All I knew about San Miguel de Allende before arriving was that it was a pretty, colonial town, with local artisans where many US citizens have chosen to live. I was looking forward to finding out more, with a plan to stay one week, but with an open mind and calendar.
The taxi ride from the bus station took about 10 minutes. I dropped my bags in my room in La Catrina hostel.
Mine was a private room with its own bathroom - one of the things on my “important to have” list when looking for a place to stay. But the room lacked two other things that are are on my list - it was not bright with daylight and there was no view out the window. So I immediately set out on foot in the direction I believed was the central square in search of a pleasant place to sit and do research about my new town. I needed to find different accomodations where I would be more comfortable hanging out in the room if and when I wanted to do that.
I found the central square
and a French bakery where I had a latte and a pastry while I identified a place on my AirBNB app that looked reasonable. I wanted to check out the room before I committed to it for four nights, but AirBNB does not give the exact address until you pay. So I contacted Diego, the house owner, through the app and got a reply - “yes I could see the room” but still no address. So set off on foot to see if I could find the house using only the AirBNB neighborhood locator map with the general vicinity indicated with a circle that I could zoom on as if using Google Maps. Along the way I discovered the organic restaurant recommended to me by Clau and Lupita - Via Orgánica - and was happy to find a roof top terrace with seating and a TV ( currently covered in plastic) for viewing the fútbol games. After seeing games on Tulum, I could picture how pleasant it would be to sit here with a view of the central square cathedral and a nice breeze blowing through the open terrace.
Tomorrow afternoon .....
I continued on in the direction of the circle on my AurBNB app. I knew I was within easy walking distance, but did not know where to go. I stopped once at a taco stand because my phone battery was almost dead - using Google Maps for walking navigation takes a lot of energy and I also needed to use the bathroom. I spent about 20 minutes in the restaurant, ate one delicious taco and left with an empty bladder, a charged phone and a reply from Diego with the street name but still no house address. I WAS really close so I went to the street and started down it and before long was approached by a local young man who turned out to be Diego! ( I just keep getting signs that I’m on the right track. ) He spoke a little bit of English , but we discussed the situation in Spanish. He showed me the house, my room and the rooftop terrace with a view of the entire city. Hmmm... should I take it?
I spent my day discovering the town and successfully finding a comfortable place to stay. I was happy to have made the journey - it was definitely not direct, or fast, but it was a good urban hiking experience for me. My phone’s health app tells me I walked
7.4 miles and 17,800 steps from 3PM until dark in the process.
Friday and Saturday were spent in much the same way - urban hiking.
On Friday I ate the mango and avocado (I bought on yesterday’s hike) for breakfast in the hostel common room - and I saw the first half of today’s fútbol game before setting out on my hike.
Today I walked 4.5 miles but now my focus was on entertainment rather than lodging. I found two different restaurants to watch two fútbol games on Friday. Here I am drinking green juice for breakfast #2 during the end of the first game where France beat Uruguay.
Here I saw most of the game where Belgium beat Brazil. Sadly, Brazil was the last of the Latin America countries left in the tournament. Just so you know, I spend a lot of my time during these games on my phone - logistics planning, writing my blog, communicating, and photo management. But it is a fun atmosphere to be in - when the players get close to actually making a play toward the goal, the volume of the crowd increases, and the announcers’ habit of a long sustained oooohhhhhhhh when a goal is made is quite entertaining too:)
I visited two different Spanish language schools.....
and was invited to “observe” for one session in each school. Gratefully the classes are on different days so I can “audit” both - one tomorrow and one on Monday.
I went to a bike rental store to ask about a bike tour on Sunday. I had a nice talk with the owner, but learned he needs at least two people for an out of town tour, and his tours are very expensive, so I eliminated bikes from my list of activities. Besides, the streets are all hilly and made of cobble stones -
this is a walking town - not a good place to ride.
I had a delicious early dinner at an Indian food restaurant with intentional leftovers to take to my new lodging since I knew the house was not in the center of town. Finally, I retrieved my luggage from La Catrina Hostel and took a taxi to my new AirBNB. Diego met me at the house and told me it would be empty for the weekend because his parents lived there and had taken off to Mexico City. I had the top floor, including a rooftop terrace with an expansive view of the entire city from two windows. Perfect!
I got there about 5:00 and settled in to relax and enjoy the sunset, knitting and SF Giants on the radio from my comfy bed. Muy bien dia!
Saturday I walked 7.4 miles because my house is about one mile from el centro and I made two complete round trips plus lots of walking around. The highlight of the day was my first observation Spanish Language class at Warren Hardy. It was awesome - I had an “A Ha!” moment similar to the one I remember having in my first accounting class in college. Oh! I get it! I’m re-learning the English grammar I forgot and how that relates to forming Spanish sentences.
Then after class I joined up with a small group that were going to watch the fútbol game and have lunch.
These were all US people living at least part time in San Miguel de Allende, so we’re a wealth of information about the area. This was an active sports bar, too and there were several tables of guys drinking from a mini keg on their tables (not to mention staring at their phones, too)
we all watched Croatia beat Russia. Home team is out in the quarterfinals.
I spent a little time shopping in a clothing store after lunch. I almost bought a pair of pants since I did not bring any with me on this trip - remembering the heat in the Yucatán and not smart enough to figure out the weather would be different here. Instead I walked out with a pretty hand embroidered blouse and a hand beaded belt. Who needs pants, anyway?
I went to an early evening open house at an indoor - outdoor art gallery complex near my house -
a recommendation from the folks at lunch. I found a huge loom in action for the knitting lover in me, and spent a couple hours wandering, enjoying the live music and complimentary wine until dusk.
Then, since it was Saturday night, I walked back in to town looking for some more live music. I found a very rowdy central square
with a band that looked and sounded like one that would play at a US football game half time show. I went in to two different bars I had researched, but the music didn’t start until after my bedtime. On my way home, I passed one place called “Little House of Blues”. The music was going, so I went in and found an empty stool and sat down long enough to have an 50 peso alcohol-free mojito and a complimentary bowl of popcorn. The music was not blues, but it scratched my “need for live music itch” and I went home happy - not blues:)
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