The blue agave fields did not end in Jalisco. Our journey into Guanajuato was a feast for the eyes. The spiky plants almost looked bluer in colour as we took on the steep and curvy ascend up to Juventino Rosas; the place where our friends Augustine and Amalia were expecting us. We had met them a few months back in La Ventana when they were living out there in La Paz. They packed their belongings and moved back to their home town where the climate was certainly more agreeable…and a cooler and more pleasant climate is always going to be enticing to us…oh and their wonderful company of course!
They spoilt us rotten. Pampering us with traditional home-cooked foods such a mole poblano and chilaquiles, and insisting that we don’t leave empty-handed at the markets, with Zoe sporting a new pair of leather sandals, and a beautiful artisanal water jug for our outdoor table.
Juventino Rosas was alive and kicking and gave us everything to be expected from a vibrant Mexican town, just without the tourists. We enjoyed sampling more delicious treats at the many street food vendors: Double gorditas filled with cheese and stacked loads of meat; fresh chorizo straight up from the sausage machine; and heart-warming drinks to sip at in the evening around the plaza, such as the ‘Etole Blanco’ made from pure corn.
This town was huge and had everything. You want your shoes polished? You got it. Need a haircut? Another job off Richie’s list, and for only $2 each.
Our time with Augustine and his family was lovely. Zoe got to play ‘Escondite’ (hide and seek) over and over again with their grandson Dario, and we of course had to end our two days with a good old Ribeye fest on their terrace. The butcher around the corner, after all, was fantastic.
Thank you Augustine, Amalia and Abigail for opening up your home to us and giving us more of a taste of the colourful Mexican life that we love so much.
We couldn’t have left this wonderful state of Guanajuato without visiting the major Pueblo Magico towns of San Miguel de Allende, Dolores Hidalgo, and Guanajuato-Guanajuato. (Unfortunately leaving León out …but sometimes there are only so many city tours you can handle all at once.)
San Miguel de Allende was our first stop. Full of cobbled hilly streets, domed colonial churches, pristine plazas and lush green gardens, it is bound to be a busy place. It attracts writers and artists; tourists and ex-pats.
Indeed a beautiful, stunning little town set on a hillside. However, something didn’t seem quite right. Although there are the obligatory artesenias to buy and live music can be heard everywhere, we felt that it was a little too American for us, losing some of that humble, down-to-earth Mexican charm we’d experienced in other places.
The restaurants I’m sure would have been exquisite but our wallets may not have thought the same.
So after a couple of strolls and a drone flight into town, from our very conveniently located campsite, we hit the road again for some very whacky ice cream.
Dolores Hidalgo-lesser known than its two neighbours, it is an extremely pleasant town. Named after Father Hidalgo and known for the location where the first cry for independence started (the ‘Grito de la Independencia’), this place is Mexican through and through. Mariachi bands and choirs singing to the skies on the plazas, more shoe shiners offering their services and countless markets to go and explore; it certainly had a wonderful happy atmosphere. And perhaps their own quirky spin on ice cream added to that vibe. Dolores Hidalgo ‘Nieves’ are a must! We sampled many of their unusual flavours…(mole, cervesa, avocado and even shrimp) before settling for a scoop of whiskey (Richie) tequila (Abigail) and strawberries and cream (Zoe).
High on a sugar rush we got back behind the wheel and moved on to Guanajuato.
Good job the adrenaline from our ice cream was still pumping through our veins, because we sure needed all the energy we could muster to take on the steep and narrow descent into the state’s capital. And in this city it wasn’t the windy roads creating a stir when trying to reach our campsite, but rather the very many low-hanging cables. We felt like we were driving a double-decker bus!
There were many three-point turns to be had, and reverses back down cobbled streets. In fact we had to get out and stop traffic in order to safely drive down a one-way street, the wrong way. But nothing’s impossible for team ‘meataroundtheworld’! And when we crossed the finish line into our parking lot for the night, it was as if the brightly coloured houses of Guanajuato (and the many dogs too) applauded us. Standing in their rows, on the tumbling hills, …it was all worth it! What a room with a view.
The next day we took a long walk down those narrow streets, ready to take on the main attractions of this UNESCO World Heritage site. And with the rain hammering down on us, we made ‘Mercado Hidalgo’ our first stop. This indoor market is like the wonderland of all markets. Set on a two-storey building, and perfectly organized, one could spend hours here rummaging through Mexican clothes, toys, cheeses, chocolate, fresh fruits, etc…not to mention the many eateries to choose from for lunch. We went for the meat aisles of course, indulging in some slow-cooked pork rib sandwiches. Mmmm, now we could eat that all over again!
The Mercado Hidalgo was in our opinion one of the best markets we’ve been to in Mexico and with a very comical balloon artist entertaining Zoe upon our exit; well that was the cherry on top.
Our walk through the city both over and underground (the Subterráneo Miguel Hidalgo underground roadway that once served as a tunnel to manage the river flow is now used to control heavy traffic) was, despite the torrential rain, great. The tourists still flocked in and the vibe was very upbeat. We walked past some of Guanajuato’s finest colonial buildings, stopping to watch the very many live street performers, before entering the famous Callejón del Beso, one of the city’s narrowest alleyways. The ‘Alley of the kiss’ got its name because at only 69cm wide, it is slim enough for residents to lean out of their balconies and kiss. And indeed you can wait in line and do that today! It is said that despite the tragedy of the legend that goes with it (there is a story about the kiss which involves a Mexican Romeo and Juliet: ‘Doña Ana and Don Carlos’), couples who kiss on the third step will be guaranteed seven years of happiness. Well with 10 good years behind us, we opted out of standing in line in the pouring rain and decided to devour a rather scrumptious and enormous piece of chocolate cake instead, whilst being serenaded by our own private mariachi band. Now that’s what we call romantic!
Thanks for reading and we’ll ‘meat’ you around the world!
