up into the mid-70's. By the time we were out and about in the mornings, the outside temperature was typically in the high 50's or low 60's.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">There were a couple things we were planning for the next several days or so: (1) Kali's surgery for neutering and (2) a bus trip to Leon, the leather capital of Mexico. I spent some time early this afternoon, arranging both events. Kali's surgery was scheduled for Monday (in by 9 AM and out by 4 PM with 8 hours of fasting before dropping her off) and our 2-1/2 hour (each way) bus trip was scheduled for next Wednesday. (This was about as much scheduling as we could handle!)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfqJ-Rx4YE-1U7cY93pY0vVO14WuAZHTZIocO6K-5bmmUWFQb3z5C32uzAffNsHEQC0H2oHo5yn0mLdQhV9i1I1uJD9p1ZEXvF5Fum1tNUgFPSfgIHj0iBkNdxZJWAfuPWFa8q2rC757zutJpYP8BYCOPadquO0KZM8rpMeiCiWUNsp9o5GgCeByUQ=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="436" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfqJ-Rx4YE-1U7cY93pY0vVO14WuAZHTZIocO6K-5bmmUWFQb3z5C32uzAffNsHEQC0H2oHo5yn0mLdQhV9i1I1uJD9p1ZEXvF5Fum1tNUgFPSfgIHj0iBkNdxZJWAfuPWFa8q2rC757zutJpYP8BYCOPadquO0KZM8rpMeiCiWUNsp9o5GgCeByUQ=w438-h640" width="438" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A statue of a monk under the bright <br />green leaves in the bibliotheca.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I met Maggie in the Cafe Santa Ana in the bibliotheca--I was an hour early but enjoyed the solitude. Today we both had delicious BLT's!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Maggie had difficulty getting money via the ATM downtown today. She was advised to call our bank at home. However, today was Veteran's Day back home and our bank was closed. This was the first time that we had difficulty getting cash.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRGfSSfLoEdgJVWIxtJ0_Ef86qX_X14106v5SwbhHZ5ykqgdYTjcyVdWRo9fUBePmH64uFCyFcqNOMUvXU4NznH7qpQ_pjfw5M0bjeL0JScNHXTIogpjCYelD_MmOgM3FMzp5-X7gfKaqgYNx5hcooBd6DyWrcLQI2X5kYy00w1we5L1SJ2XBsn9I6=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRGfSSfLoEdgJVWIxtJ0_Ef86qX_X14106v5SwbhHZ5ykqgdYTjcyVdWRo9fUBePmH64uFCyFcqNOMUvXU4NznH7qpQ_pjfw5M0bjeL0JScNHXTIogpjCYelD_MmOgM3FMzp5-X7gfKaqgYNx5hcooBd6DyWrcLQI2X5kYy00w1we5L1SJ2XBsn9I6=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>One of the prettiest streets in <br />San Miguel de Allende.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhU8BzlczgfDnzHZ7hslIk0zt9IRce2loHXyEk5wzbIOdiRNwCywRg34W0VxsjsHM5btJ9aIAOUKYmuiFNhSA7G1XjlxvEmb3b4-mB1Sf4DHARbkGkvaVsJv-PZ4iuMWgRyk20yfT8O9X4Anj7tT5Hf8LaQhUUQzO6duULeAOxWCQj9OMXNiRAs-5_X=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhU8BzlczgfDnzHZ7hslIk0zt9IRce2loHXyEk5wzbIOdiRNwCywRg34W0VxsjsHM5btJ9aIAOUKYmuiFNhSA7G1XjlxvEmb3b4-mB1Sf4DHARbkGkvaVsJv-PZ4iuMWgRyk20yfT8O9X4Anj7tT5Hf8LaQhUUQzO6duULeAOxWCQj9OMXNiRAs-5_X=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>An alleyway between buildings <br />we discovered on our walk <br />back from lunch.