San Miguel de Allende

A quaint, little colonial town nestled in the mountains north of Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende is where I’ve decided to hang out for the next six weeks. The colorful and historic buildings which line the cobblestone streets are some of the most photogenic I’ve seen anywhere, the food is tasty, and the people are friendly.

Despite warnings from other travelers, it is still much colder than I expected. To those of you – feel free to say “I told you so.” Starting all the way back with my road trip in Arizona, if there is one takeaway from this trip, it is the effects of altitude. San Miguel de Allende sits around 6,500 feet, making me wish I had brought more than a thin, zip-up hoodie. But what it lacks in heat, it certainly makes up for in charm.

I spend my days strolling through the many markets, painting, and practicing my photography. Slowly but surely, I am learning how to use my fancy, new camera. I have also started taking dance classes which focus mainly on salsa and bachata, where I am not the worst person in the class – so I have deemed them a success. I know I won’t ever cross the invisible line down the middle of the room from the basic side to join the advanced, but that’s ok. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s something that’s been on my bucket list for a long time.

I spent a day exploring the nearby botanical gardens – simply stunning. Filled predominantly with rare types of cacti and succulents, it is home to many desert plants and animals – though I only saw insects (and spiders!)

My favorite plant was the round cactus colloquially referred to as silla de la suegra aka Mother-in-law’s Chair.

The butterflies were pretty amazing. They are also tricky to photograph, so when one is actually in focus, it’s pretty exciting!

And finally, there’s this plant which looks like it came straight out of a Dr. Seuss book. It took me back to the 1990’s when I loved to play with koosh balls 🙂

I’ll be in San Miguel until returning home for Christmas, so there’s lots of time for more adventures in this city. Stay tuned!