San Miguel Part Tres

Working our way thru the Mercado de las Artesanillas.

The little town continues to beguile us with its myriad charms. Probably doesn't hurt that the weather seems to be perfect every day. Our average day starts with a relatively early wakeup, a short walk in the crisp morning air down the street to Parque Juarez where Rita runs and I walk for about 30 minutes, then breakfast and out the door for several hours of mindless rambling around the town. We usually wind up back at the Jardin around 3 PM (ie after lunch) where we sit and people-watch for an hour or so, have an ice cream, and generally behave in as slothful a manner as possible before heading back to the house. After a shower we have a glass of wine up on the rooftop terrace watching the sun go down. I swear - this place really is where stress goes to die.

Celebrated Valentine's Day with the locals by spending a couple of hours wandering around the Mercado. Thought the street vendor in the photo below was going to float away like Mr. Fredrickson in Up.






Walked up the steep hill just behind the house to the Mirador where we stumbled upon a nice Italian restaurant with a sweeping panoramic view over the town. Had a great lunch in true Italian fashion...lingering for a couple of hours and just being mesmerized by the view.

It was good that the walk back to the house was all downhill. After a couple of glasses of wine and a stomach full of Italian food we were practically somnambulant all the way home.

On the way up the hill we happened upon a little church - a chapel really - and noticed a small crowd of locals forming up for what we assumed was mass. We followed them in only to realize after a few minutes that it was a Quinseanero for one of the local girls and that everyone else in the church was somehow related to her. It's essentially a "coming out" party for a Mexican girl when she turns 15. I had read about the ceremony but never expected to see one (or be in one for that matter). It was really quite charming. After the mass was over the priest "introduced" the girl to the community, and she then stood and delivered a little speech in which (as near as my limited Spanish would permit me to translate) she thanked her parents and family for their love and support while she was growing up. Really very touching.




Lots and lots of Bougainvilla blooming all over town make every walk seem like a parade



Seems as though there's a church every block or so, and all of them ancient - tracing their founding back to the 17th or 18th century. Also looked like the church doors were original issue, with intricate allegorical carvings from the time when hardly any of the congregation was literate.


The courtyard in the Instituto Allende, a famous local college with specialized courses in Art and in the Spanish language. It's open to the public and has a lot of little shaded nooks to take a break during the heat of the day.



Another courtyard. Even has a pretty good restaurant and a small cafe.



This is the view from the back terrace of the Institute. As you've probably figured out by now everything here is centered on the Parroquia.

Signed up for a "Discover San Miguel" tour one day thru the Biblioteca and it was really pretty good. Saw a few things around town that we wouldn't have found on our own anyway. Part of the tour was a drive out to Allende Viejo, or old San Miguel - the site of the original settlement dating from 1542. Guess the original village was overrun and virtually annihilated during an Indian attack a few years after its founding, after which it was decided to re-establish the town in the more defensible position it presently occupies. This little church dates from the 1540's and was "refurbished" in 1680. Might have been the site of the "last stand" back in the 1550's - thought I could make out a few bullet holes in the facade.






The other day we did a tour to Teotihuacan near Mexico City - the site of the largest pre-Columbian ruins in Mexico dating from about 200 BC. Wanted to be sure I got my money's worth so I made it a point to climb to the top of both of the major pyramids - the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, which are the views you see in the photos below. The broad avenue stretches for about 2 miles and is the Avenue of the Dead...all of the large and small structures you see are burial sites. At the peak of its power around the year 750 AD this was a city of 250,000 people...making it the 3rd largest city on earth at that time.





We timed it right by doing it in the middle of the week and this time of year. Minimal crowds and not too much hassle from the ever-present street vendors that infest the place. Was afraid it was going to be unmercifully hot but it turned out to be pretty pleasant all day. It's located at 7,500 ft elevation which helped keep the temps down I guess - had read that it can be a real gridiron up here some days.

Made for an interesting, but tiring, day. Was great to finally get dropped off back at the house that evening.

San Miguel Part Dos

A view of San Miguel from the El Charco Reserve


Been out and about the town for the last several days and have been enjoying it very much. The area's charms are subtle but undeniable, combining some of the best elements of Italy and Spain...especially Tuscany and Mallorca. The weather has been just gorgeous - bordering on hot some days at mid-afternoon. This being the high desert it cools off quickly once the sun heads on its downward arc around 3 PM.

Did another day trip to the El Charco Botanical Reserve on the edge of town, this time taking the backpack, water and lunch for some light-duty hiking in the Northern part of the reserve. Walked around for about 3 hours in a leisurely meander. Another active and relaxing day.


The ruins of an old hacienda


This is a sweat lodge that the Botanical Garden occasionally offers for groups who want to reconnect with their "Inner Indian"


The view down the Valley from the North side


Lots of photo ops as we wander around the town. It's a very peaceful & tranquil place, and the locals are genuinely friendly towards the visitors

Signed up for a Sunday House & Garden tour offered by the local Biblioteca...supposed to be one of the "must do's" while you're here. Got to tour two old haciendas in town - the first was just gorgeous, with an inviting courtyard, pool, many terraces, etc. Exactly what your mental image of a Mexican hacienda probably is.

