Tuesday's Tourism

I didn't start the Monday blog properly.  I should've mentioned that it was the worst sleep I've gotten since arriving in Mexico.  Since it's an incredible climate, windows are open day and night.  That meant I heard every dog (and there were lots) bark (a lot) all night long.  All.  Night.  Long.  I finally put in my iPod, which would do its trick until it would finish the album and stop.  Then I would hear more dogs.  Surely they couldn't be the same ones...  And then there were the church bells.  They went off starting at 7 am (which was 6 am Culiacán time).  All this on top of getting in bed at 4 and up at 7 before traveling all day....

So now it's Tuesday.  I got up around 9 after repositioning my earbuds and starting about 6 new albums throughout the night.  

Tuesday was the day set aside for a museum Alina and Donna had not yet visited.  It was in the Alóndiga.  It used to store grain and was a beautiful building that would've been great for a wedding or some special event.  It had a huge patio in the middle that opened up to the sky.  

This is one of those times you wish I'd taken notes or that I would google, but I'm too busy trying to remember other things!  This building held the severed heads of 4 very important Mexicans(Spaniards?) during the... Revolution(?).  They were hung in the above cages from the four corners of this building as a symbol and warning to everyone else!

We were under the impression that inside was an art museum.  We were wrong.  The only art that was there were two murals by a man who was attempting (pretty successfully in my book) to imitate Diego Rivera's style from the Castle in Chapultepec.  The rest of the museum was way too boring for this girl.  Stamps and pots and such.  Luckily, it was easily managed in less than an hour!

After that, we stopped by an English used book store, Donkey Jote, to trade in some of Donna's books and to look for some new ones for Alina.  They're in Mexico for two months total.  They brought a Harry Potter book as well as like 6 other chapter books and Alina was on her last one by week 5.  They were getting desperate!  So they made some trades.  

After that, they showed me my way and I went to the Diego Rivera house while they headed back home.  I was sorely disappointed.  Mostly I think because the stuff in DF is so cool.  But this was the house where he was born.  That's something.  (They wouldn't allow pictures on the inside).  

After that, I went back to the used book store, knowing I would have a few more days on the beach (I'm treating myself to two more days in Mazatlán after Alma leaves) and workless days to fill.  I hit the jackpot.  James Patterson, Michael Connelly, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Devil Wears Prada.  Four hundred pesos later, I was set!

I took my bag full of books and headed back to the café from the night before.  I wanted that salad again.  But then I saw it.  I had been on the search for a girl t-shirt (you know, the fitted kind instead of just a big boxy shirt) from Guadalajara.  Unfortunately, I couldn't ever find the one I liked in the color and size I wanted.  Oh, well.  Next visit!  But what I did find was more pottery!  It wasn't Talavera, which must be made in the state of Puebla I think, and has regulations on what colors it can be.  But it was beautiful and super cheap, so I picked up a piece or two.

Then I made it to the café, stopping for a picture of the University, below.  Isn't it pretty?  I sat on the bridge at the café that crosses above a pedestrian street.  I ordered my salad and agua de fresa and pulled out The Devil Wears Prada.  I spent at least an hour there in the gorgeous weather with delicious food and just enjoyed my time.

The rest of Monday

I had stopped into the market to check out the lunch situation before I headed to the church and mine.  I saw lots of seafood, which would have tempted me had we been anywhere remotely close to water.  But we weren't.  So I walked some and found a taco place.  I had a quesadilla and an horchata, neither as good as in Culiacán.

When I got back to the house after the mine, I was exhausted, but it was 5:15, and that didn't really leave enough time to sleep or do anything, so when Donna asked if I was still up for kickboxing, I said yes!

So we left 30 minutes later and the class was killer.  It took me back to my high school days with Loralee in the gym at church.  It was a great workout.  It was really hard!  I haven't done an hour of cardio in a long time.  Maybe in my life!  I'm used to 30-45 minute kickboxing classes, but not an HOUR!  But I was glad to have done it.  

I was dripping wet of course, which I would've been after any exercise class, but it gets amplified in Mexico where the gym isn't air conditioned!

