Tag Archive for: Mexico

CATCHING UP IN MEXICO

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It has been a long time since I have written anything on this blog. Thanks to my subscribers who have stuck with me. I appreciate all of you.

So where to begin? As you know from my last post, we decided to stay most of the time in San Luis Potosi. We agreed because SLP (San Luis Potosi) fit most of our wish list. It has excellent medical facilities, an airport, and lots of things to do in and around SLP, few “gringos” and mild weather. The only downside is the size of the city, over a million people. Of course, to check off all our wishes, we knew we had to go to a larger city—a small price to pay.

Once we got back to Canada the real work began. We started downsizing. I would highly recommend that you downsize whether you are moving or not. We are not collectors, but after 30 years of living in the same place, one tends to gather things. Once we had downsized enough, we put our house on the market. We got an offer on the second day, which we accepted. The closing date was in six weeks! No problem. We started selling and giving away our possessions. I underestimated the amount of time and effort it would take. We were fortunate that the people who bought our SUV allowed us to use it until our last day. That also went for the people who bought our bed and our recliners. They picked them up the day we were leaving, which allowed us to stay in the house until the last moment.

So off we went on our new adventure. We flew into Puerto Vallarta and stayed a couple of nights to allow my husband to renew his passport. The only other Canadian consulate was Mexico City which would be difficult to get to.

Once we got settled in Melaque, we decided to apply for my husband’s RFC number (tax number), which is required by anyone who is a resident of Mexico. I received mine last year. So, with the help of our facilitator, Pedro, we got an appointment at the SAT office in Manzanillo, an hour away from Melaque. We had all the paperwork ready, or so we thought. My husband and Pedro went into the office only to be told we needed to copy the back of the CFE (electrical bill). They gave us an extra 10 minutes to get this done before we lost our appointment. Thankfully Pedro knew where to go, and we got it done and back in time for the appointment.

We decided to get our Mexican drivers’ licenses. We haven’t done it yet as we have company arriving in the next few days. But this is the procedure. First, you need to go to a lab, get your blood type done, and get a card showing that. Apparently, we may need it for other things. We have done that. Then you go to Cihuatlan, the county seat, and City Hall to verify your address. This is for people who rent. The next step is to go to the office where they issue the licenses to show them your blood type card and address verification and, I think, answer a few questions. You then need to go a block away to another office where you will pay and take a written test. If you don’t want to take the test, you can give some money to the personnel there. Once done, you return to the first office, show that you have paid and have taken the test, and they will issue you a license. This should be interesting.

We can’t apply for our three-year temporary residency until July 27th.  It should be straightforward. We will hire a facilitator again, just in case.

The rainy season is here. We got a bit of Hurricane Beatriz, but she didn’t come inland, so all we got was a lot of rain. We know this is not the end of storms. We only hope that we get some nice weather for our friends that are arriving.

I will leave this post here. We have plans for our friends and will bring you along. Until next time.

San Luis Potosi

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Mexico has no shortage of beautiful towns and cities. San Luis Potosi is no exception. We fell in love with this beautiful city. The Historical Centre is drop-dead gorgeous. There are so many museums that we didn’t have time to explore them all.

San Luis Potosi also referred to as SLP, has many industries, including General Motors, Mabe, Cummins Group and BMW. These industries, and many more, provide a stable financial environment for the city and state.

We stayed at the Hotel Santosi by Inmense. Our room was large, with a kitchenette and a sitting area. The only downfall was that it overlooks the dining area of the hotel. The “window” was plexiglass, giving us privacy but no noise reduction. Chez Waffle was part of the hotel and served a good breakfast that was included in the price of the room.

We started our tour of the city at the Museo Nacional de la Máscara. No, it is not about mascara but masks. There are over two thousand masks from Mexico and around the world. It is very impressive. It is in the Plaza del Carmen and is closed on Mondays.

Across the street from the Museo Nacional de la Máscara was a unique display by Edgardo Charnichart. With my limited Spanish and his limited English, I think I understood it was his interpretation of many things in Mexico. He tried valiantly to explain, and I think I understood the gist of it. Unfortunately, my phone was stolen and all my notes etc. were lost. A lot of work and artistry went into his display. Very impressive. The photos do not do it justice.

The Templo de Nuestra Señora del Carmen, also in the Plaza del Carmen, is imposing with its baroque style with marble apostles on the façade, which are duplicates of statues in Rome’s St. Peter’s Basilica.

We went to the train museum, Museo del Ferrocarril. It was very interesting, and they did an excellent job preserving the old cars. There are a couple of places to eat there, and Restaurant La Estacion is across the street.

