Guanajuato Part 2 of 5 - The Colonial City Center

Jardin Union from above. Unlike most Mexican cities and towns, Guanajuato has no single dominating plaza. Instead, there are plazas of all shapes and sizes through out the El Centro area. It often seems there is one around every corner. This may be due to the geography, since steep hillsides and winding canyons leave little space for a broad zocalo like those found in San Miguel Allende, Morelia, or Patzcuaro. However, the Jardin Union does provide one of the main centers from which streets and callejones (alleyways) radiate.

The photo above shows the wedge-shaped greenery of the Jardin Union just above the rust-colored domes of the Templo San Diego. The light-blue circular roof of the kiosco (bandstand)—typical of Mexican plazas—stands out in the center of the green wedge. To the immediate right of the Templo San Diego is the Teatro Juarez. To the immediate left is the Frascatti Restaurant. The curving left side of the wedge, and the straight right side, are lined with sidewalk restaurants and hotels.

In this second part of my series on Guanajuato, I will focus on the Jardin Union and the network of streets, small plazas and callejones surrounding it. Enjoy!

A cool and shady retreat. The Jardin Union has two beautiful fountains set among the gardens surrounded by the ficus trees that form the green wedge seen in the previous aerial picture. The shade and the cool, dripping water provide a welcome relief from the bright mid-day sun.

Waiting for their next gig. The Jardin Union also provides a gathering point for many of musicians who entertain tourists and residents alike. These cowboy musicians rest on one of the many wrought-iron benches which line all three sides of the Jardin under the ficus trees.

Casual strollers throng the El Centro area. Motor vehicles are banned from some streets, and on some others are allowed only a single lane, providing a safe and relaxed space for pedestrians. And, of course, the callejones that criss-cross and connect many of these streets are far too narrow for any vehicles except those powered by human effort. In this photo, you are looking up Calle Obregon past the Templo San Diego and the Teatro Juarez, both on the right. If there is a “down side” to this pedestrian orientation, it is that driving and parking in Guanajuato is very challenging. The best way to enjoy Guanajuato is to find off-street parking and just leave your car there during your visit. If you really need transportation other than the soles of your feet, taxis and buses are inexpensive.

Lively street scene on Calle Obregon. This photo shows Calle Obregon in the opposite direction from the previous shot, which I took from the second floor balcony of the Restaurant Frascatti in the cream-colored building at the far end of the street. The photo above shows the imposing façade of the Teatro Juarez on the left with the Templo San Diego just beyond. Carole is standing under the café umbrella in the light blue shirt.

Coffee, anyone? These lively coffee beans demonstrate the Mexican sense of humor. Rather than a boring traditional sign announcing their wares, the owners simply commissioned this sculpture and set it beside the tables under the broad umbrellas seen in the last photo.

Taking a break from classes. The broad steps leading to the Teatro Juarez entrance seem to be a favorite gathering spot for the large population of young people. The magnificent University of Guanajuato stands only a few blocks away and young students swarm on every street, looking and acting like college students everywhere.

Restaurante Frascatti. Carole and I ate our first dinner in Guanajuato at the Restaurante Frascatti on the left corner. The tables were charmingly set just inside the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the street, and so provided an excellent vantage point for people-watching and photographs. Our table was located on the second floor just over the entrance on the corner. By stepping out on the balcony, I could take in the scene in any direction. Notice the old mining ore cart in the bottom center, now serving as a planter for palm trees.

Even pigeons gotta eat. Since we ate fairly early for Mexico, things were a little slow, and our waiter amused himself feeding the pigeons on the balcony near our table. I thought it a charming and spontaneous gesture, but Carole was somewhat disapproving since she considers pigeons to be “flying rats”.

Massive walls surround Templo San Diego. The older churches generally were constructed with high, thick walls making them appear like medieval fortresses.

Bronze troubador silently serenades in front of church. We could almost hear this fellow croon his love song. Standing in front of the Churrigueresque façade of the Templo San Diego entrance, this statue provided another example of Mexican whimsy.

Live mariachis between serenades. These mariachi musicians serenaded us at dinner in one of the sidewalk restaurants lining the Jardin. There were several more when they played but the others were off drumming up more business when I took the shot. They played beautifully and it was an impressive experience to sit at our table surrounded by multiple violins and trumpets.

