To and Fro My School I Go

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Elvira is mean!

School is every day from 9 - 11 and my teacher is frustrated with me already. Uh oh, in the dog house! Also, I'm hungry. But my apple is soaking in microdyn, so I can't eat it yet. Good thing I brought Top Ramon! May not matter soon, though, as I made the fatal mistake of brushing my teeth in tap water for the first 2 days! I finally remembered today. I think I must go into a trance when I'm in the bathroom. You're supposed to put ALL toilet paper in the trash after using (ewww) and I keep forgetting. So I have to, uh, retrieve it (ewwwww!!!!!) every time. Then I wash my hands profusely and do the same thing again the next time! I'm doooooomed! Doooomed I tell ya!

Have downloaded some photos I took during my evening stroll last night.

Click Here to View Photos - then click on Slideshow

I found my favorite restaurant! Of course, it's the only restaurant I've tried, but I know it's going to be my favorite...Woolis Kaban. They have great food - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And they have happy hour from 5 - 8, Jazz on Wed from 8 - 10, and live music on the weekends. Hoping to find Santo Domingo Sports Club today. I think it's nearby and they have a weight room with treadmill, stationary bikes, and a 25-meter pool.

Must study spanish...must study espanol...debe estudiar español!!

Monday - First Day of School

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I slept last night like I have not slept in years! My head hit the pillow and the next thing I heard was the roosters....they were in the distance and very quaint. Got up and headed out at 8:30 a.m. and ran into the casita owner, Pat. She confirmed that I was headed in the right direction to go to the Instituto Allende, where I planned to enroll in a Spanish class for 2 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 4 weeks. It's a beautiful day...sunny, a little breezy - perfect. As I headed down the colorful, cobblestone streets, I saw it...couldn't resist it....yes....Starbuck's. (We all have to ease into it at our own pace!) With my tall drip in hand - nothing fancy today - I continued on my way. My casita is only a few blocks from the Jardin, the center of town, hard to miss. From there, I continued on a few more blocks to the Instituto Allende. I enrolled in my "class" and it turns out I'm the only student! So I get one-on-one with Elvira, a fun, warm, 68-year old Mexican woman, who speaks fairly good English, although she's good at being strict with the Spanish speaking. Elvira is married but has no kids and lives 20 minutes beyond where I'm staying. For her, it's a 30 minute walk to the Intituto. She demonstrated walking and pointed out what good legs she has. She spent 2 hours with me and then showed me where the Bonanza is - which is for getting supplies like dish washing soap and toilet paper. That's as opposed to the mercado, or market, where you buy fresh fruits and vegetables. I feel really luck to have Elvira as my instructor, so I will try to be a good estudiante (student).

Had two visitors after I arrived home from the Bonanza - Becky and Loy, both American women, and permanent residents of San Miguel. Loy is looking for a place to rent, as she is currently not as central as she wants to be. Becky is the receptionist at the real estate office. My casita is an actual apartment that has been rented by the same woman for the past two years. She just moved out before I arrived, so presumably Pat, the owner, will be renting it again when I leave. Pat wasn't here when the women arrived, so they knocked on my door. I gave them a tour and Loy loves it! We wandered around as I pointed out the large dressing room, the extra closet, the two patios, and the piece de resistance...the kitchen! So my new friend Loy is going to call and/or visit again and Becky's going to call me the next time she goes horseback riding with her boyfriend from Mexico City or when she goes to the Taboada hot springs, where they have an Olympic size pool!

This is what I'm hearing as I sit in my kitchen....

Click here to listen to the sounds of San Miguel - Black-headed Siskin

And now I'm off to find some food and books for studying my Spanish...and hopefully to take some photos.

Estoy aquí

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I have arrived! It's been a long day - Jennifer and Joe picked me up at 5:15 a.m. this morning and very generously took me to the airport in Denver. Early hour was a bit of overkill, as foreign travel doesn't seem to be the issue it once was. (Sorry J and J to make you come so early!) Flight left at 8:15 a.m. to Phoenix, then to Mexico City, arriving at 2 p.m. Flying into Mexico City is really something. It's huge! A swimming pool in every yard? Hardly! But a church on nearly every corner. Many of the apartment buildings resemble orange and red legos. And the skyscrapers line the main boulevard like vegetation along the Platte River - ha! It was a clear day and quite impressive. The brown cloud didn't seem too bad. Once in Mexico City, I whizzed through customs and headed up to the bus terminal in the aeropuerto to catch a first class bus to Queretaro. That was a 3 hour ride. Then x-ferred to another bus to San Miguel. Rode that 1 hour bus ride with my new friend, Lisa. She's from California and came here alone, because her "sensitive" boyfriend didn't have the money at the last minute. He cried when he told her he couldn't come. Hmmm, wonder if I'll meet him when he gets the cash? She and I shared a taxi from the bus station in San Miguel, as she's staying nearby - arrived here at 9:30 p.m.

Was greeted by Pat, the owner, and met several of my neighbors right away, although they all seem to be leaving at the end of the month. So I guess it'll be a new batch next week. My place is a large apartment with a huge kitchen and a great patio area. (Jennifer, as suspected, the bathroom is small. So no getting any of those nasty bugs for me!) I haven't seen much, as it's dark outside, but so far it looks great! Managed to get absolutely EVERYTHING unpacked - as anyone who's ever traveled with me knows I ALWAYS do right away. Then sat down with a Snack Box that LUCKILY I had purchased on the flight over, just in case I didn't feel like my Ramon Noodles and oatmeal that I packed, just in case. That snack box is absolutely my LAST junk food....ever...after this one last OREO! Start Spanish class tomorrow. Hope to be able to post lots of pictures. And I hope this ain't too boring!!! Adios....buenas noches. C

Colleen's San Miguel de Allende Mexico Adventure Begins Tomorrow

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Heading to San Miguel de Allende, in central Mexico, on Sunday March 29. I'll be there for one month. Plans are to arrive in Mexico City at 2 p.m., then take a 3 hour bus to Queretaro. Then transfer to a 1 hour bus to San Miguel. Then I'll take a taxi to my casita, Casa de Aparicio.

Mexico map and mi casita....
http://www.casadeaparicio.com/index.php?lengua=eng&pagina=location