Ejido de Tirado

More about the tour Donna took us on the other day:- Ejido de Tirado is a stretch of land on the outskirts of San Miguel which used to be the municipal dump. People started to make shelters made out of tar paper and cardboard with tin roofs when dumping ceased and then, when they had a few pesos saved up, would buy bricks etc and build another 'home' joined on. As I understand it, Casa de los Angeles were helping some families with these projects and then built a three storey Apartment Block in E de T where families could live for a period of time rent free, give what they would have been paying in rent to be saved up for them, and subsequently afford to build the first unit of their new home.

The photo above is of one of the first buildings in the project which has been added on to over the years. The building closest with the wood on top is a separate bathroom. The project was eventually taken over by a programme called Casita Linda and they are now helping low income families to build houses like the ones in the photo to the right. I tried to insert a link for their website but it's not working. It's casitalinda.org/en. The Apartment Block has since become a Refuge for wives and children at risk of domestic abuse etc where they have the support of other women in similar situations who help keep them safe and making decisions best for their families and themselves.

We then went to the Chapel of San Miguel Arcangel, el Senor de la Conquista at what used to be called by the indigenous Guamare people Izcuinapan, the place of the dogs. The Chapel was built in the 16th century and legend has it that one of the dogs ran away and was discovered in what is now the centre of San Miguel where there was an abundant natural water supply. So the settlement relocated there in time and the pink Cathedral, El Parroquia de San Miguel etc built. I walk to the Plaza every afternoon to sit in the shade (did I mention it's 26c? :)) read my book and people watch. Such a different place to el Ejido, and only just over a mile or so away. This city has a lot of North American retirees living here, so the prices are more expensive than in other Mexican cities, but, on arriving at the Cathedral and the Plaza with the narrow cobbled streets leading off it in typical Spanish grid pattern, one would assume that there is no poverty in this beautiful place.......