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somewhat productive

As long as we don't get caught by the police, we are allowed to sell our art on the streets. I have been somewhat successful in selling my little paintings... mostly done on pieces of scrap wood that a carpenter gives me with gouache that my Uncle Kurt gave me for Christmas. Thanks to all of you who believe in me!

mercado hidalgo

          A major orienting landmark for one hundred years, now, Mercado Hidalgo is easily among the most Mexican of experiences in Guanajuato.  Various vendors peddling everything from piles of fresh flowers, intricately hand-stitched dolls, to entire halves of pig or milkshakes with tiny eggs that look like they were snatched from a robin's nest. A beauty to behold.

Viva San Miguel

I went to San Miguel for the first time about five years ago when I was studying about 33 miles away in Guanajuato.  My mom had come to visit for Thanksgiving and wanted to go to San Miguel (to be able to report back to her friends that what all the travel magazines raved about the city was true.)  I didn’t really want to go… I was way too busy with school*. I didn’t think mom would be too keen on going by bus and to be honest I wasn’t confident enough in my Spanish to try to navigate around with momma in tow. So, I talked to my friend Adolfo – who had a car – and we hit the road.

* Going out at night to the bars to practice what I had picked up while hung-over in class.

The ride would have gone smoother if Adolfo hadn’t been driving 20 kilometers over the limit… if I hadn’t ignored my mom’s knees pushing through the back of my seat… if I hadn’t been so anxious to get back to the bars.  Later, I learned that my friend hadn’t even gotten permission from his parents to leave Guanajuato. That explained why he never led us out of the shadow of the Parroquia and hurried us through the stores around the main plaza. 

During that same semester abroad I met one of my most responsible and accomplished friends. Autumn is pretty much a rocket scientist who is currently in law school... and she also knows just what it takes to get me to party till the sun comes up.  She and I, along with a handful of other kids, form the XTREME TEAM. We all met in Guanajuato… while taking a break from life so that we could live a little. Since going our separate ways – to California, Colorado, Florida, Tennessee and Minnesota – we’ve actually been lucky enough to find the opportunity to meet up for reunions all over the world.

Autumn’s parents have a gorgeous home in San Miguel.  It is a traditional Mexican hacienda style with the brick ceilings, big open rooms, talavera tile bathrooms and patios with flowers in bloom all year long.  The first time they invited me to stay with them I locked myself in the bathroom so I could throw up all the alcohol that I had consumed while we were out on the town.  Who knows how long it took them to sort through the keys; there was one for every door in the house.  For some reason they keep opening their door to me.

For New Year’s 2011, Autumn and I planned a mini XTREME reunion. The rest of our team members would have been proud even though between each of our crazy nights we had to have at least a full day of rehab consisting of her mom’s Bloody Mary’s and pirated DVDs. Before, after a night of bar hopping all it took was a bollilo and some coffee for us to make it to class. We’re beginning to show our age. 

Autumn took me all through the market where we purchased a Mexican blanket together for the second time. (REMEMBER: It’s easier to bargain when you buy in bulk.)  We had cajeta lattes and churros in a restaurant that reminded me of Spain.  I also nearly pooped my pants while waiting for the bathroom of the churro place… pretty sure the line of people waiting at the door would have gotten considerably shorter had the little girl in front of me dilly dallied any longer.

We wandered through a park with fountains and public art all over the place.  Artists set up along the stone benches and there are jungle gyms next to the basketball courts; there are people everywhere.  I appreciate the family outings that are so much more common here.

Streets are usually filled with people just wandering around and spending time around other people. There are mariachi bands and street vendors… and at most times there are decorations for some holiday or church or saint so the atmosphere is always festive even if you don’t know why.  I love the little old men who sell the bouncy balls and balloons. 

There is a little plaza that has rows of stone washtubs along the walls.  It still has water in the fountain above the tubs but is no longer used as the public laundry.

On New Year’s, just before midnight, they showed digital graffiti on the Parroquia.  Everyone gathered in the Jardin Principal for the fireworks and Autumn and I drove everyone crazy blowing the horns that one of the bars had given out. Everyone was happy when we gave them away to some of the little children who wanted to sell us Chiclets.

I must admit, I had developed a little chip on my shoulder against San Miguel specifically because of the infestation of gringos… as if I am not as white as they come.  But it’s obvious why herds of ex-pats head to San Miguel de Allende.  Apart from the fact that the restaurant servers and shop-keepers speak English – and accept American dollars – the town is marvelous.  But after the amazing New Year trip, I can highly recommend a long weekend to explore.

Check out Autumn’s website: www.whatstheskinnie.com

We are still on the hunt for who has the best story about the points on the piñata...