Today was an all-around terrific day!
We woke up with an email from Charlotte, our realtor in St.
George, with the counter offer to sign on the house we have been waiting since
March to buy. We started all about 12th in line and have now become
the primary offer!
At breakfast we met the first Gringos we have seen on this
trip. Gar, Mary Jo & Gregory are all ex-pats living in Mexico. Gar took a
colonial façade with an empty lot in back and had a most amazing three-story
house built behind. It’s in a great location ½ block from the market and is
loaded with artwork from all over Mexico. It was a delight meeting these people
‘living the dream’ in Mexico!
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| One of the living rooms |
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| Dining Room |
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| Super cool kitchen |
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| View from the 3rd floor patio with 360 degree views |
After returning to the hotel to conduct business to wire the
earnest money from the CU to St. George we took a short 30-minute bus ride to
Santa Clara de Cobre where copper is king. All kinds of artisan workshops are
open to the public.
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| Santa Clara de Cobre |
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| Intricate copper work |
Our dinner was also the best yet and we had an opportunity
to speak a lot of Spanish all day long. So all in all we loved the day!
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| Santa Clara fountain |
Now yesterday, Wednesday, was another story! We survived a full day
‘bussing it’! The first bus left Mazamilta around 12:30 pm, only one bus a day
goes north from this very pretty mountain town. When we boarded there was not a
seat to be had & there was very little standing space!
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| One of my Tower series to break up the sob story of the bus rides! |
But stand we did, for over an hour down the very windy, narrow mountain road. I was very smart and quite determined not to go to the back of the bus or even the middle to stand pressed against others. Given the status of my tummy for the last few days I held steadfast to be able to see out of the window so I made other people boarding step around me. Yes, it was probably rude and certainly not the Mexican way (they NEVER complain), but I stayed able to travel for the seven additional hours required to reach our destination, Patzuaro, Michoachan.
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| This church is over 500 years old! |
Poor Keith stood somewhere in the middle of the bus with a girl seated next to him throwing up and a very stinky dirty diaper on the other side. It was then we decided to rent a car once we get to Morelia to venture out into Monarch Butterfly country & on to Valle de Bravo to meet our friend Will. Those journeys were complicated bus rides and we will save much time driving ourselves.
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| First church in all of Michoacan, 1460 |
On bus #2 Keith engaged a kind woman in conversation so those hours passed quickly. We approach Lake Patzcuaro just as the sun was setting, an awesome view. I wasn’t sure it was the right lake but luckily it was and our 3rd and final bus ride of the day was a quick connection & short journey.
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| Tower series #2 |
All of this traveling would be impossible without a good command of Spanish. While you might be able to read a bit, or ask a question, you would never understand the answers to get you across the street, take a left, then a right…!
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| Colonial Mexico, Patzcuaro |
Our place here in Patzcuaro is charming and cheap! We arrived at the Posada de la Salud, directly across from the Basilica, a day early and in total darkness. Luckily there was comfortable room at the inn for two wearied, but happy to be together adventurers!
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| Tower #3 |
Tomorrow we plan to take another small day trip and finish up touring the town as our short stay here in one of the most beautiful villages in all of Mexico comes to an end.
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| Angelic |
We love Mexico! It's history, culture, natural beauty and welcoming people make it a fine place to visit!
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| Does this not look like Mexico, then & now?! |
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