A dog's life. Mexicans love their Chihuahuas. Despite their size, Chihuahuas can be fiercely territorial. We observed this one chase off a golden retriever probably 20 times its size. They were first “discovered” in 1850 in the Mexican State of Chihuahua, hence the name. However, Christopher Columbus described the dog in a letter to King Ferdinand of Spain, and the breed may pre-date the Mayas. Archaeological evidence suggests they were used in religious ceremonies by the Toltecs and later the Aztecs.

Callejon Tecolote played a role in early Guanajuato history. Mule drivers from the silver mines above the city drove their beasts down this callejon to avoid the river when the waters were high. When Miguel Hidalgo and his campesino army entered the city on September 28, 1810 on the way to the Alhondiga Granaditas and their confrontation with the Spanish, they marched down this steep, narrow callejon.

Alley bridge forms an unusual outdoor patio. At the foot of Callejon Tecolote, one encounters this bridge over another intersecting callejon. Originally the callejon under the bridge was much higher, but colonial officials deepened it to make room for carriages. This left some doors high in the air. Colonial property owners solved the problem by building bridges over the callejon so they could enter their homes and shops. In this case a restaurant creatively used the space to extend its table area into a unique patio for diners.

Iglesia San Francisco towers over a tiny plaza. A spreading ficus tree shades the plaza across from the Iglesia San Francisco. Just another pleasant surprise when rounding the curve of an ancient street. The Churrigueresque façade surrounding the entrance of the Iglesia is typical of a style used in the 17th and early 18th Centuries. It is an extraordinarily detailed style, and therefore very expensive, so usually only the façade was decorated.

A tribute to a literary great. Another view of the plaza in front of Iglesia San Francisco shows the statue of Miguel Cervantes Saavreda, author of “Don Quixote”, arguably Spain’s most famous author, and one of the greatest in the world. Cervantes lived during the period of Spain’s conquest and colonization of Mexico and the rest of Latin America. Shortly after the founding of the University of Guanajuato in 1945, students began performing short comic plays based on his work. This evolved over time into the world famous Cervantino Festival with plays, concerts and other performances drawing artists and performers and thousands of spectators. The 2008 Cervantino Festival will be held October 19-28. This year marks the 36th anniversary of the Festival.

Alley of the arches. Leading off from the Plaza de la Paz (Peace Plaza) the Paseo de los Arcos passes under a series of arches, finally emerging opposite this wonderful old stone wall.

Plaza Baratillo provides a picturesque center. These small plazas play an important function in the neighborhoods they grace. They provide a gathering place, a center for fiestas, a place to market wares informally, a playground for kids and much more. A Mexican plaza puts a North American shopping mall to shame. Mexican plazas lack the shopping mall’s crass and carefully calculated corporate commercialism, the “everywhere is anywhere” sameness, and necessity for auto transportation and parking.

Ancient battlements brood over a winding alley. These fortress walls line the callejon that leads back from the Jardin Union to the funicular (tram car) that takes tourists up to the massive statue of El Pipila overlooking the town.

The Alley of the Kiss. Callejon de Beso is one of Guanajuato’s narrowest, giving rise to the legend that lovers used to lean out of windows on opposite sides to give a kiss (un beso) across the callejon. It really is that narrow, although I didn’t observe any smooching while I was there.

This completes Part 2 of my series on Guanajuato. Next week I will post my pictures from the ornate turn-of- the-20th Century Teatro Juarez, the fascinating Mercado, and the colorful murals from the Museo Publico.

Hasta luego! Jim

Guanajuato Part 1 of 5 - Spanish Treasure City

Hola amigos! Bienvenidos a Guanajuato! Carole and I recently returned from the Colonial city of Guanajuato, a World Heritage site about 4 ½ hours from our home in Ajijic. The city of Guanajuato winds through deep mountain canyons in the Mexican state of Guanajuato, only about a 1 hour drive west of San Miguel Allende,. To get there we drove almost entirely on 4-lane divided highway, most of it on scenic and well-maintained cuotas (toll-roads).

As with our trip to San Miguel Allende, I was overwhelmed with my opportunities to photograph this wonderful city. I have decided follow the same procedure as with my San Miguel postings and divide my Guanajuato photos in several parts which I will publish one part per week. I hope you enjoy the photos and commentary as much as enjoy providing it.

