Tuesday, March 20, 2012

driving down the rabbit trail


There are days that deserve double takes.

I was up at 7 this morning to get ready for my drive to Manzanillo. While cutting up a banana on my cereal, I glanced out the window. And saw what you can see at the top of the blog.

A rabbit. A white rabbit.

Spying neither Grace Slick or Alice Liddell in the garden, I assumed my visitor was an escaped pet or someone's dinner. But it did bring back memories.

My brother and I had pet rabbits when we were growing up. They came to an untimely end involving a pack of dogs. The details will do none of us any good.

I assumed this rabbit's owner (or the chef) would come looking for him. So, off I hopped to Manzanillo.

One of the things I enjoy about Mexico is that there are no wrong turns. Only opportunities to enjoy new places.

For some reason, I decided to try a new way of getting to the immigration office. It is good I do not live in a country where timeliness is next to anything. Because I found myself not lost, but heading through neighborhoods that were not designed for the efficient flow of traffic. What should have taken me ten minutes took me forty-five.

When I arrived at the office, all of the parking spaces were filled. Surprisingly, I found a spot along the street.
 
I had been told that the immigration office moved to new digs -- but they were easy to find. Easy it was. Take the left door instead of the door straight ahead. To keep up the Alice patter.

I signed in around 9:35 and took my number. The waiting room was almost full. So, after only about four minutes, I was surprised to hear my number called. I have no idea how I jumped the rest of the queue. Nor did the people sitting next to me.

Having gone through this drill three times before, I brought copies of almost everything I could imagine. And it worked. Because I didn't need hardly anything.

The only items she was interested in were the completed and signed application form I had filled out online, my photographs for my new card, and a copy of the photograph page in my passport.

She asked if I still lived at the same address. When I answered "yes," she said I did not need to give her a copy of my telephone bill. Nor did she need any financial information. The whole transaction took me about as much time as it took to type it up for you.

She then sent me off to the Navy Bank to pay my application fee: $1451(Mx). In the past, this step has been the most problematic. Whenever the swabbies are paid, the place is flooded.

Not today. There was one man in front of me. The clerk handled his request quickly and then took my money and paperwork. In just a couple of minutes I walked back to the office to hand in my receipt.

The very helpful woman (I cannot now recall her name) gave me a letter as a temporary FM3 (because she kept my card for updating). She originally told me to return in late April for my new card. I had thought about this ahead of time, and gave her a copy of my airline itinerary -- informing her I would be leaving on 11 April. She kindly changed my return date to 10 April.

I walked out the door, and glanced at my watch. It was 10:18. The whole process had taken less than forty-five minutes. As efficient as any government office I have visited.

When I got home, I was surprised to see The White Rabbit had not moved on. Obviously he thought he had found sanctuary. I tried approaching him, but he was as scared as -- well, a rabbit (to remint the cliché).

I went back into the house to get him a leaf of lettuce (trying to recall if Prince Charles -- my rabbit -- liked the stuff). I found him just outside my gate cowering motionless under a shrub. And I could see why.

No more than ten feet away, a nasty-looking feral white and yellow cat was crouched to spring. (The line between coiled rattlesnakes and attack-ready cats is very thin in my mind.) I shooed the cat away from its Watership Down moment.

When I returned to the garden, the rabbit soon followed me in. Not close enough for me to touch. But he allowed me to approach him while he cooled off under a small bougainvillea.  

Now, I need to decide what I am going to do with the rabbit. Between the cats, dogs, and crocodiles, I suspect his bright white coat is going to make him a prime entrée in God's buffet.  

Maybe I will follow my own advice from yesterday. It will all get worked out mañana.


25 comments:

Andean said...

That 's a very large rabbit, I don't know if it's just the picture? Nevertheless, looks well fed! Have come across many animals in Mexico never a rabbit.
I'm glad it all went smooth for you in the oficinas--always a relief here or there when that happens!

Steve Cotton said...

 It is a large rabbit.  After writing the post, I think it belongs tio the neighbors three lots over.  It is going to learn a lot about life if it wanders around the way it does.  But it has two small dog friends.  For company.  Hardly protection.

Andean said...

Or feed for the crocs--wonder how it escaped.

John Calypso said...

