Arriving in Querétaro

I'm here! After months and months of looking at photo online and imagining what Querétaro would be like, I am here and falling in love with this incredibly charming city! I am staying in a very centrally located apartment with an unbelievably kind woman named Caro (short for Carolina). She lives alone and teaches spinning classes out of the front room and has graciously agreed to allow me and a language assistant from England (arriving Friday) to stay here while we look for more permanent housing. My room faces a plaza that intermittenly plays 90s jams such as Aerosmith's I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing (playing right now) and Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On. I have no idea where exactly the music comes from but it is loud and seemingly random, only one song plays and then there is silence for hours.

The plaza outside my window, the boys in the foreground are break dancing!

Caro has already let me take one of her spinning classes free of charge (gotta work off all those chilaquiles!), walked me to the technology plaza to get a new computer charger, cooked lunch for me today and asked if she could give me a pedicure (she's a trained cosmetologist). She has an itty bitty toy poodle named Fergi and is getting a English bulldog puppy this weekend. Caro is bonkers nice.

Fresh mango juice, stuffed chile pepper, rice, fresh tomatoes and chayote.

I have most of this week free so have been wandering around a bit to try to get to know the city. During my walks, I have passed by a number of frogs designed by artists in a couple of the andadores (pedestrian alleys) and one of the plazas. The ranas are beautiful, funny, and extremely creative.

"For health, love and move touch this frog and make a wish."

There are plazas around nearly every turn, each with a statue or fountain which adds to the romantic feel of this colonial city. Miguel, one of the faculty members from my school that brought me to my current apartment, told me about a bike ride every Wednesday night and today I happened to meet one of its volunteers who offered to pick me up and loan me a bike and helmet for the ride tonight. Before arriving, I was told of the warmth and kindness of Mexican people and each person I have met as far exceeded my expectations. People really take the time to reach out, offer what they can and open themselves up as a new friend.  It is a quality I definitely aspire to refine along with my Spanish. That and a solid mole recipe.