Mexico

Silao, road #45

On Monday, September 7th I left the Trailer Park in San José del Tajo around 8:00 forecasting of a congestions on the access roads to Guadalajara which I could not avoid to take the southern peripheral in the direction to Guanajuato target of my day trip. Of course I did not go to the city because on Mondays all the museums are closed and in addition it is difficult to access and to drive. I found a bivouac around 40 km on the road #45 little before Silao on a flat ground which must be used as football field by children of the village. Altitude is of 1813 meters high by GPS.

Guanajuato, GT

Monday evening around 21:30 cars of the municipal police surrounded my vehicle and torches illuminated it. Approximately five to six heavily armed men struck to awake me. They put to me the usual questions in Spanish and in approximate English. I understood that I could not remain because the vicinity was not sure: “People Iznogood”. I followed them to a Pemex petrol station where I passed the remainder of the night, a little noisy. I was to approximately 40 km from Guanajuato where I knew the very problematic parking. I traversed the downtown area of which famous tunnels without anything to find. I questioned a driver of a truck of Bimbo delivery which proposed to me to follow it. But the guard of the carpark refused because of the height of the vehicle, 2.5 meters. Finally a motorcyclist told me to follow it. We climbed the surrounding hills to arrive at Morrill Trailer Park at 2075 meters of altitude where I could station free for a day and spend the night for 100 pesos. I gave 20 pesos of tip to the motorcyclist. At 9:00 I began the visit of the city, registered at the inheritance world of humanity, while going down to 1800 meters. For the visit I adopted the step of the Alpine solders! Museo Regional of Guanajuato Alhondiga de Granaditas is lodged in an old building of grain storage builds in 1798 then transformed into fortress. It is a parallelepiped with high walls. The staircases are covered with murals by Jose Chavez Morado. It exhibits also prehispanic antiquities, paintings by Bustos. At the ground floor a vibrating homage is dedicated to the heroes of Mexican independence. Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato is very local color. The university of Guanajuato has an architecture marrying the slopes of the hill, it has approximately 20,000 students. Museo del Pueblo de Guanajuato is located in the old mansion of San Juan de Rayas whose baroque vault of 1696 has mural panels by Jose Chavez Morado. It exposes also paintings of very interesting Mexican artists, but alas No Photo. Museo Iconografico del Quijote is devoted to the work of Cervantès, Don Quichotte de la Manche and Sancho Pansa; impassioning. Then I took a long walk in the streets of the historical center without forgetting El Jardin. I returned on foot to the bivouac, slowly.

Centro Historico, click la photo

Bivouac, Morrill Trailer Park, 2075 m high

San Miguel de Allende, GT

On Wednesday morning the visit of San Miguel de Allende was fast. The downtown area is circumscribed around El Jardin whose size of the trees is as remarkable as in Guanajuato. It is located at 1900 meters of altitude and account approximately 70,000 inhabitants. The comment by Lonely Planet is eloquent: “San Miguel is a bit like a Mexican Disneyland for foreign, mainly American”. The cathedral resembles a cake of marriage. Beside Museo Historico de San Miguel is lodged in the native house of Ignacio of Allende. The tourist office indicated to me that El Jardin is covered by a Wifi connection. I returned to my vehicle to take my computer. While arriving a police officer was on the point of putting a ticket for awkward stationing . After discussion it let me leave, no Wifi! I wandered in the narrow, quadrangular streets and of prohibited direction of the old San Miguel to find the exit towards Querétaro. Finally on the road #45 I stopped to take a frugal lunch. Then further on I found on the left a nice Pemex petrol station at 2094 m of altitude where I asked for the authorization of spend the night.

