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Published: December 18th 2006
We have big news for the new year! On December 25th we leave for Mexico. We are moving to the heart of Mexico, Santiago de Queretaro. I am taking sabbatical from the University of Cincinnati and I will be teaching at Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Campus Querétaro. We will be living in Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico from about December 28th to June 30, 2007. We just secured a house last week! Keep us in your prayers & thoughts!
DEC 30
Well, we made it! From Cincinnati to Queretaro in about 36 hours. We pulled into Little Rock, Arkansas at about 5:00 p.m. on the 25th. Nothing was open (not even Denny's). So, after some discussion, we agreed that the only option for dinner was a hospital (after all they are open 24/7/365). So, off to Baptist Hospital we went! It was a great dinner and a wonderful experience. I think it is safe to say
Our House in Queretaro
Our Friend Jorge's Son Paolo!that we were the only family eating Christmas dinner there by choice. After a day and half rest in San Antonio, Texas we were off again. We left San Antonio at 4:20 a.m. on the 28th. We arrived in Queretaro on December 28 at 7:45 p.m. The last hour and half was in the dark. It was a little weird driving after dark. All of the web pages I had read said "DON'T DRIVE AFTER DARK." It was not so bad for me because we were on a major highway. The border crossing was a breeze. We hit the border at 6:50 a.m. and crossed at Nuevo Laredo. We were in and out in less than 30 minutes. The tourist visa took about 10 minutes and the car permit took about 20 minutes. We left with four visas, a car permit and about $137.00 less in my pocket. Our kids, Haley & Madison, were fabulous travelers. Most of the time we drove 4-5 hours between stops. Our house is great and the weather has been better then expected. About 75 during the day and around 60 at night. More later...........
January 5 - I have posted a few pictures
Departing for Mexico
We are loaded to the max and ready to go.......... of the Technologico de Monterrey Campus in Queretaro. The campus is really beautiful. Classes begin on Monday. I have been in several meeting this week. All are about getting ready for the return of the students.
January 12 - WE FINALLY HAVE INTERNET IN THE HOUSE!!
January 13 - Ok, it is time for me to tell you a little bit about where we are living. We are in the State of Querétaro, living in the city with the same name (actually the name is Santiago De Querétaro, but no one seems to be aware of this fact, they know it as Querétaro). The State of Querétaro is in the heart of Mexico, two and half hours north of Mexico City. The state is one of the smallest in Mexico. The city is a historical site with wonderful architecture, and a wealth of historical facts. It is in the mountains at an altitude of approximately 6000 feet. Given the altitude, the climate in Querétaro is truly a gift! In the morning the temperature is around 45-48 degrees. By noon it is in the 70s.
Querétaro was founded in 1531 (almost 400 years ago!). The center of the city
Tec de Monterrey Campus Queretaro
Teresa and the girls using the wireless internet remains a beautiful colonial spot. It is the colonial cities where the real Mexico began to emerge. The Spanish took control of the city in 1531, and designated it the "third city of New Spain". It was here where the father's of Mexico's Independence Movement met in secret to discuss the overthrow of their Spanish rulers. The Mexican Constitution, written in 1917 was composed here. Querétaro was also the birthplace of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) - the political party that governed Mexico for 71 years, before Vicente Fox's PAN (Partido de Accion Nacional) ousted the regime in July of 2000.
Querétaro itself is a very clean city. The building styles here are clearly Baroque. The central area invites walking tours. There are many narrow alleys with all kinds of shopping sites and small parks. There are several beautiful small towns near Querétaro, last week we visited Tequisquiapan (don’t even try to pronounce it!). The kids loved the local market and we ended up buying everything from pottery to cheese. (Teresa loved the cheeses).
We have been living in our house for almost two weeks now. The girls started school last week at the International School of Querétaro. (www.isq.edu.mx) We
Tec de Monterrey Campus Queretaro
My office is on the 2nd floor to the extreme right. A full wall of windows! are settling in to a little bit of a routine now that the first week of school is almost over. The girls are really adjusting so well, it's amazing. Every day when they get picked up from school they are bubbling over with news of their day.
