This would be my first attempt at staying connected consistently for an eight hour day to do my virtual job remotely, so I started the day with high anxiety. Failure would mean that I would soon be on the bus headed back to Texas, leaving Don here to soak up all the ambiance alone. I started off the day with two conference calls with India, the UK, and France, as well as a series of reports that were due. It didn’t take long to realize with a sense of great relief that thanks to my brothers diligent efforts and tireless tennacity, the set-up for work was actually WORKING! I could now relax and stay awhile!
View from the "library" where I have made my office
The office / library is an unbelievable place to work with a quiet, zen-like ambiance. I can’t remember a time when I was in a more pleasant atmosphere for working. Although I would much rather be out exploring the city, it is still enjoyable to be sitting in an office with windows that open out on a plant-filled courtyard, listening to a waterfall and a cacophony of birdsong.
The home where we are staying has a lot of open doors and alcoves, with a three story atrium covered by a glass skylight, so I was quite startled as I heard a fluttering noise overhead, and looked out the office opening overlooking the atrium to find a hummingbird inside, trying to escape through the skylight. Thankfully as I was trying to figure out a rescue solution (Can I trap him in the hammock??) he had flown back out the way he came. Hummingbirds are always so illusive; it was a unique experience to have to think about a rescue attempt!
Don and I planned to meet for lunch at 1:00pm on the corner near the Institute de Allende. I watched and waited anxiously, and when he hadn’t shown in 20 minutes, I grabbed some fruit and yogurt from the market and headed back home. Fearing heat stroke or something worse, I called his cell phone as soon as I walked in the door, only to hear him panting on the other line….his local cell phone was in the wrong time zone! We laughed at my ability to spend the morning on conference calls connecting to all points around the globe, yet we two could not connect a few blocks from each other!
La Posidita....restaurant with a view
What we missed for lunch, we more than made up for at dinner, visiting one of our very favorite spots, La Posidita, known equally for its food and movie set-like view. The outdoor restaurant at the top of two flights of stairs overlooks the cupolas of the historic Parroquia across the street. The food is excellent here, with freshly made guacamole, savory salsas, and frosted beer mugs. But the real draw is their authentic Pozole, or Mexican hominy stew, served with a round of accompaniments. Don has spent hours trying to perfect his own recipe, so La Posidita is always high on the priority list for at least one visit….more if time allows.
Don with his favorite Pozole
Fresh guacomole, made to order
La Parroquia, Neo-gothic church off the main square
No better way to walk off dinner than a stroll through the Jardin, or main square. It is off-season here in San Miguel, so the public areas have taken on a much different atmosphere than I have experienced on past visits during the holiday season when the sidewalks are overflowing with tourists. It is a quiet, sleepy setting with very few tourists, a few expats, but mostly local families milling about, socializing or enjoying an ice cream from the street vendors.
It was nice to discover the rooftop shower today. It is surrounded by a jungle of plants, so it affords at least some semblance of privacy, even in the great outdoors. There is no faster way to cool off on a 90 degree day than an outdoor shower! Even with nice, hot water, the cool breeze brings a bracing chill that is the next best thing to a siesta for us working folks!