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By Austinstar
Love is Lost…
Once upon a time in Guanajuato, Mexico there were two lovers. Doña Carmen and Don Luis. Carmen and Luis fell in love and wanted to marry but Carmen’s father denied the union and forbade Carmen to ever see her boyfriend and would not even allow her to leave her house.
Now Guanajuato is a very narrow city built into a mountain gorge and the streets follow the old rivers and streams that twisted and turned through the valley. Dams were built to hold the water and the old riverbeds became the streets and sidewalks of the city. Some of the streets were so narrow that buildings on either side had balconies that actually touched each other.
Luis befriended the people of the house across from Carmen’s balcony and Carmen and he would hold hands above the street and even kiss. The street is called kissing alley to this day. Of course, Carmen’s papa found out about the illicit affair and stormed up to the balcony one evening to put a stop to it. He found them holding hands and kissing across the balconies.
He became so enraged that he stabbed Carmen! Luis felt her hand grow cold in his. He could not bear to lose her. But finally, he kissed her cold hand goodbye and never returned to “kissing alley”. What became of the father is unknown.
This story and others of the beautiful city of Guanajuato are presented in a wonderful little museum called the Casa de los layendos (House of the stories/legends). If you should ever visit Guanajuato, you must see this museum although it is considered pricey. It is a work of art. I was there in 1981 and still see it in my dreams. The old man that ran the museum may no longer be there.
Central Mexico
The capitol of the Mexican state of Guanajuato is also called Guanajuato
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Love is Found…
The love of money is the root of all evil and this love was found in abundance in Guanajuato. The area is rich in silver, once rich in gold too. The gold is gone now and the silver is almost mined out, but you can tour the mines. A statue was constructed to honor all of the silver miners. From the statue, you can visit the silver market and gaze out over the narrow streets and the magnificent edificios of this European style city.
One of the big churches there was trimmed in gold leaf. It has since been looted I hear, but it was spectacular! All of the cathedrals in Guanajuato were architectural marvels. There is even an entire Castillan Castle imported and rebuilt and turned into a hotel.
The Mummies!
Guanajuato is extremely famous for its mummies. The world’s smallest mummy is there, it’s a fetus. The woman who supposedly miscarried the infant is mummified with the placenta still attached. The museum is quite modern now and the mummies are behind glass enclosures. At one time it was possible to touch the mummies and some tourists broke off pieces of them for souvenirs. Now that is weird.
Outside of the museum, there are candy shops that sell candies in the shapes of the mummies. They are made of ribbon candy with bright colors. The candies are almost as famous as the mummies! They are called Las Charamuscas de Guanajuato. Buy a dozen!
Tilting at Windmills
Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, is the inspiration for the Cervantes festival held every year, usually in October. The theaters put on the plays of Cervantes and there is a Shakespearean feel to the city. The festival hosts events such as opera, theater productions, film showings, art exhibitions, academic conferences and talks, concerts and dance recitals. The performances occur in 70 different venues and performers from all over the world are invited to participate.
The Tours
Guanajuato, Guanajuato is the capitol of the state and a tourist center for all of Mexico. Tour guides are available to take you to many parts of the city and quite often you can find tours in English. The main language is Spanish, however.
Your hotel can help you with the tours that are available and I would recommend all of them! The city is an artist’s delight! Silver in many forms is cheap and plentiful. The markets are amazing. You will not run out of things to do in Guanajuato.
The town of Valle de Santiago, Guanajuato
Not far from the central capitol city of Guanajuato, Gto. there is a small town called Valle de Santiago. This town is definitely worth a visit! There are seven (sisters) volcano craters and one of them used to be the town swimming hole!
In the center of the map, you can see the crater with a small amount of water left inside it. In 1981 when I was there, it was possible to go swimming in the water. Since then, tunnels were drilled into the sides of the volcano and the water has been siphoned off for irrigation.
I remember floating on my back looking up and with the crater rim above me, if felt as though I was in the very center of the world. The water was a jade green and the people were all having a great time. I’m sure I picked up some dreaded parasite while swimming there, but it was worth it. It was the memory of a lifetime.
La Alberca de Valle de Santiago, Guanajuato, Mexico
What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?
While
visiting this remarkable town, I was also invited to play chess with
the National Chess Champion of Mexico! It went like this – for an
entrance fee of $100 pesos (I think that’s what it cost then), about 25
of the chess playing men of the town were entered in a contest to play
the one chess champion.
