A Dog’s World

Roma Norte is a special place, especially if you’re a dog.  Here, the dogs certainly have it all.  Before arriving I’d heard that Roma Norte was a dog-lovers paradise, and I can confirm that it’s true.  Everywhere you look there’s a dog on a leash with a happy owner tagging along.  

And I guess one dog is not enough for most folks here, since the majority of dogs seem to come in multiples of 2, 3, 4, or even 5. Seriously, everywhere you look there are dogs, dogs, dogs of every size, shape, and color.

And, when you have such a dog-centric neighborhood, many restaurants put out a water bowl, and sometimes you need “no-pee” signs too.

Mexico City

Speaking of multiples, Mexico City is an enormous city of 21 million people, made up of a whopping 350 neighborhoods.  Roma is just one of those many neighborhoods. 

We’d already spent nearly a week in the Centro Historico neighborhood of Mexico City, and are so pleased to now be spending nearly a week in Roma Norte (the north end of Roma) in Mexico City. 

Roaming Roma (and Condesa)

Our first day in our new neighborhood we walked to beautiful local plazas and parks. We meandered from plaza to park, in and out of the neighboring La Condesa neighborhood, that abuts Roma Norte. 

Parque Mexico

Our ultimate destination one bright & sunny morning was Parque Mexico in the Cuauhtémoc neighborhood, about a 20 minute walk from our Roma Norte apartment.

The park covers a sprawling 22 acres. It’s a leafy, urban park known for its art deco architecture, a walking path, playground & fenced dog park.

We arrived on a Saturday morning and the park was packed with families enjoying time together. There’s a huge patio area surrounded by bright pink bougainvillea that is actively used by joggers, people practicing boxing, weight lifters, and tons of skateboarders of all ages. Not a bad setting to get a workout. Not bad at all.

The Cafe Culture

Roma Norte is an upscale, suburban, colonial neighborhood.  It’s also foodie heaven.  So many coffee shops, fresh bread & pastry cafes, and restaurants of every persuasion with local and international options.

Most establishments have lovely sidewalk café tables, and many have extra outdoor seating decks built due to Covid too.  There’s at least two or three charming places to eat or drink on every block in the Roma.

Large, stately trees line every wide and spacious street, providing shade and a sense of permanence and stature. 

And every few blocks is a captivating plaza, with a splendid statue or trickling fountain as its centerpiece. 

Roma is very hip and trendy.  It’s not hard to find gluten free and vegan options, in fact two exceptional vegan restaurants are within a 2-4 minute walk from our apartment.  

There’s plenty of colorful street murals, corner flower stands, and bicyclers tooling along on the uncrowded streets.

Museo Nacional de Historia Castillo de Chapultepec

We decided to expand our wandering circle a bit wider, and ended up high on a hill exploring the Museo Nacional de Historia Castillo de Chapultepec (or the Chapultepec Castle), about a 20 minute Uber ride from Roma Norte.

Such an impressive palace. The grounds were immaculate, coifed just so. The grandeur was breathtaking.

The deep green foliage, red & yellow flowers, and perfectly shaped round ficus trees painted a stunning picture. 

The expansive patios paved with black and white checkered marble was a lovely contrast to the palace exterior.

The views down to Mexico City below at this beautiful palace perched atop a hill were unforgettable.

The Holy City of Teotihuacan

One early morning we took a tour to the Pyramids of Teotihuacan with our tour guide Francisco, starting out at 7 am from our Roma apartment. Teotihuacan is about 45 minutes northeast of Mexico City.

A Bit of History

Teotihuacan was built between the 1st and 7th centuries A.D, and, believe me, the wow factor is definitely still in full force. Scholars estimate that the Teotihuacan civilization lasted about 750 years, from 150 AD until 900 AD.

The Mystery Builders

It’s still unknown who built this incredible and once thriving city that may have held as many as 200,000 people at its peak. Francisco explained that if they could recover items from a tomb it would give scientists great information as to the people that lived here.

LiDAR, Measure & Map

Current day archeologists use a high-tech method called LiDAR that allow them to measure and map objects and structures that remain hidden underground. LiDAR directs hundreds of thousands of pulses of light toward the ground (from space). Very cool.

This breakthrough technology has allowed archeologists to identify the city layout and find any tunnels and tombs deep inside the Pyramids.

Raiders of the Found Ark

Scientists located a tomb in the first Pyramid we climbed, but unfortunately it had been raided, so all the goodies were gone. Just like Indiana Jones….but real life.

A Long Way to Go

Current day excavation didn’t start until 1905, just over one hundred years ago. The city is currently only 10% recovered, but Archeologists continue to work to uncover more of the city and continue to learn more about this ancient civilization.

Francisco pointed to gently sloping mounds of ground just outside the site area we walked. All those mounds, small and large, that frankly looked like normal fluctuations in the terrain to my untrained eye, are more city to be uncovered and explored. The civilization covered eight square miles and was the largest city anywhere in the Western Hemisphere before the fourteenth century.

Naming Rights

The Aztecs found the city in the 1400s and named it Teotihuacan, meaning the place where the gods were created. Then they named the Pyramids, Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon. Sure sounds like they were as impressed as I am. Not sure how they could have given higher honors than the gods, the sun, and the moon.

Third Largest is still Bragging Rights

The Pyramid of the Sun is the largest structure in the ancient city of Teotihuacan, Mexico, and one of the largest buildings of its kind on the Western Hemisphere. It’s 738 feet across and 246 feet high, making it the third largest Pyramid in the world. Pictures just don’t do it justice. It’s pretty darn mammoth.

Praise the Gods

At the point that the Aztecs came along, the city had been abandoned for centuries. There’s still a lot of speculation surrounding the actual use of the Pyramids and their functions, but archeologists have found a lot of evidence of human and animal sacrifice, even child sacrifice. I guess it was priority number one to keep the gods happy, and you gotta do, what you gotta do (ugh).

What a Place

Apart from the pyramids, Teotihuacan is also anthropologically significant for its complex, multi-family residential compounds, its vibrant, well-preserved murals, its significant trade with other cities, and its diversity. There’s evidence that people from all over Mexico came to live in Teotihuacan over it’s estimated 750 year tenure.

All Are Welcome

Some speculate that a huge wave of immigrants came to the city because of a large volcanic eruption near Puebla. The dates of the known eruption and the growth of Teotihuacan coincide.

Hmmm…speaking of Puebla’s volcano…that sounds pretty serious. I guess that El Popo means business (see Puebla post).

WINS

We walked over 100 miles this month alone (to April 25th). That’s over 239,110 steps!

We are both NEGATIVE!! (on our Covid Antigen test taken this morning at the private medical facility about 5 minutes away). So we can fly to the USA!

