Escape from Mixquiahuala

Dancers at Sept. 16th Celebration

Last I left you, dear reader, we were headed to an Air B and B in Mixquiahuala about a 20 minute bus ride from Tepatepec, depending on traffic. In Tepa, there is barely anything you could call traffic. But once you leave there, traveling for a while along a highway lined with beautiful fields and a view of the nearby mountains, you hit Progreso. Progreso is where we looked at the mini mausoleum apartment. It's not a pretty town and it's always jammed with cars. Then you enter Mixquiahuala, which is even worse. Our Air B and B, as it turns out, overlooked the main drag of Mixquiahuala - loud and congested at all hours of the day and night in a city of merely 30,000 people. The B and B was nice at first glance, then the odor hit us. Like...sewer odor...emitting from the bathroom. Overall, the place was kind of shabby if you want to know the truth. At night, barking dogs added to the general din. At least it had decent wifi, and a washing machine. Sigh. We did not relish spending 3 weeks there. Fortunately, the night before, after dinner at the home of the parents of Rico my school coordinator, at which we had the traditional and delicious dish of this time of year in Mexico, chiles en nogada, we went to see a house that this guy named Marco had for rent.

Chiles en Nogada

Stairway in Our "New" Home

Let me back up. It was Thursday, Sept. 8th. I had gone to the bank to open an account which took two hours. Don't ask me why. I left Jon at our favorite little cafe in Tepa where you can get a decent coffee and a dang good burger. When I came back to get him, I found him yukking it up with two guys who had joined him at his table, making themselves understood with a mixture of English and Spanish. One was Marco, the owner of the cafe, the other his partner in the mining business. Marco told us, once he found out we were looking for a place, that he had a house that had been sitting vacant for 3 years, and would we like to see it. Well duh. So we went to take a look the next day after the dinner with Rico's parents. It's a cool little place, though it was full of junk and needed a good cleaning. We could see it had potential for sure. Also, it has one and a half bathrooms! To have an extra bathroom in this part of Mexico is a miracle in itself. The next morning we went to look at two apartments that didn't even compare to the house. They also needed to be cleaned out, and would need a lot of work from us - not worth it: only one bathroom. Now, let me just explain that when I say the house has two bathrooms, these are two bathrooms without doors. There are openings for doors, but no doorframes. I guess they always used curtains. Also, FYI, though it has three bedrooms on the second floor, they have no doors either. Apparently, Marco lived here with his family until he and his wife split up. They must have been a cozy family until then. Anyway, he moved out because it had too many memories for him (he has at least retained the custody of his children). But wait, the story gets sadder. He then had a relationship with the Peace Corps worker who was here for two years doing the job I have, teaching English at the nearby university. When she left, she had every intention of coming back. Then the Pandemic hit. She had left all her stuff behind which he ended up storing in the house. Needless to say, she never did come back. Poor Marco! (No, really.) Anyway, the house boasts a brand new and very fancy fridge, a very nice new stove, a beautiful, new sectional sofa, a dining set, and the new mattress that Ms. Peace Corps left behind. We decided we could work with that. 

Upstairs Bank of Windows (the green part is a screen)

In the ensuing week while we moldered away in Mixquiahuala, taking the bus to the university or riding the "Combi," a local armada of white vans that provide you with a hot, windy ride if you don't have the patience to wait for the bus, Marco cleaned out and cleaned up the house. Then yesterday, after waiting all day, enduring the odor of the B and B, Marco came to get us in his SUV and transported us and our many suitcases to our new house. Boy, it still needs a lot of work, but we've dealt with worse. 

A few other highlights to mention before I go: Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16th and a wild party at my school complete with posole and roasted goat tacos - the meat straight from the pot where the goat's head still resided; market day in Tepa on Sunday when the whole town comes alive with vendors of every culinary delight you can think of, plus clothes, shoes, hardware, dishware, etc; being in the classroom at last with some terrific students and teachers; and getting to zoom with some brilliant Mexican women who are interested in helping me get my literary project off the ground.

Phenomenal Posole

A Blessing in Mixquiahula

Finally, to be fair to Mixquiahuala, the people there are as lovely and kind as can be. We just couldn't wait to get out.