I am a self-proclaimed history nut. I love to think about what happened a hundred years ago or a thousand years ago. How did people live? Why did they migrate to unknown lands? Human migration has always interested me. From seeing blond hair, blue eyed people in Minnesota to seeing Spanish cities in Mexico, I always wonder how those people got there and why they choose to come to this particular place.
While time travel isn’t possible, taking a walk through Mexico’s colonial cities can almost feel like it is. While the colonialists of the past may be long gone, the sound of Spanish still fills the air and as you wander through back alleyways and down narrow cobblestone lanes, the sense of European-ness surrounds you.
After visiting the beach cities and the ancient ruins of Mexico (and finding them delightful, of course!) , I knew that I had to experience the other part of Mexico’s history and decided to explore the colonial cities around Mexico City.
“Are You Crazy?”
When I first decided to backpack around Mexico alone, everyone thought I was insane. Mexico doesn’t exactly have the best reputation and I frequently heard things like, “Is it safe?”, “Are you sure?”, “Are you going to get murdered, chopped up into a million little pieces and then fed to carnivorous drug lords?” (Ok, so I may have embellished that one a bit). The only thing that I could answer is that I was sure and that it would all be fine. I had done plenty of research, I had spoken to Mexican friends about where to go and where not to go, I read news articles, I read travel blogs. What I hadn’t done is read the US state department advisory. I have traveled and studied enough to know how biased those reports can be. In essence, I had done as much as I could to prepare myself without scaring myself into not going.
On the big day, I flew from Miami to Mexico City. Mexico City – a city of relentless crime where you will get murdered the moment you arrive. My flight landed at the airport and was shocked to see…..absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. Families were meeting loved ones, husbands were meeting wives, friends were meeting friends. It was utterly ordinary. I got some overpriced airport food and then hopped on a bus heading towards Querataro.
Querataro
I had read that Querataro was a gorgeous little colonial town just a few hour bus ride from Mexico City so I figured that it would be the perfect place to start my trip into Mexico’s colonial past. The city certainly lived up to that reputation. The place oozes charm. The plethora of squares were full of children playing, the elderly sitting and watching the world go by and young couples canoodling. Laughter and music filled the air and the colorful buildings reflected the lively atmosphere. I spent my days in Querataro going for early morning runs, eating an endless supply of ice cream and wandering the backstreets searching for the next gem. It was never far away and I ran into such interesting establishments as a cereal bar (yep, that is exactly what it sounds like), a restaurant selling only waffles and hostels with lively restaurants and gorgeous courtyards.
Guanajuato
The next stop on my trip was Guanajuato. A very good friend had recommended the city to me and although I had done research online and looked up photos, I really didn’t know what to expect. The bus station is located a considerable distance outside of town so I had to catch the cramped city bus to the city center. The journey itself felt like an amusement park ride and I was even serenaded by the strange white man sitting behind me and a Mariachi band who got on about halfway through, busking for tips.
With an interesting soundtrack of music genres playing in my ear, the bus meandered its way through tunnels and canyons. Guanajuato has an interesting network of underground roads which allows traffic bypass the city center. Sections of it are exposed to the buildings above you and collorful buildings began to rise up on other side of it giving a tantalizing glimpse of what lay above and around us. Suddenly, a beautiful colonial church would peek down at us. I sat with my face pressed against the window in awe with excitement growing with each passing minute. The bus eventually reached its final stop and I found myself a short walk away from my Airbnb. After dropping off my bags, I set out for my first “night on the town”.
I then discovered that the best was yet to come! The beautiful pedestrian zone had been hidden away fro the bus route and as I walked down the streets, I had to pinch myself to believe that it was real and not a movie set! Colorful banners hung overhead and shops and restaurants lined the street. It was then that I realized that people meant when they said that the town was the inspiration for the movie Coco.
Guanajuato is not only a mecca for beautiful buildings but also for foreigners hoping to learn Spanish. Language schools abound, accommodation is inexpensive and the city is insanely beautiful. I was lucky enough to meet some new friends the day I arrived and spent the next week bouncing between coffee shops, helado shops, bars and charming little squares. When I boarded a bus to head to my next destination, I feel like I left a piece of my heart there.
