UNO: Study Abroad in Writing

When we first arrived at out hotel, Mansion del Bosque, there was a mariachi band playing in the courtyard, and people lingering in the restaurant from their lunch. We haven’t much time, and are full from all that white bread on the plane, so we quickly deposit our bags in our room. My room is on the first floor, and has what is basically an entire wall of windows. As there is currently a band and a host of people out there, I feel a little shy, but enjoy the brightness of it. There is a little desk in the room, and I toss my stuff down, and tuck my computer out of sight. You can’t be too careful! Bill and I meet up - his room is up on the second floor - and we greet Ruth, the owner and operator of Bosque since sometime in the 50’s. She’s dressed in a flowing dress, and her white hair and quiet manner remind me of my great Aunt Leona, who made the best black eyed peas in the world…. Black eyed peas are NOT what we are after right now, and Bill and I quickly make our way to the Jardin, or the center of town. The Jardin is lovely, particularly on this Sunday afternoon, and the Parroquia rises above it in the grand manner of all the cathedrals I have ever been to in Europe. Indeed, something about this town feels more European than Europe.

Bill and I sit down at an outside table at a restaurant on the corner, called Restaurante del Jardin. We order two bottles of water and two Coronas (when in Rome, after all) and some guacamole. The guacamole is very fresh, but a little lacking in spice. Or perhaps that was just our spoiled New Orleans palates….

The restaurant is a good vantage point to watch Sunday happen in the Jardin. They are setting up a small stage directly adjacent to the Parroquia. Vendors line this side of the Jardin, offering everything from ice cream to tamales to balloons. As we sit, a child approaches us several times trying to sell us chewing gum. A man approaches trying to sell us beaded strips of leather. And when Bill can no longer resist the sight of the ice cream, a woman approaches me with some beautiful chunky necklaces in every shade and stone. I’m tempted to buy a beautiful turquoise one with squared off beads, but as this is literally my first HOUR in San Miguel, I reluctantly decline. She had wanted two hundred pesos for the turquoise necklace, which, I must say, did appear to be finely crafted. Thats about twenty dollars. Had I been in the mood to deal, I think I could have gotten two (or maybe even 3) necklaces from her for that price. Bill comes back, and the woman, who’s dressed in a long red skirt and embroidered, loose white blouse, with her dark hair pulled back and hanging all the way down her back disappears. Bill, however, has gotten some cereza helado - cherry ice cream. Its delicious - at least as good as the gelato I had in Rome. Eventually, we pay the bill and go to meet our friend Dave, who’s our liaison in San Miguel. As we leave, the sun is warm and I remove my jacket. There’s a slight breeze, but I’m comfortable in a sundress….

Tags: San Miguel //