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />S</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ince shortly after coming to Mexico, we have been battling with our two cats early in the mornings. They come into our bedroom at 4 AM and scratch on the doors of the armoire which makes the doors rattle--not just once but about every ten minutes or so. This usually succeeds in waking us up. (Kali has been the instigator but Lola has typically joined in. I'm sure their intent is to wake us up so they can be fed.) We've tried spraying the armoire with cat deterrent a couple times and we have used a water spray bottle as a soft weapon many times. Neither has worked to any significant degree. So, we have decided to feed them much later (3 hours later in fact) in the evening, as a start. (If this doesn't work we will try locking them out of our bedroom.) </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I had a small problem with my camera today. The glass in the filter mounted on my best lens (85mm/f1.4D) somehow became loose (it rattles) and I can't get the filter off the camera lens. I tried wrapping a leather belt around the outer surface of the filter to get more grip (as well as using rubber gloves) but nothing has worked. My next step was to freeze water on a saucer, put plastic wrap over the lens, and try to cool the filter so that it contracts and allows me to remove it--this didn't work either.. (The only purpose for the filter is to protect the lens--this mechanical protection can also be accomplished by using a lens hood. I suspect that the odd 77mm fine threads were galled.) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLEqnuFqF-reTwJnSnvuF-w9UKsFvkvkYsqULi_3_Ty0mxj_cqYLUTBON__Gl8W7iZYSsAHm-hzGbgbttMN0CrKVmp9hWrZCBgeeQhbbZ3TJDJIHehHepLAhMUiqMe7FbMfRmSzwMhsgPhheJ_DZ81Duk6SZJQGZiP05BE5TsKPkyfRvb0aQCIKbH3=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="640" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLEqnuFqF-reTwJnSnvuF-w9UKsFvkvkYsqULi_3_Ty0mxj_cqYLUTBON__Gl8W7iZYSsAHm-hzGbgbttMN0CrKVmp9hWrZCBgeeQhbbZ3TJDJIHehHepLAhMUiqMe7FbMfRmSzwMhsgPhheJ_DZ81Duk6SZJQGZiP05BE5TsKPkyfRvb0aQCIKbH3=w640-h502" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The filter came apart upon <br />removal from the lens!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Late in the evening I tried a trick from a </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBcNK3LGlPo" style="font-family: arial;">YouTube video</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> which worked great! It involved cutting knife edges into the outer edge of the filter 180 degrees apart and then using a long knife (pushed down into the cut edges and turned counterclockwise) to unscrew the filter. The filter came apart when removing it which is why the glass rattled previously. I put the lens hood on the lens and scrapped the damaged filter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">By the way, one of the only tools I brought with me was a LEATHERMAN multitool--I used this to cut the knife slots on the outer edges. (I also brought a set of small precision screw drivers with me for possible computer repairs. In some ways I felt naked without more tools.)<br /><br /></span><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Friday, November 12</span></h3><h3><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /><br />Forty</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> degrees early (but warming to 74 degrees in the afternoon) and a forecast of partly cloudy </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">for the day proved to be another typical day in Mexico's central highlands.</span><br /><br /><div style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;">----------</div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">Today was Maggie's last Spanish class unless she renews for more classes later. We met at el Grandpa & Sons Burgers for lunch after her class. (I had a Philly cheese steak to satisfy my yearning for food from home--it was pretty good!)