Trip of Frogs - Guanajuato in green

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Another leisurely start to the day, I decide to hop on the treadmill "caminado" for an exhausting half hour. See how unfit I am, seeing as I haven't been doing any running for the past seven weeks! Ky follows, looking amazing on the elliptical trainer becuase she's been exercising every couple of days. The boys play in the pool again, then eventually we decide to go into town for a drink and an icecream.

We walk to the place of artists next to the old train station which is open today, but find it quite disappointing. There is more art on display in the Mercado Hidalgo. So then a drink at a tiny shack opposite the artists' building. We select cokes, etc, and Joseph picks one in a recyclable bottle. As we're about to walk away, the proprietor says something to us that we interpret as 'we can't take that bottle away'. She offers a "borshetta" and gestures as if with a straw. So we say "Si" and she takes Joseph's bottle away and comes back with a clear plastic bag with a straw!

I was thinking I could rename this part of the trip, reason being: On the day to San Miguel de Allende, I noticed a shop with a brightly coloured large pottery frog outside. So I saide to Ky while we're being driven past "Look, frog". She didn't see it. Later on there were a couple of simple pottery frogs a but larger than a watermelon "Look, frogs". "Oh, yeah". And then by the restaurant there was a whole row of green glazed pottery frogs sitting atop a building surveying the street. "Look at the frogs!" "What's this thing you have about frogs, aye?"

The souvenir shirt I bought yesterday has the word "Guanajuato" accompanied by two green frogs. Ky didn't notice this at the time. Now today we are walking away from the artist's place and Ky asks where do I want to go now, so I suggest we walk down to the "Plazuela de las Ranas". "What does that mean?" "Plaza of the Frogs". The she notices the shirt. The new name for this phase should be "Trip of Frogs" don't you think? Attached you will find some pictures of ... frogs. 😊

The plaza is in the open, but is bounded by a grassy area with trees and a small playground. We all have a see-saw, and get an icecream from a little shop there. A 'Mega' Almondela, like a almond magnum, is $18 for Joseph while Liam selects a "Mini Frizze" which is a simple popsicle for $3. We walk to the northeast out of the plaza and find the beautiful Jardin del Cantador. This is planted with lillies, daisies, has lots of trees and broad well paved paths that kids are riding bikes around on. Joseph and Liam inexplicably decide to lie down on one of the beches and although they don't fall asleep, they rest long enough for me to grab a photo.

Then to decide directions to get to the Mercado Hidalgo to catch a taxi. Our map is simplistic, showing the main routes but not the side streets. So we opt to walk up a narrow alley. Ky and Joseh charge on ahead leaving Liam and I behind. Up and up we go, me getting worried because the alley has many side alleys and Ky has disappeared. Liam and I retrace our steps and meet Joseph and Ky, where I explain we're halfway up the hill and need to walk back down. So we select a suitable looking alley and head down the windy stone-paved alley past little shops and hairdressers to end up at the west entrance to the market. Perfect! Now we just have to catch a taxi. Hint to visitors: taxis are hard to come by during peak time, in this case a quarter to four. We end up walking some way up the hill before being able to hail one. On the way Joseph and I select a donut and custard filled bun from a street stall for total $8. Very filling.

Finally back at the room and our laundry has been done, very good service at $35 per dozen items. We only dropped them off around 10am. Dinner is the leftovers of everything we can eat.

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Photos

Lilly
Plazuela de las Ranas

Siesta
Jardin del Cantador