Mexico home exchange

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THE DAY OF THE DEAD:
A Lively Time for an IVHE home exchange
Holiday in Mexico

Photo source: flickr, Kevin

On the heels of Halloween, November 1 and 2, Mexico celebrates the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), a tradition that originated with the indigenous people in Pre-Colombian times and later adapted to the Christian All Saint’s Day.  The frivolity of  Halloween is still there but with the added dimension of reverence for the dead. On Dia de los Muertos, the return of their spirits is welcomed. It is believed that a veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is the thinnest on Muerto nights. Death as something spooky or an event to be feared is mocked with decorations depicting playful skeletons in all walks of life (er, former life that is) -- young and old, cowboys and office clerks, mothers and babies, dancers and musicians, you name it. Skull themes are everywhere. Even skull shaped candy for the kids. 
The festivities include colorful street parades with brass bands, mariachis and fireworks. Some towns stage comparsas, theatrical performances representing the return of the dead. The whole thing is a party to die for.

Photo source: flickr, Alex Pearson

While there is a lot going on during Muertos, the main stage is the local cemetery. Families erect elaborate memorial altars at the graves of their dearly departed, filling it with flowers, candles, decorations, and the deceased’s favorite food and drink. They cheerfully gather at the altars with candlelight vigils, mariachi music, shared bottles of tequila and picnics on the cemetery grounds.

Halloween and Dia de los Muertos are ideal times to visit Mexico. It is off season. Tourist traffic is down, the weather is mild, and you will be catching Mexico’s biggest fiesta of the year. It is also a great time to consider visiting inland cities. Non-coastal Mexico will amaze you. 
The International Vacation Home Exchange offers properties in two inland locations – the beautiful colonial cities of San Miguel de Allende in east/central Mexico and Oaxaca in southern Mexico.

Photo source: flickr, Andrew Gould

Oaxaca offers a treasure of historic colonial-era buildings and monuments, as well as native Zapotec and Mixtec cultures and archeological sites. A city of some 270,000, Oaxaca is filled with fantastic museums, colorful handicrafts, beautiful baroque churches, inexpensive markets and elegant five-star restaurants.

Monte Alban, a world Heritage Site six miles west of Qaxaca, is not to be missed. This is one of the earliest cities of Mesoamerica and was the socio-political and economic center of the Zapotec empire for almost a thousand years

Property #0444 --
Cozy three-bedroom house
Your home in Oaxaca is a charming country house in a quiet wooded setting, yet it is only 15 minutes from the city’s main plaza. It has three bedrooms that can comfortably sleep five, a big kitchen, spacious living room, plus two terraces and a large garden.

San Miguel de Allende is another stunning colonial city with well preserved neoclassical and baroque style buildings.  These enchanting structures from the 17th and 18th Centuries are studies in color, texture and design.  No wonder an artists’ colony took root here in the late 30’s. Two world-class art schools were later

Photo source: flickr, Jluguang Want

established by foreign artists --  Instituto Allende and the Escuela de Bellas Artes. Artists and writers from Mexico and the world, as well as tourists and retirees, are still drawn to the city.

There are some 140,000 residents in the metro area. The actual town of San Miguel counts about 80,000. Of these, 10-15 % is ex-pat retirees, mostly from the United States.

Property #0418:
two bedroom home near the central plaza
This lovely hideaway is located just a few short blocks from the central plaza, "the Jardin," and within walking minutes from the Warren Hardy Language School, the San Juan de Dios Public Market, the Belles Artes, Angela Peralta Theater, the Instituto and Parke Juarez. 
It has an outdoor living room (sala) by the garden, and an inside living room with a 13-foot ceiling and walls of bookcases. The master bedroom on the second floor has a luxurious en-suite bathroom with a dressing room and lots of closet space. The home is architect-designed and furnished with an eclectic selection from some of San Miguel's leading interior designers. It is equipped with high-speed internet, cable television, and all the modern amenities you expect, yet it continues to radiate the warmth and charm of Colonial Mexico

Property #0462 –
Four-bedroom luxury home exchange
This four-bedroom, four-bath home is open and airy with unobstructed views of the city, a lake and the Sierra Madre Mountains. Each room has its own carved cantera fireplace and a full bath. A fully-equipped kitchen and spacious living room are on the first level, as well as an outdoor sala and barbeque grill. The master bedroom and bath and a second bedroom with a trundle bed are on this level. On the second level, you can walk out from either of two large bedrooms onto a terrace where you will find a secret garden and a stairway leading to the third level. There is a relaxing sitting area and a thriving herb garden on the third-level terrace.

A housekeeper is available three times a week or more if desired. A cook can also be arranged and payment made directly to him. A 2007 car is also available for your use with no extra credits required.

Click the property #’s above to find out more about these casa exchanges in Mexico. To find out more about the International Vacation Home Exchange that brings these, and hundred of other properties around the world, to you, visit www.ivhe.com.

Blogsmith:  Mike DiPrima