They are actually glad - I think! - that they are here! They are being very positive and enjoying the cultural differences and making new friends. The school is run quite differently than what they are used to and they seem to like this one better. It seems to have a little less structure and more variety. The kids also seem to be given a lot of freedom too - especially at Haley's level. Teresa asked Haley last night what her favorite thing was and it was that a lot of the school is outside. To go from class to class you are outside, your locker is outside, and the "cafeteria" is outside. The only thing inside are classrooms and the office - which all open to the outside only. Her least favorite thing is the Spanish - then she clarified for Teresa since she wasn't sure what she meant, it is when
Tec de Monterrey Campus Queretaro
The mighty RAM is the mascot for the University. people are talking Spanish and she doesn't know what they're saying. Not that she doesn't like learning Spanish.
Positive changes have been no TV (we have decided not to get cable, so there are only 4 all Spanish stations) and no Internet which has made them more creative in finding things to do to entertain themselves and they also play together more. They chose to share a room so for the most part that has been good. They still fight, of course, but they have a lot more good times then bad. Other positives have been that we all talk more and seem to have more special family time. So overall I guess it's all good. J
For the most part Teresa has been able to find most of the food at the store that we are used to so it doesn't seem like things are so different in that respect. Even though all of the labeling is in Spanish/metric so she gets to figure out what the temperature is supposed to be, or how many minutes to cook it for, etc. She has had time to cook quite a bit so that is good but we all also
enjoy eating out, there are so many places to try and so far the girls have liked almost everything they've tried for the most part. For the most part, we can go out to eat for around $10-15 US dollars for the four of us (of course that means a small restaurant that serves tacos, etc). There is a little store in our neighborhood they love to walk to and that is a novelty for them. Madison enjoys trying all the different kinds of candy they have here, it's quite different. Teresa and Haley don't really like much of the candy.
Today Haley has free time to swim at school for 2 hours, she was excited. It is almost an Olympic size so it is nice and they said it was heated so I hope it's not cold. Starting next week Madison wants to swim 2/days a week after school and I think Haley will play volleyball 2/days a week.
Traffic here is not bad at all. The roads are a little confusing because several things are different from the US. Teresa begins Spanish lesson on Monday and life will get a little bit crazy. The kids start school at
First Day at School
The girl are all ready for their first day of class at the the International School of Queretaro. Don't they just look like little fashion plates! 8:00 a.m., I start school at 8:30 a.m. and Teresa begins classes at 9:00 a.m. It will be a mad dash from one school to another!! Teresa is taking Spanish classes at the same school I attended during some of my trips down here (www.ole.edu.mx). She finishes her classes at 12:30 p.m., I finish at 1:30 p.m. and the girls finish at 2:30 p.m. So, everything lines up like dominoes. I just hope that no one knocks them over! The drivers do seem rude and rushed and they don't obey speed limits or stop signs! The rudeness is so surprising because in everything else they are anything but rude. Much less so than in the US. I guess the car just gives people a comfort level to do things they wouldn't do normally - or most likely they just have a different way of driving than we do.
I have taught a full week of classes. As most of you already know I am teaching at the Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Querétaro (www.qro.itesm.mx). The students really seem motivated and very knowledgeable. The campus is just amazing. It is completely wireless and all of the students sit around the central area
Central Queretaro
The life size nativity figures celebrating Three Kings Day. and work on their class work (actually I think they are just surfing the net). All of the classrooms have computers, projectors and related technology (pretty much like my campus). The faculty is great and very helpful to me. The Business Division Coordinator is this wonderful Mexican lady that speaks just a bit of English. She told me on the second day, “you teach me English and I will teach you Spanish.” She really is wonderful and is so helpful to me.
