While most of my readers will be celebrating July 4th back in the states, I had an untraditional holiday. I took my first domestic airplane trip from Cancun to Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico.
No flight issues and the process was very traditional. Except when I landed I was met by a driver arranged for me by my next AirBNB owner. Jorge had my photo on his phone and I had been given his photo and a picture of his car, so I was happy to see him and we had a pleasant 20 minute ride from the airport to my lodging for the night in the heart of the historical center of Guanajuato - a city I had been told by many was very old and beautiful.
First thing I noticed on the ride from the airport was how pleasant the weather was - not hot and humid, and how different the landscape was - not a jungle, but more like the foothills of California.
The historical center of the city was quite hilly and the building colors were beautiful.
My room was in a large building that was definitely not square. I walked down a long indoor corridor, up a couple steps, around corners with more steps and finally climbed an iron stairway to my front door
To this comfy room
With this view of the church whose bell kept ringing at regular intervals all day and night.
The street were bustling with people and my first act was to follow the recommendation of a crown gathered around a small, portable street food stand
They were selling a dozen or more varieties of Indian food from 2 gallon plastic tubs. I spent 12 pesos on a delicious plate of rice and garbanzo beans and ate it sitting on a bucket outside the stand as I watched the owners serve individuals (like me who ate there) and big orders of take out - I imagine they were taking those orders to work, or home for dinner.
I walked the city all afternoon following the instructions from the AirBNB owner of walkable city highlights like this - the front steps of the University of Guanajuato
stopping for food and drink when I felt like it. I joined a street walking tour at dark for music and entertainment
I finished off with dinner late at night at another street food booth - this time for traditional Mexican tacos. Delicious, simple, inexpensive and interesting.
Next day I had until noon, so I visited the Diego Rivera childhood home and museum
- my first museum on this trip and well worth the 30 minutes and 20 peso entrance fee
Then went to the huge indoor market.
And got away without buying anything big...
Before taking a taxi to the bus station
and boarded a comfy bus for my next destination - San Miguel de Allende. Along the way I saw farmland, and this more than once, this unusual sight - a farmer plowing his field with an animal for power and a spare animal waiting under the tree for his turn.
Much of the landscape reminded me of The southwest US, but the towns and this farmland scene made me realize “I’m not in California anymore”.
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