Guanajuato (Gwana-wa-to) March 2, 2019
"Guanajuato - you must go there! And not just for a day. You've got to spend an overnight! Shh (loud whisper) it's bigger than San Miguel, it's cheaper than San Miguel, it's more beautiful than San Miguel."
Fellow tourists in the San Miguel Tourism Office couldn't help themselves from speaking up when they overheard us inquire about going to Guanajuato!
Where the teens got out of the bus. Can you see the donkey behind the bush?
The terrain was dry, dry, dry - filled with prickly pear cactus, the occasional half-completed brick house with rebar poking out everywhere, a burro sleepily munching a bit of crunchy grass, spit-shined teens alighting from the bus and setting off on what looked to be a long walk along a highway. Far in the distance, blue mountains provided a backdrop, reminding us that we were high up in altitude - 6000 feet, approximately.
"Guanajuato - you must go there! And not just for a day. You've got to spend an overnight! Shh (loud whisper) it's bigger than San Miguel, it's cheaper than San Miguel, it's more beautiful than San Miguel."
Fellow tourists in the San Miguel Tourism Office couldn't help themselves from speaking up when they overheard us inquire about going to Guanajuato!
That evening, Bruce surprised me by booking an overnight in Guanajuato. The next day we were on our way, riding a large, second class bus with about 3 other riders. It was a local, and while it sped along quickly, it also stopped at many dusty little villages along the 2 hour ride. We love seeing the countryside from the perspective of buses. It was enjoyable to get away from our gringo-centric enclave and to see some of the real Mexico, quietly going through their everyday business.
Where the teens got out of the bus. Can you see the donkey behind the bush?
Arrival in Guanajuato was a bit unsettling for us. We had assumed that we'd be somewhere near the center of town - and this looked nothing like the colonial city that we had read about. However, after conferring with some American tourists waiting in the station, who, btw, were effusive in their reference to the city, telling us we would LOVE it, we were in a taxi and on our way to el centro.
Having read that the city is located in a river gorge, with twisting, narrow streets interspersed with tunnels, we were all eyes and ears as we emerged from a tunnel. Spilling down from the hillsides like colorful confetti, were houses of all hues, such a contrast to the muted tones of the rural landscape that we had passed through earlier.
Like San Miguel, Guanajuato is a colonial city, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (BTW, Mexico has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other nation in the Americas.) Both cities share an important role as centers of the movement which led to Mexico's independence from Spain. Right from its earliest days, Guanajuato's fortunes rose with its success in silver mining. These days mining is still done but is being replaced in importance with industry, cultural events, and education, as the seat of a large university.
We weren't thinking about the history of Guanajuato when our taxi driver dropped us off at the foot of stairs leading upward in several directions, sending us off to find our BnB with a sweep of his hand indicating that it was "up there". Loaded with just our backpacks, enough for one evening on the road, we began trudging up the steps, arriving at a small, quiet plaza.
We weren't thinking about the history of Guanajuato when our taxi driver dropped us off at the foot of stairs leading upward in several directions, sending us off to find our BnB with a sweep of his hand indicating that it was "up there". Loaded with just our backpacks, enough for one evening on the road, we began trudging up the steps, arriving at a small, quiet plaza.
We looked around and eventually came upon our bright purple Casa de Pita. That's our room under the sign on the ground floor, VERY close to the sidewalk, which we found to be a deterrent to sleep - despite being very charming!
With only about 24 hours to explore the city, we began right away. After lunch, we headed out to the nearby childhood home of famed artist, Diego Rivera. The ground floor contained furnishings of his well-to-do family from the late 1880's - interesting to see. The highlight for me was a huge mural depicting the most famous people in Mexico's history, from Cortez to Frida Kahlo, his wife; Caterina, the iconic skeleton lady; and Benito Juarez, a beloved president; as well as revolutionaries and insurgents. Amusing, too, were giant, stuffed images of Diego & Frida, looking down from a balcony at the museum guests.
Frida and Diego, keeping an eye on their guests!
From the moment of our arrival, we had immediately sensed an unmistakable energy and liveliness in this city - and noted the relative lack of tourists. This seemed a more authentic Mexico. That evening, we went out for an exploratory stroll, past up-scale stores along shiny marble sidewalks. It was quite elegant and reminded me of Malaga, Spain.
Pedestrianized street scene in Guanajuato.
A tiny park facing these stores was alive with the sounds of a band, prominently situated on a fanciful, art deco bandstand. The benches surrounding it were full; a camera crew was filming. Soon we found a seat and settled in for a delightful concert. This was, we learned, the Guanajuato State Band (both the state and the capital city share the same name). The next day we met an 89-year old American who told us that it was just such events as this that compel him to come to Guanajuato every winter.
As we ate supper in a restaurant with windows thrown wide open to the sidewalk, a parade of people of all ages passed by, enjoying the warm evening - university friends, lovers, families with young children, old folks. Some ate outside under the stars and the lights of the city. Mariachi musicians, dressed in elaborate costumes, filtered through the crowds, in & out of restos, quietly seeking someone to pay for their music.
Our evening resto - the next day!