January 15 - Ok, I have reached a frustration point this week. Two weeks before leaving Cincinnati, I drove to several tire stores and picked out a top of line set of tires. Total cost $620.00. Last Wednesday, Teresa and I went to the Downtown area. We had lunch and when we returned to the car the left front tire was flat! Oh well. We Found a repair shop and 10 minutes later the owner and his son had pulled out a 3/4 inch screw and had the tire repaired. Cost $3.60. All right no big deal. Well, that is until today. All of us went to get photos taken today. We neded them for the kids
Central Queretaro
The life size nativity figures celebrating Three Kings Day. school. We walk out to the car and guess what? Back right tire is flat. Wait, did I buy brand new tires for $620 just before leaving Cincinnati? We put air in the tire and back to the repair shop we go. This time the owner comes to me and says, this will take 20 or 30 minutes. What.......um....why.........He shows me a 2 1/2 inch bolt (see picture below) that has SOMEHOW penetrated all the way into my tire. Result a huge round hole. 30 minutes later the tire is repaired and we are on our way. Cost $10.00. Why did I buy brand new tires before we came here?????
Jan 21: It has been a week of adventure & learning.
We are really enjoying Querétaro, our house and our friends. Last weekend our friends Claudia & Jorge Lujan took us to an adventure land for kids. It had miniature gold, rock wall climbing and jumping area for kids. Afterwards we went to a really great seafood restaurant. It was a wonderful day.
Teresa has concluded that our clothes dry as fast (or faster) on the clothes line than in a dryer. I actually think
Central Queretaro
The life size nativity figures celebrating Three Kings Day. she likes hanging our clothes out to dry. We have pretty much conquered the food issues and seem to find everything we need at the stores. We began eating at the small neighborhood restaurants this week - the ones that mostly serve various tacos. The kids love them and so do we. The four of us can eat for around $10 - $14.
Teresa began her Spanish training this week (www.ole.edu.mx). She goes to school for 3 hours every day. When she is at school they speak almost all Spanish. The mornings are little crazy. Teresa is doing great in Spanish. I think she is a natural but she just keeps saying, “why am I taking Spanish, you already know it!”
There was one challenge this week. On Tuesday, Madison became pretty sick at school. She came home with a fever, aches and a very upset stomach. I stayed home with her on Wednesday and by the end of the day she had rebounded - or so we thought. I think the flu stuff pulled her down and on Thursday night she woke up with a sore throat and a very painful ear. On Friday, we knew we
Central Queretaro
One of the alleys in the central area. had better get her to a doctor. Our friends made a recommendation and off we went - what an experience. The office was very clean, modern, well equipped - all-in-all better then the pediatrician’s office in the U.S. Dr. Esparza, was wonderful, but spoke almost no English. She spent about 40 minutes with us, mostly just talking and explaining both her diagnosis and treatment. One of the neat things was during the visit her husband came into her office with us and introduced himself and shook hands all around. (I believe he was just there to pick her up from work since by now it was almost 8:30 p.m.). He is also a doctor who is in research. Since he speaks more English than his wife, he jumped in and started translating to us what she wanted us to know. He also was very friendly and asked a lot of personal questions about why we were here, etc. It felt almost like we were in someone’s home for a nice visit. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic CLAVULIN - 875/125. The doctor’s visit was $44 and the antibiotics were $24. We could have gone directly to the pharmacy and just purchased
Comida Corrida
From the window of restaurant where we ate in Central Queretaro. Comida Corrida - $3.10 per plate included Soup, Chicken Relleno (chicken breast stuffed with Spinach), beans, Rice, Chocolate cake and a drink. I love the Comida Corrida in Mexico!! the antibiotics, but given the combination of events I wanted her to see a doctor.
