Si Si San MIguel de Allende

Jan 26 

We took a car and driver to Mexico City from Cholula at 6:30 a.m. It took 3.75 hrs instead of the usual 2.5 hours due to Monday morning traffic and construction. But we arrived in time to catch our 11:15 bus to San Miguel de Allende (SMA). It was a first class bus that was very comfortable, including a couple of movies (in spanish). We arrived at 4:00 p.m. and took a taxi from the bus station to our apartment but we somehow had the wrong address. I waited on the sidewalk while RB went to an internet café to contact owner. About half those who passed by were English speakers. A Mexican woman came out from the building where I was standing and offered to help. We could leave our luggage inside her gate, I could come in and sit down and wait, etc. This is just another example of how incredibly kind and friendly Mexicans are to strangers. Ron returned with the correct address and we took another taxi to our apartment just a few blocks around the corner.  

We have a big room with a king size bed (2 singles), desk for two laptops, dining area and kitchen and bath. There is plenty of space. It is a little dark and somewhat cold in early a.m. and late p.m. but there is a gas heater that makes the room quite toasty. Note the tree growing in the room, extending through the roof.  There is also a very nice patio outside our door.

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After unpacking we went grocery shopping and got soy milk, ala Costco (Kirkland), juice and some lunch supplies. Yeah! We went to Harry’s Restaurant and bar, excellent New Orleans cuisine. It had been recommended by Antonio, Pilar’s husband. We ate early since our lunch was a free sandwich by the bus company that I didn’t bother to eat. Most of the patrons were in the bar and most were Norte Americanos. The décor felt more like New Orleans than Mexico, the gumbo was excellent and so was the salad of iceberg lettuce with a good dressing. Ron’s fave dessert is bread pudding so we indulged.

Jan 27

Today decided to get our bearings. SMA is a UNESCO heritage site. The core downtown is charming with old buildings, well maintained for the most part, very clean streets and the commercial signage is quite regulated with small signs that blend in with the exterior of the building. For example we didn’t see the Starbucks until someone told us a day later that it was next to the main square. We had been in the square several times and never noticed it. No logos anywhere. Just the name in muted colors. Obviously the designation has some requirements regarding keeping the area special.

We made an appointment with Alice and Hal McCartor who are friends of Kent Synder in Portland.  We walked to the tourist office in the main square (there are many small squares here) and got a good map. We popped into some fabulous textile shops. We went into the church in the town square and wandered around town testing our map reading skills.  We took a historic walk with a guide. The money we paid for the tour goes to support a program for poor children’s dental and medical care started  by ex-pats. The guides are ex pats who volunteer their time. It is a successful program that served several thousand kids last year with three vans that take the dentists and assistants to the needy areas around SMA.  We also visited a great art gallery and spoke with the owner/artist about his work.

That night we met with Alice and Hal. They graciously invited us to their home in the hills high above the city. They have a fantastic view from their roof top terrace and they have an exquisite home they built 15 years ago. We asked lots of questions and they were most helpful.  They gave us a perspective we had not considered before. Our bias before coming to SMA was that the expat community was so large that we would never interact with Mexicans. Our goal had been to live in a place where we could immerse ourselves in the local culture and befriend locals. Alice brought up the point that we would need to be fluent in the language for that to happen and that takes about two years and it is really a difficult task at our age. It definitely gave us a moment to pause and consider her advice. Hal spoke up and said he found many interesting people here in the ex pat community. We ate a great Cobb salad for dinner and visited some more before walking back to town, about 20 minutes.   

Jan 28

We contacted a rental firm and made an appointment. We also made an appointment with Steve Goldstein, a cousin of our dear friend Sue Orris from Grants Pass OR. We wandered around town until time to meet him in the late afternoon. Steve met us in a park near his home. He is a delight, another expat who has lived here 15 years. We walked around the park after asking lots of questions about his experience here. He showed us a play area in the park that had been donated by the expat community.