Spending almost 6 weeks in Mexico, exploring, learning, and enjoying this beautiful country!

LOSSES

The only loss I can think of is that this is our last location on this trip! So sad!

Oh, Puebla. How I wish I had a few more days to really get to know you. 

We barely dipped our toe into the pool of Puebla, but I’m glad we did (there’s no pool or ocean here in Puebla – just to be clear – we are in the middle of Mexico). 

It’s been like a quick sampler, and we’ve liked what we’ve seen. We liked it a lot. 

We had 3 nights, 2.5 days to explore and we packed in as much as we could. 

Starting From Scratch

Turns out Puebla is the only major Mexican city that the Spanish didn’t build on top of an existing pre-Columbian settlement.  Puebla could be called Mexico’s only true Colonial city. 

When the Spanish established the city of Puebla in 1531, it became a stopping point between Mexico’s most important cities at the time, the port city of Veracruz and the central city of Mexico City.

Colonial Architecture for the Win

Puebla has an abundance of colonial architecture. Ornate wrought iron balcony railings call to me on practically every street. 

Symmetry abounds in the mostly two-story structures.  There are plenty of domes and Moorish influence to be seen, along with soft arches, carved wooden doors, dark wooden beams, stucco walls, and, of course, bright interior courtyards full of lush green plants. 

The Zocalo de Puebla (main plaza) is as lovely as can be with tall trees and gorgeous landscaping, all surrounding a huge trickling fountain.  There’s also two huge, stark white fingers reaching out about to touch. It’s quite the photo op.

Puebla was a land of riches and the city reflected the wealth.

The Spanish used an orderly grid system for the city’s layout. It’s flat and predictable. 

The Walking Tour

It’s easy to walk here, so it made sense to book a walking tour on our first full day. A local medical student, Omar, was our tour guide and he took us to see the highlights of the town for a few hours. 

He started off by giving us a very condensed Mexican history lesson starting with the Olmec people in 1600 BC, on up to the present day. He did this in about 10 minutes, so it definitely was the Cliff Notes version of Mexico’s evolution. 

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception  

After our condensed history lesson, we walked to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, or the Basilica Cathedral de Puebla, as it is known.  Construction of the Cathedral began in 1575.  The Cathedral has a floor to ceiling organ, and the ceilings are 230 feet high.  Now that’s a real Cathedral ceiling.   

But what really impressed about the Cathedral were the white domes with small areas of light blue with gold accents, repeated over and over throughout the ceiling of the cathedral. 

That View

It so happens we have an unobstructed view of the Cathedral from our hotel’s rooftop patio, so we can drool and stare all we want for free, vs. the high priced rooftop restaurant and bar right next door.  Gotta love that. 

Treats & More Treats

There’s two blocks in town dedicated to traditional Mexican candy and treat stores. That’s where Omar ended our almost 3 hour tour. It’s never a bad choice to end with treats, I think we’d all agree. 

Omar was able to score us each a sample of a Santa Clara cookie, a delicious cookie made with a pumpkin seed frosting. Yum. 

And yes, somehow we made it back to that same street the next day on our own. And we found those same pumpkin seed iced cookies too.  Imagine that!

The Revolution of 1910

The first shots of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 were fired at the Serdan home right on “treat” street.  We could see the bullet holes splattered across the outer walls.  It was jaw-dropping to see the large bullet holes all over the stucco exterior and imagine the Mexican army being ordered to attack the private home full of family members. 

Museo Regional De La Revolución Mexicana Casa De Los Hermanos Serdán

We visited the Serdan home, which is preserved as a museum, the next day. Unlike many museums, with the exception of Mexico City, it had long explanations of the history and the critical role of the people who lived there in English (yeah!).  

Typically you’ll find us at a museum with our translator app set to camera mode, taking a picture of the posted information for each exhibit. It’s like putting a sign across our bodies, “WE ARE TOURISTS, WE DO NOT SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE”, but that’s ok, because we are tourists. 

The Aquiles Serdan Family

The Serdans were a wealthy and influential Mexican family in Puebla. They were liberal thinkers and vehemently opposed to the huge disparity between the few wealthy upper class Mexicans and everyone else. And I mean everyone else-  farmers, engineers, teachers, laborers, cooks, cleaners, etc. There was no possibility of upward mobility. If you were born poor, you likely died even poorer. 

Let’s Organize

The Serdans wanted change and started gathering weaponry and organizing secret meetings in their home for over a year before the first battle in November of 1910, which took place both outside and inside their residence. 

They were a heroic and brave family. They all bore guns and fought valiantly to bring democracy and freedom to their countrymen. 

A Sad Ending, But a New Beginning

Aquiles Serdan was one of Mexico’s most prominent revolutionary martyrs. He and his two brothers were killed in the battle that day on November 10, 1910 in their home. 

His two sisters were jailed, and later taken to spend the rest of their days in a hospital setting that their lawyer was able to secure for them due to their “delicate condition”.  And no, I’m not exactly sure what “delicate condition “ they were in, but I’m thinking the hospital setting was way better than the Mexican jail (hopefully). 

It was a sad end to the Serdan family, but the start of a new beginning for Mexico.

The Serdan Family Kitchen 

The large and beautiful (minus the bullet holes) Serdan home had the kitchen of my Mexican dreams. Anyone who’s been to my home knows I have Mexican Talavera tiles in my kitchen backsplash. I just love the artistry, the colors, and the uniqueness of each hand made tile. 

So, in I walk to the Serdan’s 100 year old kitchen, and I swoon. Well, not really, but I swooned on the inside.

Talavera tile everywhere, in many patterns with colors on every surface imaginable. Oh, and even the floor took my breath away with the ruddy red tiles with Talavera accents. I love it. 

Talavera Pottery

Who knew that Puebla is home to traditional Talavera making?  Well, actually, I did. I will admit. 

Could that be a part of why we just had to get to Puebla, even for just a few days?  Perhaps it was one of the reasons. 

Popocatépetl, or El Popo

I’d also been reading so much about the beauty of Puebla, the outstanding food of Puebla (birthplace of Mole), and, of course Popocatépetl, or “El Popo”, the local volcano that rises high to a peak covered in snow in the not so far off distance. 

I had read that El Popo is the second highest volcano in North America. But what I hadn’t read, until after we arrived in Puebla, is that El Popo is Mexico’s most active volcano and it’s a good idea to check on the activity level before going to the region. Oops. Fingers crossed. 

We did get a pretty good view of the volcano our second morning. Then a bit later in the day I checked again and El Popo had what may have been, in my completely uninformed view, a somewhat significant amount of steam-smoke-ash coming out the top.  Pretty cool. Or hot, should I say. 

Kindred Spirits

One of the best benefits of the walking tour was meeting our parallel-life friends, Jens and Kelly from Flagstaff, Arizona. We became fast friends and found that we had so much in common, it was almost eerie. 