We went back to the house, dried off and slicked our hair back and headed out for dinner.  There was a cool little café that fed lots of university students and had a great ambiance.  Donna and I each got a salad.  Mine had some spinach, apples, goat cheese, chicken, and I don't remember what else.  It was right up my alley!  I got an orangeade to drink.  It was a great meal, and I bought theirs to thank them for letting me stay with them.  200 pesos for two salads, a sandwich, and two drinks.  I'm gonna miss this country!

After getting back to the apartment, we showered and played board games with Alina before settling in for the night.

Monday's Tourism

Monday was started off right.  We all had a bite to eat and then got on our way climbing a hill outside their apartment.  It led to the top of Guanajuato with a great view.  Due to the cloudy skies (and the fact that Guanajuato is just better in person than in pictures), you can't see the crazy beauty of this city.  But you can see how high we climbed.
Donna and Alina showed me the main tourist sites from above, and we looked for their apartment, but it was hidden from the turns we had made.

This was what we climbed to see.  He's called El Pípila and is the symbol of this mining town.  Alina and Donna had been up here too many times to count.  There's a little train that will take you up for who knows what price (very affordable I'm sure given we're still in Mexico), but Donna is a personal trainer.  There are never any paid rides when she's around!  I was okay with that.  Makes the ice creams easier to digest (pun intended) later in the day.  This was the first time, however, that either of them had seen the box at the top of the statue.  We climbed up in it (for 3 pesos for adults and nothing for Alina).  It's pretty much a plastic box.  It was claustrophobic, so we jetted back down.
From there we went to an ex-hacienda of a mining family.  The owners of the mine.
There were lots of great rooms.  It's just like the Castle in Chapultepec in Mexico City and like Versailles in Paris.  There are lots of cool things and a lot of history, but it ends up being too many pictures of beds and bathrooms. 
There was also no shortage of gardens in this place.  It had a great tranquil feel.  It was a tourist site, but we didn't run across another tourist (that dang swine flu!).
From there, we took the city bus back to downtown walked through town.  Donna showed me a few more things and how to get back to the house.  She also showed me where to catch a bus to go to the mines.  They had gone and while it wasn't too much to write home about, it was worth the 25 pesos or whatever, since it was in fact a tourist stop in the city.
On my ride up to the mines, there was a church close to the mines.  The church was much more obvious.  So after I saw what there was to see there, I walked toward the sign that said mines.  Ha!  I walked from the church in the above picture where I took the picture.  Thank goodness it wasn't midday Culiacán heat because I might not have made it back!  I got to the end of the dead end road and there was what looked like a school and several touristy type shops selling postcards, t-shirts, and rocks labeled as gems.

I asked a kind lady how to get the the mine and she said I'd be better off riding the bus back toward town and getting off when I saw the sign.  I'm pretty sure she had no idea what I was talking about.

I made it back up to the church, paid 3 pesos for their bathroom and treated myself to a coca light.  Donna had told me earlier in the day that there was a kickboxing class at her gym at 6 that night if I wanted to go.  I was eager until I had climbed all over creation looking for this mine!  I decided then that kickboxing was out.  (So I also decided then to pass on the ice cream!)

I finally found the place.  I took the tour.  It wasn't worth the pesos, but again, it was one of the sites, so I'm glad I did it.  Only major problem was I was tagging along with a high school group.  First years.  As if I hadn't been dying to escape the "school scene" in Mexico.  The noise, disrespect, etc.  I was screaming inside my head!  That might have taken away from teh value of my tour.

I took a deep breath and headed back to town.

Evening 1

Guanajuato is to me in Mexico what Granada was to me in Spain.  It's what you want the country to look like.  Guanajuato is completely colorful and picturesque.  It's all walkable.  There are underground tunnels to allow for pedestrian roads.  It's an amazing city.  If I were to choose a Mexican city to live in for awhile based on the city (and not the incredible people in it- they may be incredible in Guanajuato, but no one will hold a candle to my Culichis!), Guanajuato would be it.  Hands down.  It's beautiful.  It's pedestrian friendly.  It's small enough to manage alone.  It's great!

