Goodbye to San Miguel

We did a couple more things before it was time to leave San Miguel. One day we went on a tour of some of the many murals in town. The tour was led by Colleen, who was at least partly responsible for the murals we saw.

Before 2013, murals were not allowed, but these are not graffiti, but real works of art.

So Colleen and some others petitioned for the law change, and are in charge of pairing the artist with the homeowner.

Some are very detailed -

And some take advantage of what is already there...

This whole street is covered with murals.

I think this was my very favorite. Just beautiful!

On my departure day, Rosemary drove me to the airport, and we took a little detour to Guanajuato. From there we took a bus on a very long windy road up to the Christ the King statue.

We're headed up to the top of that hill.

Beautiful scenery along the way!

We made it!

Great views in all directions.

There was a church inside the statue.

This statue, built in 1944, is one of the most historical important religious shrines in Mexico and marks the country's geographical center.

It is 75 ft high, on top of a 8900' mountain. After spending a little time here, we went back down the mountain and to the airport.

So goodbye, San Miguel! I will definitely miss your beauty -

Your food -

And most of all, my new boyfriend!

Yet Another Bucket List Item Checked Off!

Wow! Two on one trip! Three of us booked a tour to Teotihuacan, about 25 miles NE of Mexico City. It was a very long drive. This was our first view of the Pyramid of the Sun.

Walking towards it, I was reminded of all the vendors at Chichen Itza.

Rosemary, Janet and I, along with the other person on the tour, and our guide, Pablo. We liked him so much on the butterfly tour that we booked with him again. You can contact him at permacultours@gmail.com if you're ever in San Miguel.

Janet and I walking to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun. It's the 3rd largest pyramid in the world! Notice wimpy Diana is holding on, and Janet with the broken arm is not...

Halfway up!

Rosemary posing at the top. We made it! And it wasn't easy, since we're at 7000' elevation.

Back down at the bottom, we walked along the Avenue of the Dead, towards the Pyramid of the Moon.

Along the way there was a very nice mural of a jaguar.

This city was established around 100 BC, and was the 6th largest city in the world at one time, with a population of 125,000 or more. It was mostly gone by 500 AD.

Rosemary and Janet also climbed the Pyramid of the Moon, but I passed since I had a headache from the high altitude. So Pablo took a picture of loser me...

Another view back to the Pyramid of the Sun. You can barely see the people at the top.

We walked over to the Palace, where the elite lived.

We saw some more murals -

And well-preserved carvings.

We then walked back around the Pyramid of the Sun, where we saw the formations that create a shadow that looks like a snake at the Equinox.

We also went through the museum. Some of it was quite nice -

But some was a little creepy. Apparently there was human sacrifice here...

After our tour, we went to a nearby restaurant for lunch/dinner. They have their own Mezcal factory.

Which we all happily got to try!

A Visit to Queretaro and Bernal

One day we went on a tour put on by the library to the towns of Queretaro and Bernal. First up was Queretaro, best known for its 74-arch aqueduct.

It was built in the 18th century by a wealthy man for a nun that he loved. It worked, and they lived happily ever after.

He is honored in various places around the city, with statues and with his elevated tomb.

We had a tour of the convent where he met his love.

The last arch of the aqueduct is inside the convent.

We got a group photo there.

We saw an interesting statue in town-

Surrounded by 4 barfing dogs...

I loved the decorations on this house.

We had time for a little shopping near the central square.

The Temple of San Francisco is right on the square.

The inside is just amazing!

We then moved on to Bernal, where the big attraction is Pena de Bernal, one of the tallest monoliths in the world. You can walk part way up it, but I passed.

Instead, I walked around looking at some unique graffiti.

We also got a chance to do some shopping in the town of Bernal -

And visited a textile factory there.

I don't know how they can find the color they need...

There was a church on their square too - the San Sebastian Church.

With another pretty interior.