Guadalajara
Guadalajara is the second biggest city in Mexico and just a few hours’ away from Guanajuato. While the outskirts of the city look like any other dusty suburbs of Latin America, the city center is a colonial jewel. The Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral hold center stage as the city streets provide a protective framework around it. Guadalajara is based on a grid street system making it nearly impossible to get lost and on every Sunday, they close the main street to allow bicyclists and rollerbladders to take over the city. The sidewalks are alive with families eating ice cream and friends catching up on the latest gossip. I was lucky enough to see hula hoopers showing off their skills and acrobats on the silks defying gravity. Although the city is not cute and quaint like some of the other destinations that I visited, the city is welcoming and has a lot to offer.
Morelia
Morelia was a bit of a wildcard that I decided to tack onto the trip last minute. The city is only a few hours away from Guanajuato and on the way to Zihuatanejo, the laid back beach town that I would be flying out of to head back to the US. Both destinations came as a bit of a surprise to me as I had not been planning on going. Crime rates in the state of Michoacan, the state it is in, are high as drug cartels fight for supremacy. I was assured numerous times that these drug related crimes were well off of of the normal tourist route and that I would be fine. After reading a lot about the wonders of Morelia, I decided to risk it and climbed onto a bus. As I settled in, I looked around me and noticed that 90% of my fellow passengers were elderly people. So far, so good. I doubted any of them may be smuggling drugs or be wanted by a cartel.
I decided to ease my anxiety by watching the movie Coco on my laptop. I was a little embarrassed about watching a kid’s movie while surrounded by, you know, actual real adults but I soon began to hear the sounds of laughter erupting behind me and then to the side of me. As I glanced at the personal seat back TV screen of a fellow elderly passenger, I noticed that she was watching the Smurfs movie. I no longer felt embarrassed.
The rest of the trip passed uneventfully and I eventually made it to Morelia bus station and hopped in a combi (basically, a public bus that is the size of a minivan) . As each fellow passenger got on, a hearty “buenos dias” was exchanged by everyone on the bus like we were meeting a long lost relative. While Querataro oozed charm, Morelia oozed “niceness”. I had never been somewhere where people were so polite and kind to complete strangers.
The city of Morelia is built with pinkish stones and the narrow streets are grid-like and orderly. The Plaza Mayer is the highlight of the city with a gorgeous cathedral (complete with light show in the evening) and a wide expanse of park surrounding it. Here you can find buskers, toddlers with squeaky shoes and old men who want to practice their English. The whole atmosphere is incredibly tranquil and the opposite of what you would expect from a state that is being ripped apart by drug cartels.
Zihuatanejo
After a few days roaming the streets of Morelia (you guessed it, eating even more ice cream), I had to keep moving on to my final destination Zihuatanejo. Located in another violence-ridden state, I was a little concerned about catching a flight out of there. I had a little fantasy of spending my last few days in Mexico on a beach and a cheap flight + beach town offered the perfect way to do it. After doing some research, I decided (again) to take the “risk”. I hopped onto a bus in Morelia and watched out the window as the bus made its way through stunning, rolling hills. Every once in a while, I would see an army or police vehicle which was a stark reminder of what was happening beyond those hills.
I had booked an airbnb before arriving in town and my host was kind enough to pick me up at the bus station. “Do you want to go to a nice beach?” was the first sentence I heard. Hell yeah! Off we went, along with her teenage daughter, to a gorgeous beach about a half hour drive away. We spent the evening drinking beer and watching the sunset. Any nerves that I had about being there, were completely washed away.
Sadly, the next morning, my host and her daughter had to go to Mexico City so i was left to hold down the fort of their 3 story house! Nestled in the hills a short bus ride from the beach, it was the perfect place to spend my last day in Mexico. I spent my first day hitting the beach where I drank beer with some lovely Canadians who I had asked to watch my stuff while I swam. Covered in sand and salt, I made my way back the house and spent the evening swinging on the rooftop hammock drinking tequila my host was kind enough to leave me.
The next morning, I glumly packed my belongings and made my way to the airport. I begged the woman at the airport check in not to make me go and she cheekily replied that I should just stay longer. With a heavy heart, I boarded my flight back to the US.
Til next time!