Back at the plaza after our bite to eat, darkness had fallen - but the area was more lively than before! In front of a church, a group of male performers, elaborately decked out in velvet Renaissance costumes, played musical instruments and sang and engaged the crowd, finally leading them all off somewhere like pied pipers.
Modern day street performers, looking very Renaissance-era!
We took that as our cue to head back to the Casa de Pita for the night. Even given our usual early bedtime ritual, it was hard to let go of this lively ambiance!
With plans to catch the afternoon bus back to San Miguel the next day, we had only the morning to continue our exploring. It was filled with snippets of other peoples' lives, one of the delights of travel.
Casa de Pita dining table. That's our room at the end of the table.
We began with breakfast at the communal B&B dining table where I conversed with a Chinese couple and their teenage son, now living in California. I heard about their initial move from western China to South Dakota to earn a master's degree in computer science. Talk about culture shock! A Spanish mother and adult daughter from Tijuana complemented Bruce on his Spanish language - a not uncommon comment which never fails to please him!
On the sidewalk, an American couple walking behind us noticed Bruce's Camino de Santiago patch on his backpack and shared their plans for an early retirement and a long hike on the Camino. And then there was the 89 year old gentleman, referred to earlier, a Puerto Rican film-maker, who regaled us with tales of his work.
Don Q and Linda
In our meanderings, I had noticed lots of references to Don Quixote. It turns out that Guanajuato is the location for a huge Cervantes festival each year, drawing people from around the world.
One of many fun interpretations of Don Quixote.
This elegant theater sits in the middle of downtown, evidence of Guanajuato's wealthy history.
So that was our brief encounter with Guanajuato. Its former wealth and current culture, its mysterious intertwined streets where one can easily lose their way, the student-enlivened atmosphere had all combined to beguile us! While we had just a glance, really, it was enough to encourage a return visit. But, ahhh, so many places beckon to the Webbs.
Yesterday we left Mexico behind. It had been a wonderful month-long experience and had introduced us to the rich culture and history of our southern neighbor. Will we return? Quien sabe?
We're now in Guatemala City, waiting for our Safe Passage Support Team, due to arrive in just a couple of hours. After nearly a year of planning for this excursion, we are excited and will meet them at the airport. The week ahead promises to be a very different one from the indulgent life that we've been leading.
From the moment of our arrival, we had immediately sensed an unmistakable energy and liveliness in this city - and noted the relative lack of tourists. This seemed a more authentic Mexico. That evening, we went out for an exploratory stroll, past up-scale stores along shiny marble sidewalks. It was quite elegant and reminded me of Malaga, Spain.
A tiny park facing these stores was alive with the sounds of a band, prominently situated on a fanciful, art deco bandstand. The benches surrounding it were full; a camera crew was filming. Soon we found a seat and settled in for a delightful concert. This was, we learned, the Guanajuato State Band (both the state and the capital city share the same name). The next day we met an 89-year old American who told us that it was just such events as this that compel him to come to Guanajuato every winter.
As we ate supper in a restaurant with windows thrown wide open to the sidewalk, a parade of people of all ages passed by, enjoying the warm evening - university friends, lovers, families with young children, old folks. Some ate outside under the stars and the lights of the city. Mariachi musicians, dressed in elaborate costumes, filtered through the crowds, in & out of restos, quietly seeking someone to pay for their music.
Back at the plaza after our bite to eat, darkness had fallen - but the area was more lively than before! In front of a church, a group of male performers, elaborately decked out in velvet Renaissance costumes, played musical instruments and sang and engaged the crowd, finally leading them all off somewhere like pied pipers.
We took that as our cue to head back to the Casa de Pita for the night. Even given our usual early bedtime ritual, it was hard to let go of this lively ambiance!
With plans to catch the afternoon bus back to San Miguel the next day, we had only the morning to continue our exploring. It was filled with snippets of other peoples' lives, one of the delights of travel.
We began with breakfast at the communal B&B dining table where I conversed with a Chinese couple and their teenage son, now living in California. I heard about their initial move from western China to South Dakota to earn a master's degree in computer science. Talk about culture shock! A Spanish mother and adult daughter from Tijuana complemented Bruce on his Spanish language - a not uncommon comment which never fails to please him!
On the sidewalk, an American couple walking behind us noticed Bruce's Camino de Santiago patch on his backpack and shared their plans for an early retirement and a long hike on the Camino. And then there was the 89 year old gentleman, referred to earlier, a Puerto Rican film-maker, who regaled us with tales of his work.
In our meanderings, I had noticed lots of references to Don Quixote. It turns out that Guanajuato is the location for a huge Cervantes festival each year, drawing people from around the world.
So that was our brief encounter with Guanajuato. Its former wealth and current culture, its mysterious intertwined streets where one can easily lose their way, the student-enlivened atmosphere had all combined to beguile us! While we had just a glance, really, it was enough to encourage a return visit. But, ahhh, so many places beckon to the Webbs.
Yesterday we left Mexico behind. It had been a wonderful month-long experience and had introduced us to the rich culture and history of our southern neighbor. Will we return? Quien sabe?
We're now in Guatemala City, waiting for our Safe Passage Support Team, due to arrive in just a couple of hours. After nearly a year of planning for this excursion, we are excited and will meet them at the airport. The week ahead promises to be a very different one from the indulgent life that we've been leading.
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