Pre-hispanic mosaic mask. Like many place names in Mexico, the Spanish couldn’t pronounce the original Purepechan name Quanax-juato, which means “Hilly Place of the Frogs”. Inhabitants of the city are nicknamed Las Ranas (Spanish for “the Frogs”). The mask above and the other artifacts shown below are displayed in the museum of the Alhondiga de Granaditas in Guanajuato.

Stone skulls show the fascination with death shared by many pre-hispanic cultures. The traditional Mexican Day of the Dead may be a continuation of this.

Seated figures take very realistic poses. Various Indio tribes inhabited the area over the centuries. These included the Otomi, other groups speaking Nahua (the language of the Aztecs), and the Chupicuaro, known as the people of the Cielo Azul (blue sky).

The local people displayed a highly developed artistic sense.

Skeleton, as it was found in the area.

Beautifully painted funerary urn. This is an example of the fine pottery work by the native people of Mexico at the time of the Conquest.

Spanish knights conquer Indio warriors. Guanajuato was one of the earliest areas settled by the Spanish, beginning in 1541. Horses, steel weapons, and armor enabled small numbers of Spanish to defeat the much larger armies of their Indio opponents. The painting above, and most of those below, are part of a large mural by Chavez Morado in the museum of the Alhondigas de Granaditas. Notice the two figures on the lower right, one representing the Church and one the Conquistadors. It is no coincidence that the priest's cross and the hilt of the knight's sword are held in a nearly identical posture. The Church provided the ideological basis for the Conquest. At the top of the frame, a figure in religious robes holds a flaming sword in one hand and a bundle of chains in the other.

Proud warrior defeated. The Indios' weapons were no match for European armament of the early 16th Century. The Spanish were experts at the ruthless warfare of their day, having just recently driven the Moors from Spain after 700 years of conflict.

Ore carts such as this once transported Spanish silver from the depths. In 1548 a mule driver named Rayas discovered silver in the remains of his campfire. From then on, Guanajuato became the treasure-trove of the Spanish crown, producing a 2/3s of the world’s silver by the 18th Century, most of it coming from a single silver mine, the Valenciana. Guanajuato also produced gold and other important metals as well as numerous agricultural products. All this made Guanajuato one of Mexico’s wealthiest areas, one reason why the War for Independence from Spain began here.

Priest protesting atrocities, to little avail. 300 years of oppression by the Spaniards created a simmering rage among the Indios and mestizos particularly among the miners who labored under the most brutal conditions imaginable to produce the wealth. In addition, Spanish-born aristocracy treated their locally-born counter-parts as second-class citizens. The local aristocracy eyed the riches of their province and could find little reason to continue giving the Spanish a share of it. An uneasy alliance with the lower classes began to form.

Father Miguel Hidalgo freeing the Indios and mestizos. In 1810 Father Miguel Hidalgo, priest of the church a few miles away from Guanajuato in Dolores Hidalgo, joined together with local aristocrats like Ignacio Allende from San Miguel and launched a revolt. Hidalgo declared freedom for the Indios and mestizos, many of who were little more than slaves. Although he was a very flawed figure, he is revered for this act.

The rising of the oppressed. Hidalgo gained their immediate and enthusiastic support, and the simmering rage burst forth. Beginning with 600 men in Dolores Hidalgo, the lightly armed and untrained crowd grew to tens of thousands of angry campesinos and miners as it approached Guanajuato.

An impregnable fortress, or so they thought. 500 Spaniards, including men, women, and children, holed up in the Alhondiga de Granaditas, a thick-walled granary built at the edge of town. The Spanish hid silver ingots from the mines and their families' jewels in the heaps of grain stored inside. They also sent for help, but none ever came.

Interior courtyard of the Alhondiga. The Spanish were well-armed and provisioned inside this natural fortress, and felt themselves in an impregnable position. Today, the rooms surrounding the upper and lower floors contain wonderful historical exhibits moving successively from the pre-hispanic to the early 20th Century Revolutionary period.

