So we thought it would be a grand idea to add House/Pet sitting to our list of accomplishments in our lives. The past 2 weeks we've stayed at a home in Ajijic to watch 2 rescue dogs, 1 elderly cat, and a fish pond full of Koi and our own little Ollie. Along with that we are watering their park and the myriads of house plants.
Joel gets up in the mornings and makes sure all the dishes are full of water and food. Makes the coffee for the two of us and checks his emails. He finally let's all the dogs out to do their morning business. Somewhere earlier in the morning Janice waters the front, side and back yards. Joel goes out to the Koi pond and cleans out the filter and feeds the fish. Then Joel cleans out the cat litter box and all the dog droppings in the yard. Janice goes upstairs to the full terrace and waters all the plants up there and sweeps up the leaves and twigs. One of us then feeds the cat and makes sure there is water in all 4 water dishes through out the house. The 2 dogs names are Livie and Sophie and are medium sized dogs. Buddy is the cat. Livie is a shedder and both dogs stink. Joel went out after the first day and bought us a can of Fabreeze. This has helped some and I think we are also getting used to the stink of dogs. I try to keep the screens closed, but doors and windows open all day long to air out the house. Because of the shedding, there is hair around the house, on the carpets and you have to be careful what you sit on. We will be washing all of our clothes when we get home to Mazatlan. When Janice was younger she had some problems with allergies to cats but since we've not had cats for over the last 30 years she forgot about it, until....sneezing, runny eyes, 2 boxes of tissues later. Yes, we will be going back to Mazatlan on Wednesday. Oh happy days. Back to caring for the animals, once we've done all that, we feed the cat again. He seems to need feeding about 4 or 5 times a day. In between our normal chores Joel also goes back out to clean the Koi pond filter again. This happens about 3 times a day. And at night the fish are fed again. The dogs water and food dishes are filled again. This is our first time of doing this type of job and most likely it will be our last. We like animals, we like helping people out, but we aren't cut out for this type of job and usually the owners don't really realize what they are asking of people as they are use to it, and yes their animals are unique and special. It's not like we were needing a place to stay so that they were doing us any favors, we were perfectly content where we were. But, this was our idea to try out. So, to stay in their home and keep it safe, and do all the other chores day in and day out, we did this all for about $12 a day for the 2 1/2 weeks. I am glad there are people out there that enjoy doing this as it is really needed here in Mexico as people go regularly on trips back and forth to the states and other places with great regularity.
So, another day in Paradise chalking up a new experience to our list. And no, we have to say no if you need a House/Pet sitter. We've been there, done that and not planning on doing it again. We are sure you will find just the right person to take care of your wonderful pets.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Morelia, Michiocan; Not in the slow lane here!
This is undoubtedly the longest blog we've written, but rather then writing a little bit everyday on our trip, we waited until we were home and could edit the pictures and put all of our notes down for you to hear about this new area we've explored.
DAY 1
Our friends Patrick and Sandi came from Mazatlan and here we are enjoying a glass of Angel Blanco from the wine that we made and opened on their arrival.