On Saturday we made a trip to Valle de Bravo (http://www.visitmexico.com/wb/Visitmexico/Visi_Valle_de_Bravo), a quiet colonial-era village 2 hours west of Mexico City (four hours from Querétaro). We mostly went to see the Monarch Butterflies. From November to Mid-April more than millions of monarch butterflies migrate from the US and Canada to the lush mountains surrounding the city. We arrived at about 11 a.m. and started our ascent up the hill. Forty minutes later we reached the top. It is an amazing thing to watch. The butterflies coat the trees and look something like large hornet nests in tops of the trees. When the sun comes out they form a thick rainbow of colors. Unfortunately, it was cool and very cloudy when we arrived at the top. Nothing was moving! But, it was still amazing. RECOMMENDATION: If you go, get a horse. The climb is difficult and you’re at about 7800 ft so you really, really notice the difference in the air. We would rest every few minutes and everyone was gulping for air. The horses only cost $10.00 and everyone that purchased a ride up
Shoe Shine
My fist english newspaper in almost two weeks! Shoe shine $1.40. the hill felt it was money well spent. After the climb we went into the city and had lunch at a Swiss Chalet. We had Cheese fondue (one with Mushrooms and one with Salmon) and chicken fondue. For desert, of course, we had Chocolate fondue. The girls loved it! We then took boat ride on the lake. Then our trip home. I have included several photos. Good news for this week: No flat tires!
Jan 28 This week has ushered in some changes. The biggest change has been the weather. Up until this week, the weather has been WONDERFUL! For three weeks we enjoyed almost perfect weather sunny and upper 70s every day. This week, the highs have been in the low to mid-60s. Several days have been overcast. The mornings have been in the upper 40s which is just plain cold when you have no heat in the house. None of the homes in Queretaro have heating systems. They are really not necessary save about 3-4 weeks per year. During that time, the Mexicans just suffer with the cold. In fact it is kind of funny to watch. When it is 60 degrees they wear coats and hats
Second Flat Tire
In one week we have had two flat tires! Ugggh!!! Look at the size of that thing. It penetrated all they way through the tire. like it is 20 degrees. Fortunately, we had been forewarned so we brought two space heaters with us. Our bedrooms are toasty, but the rest of the house is cold.
The second change was born of necessity. The Tech de Monterrey and the school Teresa attends for Spanish training are in the downtown area. The kid’s school and our home are in Juriquilla. Twenty minutes of driving separates the two areas. Teresa has been driving to school, returning home, then driving back downtown to pick me up - too much driving! So, I decided to conquer the bus system this week. A quick explanation of the Mexican system is warranted. Buses in Mexico are an excellent alternative to cars, and are one of the best bargains around. Mexican buses are generally frequent, efficient, and inexpensive. They go almost everywhere. Moreover, contrary to what some people may think, you don't ride with chickens. The Mexican bus system is far superior to the US bus system. Most of the people in Mexico don’t have cars, so the buses are much more heavily used. Within the city it is all one class, similar to the US, but you can easily leave from
Valle de Bravo
A beautiful colonial City two hours west of Mexico City and four hours from Queretaro. your home, go anywhere within the city and return to your home. For longer trips, buses are available to most destinations, from third class to luxury. For a trip to another city or part of Mexico, first classes buses are excellent. They come with a movie and a sack lunch! The price is generally very reasonable. A 2 ½ to 3 hour trip may cost around $10-14 dollars. The price difference between classes is typically less than the cost of a beer (I judge everything here by the cost of beer. One beer is ok, two beers becomes questionable), so I look for comfort and convenience. I ride only first class buses, except for short distances or if there is no other alternative (I still buy the beer in addition to the first class ride). During my last visit to Mexico, my brother Lance and I rode a second class bus from Zihuatanejo to Uruapan (there was no first class bus available). The four hour bus ride turned into six hours because the driver got lost 3 times and drove slightly faster than a turtle. But, short of that one experience, I have always reveled at the efficiency and quality
Valle de Bravo
