La Canada de la Virgen

We continue to enjoy this beautiful and most relaxing little town. Every day begins with cold, crisp mornings and gradually drifts into the warm, sunny days that are characteristic of the high desert...which this is. Rita found the local soccer fields and usually goes running around them in the morning. I found a local fitness club that I walk down to about 3 times per week to hit the treadmill. After that it's a leisurely walk into town to have a coffee in the Jardin, and then begins the search for a place to have lunch. There are scores of them around - usually with inviting little gardens, bougainvillea covering the surrounding walls, and usually a water fountain tinkling in the middle of the courtyard. With the dollar trading at upwards of 14 to 1 to the peso it's pretty cheap too. We can usually wrap up a complete lunch for the two of us, including wine, for less than $20. It's almost cheaper to go out than it is to stay in.



A view of the Jardin all dressed up for Christmas.




And another. These balloon guys are a common sight around all of the little squares and plazas, but I never see anyone buying anything from them.


This is our little friend Isabel, who sat down next to us one afternoon and started a sales pitch (in Spanish) trying to get us to buy one of her embroideries. She was so entertaining to talk to that we broke down and bought one as a souvenir. She drove a hard bargain...and carefully counted the money after I made the exchange.

La Canada de la Virgen

Our excursion for the week was a short trip out of town to a local historic site that was just excavated and opened to the public as a tourist attraction this year. Called Canada de la Virgen after the river that lies close by, it apparently is one of several pyramids in Central Mexico that were built by the Otomi people who inhabited this area from around 700 AD to the present day...their ancestors are still here in the nearby villages. Our guide for the tour was one of the archeologists who assisted in the excavations, so his knowledge about both the site and the area's history was extensive. He was also an enthusiastic tour guide, which made for a very enjoyable day trip from SMA.



The main entrance looking up the steps towards the high altar. The archeological evidence shows that they performed human sacrifice here, apparently tossing the bodies (and heads) down these steps once the victim had served his or her purpose.



Around the back of the main pyramid. Apparently the site was completely buried before they started the dig. All that was visible was a huge mound of earth on the broad plateau. What was buried here wasn't a complete mystery, however. There was a long oral tradition among the local indigenous people of what lay beneath. Our guide was one of the people tasked with collecting the old stories from the residents, including many that were told in the Otomi language...now almost extinct. Must have been fascinating work.




Another view of the entrance, oriented so that the sun rises in the notch at the top on the morning of the summer solstice, marking the beginning of the planting season.



The view from the top. There was actually a small settlement here, not just the pyramid. Several hundred people lived here year round to oversee and maintain the site.


Random Thoughts

The cost of living here is extremely cheap by US standards. The big expense is a place to stay, and options run from some truly palatial estates costing upwards of $10K per month to more simple, local style, efficiency units for those on a budget. The place where we had Christmas dinner was located in a little posada near the market, and had one bedroom apartments complete with kitchens for $500 per month. Groceries are pretty cheap too. Our average weekly trip to the local MEGA Supermarket costs us barely $100 for a week's worth of food.

It's a very pedestrian-friendly town. Vehicle traffic crawls along thanks to the narrow streets, punctuated every block or so with speed bumps (unmarked) to guarantee that speeds of 10 mph are rarely exceeded. On weekends and Dias de Fiesta they close off the area around the Parroquia and the Jardin completely...which makes it even nicer to be on foot. Only detractors to being a pedestrian are the cobblestones, which in some areas are very old, widely spaced, and polished smooth from centuries of use. Easy to turn an ankle if you're not careful, and we're told that when it rains (in May) the streets and sidewalks get as slippery as ice. The other negative is that they apparently don't believe in emission controls down here, so buses and autos spew a toxic cocktail of exhaust as they pass. The high walls along the street effectively create a canyon effect, trapping the fumes and making walks along some of the busy streets a thoroughly unpleasant experience.

I've noticed that drivers are pretty courteous to each other here. There are no stop signs on the narrow streets so local etiquette is to come to a stop as you approach any intersection, then yield the right of way to whoever (apparently) got there first. Hardly ever hear any horns, and pedestrians always (and cheerfully) have the right of way...even if crossing a busy street in the middle of the block, which seems to be the norm. At any rate, no one seems to get too excited behind the wheel. I've seen things that would probably get you shot at in Los Angeles greeted with a friendly wave here. Pretty mellow all-in-all.

They do love their fiestas here in Mexico and apparently SMA gets the award for biggest party town in the country. Hardly a week (or weekend) goes by when there isn't some sort of celebration, religious or civic, always punctuated by all of the churches ringing their bells at all hours (and for no apparent reason), fireworks and loud music flooding the town from temporary stages erected in front of the Jardin. Thank goodness for soft ear plugs.