</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJsHqpG3L5MGj78usI8XbU-E5TXXKPl2p28ki80Chr3NoZlyrHUosjnvMzERY0eRyK35h-6SjdHnxG8o48z3f_G9EJZBGxGWHBJ3sThOSKDBD1U2lOVQPYviu33pARDZXluZGivP7LLv_LHGr8B3CudGhmklw954GtoSKPYeN5AAntxF85VV9QWLOO=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="640" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJsHqpG3L5MGj78usI8XbU-E5TXXKPl2p28ki80Chr3NoZlyrHUosjnvMzERY0eRyK35h-6SjdHnxG8o48z3f_G9EJZBGxGWHBJ3sThOSKDBD1U2lOVQPYviu33pARDZXluZGivP7LLv_LHGr8B3CudGhmklw954GtoSKPYeN5AAntxF85VV9QWLOO=w640-h404" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A beat up VW Beetle in <br />our neighborhood.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7pkY_WsytUXHDDo4qkNBuzHHhEjPAU87eC2jSP8HmEf-KV8ZpIhkgnwyAz2HwZHUi2p6dFu6GsudKSbjOMAdRfP2qLs76b59ej0xBBCilwAp8XxHekT2nB2NFdWMLoSH_njbWaZ1tYF4IUJ09Dik2VQLLBvdwh5-n_VA2QgVSaIVCpZC9SXOFLvaE=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="471" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7pkY_WsytUXHDDo4qkNBuzHHhEjPAU87eC2jSP8HmEf-KV8ZpIhkgnwyAz2HwZHUi2p6dFu6GsudKSbjOMAdRfP2qLs76b59ej0xBBCilwAp8XxHekT2nB2NFdWMLoSH_njbWaZ1tYF4IUJ09Dik2VQLLBvdwh5-n_VA2QgVSaIVCpZC9SXOFLvaE=w472-h640" width="472" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Mexican color combinations <br />on Casa Carly.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvBkAIMEZMcYl4hJc6VWoPstebb8Lp96tWM03Xhfb5-DWR2hPykt8DiZ9FmXfEoNUTshmSM7gNKrYzSEFd5C0VnJp63p1-MidoL7Gd_6TF2pP3jlZZSTaNLQ747qySz8yx2c4ajUPtC5xUmR61q1rO5rmNMU_cOaj61FP1W8pxsxHFY4NtowxJ9xqE=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="386" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvBkAIMEZMcYl4hJc6VWoPstebb8Lp96tWM03Xhfb5-DWR2hPykt8DiZ9FmXfEoNUTshmSM7gNKrYzSEFd5C0VnJp63p1-MidoL7Gd_6TF2pP3jlZZSTaNLQ747qySz8yx2c4ajUPtC5xUmR61q1rO5rmNMU_cOaj61FP1W8pxsxHFY4NtowxJ9xqE=w386-h640" width="386" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Old man walking into Fabrica <br />de Aurora with a cane. (This <br />could be me someday.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After walking around for a couple hours I could feel the impact of the elevation (over 6,000 feet above sea level). It seems like one has to consume a lot more air in order to get a sufficient amount of oxygen.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><h3><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Saturday, November 13</span></div></span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We went out for coffee this morning after having breakfast in our apartment. Of course, we went to Cafe de la Esquina, just a few doors away.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpo4yPnWQzguiNqMDP35mGsH-fiAUwhW3zTByCT4YDZUX_YVelkgPmdB4PajSBgOATJpNRU4jWPAN57s7fXDhDBdIipAvoBSIOSSlxLCu7-hsx-1gSQCLWly1n7_L15z87NVBzYS3n2QNCDUcLCmhyJGD3E4TKjsOJjQiWAx3TRLNoEjmIe6H45gDh=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpo4yPnWQzguiNqMDP35mGsH-fiAUwhW3zTByCT4YDZUX_YVelkgPmdB4PajSBgOATJpNRU4jWPAN57s7fXDhDBdIipAvoBSIOSSlxLCu7-hsx-1gSQCLWly1n7_L15z87NVBzYS3n2QNCDUcLCmhyJGD3E4TKjsOJjQiWAx3TRLNoEjmIe6H45gDh=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>This is an image of the door seating area of Cafe <br />de la Esquina near our apartment--this has <br />\been a favorite coffee spot for us. (I used <br />my camera's retouch features for the first <br />time to eliminate the distortion caused <br />by my 20mm wide angle lens.)