When we walked out of the airport it was like we were saying good-bye to one world and hello to another. My dad rented a car and we took a taxi to the hostel that we are currently at. Yes… we had to have two cars to fit four people and about eight bags. The driving in Mexico is almost as crazy as Italy… almost…. The place we are staying, Casa VilaSanta, is nestled in the middle of the block that we live on in downtown Guadalajara. It’s painted a beautiful blue with a cute little sign and wooden doors.
The place we are staying, Casa VilaSanta, is nestled in the middle of the block that we live on in downtown Guadalajara. It’s painted a beautiful blue with a cute little sign and wooden doors.
We checked into our room, which has a king size bed and a single bed. The furniture is stained with a pretty green color. I know… it doesn’t sound pretty, but it is! Older style Mexican casas are built with rooms surrounding an open courtyard. It’s more like a common area.
There are couches and tables and a television to sit and visit. There’s also an upstairs with about 6 more rooms and a place that you can sit and relax in the sun.
The kitchen area is public and has a
pantry and dining room. The pantry area has a big fridge that covers the size of one wall. There are plastic crates available for you to put your name on and store your food. For dry food, you can put it in another crate with your name on a shelf. The kitchen has all the necessities. The stove took a while for me to learn how to light. The gas has to be turned on and then lit with a match. On my first twenty tries, I kept burning my finger. Then I added one of those fluid lighters to my list of things to get at the store and am now a successful stove lighter. Bethany still can’t figure it out, so I have to help her. She will learn with practice J.
The other residents here have been amazing. The first day we were here, I came downstairs where my parents we sitting and saw them talking to this guy with red hair and an Irish accent. He introduced himself, Frank from Ireland, and quickly began giving us the low-down on our new home and city. He told us that the staff, at the VilaSanta, is so helpful and caring.
He also gave us a tour of downtown, telling us where to get things that we might need. He’s in Mexico because he opened a chain called, Wing’s army, which is like a Buffalo Wild Wings. His friend from Ireland fell in love with a girl from Guadalajara and moved down here to get married. They decided to open a business together and so Frank came down to get it running. He’s not sure if he wants to move here permanently or go back to Ireland, but leaning more towards staying here. He’s been here for about two and a half months and has become like a brother to Bethany and me.
Some of our other classmates from school are staying here for the month. There’s also a really nice guy living here while he’s going to cooking school. The other people stay for a week or two and move on. I went into the kitchen one night to try and scrounge up something to eat. I walked in to this amazing smell and a guy at the stove. He introduced himself and said he was from Switzerland traveling around Mexico for a couple months. He offered me some of his pasta, which I quickly accepted! Another time, I was walking around the common area and saw a couple just checking in to the VilaSanta. They introduced themselves and told me they were from Australia. They had been in the United States for six months traveling around, and then came down to Mexico for a little while. Bethany, they guy from Switzerland, and the girl from Australia, and I went to eat that night.
It’s so much fun meeting people from all over and hearing about their journeys. Everyone is so nice, it’s like you instantly become best friends. I guess people that are willing to get out and travel the world have to be outgoing and friendly. It’s just so neat how everyone can connect and share what they have with you. People are always offering their food or anything they might have that you could use. It constantly amazes me how God will take care of his sheep.
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