After much discussion and thinking and internal crying, Crystal and I have decided to postpone our upcoming trip to Buenos Aires. The timing just isn’t good for either of us.

Yesterday was National Spumoni Day, which, in my opinion, is the only national holiday worth celebrating. I took the Chinatown bus up to NYC and spent the day celebrating with Albee. It was the most delicious day ever.

Bonus - CvT is up here for the weekend too. I hope to see him and the Brooklyn crew out tonight.

(ps - happy birthday to gabriel and genny)

This is Pedro. We found him in the bath tub at the house of Luke & Matt et al. He didn’t last too long.

One of my goals while in Mexico was to score some la lotería cards. You would think this would be the easiest thing in the world to do, but let me tell you, it was not. We looked everywhere and never saw them. Lisa asked a lady at a store, and she pointed us to the school supplies store, but alas, they had no idea what I was looking for.

Our last full day in San Miguel involved a last-minute-shopping marathon with OJ (who was getting over mexican sickness). We made our usual walk down towards El Jardin, stopping in various cute places along the way. It was my day of metal. I got scrap metal paintings, Frida and Mary shrines, and cute little metal and tile boxes.

I needed to get rid of all those pesos, ahaha.

I was directing Jared towards the store where I got my mexican house dress, and afterwards we stumbled across an open air market. I realized it was the one Jason was trying to take us to the other day, but the hail came and we sought shelter instead and then forgot about it.

It seemed at first to just be this little block, but as we kept going, so did the market. Going and going and going. It was huge! I found a great store selling calacas for way cheap and packaged for travel. I had wanted one the whole time, but didn’t want to deal with the transport of it.

I picked up a few more metal shrines, my obsession of the day, at a couple of places. Everything at this market was drastically cheaper than the stuff in El Jardin.

Then I found them! We walked past this little stall and I looked down and the floor was covered in lotería. Packs and packs of various designs and sizes. I literally screamed TITS! and fell to the floor. It was the most exciting day of my life. I can die a happy girl now.

The (apparent) end of the market was fresh produce and flowers and food stalls. Oh how I wanted to dive into the piles of peppers and cilantro and pomegranates. I need to move to Mexico so my belly can get used to the water down there and I can eat all the fruits and veggies without worry.

OJ was still feeling ill that night, so we just chilled in the courtyard. I spent my last night in Mexico drinking beer, dodging bats, eating doritos, and talking to Albee.

We successfully got up early and OJ, Chris, Luke and I went to Guanajuanto to visit Museo de Las Momias and Casa Diego Rivera.

The mummy museum was the absolute highlight of my whole trip. I was so excited about it before coming, and there was no way I was going to miss it. It definitely lived up to my expectations. I fell in love with those damn mummies and wanted to take some home. I can’t wait to get back and share pictures with you.

From there we took a cab to the center of town, El Jardin de la Union (because we thought the cab driver said he didn’t know where the diego museum was). The ride was so much fun. The mummies were on the outskirts of town and at first I thought Guanajuato was really small, but when we got to the center, it’s a bustling city. And there are these awesome tunnels through it. Underground streets with intersections and parking. It was as exciting as a roller coaster. Total glee.

We walked around the center for a bit and had lunch at a really awful hotel restaurant. It was so bad. None of us had a good experience there.

From there we made it to Casa Diego Rivera and realized our cab driver didn’t not know where it was, he was trying to tell us that the street was closed. It was all torn up and we had to walk through rubble to get there.

The house part of the museum was a bit whatever to me, but the gallery part was so worth it. He was so amazing. I never realized how many styles he went through throughout his life. All of his work is so different, yet also so completely his. I can kind of see how Frida put up with all of his shit. Hell, I’ve put up with shit because I’m madly in love with someone’s art too.

After Diego we strolled a bit more until it started raining (these afternoon showers were becoming habit), and then caught a cab back to the bus station. While waiting around there I discovered some silly pulp comics and we bought a handful. Luke lucked out and got the porn one, but I scored some pretty good dramatic almost-porn scenes that I’m pleased with.

We met up with Lisa at El Jardin when we got back and she and I continued our shopping madness. We went back to El Tomato for dinner, and then bought a six-pack to go back home and hang out in the courtyard to drink. They had to leave early in the morning, so we didn’t want to get too crazy.

El Jardin has tons of food cart vendors, and I was watching the corn one. They take a cob of corn, cover it with mayonnaise, then sprinkle it with cheese and cayenne. Now I love corn, and even mayonnaise, but that just grossed me out. The thought of biting into it and having mayonnaise all over the outside of my mouth…. ewwww!

The original plan for the day was to go to Guanajuato for the mummy museum, but after waiting around on too many people and going to lunch, it was too late in the day and we postponed it for Saturday.

We had lunch at a vegetarian restaurant in El Jardin called El Tomato. Everything was fresh and made to order. I couldn’t decided between the tofu burger or the lentil croquettes, so I went for yogurt con frutas y granola. But then everyone else’s food came out and I wanted it all. Yay for friends and food bite trading.

We all split up after lunch and Chris, Lisa, Jason, & I went tromping around. Lisa is a shopping soul mate. Jason was taking us towards this market he found, but before we made it, it started pouring down again. We found a building that kept us pretty protected, until it started hailing and we had to run across the street/river to find shelter.