Our latest exploration of Mexico was the city of Morelia and the surrounding area. Morelia is a city of around 500,000 people with a municipal area of around 700,000. The Spanish occupied the area in the 1520's and established the city in 1541. In the 1800's the city was renamed Morelia after Jose Maria Morelos y Pavin who was born in the city. He was the leading general in Mexico's revolution against Spain. He was captured by the Spanish and shot in 1815. His picture is on the Mexican 50 peso bill. (okay, that was your history lesson of the area)
Our first day we drove from Ajijic following Patrick and Sandi Ingalls, our friends from Mazatlan. They led our caravan and shared an apartment with us in Morelia. We stopped for lunch in a small village along the way and then later stopped to shop in Capula. Capula is known for the making of "Catrina Dolls". This is a unique Mexican doll that are skeletons adorned by fashionable clothing. They come out on "The Day of the Dead" festivities or are displayed in collections. They are made out of barra or clay. This village is only about 10 miles out of Morelia. We arrived in Morelia around 5:00 PM and then following Patrick's GPS we managed to find our apartment in old town Morelia
DAY 2
On the second day we drove to Patzcuaro. This is a city about 40 miles outside of Morelia. We shopped at different places and Janice found a mask for her collection of masks that decorate our entry wall in our Mazatlan home. They had a great plaza square. We observed dancers from the Isle of Patzuaro. The group had both children and grown-ups. They all danced bent over leaning on canes. They have masks with faces of old people. We were told they were famous for their performances and many of their performers were of low intelligence which we took to mean they we developmentally delayed. They passed the hat and this is how they support themselves. After we left Patzcuaro we drove to the village of Santa Clare de Cobre. The city of copper. The village was known for working with copper. There were many ornate copper bowls, candle sticks, etc. Janice added our collection of copper items at two different shops. After a long day we drove back to Morelia to have a nice meal, cerveza and vino.
DAY 3
On the third day we spent in Morelia enjoyed strolling the streets of old town. The high point of the days was the parade celebrating the birthday of Jose Morelos, who the city was named after. He was born in 1765 and was shot by the Spanish in 1815. We had to wait almost two hours for the parade to start, but it was well worth it. The parade was led by the President of Mexico and the President Elect of Mexico. There was loads of security and the rooftops had security and cameras scanning the crowds, The car of the president was led and trailed by loads of carloads of security and dignitaries. After they passed there were many military units marching. Air Forces planes must have passed the parade route, flying low, four or five times. I would estimate several thousand military people passed by and took over a half hour to pass. There were Golden Eagles standing on the wrists of their handlers in front of their units. Some had fatigue uniforms, other had formal uniforms, and some had 19th century uniforms. After them came the schools. There were bands and drill teams. Also different from US parades, they had formations of the faculties of the different schools on parade. These also took well over a half hour to pass as there were many schools represented. The last part was many different units of people on horseback. There were cowboys twirling their ropes, equestrian riders demonstrating their riding skills. Proud Don and Donnas in traditional Spanish costumes with ornate saddles and tack. Many of the ladies were riding side saddle. Near the end were the prancers and dancers. The horses of this group were impressive and their movements could take your breath away. All in all the parade took two hours and it was well worth our time. The rest of our day was getting to know the city better.
DAY 4
The fourth days we drive to the city of Urupan. This was about 20 miles farther that Patzcuaro. We toured the Parque Nationale. This was a 1500 acre park that had many scenic waterfalls and beautiful foliage. Our guide Jesus, told us about the plants and waterfalls. This originally was the estate of some very rich people that had the river diverted through there and the waterfalls constructed. This park was beautiful and our pictures do not do it justice. After we left the park we headed out to see a pyramid and ceremonial grounds of Tingambato. On the way there we were caught in a downpour and stopped at a roadside cafe. It was just a frame with corrugated metal roof that made the rain seem very loud. This was a cafe that had rarely if ever had seen gringos. The servers only spoke an Indian dialect, so the owner had to translate Patrick's Spanish into the dialect. The meals were good and inexpensive. I suspect they will have this strange group of gringos to remember for a long time.
The rain finally let up and we drove to Tingambato. This was an impressive site with a pyramid and many surrounding ceremonial buildings and one game field. Most of this had been unearthed and there was still a lot to excavate. We then drove back to Morelia and enjoyed a wonderful meal at Lu's. This is a great restaurant where we ate outside. The meal was top notch and we sat across from the cathedral. We took a cab home and the driver tried to scam and frighten us. When we arrived at the apartment I gave him a 100 peso note to pay for the 30 peso cab ride we had negotiated and received 70 pesos change. About five minute later the cab driver came back, rang our bell and said we had only given him a 50 peso bill and demanded more money. I had no 50 peso bills on me and Janice also saw me give him the 100 peso bill and also saw him count out the 70 pesos change. I told him no, I had given him a 100 peso and wouldn't give him more money. He took a step toward me in a threatening manner when Janice said she was calling the police. He stepped out of the door which I quickly closed. He struck the door with his fist and left. I don't think either of us slept well that night. Luckily, we never heard of him again, however Janice said until we left, she did keep looking over her shoulder checking to see if that taxi driver was around. After so many great interactions with the locals we decided not to label everyone by the actions of this one man.
