A REMARKABLE DAY IN MORELIA

There is so much to tell you about today.  

First off we played with our dog Butch and she has grown so much I took some pictures of her.  Here she is when we first got her.

Here is the picture of her today.....

Just a tad bigger but still a sweet puppy.

After playing around with Butch we took off to look around Morelia for a rental.  On our drive the landscape was so fall looking that I took some pictures - here they are - 

 

The first thing that I do when I get into the city is head directly for Costco and I get a hot dog.  Nothing quite like a Costco hot dog.  However, today I noticed something that seemed a little odd about my hot dog.  

When I first got to Mexico, I noticed there were no pickles.  No kidding.  Could not find a dill or sweet pickle anywhere.  There are no pickles at the hot dog places - they are however, jalapeno peppers everywhere.  Instead of pickles you have jalapenos.  On sandwich's and on hot dogs - no pickles just jalapenos. 

Now what I saw that was odd about my hot dog today was is I had loaded it up with - you guessed it - jalapenos.  Must be turning more Mexican than I knew.  Plus - on the pizza's hot sauce and jalapenos go on top.  

Here comes the most remarkable thing that has happened to me in a long time.  I had to go to office deport to get some ink for my printer.  While I was there this sales person came to help me and she spoke English.  I told her why were were there and did she have any suggestions as to where to look for rentals.

She suggested that if we could come back when she got off work at 7PM she would help us.  Now that was nice of her.  So Ken and I took off to look at area's and collect telephone numbers and addresses.  

Now I must tell you that driving in large Mexican cities leaves me a little overwhelmed and usually lost.  Never the less I was determined to find housing.  

We found this lovely area with beautiful homes and collected phone numbers and address's for rental properties.  Here is the really strange thing - I actually found my way back to where I was to meet her and I was there at the right time.  There were moments of "totally lost" but basically I did find my way around the area.  Am I getting better at this or what?

She did get off work and we walked over to McDonald's so that she could phone the numbers that I had collected.  Rent in the area we really like was a little high for us.  Average rental in that area was around 539.00 USD a month.  

While we were talking about the price of rentals in that area, this man at the next table started talking to her in Spanish.  They carried on quite a long conversation.  He wanted to show us another area where he lives and the properties for rent there.  Now Rosa (that is her name) had to go to a convince store to pay her bill before she could go with us.  So we waited there while she walked to where she needed to go.

Well in the time that Rosa was paying her bill, this man and I got acquainted.  He spoke very good English!  Rosa came back and she does not have a car so she road with Ken and I while we followed this man to his house.  Once at his place, we left Ken in the car and we got into his car to drive the area.  Collected a lot of numbers that we will phone next time we all meet.  Found this one area that had security at the gates and they wanted to turn back.  The Realtor in me came out and I told them to drive up to the security gate.  Told the man to ask if there were any rentals in that area and he said there was one.   Then I asked the man at the gate if we could come in and look around and see the rental and get the number to call - he said sure and we did.  

Now here are these two strangers spending three hours with me helping me find a place to live and who gave me their email and their phone numbers to contact them when I can come back to town so that they can help me more.  

I just can not relate how wonderful I felt.  After the experiences here in Patzcuaro, I was about ready to just give up on people here in Mexico.  

I took a picture of Rosa and the least I can do is paint her.  I had just started on a painting but I will paint over that one and paint her.  

This is the painting that I had started last night.

This is a picture of Rosa calling numbers for me and speaking to the owners in Spanish.  

I told Rosa that I wanted to take her picture to paint her and she let her hair down and this is her picture.

This is the Rosa I will paint and then as a thank you I will give her the painting.  And Rosa, thank you for your kindness.  The man - well I did not get his picture but his name and number will be in my file and I will connect with him again.  What lovely helpful people they were.  How every thankful I am that I know these two people.  They are both keepers, and I will not let them go.