Day 2-December 21, 2013

   We decided we needed a low-key, low-stress day.  Before we left, Mason ordered Dungeons and Dragons, the board game.  He played it out school, transferring fractions to decimals, and he couldn't wait to show the brothers how to play, without the math part.  As they were all playing the game, and I was writing blog posts and entertaining Porter, Dexter commented that the reason it worked to spend all morning learning a board game, was because we had no where to go.  Exactly!!!

    Guess who won the game?  Dexter, it's always Dexter!!!  Mason and Carson were ahead for a long time, but there was a lot of smack talk going on and they lost.  Great lesson on "pride goeth before a fall."  Although Mason and Carson didn't really think so.

   After game time, we had pb&j on the rooftop balcony.  They boys thought it was great.  There is a rooster somewhere nearby so we could hear the rooster crowing and the church bells ringing while we ate lunch.  (The rooster begins crowing about 4am everyday.  We're not sure if we'll miss that when we get home or not.)

    After lunch we decided to check out the park.  It's about a 20 minute walk from the house.  We weren't sure what to expect, but you can see from the pictures it was a really nice park.  One of the fun things about all of the areas we go is the little vendors.  At the park, there was a cotton candy stand.  Cotton candy for 10 pesos....less than a dollar.  Ummm OK.  We'll take 2.   There was also an organized basketball game at the park basketball courts, complete with teams in uniforms, referee and electronic score board.  Walker loved watching that.  On the other court there was a futsal game going on.  It's so interesting to see teenagers and older men playing a game of soccer at the park on a Saturday afternoon.

The street where we live

Narrow roads...that's why we don't drive

The park

Basketball game in progress.  Walker's scouting report is no one is going to get offered a scholarship.

Cheapest, freshest cotton candy we have ever seen.

    As we walked to the park we saw a little hole in the wall restaurant the home owner told us about.  Now there are hole in the wall places everywhere.  It's hard to tell if they are really restaurants or just someone with some crock pots out, waiting for friends to come over.  So we want to be adventurous but we're also cautious.  This one looked interesting.  Not really a building, more like a tent in a junk yard.  Supposedly great hamburgers and fish tacos.  We decided after rest time we would go back for dinner.

   We walked back after dinner and they are only open from 12-5.  On to plan B.   Luckily just down the street we recognize another recommendation.  We're quickly realizing you follow other American's recommendations on where to eat.  We had a great pasta dinner, complete with live piano music.  The piano player even played several Christmas carols, after we requested Jingle Bells.

   After dinner we went back to the Jardin to see Las Posadas...it was too late the previous night.
Here is a description of Las Posadas....

Las Posadas. Not one event, but a string of December events in San Miguel de Allende, the nine nights of the posadas—which means "inn"—represent the nine-day journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. In a different colonia each night, a boy dressed as Joseph and a young girl dressed as Mary (usually riding donkey) parade through the streets knocking on doors only to be turned away because there is "no room at the inn." After all, sings the household, "you might be a rogue."

At each door, they sing the traditional Posada Song, "Pidiendo Posada," (Begging for Shelter). Learn all the lyrics to the Posada Song here. There's even a sound link to listen to the tune itself if you don't know it.

Finally, the Holy Couple finds an open door and a welcome, and everyone is offered food and hot fruit ponche to drink. Piñatas get broken and candy gobbled. Try this ponche recipe yourself. It's a true Mexican taste of Christmas.

Bummer.  Tonight we were too late for Las Posadas...we'll keep trying.  Plenty of fun in the Jardin anyway with dancers, a wedding at the church and more street vendors to sell stuff to entertain us.  

 After a great day, as we were walking home, I stepped off the curb into a little gutter and totally jammed up my foot.  I limped the whole way home, took two Aleve, iced it and went to bed.  I'm praying it is nothing to be concerned about, but ouch it hurts.