Museo del Virreinato is another museum we toured. The building was built in 1747 and was the former convent of the order of Carmelita nuns. It has been an asylum for orphans, a masonry and the office of the Ministry of Health. Today, there are concerts, conferences, children’s workshops and courses, and an art gallery. They have preserved the cloister and one other room as a museum.

Closed Monday. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Fee 15 pesos.

The Museo Federico Silva is an interesting look at a different type of contemporary art sculpture. The building dates back to 1611 and is named after the most important sculptor in Mexico. For us, it was very different but interesting.

One must-see museum is the Centro de Artes Centenario. It was a prison up until 1999, and ten years later, it was transformed into an arts and cultural centre. We had an excellent guide take us around the museum. With him, we knew what everything was before and what it turned into now. Some cells have been maintained as cells, and others converted into offices.

The original tower outlook for the prison. Our guide was wonderful
Great guide. Speaks English

The museum also houses another museum, Museo Leonora Carrington. Her sculptures are unique. Visiting the Centro de Artes is worth it. She was a very interesting person.

Further down the street from the Centro de Artes is the Basilica Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. The church is beautiful inside and out. One of the unique items is the crystal boat hanging down from the ceiling.

In between our sightseeing, we found a couple of nice restaurants. Our favourite (so far) is La Historica Cantina de Autor. Great venue, food, and service. They had musicians playing softly. The place was full, so I recommend making a reservation. The waiters were quite busy the night we were there. For more information, visit their website: lahistoricarestaurante.com.

Another restaurant is La Posada del Virrey Restaurante. Address Jardin Hidalgo 3. We only had lunches there but enjoyed the food and view. The décor inside was interesting and different.

Hallway to the bathroom
Baby change area

I would be remiss if I did not mention Jim and Karen Clifford, who kindly met up with us and showed us around San Luis Potosi, and took us to Café Pacifico for breakfast. Lovely place, not fancy, but with good food.  They are a part of the reason we have decided to move there. Thanks to Jim and Karen Clifford for your kindness and friendship.

HOTEL CASA LEON, MOON RESTAURANT, Melaque, Mexico

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There is a new hotel on the beach in Melaque, Casa Leon Hotel. Some people like it, others don’t. Some don’t want the town to change from its small fishing/tourist town; others welcome the change. Whatever your opinion, progress is inevitable. There is progress happening all over Melaque. Hotels are renovating and adding additions, and stores are upgrading their facades.

One of the perks of this new hotel is the restaurant on the roof. Moon Restaurant. The views from this restaurant are breathtaking. The restaurant is on the 6th floor, and there is an elevator. The only one in Melaque.

The restaurant is operated by Gilberto Rodriquez, owner of El Patio Restaurant in downtown Melaque. He has many years of experience running a very successful restaurant.

The décor is tasteful, and much thought went into the staging. The ambiance is wonderful with the décor and, of course, the view.

painting of owner

 Chef Aldo Vazquez comes from Mexico City, and his resume is impressive. At the age of 14, he worked at the Cow & The Chicken Grill, where he started as a helper in the kitchen and worked his way up to being in charge. He also worked as the cook and bartender at Burrito’s Company Bar. For another two years, he oversaw an Italian pizza traditional. Before taking the Moon Restaurant position, he was a restaurant advisor. He would go to new restaurants, help with recipes, portions, food to order and how to set things up for a better chance of being successful. Besides all this, he went to Centro Universitario Mexico for four years. His thesis was on the salt of Colima. He stated that the salt from Colima is lower in sodium.  He is only 22 years old. I am sure he will be an excellent addition not only to this restaurant but also to Melaque. Oh, and I was told that he was single.

Chef Aldo second from right
Beautiful open kitchen

 

There is a conference room which seats 50 and has a kitchen. It is also on the top floor.

Also, on the top floor, there is a full-service spa.

The opening night was New Year’s Eve. Unfortunately, we had other plans and could not go, but we heard it was very successful. I did have a chance to have lunch there, and the food was excellent. The fish and chips were so good. We also had ribs, and they, too, were good. There was a minor glitch with our order, and we got mashed potatoes instead of wedges. After tasting the mashed potatoes, I was pleased with that, but they insisted that we have the wedges. The wedges were also delicious. As they have just opened, you can expect minor glitches. Overall, it was excellent.

This is the place for anyone wanting a fine dining experience with the best views in town.

The hours are 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

After lunch, we had the opportunity to meet with the owner of the hotel, Jose Leon. He graciously showed us a room which was nicely done. There was a kitchen there with everything you would need to cook if you didn’t want to eat out.

He also showed us one of the condos that are for sale. Floors 4 and 5 are private floors with a private entrance. You are also given a special card to use in the elevator to get to those floors. The condos have two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a large balcony overlooking the ocean. If you want more information about the condos, please get in touch with Jose Leon at 33 2254 7601