Maybe it's the impact of the large expat community that lives here most of the year, but along with the myriad festivals there are numerous concerts, musical shows, plays and generally artsy things to do here in SMA. You could literally go out to something every night of the week if you wanted to. Standard price seems to be about $100 pesos...or about $7 US. Our latest night out was to attend a Christmas program in a little theater around the corner from us. The price was right (this one was free) and turned out to be a recital of classical Christmas music performed by a small group.


This was the soprano for the evening's program. She was nervous as hell at the beginning of the show - must have been her first public performance.

Next week we've signed up for a trip to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary about 3 hours from here. Looking forward to it.

Guanajuato Part Dos

Our big excursion of the week was a return trip to Guanajuato - this time on our own for a couple of days to further explore the town at a more leisurely pace. Took the local "Primera Plus" bus, which cost us about US$6 apiece. The nonstop service in a clean, modern, and efficient vehicle took about an hour and 15 minutes to make the journey. Pretty painless actually, and gave us another chance to see some of the countryside in this part of Mexico. Once there we stayed in a nice local hotel located near the lookout we visited on our first trip last week. They had a little funicular train that transported guests up and down the hill, so we didn't even have to get out of breath unless we wanted.



First, another look at one of the pretty streets of San Miguel.




The street where we live.





The view from the balcony of our little room in Guanajuato. Thank goodness for Trip Advisor, else I never would have found this place on my own. Cost US $60 per night, which included breakfast and free use of the funicular to get up and down the hill.



The view towards one of the plazas from our lunch table. Really a pretty place.


During our wanderings we noticed advertisements for an evening event at the local Teatro Principal, sponsored by the classical dance club at the University. The title was Juegos de Gatos (Cats). Sounded interesting so we got tickets to attend, even though we didn't quite know what to expect. Turned out to be a dance program performed to the sound track of the broadway show. Most of the dancers were obviously students from the University, but the show included about 20 or 30 local children, ranging in age from about 7 to 11, as extras...all of them dressed up in their little cat outfits complete with makeup and whiskers. Was like an extended Halloween school play set to music, and the theater was absolutely packed...I mean Standing Room Only as (apparently) all of the local families came to see their kids on stage. Looking around it appeared that we were just about the only tourists there, with everyone else being a local. It turned out to be a very enjoyable program...in a charmingly amateurish sort of way. Afterwards we stopped in a local outside restaurant in the Jardin for a glass of wine and noticed a lot of the dancers, both large and small, on their way home - still wearing the makeup and fake whiskers from their outfits...really pretty charming.



Some of the action onstage. We arrived a bit early and so wandered around the theater before finding our seats. Saw some of the smaller kids getting made up and preparing to go onstage for the first time - all of them extremely nervous, and super cute.


Back in the 1970's one of the local prof's at the University started organizing stage plays based on the story of Don Quixote as part of one of his classical literature courses. The thing eventually evolved into what is now known as the Cervantino, a three week celebration of Cervantes in general and the story of Don Quixote in particular that takes place here every September. It's a pretty big deal locally. There's even a local museum dedicated solely to the theme - basically art from all over the world that's based on the story. If you like Cervantes then this is the place to be - room after room of paintings and sculpture depicting individual artists interpretation of the centuries old tale.



The artwork ranged from the fairly standard and straightforward...



...to the more edgy and bizarre




This one is by Salvator Dali.



Lest anyone miss the point that Guanajuato is the epicenter of everything Cervantes in Mexico, this is the sculpture that greets visitors as they enter the town.


The rest of our time in the city was spent exploring and enjoying all of the crooked little streets and alleyways, sort of grazing as we went.

A street scene in Guanajuato.



The local basilica facing the Plaza de la Paz downtown.


One stop was the Alhondiga, once the old corn exchange and now a municipal museum commemorating the events of the Mexican Revolution against Spain from 1810-1821. Lots of displays telling the story of the their War of Independence. Seems that early-on in the struggle the Spanish captured four of the ring leaders, including Ignacio Allende (for whom San Miguel is named), who were quickly tried for treason and executed by firing squad. Just so no one would miss the point, the Spanish authorities then had the bodies decapitated and displayed the severed heads in iron baskets around the four corners of the building...for 10 years. Needless to say it created martyrs out of the revolutionaries and further stoked local hatred and resolve against the Spanish occupiers. The scene above is the Eternal Flame in their Hall of Honor.

After a very enjoyable three days in Guanajuato we caught the bus back to SMA and our little oasis of peace and tranquility on Callejon Pilancon.

Guanajuato

Took a day trip last week to the nearby town of Guanajuato, which is the state capital of the region we're in. It's about twice the size of SMA and sits in a pretty little valley nestled in the hills. Like San Miguel, it was founded back in the 16th century as a silver mining town. There are still some active mines in the area, and the city is also the home of the University of Guanajuato - a fairly sizeable institution apparently. Anyway, the presence of all of the students gave the city a younger and more dynamic air than SMA. It's advertised as the "most European" town in Mexico, and we wouldn't dispute that. Lots of winding streets, pretty little parks and plazas, and numerous cafes and restaurants reminded us very much of Siena in Italy...one of our favorite "off the beaten path" places.