Centro Historico, click la photo

Querétaro, QE

After a very calm night at the Pemex petrol station closed around 21:00 I left as of early dawn to traverse the 54 km separating from Querétaro where I entered by the road #57 then by the avenida Zaragoza. I had thrown my reserved on the park Alameda Hidalgo to find a parking close to the historical center. I outline then on a wall a panel indicating a carpark. After discussion with the guard he accepted my vehicle in this carpark in open air, rare. It was 9:00; I began the visit of this town of +800,000 inhabitants at 1800 meters of altitude whose historical center very restricted with the quadrangular streets and direction-single is surrounded by broad avenues making traffic fluid. I discovered that the trees surrounding the gardens sumptuously cut were it with the machete by men in balance on ladders; they should not be syndicated in local CGT! Sights are very few and are grouped close to the Zenea garden. Templo de San Francisco is very coloured outside whose dome is covered with tiles coming from Spain in 1540. Beside Museo Regional is lodged in what was a huge monastery and seminar dating back to 1540. The ground floor exhibits prehispanic antiquities whose museography is very didactic and carries out a good introduction to the future visits. The other levels are devoted to the conquest of the area by Spanish accompanied by the various religious orders: Con Cruz y Espada. Then a broad space is dedicated to the independence of Mexico, to the Mexican-American war as well the imperial adventure financed by England, France and Russia. I finished my visit by paying homage to Corregidora, dona Josefa Ortiz,on his mausoleum. The aqueduct which crosses the city was not built by the Romans!

Centro Historico, click la photo

Acueducto

Tula, HG

On Friday, September 11th as of 9:00 I entered on the site of Tula, old capital of the Toltec empire from 900 to 1150 AD. The site is very known by its Pyramid B with its four columns of warriors who supported the roof of the temple of Quetzalcoatl. North of the pyramid Coatepantli exhibits engravings of the human sacrifices offered to the snakes devouring the skeletons. Around the pyramid the complex develops in Palacio Quemado, Gran Vestibulo, Juego de Pelota. The museum exhibits statues, sculptures as well as ceramics from the site. After having lunched on the spot I moved towards the site of Teotihuacan to install me for several days at the Trailer Park Teotihuacan where I met a young German couple who gave me full information to visit Mexico City.

Zona Arqueologica, click la photo

Museum

Mexico City

On Saturday, September 12th I took a bus for Mexico City where I arrived at the terminal of Autobuses del Norte, subway station, after approximately an hour of way. The subway led me to Zocalo where I immediately sought a hotel for one night in order to not return to Teotihuacan. As all the subways in the world that of Mexico City requires the trip of corridors, of staircases going up and going down and sometimes, seldom, of the escalators. But here the difference is that this town of +20 million inhabitants is located at 2240 meters of altitude. Fichtre! It is better to take time to traverse them. The hotel recommended by Lonely Planet had a room of free with a common bathroom for three rooms, I reserved it. Then I began the visit of the historical center with Zocalo and the cathedral then Templo Mayor which was excavated after the destruction of a colonial building. The contiguous museum was inaugurated in 1987, it was thus a discovery for me.

Zocalo & Templo Mayor, click la photo

City Walk, click la photo

At the beginning of afternoon I traversed City Walk recommended by LP. The avenida Madero is dominated by Torre Latinoamaricana and the crowd of the Mexicans strolling. Throughout this avenue with animations attract people. And oh surprised close to Palacio Bellas Artes a manifestation of men in slipway and women topless danced by stressing slogans printed on banners. Ah these Latinos! Crossing Central Alameda and its fountains I visited Museo Mural Diego Rivera. On the trip I entered in Cantina Tio Pepe already existing before 1869. I was at the bar and against all recommendations by the medical community I ordered Margarita whom I enjoyed slowly. Then it was Mercado San Juan and its tables of seafood tasting. After the Chinese district it was the Regina Corridor and its eateries. Back to the hotel around 18:00 I rested during half an hour before going to dine in Plaza Garibaldi and its Mariachis of which I had not had a good memory. I must say that it became poor earlier.

Museo Nacional de Antropologia, click la photo

After a good night of rest on Sunday morning I took again the subway to go to visit Museo Nacional de Antropologia which we had seen in 1984. It is always one of the most beautiful museums in the World. Only the environment evolved much in 30 years. In four hours I visited only the rooms dedicated to the prehispanic cultures. Moreover my compact camera Sony broke down from battery which is not interchangeable. I left with regret this splendid museum richly equipped with an extraordinary museography. In the subway I had become acquainted with a Mexican and of his little girl who went to the museum, he proposed to me to follow it to go there. Then we separated for the visit. But surprised we found ourselves in the subway of the return. I shine explained where I went and by which circuit of the subway. Whereas it left me, it entrusted to me with other people fearing that I lose myself. Ah these Latinos, what kindness. But is they really Latin? Admittedly for the language and the religion, but for the remainder they are multiethnic.