And besides all our uncanny similarities of our past lives and family circumstances, we also share a love for long term travel. We’d both spent many months in SE Asia before Covid hit, and obviously love traveling in Mexico too.  

Unfortunately we’ll be heading back to Seattle in a week, while Jens and Kelly have an open itinerary. I’m envious, but it will also be nice to get home to friends & family, a familiar bed, and Bailey, our Lab. 

Last Night in Puebla 

Just like the previous night, we walked to a restaurant we’d carefully selected, and found it closed. So we walked to a second carefully selected restaurant and it was also closed. Please note, both said “open” in Google maps. Note to self: You can’t rely on Google maps for restaurant hours. 

So, in a somewhat desperate move, we went to a three dollar sign ($$$) restaurant, El Mural Poblanos, that we had just passed by. Our first 3 dollar rated restaurant of the trip. 

Did I mention it had started raining?  That may have factored in our decision to indulge in the 3 dollar sign feast. 

The restaurant is well known for having superb food, especially Mole, and beautiful, colorful murals cover the walls. 

We were seated and waiting for our food. Suddenly there was a gigantic crash about 10 feet behind me. The waiter had dropped an entire platter of food he was bringing out of the kitchen to serve. It was chaos there for a moment as the entire restaurant seemed to stop and turn to see what had happened.

Dishes were shattered, large chunks of beautiful pottery lay on the floor amidst what looked like enchilada mole (my order).  

We’re not sure if that actually was our order, but the food sure was taking a long time to get to our table after that unfortunate event. I guess we’ll never know, but eventually our food did arrive and it was worth the wait. 

WINS

A Helping Hand

The Departures desk worker at the bus terminal made a point of coming over to us to see if we were in the right place. We noticed he didn’t do that for anyone else in the crowded Puerto #3 terminal. So nice that they look out for the Gringo tourists. We appreciate it!  And we were in the right place, by the way. 

More Mole, Por Favor

I tried the sampler Mole enchilada plate and the Adobo Mole won hands down. What great flavor!

Habla Espanol?

Before leaving for Mexico I used a free “learn Spanish” app, Duolingo.  There’s a type of lesson where the learner (that’s me) has to speak into the phone’s microphone and correctly pronounce the words in Spanish.

Well, quite often I would get stuck on the pronunciation lesson….and I’d keep getting the DO NOT PASS GO signal.  I literally wouldn’t be able to move on to the next lesson because apparently I couldn’t even correctly pronounce the most simple words, like “adios”.  It was super frustrating. 

Well, I’m happy to report that I tried the app again a couple of days ago and PRESTO, I passed every pronunciation lesson with flying colors. I owe it to being immersed here in Mexico for a month, hearing Spanish constantly, and trying to speak it gingerly and cautiously. Makes me so happy.  Adios Amigos!

LOSSES

Just like Seattle

Had our first real rain both evenings here in Puebla, but it was brief and just reminded us of home, so not really a loss. 

There’s Something About Steve

We were seated in the crowded Estrella Roja (bus company name) waiting area in the Mexico City bus terminal heading to Puebla. Almost all the seats were full of people waiting to board their bus. 

A cleaning woman came by mopping along the main aisle.  She suddenly turned towards Steve and without skipping a beat she motioned for him to lift his feet. She then proceeded to mop thoroughly under his feet and chair as he strained to hold his legs up high until she was done.  It was so odd. I was stunned and trying not to start laughing out loud.

She finished cleaning Steve’s area and continued on down the aisle. No one else was asked to lift their legs or move, including me. I guess there’s something about Steve she knew that we didn’t. 🙂

We loved Puebla and hope to return again!

The Garmin Watch

I just sat down to start on the Centro Mexico City blog but my heart is still racing from a text notification I received minutes ago. It was my adult son, Jeremy’s, fancy athletic watch texting me.

The text read:

“Jeremy’s Garmin device detected an incident. 
You are listed as an emergency contact.  
Incident Location: https://gar.mn/BKVOWV
Coordinates: 37.880700,-122.524177
Follow Jeremy’s current location: https://gar.mn/”

Sh*t, gave me a heart attack. Here I am, in another country, getting an emergency notification from a watch.

What a View

I had just finished watching Jeremy’s post where he had halted his already 45 mile bike ride for a moment above Stinson beach in Marin to take a quick video of the view, so I knew it had to be a biking “incident”. 

I immediately phoned him and he had just T-boned (his words) into a car. It had just happened and his adrenaline was pumping. He kept saying, “ I think I’m alright……I think I’m alright”.  Got my heart pumping too. 

Freeking Walgreens

The car turned right in front of him going into a Walgreens. He was in the bike lane and went full force into the side of a car, flying off the bike and hitting the road hard. He said lots of traffic stopped and the driver was very apologetic. Geez, I hope so.   

Anyway, he was very shaken up, and I’m sure he’ll be sore, but he (and the bike that he uses in triathlons, which was his main concern) are both ok. 

Bike Lanes

Now, back to Mexico City, where they have wide, well protected bike lanes, at least in the heart of downtown.  In fact, on our way across town to the Museo de la Antropología, we passed through an absolutely stunning part of Mexico City where I first spotted the bicycle lanes. 

Our Uber took us down Paseo de la Reforma, a major thoroughfare in downtown Mexico City where we were fortunate enough to catch a good look at two iconic statues.

Luckily we were stopped at a red light before entering each roundabout, and I was able to snap some shots of El Ángel and The Huntress whilst hanging out the Uber window. You know, tourist-style. 

The Center Aisle

The traffic all along Paseo de la Reforma was split by a wide expanse of beautiful gardens that include lots of  white agapanthus (flowers), large leafy trees providing plenty of shade, and a generous bicycle lane. 

The bike lane was so protected and lovely, you could almost forget the masses of traffic on either side of you. It was like a park going down the middle of a huge, multilane, congested street. 

The Museo de la Antropologia 

By the time we left the Museum of Anthropology we could barely recognize where we were, there was such a mass of people and traffic out front. It was such an extreme change from the morning. 

We had arrived at 9:20 am, and were dropped off into a peaceful, open, and expansive area in front of the museum.

A few locals were there before the heat of the day, throwing balls as far as they could for their scruffy dogs across the spacious and unfettered patio area in front of the museum. That’s how much room there was.

The Mesmerizing Waterfall 

I’m so thankful we arrived early before the crowds, which were not far behind, as it turned out.  When we walked into the museum courtyard to access the exhibit rooms, there stood the dramatic and imposing 94 foot tall, 2,000 ton sculpture-fountain raining down in a giant circumference in the middle of the courtyard. 

There were a few people in the courtyard with us, which I appreciated so I could take a picture with some perspective.  It was solemn, breathtaking, and magnificent. 