When I asked him what he didn’t like about SMA he said ‘the gossip’. Apparently because the expat community is relatively small (perhaps 10,000-15,000) in a community of 80,000, gossip is prevalent. There is another 80,000 people in the areas surrounding SMA. He also said there had been a series of recent break-ins although it seems to have lessened. Steve said he dealt with it by increasing the security on his doors with a metal barrier. We walked to his home which was great with beautiful tile work, skylights and old Mexico charm. He is very close to the downtown core yet near a lovely park that has been greatly improved in the time he has lived here.

After being with Steve, we went to get a bite to eat at a restaurant Alice had recommended and had a good dinner and then headed to the movies. The theater seats 25 and is part of an old hotel. We saw Whiplash and we were exhausted emotionally afterwards. It was a good film and we were thrilled to see a movie after months of not seeing any first run movies.

Jan 29

 We met with the rental agent at Starbucks and discussed SMA and the rental market. He walked us down the street to a place he had said needs a lot of work.  It was a dumpy place with huge potential. We could see possibilities if you spent a modest amount of money to make repairs and clean it up. It had an interesting floor plan with a small patio between the dining room and living room. It had some pretty colorful tile in the kitchen. The owner has neglected the property for years but the rent was low for the centro area at $700 a month unfurnished. The old rehabber in us wanted to turn the dump into the beautiful rental it was capable of being. Troy had another appointment so we agreed to meet Friday to see more options.

We came back to the apartment and roasted some veggies for lunches. All fruits and vegetables must be disinfected for 10 minutes before cooking or eating. This requires soaking them in a water bath with disinfectant that we bought at the grocery store. Given the limitations of our kitchen I could only soak a few at a time so this was a labor intensive process. In the afternoon we walked to a place Alice and Hal had recommended called Fabrica La Aurora, an abandoned textile mill that has been converted into a development with art galleries, antique stores, cafes, interior design shops and the like. On the way we passed a fabulous store that specialized in Michoacán crafts. OMG! We drooled on everything in this store! We hope to return and purchase a mask here. The owner said he has done this all his life in order to help his people. We were moved by his mission not to mention his expert eye for quality work. He has masks, copper ware, wood carvings, jewelry, ceramics and more.

That evening we met Alice and Hal for dinner at another recommended restaurant. Our meal was good but not particularly special. The company however was terrific. Hal and Alice told us of their experience living in a cooperative housing arrangement. We shared stories of how we met our spouses and stories about our children. It was a perfect evening. They have been so helpful telling us about an arts and crafts fair this weekend, sights to see, encouraging us to just take a bus and visit Guanajuato which is a little over an hour away and that has a smaller ex pat community, and recommending restaurants, etc.

Jan 30

Troy, our rental agent, picked us up at our apartment at 9:30 and took us to another property that needed some work. It was partly furnished but neither of us liked how broken up the floor plan was and it had an awful floor tile throughout. It was located high above the city with 180 degree spectacular view but had no car access. Troy parked his car in a vacant lot and we walked down about four flights of stairs to get to the apartment. It was $700 also. Next he took us to a plain, unfurnished but okay place that was probably 20 years old, mostly in good repair. It didn’t need paint, had three bedrooms plus a sitting room, laundry room and 2.5 baths. The kitchen was adequate and the area seemed middle class. It is located near a modern mall with large stores. Lastly we went to an upscale condo fully furnished with two bedrooms with room for an office set up, access to a roof top terrace which are common here. I assume that is because of the fabulous weather where you can be outside anytime except the rainy season.

We came back and visited with neighbors from Canada who are staying in the apartment above us. They will leave tomorrow after being in SMA for a month. We went to the copper shop where earlier in the week we saw the perfect water pitcher to go with copper goblets we purchased in India years ago. We asked for them to make us one with tin lining and will hand carry it home. We made lunch at the apartment and then took a suitcase that lost the outer covering of a wheel to be repaired. We took a taxi to the very large hardware store but they were not able to help us. We took a bus back to town to go to a shoe repair place who said they can fix it…that is what we think they said anyway since the entire conversation on her side was Spanish and our side was English. We have our fingers crossed.

