Yesterday at the Mexican market at Jojotepec we rubbed shoulders and rear-view mirrors (!!!) with the locals. What a fun experience. Uncountable numbers of fruits, vegetables, knock-off brand name clothing, auto parts, tool and on and on were for sale by over 100 merchants under make-shift tents. Of course we bought fruit, nuts and a couple of clothing items at 1/3 to 1/2 of what we would pay at home.
Liquor prices are a treat here. Brand name rums, tequila, and wine at 1/3 price!!!! $.50 per can for beer.
No wonder that there are a large number of Canadians here with rent like our friend Don who pays well under $500/ month with dirt cheap hydro bills. He has a nice 2 bedroom home with 3 bathrooms and any enormous lawn-courtyard behind his home with shade gazebo and fireplace (both in and outside the house).
Even though we could have spent weeks enjoying Don and Yvonne's company and the Lake Chapala-Guadalajara region, we knew that if we were going to make panama we must be heading on.
Today we decided to head on to the historic silver mine town of Guanajuato and then San Miguel Allende. (To keep Jaime happy this is our route )
Our first stop, Guanajuato was a bit of a disaster. It is so popular that traffic made it almost impossible to get near! We took a couple of distant pictures, fought with traffic for a while and then bailed out for San Miguel.
En route we passed the most amazing sight. Thousands of pilgrims were making a 70 km religious pilgrimage to a holly sight north of our route. For many, dozens of busses brought them to road side locations and they just got out and started walking! They certainly did not seem prepared for such a journey. Most had just the clothes on their back--no food, water, or pack!
Along the highway route there were dozens of road side stands set up for the occasion I presume. They must have been planning on sleeping in the road-side as there was no accommodations en route. How some of the aged pilgrims would make it was beyond us.
San Miguel Allende is a vibrant place. In 2008 it was declared a "World Heritage Site".
Lots of history and home of the start of the Mexican revolution--interestingly started by a Spanish priest
The downtown cobblestone streets and homes are hundreds of years old. Many of the streets are one way because they are so narrow. Driving requires skill and unbelievable patience.
Unbelievable as it sounds, it was getting dusk--just after 5:00-- and we discovered an RV stop in the center of the old town. Getting ourselves to the exact location was an unbelievable challenge. At one point the GPS took us down a one way cobblestone street. Suddenly there was an enormous 6 ft high mound of cobblestones blocking our route, with no way by.
Needless to say we had to back up and find a place to turn around then head the wrong way on a oneway street that was not much wider that poor Dahlia. Next it was down another narrow steeet that actually dead ended--more backing up and turning!
Eventually we got to a walled compound and steel gate. The gps
said this was the spot but there were no signs. We gingerly pulled over as traffic squeezed by with one truck actually nicking our rear view mirror before I could move a few inches closer to the curb.
Fortunately a lady showed at the gate as if on cue. She said we were in the right spot and the one of the owners was only a short distance away. He came and stopped traffic while guiding me back and forth so I could navigate through the narrow gate into his hacienda-like walled property that housed 3 ancient homes, a small rv site and if you can believe it, three immaculate "CLAY TENNIS COURTS". Unbelievable!
There were even 5 individual bathrooms, each with shower, sink and toilet!
Sorry you missed Guanajuato. Your experience on the streets of San Miguel sound very familiar. We did a lot of backing there too!
ReplyDeleteSorry you missed Guanajuato. Your experience on the streets of San Miguel sound very familiar. We did a lot of backing there too!
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