The Hordes Arrive

By the time we left it was a completely different scene.  The museum is mammoth (and has mammoth exhibits too)  and can absorb a heck of a lot of people, which there were for sure.  Many, many people.  It’s a holiday weekend and a Saturday.  I didn’t even get a picture of the hordes because I was just trying to get through the masses. So be it.  

Time for a Break

I enjoy museums, but usually try to cap the excursion at 2-3 hours.  That usually seems about right.  But this museum was incredibly special and warranted more.  Much more.  We did take a break and had a bite in the very expensive museum cafe, where we ordered appetizers only.  

I just couldn’t bring myself to pay $275 pesos for enchiladas verde that cost $95 outside the museum.  The head waiter/manager took our order, “Those are starters, what else will you be having?”

“Nothing, that’s all”, we said.  There was a language barrier, so it was a little awkward repeating several times “that’s all we’re having”, but we finally made him understand that our order was complete.  

The Exhibits

Before and after our cafe refreshment, we thoroughly enjoyed the outstanding exhibits in the exquisitely detailed rooms.  The 22 enormous rooms in the museum are dedicated to the anthropology and archaeological cultures of the Mexican territory. 

All the rooms are voluminous, with high ceilings, shiny marble floors, and beautiful lighting. The exhibits are superbly preserved and displayed, and the vast variety of interesting exhibits never ends.   In addition, each exhibit room has its own outdoor area, beautifully landscaped, with seating and more exhibit items.  It’s such a lovely and well-thought out venue.  

My Favorites

It’s hard to have favorites in a museum with so many awe-inspiring exhibits, but if you take a look at my picture count, you’ll see that I have a ridiculous number of pictures of the pottery and the little ceramic figurines. 

I just love examining the tiny figurine’s faces, bodies, and demeanor.  They were between 3-5 inches in height and so detailed. And there were probably close to a thousand. 

My Very Favorites

These two (what I call doggy) figures delighted me. Just sayin.

Museo del Templo Mayor

Speaking of  well-laid out museums, the Museo del Templo Mayor is right around the corner from our apartment and has an incredible story.  The Templo Mayor was the main temple of the Mexica people in their capital city of Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City. 

Construction of the first Tenochtitlan temple began sometime after 1325. That’s quite a long time ago. And it was the center of the political and religious life of Mexica society.  It was a really big deal.

Let’s Rebuild

In 1521 AD, the Spanish destroyed Templo Mayor to make way for a new cathedral, the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, or the Metropolitan Cathedral, for short. 

The ruins were buried and largely forgotten until their rediscovery in 1978, when workmen uncovered a huge, eight-ton sculpted stone disk depicting the scattered limbs of the Aztec moon goddess Coyolxauhqui. 

A presidential decree gave permission for the archaeologist Eduardo Matos Moctezuma to uncover what his team could of the temple.

The Ancient City of Tenochtitlan

Yes, turns out Mexico City is built on the ruins of the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlan and a large portion of Centro, including our apartment, is right on top.  The huge, ancient civilization once covered about a 5 x 8.5 mile chunk of Centro.  The site is still under excavation. 

The museum has boardwalk-type paths that wind throughout the ruins that have been unearthed.  There’s an indoor section of the museum too that houses even more artifacts from the ancient city.  

Look Down

Not all the areas where current Centro Mexico City has been built could be cleared, so there are plexi-glass sections along many streets, including right near our apartment, where the subterranean ruins lie.  We can peer down and marvel at the civilization that thrived here hundreds and hundreds of years ago.   

The Works of Diego Rivera (& friends)

Diego Rivera, the very talented and famous Mexican muralist, also thrived here in Mexico City.  We had visited the Museo Casa Diego Rivera in Guanajuato, Rivera’s childhood home, so it was exciting to visit two sites here in Mexico City that also feature his works. 

The Palacio de Bellas Artes

One of the most iconic and grand buildings in all of Mexico City, The Palacio de Bellas Artes, houses superb floor to ceiling murals in the building’s entire second floor by a variety of artists, including Diego Rivera.  

My favorite was actually by another artist, Jose Clemente Orozco, entitled, “Eternal struggle of humanity”.

Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso

The second site we visited with works of Diego Rivera was at the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, which turned out to be literally next door to our apartment. 

We had been admiring the incredible, ornate building all week, but didn’t realize until almost our last day that it was a college and museum and is where Rivera completed his first mural as a very young man.  Thankfully we barely squeezed in time to visit.  The building and the murals didn’t disappoint. 

So Clean

It’s such a pleasure walking around the Mexican cities we have visited on this trip. Every city, small and large, that we have been in is incredibly clean.

I mean no trash on the streets, or in the gutter.  No garbage, no wrappers, no plastic bottles to be seen anywhere. The courtyards, every street, and every corner is clear and litter free.   No cigarette butts, no fast food wrappers, no old worn masks are about.  There’s not even fallen leaves or old blooms on the ground – at least not for long.

The Broom Crew

There’s a large crew of street cleaners (2,700 in Mexico City alone) that are out in force every day.  They work in shifts morning, afternoon, and overnight. We see them every block or two.  They are everywhere doing a great job. 

In Mexico City they wore bright green jumpsuits.  Every street cleaner we’ve seen uses a homemade looking broom.  It appears to be made of flexible sticks latched together and looks like it wouldn’t be very effective, but to my surprise it is.  The streets are cleaner than anywhere back home, that’s for sure. 

We noticed right away that the street cleaners congregate for a lunch break in the mid-afternoon right in front of our apartment.  It’s a nice shady spot to stop and have lunch.  And they sure do deserve it.

The Zocalo

One huge area the street cleaners didn’t have to contend with in recent days is the enormous Zocalo. 

The Zocalo has been closed off all week (or more) and an enormous temporary structure is being constructed inside. 

We assumed it was a special Easter structure for a special event, but Easter has come and gone. While taking a picture of it on our last day, still not knowing what it’s for, a silly guard made a funny pose just outside my frame. 

A Bit of Rome

The usually stoic guard seemed game, so I asked him through my translator app what was being built. He said it was the Sistene Chapel. I assumed the translation was off- what would they be building a Sistine chapel in the middle of the Zocalo for?  So strange. 

Well, an article I just found confirms it. “The capital government, in coordination with the Vatican Museums and the Archdiocese of Mexico, announced that a faithful reproduction of the Sistine Chapel, which was painted by Michelangelo, will be installed in the Zócalo of Ciudad in Mexico.” 

It will be open to the public starting tomorrow (we leave the area today). But that’s ok because we’ve seen the real thing in Rome. 