We ended our day with picking up our laundry, grabbing dinner at an Argentinean bistro with a delicious penne pasta with Italian sausage (how that’s for international…in Mexico, eating Italian pasta in an Argentinean restaurant?) then seeing our second movie this week, The Imitation Game

Jan 31

We spent the morning in our apartment catching up with email and working on the blog. We headed out about 11:30 to attend an arts and crafts fair held at the Instituto, an art school that was founded by the former governor of the state Enrique Martinez and an American, Stirling Dickinson in the 1930’s. There were 90 vendors at the fair, the vast majority were Mexicans with all kinds of treats: woven wool rugs in bright rich colors and designs, jewelry of every description, clothing, artwork, photography, food and journals. We wandered by each exhibit and I ended up buying a gift for a friend in Portland and another pair of earrings. These were very plain silver. 

Then we went across the street to look at three shops that sold architectural salvage: old carved doors, tables, ironwork, etc. We walked back to town and found the hair salon where Alice has her hair cut. I made an appointment for next Friday as Andre doesn’t work on Saturdays and we leave on Sunday. We popped into a Mexican restaurant and I had tortilla soup and Ron has chicken fajitas. Neither of us finished our meals as we had eaten too many chips and salsa waiting for our lunch. Both of us went away happy however. We searched for a bakery Ron really likes and they had one cinnamon roll left, one of RB’s favorites. I got a couple of cookies for later as neither of us could eat another bite.

We replenished our chocolate supply when we finally found a store that stocked a dark chocolate that we like and Ron topped up his cell phone. We came back home to rest a bit and call our realtor about seeing another rental that just went on the market.

We tried a new little place up the street for dinner and won’t bother to return. A young couple are attempting to start an eatery on the weekends. Then we went to our third movie in four days and saw Selma. We had an interesting conversation with an employee, Ricardo, who spoke great English and has traveled to Bali, Thailand, and Japan. He said he loves to travel. He works until he has enough money to take off and travel to a new place.

 Feb 1

Today was a great day. We started with a tour of the private Mask Museum. Bill and his wife Heidi built a seven room b and b here and he has been collecting Mexican dance masks for years. He has over 500 in his collection. We spent close to two hours looking at his collection and reading his explanations. The b and b is absolutely a work of art. 

Afterwards we walked to the Juarez Park to

view the Candalaria, a 50 year old event that celebrates the beginning of the agricultural season. Growers from all over the region hold a plant sale during the time of ‘the blessing of the seeds’ to ensure a good harvest. Ron got lots of photos while I drooled over so many beautiful plants of every description. 

Afterwards we grabbed a cup of coffee then headed to yet another movie. This was the documentary Citizen Four, about Ed Snowden. It was riveting and down right scary. Afterwards we came home, made our first dinner in our apartment and watched the Super Bowl and were disappointed to see the Sea Hawks lose at the end.

We've been watching a humming bird nest just outside our apartment door  and looks like she may soon be a mother. 

Feb 2

We walked about 35 minutes from our apartment to view a long term rental this morning at 11:30. It was quite suitable and we have decided there will be no shortage of possibilities if we choose to return to SMA as our home away from home. Troy will be an invaluable contact for us. But we both feel that we don’t have to put a bid in now as we really would like to wait and return somewhere in the fall. This will give us time to sort through anything we need in the storage unit that contains all of our worldly possessions, time to see all our friends and family over the summer and time to get all in order for a move. Frankly it is very freeing to see that there will be many possibilities here in terms of places to rent.

We walked back to the Centro area, took a pair of shoes to be repaired, and had a lovely lunch in an outside courtyard. It is cooler today at 72 degrees and some cloudiness. Tonight we went to see Pride, a British comedy based on a true story. Afterwards we went to a great Italian place for dinner that Alice had recommended. We had two great pasta dishes.

