Max recommended we take a trip to the nearby capitol city of Guanajuato while visiting San Miguel. So glad we did. We hired a local driver, Sandra Rangel, who not only did the driving but showed us around and spent the whole day with us. We were surprised at how much we liked this town. San Miguel seems to get all the attention and love but Guanajuato deserves probably more than just an afternoon.
The town is about 1.5 hour drive from SMA. We made a loop, taking the mountainous road in the morning and the highway in the afternoon. Drove through Atotoncila and made a quick stop in small village of Santa Rosa to buy some pottery at Santa Rosa Majolica (I don’t like the majolica style as much as more colorful Talavera style sold in the local markets. We learned about the cartels in the area who specialize in gasoline. Our first stop was at the church of San Cayetano, whose façade is carved in a pink quarry and inside preserves an altarpiece covered in a golden leaf, a pulpit carved in precious woods and ivory inlays and a sacristy with paintings from the 19th century. The silver mines are nearby.
This city was the center of a rich mining operation as far back as the 16th century. There is a network of tunnels under the city that cross below the historical center. Cars use these tunnels to get across the city as well as park, avoiding the congestion above.
In Guanajuato we discovered an art festival underway in the central part of town. In the morning the streets were not yet overcrowded. The town sprawls up the side of a mountain and at the top is the Monumento al Pípila, dedicated to an Indian miner who was killed after taking up arms against the Mexican government in an Indian revolt. The funicular ride is cheap and provides sweeping city views. This is a don’t miss experience for first time visitors to Guanajuato.
The historical old town is colorful, clean and easy to get around. Their streets are much easier to walk on than San Miguel’s cobblestone roads. The central Jardin de la Union felt very European surrounded by open air restaurants. The three of us shared two orders of enchiladas mineras, a traditional meal in Guanajuato.
We enjoy historical museums and visited the Museo Regional de Guanajuato Alhóndiga de Granaditas. The impressive building was originally a huge stone granary and was the site of the first major Mexican victory against the Spanish in the War of Independence. The exhibits provide archelogical, historical and cultural history of the region and the county. However, all of the exhibits were in Spanish so we were not able to get the full explanation. There were some very dark murals above the massive staircase. A memorable battle was fought in 1910 during the Mexican War for Independence. Four of the revolutionaries were executed in that building.
We checked out the “instrammable” Alley of the Kiss. A bit of a let down and full of people but we can check it off our list.
We peaked inside a couple of the very grandiose churches that are scattered throughout the city. At one, a teenage girl was having her Quinceañera church blessing – a celebration of turning 15. Her “ride” was waiting outside to take her to the party.
The Teatro Juarez was closed but its steps were filled with locals enjoying the beautiful day.
We took a quick stroll through the Mercado (market) on our way out. Great deals on complete meals and the vendors were hollering to get the attention of shoppers.
Our day trip gave us a brief taste of this lovely town. I am sure an overnight stay would have given us a chance to try more foods and see the nightlife offered in this college town.