We need to buy motorcycle helmets!

The other day we went and wandered around the nearby town of El Arco. This is located only less than one mile from our house and we can walk there in 15 minutes. It's the place we go to get anything we need last minute, but the shopping is actually better in Valle de Bravo (simply "Valle" as the locals say).

We've been there many times, but never for the sole purpose of seeing what other shops are there.

For example, we stopped in at a furniture store. Of course we've never had the need to go to a furniture store in this area! I didn't take any photos, but this is the type of furniture store where everything is made local and they even have photos of items they don't keep in stock but will manufacture  for you.

It gave us some ideas, but I think today we'll go into Valle and have a look at some better selection. 

Oh, another reason we need to go into Valle... we need motorcycle helmets!

This is our new transportation.

Despite the fact that many people don't wear motorcycle helmets here, there is a law that says you have to. But it's rarely enforced. We don't want to run afoul of the transito police, and of course we stand out like a sore thumb as gringos... so we will buy and wear the helmets.

Ruth gave our main bathroom a major cleaning yesterday. And while she was doing that, I repaired the toilet in the bathroom downstairs. I had noticed when we moved in that it was leaking. Turns out that someone had installed a repair kit at some point and didn't put it back together properly. They ruined the new gasket, but fortunately had left all the old parts behind and the old gasket was still good. So I put it back together properly and it seems fine now.

We're going to be doing some painting this week. The interior walls are white, and they will stay white. Colorful interiors in Mexico are largely a foreign or touristy aesthetic that you see in expat homes like San Miguel de Allende. Culturally, most Mexicans see white interiors as a sign of "order and freshness". Of course you can have accents of color, and any type of pictures to dress things up as well. But white walls are very common in local Mexico for simplicity, and practicality as well. White is the least expensive color... it's easy to touch up and keep clean, and it makes interiors the brightest. We're happy with that.

Our doorman.

He lives on the wall above our entrance door.

He's not really that big... maybe 2".

Okay... we're off to town!

Oh, and the Blue Jays lost last night. Bad management pitching decisions. Anyhow, the teams head back to Toronto for games on Sunday and Monday. The Jays need to win both of them.

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