A Trip And A Birthday Party

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

I wrote this a week ago and never posted it. Sorry, no pictures! We just arrived in San Antonio to begin our month long road trip via car and Airbnb.  I will post tomorrow.  Too pooped but it was a great day!

It was the usual trip.  We drove to San Miguel de Allende.  I was still feeling pretty puny from COVID.  Some days I wake up fine and others I feel like I've been hit in the head.  Since then though, it seems to be fading and most days are good.  The drive down was plagued with constant construction and long lines.  In addition, the road from Dolores Hidalgo to SMA is under fast track construction so it was an hour long adventure.

The house was fine and it stays extremely clean and dust free.  I guess we have taken the necessary steps to keep it pretty much air tight.  Funny, we store things in the studio that we want to take south with us.  When we left the house we forgot it all including the tool box.  I don't traveling without it.

We spent most of the week taking morning walks going to markets, visiting friends and taking nice naps.  Nothing was done to the house but that will be next time when we go in October.

My birthday included a pedicure and a foot massage VIP.  It was the best ever.  We go to a business at the mall up on the hill, Luciernega where the Liverpool is located.  Before though, we ate at a great restaurant at the mall with outdoor seating.  Very reasonable as was the pedicure.  Some gringos go to these places where they spend tremendous amounts of money thinking they will get something better than everyone else.  

I needed a haircut that week and our local neighborhood stylist had moved.  As we were walking down the main drag, I saw barberia.  A very small place and I opened the door and it's a two-chair business.  I asked the guy what the price was for a haircut and he told me 400 pesos.  What?  Barbarias are the new thing here in Mexico and they cater, obviously, to men.  Beard cuts and waxing, facials, etc.  They also seem to be targets for cartel attacks!  I passed on the offer and decided to seek out our old stylist.  I found her downtown.  She works in a shop now with her niece.  She charges 120 pesos and does a fantastic job.

The week was filled with the best weather ever.  25C daytime and 13C nightime.  After 38C for weeks it was a real treat and sleeping was the best.

Coming home we ran into a semi breakdown right on the highway.  It was a two-hour wait.  There is no sense of rerouting the traffic to one lane on the other side of the highway even though there are crossovers available.  No police, no Guardia Nacional, no military.  Lately, when traffic is paralyzed, bandits come and rob drivers and passengers.  But, we made it home safe and sound.  Never a dull moment and lots of good conversation and fun.

Now onto Mexico!

We will now have a senate and house that is 75% one party.  Can you imagine how that will go?  Also, our judicial branch consisting of 5900 judges and magistrates, will now be elected via popular vote, including Supreme Court justices.  Unreal.  In an area that is majority MORENA, people will vote for judges that are all one party.  It won't even matter if they know the person or not.  They will be handed 21 ballot sheets with a list of 81 names on one, and the positions on the other.  Eeny, meeny, miny, moe!   

The president has decided to sanction the U.S. and Canadian Embassies for speaking out about the reform of the judicial system.  Imagine, what is at risk?  Mostly the free tade agreement T-MEC.  Interestingly enough, I don't think the president wants the agreement anymore.  Mexico is being flooded with Chinese manufactured vehicles flooding the market.  Will we have a trade agreement with China, Cuba, Venezuela, and Bolivia?  I never thought I would spend my golden years in a dictatorship.  I guess I could always write a book about the experience.