November 13, 2021 - November 17, 2021
Per usual we watched lots of football over the weekend. The Penn State vs. Michigan game was a big disappointment as PSU lost to UM with a score of 17-21, especially since PSU was ahead for a big chunk of the game. I walked to the bus station in the morning to purchase our bus tickets for our trip to Leon on Wednesday.
Monday was a big day. We were up early and had Kali at the veterinarian center before 9:00 am. We were a bit anxious about how she would do.
 |
| Inside the pet center where Kali had her surgery. |
Our plan was to shop at La Comer for the items we have been forgetting because it always takes us so long to find what we need there (language barrier and all). We had a mediocre breakfast at the cafeteria inside the market and went in search of several items; a lime juicer, an apron, kitchen towels, statin drugs, a potato masher, and several other items. We also picked up the non perishable items we will need for Thanksgiving Dinner. I’m communicating with store clerks much better now. I did have one slip up; I asked for carbonada de sodio (baking soda) por cominar and when the clerk seemed confused I realized I had asked for baking soda for walking not por cocinar which would have been for cooking. In any case I thought it was unusual for them to stock the baking soda in the pharmacy and not in the baking isle.
We had lunch at Mario’s Marisco Fresca Restaurant which was nearby. We had the pleasure of meeting Mario and talking with him for awhile. He sang the praises of Mazatlan and suggested that we take a trip there. This got us thinking about renting an apartment (pet friendly of course) for a week there around Christmas. We immediately got on the internet and explored the possibilities.
 |
| Mario, the restaurant owner, and me |
We picked Kali up at 2:00 pm and were instructed to keep her in the carrier for a couple of hours and feed her a small amount of food at 5:00 pm. She seemed fine, but a little dopey. She hasn’t exhibited any signs of discomfort or upset from the surgery.
On Tuesday we hung around the apartment all morning keeping our eye on Kali to make sure she didn’t overexert and strain her incision. She was just fine. We went to lunch and then to the Tuesday Market which is on the outskirts of town. The taxi ride took about 20 minutes. It was a huge market with produce, clothing, shoes, hats, cell phone paraphernalia, Christmas items, house hold items, and even birds for sale. It was colorful, bustling, and interesting. We planned to take a taxi home, but we were unable to flag one down so when a bus came by showing it was stopping near our apartment we climbed aboard. It was standing room only and the bus kept stopping and letting more people on. About 15 minutes from our stop we finally got seats. The trip took at least 45 minutes, more than twice the time for a taxi, but it was an interesting experience.
 |
| Mounted police provided security for the market. |
 |
| Birds for sale! |
 |
| Blinking lights - what could these be used for? |
 |
| Colorful hats |
Wednesday we left the apartment at 7:00 am in order to catch a taxi to the central bus station for our trip to Leon. Leon is the leather capital of the world according to the information we read. It was very cold and because we would be out all day I didn’t want to wear a heavy sweater that I would later have to carry. We thought the bus would surely be heated. The bus driver must have forgotten to turn on the heat because we remained cold until the stop a Guanajuato. The scenery on the trip was what would be typical of the high desert with huge cactus of many varieties, mesquite and creosote bushes, and various trees. When we arrived in Leon we were amazed at how large the city was. We contacted Xavier (the shoe designer we met in San Miguel’s Alternative Design Bazaar) and took a cab to his house. It was in a gated community which caused the cab ride to be long because of all the security. We finally arrived and were welcomed warmly. Xavier had the right size shoe for Bob and Bob liked the shoes so much he opted to wear them for the day. He also purchased a beautiful leather camera strap. To our surprise Xavier offered to drive us back to town (which was a relief since we had no idea how to get a cab from his house). On the way he gave us a quick tour of the central historic section of the city. He was also very knowledgeable of the history of Leon and gave us a brief history lesson. Xavier dropped us off at a posh hotel which he recommended for lunch. We ate on the open air veranda on the second floor of the hotel and had a wonderful meal.
 |
| Templo Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus is a neo-gothic church built from 1921 - 2013. |
 |
| This lovely pool was just out side the restaurant. |
 |
| These framed stained glass panels decorated the ceiling of the restaurant. |
 |
| The view from the restaurant included this red church. |
We walked the few blocks from the hotel to the Zona Piel (leather section of town). The modern aspects of the city were much like the modern cities in the US with Mexican overtones, of course. The display of leather goods in the Zone Piel was remarkable with between 1000 - 3000 shops, booths, and stands offering a wide range of leather products. I saw jackets, coats, vests, purses, briefcases, luggage, wallets, hats, sandals, shoes, belts, saddles, tack, cowboy boots, fashion boots, and athletic footwear. It was overwhelming. I would see something I wanted to purchase and walk to the next shop and find something I liked better. I did purchase a leather cross body bag, a pair of shoes, and a few gift items.
 |
| This street (one of many) was lined on both sides with shops and shoppers. |
 |
| Cowboy boots and hats are for sale in numerous shops. |
Needless to say we were exhausted when we returned to the bus station and boarded the bus back to San Miguel. We definitely had a great day.
It was school picture time for two of my grandchildren.
 |
| Acen, who will soon be 8. |
 |
| Lili, who just started middle school this year. |
Thank you for reading my blog.
