Cool stuff

We walked down the hill today, rather than taking the funicular. Wow! It was a lot of stairs but we made it. This was just the last few steps below. I liked the coffee shop on the bridge over the street.


On the way we got to venture through some small winding streets. Loved this door with the calla lillies!





Above is the Teatro Juarez and the San Diego church on right. People sat on the steps of the theater watching street performances and laughing their heads off. They were having so much fun.


This shot just goes to show kids are the same everywhere. Eating ice cream and checking their cell phones.


We took a tourist trolley to see the town. It was all in Spanish but I understood some of it. I found I could either concentrate on the guide and what he was saying and understand about 50%, or I could look out the window at what was going by and just barely get what he was talking about. Could not do both!


This little neighborhood held a candy store where we stopped.



Candied fruit





Then we toured one of the older parts of town. You can see the European influence in some of the homes. Due to very productive silver mines, Guanajuato was a very wealthy city in the colonial days.





Next we visited this church just as Sunday mass was letting out.


The nuns were selling cookies so of course we bought some, and some buñuelos, and some kind of flan cheesecake. Sorry, it was for the church so we just had to.


Also of interest was the lady with the basket of dolls. I had heard that this was the weekend of the Virgen de Candelaria, which is a festival that commemorates the day baby Jesus was presented to the synagogue . So, the idea is that you bring dolls to church to represent wishes or prayers you have for someone. I think it's like if you want your son to grow up to be a doctor you bring a doll dressed as a doctor. I think this lady wants one of her kids to be the pope. Side note: not surprisingly this holy day coincides with a day the indigenous people celebrated to mark the position of the sun in reference to planting something or other. Gosh, I did not pay good enough attention during that lecture I attended.


Next we walked to the famous steps of the university which was closed due to it being Sunday. I was disappointed not to see inside, however, at least I did not have to climb all those stairs!


So we had a coffee at the shop next door where there was the most guapo (handsome) barista in town. My blurry photo does not do him justice. Gorgeous eyes and a megawatt smile. So cute and friendly.


Everywhere we went people were super kind to us. There are not many gringos here and few people who speak English , so I really appreciated their patience in giving us directions on the street and trying to help us. Plus, I think they have a soft spot for old ladies here. All the mobs of teens were so considerate to us. Maybe they were just in a good mood because there was no school on Monday. Three day weekend! Yippee!

Location:Guanajuato, Mexico

The hill town

Guanajuato! A city founded back in the 1500's full of art and culture.


For the last few days of my excellent adventure in Mexico I am traveling via bus from San Miguel to the nearby town of Guanajuato.
For about $20 used we got a very nice bus and a sandwich, chips and a drink to eat on the way. It was very roomy with a two seat/ one seat configuration. Seat back entertainment provided and every seat had a cup holder. It was great watching the countryside go by. I was actually sad when it was over. Sorry I did not get a better pic.


This view of the colorful city was taken from the roof top terrace of the house we rented. Gorgeous, huh?


Below is the center of the old town. We visited all those churches and spent a lot of time in that green v shaped garden in the lower right, the Jardin de Union.


To get down there we rode a funicular near our house up on the hill. Pretty steep ride but it beats climbing up or down.


Near the top of the funicular is the huge statue of Pipila, a folk hero of the Mexican revolution.


He looks down on the city below.



Guanajuato is famous for its underground streets. Three hundred years ago the city suffered a terrible flood so they carved out these subterranean tunnels to divert the flood waters. Later, when some dams were built to divert the water, they turned them into underground streets. They are long too! And narrow!





Here is a blurry picture of what happened when a pick up broke down under there. People got out and pushed him out of the way. I was scared we would be stuck down there forever!



The first place we went was the Jardin de Union, the hub of all the activity in Guanajuato. Lots and lots of people, especially the young folks, of which there are many because this is a university town. The garden is green and leafy and surrounded with a shaded marble walkway lined with benches.










At night fall the area really revs up with throngs of people and lots of street performers.









We had a great dinner on the second floor balcony of the building with the blue lights overlooking all the action.


First I had a michelada which is like a Bloody Mary except with beer instead of liquor. It was delish!


I followed up with a delicious steak and shrimp entree. Yum.


We wandered down the street to the next plaza, then called it a night!

Location:Guanajuato

Mercado

On Tuesdays there is a giant market. I made my way over there to check it out.


Everybody around here talks about the clothes, piles and piles of clothes, for super cheap. And indeed, it was true. I assume these are all used clothes, although they were in surprisingly good condition. I found a lot of Chico's brand as well as Coldwater Creek and Talbots so there were certainly bargains to be had! You'll note the prices hanging from the posters. Five pesos is about 35 cents.



A couple of things to note about the massive pile of clothes above. Las gringas like to dig in there with the best of them. It's kind of like some kind of treasure hunt. You just stick your hand as far as you can into the pile and pull something out. The guy standing on the table at the end is shouting the whole time "barato! barato! barato!" Which means "Cheap! Cheap! Cheap! " he tries to whip all the ladies into a bargain hunting frenzy.


Lots of fresh flowers for sale. Here are some we arranged for our dining table. Which reminds me. You can see behind the table the fantastic collection of books about Mexico that the people who own this house have collected over the years. I wanted to read them all!


Above you see an interesting craft. This guy has coins from all over the world which he carves out with some kind of special tool, leaving the main symbol in the middle. These are all coins from Israel. My fav was the seahorse from Singapore, but I also loved the Aztec head from a Mexican coin. Cool huh?





Also at the mercado were lots of food vendors. It smelled so good. If you are a fan of fried pig skins you will love this!



I bought 3 tomates and two large avocados for less than a dollar total, came home and made myself this delicious lunch. Yum!


On to Guanajuato today! We're riding the bus!

Location:SMA

The happenings on the plaza

Just wandered down to the Starbucks on the plaza and heard something coming down the street. Still have no idea what the occasion was.




Guys wearing paper mâché heads dancing to the music from the pick up truck speakers.



Women carrying a litter with bags of something,rice maybe? Others carrying squash and flowers were part of the parade.


At the head of the parade a glass case with saint?


This is one of the awesome things about San Miguel. Stuff like this just happens out of the blue. It's mysterious and fascinating.

The dancers there to perform the indigenous dances seemed very serious. I don't know why.





Well this one lady and her little boy had smiles.









Even the kids were taking this seriously.


The costumes seemed to be those of warriors, with buckskin, fringe, feathers, and fur with the occasional skull thrown in for good measure.





Yet another day, yet another spectacle. This day a group of nuns stood before the cathedral for about an hour saying the Lord's Prayer in Spanish and singing songs and clapping. One nun had a guitar. I could not help but think of Sally Field and the flying nun.







Also in the Jardin (main plaza) you will always find someone or something of interest. You might just think this is an ugly dog, but actually it is an ancient breed of hairless dog from the days of the Aztecs. The "Xolo" breed has been around for at least 3,000 years and is known as the national breed of Mexico. The young man who owned him was quite proud of him.


In my experience the best way to conclude a visit to the plaza is with an ice cream cone. Mexican vanilla is my favorite.



Photo from google

Location:SMA