El Pipila lights the way. The Spanish did not reckon on Juan Jose de los Reyes Martinez, an Indio. Juan Jose, known as “El Pipila”, strapped a paving stone on this back to protect against Spanish bullets and crawled with a torch to the massive wooden front door of the Alhondiga. There is some dispute over whether El Pipila survived this exploit, but he certainly succeeded in burning down the entrance door. The painting above is part of a mural in the Museo Publico which will be shown in one of the later postings. El Pipila is perched above the Mexican national emblem of an eagle sitting on a cactus with a snake in its mouth.

Rich Spaniards cower. The campesinos and miners poured into the fortress, outraged at centuries of oppression. They burned the building along with the 500 Spaniards inside. While satisfying to the oppressed, these and other activities during Hidalgo's march frightened and alienated supporters among the local landowners and commercial people and weakened the rebel cause during this early phase.

The Spanish make an example. This detail from Chavez Morado's mural shows Hidalgo's severed head in a cage, with bars symbolically broken, and cradled in the arms of an angel figure. The War for Independence continued until the Mexican victory in 1821, but Hidalgo and most of the original conspirators did not survive the first phase. After 5 months rampaging through New Spain, they were defeated and captured. After execution by firing squad, Hidalgo, Allende, and the others were decapitated and their heads taken to Guanajuato where they were hung on the walls of the Alhondiga as an example to other potential rebels. The Spanish couldn’t kill the idea, however, and the rebels eventually prevailed.

This concludes the first of several postings on Guanajuato. Future postings will highlight the magnificent Teatro Juarez, the fascinating maze of alleyways known as callejones which honeycomb the city, the beautiful old hacienda where we stayed, and much, much more.

Hasta luego! Jim

Lake Chapala: a flowering paradise

Cascades of flowers decorate many walls. Ajijic possesses a nearly perfect climate, with only a little variation of temperature and humidity year-round. This climate gives us year-round flowers, some of which come and go with the seasons, and some which bloom virtually all the time. We are never without bursts of brilliant color around us as we walk the streets and shores of Lake Chapala. Some of the species of plants are native to Lake Chapala, and others arrived here from as far away as Africa and India. All seem to thrive in the temperate climate created by the largest lake in Mexico. The blue Thunbergia and red Bougainvilla, shown here against a brick wall on an Ajijic back street, grow rapidly and profusely and are almost impossible to kill. Location: a side street near Calle Revolucion in eastern Ajijic.

Poinsettia. Native to Mexico, Poinsettias were prized by the Aztec kings. European botanists took note as early as the 17th Century. American Ambassador to Mexico John Poinsett first imported Poinsettias to the US in 1828, thus the name. Norteamericanos normally think of Poinsettias as Christmas flowers, but here they enjoy a very long blooming season. They also grow to extravagant heights. The bush on which this flower blooms towers almost fifteen feet high. The flower shown measures about 18 inches across and about twelve inches high. Location: the gardens of the Lake Chapala Society in Ajijic.

Agave and Sansevieria. The Agave cactus, whose large grey leaves are shown here, grows both wild and cultivated all over the Western Highlands of Mexico, particularly in Jalisco State. Agave occupies a mystical place in Aztec history. The plant supposedly sprang from the buried remains of Mayahuel, the beautiful goddess and wife of Quetzelcoatl. Mayahuel was killed by lightening bolts sent by other gods angry with the lovers. Anyone who has had the opportunity to drink tequila, made from the Agave heart, will understand the reference to lightning bolts. Tequila itself originated from the liquor known as mescal. There are an almost unbelievable number of varieties of tequila.

An import from West Africa, the Savsevieria plant thrusts up blade-like leaves all around the Agave pictured above. Sansevieria is also known as “mother-in-law-tongue,” for obvious reasons. The Sansevieria was imported from West Africa, and grows there from Nigeria to the Republic of Congo. West Africans originally used the plant to make bow strings.

Location: Calle 16th de Septiembre near Calle Revolucion in Ajijic.

Bougainvillea. A native of Brazil from which it spread to other South American regions, the Bougainvillea was named after an Admiral of the French Navy who first described it in 1768. Of course he didn’t really “discover” it, since it had been known to native people for thousands of years. Bougainvillea is extremely popular world-wide and enjoys the status of official flower in the islands Granada in the Carribbean and Guam in the Western Pacific, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and several cities in California. Location: a quiet side street near the Lake Chapala Society in Ajijic.