Looks like a fine COTTON tail ;-)  Take good care of him/her - someone maybe missing their dinner as we speak. Not a canejo ingest er here. Spare the rabbit!

Andean said...

Funny you thought of the COTTON tail--ha. Would not ingest a conejo either--but cats do love them.
--wonder if Cotton has had a Cotton tail...

Laurie Matherne said...

I like rabbits, as pets and as "comida." Once, a love-struck rabbit pursued my cat relentlessly. He was in love with my neutered cat, who neither loved him nor wanted him as a meal. It was funny. But eventually I think he was eaten by nearby gators. That part was not funny. 

Laurie Matherne said...

Good one, Calypso. 

Steve Cotton said...

 There is a large gap in the neighbor's gate.  Both of the dogs escape regularly through the same oening. 

Steve Cotton said...

 This is a free-range rabbit.  I think I found the owner.  Even though the rabbit has a cage, there seems to be little desire to keep the rabbit there. 

Steve Cotton said...

 I happen to love rabbit -- on the hoof and on the plate.

Andean said...

No surprise, sometimes wonder if you have had croc or what haven't you had.

Steve Cotton said...

 And my neighbor bunny is going to have to learn some laguna smarts -- or end up as someone's lunch.

Babsofsanmiguel said...

It's the EASTER BUNNY!  It's the EASTER BUNNY!  Maybe you're going to get a basket this year with chocolate eggs..........

Andean said...

--laguna smarts--all Cotton tails should heed that one.

Mcotton said...

What memories were brought to life with the picture of the rabbit relaxing in the shade of the garden.  Price Charles was more "royal" looking.  However, it wouldn't take much for this one to be a pet.  You had better find it's home before you leave. 

Joanchrysler said...

Hi Steve,  I fly in March 27 and plan on going to immigration the following day. In your opinion is there a chance of picking it up before flying out on April 10th? Thanks in advance for any thoughts.  Lucy

Steve Cotton said...

Don't tell my mother. It will be the center piece of Easter dinner.

Steve Cotton said...

Take a copy of your return flight itinerary. Less than two weeks will be cutting it close. I would suggest filling out the online form right now and having it ready to go when you arrive. Along with your photographs and supporting documents.

If they cannot produce the card that quickly, you should ask them to process an exit letter. You can then pick up the card when you come down the next time. But both of the last two years they have been very good at expediting the process.

Steve Cotton said...

I found the owner, Mom.  One of my neighbors.  The daughter coaxed the rabbit with a banana.  Apparently, its favorite food.  

Tancho said...

Many years ago a few days before Easter, I found a tiny grey bunny at our front door. Our street was a rural country lane with about 20 houses in a quarter mile.
I adopted him and he was easy to train to a cat litter box.
He lived as our pet, co existing with my Dalmatian for about 10 years.
Funny that he arrived as a surprise, and became a great pet!
Never figured out from where he came......
They make great pets, but need care.....you want to travel, thoses don't mesh well.
Mexicans on the average, don't pamper as much as Gringos do.

Steve Cotton said...

Funny. For a bit this afternoon I was wondering if a pet had once again wandered into my life. Then I started thinking what that would mean to my travel plans. I am glad the real owner has appeared.

Felipe Zapata said...

You ever have a pet rabbit? They are dumb as rocks.

But your yarn reminds me of a difficult time in my distant youth, childhood really. My sister and I had a pet rabbit named Rusty.  He was a fine healthy bunny and we loved him as only children can love.

I cannot remember the details (I guess I have blotted them from my mind), but one day we were having lunch at Granny's farm and it turned out that we were eating Rusty. I've never been the same since.

Steve Cotton said...

Compared to a dog,my rabbit was a sack of rocks.  But he was easily more personable than the cats.

As for pet dining, I have been there.  Ducks in the case of my brother and me.

Petwalker40 said...

Hi Steve, What a cute rabbit. I hope it will life awhile under your protection. Nice story about renewing your papers. The only way I can get it done that quickly is to pay an agent big bucks to do it for me. Then I whip in past all the waiting and angry expats and am out in a couple of minutes. Patricia

Steve Cotton said...

The rabbit should be fine. It is back with its owner.

The fact that fewer expatriates populate our area is probably one reason getting visas in Manzanillo is relatively easy. Paying someone to process a renewal here would be a waste of money. I am starting to look forward to it each year.