We had some margaritas to wait out the storm, and then headed back home for siesta.

The plan that night was to have dinner at Cha Cha Cha, a place recommended by the owner of the B&B. On our way there, we met a drunk guy named Alex who was determined to show us the way. He latched on to me and kept talking to me about who knows what. He slurred so much I could barely tell when he was speaking English. He kept trying to pull my dress down to see my tattoo. Why do people think that is acceptable?

When we finally found Cha Cha Cha, it was closed. (Who closes at 7?) Lisa was quick to find us a cab after that. If we had walked, he certainly would have accompanied us all night.

We opted for Mama Mia instead. It’s one of the fave spots of the city, and they had all gone there before we got here (when we were sleeping on an airport floor). I had heard tale of their margaritas, so there was no complaint from me.

It’s an Italian place, and I had a margherita pizza. It would have been better with a glass of wine, but I needed one of their infamous margies. It really wasn’t as spectacular as I was expecting. Lisa said they were much weaker than the first time they had them. Oh well.

We met up with the rest of the gang afterwards and went to the patio upstairs for another night of drinking and face photos.

We didn’t stay out too late though because we needed to get up for morning mummy trip, which we were determined to make.

The day started off right with a plate of chilaquiles rojo and a refreshing bottle of mineral water.

OJ, Lisa, and Chris were still feeling a bit hung over after breakfast, so I went out on a hike by myself. I got lost in a neighborhood and it was really nice taking in the sites and smells. I met up with them later and then we headed to Luke & Matt’s to await our luggage and the wedding.

All of the original wedding plans were altered by the torrential downpours. Rivers were running through the streets. We piled into cabs and went sliding down the narrow streets in one of the most exciting/scary cab rides ever.

The wedding was held in the amazingly beautiful house Kevin and Rachel were staying in. The houses around here are to die for. I could have swooned over that kitchen for hours.

I need to live in Mexico.

Since it was still raining after the wedding, we all piled into cabs again to head to Nirvana for the reception. They served us ridiculous amounts of food and alcohol there. I had some delicious wine and of course a handful of margaritas. Our waiter was so on top of it. He stopped by and asked if I wanted a new drink, and I said eventually since I still had a third of mine left. Then not two seconds after I finished, he appeared with a new one and set it in front of me and said, “Eventually.” It was the cutest.

For dinner I had watermelon gazpacho and hibiscus quesadillas. Hibiscus quesadillas. Seriously. That shit was so good. I need to get in the kitchen on that one.

Lisa and I got on this whole “face” kick after dinner and had people pose for whatever face we called out. It made for some awesome photos. (Which I can’t upload yet because the connection here just isn’t having it)

We all went back to Matt & Luke’s afterwards. The boys were put on alcohol duty, and had some crazy adventure buying from some hole in the wall. Literally.

It was a fun day, especially since I got to shower and have my belongings and eat hibiscus quesadillas.

Our luggage arrived at 6:30. The wedding is (was) at 7:00. Perfect!

It’s currently storming like mad and we are sitting around waiting for it to die down before we amble on over to the house where the wedding is.

I’m showered and have clean clothes on and brushed teeth and generally feel so much better.

Happy days are here again.

Still no luggage this morning. One of the bags made it to the airport and the other is still in transit somewhere. Once they get to the airport it’s no telling how long it will take them to actually deliver it to us. Continental is totally FTL on this trip.

Other than that, the trip is awesome so far. The B&B we’re at Casita de Las Flores, is really cute and colorful and has fuschias (my all-time fave flower) growing around.

There is a tortilleria right around the corner that sells a kilo of tortillas for 10 pesos (one dollar). Chris, Lisa, OJ, and I munched on them all day long and didn’t even make it half way through.

We stopped at one of our neighborhood bars, Bob’s Cantina, for cervezas and had some little kids come in trying to sell us Chicklets. You know you’re in Mexico when…

Lisa and I went on a shopping hunt for cuteness. I saw a handful of dresses that I really liked, but the sizes here are crazy. You could fit two of me in a medium. I only managed to find two that actually fit (although one probably won’t fit after this trip and all the tortillas and tequila I plan on devouring).

The kitsch here is completely killing me. Everywhere you turn there is a bright Virgin Mary shrine, or Dia de Los Muertos dioramas, or Frieda y Diego pictures. The colors and eye candy are sending me into excitement overload. I wish I could scoop it all up and bring it home.

I’ve been good so far at resisting some really precious plates, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to hold out the whole trip. I managed to keep half of my suitcase empty for some just-in-case purchases. :-)

After walking around El Jardin for most of the day, we met up with the wedding party for dinner at a very delicioso restaurant called El Pegaso. That’s where I went on my masa eating binge and had my first Mexican margaritas.

Today I will probably have to break down and purchase some travel goods. I was trying to avoid that, but this is my third day of traveling in these same clothes and I haven’t brushed my teeth and I don’t think my face will tolerate being washed with bar hand soap for much longer. I did take a shower this morning, and that felt awesome, but I had to put the same old clothes back on.

Oh, and I have Mexican bug bites. Ahahahah.