We spent three nights in a quaint inn near the center of town called Hotel Posada Maria Luisa... It wasn't anything fancy but for about 70 bucks a night (which included free parking and a hot breakfast on the rooftop terrace every morning) it was good enough for what we needed. Our goal these last few days has been to find markets, laundry mats, etc. within walking distance of my school. Our days were spent sightseeing, Googling-mapping and taking mental notes of where places were located and our nights were spent having rooftop dinners and whining about how much we were going to miss each other over the next few weeks... (Okay, maybe it was just me whining.)
Anyway, here's my take on the town at first glance...
What I like about San Miguel so far:
- The 1500's colonial architecture -- I've always been a huge history nerd and love all things ancient and ornate, so it's a very visually stimulating town to roam around in. I've never been to Europe, but it's how I imagine Spain looked a few hundred years ago. It's almost like going back in time. You can tell very little has changed about the streets and the facades of the houses and buildings since it was established in 1542. In fact, there aren't really even signs on businesses, and I imagine it's to keep the "authenticity" of the city. You can't look down a long, narrow street and spot a bank or a OXXO or a restaurant...you don't really know you've found something until you're literally at a (super old) door step. It almost feels like a "secret city" and places are only found by stumbling past a doorway and everything is kept hidden from the street behind tall, stone walls... It seems like it would take years to fully explore every boutique or cafe tucked away from street view.
Parroquia San Miguel Arcangel, built in the 17th century and one of the most photographed churches in all of Mexico...
- Vibrant and unique -- I get why people are drawn to San Miguel...it's very colorful and has a magical, charming, old world feel to it. I'm sure I'll get to witness a lot of the city's character over the next month. Stay tuned.
- Rooftop views -- Because San Miguel is kinda sunken in the middle like a bowl and then it expands up the hills in all directions the rooftop views here are incredible. We ate dinner at Luna Tapas Bar above the Rosewood Hotel right around sunset and it was stunning... You could stand anywhere on the roof and turn in a full circle and see for miles and miles in every direction. If you ever go to San Miguel, add this as a "must do" while you're there. (These photos are just from Google...photos I took on my phone didn't do a damn bit of justice.)
The view from the rooftop of our hotel...
- Shopper's Paradise -- Had I known what a shopping mecca this place was, I woulda brought an extra suitcase to fill up! From the never-ending Mercado de Artesanias (artisan market), to little hole-in-the-wall boutiques, to the art galleries and jewelry stores...I could spend a week here just shopping (and I don't even like to shop!) I feel like a lot of the clothes and goods in the Bay are more mass-produced, touristy stuff and everything I've seen here definitely looks authentic and high-quality. I've seen so many cute Mexican shirts, handmade leather sandals, ornate handbags, stunning jewelry... I want it all! Another thing I liked about the large mercado in town was that none of the vendors were aggressively trying to get us to come in their booth like they do in Bucerias and Vallarta...I was able to browse without feeling anxious or pressured. (Note to self: check to see if I can upgrade my plane ticket home to include two checked bags instead of one.) Ty, of course, is super glad that I have no extra space in my suitcase so I can't spend any money...
- Fresh Markets -- The farmer's markets are a foodie's dream come true. I don't think I'll have any problem eating healthy while I'm here, although, I might be eating more vegetarian fare if I'm cooking for myself at home. Don't forget... I only claim to be "Mexican-ish" and walking past the row of butcher shops yesterday kinda made my stomach do a salmonella-filled back flip. Not sure I'm brave enough to buy raw meat that looks to be kept at questionable temperatures yet. (What a wuss.) I'll save the proteins for the professional chefs to cook and feed to me.
- My hair isn't pyscho -- I'm frizz free!! I can flat iron my hair!! I don't look like a mix between a lion and a deranged poodle!!