Dinner at a Swiss Chalet of the buses in Mexico. Ok, back to my story. On Tuesday, I decide that I am taking the bus home. So I walk 10 minutes to where I think the bus might come. I stand for 10 minutes. No bus to Juriquilla. I practice Spanish words in my head for 5 minutes and finally I ask a person standing next me about the bus (note: asking is a bit of a challenge as my Spanish is getting better, but still qualifies for the category of “stinky.”) This fine gentleman feels that I need a 5 minutes answer in rapid fire machine gun Spanish accompanied with a lot of hand gestures and pointing. Basically, I hear “blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah ……….no.” Ok, the bus to Juriquilla does not come here --off I go. Ten minutes later I arrive at bus stop number two. This time I jump straight to practicing the words in my head. After 30 seconds I am ready to ask again! This time my Mexican assistant is wonderful. He immediately recognizes that I am a lost gringo that speaks little or no Spanish. He speaks slowly, word by word, telling me are you crazy, of
Valle de Bravo
A beautiful Colonial City 2 hours west of Mexico city and four hours from Queretaro. course that bus doesn’t come here. You have to walk about 20 minutes to a different stop (I have gone out of my way to come to this bus stop). Ok, well at least I now know where it is - off I go again! I arrive at the stop and this time, I don’t even practice. I go straight to the first person I see. He says, yes, that bus comes here. He tells me that he thinks it is bus #66. Yes, I just hit pay dirt!! 10 minutes later bus 66 arrives and I jump on. Hmmmmmmmm………as the bus departs something does not seem right. In front of the bus is a big sign that lists all of the stops. For some very odd reason, Juriquilla is not listed. Well, Santa Rosa is listed and that is a small town about a 10 minute drive from our house (40 minutes walking). So, I think if the bus stops there, it must go through Juriquilla. 10 minutes later that thought is trashed as we speed past the exit for Juriquilla. Well, Santa Rosa is a nice town and it won’t hurt to have a little visit. An hour
Valle de Bravo
A beautiful Colonial City 2 hours west of Mexico city and four hours from Queretaro. and 45 minutes after I left my office, I jump off the bus in the center of Santa Rosa and decide to walk home from here. By now I am sure that I have missed dinner (or certainly will) and I am a getting a little hungry. So I stop along the street and buy an ear of grilled corn (they drip lime all over it and then sprinkle it with mild chili pepper - it’s yummy). I walk another 10 minutes and can’t help but notice a great looking taco stand - what the heck! Two tacos later I am on my way again. I arrive home 2 ½ hours after departure. It was a great adventure!
Wednesday, I decide to try again. This time, I arrive at the correct bus stop in 20 minutes. I ask another person about the bus to Juriquilla. This time I am told it is bus #121. Bus 121 arrives 25 minutes later and 1 hour after my departure from the office I am deposited 1 block from our home! Yes, I am making progress. On Friday I try again. I arrive 5 minutes before the time the bus came on Thursday.
Valle de Bravo
Haley & Madison during our Boat Ride around this beautiful Colonial City two hours west of Mexico city and four hours from Queretaro. It arrives on time and 40 minutes after departing my office I am deposited 1 block from our home! I have conquered the bus ride home!!
The third change of the week. Madison was slightly hurt at school on Friday. The short version is that the class bully ripped Madison’s chair out from beneath her while she was seated in the chair. Ha, ha real funny. Her shirt sleeve became tangled with the chair back and her arm was pulled back in a very unusual way. It caused a lot of pain and the school was afraid it may have dislocated her shoulder. Here is the weird part. They called Dr. Esparza (the doctor we had visited last week for Madison’s ear infection). She immediately came to the school, treated Madison (putting her arm in a sling), and gave her cream for the pain and a prescription. We learned about the whole situation when she arrived home. Huh? Total cost to us, $0. Madison is doing great and has only a little pain now. We happened to have our follow-up visit from last week with Dr. Esparza that night. She was just as nice this week. I have included
Valle de Bravo
A beautiful Colonial City two hours west of Mexico city and four hours from Queretaro. some photos of her working on Madison. Cost for follow-up visit, $0.
The fourth change is how/where we eat. We ate out three times this week. All of us just love to eat at the small home owned restaurants. From 1 to 4 p.m. each day theye offer Comida Corrida. Literally translated it means “food and run.” But for us it means a lot of food for a little money. The price and content varies from place to place, but you are always assured of a lot of food and drink for around $2.50 to $3.00 dollars. I have include pictures of a place where the girls and I ate on Saturday. I had enchiladas verde and the girls had pounded chicken breast lightly breaded and fried. They came with a large bowl of soup, rice, refried beans and salad.
