La Escuela Falcon and the Tunnels

Mike and I attended our first classes at La Escuela Falcon here in Guanajuato, near the University.  We signed up for three, 55 minute classes per day for four days.  I must say the walk up the hill is best made crawling on your hands and feet because it is so steep, but Mike and I keep reminding ourselves that this is good bone density building exercise.  The walk down would seem fine, however, since we are in the middle of monsoon season, the rain makes the stones as slick as ice.  I think I will try sliding down on my rear end tomorrow.

We are using these two books which can be purchased for $25USD for both or rented for $1USD per day.

This school offers all levels of classes for beginner to expert and focuses on basic vocabulary, conversation and grammar.  The classes are no larger than five students and we got to share classes with a Texan, Washington Stat'er and Australian.  The instructors do not speak English in the class (on purpose), however, they will chime in if you are really struggling (fingers pointing at Cat). 

The school also offers lodging, meals, tours, activities, etc. that could keep one very busy for an incredibly affordable experience.  It is a little over $120USD to take three classes per day/five days per week.  Money very well spent!

We ate a late lunch around 3:30 pm at La Tosca Cafe again and had enchiladas and ceviche (my favorite).  I forgot to snap a picture of the enchiladas diablos, but we did get bread and an amazing green chile hot mustard-like sauce that was out of this world.  If only I knew what was in it.

Green chile and mustard? sauce, made my eyes water it was so spicy!

I absolutely love ceviche and this ceviche de camaron did not disappoint me. It was cured in lime juice and had serrano chile, ginger, red onion and cucumber.

After lunch, we walked around town and took a few more building pictures.  Have I mentioned how much I love the doors and buildings here?  These photos below are all around La Plaza de la Paz.  In 1766, riots took place in the mining town of Guanajuato protesting unfair provisions of the colonial government.  The "Plaza of Peace" was named for in remembrance about 100 years later. 

We took a taxi back to the apartment and I tried to capture some of the sights including the tunnel system along the way.  We have heard many stories about the history of these beautiful tunnels that run underneath the city, however, what I have read is that many years ago, Guanajuato was continually suffering from city flooding.  In an effort to find a solution to the problem and meet the limitations of the surrounding terrain, the tunnels were dug to accommodate the heavy rains and flooding.  The tunnel construction began in 1883.  Later, due to the steady growth of cars, the tunnels were utilized as roads, rather than flooding overflow.  I believe that during monsoon season, many of these tunnels are impassible.

I am terrified in these tunnels.  There are no mirrors or stop lights so it's kind of a fend for yourself adventure.  There are stop signs but they seem optional.

People also walk in these tunnels (and park if you can believe it) with about a 24" walkway.  YIKES....

View on the way up to our apartment at the top of the hill.

You can see one of the tunnel entrances up ahead.  Thankfully they are only one way!

The homes are all painted the brightest colors, I love it.

View of the opposite side of the 'bowl' from our apartment.

We are having a late night snack at home tonight so we can practice our spanish for tomorrows lesson.

Hasta manana.

Saludo,

Cat

Tasca de La Paz

Mike and I chased the rains into town for desayuno (breakfast) at Tasca de La Paz which I think roughly translates into "Peaceful Boozer".

This place is hopping at night.  They open up the balcony doors and have a disco party.  The food is very good and the restaurant is incredibly clean.  It is the first place that I actually saw a business license posted along with a properly placed fire extinguisher.

Breakfast started with fresh baked bread and strawberry jam.

Fresh melon and papaya started us off.

I could not resist the pancakes which were made with corn.

Mike had a chilequile breakfast.  We can't help but notice how good the beef is here, much more tender than we've had in the states and it's their version of skirt steak.
Muy delicioso!

We took a very hilly stroll after breakfast to locate La Escuela Falcon, where we will be attending spanish classes this week.  It is near the university which we hope to visit this week.

Marigolds and Chickens

I had to write a brief note on the amazing chicken eggs that we get here.  Having raised backyard chickens for years, I have to tell you that the eggs here are the best I have ever tasted.  They feed them on a diet laden with marigolds which make the yolks a bright orange color.  They are always fresh and makes me wish I was still raising chickens.  Somehow I don't think the HOA would appreciate it.

Early start to la fin de semana (weekend)

It appears that Jueves (Thursday) is the start to the weekend here in Guanajuato.  Most folks we have talked to work four days a week and only about six hours a day.  I gotta hand it to them, it's a nice way to live.  

Our apartment is above what is called 'the Panoramica' so we are overlooking the bowl of the city and the music and church bells serenade us late into the evening.

I gotta hand it to these guys, they carry these instruments all over town.  At a mere 40 pesos per person, it's well worth the experience.

Daily Mariachi Walk that begins near Teatro Juarez (building with pillars in back) in front of the Church of San Diego.

Plaza de la Paz  

Plaza de la Paz and the Basílica Colegiata de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato

Plaza de la Paz 

Becoming a Permanent Resident of Mexico

I wanted to share some information about our process of obtaining our permanent residency status in Mexico.  This appears to be a complicated process and can certainly seem that way when navigating the system on your own.  

Mike and I started this process about six months ago in the States so that we had ample time to prepare.  

This is a high level overview and should not be used as your official guide to this process.  This is our personal journey and we encourage you to either hire a professional or do your own research.

