This past weekend, Marcia and I had some family business to attend to in Leon, in the state of Guanajuato, about two hours east of Guadalajara. Leon is kinda like Tucson’s mexican cousin. It’s not very pretty, but it’s got a lot of heart. Sunday we ventured over to Guanjuato, the capitol of the state.
Guanajuato is spanish-colonial era city built on top of large tunnels that once held run-off waters, but are now used for traffic. Allowing large parts of the downtown area to be pedestrian-only. This makes it thoroughly confusing as you enter the city by car, as you literally have no idea where you’re going, cuz, well, in your in a series of maze-like tunnels, you find a parking spot and a stairway up to street level, orient yourself and hope you’re not too far from where it is you’re going.
The city is a Unesco world heritage site and it shows. Guanajuato is one of the cleanest and most beautiful places I’ve been in Mexico. Small narrow streets and narrow angles lead to plazas in every direction. Expertly trimmed trees and park benches in everywhere, it reminded me of Florence or Venice. There is a strong artist vibe, we encountered painters, photography, breakdancers, musicians and the most bitter/sweet mime I have ever seen.
We packed as much as we possibly could into the 24 hours we spent in this amazing city. I can’t wait to go back…
Next week I’m going to Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende and Patzcuaro. Really beautiful places + perfect weather… I could definitely picture me living there.