- I haven't sweat a drop yet -- Even though Ty and I spent two days hoofing it around on foot to try and get a feel for the town, I have yet to break a sweat. After months and months of feeling so blasted hot and sticky and uncomfortable and my face melting clean off my skull, the climate here is FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC. It still gets up into the 80s in the afternoons, but the humidity is like a third of what it is back in Vallarta. I get to wear makeup and look slightly less homeless for a few weeks! Hallelujah!
- I need a blanket at night! I actually think heaters are more common here than air conditioners! If right now is the "hottest time of year" for San Miguel, I'm sure we'd never have to use A/C if we lived here. It's downright comfortable all day and night. I bet the winters actually get cold... Wouldn't that be nice. Ahhh. Also, it hasn't rained here yet, but I'll be interested in comparing the thunderstorms here to back home...
- I get to wear jackets and hoodies! As a girl from the Pacific Northwest, this has me feeling all kinds of warm and fuzzy inside. It's been in the high 50s to low 60s in the mornings and we both had to wear a jacket to eat breakfast on the roof of our hotel each morning. I get to have an entire month of comfy blankets and long sweats. And bonus, I also get to skip out on a whole month of Vallarta in the summer. (Blech.)
- Snuggling with Ty -- Ty wasn't a big, clammy ball of sweaty grossness at all this weekend. It's a miracle! I actually feel bad that he has to drive back to Vallarta today... That's gonna be like walking into a wall of swamp when he gets home.
- No mosquites -- I get bit by mosquitoes like at least 20-30 times a day (despite using every kind of repellent known to man) and I have yet to see a single one since we arrived 4 days ago. It's so nice not to be slapping and scratching my legs all day. (All the temperature-related bullet points probably seem silly to people who don't live here, but it's amazing how much personal comfort enhances or takes away from your quality of life and mental sanity. It's a very real thing.)
This was from a week ago after sitting down at the computer for like 5 whole minutes...
- Less litter and stray animals -- the streets seem cleaner here and the only dogs we've seen have been on leashes or with their owners. So, I guess I won't be rescuing any puppies and stowing them away in my luggage while I'm here. (Darn it.)
- Food! -- There are tons of tasty restaurants here... I'm sure I could go to a different place for dinner every night and not even scratch the surface. But, sadly, I will be spending most nights at home in an effort to eat healthy and save money. (Boring.)
And now for what I DON'T like about San Miguel, because this blog post wouldn't be complete without me complaining...
- Big, noisy and crowded -- I didn't do a whole lot of research before we arrived (shocker) but I had seen lots of photos and heard many people talk fondly about the charming town and for whatever reason I imagined it as a SMALL, quaint and quiet. But, nope. It's a bustling CITY of over 150,000 people and it feels like it's bursting at the seams with cars, buses, taxis and pedestrians at all hours of the day. It's definitely charming, but it is not quiet.
- Narrow streets and sidewalks -- Because the town is a bazillion years old, the streets are all very narrow (some as narrow as 10 feet across) and there is very little two-way traffic here. I'm afraid to step off the curb in fear that a lumbering bus (that doesn't even look like it should fit down the road) is gonna run me over...because even though the roads are narrow and traffic is crazy, no one seems very concerned with slowing down while driving through town. I haven't seen any traffic lights or stop signs here either...every intersection is basically like a 4-way stop and you just take turns going. It seems messy and chaotic. (This is definitely a "nope" for yours truly.) And the sidewalks are even worse...they're only about 2 feet wide, not wide enough for you and an oncoming person to both stay on the sidewalk while passing each other, and it also seems that locals aren't concerned if they run you over either. Walking around town, you're constantly going up and down the curb to let people pass while also hoping that stepping into traffic isn't going to kill you.
- No parking -- Also, due to the skinny streets and lack of shoulders, there's a major lack of parking here. On any road that is wide enough for two cars to pass, they have designated parking sections (turning the road into a one-way) and everywhere else is off limits. Driving here makes driving back in Vallarta look like a piece of cake!