Guanajuato also played a key role in the uprising of 1810 which led to the Mexican war of independence from Spain.


Looking down at the centro from a panoramic lookout above the town. The University is the large gray building in the center-left of the photo.



Every intersection had a little plaza with a fountain like this one, along with inviting green spaces with strategically placed benches to sit and relax.




And another.


This is the Callejon de Beso. Local legend has it that two lovers once lived in the homes with the facing balconies, which are located so close to each other that the two could each lean over and share a kiss. The girl's parents disapproved however, and ordered her to end the secret affair. When she persisted the father apparently flew into a rage and killed the girl. Sort of a Mexican version of Romeo and Juliet I suppose.

We really enjoyed the day in Guanajuato, so much in fact that we plan to return on our own this week and spend a couple of days exploring the place at our leisure.


El Charco

We returned to the El Charco botanical gardens the other day to enjoy an early morning hike before the heat of the day set in. Still a nice place to wander around and stretch our legs for a few hours. Had the place almost to ourselves in the AM, at least until the buses started to arrive with organized groups doing tours - and by that time we were ready to leave anyway.


The ruins of the old hacienda in the northern part of the botanical reserve.



A photo op while exploring the hacienda and its grounds.



Even came upon some of the local wildlife while tramping thru the bush. Just behind this group of sheep were some cattle and horses grazing...apparently just left to forage on their own.



The river cuts a small canyon thru here. Back in the Spanish days there was a dam that provided hydraulic power to one of the mines, and later to a factory a little further down the valley.



Cactus, cactus everywhere. Or, put another way, there were more little pricks in this area than there are at an Occupy Wall Street encampment (sorry).

Today is December 12th, which is the feast day of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe - patron of Mexico. Another big dia de fiesta here, so the early morning hours have been punctuated with firecrackers starting at around 0500.

The Streets of San Miguel

The first week here has passed quickly, with one sunny day blending into another as we've enjoyed exploring parts of the town we never got to last year as well as revisiting many that we did...including some of the terrific restaurants.

The house is great. So nice in fact that it's tough to pull ourselves away from it sometimes to go exploring. Rental of the place includes a full time maid named Maria who comes 5 days a week, and who handles all of the domestic chores associated with the large property, as well as doing laundry, ironing and even cooking the occasional meal if requested. There's also a gardener named Isidro who doubles as a handy man. Neither one speaks any English so my limited Spanish language skills have been getting a workout. They say that the best way to learn a language is to go "full immersion" in it. Well, here I am, and it's proving to be a real sink or swim sort of a thing.


Part of our back yard as seen from the Estancia. Nice place to have lunch on a balmy afternoon. The fountain is lighted at night.

It's always enjoyable to wander about the town. There are pretty views around every corner and always the likelihood of discovering another great place to have lunch or dinner.



Just waiting for the local bus downtown - this is the view across the street.



Lots of pretty street scenes like this one looking up one of the Callejons.



And another while walking up the street towards the Parroquia.



Morning delivery of supplies at one of the restaurantes.




Lots of quiet parks and plazas in the city where you can duck in out of the afternoon sun and relax in the shade for a few minutes. This one is El Chorro, near the spot where the first spring was discovered that initially supplied the city in the 1500's.




There are lots of festivals this time of year. Went to one that featured a local band doing an "homage" to the Beatles. They were really pretty good, although the only English part of the program was the actual singing of the old songs...everything else was in Spanish. Was enjoyable to listen to several sets featuring the songs of Juan, Pablo, Jorge, and Ringo.

When we visited last year the exchange rate was about 12 pesos to the dollar. Now it's between 13.5 and 14 to the dollar, so prices are about 10% cheaper than before which has been a nice surprise.

It's a city of churches which also makes it a city of bells...which announce everything from calls to mass to the beginning of local festivals. We live just up the street from the church of San Juan de Dios, which also has an elementary school. Starting at 0700 sharp the bells start clanging away - apparently the first call to classes for students in the neighborhood, who all go trouping past our front gate on the way to school. The bells continue to blast away at 5 or 10 minute intervals until around 0745, at which time (I guess) the first period has begun. December 8th was the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and the bells started extra early in celebration of the Catholic holy day. As an added treat some people started lighting off firecrackers at 0600 to announce the beginning of the festivities. So much for sleeping in.

Estamos Aqui

We arrived in San Miguel yesterday evening after a long but relatively uneventful travel day from Vancouver. The town is as beautiful as ever, especially with all of the Christmas decorations up. Spent today just settling in, stocking up on groceries, and getting acclimated.

The house is as terrific as we expected. Only issue to be resolved is with internet speed - which is really slow. The good news is that the problem has been identified. The bad news is that it may not be fixed until next week, so will have to wait a while before I can post any photos and get rolling on the blog again.

Suffice to say that we're loving it here. Was nice to walk around in the sunshine and without a jacket all day today...the afternoon high was 80 deg. ... love it!