While wandering back thru the park, we saw that a huge sign which was set up in front of the city hall and temporary staging, was now being dismantled. From this sign we learned that today is the 101st anniversary of the start of Mexico's revolution. We had missed all the bands and speeches, which apparently took place much earlier. Not knowing what might come next, we wandered the craft and food tents, then found a cast iron park bench in the shade and watched all there was to see. Carmen got a bit panicky when a small bird flew into a very dense tree above her head, knowing that her time was coming for the bird splotch. Safe again.
Not much was happening now, except at the parish church (la parroquilla) on the south side of the park. They were having a sort of bake sale to raise funds. Families provided cakes and other foods, and portions were being sold by the piece in a tent-roofed area of tables & chairs in front of the church, with a variety of volunteer hawkers exhorting the goodies over a loud speaker, just like raising money for public TV or radio in the US. Having performed earlier in the official festivities, some youngsters were wandering about playing various instruments, apparently just for the joy of it.
Dan had wanted some day soon to visit the city of the west of here, Orizaba, and today seemed a beautiful day for the attempt. We had sat around in our apartment for a couple of days, held in by the chance of rain and waiting around for Manolo to call us about an appointment with the architect we wanted to query about the blue house. So, we headed to the northeast corner of the park for a bus traveling west out of Fortín. We were lucky, or were we? We quickly ended up with a rather well used rickity bus. As we boarded Dan asked if it went to downtown Orizaba. Now there are two routes into Orizaba from Fortin. One is a toll road over the Metlac bridge, very new and straight -- pricey fares, quick trip. We chose the slower, but cheaper route -- windy, steep, and narrow. This is the old Orizaba-Córdoba highway, which follows the natural lay of the land. The driver drove way too fast for our peace of mind, but the scenic surroundings dampened the anxiety a bit. Green forest and fields most the way, until we got into the Ixtaczoquitlán industrial area just east of Orizaba, and even this was pleasant along the tree-covered boulevard fronting some very big plants and facilities (including the biggest cement manufacturing facility we've ever seen). Many views of Mt Orizaba, and back the way we came, of the town of Fortín on the other side of the Metlac barranca (ravine).
Once in the city, which is near 200,000 in population, the silly bus followed a circuitous route - not straight to the centro as the driver had, we thought, assured Dan he would. We thought we were getting quite a tour, til the bus stopped and everybody but us got off. The driver informed us that was the end of the line. Oh great! Dan reminded him that he said we were going to the center of the city. Driver said it was the center of the city. Well it probably was at the edge of the Colonia Centro, only we had a considerable distance to the downtown store and park areas we thought we'd have ended up at. But with maps in hand, we enjoyed the walk. What a beautiful city. Many grand churches. The river-walk was beautifully laid out. One area along this walkway was a petite zoo. We saw some guinea fowl and deer. We passed an Arabian restaurant that we hope to visit another time -- just were not hungry this time of day. We did not locate the tourist office, but we did find the huge Alameda park at the west end of the city, just beyond the river and backed up by forested Cerro de Borrego (Lamb Hill) which overlooks the city. Someday we'll follow some trails up this hill to look out over the city. La Alameda has many activities and play equipment for children. Totally treed. The usual cotton candy and other goodies along with balloons and trinkets. All sorts of food stalls. The day was sunny with a light breeze with a bit of freshness in the air. Orizaba is higher elevation than Fortin, so is cooler.
Yes there seemed to be a special something happening here too. Maybe because of the Mexican revolutionary anniversary, or maybe there is always a stage with chairs set up in the open area. At any rate, a fellow was giving a speech when we arrived. Next a rather thin woman sang a few ballads. After her last song the audience clapped for more. She obliged with a bouncey baudy sounding number which was fun to hear and watch. A young man dressed in Aztec-like feathered headdress and buckskins, performed a native blessing ceremony and dance, introducing a troupe of folkloric dancers (a dozen young women and nine young men) performed. They were most entertaining. The stage looked as if it would collapse as they were jumping and dancing about, with joyful jarocho music typical of Veracruz.
