2/23/09 – 2/25/09

Guanajuato is another one of the colonial cities of Mexico protected as a UNESCO heritage site.  It is also home to the University of Guanajuato, language schools and several good museums.  Guanajuato’s winding cobblestone streets, tunnels, traffic circles and many pedestrian-only thoroughfares make driving a bit of a nightmare but walking a delightful adventure.  

Following directions from our camping book to Morrill Campground, we drove 17 kilometers around the Panoramica – a winding barely two-lane road that skirts the edge of town from a cliff-like perspective.  While the drive on the Panoramica is certainly scenic, it is a harrowing experience with on-coming busses, parked cars and various other hazards – not particularly recommended although again you may find the perspective and scenery worth the fear factor.  When we arrived at the Morrill Campground we found it mostly defunct – although I am sure you could still stay there.  What we assumed were the former tiled bathrooms are now a semi-standing structure with no doors or roof and possibly no water.  The “campground” now seems to be a parking lot/junkyard with no campers in evidence.  We decided to drive straight down the hill into town instead. 

And by straight, I mean, vertically south.  The road twisted and turned as we approached the center of town and we became increasingly nervous as traffic began to intensify.  Suddenly we spied a hotel on the right with parking up a steep but negotiable ramp!  Thankful for a place to park and a room to sleep in, we checked into the Hotel Camino de Villaseca at Calle Soledad #12F.  The hotel is even located near the road we needed to leave town on, eliminating any more Panoramica or much city driving on our way out.  My only complaint would be the noise, due to the echoing of dogs barking and a caged mockingbird that meowed, copied car alarms and made various bird calls most of the night.  However, due to the topography of the town, I doubt many hotels would be much quieter. At 400 pesos a night, with secured parking and within a short walk to the center of town, these accommodations were perfect for us.  However, tall people might feel a bit differently…

Bathroom Doorway

Hotel Camino de Villaseca

Guanajuato is a paradise for adventurous pedestrians, with delightful plazas, churches, hillsides and tiny stair-stepped walkways all over town.  We wandered for hours around town, sampling local specialties such as green garbanzo beans, steamed in the pods and eaten like edamame with salt, fresh lime juice and hot sauce (like almost every snack in Mexico.)  There is a central market, several cathedrals worth visiting and plazas with outdoor cafés to eat in.  We enjoyed a fancy but reasonably priced Italian meal (with carpaccio!!) at El Gallo Pitagorico, located up a long flight of stairs on the hill beneath the Pupilo statue behind the Teatro Juarez. 

View from El Gallo Pitagorico

Mercado Hidalgo

Catedral Nuestra Senorita de Guanajuato

Templo de la Compania

Teatro Principal

Instead of getting drunk or eating fasnachts on Fat Tuesday, we decided to be cultural and visited two of Guanajuato’s museums.  First we headed to the Museo de las Momias which is located up a steep hill off Tepetapa Street.  If you are on foot, you can take a short cut on a cobblestone street near the top of the hill.  This street veers sharply to the left at a 270 degree angle between two ochre-colored buildings, one that houses a florist, across from Tacos El Vagabundo.  After that left, take the first street up the hill to the right – a hand-painted sign on the brick wall points toward the Momias.  This road will wind you around to the museum.  Do not drive this route as this last road is one-way down the hill.

Museo de las Momias

If you think you will find the mummies a bit gruesome for your tastes, the Diego Rivera museum is an excellent choice for a bit of Mexican culture.  This museum is located in the house Rivera was born in, on Positos Street, just east of the Alhondiga de Granaditas and west of the University of Guanajuato.  This museum holds a large collection of Rivera’s art along with several traveling exhibitions, one of which was a Juan Carlos del Valle show – at only 15 pesos, this place is quite a bargain!  We also stopped in to Desmond’s, an Irish pub frequented by soccer-loving college students, for 8 peso beers during their happy hour from 2 to 7 pm daily. 

University of Guanajuato

Speaking of students, Guanajuato is a kid’s paradise – from young to old, the city is full of roaming hordes of children.  While we sometimes found jockeying for position overwhelming on the small city streets, managing Guanajuato’s streets can be a fun challenge, especially if you have no particular place to go.   A decent overview map can be found here. They say Guanajuato is a Kodak moment around every corner, which is very true – I didn’t photograph nearly as many things as I wanted to, simply because I didn’t want the camera in my hands all the time!