We have flights booked to return to Vancouver on March 16, and hope to be home in Garden Bay the next day. Fortunately entry requirements have been eased but it could still get complicated if one of us tests positive for COVID.

As usual I am eager to get back to my house and garden. There is so much to do and I enjoy being productive. I will miss the sunny days, my running routine, and eating out here, but I am tired of the idleness of being on vacation.

Omicron vs Moderna The latest COVID variant is top of mind for most. Being out of country is not comfortable and I can’t help thinking about the requirements for re-entry in March. I doubt that I’ll be able to receive a booster here in Mexico.

Anyways, we are healthy and happy to be passing the winter in Guanajuato.

We arrived in Guanajuato in the morning of October 18 and it has taken a couple of days to settle in to our new abode. The change in climate is envigorating, the change of culture stimulating, the Mexican food delicious, the Cervatino festival entertaining, and the change in lifestyle relaxing.

Flying in the time of COVID was somewhat uncomfortable with the masking requirement. I felt a bit guilty but just this week Canada lifted its advisory against international travel. Here in Guanajuato most people are wearing masks in the street and in some places you must pass a temperature test and sanitize your hands to enter. I wish I could just flash my COVID vaccine passport.

Guanajuato is Aimeé’s home town and we are staying in the new basement apartment in the family home very close to La Alhondiga. The apartment is luxurious compared to where we have stayed previously, and it is fantastic for Aimeé to reunite with her family. For me, Guanajuato is a second home and we have been visiting our favourite restaurants and street food vendors.

It is a healthy joy to walk everwhere, and the weather and vacation lifestyle is conducive to wanting to go for a run every day.

Noche Vieja brought to a close a good year for us, and we anticipate 2020 with optimism. The year started at midnight with fireworks in Plaza de la Paz here in Guanajuato, followed by a good night´s sleep and dinner with Aimeé´s family later on the 1st.

The weather in December was much better than last year with only a few cold, rainy days around the solstice. Our new apartment is much warmer and I’ve avoided the general discontent that I experienced last year. If January weather stays fine then there will be no need to go to the beach.

I started last year with some serious reading. I am currently reading Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams and feel this is an important book for everyone because getting sufficient quality sleep is essential for both mental and physical health. Really, read the book!

We will return to Garden Bay on March 9, just a little over two months from now, and I am looking forward to resuming my productive life there.

We arrived in Guanajuato on October 15 and have been busy every day since. We moved into the same apartment as last year and resumed our lifestyle here that is completely different from Garden Bay.

The Cervantino festival was in full swing. Blair and Jennifer arrived a week later. The four of us attended many musical performances together and ate out every night. Another couple then arrived from Montreal, friends of B&J, and our group of six were mostly inseparable for another four weeks of eating out and attending cultural events. Now that the Canadian friends have left, Aimeé and I will eat out less but still frequently.

Most important for me is the weather: warmer temperatures, longer days, lots of sun, and little rain. I compare this daily to Garden Bay to fully appreciate where I am. It has been warmer than usual but surely cold days are coming in December, lasting through January. I take advantage of the weather to run almost every day.

After the first month we moved into a different apartment right next door. The new place has an independent entrance and constant hot water, both big improvements. It is also larger and warmer. I really hope we will be able to rent it again next winter. We are a five-minute walk to El Jardín.

In Guanajuato I am on vacation and it’s really great (but not HOME). We mostly walk everywhere, or take a bus or taxi when necessary. Every week there are numerous cultural activities up until around mid-December. Unfortunately there is hiatus in January that can make the month with its weather dreary. Maybe we’ll go to the beach for relief.

On the day of the winter solstice this seemed an appropriate title. We woke up to a temperature of 1C. Actually it’s colder inside our apartment most of the day due to no heat and a large leaky window, which is kind of ironic because the house in Garden Bay has wonderful new windows and a gas fireplace.

For the first time they set up an outdoor skating rink in Guanajuato. Pretty amazing given that the daily high is usually above 20C. To enter you must provide a donation of food or clothing, and skates are provided.

This is our little balcony, decorated by the owners with poinsettias for Christmas. To enter our apartment we pass through the main house which is festively decorated including a live tree. We’ll be spending Christmas with Aimeé’s family.

This year there was a great deal of activity surrounding Día de los Muertos, and the streets were packed.  Below is a sampling of images from around el centro.

catrinas

momias

música estudiantina

catrinas vivas

tapetes

Templo La Valenciana

We are back in Guanajuato and on the last day of the Cervantino festival we attended a concert of música antigua in the beautiful church in Valenciana.  We also attended the clausura that night as well as five other performances around town, all very different.

The weather is close to perfect, so much better than in Garden Bay.  Our apartment is cosy and very well located.  After the bustle of Cervantino we need a quiet week to establish daily routines.  The orchestra plays on Friday and CineClub starts next Monday.  El Día de los Muertos occurs this week which provides an interesting ambience.

We are back in Garden Bay after a three day journey spending nights in Mexico City, Calgary because we missed the connecting flight, and Coquitlam where we stayed with friends.  I am happy to be home.

We took the bus from Guanajuato to Mexico City for convenience and to see a few sights there.

El Zocolo with the cathedral in the background

Catedral Metropolitano

The balcony of the National Palace where the president commemorates El Grito every September 15.

The highlight for Aimeé was a visit to the Basilica de Guadalupe.  It’s a beautiful sanctuary that merited more photos but my phone ran out of power.

The modern church of Basilica de Guadalupe

The highlight for me was a visit to Plaza Garibaldi which was the name of the bar in my favourite telenovela “La Hija del Mariachi”.  We visited early morning which was fortunate because the neighbourhood was seedy and possibly dangerous at night.  The plaza is nothing special but the night life is probably very interesting.  Must figure out how to visit safely.

Plaza Garibaldi

José Alfredo Jiménez

Nice statue, look closely at window in background

One of many bars in the background

After some cool weather, spring is in the air.  It is uncommon to find azaleas here but their bloom confirms the season.  In Vancouver spring also “starts” in February and some years the weather can be warm.  Not this year though.

We bus to Mexico City on March 19, spend the night then fly to Vancouver the next day.  This itinerary is more convenient, less expensive, and gives us a chance to see some sites in the big city.