I Seem to Attract Pirates

Well, it's now been a month at my current Airbnb and although this was not my favorite apartment rental (least, in fact), it did have its upside.

Mi amor

The owners' dog, Pirata (pirate), is a sweetheart and I'm going to really miss him! He's smelly and dirty and he's tried to bite me a couple of times (don't touch his food) but he's generally such a happy-go-lucky guy. And that face! He also has this adorable habit of nuzzling his head into my neck when I pet him.

The family here also has a parrot, a rabbit, and a barky little chihuahua, and while I do like petting the rabbit (so soft) and rubbing the parrot's head (watch that beak), it's Pirata I adore.

This is Bugs Bunny

My last day here is tomorrow, and then I move into my new apartment, a little studio in a neighborhood called Xochimilco (pronounced "so-chee-meel-co"), which is a historic, residential area right near the center of town.

Not only am I looking forward to being close to everything (San Felipe, where I am now, is about a 20-minute bus ride from el centro) but my new place is also really cute and has all the conveniences. It's tiny but cush! That will be in sharp contrast to this place, which doesn't have screens on the windows (the mosquitos are driving me insane), let alone other basic things I've needed, like a can-opener or a coffee maker. (Luckily I make cowboy coffee these days, so it's manageable.)

Here are a few pics of my new place. I didn't find it on Airbnb for a change; I found it by walking around the neighborhood. The $500 rent is considered high here in Oaxaca, but after living in the coop for a month, I didn't care! Plus, the rent doesn't exceed my set housing budget, so why not?

So many appliances!

Seriously large bed

Private patio with my own grapefruit tree

I have a lot of other updates but I'm a bit behind on my blogging because Mike was here visiting for a week and we were out and about a lot. I've also taken a couple of fun day-trips in the last couple of weeks, both with Mike and the cool kids (Melody and Chris) and also with my new friend, Jess. (So many friends now- who am I?) I'd add a few photos of these trips, but I think I accidentally deleted them all. Oops! Will track a few down I'm sure.

Shopping with Melody downtown

Money spent yesterday
1,000 pesos- (6 hours of Spanish classes - pre-paid)
= about $50 USD