colima, the gem of the foothills

This post is about the charms of colonial Colima enjoyed by the family Cotton on their trek away from Melaque.

The architecture.  The museums.  The churches.  The squares.  Beautiful.  Enchanting.  Dare I use the sacred word -- magical.

The problem is that it did not happen.  And it didn't because we are the people who we are.

We were on the road to Guadalajara yesterday at 6 AM with only one mission in mind.  To satisfy my desire for a 2013 Escape with Mexican plates.

We had stopped at the Manzanillo Ford dealer last week, but the offerings were slim -- to be kind.  Two basic models.  Nothing more.

I had even toyed with the idea of hiring an agent in Ajijic to assist me with the sale and to then get my new SUV to me at the airport when I fly down later in the month. 

But he was too slow on the uptake.  I was ready to deal, and I have enough self-confidence to boldly go where -- well, you know the rest.

The three of us started looking at Escapes on the dealer's floor in Guadalajara.  Before too long, an English-speaking salesman (self-taught from television, so says he) appeared to show us what his dealership had to offer.

I took a perfunctory test drive.  One of those American customs that satisfied my curiosity, but added nothing to my knowledge base. 

Then, we sat down to hammer out what options I wanted.  It appears that the SE model has everything I want -- with the exception of one electronic gadget -- that the salesman is still tracking down for me.

Here is the drill.  I will head north and close down my bank accounts -- consolidating them with my Banamex account.  As soon as I transfer the money to my Mexican bank account, my bank manager will electronically send the money to the dealership.  Three days later, I will show up in Guadalajara, greeted at the airport by my new SUV, and I will be on my way to Manzanillo to pick up my permanent resident visa.

All three of us had a sense of accomplishment. We walked around Costco and decided to head back to Melaque or to stop at Colima -- whichever mood struck us.

A half-way mood stepped up to bat while we were driving by Colima.  We decided to drive through the central area to see if w wanted to spend the night.

We are not a touring people.  With one good look at the cathedral square and surrounding buildings, we were on our way back to Melaque.

So far, I have not shown Mom and Darrel much of Mexico.  But we love family projects.  And my quest for a permanent resident visa and its step-child, the new SUV, certainly falls into that category.

We still have a few more days to taste the more exotic offerings of my little village.  That does not include the world's worst transvestite show.