Introduction to Morelia

Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
N 19°42.05
W 101°11.12
Early Saturday morning, after a night flight from Portland, we unlocked the door to our apartment in Morelia. Just a corner of the door and the front window of our apartment show in this sketch made in the inner courtyard.
We are housed in an old but recently renovated building in Morelia’s historic Centro, a town center which is amazingly intact and made up of buildings dating as far back as the sixteenth century, all of the city center being a UNESCO World Heritage site. (Note for the Google Earth users: the lat and long above will put you right above our building, and give you an idea of the density and unformity of the center of Morelia.)
Saturday and Sunday we walked for miles, exploring markets and restaurants and providing ourselves with basics for cooking, studying, and relaxing here. We are, of course, on information overload, but here are a few things that have amazed us: One, we see hardly any Gringos; there are tourists here, but they are mostly Mexican, visiting from the rest of the country. Two, we must speak Spanish, or we won’t discover how to cook these beautiful vegetables and fruits. Three, in terms of the street life, events scheduled, and the way people dress and move about, this seems a very cosmopolitan place (there are three universities in Morelia, and it is the capitol of the state of Michoacán - perhaps this explains why).
Today, Monday, was our first day of classes. Best thing we learned was the Spanish word for being retired – jubilado – seems just right.
Special note to Rob – we lost your e-mail address. And we want to be in touch. Please post it here, or send it to us at the Captain’s OHSU address.