Feb 3

Today Ron had a three hour private photography lesson and I ran some errands. It was our second break from our usual 24/7 with each other since Sept 3^rd.  Ron took some great photos and had an instructive session which he enjoyed. His instructor moved here seven years ago from NY so he wouldn’t have to have a winter coat! HA.

 

We dined with our new friend Steve Goldstein at a great Mexican restaurant. I had fish tacos while Ron and Steve had Cajun tilapia. We topped off the meal with sharing a huge rich chocolate brownie with ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce. Yum. Steve is a real sweetheart. He regaled us with wonderful stories and shared helpful advice about living here. When we told him we have fallen in love with SMA, he smiled and said we would have been the first if we hadn’t fallen in love. The rest of the evening he said frequently “when you move here…”

Wrapping up Cholula and Puebla

Jan 22 2015

Mexico is really growing on me. The people are so friendly. We walk everywhere in Cholula and people of all ages greet us with a smile and “hola’, ‘buenos dias’, ‘buesnos notches’. It is colorful here. No one seems to wear the beautiful embroidered clothing that I love, I now have two blouses and one shawl, but the houses are painted every color you can imagine: lime, pink, aqua, azul, orange, yellow, ochre.

 

Today we popped into a small café with six tables. The menu was in Spanish only, which is common here. The owner called someone and brought the phone to our table so we could have a translator if needed. Our attitude is ‘let’s try this’, often having no idea what the ingredients are. Anyway, we ordered empanadas. She started with a bread basket with four treats: cinnamon roll, chocolate croissant, banana muffin and a sweet breakfast roll that is common here. All were moist and fabulous and the best we have had in our 12 days in Mexico. Then came fresh watermelon slices with yogurt on the side. The empanadas were chicken and out of this world. The two sauces accompanying the empanadas were mole and verde and equally fabulous. Because we raved about the pastries she sent us home with two wrapped in corn husks.. It was one of those very special experiences where you connect with a stranger and both come away feeling special.

We have spent three days with a real estate agent and feel confident that we can find a place to live here. Mostly we saw new gated communities which we aren’t interested in. No surprise there. Today at lunch Ron and I started talking about how we could buy a house here and fix it up. Ah the old rehabbers are alive and well in our hearts. Just a fantasy as we have yet to see Panama and Costa Rica but it was funny to take a look at ourselves.

Anyway, we are still holding up well with our odyssey. We splurge when we feel the need. So we have hired a private car with driver to take us back to Mexico City to the bus station rather than take a bus from Puebla that is six miles from here then transfer to another bus in MC. It just is easier with all of the luggage we brought.

Monday we head to San Miguel de Allende. Everyone loves SMA. I have a bias in that it has a huge expat community. It is also more expensive because of that. But it is supposed to be quite beautiful and very arty. We will be there for two weeks and will meet with a friend’s cousin and with a friend of a friend in Portland who also has lived there for years. These folks can give us lots of insight to living there.

Jan 23

Today we were tourists again. After coffee at Starbucks we caught the bus to Puebla and visited  the Cathedral of Puebla. The brochure claims it is one of the most beautiful in the world. Although it was beautiful I didn’t agree with the description. I hope I don’t sound like an effete snob.

Next we walked around the corner to the Biblioteca Palafoxiana. It was founded in 1646 by a bishop who left 43,000 volumes here. 

An original map from 1601 of the "new world"

It is absolutely gorgeous with the original highly carved and polished wood shelving and library tables. There were books here that were printed in 1455 and 1500!! It was a thrill to see them and the room. This is the oldest library in the Americas.  It was the highlight of our sightseeing thus far. I am so glad we came back to Puebla to see it.

We then walked a fair distance to see the Teatro Principal built in 1760. Unfortunately we could only see the outside and foyer. I liked the simple Spanish architecture with its clean lines and lack of over the top decoration. Perhaps the actual theatre is another story. After a long walk to the bus depot we grabbed a bus back to Cholula and walked to the restaurant we visited yesterday.