DAY 5
After we ate lunch we took another boat back to Patzcuaro and drove to two different archeological sites. The first was Ihuatzio. This had a huge walled field where ceremonies were held at the pyramid. It was a large area capable of holding thousands people when special rites were held.
Then we went to the ruins at Tzintzuntzan. There were a large, long pyramid and then other small structures. There were also petroglyphs on the rocks below the hill approaching the pyramid. The two sites today and the previous site of another day although impressive, they still have a lot to be unearthed. I suspect if you come five or ten years from now there will be new discoveries.
DAY 7
Our last day in Morelia was a slow day. Janice and I went out on our own to stroll old town Morelia. We poked our heads in various places and toured five museums including the birthplace of Morelos. In the evening we had a great last night of vacation dinner. That night we got packed up as Patrick and Sandi were heading out at 7:30 AM and we were leaving around 9:00.
DAY 8
On the way home we stopped again in Capula, but very little was open. We then went to the village of Tzintzuntzan. They had a market full of locally made Christmas ornaments and decorations. Janice managed to buy several items to make our home in Mazatlan festive this Christmas. We then made it close to home in Ajijic when we were rerouted on a highway toward Guadalajara that we couldn't get off. We had to stay on it until close to the city. We finally found an exit and as we were going onto the exit a semi truck cut in front of us from the next lane over to try and make the exit. The rear of the truck smashed our side view mirror and scratched our left front quarter panel. I suspect the trucker never realized he hit us and kept on going. Luckily, outside of the mirror, the damage was cosmetic and we were able to get back on the road to Ajijic and arrived home shook, but uninjured. After we got home we had to open a bottle of Janice's home-made wine and finish it. Such ended our one week adventure.
Our overall impressions of Morelia is that this is a very large town full of history,
beautiful architecture, interesting villages around the city. Neither of
enjoyed the business of it as perhaps we once would have. We are both becoming
small town people where life is more laid back and relaxing. We are no longer
enjoying driving around in Mexico with all the narrow streets, bumps and holes
in the roads, inability to communicate and for us, we are glad to be back home
(until Oct. 31) in Ajijic when we head back to Mazatlan.
DAY 1
Our latest exploration of Mexico was the city of Morelia and the surrounding area. Morelia is a city of around 500,000 people with a municipal area of around 700,000. The Spanish occupied the area in the 1520's and established the city in 1541. In the 1800's the city was renamed Morelia after Jose Maria Morelos y Pavin who was born in the city. He was the leading general in Mexico's revolution against Spain. He was captured by the Spanish and shot in 1815. His picture is on the Mexican 50 peso bill. (okay, that was your history lesson of the area)
Our first day we drove from Ajijic following Patrick and Sandi Ingalls, our friends from Mazatlan. They led our caravan and shared an apartment with us in Morelia. We stopped for lunch in a small village along the way and then later stopped to shop in Capula. Capula is known for the making of "Catrina Dolls". This is a unique Mexican doll that are skeletons adorned by fashionable clothing. They come out on "The Day of the Dead" festivities or are displayed in collections. They are made out of barra or clay. This village is only about 10 miles out of Morelia. We arrived in Morelia around 5:00 PM and then following Patrick's GPS we managed to find our apartment in old town Morelia
Patrick and Sandi lead the way and hit our first Toll both entering the Autopista.
Many fields of cosmos along our way growing wild.
Janice is concentrating on making sure we get to Morelia safely. It's a pretty long drive.
The remnant of a volcano in the background.