Bougainvillea decorates many Ajijic walls. Bougainvillea, a woody vine, grows profusely in Ajijic and transforms bland exteriors into lush tumbles of color. Location: Calle Ocampo in Ajijic.

Morning Glory. The Morning Glory grows world-wide, but also figures in Aztec history. Ancient people in Mexico found many uses for Morning Glory. These included using it to convert latex from the Castilla elastica tree into rubber for their famous ritual ball games, and using the seeds as an hallucinogen during religious ceremonies. The Blue Morning Glory shown here is very common and, like the Bougainvillea, one finds it cascading over walls throughout the North Shore area. Location: a quiet, shady alley leading to the base of the mountains overlooking Ajijic.

Water lily. Occuring world-wide, the beautiful Water Lilies are highly invasive of ponds and shallow lakes and will quickly take over unless controlled by various means. In Mexico, the plants are also called Nenufares. The Mexican Water Lily was originally native to the Gulf Coast but has spread to many other other areas of Mexico. Location: one of the fish ponds within the lush gardens of the Lake Chapala Society.

Clivia. I was startled by this flower, resembling a star burst in an astronomy picture. Clivia is native to southern Africa. British explorers in Africa first gathered specimens in 1815. Cultivation of the Clivia now occurs world-wide, especially in South Africa, Australia, Japan, Belguim, the US, and China. The plant is amazingly drought-resistant. One was once left on a potting table with no dirt on its roots for a week in a warm brightly-lit room. When finally discovered, re-potted, and watered, the plant recovered fully with no apparent bad effect. Location: the gardens of the Lake Chapala Society.

Kalanchoe. This flower also struck me as other-worldly, and I imagined encountering it on some distant hothouse planet. However, the Kalanchoe also possesses the prosaic name “donkey ears.” I guess I can see it. The only useful information I could gather about Kalanchoe is that all parts of this plant are poisonous and should not be ingested. So much for lunch. Location: Lake Chapala Society gardens.

Thunbergia. Native to India, the Thunbergia typically grows in clusters of three, as seen here. Although it looks similar to the Morning Glory pictured earlier, and is often found draped over exterior walls of local homes, it is an entirely different species. Location: I haven’t a clue, but almost certainly somewhere in Ajijic. Sorry.

Hibiscus. Tropical Hibiscus are hummingbird magnets. They can be found throughout the Lake Chapala area. I only walk two feet out my back door to encounter one of these wonderful large flowers, usually with a hummingbird zipping around nearby. Hibiscus are edible as well as ornamental and form a primary ingredient for some teas. In Mexico, Hibiscus is used in the drink agua de Jamaica or Jamaica water. It is supposed to taste something like cranberry juice. Hibiscus is also good for kidney problems and is a natural diuretic. Location: just outside the main entrance of the Lake Chapala Society.

Gazania. Another native of southern Africa, the Gazania is often used for ground cover. I haven’t found any other particularly useful characteristics, except that it looks pretty. I guess that should be enough. Location: grounds of the Lake Chapala Society.

Tabachin or Royal Ponciana. A native of Madagascar (Malagasy Republic), the tabachin or royal ponciana is widespread around the world from Thailand to Egypt to the Bahamas to Hawaii and Mexico. Tabachin blooms nearly year round. People have found many uses for the plant. Seeds are used as food and the pods can be used for fuel or making necklaces or folk art objects.  Carole recently bought a small handcrafted "critter" made from a pod. The Caribbean islanders call the tabachin "women's tongue" because the pods rattle in the wind. Location: grounds of the Lake Chapala Society

I took these photos at various times over the last year since we settled in Ajijic. I am no horticulturist, but simply selected my subjects because I loved their colors and shapes. Accordingly, I was faced with the dilemma of beautiful, but unidentified, subjects in my pictures. By a happy coincidence, our Spanish teacher is also a horticulturist trained at the University of Guadalajara. Joel Gomez, a very intelligent and engaging young man, was able to immediately identify nearly all the pictures I showed him, even though I had to use a black and white printer. Thanks to Joel, and a little internet research, I have been able to provide a some background on each with a link to further information for those inclined. It also turned out that Joel is a fellow hiker and photographer whose work I plan to include in a future posting focused on the many moods of the Lake itself. Stay tuned…