Morelia, Mexico: an unexpected, delightful detour!

Dormant volcano

Cruising along two hundred kilometres south of Guadalajara, on the #15 multi-lane toll highway, the surrounding land is fertile, richly coloured. 

Numerous dormant volcanic mountains tower in the distance, their peaks obscured by low clouds. The earth resembles grated cinnamon, unsweetened dark chocolate, and freshly ground coffee. 

And the air smells of burning oil.  That can’t be good.
 
We turn off the road at a highway service area into the PeMex station, and shut off the truck. Burning oil, dripping from an engine gasket onto the hot exhaust pipe. The gas jockeys gather around the truck, offering suggestions in Spanish and pointing. Lawrie has a pretty good idea of the problem. We add a litre of oil, and buy two more as a backup. We decide to turn back, at least as far as the previous highway exit, to a place called Morelia.

Morelia Centro

Our first turn-back opportunity is at a toll booth populated with a dozen or so State Police. I’m driving. I power down the window and sputter a few words, hopefully explaining that the truck is broken. “Camioneta rota. Regreso a Morelia.” 

It works. They laugh. Smile. And let us do a U-turn on the highway, picking up the traffic cones, waving us through, joking about the smoke pouring out from under the truck.  

Not the usual reaction we have had with Mexican State Police in our home state of Quintana Roo. (Perhaps I mistakenly said that his stilettos were pretty? Or that he had peanut butter stuck to his eyebrow?”)

Service Manager David and Lawrie discussing Sport Trac

We make our way to Morelia and ask the local police how to find the Ford Dealership. More smiles. Shoulder shrugs. And then a passerby helps out.  “Straight ahead, through town, and it’s on the left.” Easy! Sure.

Morelia is a big, beautiful city of around four million inhabitants, and that day, the main street was closed due to an accident.  

Morelia Centro on Saturday night

We spent the next hour trying to find our way around the various hilly side streets, following first one taxi then another. I pulled over at a little vehicle repair shop and asked for help; more directions in Spanish, and a hand-drawn map. 

As I got back into the truck, the shop owner’s son pulled up beside me on his motorcycle. “Follow me!” He zipped along back streets, one-way streets, and tight corners, and then we were there. He waved off our offer of a tip for his efforts.  Just smiled and waved. Gone.

We are now completely captivated by the City of Morelia.  Beautiful and friendly. 

David, the Ford Dealership Service Department manager, was very helpful, but it was Saturday, and they had already closed the service department for the day. All the mechanics had finished work at two in the afternoon, and were done until nine in the morning on Monday. There was nothing for us to do but find a decent hotel for a couple of nights and explore the city. David handed our taxi driver a Ford Service Department coupon for a complimentary taxi ride to a hotel. He suggested the Alameda Hotel, near the gorgeous cathedral in Centro. It was an interesting hotel, composed of three old hacienda-style buildings. The sturdy stone walls made the hotel rooms extremely quiet and cool.

Musicians in Morelia Centro Saturday night

Saturday night, Centro was buzzing with people. People gathered in the cathedral square to watch entertainers, chat with friends, or enjoy a drink in a sidewalk café. It was fascinating. We spent the next two days exploring the city on foot and by tour bus. 

Originally settled in the 7^th century, the city was later settled by the Spanish in 1525 and renamed Valladolid in 1541. The name was later changed to Morelia in 1828, to honour a local hero, José Maria Morelos Y Pavón, for his part in the War of Independence from Spain.

Sunday morning mayhem in Centro Morelia

Sunday morning, we stepped outside of our hotel to be confronted by an odd sight; dozens of people riding bicycles, children on plastic pedal cars, teenagers on roller blades with dogs running along beside. Not a car in sight. We wandered, snapping photographs and exploring side streets. 

By Monday we were anxious to make a decision on the truck: repair, or not. We returned to the Ford Service Department.  A part was required, but it could take two or more weeks. David said we could drive the vehicle as long as we checked the oil frequently.  Lawrie asked them to balance the front tires, and said we would be back in the morning to get the truck.