DAY 2
On the second day we drove to Patzcuaro. This is a city about 40 miles outside of Morelia. We shopped at different places and Janice found a mask for her collection of masks that decorate our entry wall in our Mazatlan home. They had a great plaza square. We observed dancers from the Isle of Patzuaro. The group had both children and grown-ups. They all danced bent over leaning on canes. They have masks with faces of old people. We were told they were famous for their performances and many of their performers were of low intelligence which we took to mean they we developmentally delayed. They passed the hat and this is how they support themselves. After we left Patzcuaro we drove to the village of Santa Clare de Cobre. The city of copper. The village was known for working with copper. There were many ornate copper bowls, candle sticks, etc. Janice added our collection of copper items at two different shops. After a long day we drove back to Morelia to have a nice meal, cerveza and vino.
Above is a little video of la danza de los Viejitos. They are very well known in Michiocan.
Ollie didn't know if he was coming or going.
They were both feeling frisky here and enjoyed play time.
Yes, men still walk around with their horses and donkeys
carrying their large loads.
Sweet family that we enjoyed 'trying' to visit with in Spanish. In Santa Clara de Cobra,
this is the village that people make all of the copper pans, jewelry, decorations to sell and make money for their family. All four of us were happy to purchase some beautiful items from them.
DAY 3
On the third day we spent in Morelia enjoyed strolling the streets of old town. The high point of the days was the parade celebrating the birthday of Jose Morelos, who the city was named after. He was born in 1765 and was shot by the Spanish in 1815. We had to wait almost two hours for the parade to start, but it was well worth it. The parade was led by the President of Mexico and the President Elect of Mexico. There was loads of security and the rooftops had security and cameras scanning the crowds, The car of the president was led and trailed by loads of carloads of security and dignitaries. After they passed there were many military units marching. Air Forces planes must have passed the parade route, flying low, four or five times. I would estimate several thousand military people passed by and took over a half hour to pass. There were Golden Eagles standing on the wrists of their handlers in front of their units. Some had fatigue uniforms, other had formal uniforms, and some had 19th century uniforms. After them came the schools. There were bands and drill teams. Also different from US parades, they had formations of the faculties of the different schools on parade. These also took well over a half hour to pass as there were many schools represented. The last part was many different units of people on horseback. There were cowboys twirling their ropes, equestrian riders demonstrating their riding skills. Proud Don and Donnas in traditional Spanish costumes with ornate saddles and tack. Many of the ladies were riding side saddle. Near the end were the prancers and dancers. The horses of this group were impressive and their movements could take your breath away. All in all the parade took two hours and it was well worth our time. The rest of our day was getting to know the city better.
DAY 4
The fourth days we drive to the city of Urupan. This was about 20 miles farther that Patzcuaro. We toured the Parque Nationale. This was a 1500 acre park that had many scenic waterfalls and beautiful foliage. Our guide Jesus, told us about the plants and waterfalls. This originally was the estate of some very rich people that had the river diverted through there and the waterfalls constructed. This park was beautiful and our pictures do not do it justice. After we left the park we headed out to see a pyramid and ceremonial grounds of Tingambato. On the way there we were caught in a downpour and stopped at a roadside cafe. It was just a frame with corrugated metal roof that made the rain seem very loud. This was a cafe that had rarely if ever had seen gringos. The servers only spoke an Indian dialect, so the owner had to translate Patrick's Spanish into the dialect. The meals were good and inexpensive. I suspect they will have this strange group of gringos to remember for a long time.
