Well, I´m here, and it is pretty much what I expected. Very charming and pleasant in many ways, and a joy to walk around - taking in everything.



Cocula is pretty tied to its past - it is relatively isolated, off the beaten path. Hardly ever a tourist or any gringos. I get stared at a lot, but a "Buenos Dias" or "Buenas Tardes" never fails to produce a smile and response in kind.

Men ride horses through city streets routinely, and sometimes herd a few cows as well. Walking around you can hear goats, sheep, roosters, cows, and the occasional pig. Dogs and chickens are everywhere. Kids and bicycles are also everywhere - where in Merida I was constantly dodging noisy buses belching black smoke, here I find myself dodging bicycles, which kind of sneak up on you if you don´t pay attention.



There are a lot of fine old colonial houses, many with interior courtyards and nice gardens. Sadly, may are near or in total ruins, but even some of those are occupied by the descendents of the original families, fallen on hard times I guess. They make do with primitive shanties inside the still imposing facades.



The weather here couldn´t be finer - in mid-winter it is in the mid-80s during the day, hot in the sun, but fine in the shade. At night, maybe 70. Dry, with light breezes so far.

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The trip here was ugly - four hours to Houston, three hours in the ugly airport there, then two hours on the mini-jet to GDL. Overnight at a really BAD hotel (cheapskates often get what they pay for). Finally, this morning, the 1.75 hr bus ride to Cocula. Doña Margarita made me eggs and ham, frijoles, and hot tortillas, and I had a nice cup of Nescaf, which sort of started me back on the road to feeling human again. Had a nice nap, and just finished my second long walk of the day.

Tomorrow I have the whole day and evening - which should be just about right to finish doing what I missed out on last time I was here.

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Another month has passed by, with no news here for those looking in.

It's not that nothing has been happening - but changes have been slow, like a flower sprouting from seed in the ground. A flower of unknown character.

Our move to Fort Collins is beginning to seem inevitable, as we continue to see great houses come and go there, and we continue to run into people who know the area and say wonderful, positive things about the place.

I have been wanting to go and see Cocula, near Guadalajara, before we make the final commitment and begin the effort to wrap things up here and relocate. It may be somewhat more difficult if I wait until we are out of here, with a new place to get settled into, and possibly a new job for me.



So several days ago, when Pat said "You could go Monday...", I at first cringed a bit at the thought of a trip without the usual period of chewing on the idea, but then tried to put the idea in the context of all the (Buddhist) teachings I have been exposed to in recent months. I decided to try not to let fear play such a prominent role when faced with the inherent uncertainty of such a trip and try to get down there to see and do whatever it is that I am supposed to experience so we can move on.

My current intention is that someday and for some period of time, we will have a place in Northern Colorado, where we will spend summers, and a place somewhere in Mexico, where we will spend winters. The visit to Cocula helps me feel like I am making an effort to further that vision, even as we commit to whatever we will be doing in Fort Collins.

So tomorrow morning I am on a plane to Guadalajara, for one night in a hotel on arrival, followed by a bus ride to Cocula in the morning. Two days there staying with Mañuel's parents, then home onThursday. Not long, but enough to really check the place out.

Assuming there are Internet cafes there (a safe bet) - there will be photos here along with my impressions of what I discover there.

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