Guanajuato has been really cool to explore. So many winding side-streets, alleys, and pedestrian walks. It's like a dang slot-canyon of buildings rising up the hillside. I (foolishly) tried to navigate us back a different way from the Mummy museum yesterday without google just by logic and we ended up turning around and heading back the way we came. We did take an alternative path down to the main drag before dinner tonight (with the help of google) and had success, but it was a lot of winding turns that at times even looked like a dead end before abruptly turning and opening up again. Within these pedestrian walkways, sometimes small, public courtyards appear with some benches and trees before the path continues and closes up to 5-6 feet wide again.
The city center was lively as always. Tonight, there was a giant VW Beetle festival of sorts with 150ish beetles parked on one of the streets back to back and people showing them off/gawking at them. The mariachi-type bands were still going along with all the bars and restaurants with music of their own spilling out into the street. Such a great and unique atmosphere.
We didn't get the earliest of starts today after staying up late last night, but eventually coordinated heading to a local preserve I'd seen on google maps. It had a visitor center and we were able to Uber to it, so while we couldn't find a lot of info about it online, I figured we could get there and figure it out. A couple of Kate's grad school friends came with too. It turns out, there wasn't as much of an organized trail system. There was a trail that we were generally able to follow (with a few missteps), but as far as we could tell, the 3 mile loop was about it, despite a sizable protected area. It was a nice enough hike though. Oak forest and good views of the hills.
I've ended up bird watching some this trip (hard not to), but without binocs, it's a bit tricky. I downloaded the Merlin packs, so that helps, especially the sound ID. Occasionally one will get close enough that I can get a good look at it, or it has a distinctive enough call that's easy to match with birds I know in the U.S., but I'm sure I've missed wide swaths of birds.
Post hike- I didn't have a great game plan to get back to the city. Probably a bit too cocky that we'd figure it out with that many good Spanish speakers. Uber though, doesn't pick up that far out and service was spotty at best. Luckily- the employees at the visitor center could call a taxi, and we also learned there was a public bus that would have come by in an hour had we not wanted to spend the money on the taxi.
We chilled at the apartment for a while after, playing a little cribbage, reading, eating lunch, etc, before heading back out for dinner. "Enchiladas de Lupe" was a little hole in the wall place up a bunch of tiny streets from the main drag. Presumably "Lupe" was off to the side surrounded by mounds of supplies for making two dishes: a specific kind of "mining" enchiladas as eating by miners back in the day (with potatoes like the midwest) and Pazole soup. We had the Enchiladas (delicious) and a soda. Ended up striking up conversation with a German guy we were sharing our table with (it's a small place) who was doing the "quit his job, now he's going to travel for 5 months" deal. Pretty cool dude to talk to.
On the way back, we stopped at a couple Mezcal bars as we really haven't done that yet. The first place was heavily infused and hardly tasted like Mezcal, so we got one and move on. The next place was more of a classic dive bar with different types of Mezcal that they did an awesome job talking through. I got it translated through Kate of course, but it was a cool experience to sit there and soak it all in.
One more day and it's been a good trip. Ready to go home though and be back in MPLS.
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