Each of us had our own chess board and we
all simultaneously played the young man as he moved from board to board.
This guy was so focused on Chess that I do believe he never noticed
that I was the only girl in the room or that I was a red-headed gringa! I
also lost the game after only 4 moves.
The Chess champion beat
everyone in the room, but I think the total pot was split somehow with
the last one to lose. It was the most fun I ever had for $100 pesos
(about 20 bux at the exchange rate of the time).
More photos of Guanajuato
Jane Bovary 4 days ago
Marvellous…you could get a job with the tourist bureau there ’cause you certainly make Guanajuanto sound enticing Austin…so many incredible things to see and experience.
As soon as I have the funds..I’m over there!
Austinstar 4 days ago
Swing by Texas and pick me up, we’ll go together!
Jane Bovary 4 days ago
Definitely!
Micky Dee 4 days ago
Awesomely fantastic! Thank you ma’am! I love history, Don Quixote, the pics, ALL. Great write.
christopheranton 4 days ago
That looks like a brilliant place to visit, But how safe is Mexico nowadays? Some rather awful stories are coming out of it recently.
Austinstar 4 days ago
Well, Chris, that’s what Bob says too. All he ever hears are the bad parts and the stuff about the drug wars.
Personally, I don’t think it’s any more dangerous that NYC or Chicago or even L.A.
Common sense plays a big part in personal safety. You don’t want to go where there is a large criminal element. Certain states in Mexico are notorious. While traveling, you don’t want to keep all your money in one place and you do want to stay in a respectable hotel.
You must try to be an ambassador for your own country and not do stupid things that annoy the host country’s citizens. Stuff like that.
Mexico is a very troubled country. But so are most countries these days.
RealHousewife 4 days ago
Austinstar – excellent! I love this! You are brave – I don’t think I would have gotten into the volcano or the chess game:)! Glad you did.
Yes – different parts of Mexico are dangerous but so are parts of most citys in the US. Tourist areas are really safe and they need money from tourists. They welcome you and treat you like family in Cancun:-)
I love the story and the photos!!
drbj 4 days ago
If you tire of writing hubs, Lela, you can always get a job writing enticing travel brochures. This description of Guanajuato is the enticingest! Thanks for the ‘simpatico’ tour.
Austinstar 4 days ago
And thank you, ladies, for your kind comments. I really didn’t do this hub justice and I will probably add to it. I think my whole life changed for the better during those 2 weeks in Guanajuato. I really would love to go back, but we know, don’t we, that you can never really go back.
Angie Jardine 4 days ago
Great read, Austinstar! I could actually see myself there … and, sadly, I think you are right … things are never quite as good the second time around. I wonder why that is?
lightning john 4 days ago
Very interesting! I’ve been to Mexico a long time ago, with my Dad, way back when you could smoke on a plane. Boy I am getting old! Lj
RealHousewife 4 days ago
Yup. No going back Austinstar – we only move forward. Hopefully getting our feet wet along the way:-)
Austinstar 3 days ago
Hiya Lightning J – I’m the one getting older and I’m taking everyone with me! Bwaaahaaaahhaaaa
RH – My feet are soaking!
RealHousewife 3 days ago
Mine should be too! Or better yet – I wish I hot a hot tub:-)!
crystolite 3 days ago
Wonderful write up,thanks for sharing.
mysterylady 89 3 days ago
You have great pictures, and you make this sound like a very interesting area of Mexico.
My favorite Mexico story is about the airport people stealing my sealed bottle of Tequila!
Austinstar 3 days ago
Tequila has been known to disappear spontaneously. So has El Presidente Bourbon which is made in Guanajuato! I took a tour of the whiskey factory there!
sueroy333 3 days ago
I had never heard of Guanajuato before. I agree with Drbj, you could SO write travel brochures.
One day, when it’s safer to travel, this is one of the places I would love to go with my kid. I love the stories… especially the thought of a red-headed woman playing chess with a horde of men..too awesome!
Austinstar 3 days ago
The Chess tournament was one of the more bizarre things I’ve ever done. The chess champion was cute and young and I was trying to flirt a bit, but he never took his eyes off those chess boards! The guy could focus!
You would love the weather there too. It’s like springtime year round.
Source: Ixtapa Information
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