One of dozens of shoe shine stands in Centro

Lawrie made a phone call to the company in California that supplied and imported the Sport Trac for us. They apologized profusely. They suggested we could either leave it in Morelia or, if we wanted, we could drive it back to Guadalajara and leave it with their representative there. They would find us a better vehicle, quickly. 

In the meantime, on our last night in Morelia, Lawrie happened upon a nearby restaurant that had great reviews on the internet: Casa Grande. We decided to treat ourselves to a good dinner.  It wasn’t just good, it was fabulous! Appetizers, rack of lamb, dessert, and wine, the total bill was around 80 dollars.  It was our tastiest dinner out in four years, including our recent trip to France and Italy. 

Roof top view at Casa Grande Restaurante in Morelia

Leaving Morelia on Tuesday morning, we had an interesting drive through the scenic secondary roads back to Guadalajara, and back to our original hotel. We flew home to Isla on Wednesday.

We’ll continue our cross-country adventure at a later date, including a one-night return to the lovely City of Morelia. 

It was an unexpected, delightful detour.

Hasta pronto

Lynda & Lawrie

Grab your copy today!

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Or

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky

Guadalajara, Mexico: a shopping mecca!

Over-the-top-shopping-experience!

Guadalajara is the second-largest city in Mexico. It's huge! 

It’s a busy, thriving area with many types of industry nearby, including glass blowing. 

Nearly every drinking glass, bowl, chandelier, or vase that you have seen in other parts of Mexico was made here in Guadalajara. 

We spent three nights in Guadalajara and didn't buy anything.

Off the plane and straight to Krispy Kreme!

We were on a mission to take possession of an Explorer Sport Trac being imported from California into Mexico for us. Bringing a used vehicle into Mexico is a whole other story that Lawrie will write about in a subsequent blog. 

Since we were waiting to be sure the vehicle had actually arrived in the city, we didn’t buy a lot of things just in case we had to return to Isla Mujeres via airplane instead of driving home. 

In the meantime, we window-shopped.  On our first day, we took a taxi ride out to Tlaquepaque in the suburbs. It’s a fabulous area. 

Think of Murano glass from Italy on steroids; chandeliers that required a house with twenty-foot ceilings, glassware in every colour, size, pattern and description.  Antiques from all over Mexico. Pottery. Furniture. Designer studios and rustic furnishing. I was in heaven looking at it all. And in Hell because I couldn’t buy anything!

Drove twenty miles past our turn off!

The second day, we took another taxi ride to nearby Tonala, a suburban area specializing in more traditional Mexican handicrafts. This driver was a hundred times more entertaining than the one we had the day before. 

Our first clue should have been when he hollered across the street to a friend, asking how much he should charge for the fare to Tonala. 



Tonala Centro

As we ricocheted along the streets of Guadalajara, our driver never quite seemed to be in control of the vehicle. Finally, we were on the very busy multi-laned Highway 15. We passed the first turnoff of Tonala, but we weren’t concerned. There is usually another exit a few kilometres along. Then the second turnoff zipped past. By now, our driver was waving his hands around, muttering a lot in Spanish. 

We got the gist of his problem. There were no more turnoffs. Okay then. Mexico City, here we come!

As we rocketed along the highway for another twenty kilometres, he finally spotted an exit for another suburban community. He zipped off, tried a few different roads, and then noticed an under-the-highway drainage culvert, wide enough for the car. And that became our turnaround road. Finally arriving in Centro of Tonala, we exited the taxi, giggling wildly at our adventure. Entertainment is where you find it.  

Lawrie shopping in Tonala

We spent the remainder of the day meandering up and down the many side streets in Tonala, looking at the various displays of pottery, furniture, and yet more glassware. 

Nope.  Still not buying.

Returning to the Hotel Morelos, a lovely old colonial hacienda located in the centre of old Guadalajara, we decided a cold drink was next on the agenda. Luckily for us, the first week of September is celebrated in Guadalajara as the Day of the Mariachis. 