After we got back to the apartment (it's really cute by the way) and dropped off my stuff, we decided to go exploring a bit.  Donna was continually apologetic for the weather as if she had any control.  She said it had been perfectly sunny and gorgeous every day they'd been there.  It was beginning the rainy season, so they'd had afternoon showers every day, but just for a bit.  Well, when I got there, it was semi-sunny, but it was cool and threatened to rain.  The sky became grey quickly.  I had no complaints.  I love when it's not stifling, so I welcomed the cold chills later in the evening.
We left the apartment and within three minutes we were to one of the main plazas.  Guanajuato actually has several sitting areas with greenery and cafés, so they don't have a mainzócalo like other Mexican cities.  It seems family and kid friendly, too.  The building above is Teatro Juárez, the main theater in the town.

We did more walking around and she explained the set up of the downtown area (2 main parallel streets) and said that once I started walking up hills in any direction, I was heading out of downtown.  I mean, how easy is this place?

We made it to el callejón de los besos (the alley of the kisses), but it was basically just an alley.  The story is there was a forbidden couple (think Romeo and Juliet), but luckily they were across-the-alley neighbors.  There's a very short distance between the two balconies and the couple allegedly used to kiss on their own balconies.  They were forbidden to leave their houses to see each other, but I guess due to a technicality, they were following the rules.  Apparently the dad found out (duh, genius) and killed his daughter.  Stabbed her in the heart I think.  There are steps underneath the balcony, and it's considered good luck to stand on the third step and kiss the one you love.  Considering I was with a former student and her mother, I opted out.  That's a good thing, because it's bad luck to climb the steps without someone you love.  Phew!

We made our way back to the house to get some nourishment.  We put Alina to bed after some games and discussion and Donna and I went up to the roof to enjoy the Mexican view.  It's such a beautiful, amazing city.  We borrowed some of Tim's beer (he was out of town on business until Tuesday) and sipped while we shared travelers' stories.  I must first say that beer that is not Tecate Light is decent.  It's still not something I'll enjoy on a regular basis, but it wasn't awful like Tecate is.  I could see it with something equally as bad for me, like a hot dog or pizza.  I really enjoyed talking with Donna about travels.  She encouraged me to pursue the international teaching thing.  She and Tim actually did a year around the world while they were dating and then did several years abroad teaching while they were married.  She had some really crazy, funny, interesting stories.  We called it a night and I did some reading.  I picked up The Kite Runner off Alina's shelf (she was sleeping in Donna's room until Tim was back and I was in her bed) to keep me busy.  

Donna had warned me that I would hear lots of dogs and church bells and "Mexican sounds" all night long.  I figured no big deal.  I'm a great sleeper!

Sunday was travels

So I got up at the god-forsaken hour of 7 on Sunday after being out way too late the night before.  I got my last things packed (tamales for the fam, shower stuff, pillows-yes plural) and woke Alma up at 7:30 so we could be out the door at 7:30.  She dropped me off at the airport door and I got checked in, etc.  It was a busy morning at the airport!  There were no places to sit and they don't let you go to your gate until 30 minutes before boarding because there's less seating there (and Mexicans stay with the people they're seeing off until the last second).  I decided I needed a book for my flight and four hour bus ride to and from Guanajuato from Guadalajara, so I checked out the airport shop.  Bingo.  I got Twilight, which I hear is ridiculously addicting.  They had the other books in the airport, too, and they were each only about 15 bucks, so I figured I could buy the next one when I got back or on the way to Cozumel or whatever.

I got on my plane and was out before they showed me how to buckle my seatbelt.  Unfortunately, the flight is only about an hour and a half and I woke up as we were approaching final descent, aka 35 minutes until the gate.  That was okay though.  I landed, got my luggage, grabbed a taxi and headed to the bus station.  It was a 200 peso taxi, but I was prepared for it to be a lot.  It's not exactly close.  As I exited the airport, I saw a city bus, but I was in no mood to deal with that!

My ticket was bought 15 minutes before my bus was to leave.  Perfect!  I got on the bus, fell asleep and texted Donna.  I told her when I thought I would arrive.  I was way off.  They played three movies on the bus (very loudly), but I just popped in my iPod and slept through it all.  I got to Guanajuato about an hour and a half earlier than I had originally estimated, so I sat in the fly-infested waiting room and caught up as much on my blog as I could, knowing how far behind I was.  After I felt accomplished enough (I knew I wouldn't get any done while in Guanajuato), I texted Donna and told her I was on my way to the park near their apartment.  She and Alina were going to meet me at the taxi there and show me how to get to their place.  

