Dos Pueblos Magicos in Mexico & Guatemala
Hello Thailand Expats! You all have been hanging in there after a few years of perhaps having to be a recluse but I see that even unvaccinated are allowed in now so looks like things are opening up. I do feel once Thailand takes steps and leads the way, others in S.E. Asia will follow. I am of course looking to Bali again, some of you may remember me from past articles about health and vitality, travel etc. While living my life patiently in Bali and learning how to have two different addresses on that small island for “island fever” I decided to take off for 2022 and ended up in Mexico and now cruising Guatemala! Craving some “city-vibes” I enjoyed Mexico City and took the metro all over easily, went to many museums and galleries, checked out various neighbourhoods and did some shopping for winter because I went in January and it was a very different climate than what I was used to!
Mexico City surprised me with her charm and elegance, the people were all very soft spoken and gentile. I never felt worried or threatened in any way and stayed in the heart of the city. I was taken aback when a lot of USA folks would say to me “You’re going alone? Aren’t you scared?!” It never occurred to me to feel these things, I was actually on my way to Cape Town in January but while in Jakarta my flights kept getting cancelled due to Omicron so I made the last-minute decision to change direction and go to Mexico City knowing there was no quarantine. All cities have a danger element and on the outskirts of most cities there is high risk if one isn’t careful but most people around the world are just living their lives and so that is what I choose to do too.
Since I am in Guatemala now, I’ve decided to write a bit about two of the old Spanish colonial small cities I’ve come across. One of them is just north of Mexico City 3.5 hrs, San Miguel de Allende, and the other is Antigua, just south-west of Guatemala City 1.5 hrs. Both of them exude old times with extreme cobbled roads, arches and pillars all over the place and the colours of mustard yellows, maroons, earth browns & creamy whites. Little tiles are set into walls, steps and shop fronts and the small-town vibe permeates the feeling as one strolls the town!
San Miguel de Allende has won a variety of awards as number 1 small city in both “Conde Naste’ Magazine” and “Travel & Leisure Magazine”. It has become a popular haven for American Expats due to the close proximity to the USA to retire to and is also a large artist community, both within the Mexican community and the Expats. There can also be seen a younger crowd with the ability to work online these days and having that feeling of travel and change yet still being able to be close to USA family is a large bonus to retire/move here. I stayed in the town for 4 months and settled into a lovely lifestyle with Airbnb rentals month to month and also one hotel for the month. When one rents an Airbnb for the month (30 days) you receive anywhere from 30% – 40% off the total bill! So, as a “traveling artist” I like to be “set-up” month to month with a decent workspace, nice bedding and a full kitchen! (The goal is one painting a month then at the end of the year have another expo with new works!)
San Miguel de Allende is proclaimed an UNESCO World Heritage Site with its well-preserved historic centre filled with Baroque/Neoclassical colonial structures. The town has attracted foreign artists that began art and cultural institutes such as Institute Allende and the Escuela de Belle Arts. There is also a fabulous library, Biblioteca Publica, that has the 2nd largest collection of English books for the general public, a café, prints a bilingual newspaper, sponsors tours, offers educational programs and has “Club de Amigos” that facilitates friendships between Mexicans and foreigners. There are many landmarks to “sit and have a coffee” at to make friends like the Jardin Allende, the town’s main square that supports cultural activities and festivals. Towering over this square is La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel, the current parish church of San Miguel.
Rather than going on about all the amazing history of this place, which all other articles including Wiki share, I’d like to list some of the special places I discovered. One is the Fabrica La Aurora which is a day’s dream for many art lovers to stroll. It is an area of renovated mill and textile houses, that already had high recognition, that now displays canvas’s & local craftwork from both foreigners and locals alike. Restaurants, jewellery, home décor, many galleries and workshops now allow this place to be a daily lively scene. It is a must-see in this town as is the mentioned above main square with garden and church.
SMDA is built on many hills with the cobbles being a main attraction so one has the opportunity to get fit while on holiday and enjoy all the up & down strolls! High on a hill overlooking the town is a wonderful botanical garden, El Charco del Engenio. It is an ethnobotanical garden and designated conservation area of 67 hectares with a lovely lake in the centre for observing migrating birds. I enjoyed walking this place a few times during my stay since I was there from February through May. The cold weather clothes I bought in Mexico City held me in good stead for the winter months through the springtime flowers I got to enjoy! I’ve always loved cacti, agave & aloe flowers! Jacaranda was also in full bloom by the time I left.
One of my splurges for myself as I stayed on longer and longer in this sweet town was to get a membership at the famous Rosewood Hotel, a five-star boutique hotel with gym, steam, sauna, lounge rooms, many outdoor pools and one heated one! The landscaping at this hotel is so beautiful, full of birdsong, butterflies, bees and scents. Romantic get-a-ways and month to month memberships, if visiting for longer, are paramount to really enjoy this space! I have been a member of many gyms & pools over my lifetime but this was the cream of the crop! It was also a way to meet many amazing and interesting people from all over the world.
Just down the road from the Rosewood Hotel I also joined a local yoga centre, Esencia Yoga & Spa, to make some local friends and enjoy a different level of communication. Next to this is a health food store and craft market called Sano Market, where one can buy all the lovely organic produce, go to the outdoor Saturday market with live music and have a juice or coffee for some random chit-chat.
After 4 months of “making home” I felt the pull to make a change so I flew to Guatemala City for the night to head out to Lake Atitlan the next day to enjoy a week “nature time” on the lake and surrounding volcanos. I now find myself in another Pueblo Magico called Antigua, as said before, just 1.5 hrs outside of the big city. I’m only here for a few days as I am bouncing around this country in one month, heading to Tikal, north Guatemala, Mayan ruins and pyramids tomorrow. I ran around at 6am yesterday and got some fabulous shots with no people in them as keepsakes and here I share some with you! The same cobbly small village feel permeates this town and it is flat in the centre of many volcanos so no hills here, much easier to navigate!
Antigua is also an UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the Spanish Baroque influenced architecture and ruins. It lies in the central highlands of Guatemala surrounded by 3 volcano’s, mountains, plains and hills. A well-known hotel here, Hotel Casa Domingo, once The Convent of Santo Domingo, is a place to see 6 permanent art galleries and 2 museums! There are also many ruins scattered about the property from the old convent. There was a horrific earthquake that destroyed the city in 1541. As a matter of fact, the city has undergone constant destruction and reconstruction. In the 16th century alone, there were many important earthquakes in the following years: 1530, 1541, 1565, 1575, 1577 & 1585! As things crumbled, the tiles and stones were collected and used as rebuilding materials and so now the city survives with a much past history in every structure.
A famous landmark for this town is the Arco de Santa Catalina. I am very pleased to of gotten a pic of this without people, very rare indeed! I enjoyed wondering around a rumble tumble “half in ruins” convent named Convento Santa Clara. A few churches that really stand out are La Merced with its fine yellow and white carvings and Iglisia Catolica San Fransisco el Grande with its beautiful rose garden.
Travel is still possible these days with some planning and fortitude! I love S.E. Asia the best however I felt I needed to instigate some kind of “other” for a while. Even though my Cape Town plans were foiled, I have managed to stay entertained, informed, creative and active! Some of you may remember some articles based on my watercolour paintings and expos in the past. I do hope to return to S.E. Asia after the year is up come next February 2023 with 10-12 new works from these travels. (Costa Rice, Peru, Chili & Brazil on this list.) I am working on the Mamey Sapote these days, it is a fruit that I “discovered” in Mexico City. More on that another time! Stay sane and imaginative dear readers, enjoy your Thailand and I am so pleased things are opening up a bit easier these days!