We had the pleasure of listening to live music in our hotel lobby, across the street in the square, and near the gorgeous 160-year-old Guadalajara Cathedral, located in the heart of the historic centre of the city. 

One of the Mariachi bands participating in festival

Friday night, our last night, we wandered around the historic district, snapping photos of the many locals enjoying the start of the weekend. 

When I downloaded my photos to our laptop computer, I thought that I must have held the camera at a slight angle as one of the spires of the cathedral had a decided lean to it. 

It turns out the cathedral was damaged in several earthquakes spanning from 1932 to 2003. There is a slight tilt to the north tower and structural damage to the dome.  The cathedral is still in daily use. I would be saying my prayers with my fingers crossed.

Guadalajara Cathedral in Centro damaged by earthquakes

As for the shopping, we took delivery of the white Sport Trac, and we are on our way towards Puebla, another shopping mecca. 

No worries.  We can still fill the truck with good stuff.

Hasta pronto

Lynda & Lawrie

Grab your copy today!

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Or

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky

Bureaucracy - gone international. Lawrie’s turn to write

Heading to Canadian Consulate in Cancun.

No…not Mexico, but in Canada and the USA.

It’s time. Time for us to renew our passports, and since we live year-round in Mexico, we decided to renew them from here. First, we travelled to the Canadian Consulate in the hotel zone of Cancún to obtain the proper forms. We were told we could not use the quick renewal process, requiring only two new photos and our old passport. This service is available to Canadians living in Canada, the USA, Lebanon, Guinea, Cape Verde, Gambia and Senegal. It is not available to the estimated 500,000 Canadians living full or part-time in Mexico. We are given the long form to fill in, requiring two new photographs, a qualified guarantor such as a lawyer or doctor, our birth certificates, and our old passports. 

A week later: okay, got it all. We returned to the Cancún Consulate and paid for two passport renewals in exact cash; no change available, and no credit cards accepted. The Consul checked our forms for errors and told us to send the completed forms and the receipt, with a pre-paid return envelope included, to the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City. Done.

Filling out the request for new birth certificate

Then we waited. I emailed the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City twice. “Did you receive our applications?” The first reply was: “We don’t do visa applications.”  Really? Well, that is certainly a useful, or perhaps useless, piece of information.  “Again, did you receive our applications?”  No response. 

And we waited some more. Two and a half weeks later, the Consul in Cancún phoned to say there was a problem with my passport application. My birth certificate was no longer valid. You can probably feel the steam coming from my ears by now. “Not valid? I have had my birth certificate for 70+ years, and now it’s no good! Did I exceed the best-before date?” 

Apparently, the Province of Manitoba, in their infinite wisdom, decided to change to a more secure form of birth certificates. The bureaucrats merely neglected to publish the information, as I discovered in an internet article written in 2009 discussing a similar situation. Lynda, who was born in British Columbia, Canada, does not have to replace her birth certificate. It’s an old, folded, faded piece of paper much like mine, but still valid. The Consul said they would hold our passport renewals in Mexico City until my new birth certificate arrived.



UPS in Cancun - birth certificate arrives

So, back to the computer I go.  I obtained the necessary forms online from the Manitoba government, downloaded, printed, and filled in the appropriate spaces. But the Manitoba government will not accept a scanned copy. The completed form must be faxed. With much searching around on the island, I located an internet business that had an antique fax machine, disconnected, but available for use after a warm-up period. Off goes my application, along with my credit card information to pay for the $100.00 speedy approval and expedited return courier service. Wow! They did an eighteen-hour turnaround. The new birth certificate was on its way.

The courier special delivery envelope, with one thin sheet of paper, got as far as US Customs in Louisville, Kentucky. And there it sat – for six long days – waiting to be processed through US Customs. Finally, someone decided that my birth certificate was not a matter of US national security and cleared it through. 

