Guanajuato, Mexico
November 14 - December 3 [2021]
Guanajuato lies a couple hours north of Queretaro in the Bejio region. It’s an old mining town that was founded in the 14th century and built along the floor of a steep canyon. The historic center is registered with UNESCO, loaded with Spanish Colonial architecture, colorful and designed for pedestrians.
Essentially, the city consists of one major street meandering along an east/west axis connecting plazas and open air markets from one end to the other. On either side of the central corridor you’ll find narrow passageways that ascend and traverse the adjacent hill sides. The net result, a fascinating matrix of steep stairways, open spaces and tight corridors that link the residential areas of Guanajuato.
Admittedly, I couldn’t get enough of this City. The rotating angles of sun light played daily games with the colorful walls of these narrow corridors providing a continual flow of photo opportunities throughout the week. In fact, at certain times of day the walls were literally glowing as if they were lit from the inside. Obviously, you have to visit to fully experience this phenomenon but I’ve made an effort to focus the images around this theme. Take note of the deep blue sky-incredible.
Like Queretaro, Cusco, Arequipa and Cuenca, Guanajuato resides at high elevation in a semi-arid region. This narrows the yearly temperature band to a 10-15 degree daily range and eliminates the need for heating and/or air conditioning. In my opinion, these climates are ideal and a major attraction to anyone looking for an alternative to the extremes of our northern hemisphere.
Unfortunately, Guanajuato represents the final visit of my 2021 International Drift. I’ve got family obligations that need attending and with it, an extended stay during the Christmas season. However, once the new year turns, I’ll be back on the road visiting additional cities of interest including Havana (Cuba), Chiapas and Oaxaca (Mexico), Antigua (Guatemala), La Paz (Bolivia), Santiago, (Chile) and Mendoza (Argentina)-among others. And I might even revisit Arequipa to climb those 20,000 foot volcanoes.
Stay tuned!
