Not Always Beautiful

From the beautiful setting of Erendira with its beautiful skys and pure air I moved on to the interesting city of Maravatio by way of Ucareao and a rather winding path. All pleasant except for a brush with employees of the wide-spread hydro-electric facilities. Brush was so close that it snapped back one of my outside mirrors.
In Maravatio I took a room in an attractive hotel with an interesting woman manager. Paid only P200, but after a nice meal across the street in was driven out of that nice room within about 3 hours by the repeated, and I believe malicious, slamming of the metal door of the room across from mine. The young woman occupant of that room and I had been laying on my bed trying unsuccessfully to connect my laptop to the hotel wireless. Because we hadn't been introduced and because I found the situation a bit amusing, I said, "Who are you anyway?" I guess my young helper took it badly because shortly began the slamming. My nerves were soon in bad shape.
Left and began a marathon drive of about 35 hours! Drove all of two nights and a good part of two days. Was troubled by an intestinal upset during that time. Still am somewhat troubled by it.

Blog Thoughts

I have been thinking about my blogs. Might begin to redo them. Might get some help.

As I may engage in no more solo travel, travel may take up much less of my blogging.

I'll probably continue my History blog and improve my Affirmations blog a bit.

I'm thinking of starting a blog dealing with the 12 Steps.

May start a separate blog dealing with "The Perennial Philosophy," the ancient wisdom, contemplative religion, and the like.

Thought of one dealing with political philosophy and sociology and of one dealing with health and nutrition, but not too seriously.

Also thought of getting as private domain and perhaps taking a class related to site design or techie stuff.

Thinking isn't doing, is it?

"Writing Without Teachers

Peter Elbow in his book, "Writing Without Teachers," not only instructs me, but entertains me to the point of laughter.

I haven't actually followed his instructions, but I might.

Oyamel, Springs, and Electricity

If you want a nice new and probably quiet place to stay near Erendira the Posada Los Azufres might be the ticket. It is just a bit up the road from Erendida, and though it has no thermal waters of its own, right next door is an older spa with waters nicer than those of Erendida. Erendira waters contain enough algae to put some off and even discolor a white bathing costume a bit. If you have a vehicle all the spas in the area are in easy striking distance. In fact the butterfly sanctuaries aren't that far away.
All of these places are at about the 10,000 ft level with beautiful skies and pure, pure air. The hills and mountainsides are cover with pine and Oyamel, Mexican sacred fir.
Above Laguna Larga you can check out an extensive modern hydrothermal electric complex.

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/

Tough Realization

I left the hotel about mid-afternoon. I drove for about 48 non-stop hours, not including the drive from Erendida to Maravatio. I drove all day and all night for two days with diarrhea.

As as hint of what it was like; I scratched a toe on barbed wire climbing through a fence to relieve myself.

I guess that's the 'disaster.' It was unpleasant, but not a disaster. What seemed like a disaster is my realization that I am no longer strong enough nor alert enough to handle this kind of solo driving trip. It is a blessing rather than a disaster. It's a blessing to discover that it is no longer a good idea for me to take these solo driving trips. It is good to be alerted to the facts before a real disaster occurs.

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.