The rain finally let up and we drove to Tingambato. This was an impressive site with a pyramid and many surrounding ceremonial buildings and one game field. Most of this had been unearthed and there was still a lot to excavate. We then drove back to Morelia and enjoyed a wonderful meal at Lu's. This is a great restaurant where we ate outside. The meal was top notch and we sat across from the cathedral. We took a cab home and the driver tried to scam and frighten us. When we arrived at the apartment I gave him a 100 peso note to pay for the 30 peso cab ride we had negotiated and received 70 pesos change. About five minute later the cab driver came back, rang our bell and said we had only given him a 50 peso bill and demanded more money. I had no 50 peso bills on me and Janice also saw me give him the 100 peso bill and also saw him count out the 70 pesos change. I told him no, I had given him a 100 peso and wouldn't give him more money. He took a step toward me in a threatening manner when Janice said she was calling the police. He stepped out of the door which I quickly closed. He struck the door with his fist and left. I don't think either of us slept well that night. Luckily, we never heard of him again, however Janice said until we left, she did keep looking over her shoulder checking to see if that taxi driver was around. After so many great interactions with the locals we decided not to label everyone by the actions of this one man.
DAY 5
Our next day we spent in Morelia. We all took a double decker bus that took
us through historic Morelia and told us about the buildings. There was home of
various leaders of the revolution and where Father Hildago, Morelos and others
had announced that Mexico was rebelling against Spain in 1810. It took Mexico
until 1821 until it gained independence. Unlike the US revolutionary war, in
Mexico many of their leaders were caught or killed before they finally
prevailed. There was an impressive monument to Morelos. I suspect if he would
have survived the War of Independence he would have been known of the
Washington of Mexico. We then went to a Mexican institution, Costco? After a rest,
Janice, Ollie and I went on a walk through the large and beautiful park just
past the aqueducts. They have a large Roman style aqueduct that brought water
to the city. It had 253 arches.
DAY 6
The
next day we went out of the city again. We first went to a small village where
they made furniture and after that we went to another village that specialized
in Masks. The mask maker and his family are known around Mexico and in other countries
for their masks and although they were impressive, the prices were very high
and would be for the high end collector only. After the villages we returned to
the city of Patzcuaro and caught a boat to the Isla de Patzcuaro. There was a
great mariachi band on the board and while coming into the island there was a
demonstration of net fishing by several fisherman in their unique boats, which
then they came along our boat asking for tips. The island was a tourist spot
for Mexican nationals. It had loads of souvenir shops and many well-dressed
kids that were asking for money. We had a nice meal there while Patrick and
Sandi climbed the stairs to the statue perched on the top of the island. 
After we ate lunch we took another boat back to Patzcuaro and drove to two different archeological sites. The first was Ihuatzio. This had a huge walled field where ceremonies were held at the pyramid. It was a large area capable of holding thousands people when special rites were held.
Then we went to the ruins at Tzintzuntzan. There were a large, long pyramid and then other small structures. There were also petroglyphs on the rocks below the hill approaching the pyramid. The two sites today and the previous site of another day although impressive, they still have a lot to be unearthed. I suspect if you come five or ten years from now there will be new discoveries.
DAY 7
Our last day in Morelia was a slow day. Janice and I went out on our own to stroll old town Morelia. We poked our heads in various places and toured five museums including the birthplace of Morelos. In the evening we had a great last night of vacation dinner. That night we got packed up as Patrick and Sandi were heading out at 7:30 AM and we were leaving around 9:00.
DAY 8
On the way home we stopped again in Capula, but very little was open. We then went to the village of Tzintzuntzan. They had a market full of locally made Christmas ornaments and decorations. Janice managed to buy several items to make our home in Mazatlan festive this Christmas. We then made it close to home in Ajijic when we were rerouted on a highway toward Guadalajara that we couldn't get off. We had to stay on it until close to the city. We finally found an exit and as we were going onto the exit a semi truck cut in front of us from the next lane over to try and make the exit. The rear of the truck smashed our side view mirror and scratched our left front quarter panel. I suspect the trucker never realized he hit us and kept on going. Luckily, outside of the mirror, the damage was cosmetic and we were able to get back on the road to Ajijic and arrived home shook, but uninjured. After we got home we had to open a bottle of Janice's home-made wine and finish it. Such ended our one week adventure.
OUR OVERALL IMPRESSIONS OF THIS TRIP
This blog would not be complete if I did not add pictures of a few of our food adventures. Joel and I both put on a little weight here, but are now working at taking it back off again. 
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