1. Identify if you qualify first.  You can qualify if:
1. You have ties to Mexican citizens or foreigners (non Mexican) residing in Mexico with temporary or permanent residency status.
2. You have a job offer (with proof of job)
3. You are retired and can prove your monthly income or pension is over $2,500 USD.
4. You have had temporary residency for four years.
5. You have investments or banks accounts averaging $100,000 USD per month.
2. We highly recommend that you utilize a service to help you with this process while you are in the United States (or country of your origin).  We used Jorge Gonzales, Mexico Visa Specialist, and his expertise greatly sped up the process and saved us from making many common mistakes.  His website is:  http://www.mexicovisaservice.com/PERMANENTMEXICORESIDENCY.html
3. Identify where your Consulate is in your state/region.  You may look up the nearest one HERE.
4. Apply for your Permanent Residency Visa at your Consulate ($36 USD).
5. The Visa process can take about 1-10 days.  Ours was approved and ready the same day.  We drove down from Flagstaff and spent less than 3 hours from start to finish.  We left with our Visa's in hand.
6. The permanent residency process takes 3-6 weeks and costs $4,289 Mexican Currency or about $275 USD.
7. This must be completed at the INM Office in Mexico and there are a few steps you must be aware of.
1. You will need to obtain the FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple) FOR CANJE when you arrive in Mexico and go through customs at the airport.  This is a small white piece of paper that the agent will staple to your Mexican Visa (obtained at your consulate prior to entering Mexico) page in your passport.  You have six months from date of issue to complete the process at the INM.
2. Schedule a few hours to visit your Instituto National de Migracion (INM) to submit your paperwork and allow for correcting any errors.
3. Obtain an address prior to doing any of the below steps.  You do not need to rent an apartment or purchase property to do this.  You simply need to have a valid address.  It is helpful to bring a utility bill if questions are asked.  This does not have to be in your name.
4. $4,289 Mexican Currency must be paid in advance of obtaining the permanent residency card.  You will need to go to any larger bank in Mexico with the proper form.  Please note:  The form link to the left is an example of what the form looks like, we highly recommend you use a service to ensure you have the correct forms.  I believe you can obtain these at the INM but I cannot guarantee as we had these completed for us already.
5. Pay the fee at the bank, and then take the original receipt and two copies with you to bring to the INM.
6. You will also need to bring three photos.  Two front and one right profile in color.  You will need to go to any photo place in Mexico.  
7. You will need to submit the 'Basic Form' or Formato Basico to the INM that you can complete online. Again:  The form link is an example only, please do not rely on this for the most current information.
8. We were lucky enough to have a business right next door that did the photos for us and made copies for a minimal fee (about $75 USD each).  While this seems a bit high, it got the job done and we were able to submit all paperwork within 2 1/2 hours.
9. Once you have submitted all forms, the INM will give you a web address with a number where you can check the status of your application.  In one to two weeks, your application will show as ready in the system (you should receive an email as well), you will need to go back and get fingerprinted at the INM office.  
10. Finally, about a week after that, you will be able to go in and retrieve your card.
11. There are steps you will need to take if you need to leave the country prior to completion of this process so please do some research if this is your situation.

Finally, as I mentioned above, please save yourself the aggravation of navigating this process on your own and hire an expert.  We met many folks at the INM office in San Miguel de Allende that were incredibly frustrated and had spent a great deal of time trying to complete this process without success.

Recommended:

Jorge Gonzales, Mexico Visa Specialist

http://www.mexicovisaservice.com/PERMANENTMEXICORESIDENCY.html

Fees:  $350 USD, he also provides a separate rate for minor consulting.

Other links:

Mexican INM:  http://www.inm.gob.mx/

San Miguel de Allende

Mike and I took a taxi to San Miguel de Allende today.  The ride each way cost about 600 pesos or a little less than $40USD.  Given that the trip took over an hour each way, I'd say it was well worth it.

I don't have pictures of the actual city today, just the beautiful country side on the way.  We plan a later sight seeing trip to the city next week.

Every taxi that we have ridden in has a cross hanging from the mirror.

Corn and all kinds of fruits and vegetables are being farmed in the country.  They still use horses to plow the fields.  Not a tractor in sight.  We did, however, see a convertible BMW.

This is one of my favorite

Local market

Not sure what these stick deer things are but we saw a bunch for sale along the way.

I love these colors.  People are living in these buildings.

This is a historical building back in Guanajuato.  I can't recall the name.

San Miguel de Allende

Hola Amigos,
We are off to San Miguel to see the city and take care of some business.  I will post pictures later on today.  Buenos Dias!!!!
Cat

Horses and Dogs

Today was a late start to the day as we did not head 'down the hill' until after 2pm.  We met a Spanish teacher, Ava, downtown and had dinner and drinks.  There was the usual Mariachi and then an orchestral performance in the center.  Another beautiful day in Guanajuato.

Shadow, the other resident doggie at the apartment.

Another great view of the Theater downtown.

Daily strolling mariachi tour, I think we need to try this one night.

Miss Ava meeting us for a drink.

Of course, Thursday means horses walking through the center of town...(of course).

This nino kept giving me the stink eye but couldn't help but sneak a grin at me.

The natural follow up to a horse is two english sheep dogs (DUH!)

This was really cool, the symphony performs in the center every Thursday night.

From the entrance of the apartment.

Buenos noches amigos....

Cat and Mike