San Miguel de Allende

Today was Constitution Day, (observed), so the university was closed. Rosita and I took a bus to San Miguel de Allende. Even though we spent last weekend right nearby on a ranch, we didn't make it to the city proper, so it was a good day to explore. We took a city bus downtown and headed straight for the mercado to try the food. We went to one food stand and shared a beer, then to another where I had a plate of chicken and mole. It was smokier than the mole yesterday, different. We walked through the fruits and veggies, and headed out to walk around the city so I could get an idea of what it was like, with some ice cream. We looked at churches and historic buildings. We stopped in a number of shops and art galleries, many of which were quite nice, but perhaps a little expensive. I saw a few dresses and shirts I would have liked to try on. We walked around the courtyards in many pretty buildings, and ducked into theaters to see what kinds of programs were coming up. At the suggestion of someone in a sculpture gallery, we went to Bellas Artes (the school of fine arts) to have a look at the murals and the classrooms - something I would recommend to anyone visiting the city. We walked down some streets that were certainly less touristy, seeing the neighborhoods where the local people lived. We walked through the plazas, and stopped into a few restaurants to see what they had. We settled for a place with two for one specials, and chatted over some sort of sangria cocktails (there was no fruit in them, but they were pretty good). The city is certainly pretty, and it is easy to see why there are so many American retirees living here. It does have more of a touristy feel - you almost wonder where the nearest fudge shop is in some areas - but it is a nice place to visit, and I'm told that it's also quite lively at night, with music and dancing on the plaza.

It was getting a little late and we headed to the bus station, only to find the bus we wanted had just left. Rosita worked out a deal with the driver of the next bus (these are nice coach buses - not city buses) to get us on, as it was crowded. We headed over to a nearby oxxo (the mexican equivalent of a 7-11) and waited for the bus to pass by. We hopped in and sat with the driver, Rosita in the jump seat, I on the floor. It was wonderful to see the road and the night sky through a huge window, and interesting to hear about different towns and cities from the bus driver. We got back pretty late - too late for me to move to my new house, so I stayed the night at Chelita's house with Rosita.

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Part of trip: Guanajuato México and beyond

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