No Water Today

Guanajuato is in a drought. As a result, there is water rationing. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, we don't get new water. Some other area of the city misses out on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. For the most part, this does not impact us a lot, actually, because our apartment building, like most around here, has a reserve tank on the roof. When I lived in Oaxaca, the water was actually delivered in a truck to that tank and they ran a hose up to it to fill it each time we ran low. Here, they have more advanced plumbing but still have the tanks. Most days, we don't run out of that. Maybe twice we have late in the night, and just after midnight, you hear it running back into the pipes. I can't imagine this happening in the United States. For all the droughts we have had in California (and maybe the big one that happened when I was a baby was different), the response has always been encouragement to decrease your water use, incentives, etc. But our country, with our value of independence so strong that we don't even realize it sometimes, would never just shut off the water three days a week, I think.

Late last night, we heard noises. It sounded like someone was in the unfinished apartment above us, though when people walk on the callejon (alley) outside our room it sounds pretty similar. However, my brother and I both were sure we heard someone on the new metal staircase outside. Then a bang, and suddenly water was pouring out of one of the PVC pipes that comes down from the roof reservoir. Peter went to wake the landlords. They think someone threw a rock from the callejon, but our reports of noises may have convinced them otherwise. Water poured out for a while, until it ran out. So today, a ration day and without the reserve water, no water in the taps. It is not a big deal, really. We have drinking water, because that's not what we drink anyway. I happened to shower and wash dishes yesterday. We can't flush, but as long as the landlords fix the pipes by tonight, we can manage for one day without.

Other bits:

1. My brother, Mark was here for about 5 days. He just left. It was great having him here, and he really liked the city. He is the last of our long stream of visitors for now.

2. Did you know Kinder Eggs are illegal in the U.S.? We learned this from Rahel, who says the U.S. does not allow any food with non-food items inside it. We have kinda gotten into them here. Silly, junky toys inside a chocolate shell that is designed to give kids a little more milk? Awesome.

3. I did complete two more days of cooking class: Chiles Rellenos and Crema de Chayote (Cream of Chayote, which is a squash) on one day and Mole Verde on the other. I loved the green Mole!

4. We enjoyed more tortas from the street yesterday. Delicious. Mark had hoped to go back today, but we didn't really have time in the rush to get a few more items for him to take home and I don't think the stand opens until evening.

5. Mark and I discovered that the Southern French restaurant, where Peter and I had sampled the lunch buffet before, has delicious Eggs Benedict. Awesome Hollandaise sauce! I asked the owner if she could make Eggs Florentine and Blackstone (the latter I had to describe) in the future and she said she would be happy to if they have the ingredients around.