A sad goodbye..... for now!

This is the second year we have paid a long visit to Mexico.  We are four friends from Jacksonville, Oregon, and amazingly still friends after spending so much time together.  It was a wonderful trip again this year and we visited interesting and amazing places - Palenque, San Cristobal, Oaxaca, Puebla, San Miguel, Troncones and Guanajuato.  Everywhere we went we met friendly, helpful people whether they were Mexicans or tourists from other countries.  We will never forget them and hope that we can again travel South of the Border and enjoy the warmth of the people, the sunshine, the great food and the many stories you hear when meeting people from other countries.  This is a global village, our small and beautiful planet, and the more you travel, the more you realize just how much alike we are.  Thank you so much to all who have helped us on our way and made our time in wonderful Mexico so memorable.

Last year, my blog was entitled:  www.guacamolemollie.blogspot.com and you may find some interesting places to visit there too.

Viva Mexico!

Guanajuato, Mx

we are now in Guanajuato, sister city to Ashland,
and staying at a lovely hotel owned by a former student of Ron's,
Dennis Pekus.  He was a senior at the Rim of the World High School
in Lake Arrowhead, California, where Ron was teaching 1963-64.
Dennis played Professor Higgins in Shaw's play, Pygmalion, and
Helen Keller's brother in The Miracle Worker.
Ron and Dennis found each other after all those years, guess where....
Facebook!

Ron and Mike being welcomed by Dennis at
Casa Dionisio, Callejon Salto del Mono
No. 1 Altos, Centro Historico
Guanajuato, GTO. Mex.

catching up on the roof terrace

our room, with a view

the view

the bathroom

we called on Dean Gazeley, an artist
friend of Aurelie and Ron

Guanajuato is a lovely city, full of quiet squares

Dennis is a harpsichordist in a city full of musicians

the harpsichord was made in Mexico

Dennis played some lovely Renaissance music for us

this spot is known as The Kiss, where (like Romeo and Juliet)
the youngsters of the two feuding families leaned over their balconies and kissed

Mike's photos in Guanajuato

Guanajuato,
where the first Spaniards arrived in 1526

the view from the roof terrace at night

breakfast at Casa Dionisio

Mike's photos of Lake Patzcuaro

we find ourselves back in the 16th century!

the first Colegio de San Nicolas built by Quiroga in 1540, which now houses the
Museo Regional de Artes Populares

Spanish ladies moved here, failing to find a suitable husband,
and this baroque bath was built for their use

the Colegio is now full of shops selling local artists' wares

mostly absent here are the flat roofs we are used to seeing in Mexico

the town is built on hillsides, with cobblestone streets

more of the Colegio grounds

the Dance of the Little Old Men is a popular entertainment created shortly
after the Conquest to poke fun at the Spaniards

Sunday afternoon and everyone's in the Plaza

Lake Patzcauro, Mx

arriving at Casa Encantada B&B, Lake Patzcuaro

Note:  We had not visited Patzcuaro before and it was a surprise.  A colonial -rich town, it dates back to  a pre-Christian time, is one of the most indigenous cities in Mexico and is growing.  We found it a very neat town, charming and friendly with two lovely plazas.  Not many foreign tourists find this place, but it is a favorite spot for visitors from Mexico City and Morelia.

view of Casa Encantada
owned by two Canadians.  We met Cynthia, one of them
and her two yorkshire terriers.  It is very well run and offers a lovely breakfast.

this would look great in our garden!

our mighty but very dusty steed being washed with just one bucket of water

Aurelie with one of Casa Encantada's cats, the Russian of dubious background

looking towards the lake from the remains of the ancient yacatas at Tzintzuntzan,
which was once the center of Tarascan power, 15 kilometers from Patzcuaro.  The yacatas
are believed to be burial centers for their leaders.

photos follow of the house in San Jeronimo, near Lake Patzcuaro, belonging to the family of Aurelie and Ron's friends, Kathy and Dagoberto

the street outside the house

Aurelie and Ron with Dagoberto's sister and brother-in-law

the second floor

the church and plaza in San Jeronimo

a conversation by the old school with some friendly residents of the village

Casa Encantada courtyard

the house has been renovated but many of the items,
especially here in the kitchen, were the property of original owner

our room (Mike and I), which reminded us of places in the Italian Tyrol

Sarah, this hung in our bathroom, and I wanted to bring it home to you -
so very, very Sarah!

our last dinner in Lake Patzcuaro, at La Lupita
amazing decorations everywhere, as per usual everywhere we go

not to mention color!

some like it hot...

a shop in Lake Patzcuaro

as is the case in every town we visited, nightlife is vibrant

Ron always has to taste before buying,
 and they are so obliging 

this guy could sing.... and smile!

Gabriel, Ron, Bill, Kathy and Aurelie.
Aurelie and Ron met Bill and Kathy in Sayulita, where they live, on a previous trip.
(Gabriel is Bill and Kathy's grandson on a visit).  We bumped into them in Lake Patzcuaro -  it really is
a very small world!

this is an example of a kind of cloisonne, or something very much like it