Finally, the girls are both adjusting to school very well. On average they have about 1/4 of the homework they had in the States --that actually worries us a little. They both have new friends, yet really miss their friends from Milford. Haley now says “I love this school; I just wish my friends from Milford were here.”
Valle de Bravo
A beautiful Colonial City two hours west of Mexico city and four hours from Queretaro. I have included several pictures of Haley’s friends.
February 2 We are taking our first road trip this weekend. Truthfully, I am little nervous. We are heading south to the state of Michoacan. Here the countryside is a vast expanse of rolling hills, deep lakes, winding rivers and green valleys. Much of the state is dominated by a volcanic mountain range, the Cordillera Neovolcánica. The state is primarily agricultural (biggest producer of avocados) and has few large cities, but rather is a quilt of small villages and towns that seem to have changed little since the early 1800's. When I visited the area for 2 days in October, the pace seemed leisurely, and its people friendly. The towns throughout the state hold a range of cultural and artistic goods. I fully expect to return on Sunday loaded with many new “things!” Most of the cities like Uruapan and Pátzcuaro have a mixture of architecture, including many structures constructed during the Spanish occupation or left by the Franciscan friars.
We leave today for Uruapan. Uruapan is nestled at the southern reaches of the Sierras. Uruapan spills onto the hills and valleys bearing oranges, bananas, and coconut palms. The
Valle de Bravo
A beautiful Colonial City two hours west of Mexico city and four hours from Queretaro. prize possession on this area is the Parque Nacional Eduardo Ruiz. The park is a tropical rainforest, with walkways and water falls. On Saturday, we will travel to Patzcuaro. Patzcuaro is one of Michoacan’s World Heritage sites nestled in a lush forest on the shores of an extraordinary lake. I have included a map of our planned trip. The blue line is our driving route. Expect a full report on Monday or Tuesday.
February 5, 2007 This week we conquered both the bus system and the open road! On Monday, Teresa was feeling the pressure of work and really needed some quiet time to work on the computer. So, the kids and I caught the bus from our house to downtown. Our destination was Cerro De Los Campanas (Hill of the Bells). This is the site of the execution of the French Emperor Maximilian. The area is now a large park. Near the top of the park, sits a Chapel which is supposed to be the location where Maximilian starred down the barrels of his firing squad! At the very top there is a large statute of Benito Juárez (he is like our Paul Revere or
Haley's Friends at School
Haley and her friends playing outside. Benjamin Franklin). From the park the view of the city is nothing short of awesome! We took the bus to the central area and then walked a bit. We found a local eating establishment (yuck, yuck) that was serving,……..that’s right,……. Comida Corrida!! Madison and I had fried fish and Haley had chicken. As it turned out, it was only a few minutes away from the park. It really was awesome. I will let the pictures of the park speak for themselves.
Our first road trip went without a hitch. Although we did change our plans just a bit. Our first change was the drive route. Per the recommendation of a friend, we had planned to drive on the “Libre” (free) road from Queretaro to just north of Zinapecuro and then get on the “Cuota” (toll) road (Mex 15) through Morelia all the way to our destination. When we reached the toll road, all had gone well. In fact, we had really enjoyed the secondary roads and the small towns. There were great signs; the drive was easy, and getting on the toll road seemed, well, unnecessary. Hmmmm…..perhaps it was bit more “necessary” then we thought. From this point forward
Haley's Friends at School
Haley and her friends playing outside. the signs were either the pits (see example below) or simply did not exist. We were momentarily lost in the city of Zinapecuro, then again in Querendaro, and just a little confused in Indaparapeo. We arrived at the Hacienda a little, well a lot, behind schedule yet well before dark. It was a great adventure!
