Monday, July 27, 2015

Sunday's Adventures In San Miguel de Allende

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com


I couldn't post yesterday because the internet was down.  It was a fun day and I spent way too much time walking around in the sun even though I used sun block.   The air is cool but the because of the elevation the sun really beats down on you.  

I started off down the hill to el centro.   Winding streets and beautiful homes that are valued at over half a million dollars and up.  Huge homes with beautiful architecture.   I passed very few people but I just followed the cathedral steeples and found my way to the Jardin.  It was a wonderful day and people were just emerging from the Saturday night and many heading to church.


This was my first stop.  The house of Ignacio Allende and Joan was right.  On Sunday's the museum is free.  What a fantastic museum and to think that Ignacio actaully lived there.  The downstairs was the servants quarters, kitchen and stables.   Upstairs was the living quarters for the family and all of the rooms have been recreated to the best of historians' abilities.  I spent over two hours there and really built up an appetite.  I didn't know that there was a sequia (drought) followed by a severe freeze that killed all the crops and thousands starved to death in the late 1790s.  The complete story of how Allende started the uprising for independence is told in the museum in Spanish and English.   I like museums and history so it was a great morning.

The upstairs courtyard.

The backyard (I wasn't allowed to take photos inside the house)

After the museum and did a few rounds of the Jardin and it was beginning to fill up with people.  The church bells were ringing and you could see the kids in the steeples turning the giant bells.  

I did some walking up and down the streets and ran into an indoor market that I had never seen before.  It was fantastic, mostly fresh meats, produce and formal food stands and small restaurants, but I wasn't in the mood for Mexican food.   Lo and behold there was a Chinese restaurant right in front of my eyes and it was one of the best fast Chinese food restaurants I have eaten in.  50 pesos for two dishes and a side of rice and noodles.   I saw one of the Chinese workers having lunch but of course they don't eat what we call Chinese food, they eat really good stuff like a bowl of rice with cooked greens and a very small spattering of meat or egg.   Yum!


I headed down San Antonio street from the Jardin and headed toward the Mega where I would take a bus for five pesos up the hill.  It was after 2:30 and I was getting beat, time for a nap.  I passed the old La Siesta, what a huge mistake that man made by thinking he had a buyer to put in a big box store within the perimeter of the protected UNESCO area.  Now it's a giant green field that's not being used for anything.  They bulldozed everything down and this is what's left.

One of the greatest New Years Eve parties took place in this park.

Got off the bus here at the mall La Luciernaga and walked to the botanical garden.  



I took a long nap and then headed out to do some more walking.   First I took Little Bit for a short walk and put him back in the rv.   The sun was setting and it was a perfect ending to a really fun day.   (considering I was by myself :( )



5 comments:

  1. Glad that you had such a great day!

    It's a real shame about the La Siesta, it was a convenient walk to El Centro and could accommodate bigger rigs than the RV park right in San Miguel.

    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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  2. I like to learn about the history of a place.
    That Chinese restaurant is quite good!!

    Joan

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  3. Yes, Wasn't That A Party? !! Great memories of La Siesta. That was where we met Claudia and PJ.

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  4. Glad to read that you enjoying yourself and making new discoveries even though you are alone :((

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  5. "I passed the old La Siesta, what a huge mistake that man made by thinking he had a buyer to put in a big box store within the perimeter of the protected UNESCO area. "

    This bothered us too. But somewhere I got a map - can't find it now - and that area is outside the historic district - as is Rosewood which is how they got it in. I looked online to try to find the boundaries but can't find anything now. I can't remember the exact specifics of the district but do know we have been disappointed by some of the changes. Note the car dealer across the street from La Siesta as well as Mega and other places at that end of town that do not meet the rules applying to the historic area. We heard the rumors and tried to find out what is going on with that property but no ones seems to have any solid details. I will keep trying to find a map or something that explains the size of the historic district..........B

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