Monday, 21 Nov--today is a national labor holiday, since Día de la Revolución actually fell on a Sunday. (If a celebrated day falls on Saturday, the labor holiday would fall on Friday instead.) After a yummy breakfast of milk poached egg on toast, we received an email from our realtor, telling us to meet him and a plumber at the blue house at once y media, 11:30am. We expected that the plumber was only going to show us where all the pipes in the house ran, which he did. Apparently he had visited the house Friday, when he said he had gone thru the entire water system and made sure all was working correctly, including laddering to top of roof and cleaning out the plant growth that had made the water pool below the tinaco. We had understood that we had to pay for that to be accomplished, but someone else apparently did. Just to remove one of our hesitations--but questions remain in our minds: whether the plumber actually did the work, or is it just a temporary patch up job; actually how clean is that tinaco; do the pump, check valve and float valve actually work as required? And, does the water heater actually work (which can't be checked now because the propane tank is empty)? Now tomorrow we will make an appointment to see a notario, land lawyer, and work toward finalizing all. It will probably take much longer than we expect. Can hardly wait to start filling the house with essentials!
Tuesday, 22 Nov. This day was full of doing battle with the computer and telephone. Outside lines were being worked on. Dan called the older notario that Frank gave us the telephone number for, a former mayor of Córdoba. Surprise, wrong number! It was a home number, according to the woman who answered. Next he called the name Frank had suggested, from the listing in the yellow pages. The secretary that answered said that the notario was out of town for the week, and to call again next Monday. Next Dan called another notario with same last name (they might be brothers). His secretary set us up with an appointment for 10:30am tomorrow. Dan was very happy to get all this finally accomplished, as speaking to strangers on the phone in Spanish, without seeing the facial reactions of the person spoken to, is one of the things he most dislikes to do. Rest of day, when the internet was working, we spent looking for foam mattresses, which seem impossible to find. We also spent time searching and communicating with moving companies. Moving into Mexico is nothing like moving about in the US, as aduana (customs) regulations are hard to navigate.
Wednesday, 23 Nov. Dan barely slept last night. So much going on, mulling over words to express our needs with the notario, thinking about the house. He also said he laid awake thinking some about a book he was reading. I had just read the book, and I had stopped at the same point, and stayed awake thinking about it. The book is Outback, by Aaron Fletcher. One of the books we brought down with us, written 40 years ago, which takes place in Australia in the 1800s.
We were early for our appointment with Señor Limón, in spite of taking a bus to Córdoba, and stopping at the Sears store for a brief time looking at appliances, which seem to be twice the price of those at Walmart. And he was a half hour late. Dan explained the situation and we left the various copies of tax statements and legal papers (escrituras) we had obtained from Manolo. We received an estimate of the cost of notarial work and all the government fees and taxes due from us, which will be between US$1700 and US$2500. We must go back tomorrow to see if he found that the title is clear, and that we can proceed with the process.
In our hurry to get here today, we passed a panaderia that we now plan to stop at tomorrow (IF we can find it again). It had in the window some small cake type donuts. First we have seen down here. We just did not want to carry them along today, since we had planned to stop at a Wednesday-only huge open market (tianguis) that spreads along several blocks along our bus route just east of Fortín. As it happened, just as we started to descend the long steep stairs from the notario's upper floor office, the sky opened up. Instantly the high humidity we had sensed today dropped. Never before have we seen a city street with water flowing so heavily down it. We sat on the bottom steps for a while, inside the building, for the rain to let up. We then walked a couple blocks, mostly under store front overhangs, to catch our bus home. Being wimpy about getting soaked, at this point we decided not to stop at the tianguis and risk a long walk home in the rain. When we did get into Fortín, it had yet not rained there, so we got off bus early and did a little shopping at the local grocery store. Yes, by the time we left the store it had started raining, lightly. Generally, it seems like the attitudes here about falling rain are similar to what we know from the Pacific Northwest -- people generally ignore it, are clever at dodging the drops,and mostly forego rainwear, aside from the occasional umbrella (paraguas). We did get not too wet on the five block walk on home. So here we are, happily fed and writing to you.
