Kathleen and I arrived in San Miguel de Allende yesterday morning. It took us about 2 hours to get here from the Leon airport- which is brand-spanking new. We took a taxi to the bus station, a bus to Guanajuato and another bus to SMA. I was able to sleep a lot. We were on a second class bus from G - SMA which stopped every 10 minutes to stop and pick up people going into town. It got very crowded and I wasn´t too popular when I had my suitcase in the seat next to me. I quickly moved it to the aisle after almost killing myself trying to put it in the overhead area.
We walked around a little when we got here and looked for a hotel. We weren´t finding anything good for a decent price. Both of us were also hungry. Not a good mix. The two of us hungry is like a volcano about to errupt. So, we stepped into a Mexican version of a healthy, organic restaurant. I had yogurt, granola, and fruit topped with the best honey I have ever tasted in my entire life. Once fortified and cooled off, I went to scope out some hotels. I found the perfect place, close to the center, but not so close that they can charge an arm and a leg. It is a great old home with rooms around a central courtyard. It has two double beds, a fireplace, and a very clean bathroom. The people running it seem very nice and helpful. I looked at a bunch of rooms before I went back to get K. Later we found that it has a beautiful patio on the roof. Perfect for drinking beers at sunset.
We have been walking around taking lots of photos. Eating great food. I even found a place that has excellent coffee, which is a feat, as most places here think Nescafe is coffee. I don´t usually drink coffee, but the tea here is not so good, so I will have to sacrafice!
Last night we found a beautiful restaurant that had a rooftop terrace where we had a drink while we listened to a band that was playing on another roof nearby. Very nice. At night they light up all of the churches, so they all have a halo around them when the sun goes down.
I got to have some pozole! It was so yummy. Not as good as what I used to get in Cuernavaca, but it will have to do.
Kathleen almost got her wallet pinched earlier today. Luckily she is very aware and caught it just in time. That could have been very bad, but it makes me remember to be extra careful with my backpack. You have to be conscious of your surroundings, even when it feels very safe. It actually feels extremely safe here, even at night.
Kathleen and I have been getting along fine. There have been a few moments when I had to tell her to back off, like when she started telling me what I should put in my photos. But nothing more than that. We have to make certain that we don´t get hungry at the same time because that could be a disaster.
So far I think of San Miguel de Allende as the best of Mexico... that is if you like your bathrooms spotless, toilet to have a seat on it, toilet paper available to use even in most of the public bathrooms, clean streets, mellow drivers who don´t consider you a target when you are crossing the street, yoga and pilates studios (although not as many as in Berkeley), and beautiful old architecture. It really is a beautiful town. It is a little too gringo-ized for me, but I can understand why old white people want to move here. It is a perfect mix of Mexico and Santa Barbara or Santa Fe. I like my Mexico a bit grittier, but I am certainly not complaining.
I have surprised myself with my understanding of Spanish and my ability to express myself. I really had a hard time in Spain, so I didn´t expect it to be so easy here. I have even been translating a little for K, when she really needs it. Her Spanish is getting much better as we go, but sometimes people speak really fast, making it hard to comprehend. One of my favorite expressions is ¨mas despacio por favor.¨ Well that´s about it for now. Just so you know, my cell phone is on if you have some emergency, but I have no idea how many hundreds of $ it will cost to use it. Unblock your # if you really need me to know who it is. Also, a text message I can receive. No photos please!
More soon.
Love, Elisabeth
p.s. alison, i forgot to get your parents address/phone # to say hello. i would love to do that if you can drop me an email with their information. thanks!