Monday 31 March 2008

Feeling a Little Bit Blue


What a surprise to stop in this little town...this very poor little town and to see their blue church. Really, the jewel of the place. Once again, it is the time of the siesta and no one is about and so it is very quiet. I am in love with the peace and the tranquility of Mexican towns and their courage to paint their church this great shade of BLUE. Knock 'em dead, amigos.

Saturday 29 March 2008

Oh Little Town of ....???




I always am so happy when a little road off the small road is taken, 'cause in Mexico anything, and I mean anything could be at the end of it. In this case, nothing remarkable in the expected sense, but remarkable, nevertheless. How can I put this in words? Well, let me try...how about...a profound sense of peace? Yah, that is it. Entering this small cluster of 'ranchitos' at the time of siesta, on this warm afternoon and passing into someone else's world, is so sweet. WOW! No one is around and there is no noise at all. People really do live like this, actually, a lot of them do and that just makes me very content.

Wednesday 26 March 2008

Simple Pleasures






It is indeed the simple things in life that make it worth living. Like stumbling upon this lovely spot for sunning and swimming and drinking a cold 'chelada' (which is just Mexican beer, a sqeeze of lime and some cubes). Remember our pal, Felix from 'Rayon'? Well, he and a number of other citizens of that fine pueblo, couldn't say enough nice things about this area and all agreed we should go there and enjoy the water. They couldn't have been more on target. The afternoon slipped away under a bit of a beer-buzz and perfect everything. I am in the right place at the right time...who knew I could be so lucky?

Tuesday 25 March 2008

Living the Good Life in 'Rayon'....







Finally! It is always so hard to leave a place that I love and I love,love,love San Miguel de Allende, but let's admit it, being on the road and heading into parts unknown and unseen before, is so exciting. Being off the beaten-down, mexican campground path is very liberating. For the first time in Mexico, it is not 'where is the next campground?' that will determine the night's destination but 'where do we want to be?'. The possibilities are endless as are the little country pueblos on the way north and east to the Gulf Coast. Oh boy! So here it is, the lovely little spot on a loop road off the already small road, called 'Rayon'. I saw it on the map and decided that the name alone, warranted at least a peak. Well, could it be any cuter? And then we met Felix, the policeman washing his truck in front of the station on the Plaza and asked, ever so politely, if there might be a place to park and to spend the night? Of course, there was...right here in front of the Police Station! "Muy seguridad y muy tranquile". What a thrill...so much better than a noisy Pemex station and what a curiosity for the people of Rayon who are not living in a tourist destination but are just living.

Thursday 20 March 2008

Up and Away




Finally left the city limits of San Miguel de Allende and lumbered and lurched on down the road to this wonderful little town of San Antonilco. So quiet and so tranquil and so okay. There seemed to be no-thing happening and no-one around and it was just so pretty. Mostly the quietness was what was so striking to me. I know, I know it is a very historical place and there is definitely an 'aura' of that about the town, but what would it be like to live in such a place? Maybe this little fixer-upper is the answer...ya' think?


Wednesday 19 March 2008

'hasta la vista Bay-Bey' Part dos






I am only doing 'Part dos' because there are just so many more images and one must always make the most of one's leavetaking. It's just more fun that way. Love, love, love the last meal, the last dog walking through the meat market, the last fabulous old caballero sitting on the curb, the last look at my 'muy guapo' produce guy and the last chance to buy a really cool party dress. Hasta luego, SMdeA.

'hasta la vista, Bay-Bey'






Okay, that moment in time has arrived. I am always sure when it hits me which is funny, because it is always very, very subtle. It's a thought that races across my field of vision not unlike a movie subtitle. There is never any mistaking it because..ta da...it is...TIME TO GO. So all the preparations are begun and all the sights and scenes and people are looked at, for, what will be for now, the last time. I love this moment and I don't love this moment but one thing is for sure, I don't say good-bye...ever. The time spent here in San Miguel this year has been truly wonder-full. The difference this time is that I am starting to feel like Mexico is maybe my second home. What a conundrum seeing that I don't really have a first home yet! Ah well, I am sure that will sort itself out as it is meant to be, but in the meantime let's enjoy some last pics of SMdeA and get this show on the road.

Monday 3 March 2008

'Perfectly Imperfect'




What a fabulous tangle of wires and cables on this house. It is like someone's art project. I'm sure it all works, I just wouldn't want to be the guy who has to fix something. I guess the question is why doesn't this bother anyone, including me? In fact, why do I really, really like the fact that it is like this? What is this deal with the 'perfectly imperfect'? I am thinking that it is just a relief from all that northamerican uptightness. Like maybe just having electricity and cable and internet is the important thing not how the wires look or don't look. Well, blabbing on...brings us to our next topic...the broken glass on top of wall solution. Gotta love that one too. Make no mistake about this...you will not be climbing over this wall! Well, okay then, that problem solved. Hasta la vista.

Sunday 2 March 2008

Love on Mexican Time







Thinking about leaving San Miguel de Allende is causing me to have all kinds of fits. Mostly I am thinking about what it means to fall in love. It defies all logic and all sense, but that is just obvious. What else makes that chemical soup so very 'delisioso'? Is is color (must be pleasing), is it smell (yessss), is it texture (rough and imperfect) is it salty (a little), is it spicy...BINGO! I think that may be, for me, the secret ingredient. Although I adore routine, I also adore the sense of things being just a little bit off kilter, a little uncomfortable and a little mysterious. It's that thing that is just beneath the surface that only the object of your affection has. Oh, it is sweet, sweet, sweet.

Saturday 1 March 2008

The Cowdog Turns 13!!!!!




Can you believe it? The Cowdog is 13 years old today! Yep, it has come to this. I put the word out that there was cake at the motorhovel and, POOF... party for the pet. Embarrassing...yes. Really nice...well okay...yes. Oh, come on, I live in a trailer and my world collides with total strangers who out of the goodness of their hearts, humoured me and actually sang 'happy birthday' to Cowgirl.

Big Smile.