- Expats here don't seem as friendly and welcoming as back home -- It could just be my imagination, and time will tell, but I get the impression that expats aren't as friendly as they are in the Bay. Walking down the street the past couple of days in our shorts and flip flops, I feel like we've been looked up and down a few times by other gringos...and I imagined they were thinking, "Ugh. Tourists." As if they had more of a right to be here than we do. Maybe it's just in my head, but in Vallarta it feels like everywhere you go, other expats are eager to introduce themselves, ask where you're from, ask your "expat story," etc. So, I'll be interested to see if that ever happens here... I'm not counting on it.
- On a related note, I feel like a gringo tourist again and not a Mexican Resident of 16 months -- The same thing happened when we visited Guadalajara last summer...we looked/felt really out of place. We live in a small, laid back beach town, so we wear tank tops and flip flops every day! Well... people living inland don't (Mexicans and Americans alike), and I'm sure they know we're "not from around here."
The same is also true about crime and travel warnings in Mexico... Canceling your vacation to Puerto Vallarta because you heard about all the tainted alcohol problems in Cancun is like cancelling your trip to Miami because there was a mall shooting in Los Angeles. After living here a while, it's just amazing to me how most Americans lump Mexico into one big bowl of guacamole. It's SO MUCH more than that! Te quiero Mexico!
Anyway...back to my pointless lists.
- I'm gonna get lost a lot -- Because the streets all have the same style of tall walls and you can't see in any one direction very far, I've had a hard time figuring out where I am and where I need to go to get from A to B. Even Ty was having a hard time and he's like a magical compass. I normally have a really good sense of direction, but I haven't quite figured out up from down yet...a lot of streets look exactly the same! And with very few business signs or identifying markers, it's hard to remember which corner you need to turn on, etc. Imagine being trapped in a life-size maze with 3-story walls. It's like that.
- Walking -- the streets and sidewalks are all made of the same slick, black, flat stone and they're slippery to walk and drive on. And San Miguel is hilly, so walking around in flip flops is quickly proving to become a tricky problem. I can't imagine how slick it's going to be after it rains. I wish I would have packed more than one pair of Nikes.
- The elevation -- This one is a pro and a con. San Miguel is at 6,500 feet above sea level and that's why it feels so nice and cool, but having lived below 500 feet for the last 20 years of my life, I'm having a hard time breathing here! I lose my breath a couple times a minute at least, so trying to exercise here should be interesting.
- Men are in charge, apparently -- At least 3-4 times this past weekend when we've gone into a tienda to buy something, I've handed the money to the cashier and then he hands the change to Ty. Even though I'm standing RIGHT THERE WITH MY HAND OPEN AND WAITING and even though I'm the one who paid him. What the hell is up with that?? Even Ty noticed and admitted that wasn't right.
- I'm gonna get homesick -- It may come as a surprise, but I'm pretty obsessed with my husband and my perfect pupper and not being able to annoy either of them with smoochies for a whole month makes my heart twinge. I hope I'm really busy with school and that I can use homework and studying and reading and writing pointless blather for my mothers to read to keep me distracted from the fact that I'm gonna sleep alone for 29 straight nights, because if get really homesick it's going to make this a really long four weeks and a lot of whiney phone calls to Ty.
Well, that's all that came to mind my first weekend here... I'm interested to see how I'll feel about San Miguel by the time I leave.
I arrived at my little Spanish School around 11:00 this morning and have been settling in okay... I have a bedroom to myself, but it's meant to sleep 3 people, so it's really big and empty-feeling. It's very, very quiet here and so far there's only one other student staying in the "dorms" with me, although I haven't met her yet. I'm assuming there will only be a couple students total since this is their "slow time" but I guess that just means I'll be getting private tutoring instead of making any new friends. I wasn't really given much of an "orientation" when I arrived, so I don't really know what I'm supposed to do in the morning or where I need to go, but I guess I hafta just figure it out all adult-like!
Well, I'm off to bed... Buenas noches!
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