More of San Miguel de Allende

If the town has a chocolate factory we seem to find it.  

Cacao Beans used anciently and now.  This was an exhibit in the chocolate factory.

One of the shops we went into had pickled peanuts.  I didn't buy any.

Typical pots on Mexican roofs

Also typical to find public altars in cities.  Sometimes many altars. This one has the picture of the Virgin of Guadalupe  (Mary)in it.  It was at the entrance of the artists market.  

The Virgin Mary or Virgin of Guadalupe that so many people in Mexico worship was pictured in a Cathedral .  Also the peasant who saw her and had her brilliance imprinted on his cloak.  They need more of the true church here in Mexico.  

A Mexican restaurant in San Miguel

Fun mural at the restaurant with a clothes line and real clothes hanging from it.  

San Miguel was a lively town with a band in the plaza and traditional dancers in the street.  

We bought some candies from one of the many venders outside the San Francisco Church.  

Doors and Windows of San Miguel de Allende

Because San Miguel is filled with artists I found the doors particularly interesting in this city.  

This boutique had a Star of David above the door 

Nice sturdy doors typical of Spain and Mexico

A door from an old hacienda

The doors of the pink San Francisco church.  Only the lower half opens.  

Artistic hand knockers.

Beautiful carving on these doors.

This barber shop door reminds me of something I would see in the Middle East.  

Bright colored buildings and flags from the windows

                 

More bright colored building and plants in the windows/doors.  

San Miguel de Allende

I really liked this pink sandstone church in San Miguel de Allende.  It is named San Francisco. 

I also love these trimmed trees.  The church is is next to the main plaza 

A view of the city with several churches as we drove into San Miguel

This is a very artistic town that has attracted artists and craftsmen since the 1940's.

  

Inside the Church.  I love the ceilings.

Farewell to the Torres Family and welcome to the Ruiz family

We have farewells for all the incoming and outgoing senior missionaries.  (I hope that Dennis and I can avoid those functions when we depart) This was one of the Torres family farewells.  Cake and ice cream for everyone.  

This was another full dinner in the special dinning room of the comedor.  

Elder Castaneda and his wife with Hermana Tenerio in the back.  She had made a huge pot of Pozole.  I like this soup because it come as a basic veggie soup and you can put in meat and other toppings as you like.  Elder Castaneda is dishing up pork strips.  He is the director or the CCM who took Shawn Cate's place.  Elder Castaneda is a member of the fourth quorum of seventy here in Mexico.  

Hermana Tenerio is the queeen of guacamole.  It took 20 avocados to product this batch.  She makes it for all the special dinners.  I don't know what else she puts in it but it sure is good.  The radishes, onions and spices on the counter are for the pozole.  

El Tajin, Vera Cruz and Tuxpan

corn and more corn growing everywhere

We had permission to stay overnight along the Gulf Coast .  The drive was very educational.  We saw corn growing along the road, up and over the hills and in between trees.  Other trips we have taken show the Mexicans love their corn.  It has been planted where ever there is some empty space.  

More corn growing, everywhere

This trip was just the Packard's and us. Bruce and Jody in the Gulf of Mexico.

Us, not in the water but enjoying the beach

Was this the gulf where the Mulekites landed.  A lot of LDS Book of Mormon scholars think so. 

Olga.  The Packard's gave her a Book of Mormon.  We bought a coconut from her.  We drank the milk and then she cut it open and gave us the meat.  Dennis had it with lime juice and salt.  

Dinner on an outside patio.  The weather was hot along the coast.  We had a man singing and playing the guitar.  The river and the lights of the river are behind Dennis.

 When we arrived at the hotel in Tuxpan we realized we had a flat tire.  A man down the street had a fix it shop in his carport. He only charged us $4 in American money.  We paid his twice that or $150 pesos which is $9 American dollars.  What a deal.

On our drive to the gulf I saw two men riding down the highway in between the cab and the back of the truck. No seat belt required.   

 El Tajin was an amazing city.  The architecture is massive.  They must have had big animals to help them lift those stones.

A map of the city from the museum.  

Paint from 600 to 1200 AD?

I would like to know what this Mayan Symbol represents

Ball courts

Arches and the Packards.

 Niches temple at El Tajin.  This pyramid had 365 niches.  It is a calendar building.

Amazing ball fields on top of this construction.

 We drove along the coast and stopped in Vera Cruz for a short time.

Dorm A and temple on bus

Each week I go to the temple one or two times with a bus full of missionaries.

The Torrez  family  and , Mosiah, Dennis and Elder Packard

Elders only in Dorm A except for senior couples.  Every 6 weeks a new group of elders move into Dorm A.  This was a picture of a Monday when most of the Elders  in the dorm were leaving. They kicked out the other remaining elders that were leaveing the next day so thee cleaning crew could come in and prepare for a new group of elders arriving the next day. 

Dormitory A hold about 142 elders and 3 senior couples.  

Our dry cleaning service.  Pay in pesos and pick up the next day.