Another great meal here. I have written two reviews about the place on Trip Advisor. We plan to eat here on o Sunday our last day in Cholula. We found a cab near the restaurant and took it to the church of Santa Maria Tonantzintla. 

It was the most unusual church I have seen in my many years of travel. Every wall was covered in stucco figurines, gold leaf, fruit, children, saints, pagan symbols, flowers and birds. We were not allowed to take photos so bought some post cards and Ron took photos of those so you can get an idea of the church. It felt very Mexican: a blend of Spanish and Indian styles. Although it was Baroque style which I do not like, I loved this place and am glad we made the effort to get there. The cab brought us back to the hostel. It was a very full day. 

Jan 24 

This morning we made French toast for breakfast. Then headed to Starbucks for our daily fix. Today we lazed. We have seen all the real estate we want to see for now and have done all the sight seeing we want to do, so it is a day to relax and slow down in order to gear up for San Miguel where we will repeat our search for real estate, cost of living and getting a general picture of the town. We tried a restaurant for lunch that Pilar had told us about. Pilar in probably in her late 20’s to mid 30’s. So this place was a happening place. It had a very cool décor in funk. The food was not impressive. We ordered a mixed salad but it was drenched in a vinegary dressing and lasagna with eggplant and meat. There was no pasta in it and the eggplant wasn’t fully cooked. The rest was ground meat. Not our favorite.

We walked in search of a movie theatre that Pilar had told us about but it was having a French film festival and all the films were French with Spanish subtitles. We walked back to our hostel on a different path because I wanted to see a couple of shops that I hadn’t been to. I have managed to lose two of my favorite pairs of earrings on this trip. So I popped into one of these shops and was thrilled. The owner had exquisite taste. The place had beautiful silver jewelry, wonderful weavings and pottery that looked like authentic replicas of Meso American ancient pieces. The owner was from Spain but lives here now. I saw the only turquoise ring I have ever liked but didn’t try it on because I have only finger that I can wear a ring on due to my arthritis and usually noting fits. We chatted awhile about Cholula and I found a pair of very Mexican looking earrings. Then we walked to the shop next door and bought some granola. When we got back to the hostel, I again looked at a case in the reception area that has a display from the store wear we get the granola. I have been admiring a beautiful woven shawl. I realized that it would go with a pair of pants I bought in Sri Lanka so brought them to the reception area and sure enough it was a perfect match. I then looked at the second color in the weaving and realized it was a perfect match for a Sri Lankan blouse I had. Bingo. Sold!

We walked to another restaurant Pilar had recommended for dinner but it was closed so we ate at a humble eatery next to our hostel. It was fabulous. One of the common dishes here is taco arabes, a variation of swarmas. Apparently Lebanese came to Mexico and have left their mark as this is a common dish in Cholula. We had two different dishes with the meat and both were great. We couldn’t finish so brought the leftovers to the night clerk at the hostel.

Jan 25

Today was another lazy day. We decided to eat breakfast at La Tertulia so we went to Starbucks on our way then headed over for a late breakfast around 10:30. Today the owner’s husband was serving as waiter. He hasn’t been there before. We each had a new dish and as always we were very happy with our meal. Ron had a ‘gusto omelet’ with bacon and sausage and I had empanadas with potatoes. This came with a pastry basket, fresh orange juice, toast for Ron, two sauces and tea. All for $10! I could get used to this.

We walked back taking our time, going through old town Cholula San Pedro and sitting in the zocalo and people-watching for a while. Once we got back to the hostel, I started packing while Ron Skyped with David and the kids. By 2:30 I was a little hungry so we headed to Starbucks for another Americano and a snack. Tonight we are going to our other favorite restaurant located in a beautiful old 17^th century casa that is now a boutique hotel. When we stopped by there the other day the manager showed us the library and two of the rooms. It was drop dead gorgeous. The owner is an economist who restored the place about 20 years ago. He had a wonderful vision and truly appreciated the gem he had. The tile work, the woodwork, the furnishings, everything was perfecto! When we ate there before I had a chipotle shrimp soup that I am still savoring and Ron had a warm spinach salad with beans and sun dried tomatoes that I will order tonight. We shared a salmon entrée. 

