PlazaGuanajuato, Gto
2017/12/31

Last night we joined the crowds and wandered about eating street food until the midnight countdown and fireworks.  It´s a sunny day and our view of La Bufa is serene.  We will join Aimeé´s family for dinner this afternoon.

I quite enjoy the feeling of a new year and the updating of objectives.  We return to my home in BC on March 20.  I´d leave tomorrow if not for the weather there.

It was a great pleasure to have Blair & Jennifer in Guanajuato for 3.5 weeks.  We will miss you!

Cervantino Clausura 2017

Last night marked the end of the Cervantino Festival for 2017.  On stage was Eugenia León and the Orquesta Sinfónica Mexiquense.  I arrived at 7pm to line up for the show at 8pm.  The bleachers were filled by 7:30.

The Cervantino Festival draws visitors from all over the world and fills the streets of Guanajuato.  By the end all residents are relieved for the end and the return of normality to the city.  Day of the Dead happens next.

Ticket prices are very reasonable however we mostly attended free shows, in particular films.  Friends from Vancouver arrived for the last three days of the festival and that was an excuse to attend some paid events.  Blair and Jennifer now begin three weeks of classes at La Hacienda Spanish School.

I see snow in the weather forecast for Garden Bay and remember my primary reason for spending the winter here.

We have been in Guanajuato for a week now after having a nice visit with family in Vankleek Hill, Ontario.  The apartment we have rented here is very nice, well located, and with a spectacular view as shown above.It is the end of the rainy season and we have experienced thunderstorms almost every night but fortunately the days are sunny.  You can see in photo above, when it rains hard the water flows down the small walkways in torrents.Life here is very active.  We walk of necessity all over the centro including up and down the hills.  The photo above is from the concert we attended last night for 80 pesos ($5.50).  We gone to CineCub twice and saw a play at Teatro Cervantes.  Already I have sampled many of my favourite foods from my favourite vendors such as empanadas, helado, and tamales, and have eaten in a couple of favourite restaurants.

On February 22 we took an over-night bus from Guanajuato to Puerto Vallarta and then a local bus to the Los Muertos pier where we met up with Karen and Stewart.  From there we took the water taxi to Yelapa.Karen and Stewart left Yelapa on March 1 and we enjoyed our time together hiking, beaching, and eating.  One day we hired a boat to take us to Las Islas Marietas.  We swam through a cave into a hidden beach but the water was cold so we didn’t snorkle.  The highlight was seeing grey whales swimming up close and breaching at a distance.  We also saw porpoises, a manta ray, and tons of sea birds. Now that Karen and Stewart have left we need to figure out how to enjoy the next four weeks here.  Yelapa is beautiful but small.  We are “glamping‘, an interesting and economical option here.  The campground is 5 minutes up river, nestled in the jungle.  The sounds of native birds, chickens, roosters, toads, horses, mules, and ATVs is overwhelming at times. Yelapa is a special place: beautiful with beach, ocean, mountains, and river through the jungle.  There is a small local population of friendly people who live primarily off the tourists.  There is a daily parade of day-trippers from Puerto Vallarta that arrive on boats in the morning and leave in the afternoon.  They usually either walk to the nearby falls or ride a horse/mule to the further ones, and then spend some hours on the beach being serviced with food and drink.

A smaller number of visitors spend the night in a variety of rustic accommodations that span the luxury scale.  There is also an ex-pat population who regularly spend the winter here.  The small village has about three tiny grocery stores and ten restaurants.  We have Internet access but it does not support streaming video, which is a problem for us.  Our daily routine is slow and boring but we are trying to adjust and appreciate the beauty, ocean, and excellent weather.

The negative aspect of Yelapa for us is its marijuana culture for which it must be famous.  It is hilarious seeing the hippie generation here smoking up everywhere there is a social gathering.  Where we are staying people wake up to a joint and smoke all day as far as I can tell by the smell.  Sad but normal to see the local youth also using.

Today is the Chinese New Year providing an excuse to update my blog.  All is well here in Guanajuato where is have a quiet and enjoyable daily routine.  The weather has been excellent especially when compared to Garden Bay.

We leave Guanajuato Feb 22, taking an over-night bus to Puerto Vallarta where we will spend five weeks on the beach in Yelapa.  Karen and Stewart will also be there the first week.  We will be glamping in Passion Flower Gardens, an economical option for accommodations.

We fly back to Vancouver Mar 28.  I’m looking forward to getting home and resuming my many projects in Garden Bay.

Another Christmas in sunny, warm Guanajuato.  This year the weather back home has been particularly harsh.In November we hiked to the top of La Bufa and encountered a small herd of goats that were being escorted by two dogs.December 12 is the feast day for La Virgen de Guadalupe.   There is one particular church here where the celebration takes place.  The long, narrow street leading up to the church is packed with people and vendors.Reaching the church the crowd funnels to climb the steps and enter in a slow, steady procession.Mexico is a very religious catholic country.  Christmas festivities start with Las Posadas December 16-24.  There was a “MegaPosada” held in La Plaza de la Paz on the 16th.We also went to a posada in the small church near the apartment and collected our goody-packages of fruit and candies.

Today we are having dinner with Aimeé’s family in their home.

I arrived in Guanajuato a week ago and have settled in to a two-bedroom apartment in the neighbourhood of San Javier.  The apartment is nice and affordable but not luxurious.  The kitchen, in particular, is equipped with junky stuff and is missing many conveniences.  It is about a 15 minute walk to La Alhondiga and a large store, which is fine, but it takes another 15 minutes to reach El Jardín.  We continue to look for something better.

I’m here for the better weather and the diverse cultural activities that the city offers.  This week, for example, there is a French film series at CineClub at the university and a series of free piano concerts at Teatro Principal.  The weather has been good although the next few days will be cool and cloudy with rain at times.  We run most days.

This time I am not attending Spanish school.  My Spanish is quite advanced and I converse with Aimeé all the time.  I am reading and studying vocabulary on my own each day.  Aimeé has a small piano keyboard which is great for piano studies, if not for playing, so I am practicing piano every day as well.  I have not played for some time due to being here last year and the garage project.

Yesterday and today in Guanajuato we’ve had weather like at home: cold and rainy  It gets old really fast!  Perhaps this will lessen the shock when I land in Vancouver this Saturday.  The forecast at home is dismal.

Tomorrow is my last day of classes as I will prepare to leave and pack on Friday.  I catch a bus to Puerto Vallarta at 11pm, arriving Saturday morning, and have to kill time at the airport waiting for my flight in the afternoon.

I will spend a couple of days in Vancouver before heading to resume “normal” life in Garden Bay.

Wow!  Fifteen weeks have gone by and only two remain.  There is some anxiety in these final days that lead to change and great expectations for the future, so I guess that’s a good thing.  Current thinking is that I will return to Guanajuato next fall.