Mexico

The Colonial Cities

November 21: we reach Guanajuato!

In Mexico, there are 2 kinds of roads.
The lousy ones... and the slightly less lousy ones.
Option one: the "libre" roads, free, with a damn tope (Mexican for speed bump...) every 100 yards.
Option two: the "cuota" roads, toll roads, with a damn pothole every 200 yards.
We pick the cuotas, so we spend our time slaloming between potholes (16 x 16 x 16 inches — enough to blow a tire on the first hit!) and... paying! Per mile, it's pricier than in France. We've lost count of the toll booths.

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Guanajuato

Thanks to the bible of Mexican campgrounds (the Church guide), we dig up a great spot right in the middle of town.
An old lady (who sure knows how to do business — after chatting with her, we figure out her rental income tops 6,000 US dollars a month! She's doing just fine!) has set up 4 little sites on her property.
The guide said there was no way to get in if your RV was longer than 24 feet.
KIFONS is 28, and we manage (with a bit of a struggle, mind you) to make it all the way into the garden of this house in town.
This is where we sleep for 4 nights.
For 11 pesos, all 5 of us pile into the shared taxi that takes us right downtown. Ride time: 5 minutes.
We discover a city where everything is tight and tangled together. A real maze. And we love it.
Guanajuato is the city of the kiss, because the alleys are so narrow that lovers can kiss from one balcony to the other.

Here we discover a colorful, cultured Mexico (it's a college town, cool!!), with lots of shady plazas. We stroll, visit the museums and have lunch at sidewalk cafés.
In the late afternoon, we wander through the Jardín de la Unión, livened up by mariachi contests.
Music is everywhere. The kids play in the bandstand that sits in the middle of the plaza.

The vibe is really mellow and pleasant.

After four days, we're starting to settle into our little routines: the baker around the corner (with good bread!), the fresh produce guy, quality meat. We really make the most of this colonial city. Spain isn't far!

Querétaro

One million people. A whole different city size. Less than 3 miles from downtown, we start wondering where on earth we'll end up spending the night...
And we end up at the Flamingo hotel. A great tip for anyone who wants to explore this city by RV. The hotel welcomes