But just wondering aloud, why do they need a rendering of the Sistine Chapel from Rome when they have all this beauty that surround the Zocalo? Beats me…

WINS

Iglesia de San Francisco

Happening upon the magnificent Iglesia de San Francisco.  Just walking by and decided to take a peak.  Wow, pow, and wow. Stunning and more stunning.  Lots of gold and substantial murals on the walls.  Nice combination.

Good Friday Processionals

We were fortunate enough to witness two very different Good Friday processionals.  

One paraded by us as we had dinner at an outside table (where the finger incident occurred – see “Losses”).  The processional consisted of maybe 50 people, a couple of priests in cassocks (robes), and the figure of Jesus lying in a glass encasement being carried along.  

The second was much more striking because the processionals wore long white robes, masks that covered their faces, and hats that came to a point. In both processionals a lead person banged a drum slowly to set the somber pace.  

Clean Clothes

Having a washer and dryer.  First time in over 2 weeks. Gotta love it.

LOSSES

A freak finger accident.  Somehow I smashed the heck out of my finger while adjusting my chair in a restaurant.  Blood, pain, and lots of throbbing ensued. Now I have a phobia of adjusting my chair.  Seriously, I do.  

The Palacio Nacional was closed due to Covid.  More Diego Rivera murals adorn the walls, so we’ll have to go next time we’re in town.  We feel lucky that the Palacio Nacional was the only Covid casualty.  

What a good reason to return to this vibrant, multifaceted and energetic city full of museums, history, and gorgeous Colonial architecture.  Hasta Luego, Mexico City Centro!

The Traveler

I love to travel to places that most people don’t think of.  Places that people have to look up on a map. These less well known places are typically more “authentic”, with less tourists (like me), and tend to be less expensive too. 

Wherever the destination, I like to stay for a good amount of time so I can get a real feel for a place. My goal is to stay in one place long enough that google maps usage becomes superfluous, and long enough to accumulate favorites, a favorite restaurant, a favorite park, a favorite street.  Depending on the size of the city, staying a week is usually a minimum.  But above all else, I’m a budget traveler.  

Quality & Quantity

That’s not to say that I wouldn’t want to go back to Paris, Bangkok, or Rome, which tend to be expensive and/or tourist meccas. It just takes more finesse to make that happen.

The number one priority and bottom line for any travel is, “How much will this cost?”  How little can I spend so I can stay the longest, while still enjoying myself?  It’s quite the balancing act.  That being said, our accommodations must meet certain criteria to make the cut. 

Where to Sleep: The Essentials List 

Because we are getting older (in our early 60’s), there are some must-haves when selecting lodging.  Ok, being honest, the must-haves are pretty much all about me, but it is what it is.

Here are the six must-haves:

1. Location and price. I’m a bargain hunter, but location trumps all. 
2. A private apartment, as in not-shared, especially in Covid-times. 
3. A private bathroom, although we have made an exception on occasion.  
4. A bedroom door.  I get cranky if I don’t get my sleep, and Steve has been known to get up and read in the middle of the night, and/or get up at 6 am to start making coffee (and noise).  So, yes, a bedroom door is a must.
5. At the very minimum, a refrigerator.  A kitchenette, or preferably a full kitchen, is needed for stays longer than a few days.
6. If there’s more than two flights of stairs, an elevator is required. 

No Way

There will be no dorm style rows of beds filled with twenty and thirty-somethings for us. We will not be staying on the top floor of a six story walk-up. 

And beware that in Mexico, as in most of Europe, what we Americans call the second floor, they call the first floor.  So if you’re renting an apartment advertised on the second floor, you’ll be walking up three flights of stairs, not two. Just so you know.

The Queretaro Apartment

You may have gleaned that I’m a bit anal about all of this travel stuff and I really do my due diligence.  But our Queretaro apartment wasn’t all I had hoped.  The “essentials list” was unintentionally compromised. 

This Bajio trip was canceled and rescheduled three times (due to covid concerns).  I guess somewhere in the rescheduling I wasn’t as careful as usual and we ended up with a less than ideal apartment here in Queretaro. 

I Shouldn’t Complain, But I Will

First I want to say that we had a roof over our head, a decent bed, and a mostly functioning bathroom. So, I get it that the following complaints fall under the “first world problems” category. 

The first problem we noticed, upon entering the apartment, was the kitchen entrance was a bit on the low side. We took bets on how often Steve would clonk his head.  We actually didn’t, but turns out we should have. 

The kitchen entrance is about 4’8” high and 18” deep.  And that low passageway has a substantial beam spanning the 18” depth across the top.  Nice and solid.  Bonk, yep, felt that one (says Steve). I’m 5’3”, so could duck my head without much problem, unless I am wearing a bun.  Again, first world problems.

The Contender

The kitchen was trying hard to actually be a kitchen.  There was an absolute minimum of everything.  Cords draped here, cords pinned there, and a not-very level hot plate for a stove. Plus a very teeny coffee maker.

If we wanted coffee and food at breakfast (the audacity), we had to cook with the coffee maker cord hanging over and across the hot plate which required yoga-like moves on my part to stir and flip the pan contents.  

Our Borderline Unstable Faucet

The water pressure in the sink was a bit scary, like it had a somewhat erratic side to its personality.  Sometimes it came out sweet and calm, other times it would come out downright angry in a huge blast, so forcefully that the faucet would bang and shake. 

We never knew what we were going to get. The noise alone would make me jump back and scream. It was kind of like camping, only not as good.  Here’s the lowdown:

• The one and only cutting knife provided actually bent when I cut mushrooms.  Yes, it was that flimsy. 
• The spatula was plastic and had an apparently long history of being set on the edge of the frying pan, as we all often do with a spatula, so had melted in several places resulting in deep ridges on the surface that was originally smooth.  This made flipping a fried egg, without breaking the yoke, practically impossible.

• No hotpads were provided (as in San Miguel de Allende), so we had to be extra careful when removing something from the microwave.

• No dishtowel was in evidence (also as in San Miguel de Allende), except the Queretaro apartment did include one “reusable” wipe, like the Handiwipes I remember my mom using in the 70’s.  And I’m fairly certain the wipe was not new to us. 
  
  Well, they do say “multi-use” right on the package. Just sayin’.

The Mutant Sponge

Now I realize this is getting really nit-picky, but I just have to add one other kitchen observation. The sponge provided, both here and in San Miguel, is of the lowest sponge quality imaginable.  Basically it didn’t absorb any water.  None at all.  And the “sponge” here in our Queretaro sink was sloppily cut in half, I guess to save on resources, so it was a tiny, little, non-absorbing, sponge wanna-be tool.  

This all made for an arduous breakfast prep and clean-up, but we rose to the occasion and made it work. 

