Day 37 - Watch where you walk!

Everybodies been telling me where to go..Del Charco Del Ingenio, a botanical garden located in the hills east of San Miguel de Allende. Today, I finally listened and took the journey. Believe it or not, I had no bus misadventures , as I caught the bus in front of my home away from home, made it to the bus station, transferred, got off at the right place and walked the 2km to the front gate. I may be slow but once I figured it all out...I seem to get it right...ok..I'm pushing my luck!

This may seem to be a strange time to mention several things, but I took pictures just so that I wouldn´t remember. First thing is the many of the streets in Mexico. or at least the cities I've been to, are made with cobblestones or simply ...rocks. For many reasons, it just makes sense. Rocks are in abundance, durable beyond belief and can easily be laid (unlike me). The down side after about 2 minutes driving on them they typically rattle your filings out. I quess I can just be thankful this is not a standard road building practice in Colville, as we have dirt roads.

The other thing is the speedbumps in Mexico. They are everwhere, and I swear they are so tall you could high-center the biggest of 4x4 trucks on one. They can even be found on freeways, such as those in Puerta Vallarta. One friday afternoon there was what must have been a five mile backup behind a set of speed bumps. I'm thinking the 120 foot tall pyramids down below Mexico were actually speed bumps for spaceships and provided prime examples to later highway designers.

Ok...now that I got those two thing out of the way, lets continue with today's adventure. The gardens, I was told, aren't best viewed this time of year, as most of the trees and small shrub were sans folliage and flowers. But I quess its better to see bare trees and cactuses rather than none at all. Im glad I took the trip today, not only were there alot of things to see the scenary was absolutely spectacular. In addition to the flora, there was alot of fauna- well at least waterfoul in a resevoir backed up behind a 100 year old stone constructed dam. In additon there were great walking paths that went around the outside of the park Located in a deep canyon 100 foot canyoun was a deep pool of water, that was naturally fed by a spring that had a little ancient curse. I was tempted to hike down to the pool, but I think curse might have had something to do with those foolish people that attemted the deep descension to the pool below. The first step was a doosey.

As I came to the western edge of the park, the whole city of San Miguel opened up before me, providing the best view in the week that Id been there. How fitting for my last full day. At the edge of the precipice, was a wonderful two storey stone hacienda, complete with wrought iron window detail. a built in bench made of concrete and many other very interesting features.

Also in the park was a covered shade area that housed some of the most unusual cactuses that Id ever seen, some of them almost looking like some alien species of plant. It was quite a collection.
By now I´d spent the better part of two hours and walked what must have been four miles, not including the mile and half I´d walked in from the bus stop, and I was getting tired and a little hungry. I headed back around 430, grabbed one of the fruit cups. If I haven´t mentioned the fruit cups in my previous posting, I almost live on these things. Street vendors will cut up an assortment of fruits and veggies and put them in a plastic cup, sprinkle chili powder and some fresh squeezed lime. The contents can include watermelon, papaya, pineapple, cucumbers, jicama, cantaloupe and honeydew. It´s the perfect lunch!

I decided to sit in the Jardin one last time. As I was sitting there, I ran into someone that I´d talked to several times at Cafe Etc. Lisa, from San Diegao, has been in San Miguel for the better part of three months helping an acquaintance open an art gallery and was just winding down her stay in SMA. Turns out that I, in silver armor and riding a white stallion, arrived in the nick of time, as she was trying to configure skype (which I will mention a little later in this blog). If I´d come a little later, I probably could have gotten a great deal on a new Mac I-book, maybe with a little bit of cosmetic damage. Accompaning Lisa was the cutest yorkie - Charlie, who has a most interesting characteristic. I guess Yorkies are known for not having the best of teeth and sometimes they need to be pulled. Anyway Charlie had six teeth pulled and her tongue has a tendancy to spend much of its time outside her mouth, so shes always sticks her tongue out. Hence Charlie and Lisa make friends absolutely everyplace they go.

As we were sitting there working on Lisas computer an older couple sat down on the bench beside them. The man got a camera out and started to take a pictue of his wife, and I went into my automatic mode of offering to take a picture of the both of them, they graciously accepted. About that time a younger lady showed up, probably a daughter and got her camera out to take a picture. I immediately slid next to the man, put my arm around him, while the daughter took the picture. We had a great laugh. Turns out the three of them were from southern Spain. There spanish though similar to what I had been hearing the last month, but different as it almost sounded Italian. We must have talked for a half hour. Wonderful people!!!

As long as I mentioning people I better plug a gentleman that I met on my way to the Garden - Jake. He and his wife are from Toronto and just bought a home in SMA. He was waiting in the Jardin for a gentleman that was going to help him with his FM3 card, sort of like a green card for foreigners. He and his wife have been hob-nobbing with the local ex-pat aristocracy and at times felt he needed to embellish his past...not quite sure why, as he used to be the Prime-Minister of Canada...wink.. wink

Ok..back to Charlie and her owner, tonight being my last night I wanted to go out and celebrate. Charlie graciously accepted with a wag of her tongue and the three of us headed to a local watering hole that I visited last week. Turns out it was 2 for 1 and a couple of margaritas I was primed for my walk to the bus station and eventually to home. I had a very restless night in anticipation of my return trip to Puerta Vallarta. I was hoping for some sign that would tell me to extend my vacation, none came...so it looks like I am NW bound. But I will continue to look for the sign until the wheels lift off the airport in PV.

Adios...my time in Mexico appears to be coming to an end...

My last full day in SMA... here are the Pictures