Colonial Mexico: Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende

Usually it doesn't take long to rekindle old love affairs, and this quick trip down to colonial Mexico that I have been embarking on for the past five days proves the point. Sure, I have been in Mexico in the past decade or two, on CADF business and floating and bloating on the Riviera Maya, but it was more than 30 years ago that I truly traveled in the interior of the country, maybe closer to 35 years. How could I let so much time pass by without coming down here?

Art nouveau cineplex in rainy Guanajuato

With all my bike-related travel for the year done, re-qualification as an American Airlines Executive Platinum frequent flier in the bag, and crap weather in Lubbock I decided to use some of my accumulated miles to escape for a week to Mexico. American has direct flights from DFW to various cities in Mexico, among them BJX, or Leon/Guanajuato. It's a quick and easy trip, and so I found myself last Tuesday night on Mexican soil. My hotel was just a 35-minute Uber ride away, and within just a few hours after my departure from Lubbock I was in a different world. Thirty-five years ago things weren't that easy...

Guanajuato has many hidden parks, squares, and other green spaces

The Teatro Juarez is a remnant of a bygone era

Even with rain, Guanajuato has color

I had pre-booked all accommodations before the trip, the first two nights in a small hotel in the center of Guanajuato, and then three nights each in San Miguel de Allende and then starting tonight in Mexico City, using Airbnb. So far, so good. My attempt to escape crap weather in Lubbock didn't fully come to fruition, though, as it rained for two days straight while I was in Guanajuato. A bit of a bummer, but I was prepared with raincoat and umbrella.

Guanajuato has lots of things to do inside--there's the fabulous Teatro Juarez, Diego Rivera's birth house, and of course the Museo de las Momias, the famous mummy museum. See, when it doesn't rain it's actually very dry in Guanajuato, and bodies that have been put into the local mausoleums naturally mummify instead of decaying in the usual way. I had visited the mummies many years ago and was surprised at the way the museum has been spiffed up and has become a very cool place to visit. When you go, don't forget to check out the cemetery/mausoleum first and marvel at the fine assortment of re-purposed jalapeno cans!

The world's smallest human mummy: a fetus that was found in his mother's (background) womb

I spent quality time strolling through the markets, sitting in coffee houses, and enjoying local cuisine. The street scenes are still the same a they were decades ago, with vendors left and right, toddlers wearing knit caps to keep them warm, women sitting on the curb under a tiny overhang with a few pieces of fruit and some vegetables neatly arranged for sale. The only difference is that now everybody seems to hold a cell phone in hand.

After two rainy days I took the bus (about $8 for a 1:15 hr ride) to San Miguel de Allende. Back then I had ridden lots of busses, but this was a totally different experience: on-board wifi, seats that recline twice as far as the best domestic first class airline seat, and on-board entertainment replete with complimentary headphone. Wow! Things have changed, after all!

Checking in for the bus ride: drink and snack are inclusive!

Thanks to GPS and my smartphone it was easy for me to find my Airbnb in San Miguel, and now I have spent three nights here and will leave once this blogpost has gone live. San Miguel was always the more "touristy" of the two cities, with Guanajuato being less a mecca for artists and hippies. That difference is still there. While in Guanajuato I saw very few gringo tourists, but here they're all over--and with it come higher prices, fancier restaurants, and real estate offices that sport Sotheby's and Christie's logos. If you want to live in San Miguel, better bring at least a half a million dollars to get a stylish place, but a few million would be better. Think of Taos, New Mexico.

Panoramic view of San Miguel de Allende

The rain had moved out of the region, and the past three days have been glorious! I have been doing a lot of walking, with a special trip to the interesting Botanical Gardens on the outskirts of town. These long walks have taken me through neighborhoods rich and poor, up to vistas of the city and through the narrow callejones that are too narrow for cars. Cobblestones, beautiful parks, churches galore, and lots of galleries (if you're into that) make San Miguel a quaint tourist destination. Here are a few pics, randomly taken to show the colorful beauty of this part of the world.

Needless to say, I had fun, not only walking around but also having a beer here, a margarita there. Last night, while sitting in a sidewalk bar/restaurant I met an interesting Mexican couple and totally enjoyed our civilized conversation. At other times, I was reminded of all those trips across the Rio Grande to San Carlos where we went to the local cantina to knock back a few beers. I'm sure glad my Spanish is good enough to feel comfortable in some of those places. 

Last night on the way home I had a final order of tacos al pastor, better than what you get at any food truck in the US. Life's damn sweet! And now I'm off to Mexico City for another three days of adventure.

Jürgen