Picture tour of the House

La casa Salazar, our casa, is only one block off the bustling main drag of Avenue Patria. As one can see, there is absolutely no space in between houses here in Guadalara. Pay no attention to the bars and barbed wire; while people invest in security, there is no cause for alarm. This neighborhood is extremely safe. Korey's

The beauty of the house begins as soon as you enter the front gate. The steps are marble slabs and the woodwork on the furniture is impressionante (impressive). The walls are covered with pictures of friends and family and beautiful paintings. The floors, too, are granite, marble, or some form of nice ceramic.

The living room is home to three extremely comfortable sofas and a army of collected ornaments and other decorations. I admit to being fairly creeped out by the clown-dolls. Not for me. Rosi loves them, though, so I say nothing. Here is Korey and I lounging after a long day spent walking all over Guadalara in the hot Mexican sol (sun). Korey burns. Stu tans. Life is cruel. Also notice the use of the laptop, which has been recently revived from a three-month, Indian-computer-technician-induced coma by Richard's padre. The house has wireless, so we are able to save tons of money by not having to pay for internet cafe's, and I am able to regularly post blog entries to keep all mis carnales (close friends and relatives) updated.

This is the only shot of the kitchen that we have. It's a simple kitchen, but here is pictured it's most valuable asset, Rosi, who makes the heavens jealous with her cooking. Richard and I remain constantly well-fed and unable to imagine how anything we eat could possibly taste better. Here, Rosi is preparing some of this magic for Richard, Paco and I. We devoured it moments later and sang songs about how delicious it was.

My favorite part of the house, the garden (el jardin) is pictured here. The only bad thing about el jardin is that it is the gateway through which the man-eating cockroaches enter the living room. Apart from that, it is a wonderful place to sit and read, chat (platicar), listen to music (there is a sound-system hooked up), and knock back a few delicious chelas (drinks). There is also a fireplace, which I can't imagine ever being used for heat, but they tell me it gets down to 30 or 40 degrees during Enero (January). The jardin is also where Richard, Prescott and I have intense futbol (soccer) showdowns. So far, nothing has been broken but Richard's pride as Prescott takes him to school.

This is where Richard and I sleep. We have a massive closet, a shelf, and the world's largest drawers for storing our belongings. More importantly, we have a fan and a window. Rosi provided us we quilts, but we both sleep with only a sheet, as hace much calor (it's very hot), even at night. The window is also equipped with a heavy duty screen to prevent any steroid-crazed cucarachas (cockroaches) from breaking in to bastardize our sleep.

That is all for the house. There are more rooms, of course, and a bathroom, but it isn't necessary that you see these things, as they are not integral parts of our stay here. Well, the bathroom certainly is, but it's a bathroom just like any other. Coming soon is a pciture-accompanied introduction to the family. For now, feast your eyes on this great portrait of Paco y Rosi. Also coming soon is the tale of our downtown travels, wich pictures of the city and los tapatios (people from Guadalajara). Estoy emocionado simplemente por referir a eso (I'm excited just by mentioning it.)

Salud,

Stu