As I pulled up, I saw them waiting on a bench, so I waved from the back of the taxi and they both returned the enthusiastic wave.  

Thankfully they had told me to meet them there and not at their apartment because there's no way I would've found it!  It was back a few alleys and up lots of hills (I couldn't have climbed the hills without their assistance carrying some of my stuff!).  I was instantly enamored with Guanajuato.

Party all Night

During the day Saturday, I had gotten a text from Liliana saying there was a party at her house starting at 6 so we could all see each other and to let her know if we were coming.  I texted her back saying I was going to monster trucks, but that of course I wanted to come and would call after it was over, knowing that Alma wouldn't want to so much, especially if Lenin was going to be there (and why wouldn't he be there).  I figured she could drop me off or someone else could pick me up from somewhere or something.  I didn't worry about it.

Well, after the monster trucks, Shania and I were HUNGRY (neither of us having eaten lunch with Beatriz because we were both too full from breakfast to eat lunch), so we had planned on going to grab something.  I was craving tacos.  We got to the car and Alma drove us to Ocyé's house to pick her up, but her mom had changed her mind and decided she couldn't go out.  (This is why US "kids" don't live at home after 18.)

So we went back toward town.  Shania called one of her honeys who wanted to meet up.  She told him he could take all four of us out to eat if he wanted.  He agreed.  There's a place called La Cantina and Shania asked if I had been.  She loves it and my answer was no, so we told her fella to meet us there.  Then Alma asked me if I wanted to go to Liliana's.  I told her that yes I had wanted to (and Lili had called me toward the end of monster trucks asking where we were and I told her it was still going on), but that at this point I really wanted food.  She said, what if we stopped in for a minute and then used dinner with Shania's friend as the reason to leave.  She was like, "it's time for me to see all them.  Might as well do it now."  I was kind of proud of her.  So we popped in.  I did a little dance with a very drunk Renato.  I'm going to miss him and Lili so much.  Okay, fill in the name with any one of my friends.

After we had been there less than 30 minutes, we were on our way to dinner.  By this time it was midnight.  It was funny to me because the group at Lili's house were not Shania's circle.  They were more my friends than hers!  I have fully and completely arrived.  And cue the tears again.

We got to La Cantina and get seated.  The place was packed, and the waiters took their sweet time.  There was a mariachi band.  After we ordered our drinks (I was parched and it took forever to get my limonada), I heard Alma talking to the waiter behind her menu.  I assumed she was pulling the birthday card.  But then I heard the waiter say, "Laura y Tania?"  Alma shushed him and then correcting him on his Shania pronunciation.

About three minutes later, the band was calling us up to the stage to sing.  Not just calling us, dragging me by the arm.  I made sure Shania came too and then called Alma up there.  We sang a song I didn't know- shocker.

It was funny though.  My face hurt from laughing so much.

We got back to the table and Shania's man had ordered some tacos (at my request), guacamole and queso fundido.  It took longer than forever, but was delish.  He also ordered a bucket of beers and by the end of the night, they were closing at 1:30 and we had to get outta there, so he opened a bottle of Tecate for each of us.  Karina and Alma don't drink anything.  Ever.  I don't like beer.  But we each took our obligatory sips and I snapped a shot.  Shania has other pictures on her camera and when she gets them uploaded to facebook, I'll share them with you.

We left Shania's friend and considered going to Kuvva, the night club where another of her honeys works.  It seemed like a nightmare to me since we were still out close to two and I had to get up at 7 for my flight on Sunday.  Yuk!

We ended up stopping at Vicente's house (Shania's student with whom we had run around the night before with the band guy) for a second to say hello.

After that, we dropped Shania off, but got a call from Johana.  We were in her car because she had needed Alma's Tracker that day for work, so we went to Johana's party to pick her up and trade cars.  We got back to the house close to 3:30 and Alma still had to take Karina home.  I marched straight up to my room and was asleep before my head hit the pillow.  Alma, of course, had all day Sunday to sleep, but told me to wake her up to take me to the airport.  Will the hospitality never end?!

At one point, Karina and I started speaking Spanglish, and it turned so funny.  All four of us girls were talking like that at one point and we were cracking up.  My amigas.  Tan great.

