Leaving Ajijic and arriving in San Miguel

March 9

We slept in which is always a treat. We had a banana, fresh raspberries, and strawberries on our granola. It was so good. I have been so happy to eat almost every meal outdoors here. The weather has been perfect. It is cool in the mornings and evenings and probably in the mid to high 70’s during the day. Hard to beat the weather here. We are considering coming back in the summer when it is hotter, when it is the rainy season and when there will be fewer gringos as summer is the low season here.

After breakfast, we got organized to pack for our morning departure tomorrow when we will be taken to Guadalajara to catch a bus for San Miguel de Allende. It will be about a five-hour bus trip.

We will be in SMA until April 7^th. Today I looked at real estate in SMA online and there is a real difference in housing prices there. We are not ready to commit but it is good to know there is a difference.

We went to Chile Verde for a quick lunch but no seats were available. A Canadian couple invited us to share their table. We had lots of conversation and this was a perfect example of how complete strangers here reach out to each other. People really feel safe I suppose. My three chicken tacos were terrific with corn tortillas made right in front of us. Fresh, fresh, fresh! Ron had a full meal of Chile Rellenos, rice and beans. Lunch was $6 for the two of us.  On the way back we stopped by a place that grills chicken and bought a half chicken for tomorrow. Our bus leaves at 11:30 and not knowing what to expect for lunch we decided to pack our own. I don’t do well skipping a meal. The trip will be five hours long. When we got home, I pulled the chicken off the bone and put it in a plastic container I am reusing. I will pack some carrots and we will call it lunch. They threw in some corn tortillas and chips but I think the tortillas will be stale by tomorrow. We won’t suffer.

This evening we were invited to Jeanne’s for drinks. Four other neighbors came and a visitor. Jeanne is 87 years old and put on quite a spread; four kinds of cheese, pate, raw veggies, potato chips, corn chips, hummus, guacamole, sausage, and a quiche. She served wine and juices. We opted for our usual water. No need for dinner. The party started at 5:30 and we left around 8:30. There was lots of lively conversation and it was great to meet more people who live here full and part-time. Heidi, the guest, was from Denmark although she is an American. She has lived and worked there for 18 years. Karen is a photographer from Connecticut and rents a house from Brad, our host. She is here for half a year. Marianne and Peter are from Seattle and also live here half a year. Jeanne lives here year-round. Britt came late to the affair and we didn’t get to hear whether he is full time or not.

We went to bed early and were grateful for a very positive experience here.

March 10, 2020

Departure day. We woke up around 7:00 and snuggled and cooed before getting up. We had our usual breakfast on the veranda and finished packing after cleanup. Because we have heard of buses occasionally being stopped and banditos robbing passengers, I am wearing my travel underwear. I feel like WONDER WOMAN! A friend gave me several pairs of these and they are the best for paranoia…ha! They have a front panel with a zipper and I put most of our cash and credit cards safely away.  Hehe. Sneaky and effective. When we were in Quito, Ecuador I wore a pair when we were shopping one day. We found a textile we wanted to buy in a shop and the shop keeper told me if I paid cash, she would give me a discount. I looked at her and said, “I don’t want to upset you but my cash is in my underwear. I am going to unzip my jeans and unzip my underwear to get your cash.” She looked at me and when she saw my underwear she exclaimed: “Where can I get those?” I think I could become a rep for the manufacturer. But frankly, my working days are over. I retired at 58 and haven’t looked back.

Luis, the driver we hired showed up on time but we had a misunderstanding about which gate and went to the one where he wasn't. It didn’t take long to discover our mistake and we made it to the Guadalajara bus depot in an hour as he had promised.  At 11:00 before our 11:30 departure, we nibbled on our chicken pieces and carrots I had packed.

The bus is a luxury bus; spotlessly clean with a toilet for men and one for women complete with paper products but the soap dispenser wasn’t working or it was out of soap. The seats were plush and comfortable and it was equipped with wi-fi. At one point we both got up to use the toilet and after each of us got into our small space the bus exited the highway and we were being slammed against the walls with the turns the bus was making. Have you ever tried to pull down your pants to sit on a toilet while in motion or how about standing up in mid-stream so to speak while being thrown from side to side? It was an experience.

We arrived on time at 5:00 with only two quick stops; one in Guanajuato and one in Leon. We grabbed a taxi and got let off at 7 S. 20^th de Enero instead of N. 20^th de Enero. Not realizing the taxi driver’s goof, we rang the bell and no one came so Ron called the number we had for our host. She quickly explained the problem and we schlepped the two roller bags, two heavy laptop cases, and two backpacks two blocks in the other direction. The Airbnb is charming and perfect. The entry has a kitchen, dining table, and sitting area. The next room is the bedroom with a queen bed, our favorite, a bathroom with a tub/shower, my favorite and another sitting room. We have a large screen tv with a million channels. The back yard has chairs where we can sit.

We unpacked and headed out for dinner. We stayed in this neighborhood for a month last February so we are very familiar with where things are, like food markets, shops and restaurants. We walked two or three blocks to Hecho en Mexico, a great Mexican restaurant. It was busy with ex-pats and Mexican families dining there. I ate a salad and Ron had fish tacos that came with his choice of sides. He had kale and quinoa salad and a jicama salad that was terrific.

Back at home we watched PBS on the computer and went to head early. It was a great day and we are happy to be here.