Ready For Take Off

And one last kitchen feature I haven’t mentioned.  About 50% of the very high kitchen ceiling was a skylight type plexiglass, letting in tons of natural light.  The bright light was a lovely idea, but walking into the kitchen was like walking into an oven between noon and 5 pm, with the outside temperature in the high 80’s.  And there’s no air conditioning, in case you were wondering.  

Thankfully there was a huge fan that we made extensive usage of. It was the kind that sounded like an airliner taking off, but it sure pumped a lot of air, so we were ok with the noise. 

Steve says sometimes you get what you pay for, which just sounds like a challenge to me.  I’ll do better next time.

The Budget

Before each trip I do some research and make a spreadsheet with all the costs – the known costs (our accommodations, flights, etc) and my best guesstimates for the unknowns, like food, museums & events, uber costs, etc.  Then I closely track all the spending on my Spending phone app as we go.  It’s almost like a game for me.  I love to beat my budget, when I can.

The Food Allowance

On our current trip through the Bajio region (central Mexico), our food allocation, which I “assign” on my spreadsheet, is $40 a day for the two of us.  

Here in Mexico we’ve been stocking up on eggs, stir-fry vegetables, agua minerale (sparkling water), and craft beer. For our very own evening happy-hour, we’ve also been buying tortilla chips, avocados, red onion, and lime to make guacamole en el Airbnb.  

An average breakfast here, in a mid-range restaurant, costs $10 to $15 for two. The average happy hour with guacamole & drinks would easily cost at least $12 or more. If you go somewhere really nice, which we don’t often do, a margarita can run you $8 to $15 or more, just like home.   

So I figure we’re saving a pretty penny, a penny that can be spent on nice iced coffees at a cafe, a special meal, or a relatively expensive margarita.  Of course there’s always street food (as we Gringos call it), or antojitos, as the Mexicans call it.

Antojitos or “Street Food”

I’m always game for antojitos (street food).  Too often we’re innocently walking along exploring a city and suddenly a heavenly smell hits us, full in the face.  The scent of rich & savory spices dreamily surrounds us.  

If there’s a crowd standing about, carefully shoveling tamales (or tacos, or empanadas, or chalupas, or gorditas, or whatever) into their mouths, and there’s a long line of locals waiting to place their order, that’s when you know it’s a good antojito, one worth trying. 

My interpreter (see last blog post), commonly known as my husband, is much more reluctant than I to eat  antojitos.  But I will admit we ate at three stands that served antojitos in San Miguel (with a little bit of coaxing), so I guess he’s coming along.

The Market

Every town here in Mexico, large or small it seems, has a semi-outdoor type market where local farmers and merchants sell their produce, meat, and wares of all kinds. 

The Mercados also tend to have some of the best local food served at a counter overlooking the prep, or at small tables crowded nearby. 

The market is about a 15 minute walk straight down our street, Manuel Gutierrez Najera.  When leaving our apartment, we turn right and start down a slow, but consistent, descent to the market. So yes, it’s all uphill with our groceries, btw. 

Huevos by the Kilo

A couple of interesting points about the Market.  You buy the exact number of eggs you want and they weigh them on a produce scale to get the cost.  They’re priced per kilogram.  Like how we buy produce at home. Makes sense. Then they put them in a plastic bag for you to carry home.  It’s a little precarious, but eggs are tougher than we think and it works.  

I love buying fresh fruits and veggies directly from the farmers.  I wish we did this at home.  After just a couple of times I can tell how easy it would be to establish a relationship with a particular stand. The sellers are so friendly and really want to help us find what we’re looking for, and of course, make the sale.  It’s one of the easiest transactions as a non-Spanish speaker.  Just point and pay.

Comidas (Meals)

Of course we don’t cook most of our meals.  We found it’s a smart idea to look up any given restaurant we’re considering on Google maps and check the rating. Even if we’re standing in front of said restaurant. 

We enjoyed trying the local specialty negro mole dishes several times. Mole Negro originally hails from Oaxaca, Mexico, and is a complex, deep, smoky, slightly spicy sauce that is made with dried black chilies, allspice, peppercorns, cloves, oregano, a little thyme and a hint of bittersweet chocolate. It’s rich and absolutely delicious.

What Have We Done…

The only, “Oh my God, what have we done??!!” food moment was at a highly recommended restaurant not far from our apartment on Calle 5 de Mayo, Maria y su Bici. 

As I have mentioned, it’s unique to find someone in the Bajio region, including Queretaro, that speaks English. So, of course, we were in winging it mode with our waiter, who was suggesting and explaining things (probably). 

Turns out we ordered rather unique margaritas, not at all like we were expecting. I think it was the first margarita of the trip for both of us, and we had already been in Mexico over two weeks. I was more than ready for a refreshing margarita. 

To the waiter’s credit, he did say the margaritas were made with mezcal. Well, I rarely drink, and definitely don’t know the finer points and what’s-what regarding alcohol, so wholeheartedly agreed.

The Margaritas (from Hell)

Our first clue that something was unique about our anxiously awaited margaritas was that they arrived in bowls. Literally bowls. They were a strange material that we couldn’t make out. Maybe it was some kind of half coconut shell or something, we didn’t know. 

Steve’s main concern at this point, before we had even taken our first sip, was how do they clean those bowls?  Or are they single-use bowls?  We shook off those very legitimate questions, and moved on. 

What’s In These?

It’s hard to explain what our margaritas were like, but I’ll try. Firstly they looked like bowls of liquidy applesauce, kind of a light beigy color with a lump-like substance. They also each had a line of red powder, about an inch wide from edge to edge. Not too appealing to the eye, but delicious food isn’t necessarily pretty (or is it?). 

Anyway, I brought the bowl up to my lips and POW. Apparently there’s more of that red powder on the rim that you can’t see because it almost matches the bowl and that powder is SPICY HOT.  

I’ve never had mezcal, so perhaps that’s what that sickening aftertaste was. Suffice to say, there was mutual agreement that this had been a mistake that shall not be repeated.

Wandering Centro Queretaro 

It’s never a mistake to set out and wander here in Queretaro. When leaving the apartment we typically have a planned destination, but always end up seeing and doing things we happen upon. 

As in the other Bajio region cities we’ve visited, Queretaro has stunning Jardins and Plazas dotted throughout the centro section of the city. Most are a few blocks apart, so you’re never far from a beautifully manicured garden with tall trees providing shade, a fountain and statue, and plenty of seating. 

Scattered among the Jardins are the museums of Queretaro, most of which are small and can be toured in an hour or less. 

The most impressive feature of the museums that we visited was the outstanding Baroque architecture. There were some impressive paintings and ancient handicrafts, but it was the buildings that kept my attention. 

Doorknockers

I remember being in San Miguel de Allende many years ago and being so taken with the magnificent doors that lined the streets.  Those are still there and worthy of admiration, but what stood out in Queretaro were the door knockers. 

