We built our own altar and each student spoke about
      their dearly departed (in the preterite and imperfect!)
      It was a bitter-sweet moment for all, yet incredibly honoring.
  
      We purchased calaberas, pan de muertos, incineso de copal
      papel picado, velas, y varias ofrendas, so everyone had
      an opportunity to use their Spanish in the real world as
      they interacted with vendors en el mercado.





We all went to el cementerio
and were thoroughly impressed by the amount of people decorating tumbas, gathering with their relatives to remember their loved ones. There were more flores than we had ever seen.



                                        



   The CATRINA PARADE is the MOST amazing experience, and the   
   highlight of the extra-curricular activities!  It's everyone's 15
   minutes of fame. It feels like a Hollywood Premiere, filled with
   Paparazzi.

   First we got together to put on maquillaje y disfraces.

            

We secure a private residence in colonia San Antonio for the week of your stay. It is actually two houses connected by a very sweet courtyard. It is very well located about 7-10 minute walk from El Centro and La Parroquia in a neighborhood consisting of a nice blend of Mexican and ex-pat families.

HOUSE #1: 3 bedrooms (1 KING w/ private terrace, 1 with 2 TWINS which can convert to a KING w/view of Centro, 1 with a PRIVATE DOUBLE bed, downstairs, view of courtyard). Each bedroom has a private bathroom with a shower and a tub. Two levels. Two terraces, living room, dining room, small kitchen.

   
           House #1 ENTRY                                  EXTERIOR for BOTH HOUSES                                House #1 LIVING ROOM

HOUSE #2: 2 bedrooms (1 KING w/ private patio, 1 QUEEN). This is brand new construction, therefore kitchen is much larger (This will be our communal kitchen and dining room) and it also has a beautiful POOL (available to all.)

          

           House #2 KITCHEN                        HOUSE #2 DINING & LIVING ROOM                                   House #2 POOL

Both houses are lovely, although House #2 is a little bit higher-end, therefore a bit more $, reflected in the overall price below. Please be advised: Rooms are on a first-come, first-served basis, with KING and QUEEN rooms reserved for couples. (Unless you don't mind sleeping in the same bed with a new roomie...)

An intensive situation of this type is best suited for students who have at least a basic foundation. That means familiarity with the present tense, and basic conversation skills. The idea is to EXPAND and TURBO CHARGE your current base.

My approach is quite different than traditional schools and teachers. Though we will study grammar, my focus is CONVERSATION. Helping you become more confident, relaxed & conversational. My tag line is: Sound like a Person, not a Text Book! I say that for a reason. You will learn SLANG, colloquial expressions, and how to link words together and mispronounce things on purpose. Just like we natives do. That will help not only you sound more natural bu also to increase your comprehension.

My initial goal is to CLARIFY and DEMYSTIFY lingering issues so we can all be ready to move forward together. These may include Direct and Indirect Object pronouns, Por y Para, Reflexive pronouns, etc.

 If we're ready and want to do it, spending a considerable amount of time on PAST PRETERIT and IMPERFECT will be in order.  If the group is already beyond that, we'll STRETCH where most appropriate. ALL done with a high degree of FUN, FOCUS and INTENTION!

Please visit the rest of the website to get a better sense of my teaching style. If you have any questions about your current level, please check out this section. If you still are unsure, contact me, and I'll be glad to help.

     HOUSE #1:  Price includes all above items.

    KING w/private terrace:  $1010/person  (add $75/night if private)
     KING or 2 TWINS:               $940/person (add $65/night if private)
       PRIVATE DOUBLE BED:     $1080 for single       

    
              Master King or 2 Twins                                          Dining Room                                   One of two Terraces

                   HOUSE #2:  Price includes all above items.
    
               Queen Room                                Loft above Kitchen/Dining                                Master King Bedroom

Easiest and fastest way to get here is to fly to the city of Leon (BJX).
If that's not convenient, then fly to Mexico City (MEX)

In either case your SHUTTLE will be waiting (BajioGo Shuttle)
Please schedule your own shuttle. The price is already included, so simply call to make your reservation. If you fly to MEX, there is an additional charge of $86.

The shuttle is a very reliable, door-to-door service.

Depending on where you're coming from, you may want to consider flying a Mexican airline. Especially if you can fly out of Tijuana, since it is considered a national flight and savings are substantial!

Unfortunately, Mexico has received quite a negative rap in the past few of years. We have seen a decline in tourism in San Miguel (and Mexico in general) which is truly regrettable. Mexico has a rich cultural heritage, and much of the country remains safe and as delightful, colorful and soulful as ever.

We have lived in San Miguel de Allende for three years. We feel safer here than in our own city of San Diego, CA. The people are warm-hearted, cordial and patient. Especially, when so much of the economy depends on extranjeros from all over the world.

If you didn't know it already, San Miguel is a World Heritage site. A lot of money has been funneled into the infrastructure, with new bridges and expanded roads, gorgeous five-star resorts, an extensive plan to bury all electrical wires underground, all while maintaining that charming and magical quality that makes you wonder if you are somehow in a dream.

If we felt that there was an increase in violence, or any threat to our physical safety, we and thousands of other permanent expat residents wouldn't still live here. It is a GEM of a town. We know it. You get to discover it!

    

So, please know that an amazing experience awaits you. That in San Miguel you don't need to worry about violence or danger to your person. And, though we cannot absolutely guarantee that all of your possessions will remain intact (after all, it is a city and one always needs to remain alert and use common sense), we are 99% sure you will have a wonderful time, without incident.

The tourists who have been coming here for years, and the "brave souls", those of us who live hear year-round, know that this is indeed a very special place on Earth, and we keep coming back, no matter what the tabloids say.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to talk to me about it.