Monster Truck Showdown

After lunch with Beatriz, Shania confirmed with me that Alma would be picking us up at 7:00.  She went to her house to get ready (how do you get ready for monster trucks?) and I did the same.  Ocyé, who works at a radio station, had put Alma up to calling into the radio station during a contest giving away tickets to the event.  Actually, Alma had jumped the gun (or I guess Ocyé) because when she called, they hadn't even announced the contest yet.  Of course, Alma got her way anyway and was the winner of four free tickets.

The show was set to start at 8, but we were advised to leave the house around 7 to fight traffic an then find a seat (general admission more or less).  

Problem: Alma and Karina work at PISI until 6 on Saturdays.  Apparently there was some drama since this was the last Saturday before graduation.  I didn't follow it all because I was focused on being hot.  But they got there at 7:15.  Shania and I had been waiting for about 20 minutes.  Alma of course had to change clothes, but we were out the door by 7:30.

We circled the baseball field about three times and finally settled on a spot not too close.

Alma and Shania were both proper Culichis in their heels.  Karina had on flats, but a tube top, done up hair and complete makeup (it was touched up on the ride over).  I was typical "American style" as Alma likes to call it, in my flip flops.  But I was at least in a dress- still American style, but with a little more oomph than shorts and a tee.

We had to walk around to the complete other side of the field to enter.  We should've known with free tickets we'd be in the bad section, but we didn't realize we were in the bleachers!  We actually kind of thought they might be nice since the radio station had the inside edge.  Yeah right!

As we're looking for any available section for four girls, we see on the tickets that the doors opened at 4.  Can you imagine waiting four hours for a monster truck show?  Give me a break!

Well, after we had paced the bleachers about four times, we realized why they opened so early.

At this point, Shania and I were just ready to sit.  Anywhere.  Alma, on the other hand, was ready to upgrade.  She was on the lookout for someone we could give a tip to that would let us into the outfield non-bleachers section.  Shania said, "I am so embarrassed right now."  It was funny because it basically reminded me of me in my US life.  But after a year with Alma, I'll be just as "embarrassing" as Mom!

Anyway, she and Karina went to talk to a guy who was shaking his head yes.  Then they pointed to Shania and me and he shook his head like, "Oh, girl..."  And we went running over.  I knew what was next.  As I was walking up, Alma is in the middle of her "she came all the way from the US for this" spiel.  He then started quizzing me in English: "Say something.  What state?  What's the capitol?  Oh, country music huh."  Then he let us slide.   And then he got Alma's number.  I was cracking up.

Up we went to our new seats.

Thankfully we hadn't gotten there at 4 because the show didn't start until 9.

This was the view from our seats.  They were decent for the event.  It would've been nice to have been behind home plate in the numbered seats, but the cheapest tickets (even the bleachers) were rumored to be 200 pesos.  No way dude.

These are the seats where we should've been sitting.  They're lower with a wall in front and as far from the action as you can get...
As you can imagine, with an hour wait time from arrival to show time, we had a photography session.  It was mostly with Shania's camera.  Karina cracked me up when we took three pictures in a row and I blinked.  She said, "Laura.  I'm going to be your teacher.  You can't smile with all your might.  It makes you close your eyes.  You have to smile right in between you really, really want to, and you're not at all happy about taking a picture."  We practiced all night long.

(Shania, Alma, Karina, me)

After a while, it seemed I caught on.  However, in general, I have been much better in Mexico about keeping my eyes open and giving a genuine smile in pictures than I am in the States.  It probably has to do with the sheer volume of pictures Mexicans take.  (Alma, me, Karina, Shania)
Here you can see some of the action.  It was disappointing when one of the "races" seemed completely fixed.  There was a 76 year old driver, so that was cool.  And most of the drivers were Americans with the exception of one.  And there was a female, who was allowed to win.

At the end of the race, around 10:15, they were doing the final show of the trucks.  Each truck got to do laps alone for a vote.  Each one broke down!  One had some sort of oil leak.  Another lost a tire.  The next got all off balance and the driver couldn't get out the door.  At that point, Alma shouted, "I want my money back!"  We all lost it.

We had also had a very funny moment when the announcer called "Unnamed and Untamed."  Unfortunately the announcer was Mexican and we were four English teachers.  He said, "Oon-AHM-edd and oon-TAIM-ed."  We quoted him all night.  

