Hola from San Miguel de Allende in the time of Coronavirus.
We are still here but every day we are monitoring the situation. Several friends were scheduled to visit with us this spring, but all, unfortunately, felt the need to cancel their trips.
We totally understand, but are so sorry that we were not able to share this wonderful city with them. Perhaps some day soon when this is all over.
We feel safe here for the meanwhile; cases in Mexico are still low and there no confirmed cases here in San Miguel, but we know that it is only a matter of time.
The experts tell us that the US is two weeks behind Italy, and today I had a Mexican friend tell us that Mexico is a month behind Spain.
This Pandemic is truly universal and will most certainly affect us all.
Until this Pandemic reared its awful presence, we were delighted to be back in San Miguel.
We arrived back in town in mid-January, and as always, have so enjoyed getting re-acquainted with the town and its people and culture.
Walking the streets, occasionally coming across an anachronistic reminder of times past, is a good way to readjust.
Like the swallows to Capistrano, we return each year to the same small apartment located in the heart of the town, just a block from the Jardin, the main plaza.
Our lovely Mexican landlady, Maria Louisa, is so kind to have us back and always includes us in family activities & celebrations.
We love our rooftop terrace, with its flower boxes and a view of San Francisco--a 17th century church and monastery that is still a central part of life for many in the town.
Connecting with friends is always a joy & delight. Some of them have chosen to settle here and make San Miguel their home.
The cultural life here is so rich and varied. One of our friends, John, recently produced and directed a play he authored about John of Arc.
We thought it was one of the best nights of theater we have ever enjoyed--so much so that we went back for a second night just a week later.
Other friends, like Mart & Bob Larson seen here with us in the Jardin, also come back year after year.
We look forward to their arrival and know that they are always willing to drop whatever they are doing and join us for a meal in a favorite restaurant or join in a festival or celebration.
Vendors sell bags full of colored egg shells, each stuffed with confetti and glitter. Children run around the Jardin trying to break an egg over a friend's (or better yet an unsuspecting adult's) head. Look closely at the picture above. We were all happy to let the children practice on us.
It's low key and very kid oriented & this year we had the opportunity to sit in the Jardin and watch the controlled bedlam and bask in the laughs and smiles of hundreds of children running and chasing each other with abandon. Our favorites were three young sisters, who willingly posed for us.
The mojigangas are a common sight around town--tourists love to have their picture taken with them, and there are always a few at any of the many destination weddings that go on about town every weekend.
The parade too was low key and seemingly spontaneous, and over in a matter of minutes but it made a nice close to the Cascaras.
A couple of weeks ago, we got to revisit El Charco del Ingenio, a privately funded and operated nature conservancy and botanic garden, just on the edge of town.
Like no other botanic garden we know, it provides a respite for us humans and a haven for thousands of birds and rescued indigenous plants, especially cacti and succulents.
Always worth a visit or two!
Live music seems to be the life's blood of San Miguel. Everywhere you go, you hear music--mariachis, often dueling, in the Jardin; folk singers, violinists, and guitarists in the cafes and restaurants.
Our favorites by far, however, are Media Luna, a young group of talented and dedicated musicians started by Caleb and Jair Cabrera, 27 and 25 year old brothers.
Sue first saw them more than six years ago, playing for tips in the Jardin. They have now become so polished and entertaining & will soon be touring Canada. We go to see them whenever and wherever we can.
But all these activities were before the Coronavirus. We feel as if we have stepped into a dystopian novel and can't get out.
Some of you might remember Nevil Shute's On the Beach? Different story, different time, but I vividly remember reading it & seeing a TV adaptation. As the rest of the world gradually succumbs to radiation poisoning and goes silent, the people of Australia go about their daily lives, but listen with disbelief to the reports from around the world of dying cities & cultures and experience a dawning realization that this too is their fate.
The coronavirus is stalking us. As we still go about our daily lives--strolling through the city streets and gardens, shopping and eating at favorite restaurants (always trying to remember to keep a safe social distance), watching the news from China, Europe and now the States, we know its coming here--the next day? Certainly the next week. What will it bring?
PS: I just finished writing this post yesterday, and then all hell seems to have broken out here in San Miguel and the world. This morning we received notice via the NYT that the State Department was issuing a notice for all Americans abroad to return to the States immediately or risk having to "remain in place for the foreseeable future."
We consulted with our daughters, who have long been urging us to return, and decided that despite conditions still being better here in Mexico than at home, it was best to return home. So tickets are booked and transportation is arranged; we fly home to Denver on Saturday.
Our good friends, Mart & Bob Larson, who like us had planned to stay in Mexico for a few more months, have decided to join us. They just sold their long-time home in Alexandria and are without a permanent abode at present, so Denver is as a good a place as any to alight, for now. So we are all off to Denver in a couple of days.
Wish us luck, and for all of you, we hope that you and yours are able to weather this Pandemic, staying in good health. Let us pray that America and the entire world is spared the awful predictions that are being bandied about. Stay well! Keep in touch !
