Guanajuato is the capital city of The Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato which is one of 36 states which make up the United States of Mexico. San Miguel de Allende is in the state of Guanajuato. Located in central Mexico it is known for its silver mining and colonial architecture. Its network of narrow streets and alleyways are typified by the Callejon del Beso (Alley of the kiss), so named because balconies are close enough for a couple to reach across and kiss. There is only one road into the city and another road out. The road in runs for 3 Km. in a tunnel which is an old riverbed. The cities streets are steep and narrow, many impassable by autos. There are in addition many long staircases joining different parts of the city. Guanajuato is also very colorful giving it the feel an Italian mountain town.
Our whole full house group elected to take a tour of Guanajuato accompanied by Miguel. We were promised that we would be the only group in the van as there were eight of us. Imagine our surprise when we arrived and there was already a group of three in the van. They had also been promised a private tour. Neither group was happy but we made the best of the situation although it was a long hour and a half drive each way.
Our first view of the city from an overlook on the way in. 
This gigantic statue is El Pipila which is the nickname of a local hero of the city. He became famous by storming a fortress door during the Mexican War of Independence in 1810 thus allowing the insurgents to enter and kill all the Spanish soldiers . 
Templo de San Cayetano Confessor, this 18th-century pink stone church sits on a hillside and has an ornate interior with gold leaf art. 
Groundwater in this city is extremely toxic with excessively high levels of Fluoride and other contaminatns due to the discharge of domestic, industrial, agricultural and mining residues. The municipal water treatment plant does not have the capacity to purify the water sufficiently. 
Burro is the Spanish word for donkey. Often found in the most rural areas they are used for agriculture, construction, mining and transportation and are an extremely important part of the family 
You could say they are a bit obsessed with large artwork in this city 
Note El Pipila looming in the sky over the main square 
Teatro Juarez is an historical 19th century performing arts center built from 1872 to 1903 by Jose Noriega. It was closed to the Public when we were there unfortunately. 
Iglesia de San Diego made of red sandstone dates from 1780 and is a popular location for artists and musicians to perform. Churches are of great importance in the religious culture of Mexico. 
Jorge Negrete statue stands in front of the house he was born in in 1911. He was a famous Mexican singer and actor. He died in Los Angeles in 1953. 
The houses here are awash of different colors which is one of the cities most outstanding feature. 
A kiss under the balcony 
Our guide was always willing to snap photos for us when Jim was nowhere to be found. 
An Art Sculpture of the Alley of the Kiss depicting a tragic Romeo & Juliet like Mexican love story which is detailed in a later photo in this blog. 
Stairs of the University of Guanajuato. The school is made up of about 33,828 students in programs ranging from high school to the doctorate level. 
The Guanajuato tunnels are a series of wide channels that extend under the city and help divert traffic away from the city. These tunnels were not primarily for traffic but as a diversion for the Rio Guanajuato to prevent flooding to the early mining town. It was very eerie driving in them and even more so walking in them during our tour.😧 
Guanajuato is the birthplace of the famous Mexican muralist/painter Diego Rivera. We took a tour of his family home which is now a museum and displays a selection of his lesser pieces of his work, mostly line drawings.The ground floor has been remodeled to recreate the house as it was at the time of Diego’s birth in 1886. The 6 rooms are filled with furniture of the era and photos of the family. 
Diego Rivera and Maria Barrientos were Diego’s parents. His mother was a doctor and his father worked as a teacher, a newspaper editor and health inspector. Diego had a twin brother Carlos who died at the age of two. 
People here take much pride in the appearance of their property 
Spectacular flowered trees in this city 
Callejon del Beso, the narrowest alley in Guanajuato aka the Alley of the Kiss. According to local legend a wealthy family lived in one the the buildings and their daughter whose bedroom window looked out on the alley, fell in love with a man from the wrong side of the tracks. The young man rented out the room in the building across the street so they could secretly kiss through their windows across the narrow alley. When the girls father found out he stabbed his daughter to death in a fit of rage and her distraught lover threw himself to his death in the alley below. The Bailey’s did share a kiss here but the photo is on their camera☹️ 
Basilica Colegiata 
We were told that this monument is the gravesite of Don Quijote??????????? He is a fictional character.
This was our last day with the full house crew as Maeve and friends are leaving tomorrow for Mexico City and the Bailey’s and Steen’s are doing a 12 hour tour to see Monarch butterflies.
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