What fun to find creative, funny, and even elegant door knockers all over the city. 

Bougainvillea, Ho-Hum

On the hunt for door knockers, we’d invariably see all the beautiful bougainvillea cascading over buildings, doors, and climbing walls- again. Just like in San Miguel and Guanajuato. But, I have to say, it never gets old. Not in the least. 

Why Are We Doing This?

We’ve developed this habit of taking certain items with us from town to town, namely a large bag of tortilla chips and several rolls of toilet paper.

I suppose this developed from the fear of running out of said supplies, so always having a surplus. Yes, we’re weird. 

WINS

A Society That Cares

Covid continues to be taken very seriously here in Queretaro. There’s a chain across restaurant entrances to control the number of patrons.

95% of people wear masks inside and outside all the time, except when eating. And 90% of those are even wearing their mask correctly. Way better than home. 

The vast majority of restaurants, museums, art galleries, etc. take your temperature and give you a squirt of hand sanitizer before you are allowed to enter. Many have a mounted temperature wand, at forehead level, so you position yourself for your reading, get a squirt of sanitizer, and are then seated. 

Fizzy for the Win

I’ve always loved carbonated drinks. I know, I probably am deficient in some critical mineral or something. Anyway, the thrill of my day, every day, was dispensing my refreshing and always fully carbonated water from the miraculous container that had a built-in lever that carbonated on the spot as I pour. Fizzy in full to the very last drop. 

Nuts

The huge bag of candied pecans we purchased for $5 ($100 pesos) from the nut vendor on the street just this side of Plaza de Armas. Lasted the whole week and even through the 3 hour bus ride to Mexico City. Yum. 

LOSSES

The Sprayer

We did the customary temp check and squirt of sanitizer at the entrance to San Miguelito restaurant in the heart of Queretaro centro. 

The hostess then grabbed a rather large device consisting of a several gallon base and a long wand with a sprayer at the end. She led us towards our table. 

The device is what we at home call a yard sprayer, commonly used for insecticide. When she arrived at our table she lifted the wand and swung it to and fro whilst letting about a generous spray of whatever was in that container. She was sure to get the entire table, decorative plates and all. Ohhhhhh myyyyy. Is this stuff safe?  Just don’t ask. 

The Wedding Party

Friday afternoon a huge group checked-in to maybe 4 of the apartments surrounding us on all sides. They appeared to be an extended family group consisting of many adults, a fair number of toddlers and young kids, along with their dog, Lucky. 

I saw some of the men carrying in garment bags that would typically house a suit and asked them (using Google translate) if they were here for a wedding, and indeed they were. How fun. 

Friday night the kids ran wild (I mean free), playing with the only “toy” they could find in the courtyard we all shared, the empty 5 gallon water bottles. 

The huge, empty, thick plastic bottles make kind of a loud thumping and banging sound when they are tossed, rolled into things, or thrown at another child. Kind of like drums being played by someone with no rhythm. This went on until after 11 pm. I kept thinking, “Don’t these kids need to be in bed?”  

The next morning, all was fun and festive. The women had hired someone to come in and do their makeup and hair. Eventually they all headed off to the wedding in the late afternoon. 

You may think “the loss” was the drumming, but you’d be wrong. The loss, which I’m finally getting to, was later that night after the wedding. The whole crew came home and drank, laughed, and visited in our shared courtyard, just outside our open window, until 2:49 am. I thought about getting up and shutting the window, but our apartment doesn’t cool down much and it was already a bit hard to sleep. 

On the up side, none of them got up before 10 am, even the kids, so we were able to sleep in a bit. All in the life of a traveler. 

Day #5

About 24-hours before leaving Guanajuato on a luxury bus, heading for San Miguel de Allende (San Miguel), I was just finishing up a horrendous, too-long night.  Somewhere and somehow I had been stricken with food poisoning that I picked up hours or days prior. 

We made the bus trip to San Miguel without any problems, but I still had that queasy feeling, a “talkative” stomach, and was unusually tired for days.  Thankfully our new apartment was comfortable and had a peaceful, flower-filled & shady patio courtyard to relax in.

So, perhaps needless to say, San Miguel started out very slowly.  It’s funny how feeling a bit crummy will completely skew your impression of a place. 

It wasn’t until Sunday, Day #5 (that shall live in infamy), that my energy and appetite returned. 

Now I’m loving life and loving San Miguel.  Just as it should be.

The Streets

Both Guanajuato, where we had just come from, and San Miguel, where we are now, have charming cobblestone streets. They’re very picturesque. 

A big difference is that many streets in San Miguel consist of much larger, rounded rocks to pave the roads, as opposed to the smaller, flatter rocks used in Guanajuato.

The rocks here in San Miguel are between the size of a can of beans and a two-slot toaster, and everything in-between.  And yes, I happen to be looking at our kitchen countertop where a can of beans and a small toaster reside.

The rocks are irregularly positioned, and of various heights.  Some are high, others are very high, and the occasional low rock is thrown in for good measure.  Basically they’re all over the height chart. Most are rounded, well worn, and even a bit slick.

This makes for a very adventurous walk. It’s important to keep a keen eye on where you’re putting your foot, lest you get an unintended extreme close-up with said charming cobblestones.  

It’s like maneuvering over a wild creek bed while trying to dodge cars, motorcycles, buses, and other pedestrians, and still monitoring google maps on the cell so you don’t miss your turn. 

Get Out of the Sun

It’s been unusually hot (close to 90 degrees, which for this Seattle-gal is way-hot). We’re still up over 6,000 feet in this city of steep hills, so, at least for me, walking the streets is an undertaking involving plenty of huffing & puffing. 

Thankfully Steve doesn’t mind my stopping for pictures as my ever-present excuse for resting to catch my breath. 

We spent a lovely time enjoying the shade at Parque Benito Juárez. It’s a sprawling park right in the middle of town. There’s beautiful landscaping, walking paths, and a huge sports court where we saw men of all ages and abilities playing basketball and a group of mostly women in a boxing class.

Oh, and we saw lots and lots of people walking their dogs too. San Miguel is surely a dog town.

BOOM, BOOM

Luckily the evenings here in San Miguel cool way down, so it’s easy to get a good night’s sleep.  Except, as we learned, on a Sunday. 

The local government (we think?) set off thunderously loud fireworks starting around 4 am Sunday mornings, continuing every 15 to 20 to 30 minutes at irregular intervals (as far as we could tell in our sleep-deprived stupor) until around 6:30 am. 

The blasts are deafening.  No one, and I mean no one, could have slept through the onslaught.  

Ask any local why this happens and you’ll get a variety of answers, from warding off evil spirits to rousing folks for church to, “Why not, it’s Tuesday!” (or Sunday, or whatever). 

