Erendira

Erendira is, touristically speaking, on the Ruta de la Salud (Route of Health) in the Pais de la Monarca (Country of the Monarch Butterfly). Speaking in more normal language, it is in the state of Michoacan on the road between Ciudad Hidalgo and the town of Ucareo on Mex highway 15. On that road, the health route, are many hot water spas and Erendida does not have the best of those waters, but I think it has the most beautiful location among many very pretty locations. Still there are thoes who find the Laguna Larga area at the northern end of the route just as beautiful.
Between Erendidra and Laguna Larga you will find several spas with a variety of services and amenities. The ugliest of them is Los Azufres. The waters and mud of Los Azufres are reputed to be the most curative.
I took a "cabin" at Erendira. The cabin was an architectural delight and nicely furnished and decorated. It had two big bedrooms, one with a king size bed and the other with two full size beds. There was also a day bed in the living room. There was no TV but there was a large screen DVD player. There was no kitchen but there was a nice refrigerator and micro wave. There was also a lovely central fireplace. I got all this for P300 with the peso at about 13 everything taken into account. You might have to pay P500 for it especially on a weekend or holiday. However, if you don't have a reservation on those days you probably won't get it at all.
Food at the restaurant is decent, but a bit expensive for me at $5 - $6 dollars for a complete meal.
By the way there is always someone to get a fire roaring in the fire place and to start your chosen movie for you.

More info.:
http://www.turismomichoacan.bob.mx/
http://www.michoacan-travel.com/

Who in the world is Melchor Ocampo?

I can avoid telling about the 'disaster' a while longer. It´s just a matter of poor judgement and old age any way.

I believe that I've already mentioned my stay in Patzcuaro. Tell Bridget that I did,t climb the hill on the island this time. From the hotel in which I stayed, however, I could see the lake and the island as well as the tops of the buildings around Patzcuaro´s two main plazas. The Patzcuaro area was home to, at least, two important pre-columbian civilizations.

Morelia is a great city. Like every great city it has evidence of air polution. I stayed only long enough to have some work done on the Astro. It is running well, but is beginning to look as old as I am. I have pushed it and myself a bit hard. I´d say the Astro is holding up better.

Falsely blamed a housekeeping girl at a hotel of poorly making my bed. Promptly made complete amends.

Some brief time before my arrival in Michoacan I began to note signs of an intestinal infection. I took a fecal sample to the lab today. Usual remedies have failed me this time.

Back to the trip. From Erendida, by round-about roads, I arrived in Maravatio de Ocampo. I did not visit its famous theater or the hot baths there. I did check into an attractive hotel and got a very nice little room for P200. I had a good conversation with the lady owner. She was about my my age and still very attractive. She was an interesting conversationalist.
There was wi-fi available and a young woman from across the hall and I were on my bed trying set up my laptop. We really hadn't been introduced so I said in what I intended to be a light friendly way, 'Who are you anyway?' She may have taken it badly because she did not answer and began slamming the metal door of her room and doing great damage to my nervous system.

So began the 'disaster.'

Cielito Lindo

I'm in Jimenez, Chihuahua in the Hotel Pampas across the street from the statue of Jimenez on a proud horse.

I've been thinking thoughts of change and adapting to my present abilities.

Let´s see if my abilities extend to providing you some details of how I got from Ciudad Hidalgo to to Jimenez. It could easily be a tail of compulsion, neurosis, and slow learning. 'Know thyself.' may be one of the easiest things to say and one of the most difficult to do.

From Hidalgo I passed through the village of Azufres where I once attended a mole contest and on to the beautifully located and comfortable hot water spa of Erendida. There at Erendida, looking passed the tops of the pine trees to the deep blue very clear sky populated by sculpted clouds one feels the urge to sing 'Cielito Lindo.' Erendida is at well over 10,000 feet, but has a clarity and purity of air beyond that. I only stayed there about 30 hours. I had arrived on a Friday and had now reservations for the weekend. They offered me another room and recommended a nearby hotel. I checked and the nearby hotel and found the rooms or rather bungalows to be new and beautiful. One could still smell a bit of the fresh wood and plaster.
The replacement place I was offered at Erendida had no shower, but there were plenty of other places for me to shower. Still, they had spoiled me with a two bedroom sweet with fireplace, fireplace attendant DVD, fridge, microwave. The architecture and decoration was interesting and attractive. The cost was P300. The peso is at about 14 to the dollar. The price at the new hotel, which I later checked out, was P400.
P350 is perhaps been the average I have been paying, but I am paying P460 here.
I am running on to avoid telling you of the 'disaster' which followed.
I'll try to continue later.

Sitting on a Veranda

I'm in Ciudad Hidalgo, Michoacan waiting to have some washing and ironing done. Cd Hidalgo has good air quality and is surrounded by forest of mostly pine. It is also close to some hot water spas I have visited on earlier trips.
I'm in what was typical of high end motels in Mexico. There is beautifully kept landscaping and gardens. It is a one story affair in the form of a long "U." In the center surrounded by decorative walks is a long reflecting pool.
Nearest the closed end of the "U" is a two story 'bandstand.' On the bottom story is displayed the ruins of an old horse-drawn wagon.
I'm sitting on a veranda which is about 30 feet wide and very long. I look from the comfortable cool of the veranda onto the the fresh sunlit scene before me.
The rooms are just okay. Still the bedding was a bit 'upscale' and it was quiet here last night. Silence is golden and I am grateful for it. In the back there is a swimming pool growing a pretty light green algae in its low water.

Michoacan

I expect to start moving toward Michoacan tomorrow.