Woke up and saw color in the sky.  

 
 
Took another look at the tourist brochures. Then I went up to ask Julie, the owner/manager about tours which she had mentioned. We talked for a little while. Then I wanted some breakfast. Ordered ham and egg omelet with a pancake and orange juice ($3.30). Not much ham and eggs, but it was enough for me.

I've mentioned how most of the meat served in restaurants is thin. When I was shopping yesterday, I went by the meat counter to look at the steaks: they had new york and ribeye, both no thicker than half an inch, and $10 per pound. At the wages these folks make, if you want meat, you need to make the most out of it: you can only afford to eat about 3 oz each meal. I didn't look at the pork or chicken.  

After breakfast I went out to look for a fax place again. I didn't feel like making an all out effort, so I figured I'd look around the business district at the bottom of our hill. I got down to the main drag, took a right, walked about a block, looked to my right down this dead end street, and saw a sign for copies. Most of the copy places I've tried for the last few months haven't had a fax machine. This is a little hole in the wall shop: cramped, aging computer equipment, simple copy machine; but he had an old fax machine, and it worked! Finally got my fax through after weeks of searching.  

   
 
Then I came back, read for a little while, and at four o'clock I went back up the hill and took an overview of the city; most of it anyway: it continues around the mountain to the right. (click on the pic: it's actually a movie clip)  

   






  
The video was shot from in front of the house at the top of the hill (left side of the pic). It's actually much higher than it looks, otherwise the hill on the right side would block the view of the city.  

 
 
Before climbing the hill, I took pics of the rest of La Villada.  
 
 
Looking toward my room: down the path to the right of the fountain. The double window is the corner room of the three rooms above the fountain. The awning and palapa are the pool shade area and pool bar.  

   
  











 
Walking away from my room is the parking area, and, beyond it, the side of the owners' residence. Four generations live there: nana, mama, husband and wife, two children.  

From the side of the house, looking uphill, are the kitchen (left windows) and dining room (right windows); above them is the 'old' bar; the brick room, above the rock wall, is a tiny chapel.  

   

Going up the driveway, one of the workers and one of the children; above the boy's head are the office windows, to the right of which is a small room for relaxing or watching a 27 in tv.  

 

The dining room, with the kitchen behind it. Yes, people have written all over the woodwork! But there's still room for more! The stairs on the right lead to the original bar.  

At one time they were getting so much business in the bar that they decided to expand. The new bar (not open right now - I'll take a pic later) is on the same level as the old bar but set further back in the hill and above the pool area. It's the size of the pool area, making it about four times larger than the old bar.  

 
 
From the dining room, you look out at the pool area. To the right are shaded tables, swinging loungers, and behind them the pool bar. In warmer weather, there are more loungers around the pool, as well as umbrellas.  

 











 
At the end of the pool are three more rooms. Down from those rooms is the conference/multipurpose room, where we'll be having our Christmas party/dinner.  

 

From the far end of the pool, looking toward the dining room: on the left is the chapel, next to it is a conversation pit; up on the right is the new bar.  

  
   














 
To the left of the office (open door) is a work room. Left of that is a guest room.  

The nice door is the entry to a two story house, where Julie's two brothers currently reside. They bought a track of land at the top of the mountain, and each brother is building a new house up there, with plenty more land to subdivide and build houses to sell.  

 

Across from the office, and right next to the entrance gate, is the first rental cabin built on the property. The one just down from it was the second one.  

 

These were the third and fourth cabins built. They are bigger and have more beds in them (I haven't seen inside).  

I didn't get all the details, but I guess they just kept moving north: my building being the latest addition.  

There are some nice touches to this place: like laundry service (for the same price I paid elsewhere, and done more quickly), mini refrigerators in the conference room and pool bar, which are available for guest use, in addition to the full size fridge in the dining room, stocked with beer and sodas.  

Julie also books tours, generally for $30, including transportation, entrance fees, and lunch, with pickup and dropoff at the front gate!  

 

How did this big, fat guy make it past Thanksgiving! Maybe because he's too pretty.  

 


These moto taxis run the neighborhoods where the buses don't go: usually the streets are too narrow and have tight turns. I walk down the hill to catch a bus, about half a mile with a 300 ft drop, but I hop on a moto for the climb up the hill! ($0.40, and that's what the buses cost, but you can go about 5 mi on the bus at that price).  

  


 Thin slice of pork under the veggies. Just enough to fill me up, and quite tasty.  


 
Internet really bogs down after dark (too many users?) So it's movie time, and then sleepy time.