I guess we should get out of the casita ...

Today we decide that we should have a better look around Santa Fe.

We decide to start the day with a delicious energy kick and head to Annapurna. Delicious as always, we finish up breakfast and, before the site seeing begins, get some boring traveller chores done. Well, I thought it was boring, but Marty ended up having a great time ...

We had to do our washing. It was getting dire. We were both down to our last pair of underwear! We found a laundromat that was conveniently located across the road from Annapurna.

It was pretty well equipped to help people waste the hour or so it took to get the laundry done. As Marty enjoyed his laundry party, I surfed on the free wifi and booked our next two hotels.

Washing done, Marty in his happy place, me feeling productive, we head off to our first site-to-see.

The Museum of International Folk Art was amazing! It was a massive collection of toys, old paper theatre sets, beautiful religious art and an awesome gift shop.

The first exhibit we stumbled across was unbelievable. A massive collection of miniature theatre sets were on display. I hadn’t even known they existed but they were exactly what I always picture when wanting to create a collage. It seems all of my design ideas start with the miniature theatre setting in mind - and I didn’t even realise!

I snapped as quickly and sneakily as I could. I was in love and wanted to take each one home with me.

The next exhibit was folk art toys from around the world. Again, amazing. I wanted to take everything home with me. Marty and I both resolved that when we have kids we will make them a bunch of awesome, hand-painted toys. Someone please remind me when the time comes.

I was in folk art overload. This was the best museum I had ever visited. I was so glad we stopped in. I was so very glad that we decided to come to Santa Fe!

After a torturous hour in the gift shop (torturous because I wanted to buy everything), I emerged with two amazing books, some magnets and gifts. What a day.

After we had had our folk art fill, we headed back to the plaza. A few days ago I had noticed a poster promoting a Frida Kahlo exhibit the featured portrait photography of the artist. The promotional poster had a massive print of my favourite Frida picture.

The exhibit was showing at a small gallery that was located above a Mexican restaurant.

We wander upstairs and find it empty of people except for two guys eating lunch in an office. They yell out “Are you here to see Frida?”, I reply “Absolutely”, they respond “Go ahead and have a look, we are just finishing our Peruvian lunch”, and I say “Thanks!”. What an odd thing to add to our conversation.

After wandering through a few rooms in search of my favourite photo, we fail to find it. It may have been purchased already. Other prints in the collection are just as amazing though. There are photos where she is posed just like her paintings, and others that capture  her in more natural moments.

We then decide to treat ourselves to some icecream and sit in the plaza watching the world of Santa Fe go by. There are Mexican food carts scattered through the plaza, a Mexican band starts playing, there is a group of homeless people catching up with each other, some young men are playing hacki-sack and are soon moved along by a police officer. It is quite warm in the sun and there is a hot breeze blowing dust through the plaza.

We decide we have had a nice day out and that it is now time to go back to our casita and return to our holiday from the holiday.