8.05.2010

Why I love Guanajuato Part 2

(Plaza De La Paz)

We found Guanajuato clean, tidy and very safe - in fact, each evening found us walking through the plazas and along the roads around our hotel, popping into whatever restaurant or establishment looked of interest.  It's cobbled streets twist and turn, so just walking around is an adventure with new things to discover and explore with every new corner. We quickly noticed that unlike most Mexican cities that house a large Plaza in the middle of town (like a Town Square), Guanajuato had several small plazas connected to one another - all filled with beautiful restaurants, drinking establishments and shops.  I would happily get lost in this city, as I know each direction turned would mean another row of colonial architecture, vivid colors and quaint shops.


(Church, Plaza San Roque)

(Plazuela de los Angeles)

One evening we strolled through the Plazas, ate at a beautiful restaurant and wandered around with the entire population of the town (seems like it is a favorite past time - whole families, dates, tourists and expats) - it felt like a very tightly knit community, family-friendly and safe.  Buskers on the road and in Mariachi at your disposal...




We also witnessed a group of estudantinas - university musicians dressed in medieval costumes - entertaining a crowd sitting on the steps of one of the many churches.  As you can see, Guanajuato has a genuine Spanish colonial look, style, feel and atmosphere. Cobbled streets, churches, asymmetrical buildings and lots of color!





Just as a note of interest, Guanajuato is also home to a well-respected University, symphony orchestra and a newly renovated concert hall!  This is the perfect mix of beautiful architecture, history, art and culture, rolled up with  vibrant Mexican culture, food and a beautiful climate!  Not to mention daily Farmer's Markets and a wide variety of specialty shops for candy, baked goods and even European-styled cafes!  But if that's not enough, remember Guanajuato is the birthplace of Diego Rivera - artist, muralist and rebel husband of Frida Kahlo!  In fact, the house he was born in is now the Diego Museum.


(Dia de flores, 1925)



(Diego Rivera Museum, Birthplace)

If you head inland on your next visit to Mexico, I would personally set aside a week, rent a car from the airport at Leon, and make your way through several of these well-known Colonial towns, highlighting both Guanajuato and it's more famous-for-expat-sister, San Miguel de Allende.  Where San Miguel is highly populated with American and Canadian Expats, Guanajuato's expat community is small and quiet - this is an unspoiled paradise which I think, it's residents fear the rest of the world uncovering!  It is a town/city for Mexicans who are proud of their country, their heritage and their history. 

But the most important uncovering on this trip for me was the Mexican heart: strong and giving.  My husband and I spent the first few days of January in Guanajuato and left on January 5th.  The city was preparing for another "Christmas celebration" on January 6th, where children in need and those living in poverty would make their way to the above-pictured Plaza de la Paz and find toys, gifts, blankets and non-perishable foods to help them through tough times.  By the time we left this beautiful city, the Plaza was filled with blankets and toys for children of every age group, and enough for a hundred families to celebrate Christmas - this is heart.  This is Mexico to me.

K

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