Last Day in San Miguel de Allende

Seven full days in San Miguel, but nine blogs to describe it. Overkill? No, not at all. We managed to fill every day with something fun or interesting or both. I can see how San Miguel has even more to offer and why it would be appealing for many to live here.

We began our last day with breakfast at El Pagaso and then spent time in El Jardin.

There is a webcam in El Jardin. That’s the four of us win at the camera.

After breakfast, we tackled one more market. Tianguis de los Martes (Tuesday’s Open Market) takes place every Tuesday just out of the center of San Miguel de Allende. It would have been a long uphill walk so we took a taxi. This market was different. Getting out of the taxi, we faced acres of colored awnings covering tables, shelves, and vendors. It was enormous, paralyzing to a novice like me. It is like a hybrid farmers market and flea market.

Hundreds of vendors were spread out selling anything and everything: fresh produce, fish, chicken, CDs, DVDs, cassettes, clothing (old and new), kitchenware, souveniers, cleaning supplies, radios, cell phone cases, live birds and other animals. This was definitely where local people do their shopping.

Anything and everything — produce, grains, beans, pork rinds, candy …

Hot food stalls serving Mexican dishes were side by side with junk vendors.

People taking a break from their shopping to eat.

The man is scraping the prickles off of the nopales (cactus). Evidently, it is cooked and served as a side dish.

I was overwhelmed. I get overwhelmed in the Christmas Tree Shops, so this was tenfold worse. But….. if there is something you need, Tianguis de los Martes is the place to go!

I must describe one more park, Parque Juarez. Whenever we left Casa Garza to head in the direction of El Chorro, slightly southwest instead of north and down into the city center, we uaually found ourselves in Parque Juarez. Parque Juarez is the largest green space within San Miguel’s city center. It’s got fountains, winding paths, basketball courts, and public classes in tai chi, yoga, and zumba. It’s quiet, peaceful, and seemed very safe.

The park grounds were once full of plentiful orchards and vegetable plots thanks to the water coming down from El Chorro. Dr. Hernández Macías wanted San Miguel residents to have a place for recreation, and so, from 1895 to 1904, he bought the orchards one by one and put them together to create this park, an extraordinarily beautiful sight when it opened 100 years ago. Now, in mid-January, there were few blooms, but plenty of green.

The paths wander in and around gardens, exercise stations, playgrounds and fountains.

I had to use the internet to try and understand most of the words on this cross, although some are obvious. (Ok, I didn’t have to, but I was curious and wanted to know.)

LEFT: humanos (people), tierras (earth), plantas (plant)
TOP: aire (air), fuegos (fire), luz (air)
RIGHT: animales (animals), agua (water), insectos (insects)
BOTTOM: pensamientos (thoughts), emociones (emotions), sentimientos (feelings)
The yellow base: yo soy nosotros (I am us)
The bottom: Todo lo que ves oyes sientes hueles piensas haces …. Y aun lo desconocido y lo invisible es la manifestacion de dios. Fluye con amor actua con respeto y eleva tu consciencia —–Everything you see hear, feel, smell, think, do… And even the unknown and the invisible is the manifestation of God. Flow with love, act with respect, and raise your awareness.