Day-to-day Life in Morelia

I lived a basic, simple life. I would stop at a local bakery and buy rolls, bolillos (small loaves of bread), and/or galletas (large cookies) for breakfast on my way to school. Then, I would eat sandwiches and fruit at my school’s snack bar for lunch. For supper I would either eat at a local café or buy groceries and fix something in my room. My favorite item at the cafés was milanesa, a thinly sliced beefsteak, chopped up and mixed with fresh avocado and eaten with tortillas. Or, I would have milanesa sandwiches and other local dishes. Usually, if I cooked at home I would eat spaghetti type meals or fruit and vegetables.

Generally, Monday through Friday, I would take Spanish classes and teach English between the hours of 8:00 AM through 2:00 PM. 2:00 to 4:00 PM was siesta (break) time. Then, I would teach and work in my school’s computer lab from 4:00 to around 9:00 PM. After 9 was suppertime. Saturdays I would teach classes half-day. The rest of the weekend would be devoted to either resting or other personal activities.

When I wasn’t busy working or studying, I would oftentimes walk around or take a combi (Morelia’s VW Van Mini-Bus system) or taxi to various cultural sites such as the city library, the government buildings, other buildings of historical interest (ex: Mexican Patriot José Morelos’ birthplace and house), or mercados (open markets either outside or housed in large buildings) to do a little exploring. 

I almost always felt safe in Morelia, not because of the visible presence of gun toting policemen, but because of the very low crime rate. El Centro (downtown) was generally always crowded and busy. Many of the side streets off of Avenida Francisco Madero (Morelia’s main downtown street) had shopping bazaars and mercados with every imaginable item from food to clothes to leather goods to electronic items and much more. The one area I did not care much for was right around the bus depot (long distance buses). There are x-rated theatres and other nefarious activities close to that location.

One thing I came to really appreciate in a hurry was that I did not have to wash my own clothes. There are no self-service laundries that I am aware of in Morelia. I generally would take my clothes to the laundry service in the block just down the street from my room. The two young ladies that ran it were usually always helpful,  prompt, and friendly.

The People Of Morelia

Generally, the people of Morelia were very friendly, warm, and caring. Two of my friends at a local Internet cyber café were especially helpful to me. When I first went to Morelia, my spoken Spanish consisted of only being able to speak in the present tense. I had never really learned how to properly conjugate verbs. Even though I could read and understand Spanish very well, I was very limited in my ability to converse. At first, I carried 2 very helpful books - Practical Conjugation of Verbs and a Spanish dictionary, both published by Larousse. For 2 months I carried these books everywhere I went and referred to them almost constantly. One day, my friends Genaro and Marcos took me aside and told me to put the books away, try to think and talk as best I could in Spanish and let them help me to correct errors in my grammar. That was the very best thing I could have done. It worked! It was not long at all before I was able to converse fairly freely. The key is immersion in a language - thinking, speaking, and living it.

Other people and families also befriended and “adopted” me. Two of my students took to me like an older brother and included me in their family activities and meals and recreation and also acted as my personal guides around Morelia. One of their favorite activities was gathering around a big-screen TV and watching fútbol (soccer). Sometimes we would go to a local park or concert. Another of my students took me to events like the local fair and flea market.

Places Of Interest For Tourists

Places I would recommend for visitors to Morelia to see: The sidewalk cafes and food stands, the shopping bazaars and mercados, Morelia’s Zoo, the annual Feria in April-May (the local fair), the cyber cafés, local book stores, church and government buildings, museums and art galleries, the parks and fountains (ex: Bosque Cuauhtémoc and the Three Sisters fountain in El Centro), the local universities, movie theatres (generally $2 or $3 for an adult ticket), musical entertainment - one place that comes immediately to my mind is El Colibri restaurant (located in El Centro just off of Francisco Madero). El Colibri has a live band that plays both local music and soft rock as well as a show called El Baile de los Viejitos (The Dance of the Little Old Men), a delightful presentation and musical score.

The shopping bazaars and mercados have all kinds of clothes, leather goods, electronic gadgets, and food items. They even sell birds - big birds! There are shopping areas or mercados all over Morelia. Some that I frequented are: 1). on the way towards the central bus station - several shops selling food items and leather goods; 2). Mercado Revolucion - between Francisco Madero and Plan de Ayala in El Centro; 3) Another Mercado - on Avenida Lazaro Cardenas just off of Vincente Santa Maria. One word of caution - when eating at the local food stands, make sure the food is fresh and has not been sitting out for an extended period of time. And, always, always ask for agua purificada (purified water). One more word of caution, this time to women, Mexican, American, or any other nationality - always take along a companion or stay in a group.

Morelia’s Weather

I was not there during winter months; however, I have heard that the winters are fairly mild. The summers can be very hot at times, but, for the most part, I found them moderately warm to hot. I have heard that it is wise during late summer, fall, and winter months to carry an umbrella, though.

Do Your Homework Before You Go

If you are really serious about visiting Morelia - do your homework before you go. Many excellent hotel deals, information about sites to see, historical background, information about language schools, etc. can be found by looking on the Internet. Other great sources of information are travel guides you can either purchase or find at your local library.

My experiences in Morelia were generally positive mainly for the following reason - I went there expecting to live like a native, not a foreigner and I kept a good attitude and sense of humor.

If you are looking for a place to start a new life or to seek a little culture and adventure then, this little hidden gem, Morelia, could be your ticket.