Sept. 16 - A good time to start

It's been a month today that I finished working in the corporate world full time. Seems like an auspicious day to start this blog.

I arrived in Los Reyes after an all day journey that started from Sault Ste. Marie at about 5:30 am est & ended at 11 pm cst in Mexico. It was actually very straightford for me until arriving at my destination, however, it was very hard on The Kitten who went from riding with the captain on the first flight to being put down with the baggage under the bus on the last leg. He was crying loudly when the bus arrived and smelled like a sewer. It was surprising that it was OK for him to ride in the cabin on all 3 flights but he was not allowed on the bus!

By the time I calmed the Kitten and got my luggage from the bus the only taxi available was picking up his wife and daughter but agreed to take me to the house that the school rents for teachers. I had checked on the internet and discovered that the house was very close to the bus arrival point and the driver knew this, but he could not find the street. We drove around for about 15 min. and he couldn't find the street. Since the only pay phones available needed a phone card to use them I was having visions of spending the night at a local hotel. The taxi guy finally went a small official looking building and found out that we were on the correct street and only 1 block away. When we found the house the driver rang the bell and I yelled out to the man who came to the door, 'Do you speak English?' He replied he did and I then yelled out, 'Are you a teacher?'

Luckily it was the right house and the right English speaker. I found out later that in Los Reyes cabs work a certain part of town and that all the drivers for our area which is called Jardin had already left with fares. My driver just did not know that part of town......and the town is only about 50, 000 people tops! It turns out that our casa is on a street called Orquidea which is only called that name for 3 or 4 blocks, then it changes to another name.

Actually in Los Reyes no one seems to know street names other than where they live and some main ones. I asked someone where to find the government run liquor store and he told me to just go to the main plaza on the right side and keep on walking. When I inquired about a street name along the way he didn't know one. This is not an isolated event. One of the other teachers asked about a place to get her hair cut and was told there was a good one in the Zapata area (barrio). She asked about the street name and was told it was on the street that Oct. 12th school and a park are on.

I will keep everyone posted on my search for the wine store. I have learned how to ask in Spanish so how hard can it be?