We left Guadalajara at 8:45 and got in Guanajuato at 1:15 – 176 miles –US$62 for tolls. They are really adding up. But the road was very good all the way. Managed to get out of Guadalajara without getting lost. Actually got all the way here without incident.
The altitude here might be a problem over 6200 feet. But there is a great breeze
The campground, the only one in the area, is about US$12 a day. 15amp electricity – kind of and no sewer. The electric is so bad our air conditioner won’t stay on. And it takes almost three minutes to heat a small cup of coffee in the microwave. But the weather during the day is nice and there is usually a wind by late afternoon. Evenings it gets really cold still. But there is a dump and we do have water. There are about 7 other RVs here this time. Mostly Canadian 5th wheels. Basically we’re sitting in a big field with one lone tree. But this time the grass is green, last year it was dead.
Didn’t do much after getting here Wednesday – slowly getting used to altitude. First morning here it was COLD – in fact it almost looked like frost on the grass (probably just dew but I didn’t go out to check.) Looked at the outside temp and at 7:30 it was only 45!
We’ve been watching movies almost every night. One was the one Sandra Bullock won the Oscar for – enjoyed it. Think this is the first time in years I’ve seen any movie that won an Oscar. Also saw Last Chance Harvey and last night a Richard Geer movie about a dog – real tear jerker.
I’m spending time working on my web page for this year trying to get it caught up. Then when we get somewhere with Internet I’ll just have to upload it.
Our fourth day in Guanajuato, counting the day we got here and we hadn’t been into town yet! The first full day here we went to Hidalgo. The second to León and the 3rd we just stayed in the campground and caught our breath.
And we are starting to talk about getting home – actually looking for the shortest route and quickest into a lower altitude. We were going to another old Colonial town until we discovered it was 8200 feet high….maybe next time – we’ll start out there.
The trip to Hidalgo was over the mountains about 40 miles that takes about an hour in Willie. Get up to almost 9000 feet. It’s a pretty drive lots of trees and a couple of small villages. And the occasional lone house sitting high up on a ridge.
The leaves on the trees are still orange and yellow and falling off – feels like fall instead of almost spring. Yet others have their bright new leaves already.Parked right down on the main plaza in town. There are a lot of changes since we were here last year. They are really preparing for the big Independence Bicentennial in September. Hidalgo is where it all began. The Padre Hidalgo called to the peasants to over throw the Spanish and off they went.
This lady was standing outside the government building.
The building itself is from the 1600s – she didn’t look much younger.
The church where Hidalgo made delivered his call for revolution.
Last year they were working on cleaning the outside this year the inside is being fixed up. There are three altars in it. The main one and one on each side.
One side one is all carved wood.
Very intricate. The other is gold.
One of the things they are restoring is all the gold work. It is all gold leaf (we thought it was paint – nope.) Just one section of the wall that was being worked on –it was about half finished – took over 2000 packages of gold leaf. Very expensive restoration, but it is worth it.
All the exteriors of the buildings around the downtown district are being repaired and repainted. Looks very nice. Except there is an awful lot of pink and orange being used.
The streets just off the main plaza are being repaved – by hand! We watched them for awhile. At first we thought they were using half bricks – but in reality they are using stones – hand cut to size. Wet cement, from a wheel barrel, goes into a mold then the stones are put in one by one. Will look really nice, but be bumpy as heck to drive on.
The rocks - hand cut
Trimming a rock to fit
Placing the rocks (pavers) in cement
What it looks like finished
We stopped at the tile factory we bought the dishes at last year but got of there without buying anything this time. There were five people in the back painting various items. And the area they work in is so dark; don’t know how they manage it. Would you like a “Day of the Dead” bathroom sink? They have one available.
We stopped for lunch at a very nice restaurant
by the church and thought about buying some ice cream from the vendors after but didn’t. Some of the flavors were: tequila, whisky, chili, beer, corn, avocado, mole and of course the standards. Couldn’t decide what exotic flavor I wanted so didn’t get any. Lots of flavors.
Okay so I’m chicken.
Visited the dining room set we saw and fell in love with last year.
So gorgeous! Maybe enclose the back porch????
Walked through the Central Market and the only thing we bought were churros. Then back up to watch the guys doing the street.
On the way out of town we stopped at a manufacture of pottery and The Driver got some lizards for him to bead – This Winter When We Stay Home.
Walked out of there to get back in the car and jumped out of my skin when I got a BAA – right in my ear. A pickup with a couple of sheep in it was parked right by us. Never know what you’ll see here. That’s the fun of being here.
This laptop is really starting to give me problems. The “w” doesn’t always want to work, the “s” is worn off and now I discovered the battery isn’t any good. Says it’s 100% charged and when unplugged shuts off in less than 10 minutes “Out of Power.” CRAP!
So any way will continue this tomorrow - Still need to write about Leon and Guanajuato and trip home. Later.....
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