The other was the home of one of the local artists who's lived here for many years...one of the Children of the 60's who apparently migrated here years ago and just stayed on. To say that the place was gaudy would be an understatement. Overheard a comment from a guy just in front of us who said in a stage whisper to his wife that "if you googled "tacky" this is what would pop up" - couldn't have said it better myself. The owner/artist was there receiving the visitors as they trooped by...attired in a Sergeant Pepper military style tunic complete with epaulettes - just a tad over the top. Couldn't decide whether he looked more like Idi Amin or Moammar Khaddafi. Don't know about his talent as an artist, but the house looked like he had decorated it after way too many pitchers of Margaritas.
Here are some photos from the homes- all but one from the first house. See if you can tell which photo is from house number 2.



I could be happy here
























The place is really growing on us and we're liking it more and more the longer we stay. Looking forward to more exploratory trips around town and the nearby environs. Have booked a trip to the pre-Columbian ruins of Teotihuacan on Thursday...should be fun.

Had thought there wouldn't have been much difference between the cost of living here versus the US, but have been pleasantly surprised at how relatively cheap everything is. The exchange rate at the moment is about 12 pesos to the dollar - not sure how that stacks up historically but it does seem as though the dollar goes a long way here.

There's no need for a car here - in fact the narrow, cobble stoned streets and compact downtown area invite walking. For longer trips the local buses are cheap and reliable. The place we're renting is about a mile (20 minute walk) from the Parroquia downtown, and passes several inviting little parks along the way. You do need some sturdy walking shoes, however, since the cobble stones are widely spaced and pretty rough...would be easy to twist an ankle if you weren't careful. What traffic there is moves very slowly thru the town...only about 10 miles per hour - thanks to the ruggedness of the surface and the fact that they have speed bumps about every hundred yards or so to keep everything slow. Makes it especially nice to be a pedestrian.

San Miguel de Allende

We arrived here the morning of Feb. 5, having decided to put the gloom of the Pacific Northwest Winter aside for a few weeks in search of somewhere warm and sunny. San Miguel certainly fits the bill. Highs in the 80's during the day and going down to the 30's at night. The town is located at an altitude of 6200 ft. We've both been feeling the effects of the altitude - a little surprising since we've hiked around Yellowstone at 8000 ft without any difficulty. Maybe it's a function of being dropped into it suddenly rather than after a gradual drive, but it took a few days to stop huffing and puffing on our walks.

The town is really very pretty. This area of Mexico is the old Colonial section...first settled in the 1550's after the discovery of silver in great quantities, along with some gold and copper that helped fund Spanish adventures for 250 years before the Mexican revolution in 1810, which itself began in this area.

It's a truly relaxing place too. I can see why it's so popular with a large contingent of American, Canadian, and English expats. Eternally Spring, friendly people, low cost of living, etc. It really is hard to beat as a winter destination.

Here are some photos:


The view at sunset from the rooftop terrace of our rental house. Great spot for a glass of wine in the evening.





Another view of the terrace. The place we rented is really terrific. The only unpleasant surprise was discovering that there was construction going on next door. Woke up the first morning to the sound of hammering at 7 AM. Oh well.



We're about a 20 minute walk to the Centro, or central plaza, along a picturesque walk thru winding back streets or callejons. Above is a look at the first couple of blocks.



Passing the Lavaderos, or open-air laundry area near Park Juarez. Am told that some of the local women will come here even if they have modern facilities at home for the sense of community. The water comes from local springs.



A little further along, getting into the downtown area.



Along the way you pass the local bullring. Snuck in to take a peak (and a photo). Supposed to be a Corrida this Saturday evening as part of a local fiesta. Thinking about going to see it... if only to justify reading all those Hemingway novels years ago.



Last stop for the Matadors before they enter the arena to face the horns. The shrine is devoted to La Nuestra Senora de la Esperanza (Our Lady of Hope)... which somehow only seems fitting.



Passing one of the locals. I think this guy just leads his burros around town waiting for someone to take his picture...for which he then politely requests a donation of a few pesos. Worked with us anyway.



The end of the 20 minute walk is the central plaza of San Miguel - the location of La Parroquia (the parish church) and El Jardin - the town square across from it that's basically the center of social activity in San Miguel.



A look at La Parroquia from the Jardin.



And the Jardin from the Parroquia.



Have taken a couple of side trips. The first was to the local Botanical Garden called El Charko...essentially a showcase for desert plants similar to the one they had in Tucson. Made for pleasant walking on a warm day. There's an old aqueduct and the ruins of an old mill here that dates from the 1590's. The sombrero cost me 60 pesos (5 bucks).





Also went about 45 minutes east of here to an old silver-mining ghost town called Pozos, which was a casualty of the Mexican War of Independence back in 1811 when virtually the entire town up and left to join the Insurgentes. When they returned after the peace they found that the shafts had flooded and were no longer workable...so everyone abandoned the town - just bricked up the entrances to all the homes and shops and left. Rita is standing in the courtyard of the hacienda that served as the home of the Spanish family that ran the mine. Apparently not a lot of love lost between the Spanish and the local indigenous people...then or now. Guess the Spanish were pretty oppressive during their time here... starting with Cortes in the 1520's.



Beautiful downtown Pozos...on a sunny day.


So far we're enjoying the area very much. Couldn't be more relaxing. Just wish the hammering would die down next door so we could take out the earplugs during the day.