Yes, most Mexican towns, including San Miguel, have a serious love affair with fireworks. As far as I can tell, it’s just a tradition we have to graciously accept as a part of being in this paradise of a town.

The Day of 16,000 Steps

Our friendly neighbors, Monique and Richard, from near Toronto, who are fortunate enough to be here in San Miguel for 6 weeks, suggested we climb up the hill behind our building to a Botanical Garden high above the city.

We were promised a strenuous workout, beautiful views, and a look at magnificent estates that pay dearly for that view. 

Steve wanted a tough workout, so he headed out early in the morning.  After summiting, he texted me to meet him halfway down the hill at Mirador San Miguel de Allende, a well-known look-out point. 

I joined him courtesy of Uber, and after a much shorter climb we happily wandered through the million dollar plus hillside mansions, only drooling occasionally. 

Even though I had Uber’ed up the hill in the morning, that day turned into the “steps” winner of the trip, so far. Over 16,000 steps that day.  Almost 7 miles. 

Yes, we walked and walked and walked. I only wish my free iPhone pedometer could account for the hills.  I feel I should get 1.5 steps when climbing a hill. Or maybe double steps for the very steep hills.  It’s only fair.  

The Murals of Guadalupe 

Although we had already walked all over the hillside that morning, the days in San Miguel were winding down, and we still wanted to visit the Guadalupe neighborhood. Guadalupe is known for the masterfully painted and tiled murals throughout their neighborhood.  

True confessions, we had actually already been to the Guadalupe neighborhood on our first full day in town. That was Day #2 of the food poisoning saga, and, if you recall, I wasn’t feeling myself until Day #5.  So that didn’t really work out so well and we only saw a couple of peripheral murals.  It was quite disappointing (and tiring) and basically a bust.

So, I’m happy to report that the second try at Guadalupe was a huge success.

Habla Espanol?

San Miguel has a huge number of expats, mostly English speaking expats. In Guanajuato we’d see one English speaking couple a day, at most. 

When we arrived in San Miguel and sat at our first restaurant, English speakers filled almost every table around us. The difference was stark.  And even though there are so many English speakers, there’s still not many locals that speak English, which is fine, since we ARE in Mexico. 

My Spanish Interpreter 

Thankfully, I have my Spanish interpreter with me.  He’s on-call and always willing to interpret for me.  It’s especially helpful because basically all local waiters, shopkeepers, and grocery store clerks speak to me in Spanish.  They speak very quickly and mostly in multiple full sentences, you know, like starting a conversation.

Now, I did try to work on my Spanish using iPhone apps the past few months prior to our trip, but I have determined that it did no good whatsoever when encountering real Spanish speakers in real situations.  

The essential problem here is that my interpreter is my husband, and he knows no Spanish, except a few basic words. 

Here’s how it goes, every time:

1. The waiter (or whoever) approaches us and gives us a long commentary in Spanish. 
2. We just sit there and awkwardly stare at the speaker.
3. There’s a slight pause, then, invariably, Steve will look at me and interpret. 
4. My eyes bulge out a bit as I glare back at Steve, in that way that says, “What the heck are you even doing?”
5. Then I continue to just stare at Steve because it’s absolutely hilarious that he actually thinks he’s interpreting this.

After multiple instances just like this, Steve and I have agreed that he’s basically mansplaining AND from a foreign language. Too funny.

Steve, my editor, wants me to add that he is sometimes right (in his interpreting), so I will.  But I also want to add that an educated guess will usually yield results at least sometimes, and that he’s still not interpreting.  Just sayin’. 

A Historic City

One thing we don’t have to guess at is the beauty of San Miguel. San Miguel is a colonial-era city in Mexico’s central highlands known for its baroque Spanish architecture, thriving arts scene, and quaint charm. 

In the city’s historic, cobblestoned center lies the neo-Gothic church Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, whose dramatic pink towers rise above the main plaza, El Jardín Allende.  Many picture this iconic church when they think of San Miguel. 

The Templo de San Francisco church and the adjoining, peaceful plaza, are just a block from our apartment.  The church was built in 1779, so it’s been around a long while.  

Our walking tour leader told us of Templo de San Francisco’s surprising past.  The priests of the Templo learned to become Matadors.  Many gained great notoriety and became local celebrities. 

The beautiful plaza that now stands in front of the church consisted of a bull ring that hosted festive and popular bull-fights.  The church garnered great riches, and the talented priests became quite wealthy. 

Gaining personal wealth was against their vows, so the practice was eventually brought to a halt.  The churches still obtain great riches, but now it’s because San Miguel is a wedding destination that brings in the big bucks.

It’s a Feeling

We didn’t see any weddings while in town, but I can certainly understand why people would like to get married here.  There are so many picture-perfect views. 

On almost every block we found beautifully cascading Bougainvillea, with bright (often hot pink) flowers contrasting against the worn white or golden adobe walls. 

The cobblestone streets, the decorated doorways, the iconic churches, and the Jardin Allende with its perfectly trimmed Ficus trees and lush feel, all contribute to a place of true elegance and charm. 

San Miguel has a more upscale feel than other cities I’ve been to in Mexico. It’s a real, working town, but there’s an element of sophistication.

It’s an artist mecca with a substantial expat community that has brought in lots of dinero ($$) over the past 25 years.  Art galleries dot most streets.  The kind of art galleries where you need a credit card with a high limit if you plan on making a purchase.  

Mariachi’s sing in the Jardin Allende in the evenings. Local families with toddlers to teens gather every evening to enjoy each other and the shade or a sunset in whatever plaza they choose throughout the city. 

The abundance of places for people to gather and comfortably sit never ceases to amaze me (nothing like home in the suburbs of Seattle). 

And the multitude of places throughout the city to take a load-off is truly opportune when you’re a Gringo still trying to adapt to the high altitude while exploring this magical city.

WINS

While I was still recuperating from my food poisoning bout, Steve had a fun excursion to Cañada de la Virgen, a remote archaeological complex about an hour outside San Miguel. It featured various pyramid structures dating from the 7th century.

Lucky me missed that one step on the rooftop deck at the Inside Cafe, but somehow I managed to gracefully recover without falling flat on my face. 

Using “Nelly’s” Netflix account in our apartment to binge season #2 of Bridgerton during the dark days of food poisoning.  Saved us from trying to log-in to our own account in Spanish (harder than it sounds).

Note to self: Always log out of your Netflix account at a hotel or Airbnb.  And thanks Nelly!

LOSSES

Those confounding church bells that supposedly tell the time.  What the heck?  It takes a PhD in Mexican church bells to figure them out. Seriously. 

The number one loss, with nothing even coming close, was the incessant pre-dawn bomb-like fireworks on Sunday morning.  Hands down the worst. Come on, San Miguel, can’t the fireworks start around 9 am?