Guanajuato

If it is a Wednesday, it must be a day trip day. Today's adventures brought us to the beautiful city of Guanajuato, about a 90-minute bus ride from San Miguel de Allende.

We caught the early bus, and were in Guanajuato by 9a. The bus terminal in the city is about 5km away from the main center, which we thought was strange, until we hopped into an Uber and experienced this ride ourselves. The center of Guanajuato is in a very deep bowl, surrounded by mountains, and accessible only through many tunnels.

Once in the city center, it was a different world. Stunning. Our first stop was the beautiful Jardin de la Union, a small park in the city center. We stopped into a hotel that fronts the park for a leisurely breakfast, where we planned our attack for the day.

Adjacent to the park is the famous Teatro Juarez. While it is unfortunately closed for renovations, it is an impressive building. We saw some photos of the interior, which looks absolutely amazing.

We walked around the square and to some of the surrounding areas nearby. Loads of college-age women were setting up stalls along a pedestrian mall, selling their wares. Come to find out, today is International Women's Day, and there are planned events around the city. We walked by a museum dedicated to the character Don Quixote, and saw some nearby churches and squares.

Along a pedestrian walkway is the smallest of bridges called the Puente del Campanero.

Every so often, you come across a mysterious set of stairs leading down to pedestrian tunnels, that are located around the city. These are shortcuts allowing you to move between areas and neighborhoods.

Like every city in Mexico, there are churches. Lots of them. The Templo San Diego de Alcala is located directly across the street from Jardin de la Union.

Guanajuato is a hilly city, and as such, has a very cool funicular. We couldn't resist the view from the top, so we traveled skyward to see the Monument al Pipila, and the amazing views of the city.

Returning down to the lower city level, we visited the main cathedral in the city, the Basilica Colegiata de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato.

As is standard throughout Mexico, impressive churches are built within a stones throw of each other. Across the street we found the Iglesia de la Compania.

Directly next to this soaring church is an even more impressive building from the University of Guanajuato. There was a celebration event being held outside, in honor of International Women's Day.

We walked up a short but steep hill along the university to find a narrow street with a church at the end. This is the Templo de los Hospitales. The door to the courtyard was only slightly open, and there was a nice man sweeping and cleaning. We poked our heads in, smiled at him, and had a very brief look inside. He enthusiastically waved us in, immediately shutting the door behind us, and in our challenge to understand his Spanish, he did so because the church was closed.

He was anxious to show us the church, so he went out back to get the keys. He patiently found the correct key to open the front door of the church, welcoming us inside. He wanted us to visit and see every area of the small church, that was used in 1560 as a hospital for the local indigenous people. We saw the very old church, amazing ceiling details, and the small chapel to the side.

He then unlocked a tiny, thick wood door that led to the staircase to access the balcony. It was a very small, confined, stone spiral staircase that brought us to the balcony. Great views of the church from here. He was such a nice man, and tried to explain things to us, but we struggled to understand. Still, this was an amazing, fun, and very unique experience.

We thanked this nice man, and were on our way, continuing our walk and exploring the city. It is a very challenging city to navigate, as there are lots of twisting and turning streets, but the views are amazing.

Guanajuato is the birthplace of one of Mexico's (and the world's) greatest artists - Diego Rivera. While he only lived in Guanajuato until he was 6 years old, the city holds him in incredibly high regard as their native born son. The Museo Casa Diego Rivera is a museum located in the home where he was born. The museum does not allow photos inside. The collection of Diego's art is incredible. He was a true master. Everyone knows him as the pre-eminent mural painter. But his earlier works, and the breadth of styles he utilized, was a shock to me. The differing styles were incredible, and the pieces in this collection are impressive.

After our Diego museum visit, we decided to search for the famous Alley of the Kiss. Sure, this is a very touristy spot to visit, but the extremely narrow stairway, with balconies close enough to allow for a kiss, is a fun stop.

More hills. More churches. More sights, including the city's huge, and very busy, Mercado.

As if by chance, we walked by a massive building that we had seen from the top of the funicular. We couldn't figure out what it was until we came around the side, and saw the entrance to the Regional Museum of Guanajuato. This is home to a history and art museum. Of course, we had to stop in for a look. They had some awesome murals, a ton of historical paintings, photos and pieces from the city's history, and a section dedicated to the heroes of the Mexican revolution.

After our museum visit, it was time for a bit of a macabre experience. One of the top sights in Guanajuato is the Museo de los Momias. At the top of a very steep, very long hill is the city's main cemetery. Adjacent and directly underneath the cemetery is this unique museum that is home to dozens of mummies that were discovered in the cemetery. These preserved mummies were displaced when more gravesites were needed in the cemetery. They were placed in this museum. A bit strange, very creepy, and incredibly unique.

We walked back down the steep hillside to get to the main area of the city for a bit of lunch and some time to rest our sore legs and feet. We loved Guanajuato and are so happy to have chosen this as one of our adventures.