Diary of 3 Weeks in Mexico

June 23 8:30am
Saturday

Do you ever just LOVE something instantly? With me instant love comes with things like kittens and babies... with them its an easy and instant decision to love. It takes me quite awhile for most other things... I think about and observe, people, places, new foods, etc. There are instant attractions I would say, but not normally do I proclaim love so instantly.

From the moment our bus drove into this city of Guanajuato yesterday afternoon, I´ve loved it, hands down, sold...best stop yet. We´d heard about Guanajuato through a few friendly Mexican recommendations, looked it up in our books and went for it, even though we knew most tourists dont visit here. Its definitly been a great decision, as if you cant already tell by my enthusiasm.

Guanajuato is in the exact middle of Mexico and is in one of the smallest provinces- serving as its capitol. It´s set in a gorge, brightly colored homes crawling up the steep hillsides, enormous churches, markets, plazas and gardens in the valley. The largest and most well known of all the Mexican Universities is here- and it is a beautiful place- offering the city a very young, energetic and academic feel. The streets are all stone and very narrow, and most people walk wherever they need to go. Though a fairly large city, it has a very intimate feel. To be more practical and provide for modern times, Guanajuato underwent its own version of Boston´s Big Dig, creating an intricate tunnel system underneath the city... unlike many other modern Mexican cities who have sacrificed beauty and age knocking down whole blocks of ancient buildings to expand the city streets.

Guanajuato is known for the legends and stories it carries... legends of a father beheading his own daughter for dating a forbidden lover on a small side street in the middle of town; tales of Hidalgo´s conquests beginning here and then the finality of his end, his head hanging from the side of the grain factory for all to see. Tales of mummies and uprisings, and romantic dances well into the night. This city- so filled with culture and fables has become a world heritage site and has provided people like Diego Rivera a home and a source for artistic inspiration.

We got into the city at around 4 yesterday and then realized it was both graduation weekend and the beginning of summer studies at the university- meaning hotel rooms were sparse and rates were raised. After a walk of aggrivation we found a bit of a tour guide .. a random hotel worker... who helped us find an open room at a brand new and very nice hostel on a side street right in the heart of the city. We´re very excited about it too for a few reasons.. 1) for the first time in about a week we have hot water for showers in our own private bathroom and 2) telivision in our own private bedroom...the downside being a small party of ants has joined us at some point throughout the night.

After settling and refreshing, we made our way out to explore the neighborhood a bir more, going down into the central market, and up the western hill a little way to see the Alhondiga de Granaditas- where Hidalgo´s head was hung along with 3 other Mexican wartime leaders, on hooks from each of the corners of the building, by the newly victorious Spaniards hoping to send a harsh message to any potential uprisers. We then walked through the Diego Rivera museum set in his own birth home. The four-story home was beautiful; the first floor housed some original furniture and history of the family and the remaining 3 floors a few pieces from each of his aspects of artistic talent- from impressionist pieces, to cubist work, religious photography, and school sketches. It was a really sweet museum- the house and display areas make it feel cozy and inviting, also giving you the sense that you are seeing more than what there really is.

We then sat down for what we thought would be a quick dinner in the Plaza de San Fernando- where we found really cheap and super great food and drinks... and then at about 7pm, the dancing began. All these couples took thier spot on the plaza´s main open square and performed traditional and formal Mexican dances. We ordered another drink after dinner and moved closer to watch both the dancers and the crowd congregating to see them. We stayed until almost 9 and then leisurely walked back to the hostel... first stopping at an internet cafe and then to pick up dessert.

We learned this city becomes even more lively on a Friday night after listening to the music from the discos and the students shouting from the streets as the sounds mixed together and drifted into our window late into the night. But tonight we plan to go out and enjoy the fun for real- to a disco for the first time since we´ve been here. That´s a little unbelievable, even to us, but we´ve just not felt entirely comfortable in some places going out just the two of us, or have just been so exhausted most nights after long days of sight seeing, we´ve been completely satisfied with sharing some conversation and maybe a few drinks in the plaza.

Im so excited to further explore this city and to discover and experience more of its charm and rediculous legends today. I am so glad we´ve come.