Our second change of plans. Our plan was to drive to Hacienda Caracha on Friday and spend Saturday morning at the Parque Nacional Barranca Del Cupatitio in Uruapan. We then planned to travel to Pátzcuaro in the afternoon. Our plans changed when we arrived at the Hacienda. This place was an oasis in the middle of a nowhere - it is just beautiful! A Professor at the Tec De Monterrey had recommended the Hacienda Caracha to me, so I just booked a room. In fact I knew very little about the hotel. What a wonderful surprise. First, it is not really a hotel and it is not really in Uruapan. It is more like a full blown resort and it is located in a very small village (Ziracuaretiro) about 25 minutes from Uruapan (if you go make sure to get his map off the
1-28-07 - Haley & Friends at School
Haley and her friends playing outside. web site—www.caracha.com.mx). The Hacienda was originally a functioning Banana Ranch. It is over 200 years old and most of the original architecture has been transformed into a delightful complex of buildings, pools, play areas, leisure areas, and garden sanctuaries. A river runs through the compound. The view from our room was breathtaking. Because it is winter here the place was almost empty. No way were we going to arrive on Friday night and depart on Saturday morning. We cancelled our trip to Uruapan. We soaked in some of the tranquil setting and then headed to dinner. As we were eating dinner, the owner (Rogelio Lemus Díaz) came to introduce himself to us since he was the one I spoke with on the phone when we made the reservation. He was a genuinely kind person and spoke very good English. He shared a little about his background and his business. He told us that he had started an organic Blackberry farm 3 years earlier. We talked for about 15 minutes. He invited us to tour the farm in the morning (in his words, “come see the blackberries and eat some”). As he was walking away, he stopped, turned around and said,
1-28-07 - Haley & Madison
Haley and Madison goofing off “yes, Shirley Temple, …….yes….” I laughed out loud. I am certain that he had been looking at Teresa’s curly hair and finally he remembered “Shirley Temple”! I have included several pictures of the place. By way of summary, there were 40 rooms, 5 pools, playgrounds, picnic areas, basketball court, soccer field, and many areas for you to be at peace with flowers, grass, and beauty.
We met in the morning and had a delightful tour of the blackberrys and how best to grow them in the organic way. Rogelio told us the history of his farm and his future plans. He also told us all about the history of the Hacienda and his family. It was an amazing story. He showed us a picture of his Grandfather in a large group of people. Among the group was 4 former Presidents of Mexico. Following his tour, we had a delightful breakfast in the restaurant and bid our farewells to Rogelio.
There was one minor blemish on our stay. On Friday night in all of our excitement, we left the laptop computer outside the room near our door. When we started to load our stuff we realized it was missing.
1-28-07 - Haley & Friends having a party at School!
We are starting to wonder if they make the kids do any work at this school! We went into complete panic! I went to the front desk for help. The response of the hotel staff was simply unbelievable. Every person at the hotel was looking for our computer. I mean every person (20 or more). I heard them calling to the staff on the walkie-talkies and demanding an all out search for the computer. They came to us twice and said, “We are a family here and no one would have taken your computer. We will find it.” We actually watched them search rooms and areas used by the staff. After 45 minutes, the computer was located and returned to us. It had been picked-up by the night desk person. They had somehow contacted him at his home. When they returned it to us, they said, “we are so sorry, we are very embarrassed that it took us so long to find your computer. It was placed behind the desk by our night person. He forgot to tell anyone in the morning. This should have never happened.” Somehow, they were taking ownership of our foolishness. I had given up all hope so needless to say, we were beyond ecstatic. I left 400 pesos with the manager
1-28-07 - Dr. Esparza
Madison is being treated by Dr. Esparza. She is wonderful! so they could buy treats for the entire staff. Final conclusion, a wonderful place with wonderful people!!
