Visita al rancho

Yesterday we went to visit the ranch that our ‘father’ owns. I think it’s really more of a farm than a ranch, but they call it the “rancho.” The farm is located near the small city of Dolores Hidalgo, which is about 45 minutes from Guanajuato. We woke up early on a Saturday so that we could spend the whole day there. We all ate breakfast together at 8 a.m. and left the house by 8:40. All seven of us piled into the car that only seats 5. Alfredo drove, Dean sat in the front passenger seat, Jessica sat on the driver’s side of the backseat with Alejandra on her lap, I sat in the middle of the backseat, and Edith sat in the passenger’s side of the backseat with Fernando on her lap. With that many people in a car, seatbelts are obviously out the window.

The morning started off rather chilly and gloomy. Most of our drive through the mountains was in the fog. Perhaps it was more like clouds than fog since we were in the mountains after all. It was eerily pretty in the way that only fog can be. However, there wasn’t very much of a view through all the fog. So it turned out to be a rather long ride there. We did play a word game in the car….to help us with our vocabulary I guess (as well as pass the time). It was rather difficult, but provided a good distraction.

View from the window when it wasn't too foggy

It was still rather chilly when we got there…but t as bad. I’m trying to reinforce this idea that it was a cold cloudy start to the day, so there was a reason why I didn’t wear sunscreen. Anyways, we got a tour of the farm. For the most part, they grow alfalfa which they sell as feed for animals. During the appropriate times of year they also grow beans (‘frijoles’).

A field of recently cut alfalfa

They also have a random assortment of animals including dogs, sheep, horses, donkeys, and chickens.

Sheep

The kids feeding the sheep alfalfa

Dean and the dogs 

The donkeys

Petting one of the horses

After looking at all the animals, we went for a walk to see the various cacti in the area. It was interesting to see vegetation so different from what I’m used to in Michigan. Of course right after talking about the various poisonous snakes and tarantulas that were in the area both Jessie and I had to use the restroom and, go figure, there was no restroom. It was a rather frightening few minutes off the main path there…haha. The whole area is very appealing visually with the cacti and the mountains in the background.

Me and some pretty plant

Cactus

After we returned, it was time to ride the horses; or to be more exact, be led around while sitting on a horse. It was actually pretty fun and the view was even more fabulous from horseback. I was rather glad that I didn’t have to do the riding on my own…I don’t think that I remember the first thing about how to control a horse’s movements. With my swollen ankle (not sure if I wrote about this in the blog, but I twisted my ankle and it became swollen) I had to use a chair to help me get onto the horse’s back…but I managed alright.

Me on the horse

Me being led around on the horse

After the horse rides, we were done visiting the ranch and drove to visit the main plaza in the city of Dolores. There we ate ‘nieves’ which is something in between a snow cone and ice cream if I had to describe it. They had a million flavors that we tried, everything from ‘cerveza’ (beer) to more traditional fruit flavors. I had pistachio and some other type of nut flavored ‘nieves.’ It was rather appetizing as the day had gotten significantly warmer. In the main plaza was a beautiful Catholic church, a statue of Miguel Hidalgo, and a tree with a statue of Cortez crying under it representing the “night of tears,” or  something like that when Cortez cried underneath a tree after defeat in battle. We walked around for awhile and took in the sites of the main plaza.

Me in front of the statue of Miguel Hidalgo...and Alejandra too...she kind of got in the picture

The main church in Dolores Hidalgo

Me

Then we were off again, this time on our way home…but with plans to stop along the way for a picnic lunch. We stopped at a little campsite where we ate sandwiches for lunch. It was at this point in time when I realized that I had gotten well and truly sunburned. My face (again), my arms, and what was showing of my chest above my scoop neck shirt. Ouch!! I really regret not putting on sunscreen this morning…but how was I to know it would get sunny. It rained all day yesterday and the morning started just as dreary. Oh my….I think I’ve learned my lesson!

The family eating our picnic lunch

Perhaps a little hard to tell here, but there's my sunburn!

Anyways, we had a rather busy day as you can see. It was going, going, going non-stop from 8 this morning until around 7 when we got home. It was nice to get out of Guanajuato and see new things and experience new things…but it was definitely another exhausting day piled onto the rest. I don’t think that these people ever stop going. Life is so much more active here than in the United States…but I suppose that’s a good thing when you think about it. I’m just not sure that I was entirely prepared