Birth certificate headed to Mexico City

Back to Cancún again. This time to the UPS courier office where we picked up the envelope, cut it open, and addressed a new courier envelope to the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City. Luis at the UPS office was terrific, very helpful. UPS had my birth certificate delivered the next day in Mexico City. 

At 9:00 in the morning, I called the Consular Section in Mexico City. The French-Canadian woman, working at the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City, answered in French. It took me a few attempts before I was able to communicate what I wanted. “What was the expected delivery date of our new passports?” 

The reply…15 working days. We’ll see.  

For once, both Canada and the USA have out-bureaucratized Mexico!

And then one final frustration: today's email from the Canadian Embassy, dated August 30, 2012

Dear Canadian citizens,

As of September 17, 2012, Canadians living in Mexico, who meet specific eligibility criteria, will be able to apply for a new Canadian passport through the simplified renewal application process. 

 

Our passports are already 3/4 of the way through the renewal process, and the rules have changed.

Hasta pronto

Lawrie & Lynda

                Grab your copy today!

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Or

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky

 

Easing up to the end of summer, Isla Mujeres Mexico!

Brisas Restaurante - a favourite place for a cool dinner.

This week has been hot and sticky, with high humidity that spikes just before the rain showers hit. We are moving more slowly and spending more time hiding in the shade or floating in the pool. 

If we are eating out, I have one question. Is there a breeze at that location? 

The various car and passenger ferries are still busy bringing tourists to the island. Travellers come to enjoy the beaches, deep sea fishing, the release of baby turtles and whale shark tours. 

Hundreds of tourists from Cancun

This week, the municipality hosted drag races, held on the Navy airport runway.  It was amusing to watch as the scheduled start time of Saturday morning became Saturday afternoon, then Sunday morning, and finally, around noon on Sunday, there were some races. Apparently, the problem was that some of the contestants were not able to get across on the car ferry in time.  T.I.M. This is Mexico.

We are just a few days away from the first of September, the slowest month of the year for tourism. A few friends who operate bars or restaurants are closing for the month to give everyone their annual holidays, and to do a general cleanup of their properties. Most students are back in school, and there aren’t any important national holidays until Independence Day on September 16^th. Despite this being the slow season, the real estate agents have been doing a booming business selling building lots and a broad spectrum of houses in various price ranges. 

Drag races on the old airport

This is also the time of year that we look around our house, making note of various small repairs that need doing.  And then we say, “Let’s wait until hurricane season is over.” In other words, we are putting it off until the weather cools down, but blaming our laziness on the possibility of storms undoing our repairs or painting. The trouble with waiting too long is that all the good repairmen will be busy as the returning North Americans arrive in October and November for the winter.  Even houses that are boarded up for the summer need repairs. Things rust. Corrode. Stop working. Then it’s a scramble to get all the repairs done before the social season revs up. 

Rain is coming!

At the moment, we are lazing around and enjoying our slothfulness. Lawrie is blissfully floating in the pool, and I am about to join him. Ah, summer. 

Hasta pronto

Lynda & Lawrie

Grab your copy today!

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Or

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky

How do you make a grown-up grin like a little kid?

Linda G. and her baby turtle

How do you make a grown-up grin like a little kid? Hand her a squirming baby turtle.  

The result is a wide, face-splitting grin.

Arriving on Media Luna beach, near the north end of the island, we fully expected the turtle release start time would be approximate, más o menos, meaning more or less, accompanied by the appropriate mocking hand wiggle-waggle.

Surprisingly, the event started on time! 







Large green tubs of wriggling baby turtles were transported on a flat-deck truck from the turtle farm, getting as close to the beach as possible.

Then, individual turtle farm workers lifted the heavy buckets overhead, toting the turtles down to the beach.

Covetous hands of all sizes stretched out, pushing plastic buckets and containers towards the workers as they carefully scooped handfuls of turtles to distribute to the crowd. 

