My Mexico City base was in the tree-lined and trendy Polanco. I spent a couple of days walking around the neighborhood, with multiple fuel stops at its cafes. It was hard to resist the temptation of sipping a latte at the sidewalk tables while watching the beautiful "chilangos" go by. Ines and I walked around nearby Chapultepec Park, and climbed to Chapultepec's castle on top of the park's hill. Views of the city and the castle's garden, called Alcazar, are attached.
Next stop was Dolores Hidalgo, a small town 4 hours north of Mexico City, where Miguel Hidalgo delivered the "cry" of Independence 200 years ago. Given its historical importance and the imminent arrival of the country's president, the town was packed and we had to walk through several security check points to get to the main square. We were rewarded by a lively square at the exact time that the governor was giving a speech, which ended with Hidalgo's cry of "Viva Mexico". We all cried back "Viva" in unison.
Back in the armored vehicle, our driver took us to San Miguel de Allende next. This is a lively town very well set for foreign tourism: lots of boutique hotels housed in refurbished colonial buildings, pretty restaurants, clean cobble-stoned streets, pleasant weather year round, and the flock of Americans that come with this infrastructure. Our hotel Casa Schuck was beautiful and so peaceful that we spent hours relaxing in the courtyard and the terrace admiring the sunsets. Ines took some postcard pictures that I'll post here later.
San Miguel was dressed in red, white, and green with the Mexican flag displayed on every balcony. We could feel the energy and excitement walking on its streets crowded with locals and visitors. There were a few live performances, and at 11pm on Wednesday everybody gathered in the main square. Fireworks followed the several repetitions of "Viva Mexico" answered by the crowd's "Viva". It was a party.
Short visit, but I had lots of fun. Many thanks to Ines for being a great host.
Mercedes
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