San Miguel de Allende Adventure and More

San Miguel de Allende, México, has been exhausting but fantastic. After spending 2 months doing nothing but watching TV, working on my Bad Doll AI film clips, and finishing my book, The Fifth Chair, I was totally out of shape. My roommate suggested a trip to Mexico to get out of the house. Frankly, it has taken me out of my depression and boosted my creativity.

We arrived after a long 13-hour trip that required me to fly to Houston, change planes in Leon, Guanajuato, and then take a bus to my final destination, San Miguel de Allende.

We are staying at the wonderfully colorful and beautiful Boutique Hotel Casa Don Quijote. I have a second-floor room with stairs. I mention it only because, as I said, I am totally out of shape, and San Miguel de Allende sits at 6,200 feet above sea level, with narrow cobblestone streets and hills. Not for the faint of heart. In fact, my heart is pounding up a storm.

On our first day, we toured the city on our own. We started walking from the hotel, but I said, “Uh, no! Not walking.” The cobblestones, hills, and narrow streets, combined with the altitude, almost made me fall. My balance was off, so we took a cab to the center plaza, Jardín Allende, in the Parroquia de San Miguel.

The church was breathtaking and the town beautiful, as I said. But when you look up the side streets, you see steep hills, and you try your best to stay strong and keep walking.

On Sunday, we took a tour, walking and riding a tour bus, to officially get acquainted with the Town of San Miguel de Allende. Fantastic and exhausting.

On Monday, we visited Guanajuato, toured its Museo de Las Momias, and walked Kissing Alley, with its quaint story similar to Romeo and Juliet, the tale of Doña Ana and Don Carlos. Again, not for the out-of-shape. Hills, cobblestones, narrow streets, and hundreds of steps without banisters. But a gorgeous city.

On Monday, we visited a vineyard on the outskirts of San Miguel de Allende and enjoyed my first private wine tasting. It is a must-see.

On Tuesday, we spent the day touring the famous church in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato: the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (Parish of Our Lady of Sorrows), also known as the Church of the Grito. It is beautiful, with murals reminiscent of a mini Sistine Chapel. We toured a family-owned tile company where everything is made by hand. We went to Dolores, the city center, and experienced real Mexico with locals. Lunch was street tacos de carnitas. Delicious. We bought cheese and grapes to enjoy back at the hotel with our bottle of wine from the vineyard. We visited the main plaza in Dolores Hidalgo (Guanajuato, Mexico), known as Plaza Principal, Jardín Principal, Jardín Independencia, or Plaza del Grande Hidalgo. We had their famous ice cream made with fresh fruit, nieves. The plaza is famous for traditional, handmade Mexican ice creams and nieves (sorbets/water-based frozen treats) sold from colorful carts and local shops around the perimeter and corners of the square.

I am looking forward to today’s adventures, with no planned tours.