And Yet We Walk

Relatives  and friends continue to mention that they would love to visit us here in SMA.  And we would love to have them visit.  There is a lot to see and do in this writers’, artists’, actors’ historical colony and we would love to show it off.

However, although one blogger refers to SMA as a Disneyland, it ain’t.  Disney would never let the sidewalks and streets exist in the conditions we ‘enjoy’ here in SMA.  They have people who design walkways, studying the possible layouts, colors, and textures needed to create a walkway that contributes to the ambiance of the location while still mindful of moving people along efficiently and safely.

The streets and cobblestone streets of SMA are much as they were hundreds of years ago when pedestrian safety was not at the top of the list.

Another fellow blogger* described them thus:

These sidewalks are very narrow, made of limestone slabs that are very old and, thus, polished and slippery from centuries of footsteps.  They are  pock-marked due to erosion.  There are holes, broken slabs, meters sticking up at odd angles, steps up and down, light poles in the center. Every day each business is swept and mopped; then the mop water is poured on the sidewalk and swept, making them even more dangerous. In any given block there are hundreds–nay, thousands–of opportunities to inflict serious bodily harm upon oneself.

I’m not sure it would be appropriate for everyone who has expressed a wish to visit, but you don’t pick up the flavor of the place when you’re constantly being ferried about by taxi or car.  It’s sort of a sterilized version of SMA.

And yet we walk.  Today we took a bus into Centro (busses are another story) then walked across downtown and out on Ancho, turned up Cardo past St Paul’s and along the new Rosewood development, then turned right, walking up and along Aldama, following the crest of the hill for some distance until we came to the 5^th of May and thence downhill to Ancha de San Antonio again.  [We never found Parque Juarez, but the way, our announced goal.]  From there we walked back into Centro – stopping at the little tin shop – until we reached Canal and caught another bus for the short ride to the base of our Colonia, then walked up the hill to home.

With a stop for a bite of lunch, it took about 2 hours and I had a touch of heat prostration or something – but I did pretty much keep up the pace.  Altitude and a sedentary lifestyle has presented its challenges.  We did decide that we needn’t go to the gym today!

So here I am, fully recovered, working on my blog before dinner.  We’re planning on going to the Pocket Theater for the second showing of A Single Man (we seldom went to films in California so there are many to catch up), then off to La Azutea for our special pizza and a margarita or two.   

Because of the condition of the streets and sidewalks, we’ll be taking a taxi home tonight.

*Our fellow blogger is at Dorita Loca Blogs San Miguel and generously shares her posts.