John and Carolyn’s house in SMA is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. I will take more pictures later so you can see it, but there are some photos on our SMA page. It is the perfect home for a group of our size. Elizabeth has a bedroom with a bathroom. Norah and I are sharing another bedroom with a bathroom. Adlani has the study, and las tres amigas have the guest bedroom and bathroom which are through the small enclosed courtyard. There are several outdoor spaces within their home – the entryway, the courtyard where the girls’ room is, the roof, and a new garden that they are in the process of building. There are lots of flowers blooming in the gardens and the smell is heavenly. I’ll dedicate a whole post to showing you the house when I have some photos.
When we arrived from the airport, our housekeeper Maria was just taking muffins out of the oven. We were so happy to settle in with a snack! The water at the house is filtered, so we have plenty of water and ice that is safe to drink. We explored the house and got all of our stuff unpacked and put away, then took a short nap before we went out exploring.
Around 7 p.m. we walked up to the main square of town, el Jardin Principal. On the way we saw a horse and carriage, a band, and giant puppets called mojingangas. They were blocking traffic as they waited to begin their procession, and although there were a few beeps, the drivers seemed resigned to sit there waiting for 15 minutes or so. Then everyone took off for the square.
There’s a webcam in el Jardin (you can see it here), and for the last 6 months Elizabeth and I have checked it whenever we’re feeling the need to “get away.” Last night we were finally able to see it in person, and Ben saw us on the webcam! There is a film festival going on here right now so there was a band on stage in the square and TONS of people. We ate at the restaurant that hosts the webcam – a little thank-you for helping to keep us sane the last 6 months. While we were eating, various people came to try to sell us souvenirs. When Carlos came with personalized bracelets and said that he could make them for each of the kids then and there, we had to take him up on it. It was pretty amazing to watch him make them. We saw him again in the square this morning and it was like we were old pals.
We could see an epic lightning storm while we were having dinner, but nobody around us seemed too worried about it. There was still quite a crowd in el Jardin. After dinner we went straight home and it started to rain soon after. It cooled off a lot and we all slept like logs.
What we learned the first day:
- Don’t leave home without the (big) camera.
- Bring raincoats because when it cools down it happens quickly, and it could rain any time.
- Watch the sidewalks at all times because there are holes, steps, and other hazards.
- Mexican pizza does not have mozzarella cheese on it (maybe some does but we haven’t found it yet).