Joann with baby turtle

My sister Joann, Lawrie’s sister Linda, and island friends Andy and Yumiko were as excited as anyone; holding the babies up for photos, releasing them onto the sand for the dash to the water, and groaning when the surf unceremoniously tossed ‘their turtle’ back on the beach.

How anyone could tell which turtle was their turtle – I have no idea.

They are all small, all moving, and all about the colour of dried seaweed. At this point in their lives, these turtles are about one inch tall, and the waves were about twelve inches high - similar to a human swimming in twelve-foot waves.    

Birds arriving to feast on babies

As the flocks of predatory birds swooped over the waves, plucking up the unlucky ones, I couldn’t help but think that maybe a slightly later start time would have been better. 

Timing is everything. 




Photographers in surf

It becomes a fine balance between creating the right lighting for good photographs to increase the interest in the turtle release program, and dark enough that the maximum number of babies will at least survive the initial launch.  

Without the assistance of the hatching program, a baby turtle has a one-in-a-thousand chance of surviving.

 



I am NOT touching that!

This year, (2012), in the first three months of turtle season, the workers have collected a record-breaking 65,000 eggs. The increase in collected eggs will hopefully increase the number of babies maturing to adults. The lucky ones that survive predators and spinning boat propellers and occasional un-sanctioned hunting will return to Isla in about fifteen years to mate and start the cycle all over again.  

Andy, Yumiko, first turtle release

We have been involved with the fun of previous releases, but this one was far more entertaining. We were with a group of family members and friends who had not seen a turtle release. 

Their grins were delightful; their enjoyment infectious. Great memories.

Unfortunately, in recent years, the public participation in turtle releases has been suspended for the health of the babies. 

Hasta Luego

Lynda & Lawrie

Murder and mayhem on your favourite island in the Caribbean

Grab your copy today!

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Or

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky

Turtles and Thunderstorms: Isla Mujeres, Mexico!



A perfect summer's day on Isla Mujeres

August: turtles and thunderstorms just seem to go together. The turquoise seas are calm, winds are zephyr-light, the cloudless skies are painted a cerulean blue, and the temperature hovers at a comfortable thirty degrees Celsius, or ninety-something on the Fahrenheit scale. 

The weather is perfect for the mama turtles to make their annual trek to the beaches, digging deep holes with their flippers and abandoning their buried eggs to their fate. And then, a storm bounces past the island!  

The beginning of Hurricane Ernesto.

Tropical storms and hurricane season correspond almost exactly to the mating and egg-laying season for the giant sea turtles, starting in June and ending in late October. 

It is either a perfect symbiotic relationship or a colossal joke played on these lumbering beasts. 

In the absence of my owning a PhD in the science of sea turtles, I am surmising that the relationship has developed over the millennia to accommodate a supply of food for the turtles as they gather to participate in a little fun with members of the opposite sex. 

Otherwise, why do it?


At the south end of Isla Mujeres sea turtles mate.

A few days ago, an enterprising turtle laboriously flippered her way across the upper level of the beach in front of our casa and all along in front of the vacation rental complex of Punta Piedra, looking for the perfect place to lay her eggs. 

She eventually headed back to sea eight houses north of our casa, apparently unsuccessful in finding the perfect spot. 



A mama sea turtle's long march during the night.



The following night, two visitors staying next door set their alarm clock to wake them in the wee hours of the morning and were rewarded with the sight of a female turtle investigating the same beach for nesting possibilities. 

They waited quietly and patiently in the dark, hardly daring to move for fear of spooking the turtle. 

As it turned out, she wasn't satisfied with the depth of the sand and returned to the ocean to try again, someplace else.  These ladies are very finicky.

Watching the wind-swollen surf pound the island.

In the aftermath of a nearby hurricane, with the wind-swollen surf pounding our beaches, do the female turtles have regrets? 

"Darn!  I wish I'd laid my eggs yesterday."  

Hasta Luego
Lynda and Lawrie

 ~

Murder and mayhem in paradise!

Denise Walker Corley's pooch enjoying Isla Mujeres Mysteries.

Grab your copy today!

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Or

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky