It finally happened, the first big rain of the season here in the Central Highlands ushering in the Rainy Season. Looks like this will more or less be our new normal for the foreseeable future, October perhaps?
The irony of this happening on what we Northerners commonly refer to as the first day of summer (this year, June 20th) is not lost on me.
Honestly, we were a bit clueless about this. Okay, a lot. Even after living in Mexico for over three years, and living in the tropics for the past eight years, we totally 100% misjudged the Mexico highlands summer.
Part of the problem is we’ve only lived in the coastal lowlands in Mexico, and hadn’t ventured to the central part of the country during this time of year. On the coast, we definitely got more than our fair share of torrential rain and severe weather from June through October.
But at some point along the way, the seed was planted in our minds that the central highlands remains pretty dry in the summer time.
So, when June approached, we left our beloved sand and surf and turned left, hoping for greener pastures. Well, looks like we’ll definitely be getting green pastures, but not exactly what we were hoping for.
The upside is that the temperatures up here are much more ideal than down there. We won’t be beholden to 30-amp sites (for A/C) and won’t be sweltering without the option of jumping in the water.
But 4-5 months of daily rain will definitely be an adjustment.
For the now, the boys are pretty excited by all of this. Noe even asked for rain for his birthday. That’s in two days, so I think he’ll get his birthday wish.
Roof dogs are all the rage here.
A lot of rain is in the forecast today. We’ve got a couple of errands we need to accomplish in town, so we thought it would be a nice change of pace to do school at a coffee shop. Our first choice was closed, so we asked around and found this tiny place.
Great coffee, but very limited seating. The tables were up on a loft and it felt like a furnace. Other than that, I think the boys liked a change of scenery.
Afterwards, we stopped by the cake shop for a very special someone’s birthday tomorrow.
It’s an ongoing tradition for Noe’s birthday (stretching back maybe six years?) that no matter where we are in the world, we visit a local cake shop so Noe can pick out his favorite.
His tastes have definitely evolved over the years. Last year, it was a Jell-O cake. This year, it’s this beauty.
As our luck would have it, just as they were ringing up the cake, the skies opened, and in rushed the deluge.
Second big rain in as many days. No mistaking it. We’re in full-on wet season. Never ceases to amaze us how the seasons in Mexico can change on a dime, or peso, rather.
School just got out, which always means a bit of a wait for a Combi.
The next morning was Noe’s 8th birthday. Still can’t believe this guy’s EIGHT. Seems like only yesterday, we were toting him home from the hospital in his tiny little car seat.
One of the first to greet him on the way to brunch was his favorite animal on the ranch, Sr. Burrito.
Noe requested Loretta Cafe, which is our family’s favorite in town. We’ve been here a number of times already, so I wasn’t going to bother with the menu, but decided to give it another look. And lo and behold, there it was—a tiny little box announcing a free slice of cake on your birthday.
We thought it might be a tiny little slice, so we were all very surprised when they brought us this:
I was worried he might keep it all to himself. But this is Noe, we’re talking about. We all ended up with an equal piece (but all agreed that Noe should have the back-end with all the frosting—which was a bit hard for Lori).
Afterwards, it was time for Noe to pick out some fruit at the local market he doesn’t usually get to have—another birthday tradition with us.
Rambutans and small plums!
After a walk around town, it was time to head back to Rancho La Mesa, and just in time for feeding.
Back at home, it’s time for a little birthday celebration.
Riley, always trying to get a rise out of his bro-bro.
Here in Mexico, no birthday song is complete without the requisite mordida.
Fourth birthday in Mexico, fourth location. Sayulita, Chacala, La Paz, and this year, Patzcuaro.
Noe’s an easy guy to shop for. He informs us months in advance the one or two things he’d like for his birthday, and rarely wavers. And when the big day arrives, his level of excitement is always turned up to eleven, as if it was the biggest surprise of his life and exactly what he always wanted.
Happy birthday to our most favorite eight-year-old, traveler, creator, explorer, and big brother on the planet! We wouldn’t trade you for the world.
The clearest view we’ve had of Lake Patzcuaro since arriving here almost three weeks ago.
On that note, our time here in Patzcuaro is definitely winding down. We’ve decided to get back on the road in a few days. Wednesday looks like the best day, weather-wise, so barring anything unforeseen, we’ll be rolling out of here and into Guanajuato within the week.