It was a fun free night.  I had no complaints.  I had a blast with the girls.  As usual.  Cue the tears.

Lunch...or not.

I took the Nuevo Culiacán bus downtown and talked to Panamá.  It wasn't super hot nor was it a super long distance, but I was sweaty by the time I got there.  I went in and they were already seated with beverages.  I was still stuffed from my too much tamal and Shania had just eaten breakfast at noon, so Beatriz was the only one to eat.  We talked about ways to improve the program, funny experiences, etc.  It was a great lunch.  I really hope I get to see Beatriz again before I leave. 

After lunch (at 6:30), I made my way back to the house to wait on Alma to pick me up for.... Monster Trucks.  

Don't judge.

Breakfast en la Primavera...sin fotos

So Sandra called me at 9:15 to make sure I was up and to inform me she was on her way.  I was ridiculously tired, but put on a happy face (and a cute dress and makeup) and got ready to go eat with her family.  She has a daughter my age.  Cristal taught in Inglés en Primaria with Shania years ago.  She's about my age and went to breakfast with us when Ashley was here.  There's another sister, but she couldn't come.  And then Jesús is 15 and doesn't talk much.  Her husband is Jorge I think.  He doesn't chat away (Sandra plays that role well), but when he does talk, it counts.  He was funny.

So they pick me up and ask me where I want to go for breakfast.  I have no preference and no plans, so I say whatever.  She asks me if I've eaten at La Primavera, and the answer is no.  Off we go.  I remember from many conversations that La Primavera is the part of town where the narcos live.  It's for the wealthiest of the wealthy.

But I figure if I'm with them, I'm good.

We get there, and it's a huge property.  It's owned by the Coppels who are a family from Culiacán that have a national department store.  Diana actually played at the Coppel daughter's wedding.  Don't ask me why their last name is Coppel because I don't know.

Cristal works in accounting for Coppel and they have some offices in this area.  There's a lake and there are lots of houses.  We made our way to the club at the back of the property.  The houses were your average Brentwood home.  Read: nice nice nice for Culiacán.  We went in and found a table on the back porch, overlooking the infinity pool and the lake.  There were several boys riding their bikes.  A few others were fishing.  Another boy was chasing his dog whose leash had escaped his hand.

We ordered a pitcher of orange juice and coffee.  I was thinking it was taking forever and then realized they were squeezing the oranges.  Sandra pointed out the "tamal cake" which isn't a really accurate desription.  She knows how I love tamales.  I ended up ordering that with chilorio, a sweet meat.  She got it with rajas which is sometimes green beans and sometimes pepper-like things (still green).  Everyone else kept looking over the menu.  The waiter just stood there waiting patiently as everyone looked and commented, having a hard time deciding.  I was picturing a waiter in the US sighing and asking if we needed a few more minutes and then running off to another table.  Sandra also ordered a fruit plate for us to all share.

The food came and it was nothing short of diving.  I mean, I love tamales, but these seemed extra creamy and sweet and perfect.  It also came with a little tortilla cup of beans.  Also yummy.  We talked about school and my travels and family and such.  It was a great meal and good time.

After breakfast, she asked me what I had to do that day.  Did I need to get back?  The last time she took me to breakfast (with Ashley in February), we were going to Altata with Marisela and Carlos and Mabel was pressuring us to get back early early.  I told her I had no plans and we could walk around the lake.  It was an overcast day, so I had my hair down and wasn't even sweating!

We got to just past the pool when a guard asked us if we had a lot there.  We said no and she informed us that we could only walk the width of the pool and that pictures were prohibited.  Big bummer.  We walked what we could.  Sandra said that the location required a lot of privacy since the home were American-style (no fences, bars on windows or locked gates).  I was thinking it was due to the illegal activity that brought revenue to those families.  I kept my thoughts to myself.

