Morelia

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I decided to check out Morelia upon recomendation by a friend from Mexico City. My two nights there consisted of relaxing, walking around the city a bit and getting to know some really interesting people. Morelia is a city with amazing architecture and also has what many consider Mexico´s most beautiful church (see pictures).

I met Felipe, Victor and Kurt- three gringo retirees who were chatting outside my room one night, who each ended up having some of the most amazing stories of anyone I had met so far.

First there was Felipe- a retired San Antonio high school teacher that must have been about 6 foot 3 inches tall and about 250 lbs who had a long white Santa Claus like beard. Felipe now claims Morelia as his home and is like a dictionary on Mexican history, geology, art and people. Felipe could talk for hours on the preceding subjects and was fascinating to learn from as he has spent extensive time in Mexico for the past 20 years or so. Felipe says that Morelia´s friendly, warm people make it his favorite city in Mexico. Each Xmas Felipe comes down to Morelia and dresses up as Santa Claus for the local kids. Although he had so many fascinating stories to tell, I could sense a certain sadness and loneliness in his voice, perhaps from being on the road solo for so long. Felipe´s wife passed away and he has a 24 year old daughter who he said doesnt like to travel with her dad, he would explain as he held her picture in his hand.

Then there was John- A poet, artist in his late 60s from the Carolinas who came to Mexico somehow with no passport. I later learned that John was fleeing the country due to a warrant that was put out for his arrest. He comes from a family of four brothers in a small plantation town in the Caronlinas. Two of his brothers conspired against him and his other brother (who happens to be a lawyer) in order to gain inheritance of his mother´s plantation as she was passing away and extremely senile. His two brothers basically hired an attorney and made the mother alter her will documents as she was in no state to think clearly about what was happening. Mind you his two brothers who wanted the plantation are wealthy businessmen in small town in the south (more proof that power does really currupt at times). So essentially John decided to write a newsletter in his small carolina town (where everyone knows everyone) telling the truth about his experiences and his corrupt brothers. According to his lawyer brother (and I know some of you are lawyers reading this right now- Kim and Eric- so correct me if this is wrong) you are allowed to write whatever you want in the papers, as long as it is the truth and it should hold up in court. Unfortunately for John, his rich brothers paid off the court system to somehow void John´s first amendment rights and get a warrant for his arrest. So essentially John was here for very different reasons that I was- hiding from the feds!! It sounds like a good theme for a movie doesnt it??

John and I talked late into the night about life, philosophy, politics and his complete lack of confidence in the US court system. He spoke extensively on his Buddhist faith and how it helps get him through such tough times. I was amazed at how cool and unrattled he was with his situation. I´m sure his situation is enough to drive anyone else over the edge. He seemed content with the fact that he expected to live the remainder of his life in Mexico.

Then there was Victor- a retired restaurant owner (half mexican/half spanish-pais vasco) from Idaho. He had been researching places to retire for quite some time and finally stumbled into Morelia in order to pursue his photography passion that had been burning inside of him all the while he was in the restaurant business. I could feel the passion and excitement in his voice and expressions as he was about to start a new chapter in his life. He was looking for apartments as I left Morelia in order to get his new life all set.

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Comments

[sabina]

la vida
como da vueltas la vida no? historias como estas me llenan el alma de una humildad sobre su propia vida, y al mismo tiempo la llenan de grandeza. Nos llaman a pensar, cuando el teimpo pasa que cosas quedan sino esa que son realmente importantes. cuanto tenemos que aprender y que fuertes debemos ser para no dejar ir en el dia a dia sin ver estas cosas fundamentales. me ha encantado seguir tu viaje, y conocer de tu propia voz ese mejico tan intrigante. muchisima suerte y gracias por compartirlo con nosotros.

[veronica]

people
caras vemos, corazones no sabemos (we see the faces, but don't know their hearts) until conversations like these happen. great stories. i hope to visit morelia someday. i can't wait for your next entry. please find a cyber cafe soon-lol. God bless!