We left the Hacienda at 12:30 heading for Patzcuaro. We arrived just before 1:00 p.m. and spent 45 minutes searching for our Hotel the Pasada de los Ángeles. In the end, we found it on a street just wide enough for one car (see pictures). It was worth the search. A very nice hotel and very inexpensive ($40). We dumped our stuff and headed straight for Lago de Pátzcuaro (Lake of Pátzcuaro). The lake is large and has several islands. We had made a decision to travel to the most popular destination, Isla Janitzio. The 25 minute boat ride cost only $12.00 for the 4 of us (round trip). The island is smashed full of knick-knack stands that sell food, booze, more food and a lot of Mexican souvenirs. Narrow pathways lead to the top of the island. In some places the steps are very narrow and ascend at such a rate that the girls needed to rest (ok, me too). Yet the entire time you are surrounded by people hawking their wares. On top of the island is a 120 foot
1-28-07 - Dr. Esparza
Madison is being treated by Dr. Esparza. She is wonderful! high statute of José María Morelos (he was some kind of local hero). You can actually enter into the statute and climb most of the way to the top. Unfortunately for us, it was cloudy, windy and a bit chilly on the top (62-64 degrees). We spent about 15 minutes on the top and headed back down. The island is definitely touristy, but was worth a visit.
We returned to Pátzcuaro and walked around in the central area. This is such a beautiful city. The central area contains several serene plazas. It has more of the old churches than most any city I have visited in Mexico. Most of streets are cobble stone and the buildings are tiled adobe painted white and reddish-brown. All together, it is most impressive. After exploring and shopping for an hour or so, we went to Priscilla’s for dinner. My brother Lance and I ate here in October and I was bound and determined to visit this place again. It is located in the upscale hotel, La Casa de los Suenos (the house of dreams). The style is baroque and the décor is very fancy. The food is yummy. Madison and I ordered Medallions
1-28-07 - Comida Corrida
Madison and Haley eating in a local restaurant. We love to order Comida Corrida! 3 Musketeers (3 small filets each with a different sauce - pepper, blue cheese and mustard) served with steamed vegetables and a baked potato. Teresa ordered chicken cordon blue and Haley ordered a Filet Mignon. We were seated directly in front of the fireplace. By now the evening temperature had dropped to about 60 degrees, so Teresa was so happy she wanted to curl up and go to sleep. The service was wonderful and live music was playing in the courtyard. Two glasses of wine later, I was ready for bed. We returned to our room and indeed went to bed!
Sunday we walked to a small restaurant in one of the plazas and ate breakfast. Then we were off to Casa de los Once Patios (House of 11 patios). A really unique location just south of the central area where you can observe people working on their crafts (see pictures). Then it was on to the Mercado de Artesanias next to the Plaza Chica. By 1:00 p.m. were loaded up and ready for the ride home.
Our trip took us traveling mostly through a different state than what we live in, Michoacán, which is an absolutely beautiful
1-28-07 - Comida Corrida
Madison and Haley eating in a local restaurant. We love to order Comida Corrida! state - considered by many to be one of the most beautiful states of Mexico. We would agree. The area we drove through was very mountainous with a multitude of farming areas. The soil was dark, moist, and earthy unlike what we mostly see in Querétaro which looks drier and browner. Mexico is the world’s largest producer of avocado fruit and the state of Michoacán produces over one BILLION kilos of avocados annually - and get this - only about 5% of the avocadoes get exported!
Take a look at the pictures of the hail below. We were driving home somewhere between a town called Jerecuaro and a town called San Lucas. Dark clouds surrounded us. I looked out in the field and about a ½ inch of hail was on the ground. I kept driving, it was not really registering. All of the sudden it hits me, snow! I yell “look girls there is snow on the ground.” The temperature has suddenly dropped to 54 degrees. What is going on??? This is Mexico!! We stop the car (several other cars have also stopped). What looks exactly like snow was actually dime size hail. We must have missed it
02-02-07 Driving Route from Queretaro to Uruapan
Should be exciting. We are taking the secondary roads for the first half. Then the Cuote. by a matter of minutes. We could actually see the piles of hail in the road getting smaller as we are taking photos!! As we drove out of the area the temperature climbs back up to 60 degrees. Weird!! I have never seen anything like that before!!
Today is a National Holiday in Mexico. The Constitution was signed (here in Queretaro) on February 5, 1917. All the schools are closed and most of the businesses are also closed.
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Wilhelm
non-member comment
Buema suerte
Espero que su casa tenga un armario de repuesto para mí, quando el invierno consiga al frío aquí en Cincinnati.