Guanajuato, a postcard from KiKi and Pops

Leaving Huatulco, I wish I had taken a picture of us squeezed into the taxi with our luggage everywhere. Overpacking is hereditary, I got it from my mom. We have made a vow to reduce to one suitcase each when we leave the states in March. I may have to hire someone to help me stick with the plan.

Arriving at the Leon airport, we hired a car to take us to the hotel in Guanajuato. More contrasts, as now we are in the heart of Mexico in the mountains. Guanajuato City is the capitol of the state of Guanajuato. In the two nights we spent there, we watched the end of the Superbowl in a very typical, local restaurant, made a tour of the city on foot and ate one of the best meals I have had in Mexico. I also had a fight with my camera. Although I finally won, the pics from these two days are limited. Also, most museums in Mexico are closed on Monday, so it was a day of outdoor sightseeing.

Mexico celebrated Constitution Day while we were in Guanajuato. Sunday night people were everywhere dining, drinking and strolling, Mariachis vying for engagements. We enjoyed walking through the throngs after dinner, our first views of the city in the evening lights. It had taken all day to get to Guanajuato via Mexico City, with delayed flights on both legs of the trip. We were ready to rest up for our big day ahead in GTO.

Filled with picturesque, historical and colorful building, Guanajuato tumbles off the hills of the Sierra Madre Oriental. Steep climbs lead to beautiful views. Home of the Cervantes festival, the city celebrates the great writer and his best known creations Don Quijote and Sancho Panza in statuary and theater. Formerly a mining town, Guanajuato is also the birthplace of Diego Rivera. A trip on the funicular up to see the monument to El Pipila, a hero of the Mexican revolution, brought incredible views of the city. We walked down the steep city streets and were really happy we had taken the funicular up to the top.

That evening we dined at El Jardin de los Milagros, Garden of the Miracles. Unbeknownst to me, evidently Paul had reserved the entire restaurant for us, as we were the only people dining in the beautiful garden. The chicken with Pipian Verde (made with pumpkin and sesame seeds) was the most delicious meal that I have eaten in a restaurant on our Mexican adventure. It was a beautiful evening, topping off a great day.

The following morning we packed up and headed to breakfast prior to leaving for San Miguel. I ordered a Cafe con Leche...what arrived was a glass of steamed milk and a couple of tablespoons of instant coffee. More innovations in Mexico.