While we were in our room today I heard a brass bands marching by the hostel. This has occurred several times but I never got out to see them until today. I ran out to see about 20 people, some playing instruments, some dancing in the street in front and behind the ‘band’ (no one was in a uniform, just street clothes) and some in costumes with wild hats. I have no idea what this is but it made me smile and bounce up and down on my feet. Such a happy place. Why don’t we do this in the US….probably because you would need a permit and have noise restrictions…

This wraps up our time in Cholula and it has been truly wonderful. The people on the street have been incredibly friendly, the food quite good and the weather ideal. 

Looking for lodging from Cholula to Puebla

Jan 17

 Today we were to meet an American woman who teaches at the university to talk about what it is like to live here. She never showed up at Starbucks. We did meet with a realtor who took us to three apartments in the Cholula area. She also answered questions we had about renting here. The apartments were small and the prices ranged from 7,000 pesos to 15,000 pesos. They were all the same size and it is the same as everywhere. It is all about location, location, location. One of the apartments was newer and had better finishes such as tile floors as opposed to laminate floors. It was good to start to get a feel for what is available and what it costs. Two were unfurnished and one was furnished in student motif. Next week Pilar, the realtor, will show us a large furnished apartment that is within our range and it is in Puebla. I looked on line last night and was discouraged by the prices in San Miguel de Allende (SMA) which is where we go next. Three friends recommended we reconsider SMA because we had discounted it initially. Fortunately we have two American contacts we can meet with there. They have lived there a number of years. We have a number of questions to ask in order to help us make a decision. There is a large expat community there and we see that as more of a minus than a plus. I know, we are somewhat weird.

One of the things I like about Cholula is complete strangers greet us with a ‘buenos dias’ and a smile. I love that. I also love how colorful Mexico is. The houses are painted every cheerful color you can imagine. We have been eating a lot of chicken and pork as they are main stables. That isn’t our usual fare so we frequently eat salads. We are lucky as they have a good variety of fresh ingredients.

Jan 18

Our missing American mystery was solved today. Ron thought he was making a meeting date with her and it turned out it was the realtor and we later changed the time with the realtor. Today we connected with Pat McCoy who is the American and she will join us for dinner on Tuesday.

We played tourist today and visited the local museo which highlighted the history of the area with wonderful examples of tools and pottery. Right across the street was the entrance to the base of the pyramid so we did that as well. On Sunday many museums and archeological sites are free so the place had lots of Mexican tourists. We walked single file through a very narrow and low tunnel under the pyramid along with many others. It was claustrophobic for me as at times we had to stop as people looked to the left or right when there were other tunnels to view. The tunnels were dug during archeological excavations. There are apparently 8 km of tunnels but thank goodness we only went through a fraction of that length. Then we walked the grounds of the excavated ruins. This is apparently the largest pyramid base in the world. One hallmark of the Spanish conquistadors was that they destroyed New World temples and built Catholic churches on top of the ruins or with the material from the ruins. This was no exception. A Catholic Church sits perched high above the city atop what was once a pyramid.

As we were leaving the site there were a number of vendors for tourists. We stopped to get a small bag of chili peanuts and handed the vendor 50 pesos, about $3.40 US. The woman did not give us any change. A similar thing happened when we visited the church on top but we got two bags: one of peanuts and one of pumpkin seeds.  I have no doubt that this is not the going rate. But until we learn the numbers better or the vendor slow down their speach so we can understand when we ask how much, we will know the cost this may happen. Serves us right for not knowing our Spanish better.

After being tourists, we walked into San Andreas, the other half of Cholula and ate at Karma Bagels. I had a great veggie sandwich while Ron had a chicken sandwich.