We walked to the car and all piled in to head back to Culiacán (it was the outskirts).  Sandra told her husband to stop at the Chata store so we could get some tamales.  She wanted me to take some with me to Guanajuato so the family from my school could enjoy them.  I was picturing 5-8 tamales.  Ha!  We went in, and she ordered a packet that included 4 each of elote (corn), piña, queso, and something whose name I don't remember, but it's a corn tamal with a spinach like filling.  Then she got 5 pork ones.  It seems there was another tamal order, but maybe not.  I of course couldn't pack 21 tamales or more in my suitcase, so I left some for Alma and Mamá.  (And me for when I get back!)  Then, there was another promotion going on for packages of beans, chilorio and this barbecue type meat.  She got that for me to take back to the US.  It's all packaged and doesn't expire until 2010.  It doesn't have to be refrigerated until opened.  I don't know that it'll make the cut due to weight, but we'll see!  SHe also wanted to buy me some soups, but I had to stop the madness.  I just can't get over her kindness.  Buying me a few tamales because she knows I like them is one thing.  Buying over 20 for a family she doesn't even know and will never meet is quite another.  I love this woman.  

She asked me if I had a cooler bag to transport them and if not we could stop at Sam's.  I lied and said yes because I knew they would last until Guanajuato.

She dropped me off at home and I almost teared up.  I guess I didn't have tears left.  In the car on the way from Chata to the house, she asked me if I had enjoyed Culiacán and I responded with an emphatic yes.  I explained how I had cried just the day before while chatting with Mom thinking about going back.  Mom and I were talking about some of the little things I was doing to get ready for my life back in the States (buying makeup of all things), and that had made me realize that I was leaving soon and Alma even sooner and I was just a wreck.  Well, as I was explaining that to Sandra, up came the tears again!

I gave her the goodbye kiss and made my way to the refrigerator and then up to my room.  Shania and I had plans for lunch with Beatriz later that afternoon, but I didn't have details.  I told her I was back from breakfast and to let me know the time and place.  4:00 at the Panamá Revolución.  Done.

Another Friday

I could really get used to this whole living-in-Mexico-but-not-working-but-making-money thing!  I slept in on Friday and then did laundry and such to get ready for my upcoming trip to Guanajuato.  A family from Lockeland has been there since June 6 attending language school.  Since we were in the same country, they invited me to come visit and stay with them (for free!).  I have wanted to see Guanajuato, so it was perfect!  I had bought my ticket after arriving back from Mazatlán for Sunday morning June 28 through Saturday morning, July 4.  I would fly cheaply from Culiacán to Guadalajara on Sunday and then take a bus to Guanajuato.  Originally I had hoped to tie in a visit to San Miguel Allende to see Lee Gentry, but she ended up having to leave last week before I could get there.  On my way back to Culiacán, I would stay two nights in Guadalajara to see the town while I was there.

Anyway, that was the reason for the packing.

That afternoon, I worked out and waited to hear what the plans were.  At the pool party on Wednesday, Shania had suggested we go to The Proposal.  I was pumped about it.  I got a text from Shania on Friday afternoon asking if we were going still.  I told her I wanted to go but we'd have to wait and hear from Alma since neither of us had a car. 

I heard from Alma later in the evening saying she couldn't go out because she had a baby shower with her mom and then was going to do some work for PISI (the Saturday English classes for kids) before getting into bed early.  I was bummed, but put on some comfy clothes and popped in Bride Wars.  It made me laugh.  In the middle of it, I got another text from Shania saying she was going to a party at 11, did I want to go (it was ten)?  I said sure.  I didn't know with whom, where or for how long, but this year has been the year of yeses in a very different way from being a "yes-person" in the US.

I got dressed and went downstairs, where Alma was working.  She shortly went to bed and off I went with Shania, who had borrowed her brother's car.  We were on our way to a bar when we got a call from Shania's friend Vicente, the one we were meeting.  He said they had to leave the bar.  We got all confused and met them at the Burger King parking lot.  Vicente was Shania's English student in high school several years back.  A friend of his was in town to play in the banda (that music that I don't love) at Salón 53.  They had to leave because it was time to go to the party.  We rode with them to the party and the four of us basically sat in the car for two hours until 1am when the band went on.  In hindsight, we should've gone in to hear them.  Apparently they're pretty famous.  Shania says internationally, though I don't buy that.  But we didn't want to crash a private party in Culiacán that could afford to bus this internationally famous band in.  It was probably a narco party.

I got home around 1:30 and was not excited about getting up early on Saturday.  I was excited, however, about breakfast with Sandra and her family, my reason for getting up early.