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3pL0JsTeVt-CcLFdK63-9HmbHU-nRLhHBMW_9RIw9TAd3jsPgunsR1_Sxi8idsDo12oUUuN_0Oeh-ePx46fK0TSEY_9dyxh8pHw9RjsEaKI4lMdAgQhxp3tdGHSe6R63bfIV0c6-6diZ8sC_1tOe8S4XgjfWiZpAbjZqwIfMJsfoZrE5eNCHAWG31=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="640" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3pL0JsTeVt-CcLFdK63-9HmbHU-nRLhHBMW_9RIw9TAd3jsPgunsR1_Sxi8idsDo12oUUuN_0Oeh-ePx46fK0TSEY_9dyxh8pHw9RjsEaKI4lMdAgQhxp3tdGHSe6R63bfIV0c6-6diZ8sC_1tOe8S4XgjfWiZpAbjZqwIfMJsfoZrE5eNCHAWG31=w640-h538" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>An outdoor plant at the cafe.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjP9FkorrueLwa5xfwcpevprP_yAYJ7rHZZBYNNLV_Fl0O4wtm6ylq783kaSPWSxXenPvDa-OWUhBqkYtTYAHQ5w2vyZZw50wd8ypphEoFLn4ErlBuzk0bZ-4BjnnKcjzhv9qfowVr8Fbs2-dRKTkw2bRJ2ynO2pqraooBjaiioyY-chs_yTpTJCf7U=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjP9FkorrueLwa5xfwcpevprP_yAYJ7rHZZBYNNLV_Fl0O4wtm6ylq783kaSPWSxXenPvDa-OWUhBqkYtTYAHQ5w2vyZZw50wd8ypphEoFLn4ErlBuzk0bZ-4BjnnKcjzhv9qfowVr8Fbs2-dRKTkw2bRJ2ynO2pqraooBjaiioyY-chs_yTpTJCf7U=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Kali was sleeping while we were <br />having coffee at the cafe a few <br />doors away. (She certainly <br />looks wide-eyed and <br />bushy-tailed!)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Today was Penn State-Michigan football day--the game was scheduled to start at noon eastern time and 11 AM local time on ABC. Penn State scored first, a field goal. The final score was 21-17 in a losing effort for Penn State. It was a tough fought game all the way with a couple lead changes. Penn State is now 6 and 4 on the season. (Just one explosive play made the difference in the outcome of the game.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sunday, November 14</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Today marked the end of our first month in San Miguel de Allende. I am beginning to miss the water as you might expect since most my adult life has been spent around the water. Lola is missing her outdoor time.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">---------</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We won our battle with our cats that I mentioned previously (them waking us up early in the morning) by locking them out of our bedroom all night.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiG0icin7kNn9QwisKLBlaB6xr8_06kjCFnGWsJyRImOVP3lHSo1a_oxL5t0jkNmVlW-Y2lS0_wJvGtYOz1-QprZ-iBBK6L1tMGTaVTG_MdmNko7EHvZDlKs6uJPyf9EBxoT_mYYB5TuOxUgR9XImqJMEl7DUqKLwIzd2dZvXQoal4VOKvcOMzbEILU=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiG0icin7kNn9QwisKLBlaB6xr8_06kjCFnGWsJyRImOVP3lHSo1a_oxL5t0jkNmVlW-Y2lS0_wJvGtYOz1-QprZ-iBBK6L1tMGTaVTG_MdmNko7EHvZDlKs6uJPyf9EBxoT_mYYB5TuOxUgR9XImqJMEl7DUqKLwIzd2dZvXQoal4VOKvcOMzbEILU=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Our bedroom door has been kept closed <br />during the night to keep our cats <br />at bay in the early mornings.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We were both feeling a little under the weather today--so, we stayed indoors and watched some NFL football games. Tomorrow is Kali's surgery for neutering--I can't wait until its over...</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /><br />Thanks for following our blog!</span></p>Robert C. Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439163975073909094noreply@blogger.com0