Walking to Starbucks we saw a very nice looking motel but were surprised to see it rented rooms by the hour. Upon closer observation we noticed that each unit had a closed covered garage, then we had the ‘aha’. In Japan these are called ‘love motels’. So you can rent a room for a few hours for a tryst with your paramour complete with a Jacuzzi, etc. Your identity is protected because your car is out of sight. In some cases this might be handy for an illicit affair while in other cases it may be you live in close quarters with other family members and this motel allows you a more intimate space with your partner.

Speaking of Starbucks, it is the only one here in Cholula and it is in a small shopping center with a Burger King, a sushi restaurant and McDonalds is across the street.

Jan 20

Yesterday we visited Puebla as tourists and had fun. First we visited a Catholic Church that the tourist brochure listed as ‘the 8^th wonder of the world’. Well in my view it would deserve that moniker because it was so over the top with late Baroque architecture and an overabundance of gold leaf. See photos. Afterwards we went to the tourist office and found out a bit more about taking a bus to SMA. 

Then we went to a museo which had an interesting mix of old and new: Meso-American antiquities and contemporary art. We ate lunch on their roof top garden where we had a 360 degree panorama of the downtown with beautiful church domes and colonial buildings. It was sunny as it appears it always is here. I think it must be dry season. It was a lovely experience. Afterwards we went through the museum shop and were gaga over the beautiful choices on offer. We used great restraint and bought only one small item, a small beautiful glass pitcher ideal for salad dressing.

After a short rest in the beautiful Puebla Zocalo (town square), we headed for home via the bus and rested before heading out to buy granola at an interesting shop downtown which carries a few specialty food items, beautiful, unique clothing including shoes and Talavera ceramics. I couldn’t resist a lovely shawl that ties over one shoulder with a tasseled tie. I am hopeful that it can be worn with the silk outfit I had made in Thailand and that I shipped home. We then tried to find a restaurant we had spied earlier in the week. It was closed. We came back to the hotel and rested briefly before heading out to an Italian place our realtor Pilar recommended. But alas it was closed too as it is Monday, so we wandered over to a place where last week we had a good fresh salad and ordered…another good fresh salad.

Jan 21

Today we met with our realtor who showed us four places: three apartments and one house. The first two apartments were fully furnished and serviced: maid service twice a week, complete furnishings including all needed bed and kitchen linens, fully furnished kitchen, etc. Literally you could move in and only bring clothes. It was surprisingly well done although not to our taste as it was way modern but tasteful. The third apartment can be rented furnished or unfurnished and we really liked it. It had real wood floors, faced south with lots of big windows, had a good flow through the house, big kitchen, a laundry room and a tiny outdoor space to hang laundry. It had three bedrooms and a tiny office area. The rooms were a good size and the living room/dining area was one large room. The building is older and could use a paint job and the location is urban. The building is 15 floors and we would be in the first floor with 24 hour security. It has secure parking under the building. There is also a large party space for any tenant in the building. The only thing it lacked that we preferred was a small outdoor space like a patio.

Last we looked at a five bedroom house with a small yard and a roof top terrace. It was our second choice. It had been configured to rent to university students so the furniture looked like student issue, and it needed a paint job throughout the inside. I am sure we would have no problem getting it painted but the furniture is another issue. We were encouraged today as we saw some possibilities for ourselves.

We ate lunch at a high end mall that made us realize just how big and prosperous Puebla is. One of the larger department stores had a separate store that featured specialty foods, think Whole Foods or other gourmet places. We haven’t been to any malls before now and really have only seen the downtown core of Cholula and Puebla so it was good to see some of the suburban areas and see that anything we would want we could find here. Pilar told us the movie theaters show some American films in English with Spanish subtitles. That’s a real plus for us as we love to go to films. I am so glad we are taking the time to explore the area and we are most appreciative of the time Pilar is taking with us. We plan to meet again tomorrow to see two more places.