As we leave town, we stop at a church overlooking the
city. In many ways, the churches are all
the same and yet they are all different and have their own feel. This one was financed by a single person who
was the owner of one of the mines. The
front is all 23 Karat gold leaf. I
thought that was impressive. And then
walked to the front of the church to discover that there were ones just as big
and ornate to the right and left. Oh
my! What could have been done with that
much wealth to raise the standard of living of so many people. It also seemed ironic that there were
numerous signs reminding us that this is God’s house, be respectful, no flash. But all of the pews were cordoned off so it
was impossible to sit and really reflect and be in a spiritual frame of
mind.
The scenery on the way to Dolores Hidalgo is very nice as we
drive through the mountains. There is
even a song written about the road by the famous popular singer Jose Alfredo
Jimenez. In Dolores Hidalgo, we visit
the home of Hidalgo. Since this town has
so much history concerning the start of the fight for independence from Spain, it
is very special to Mexicans. There is a
replica of the bell that was rung to inspire the war. The original one is in Mexico City. We eat lunch at a restaurant on the
square. They have a huge offrenda to the
musician Jose Alfredo Jimenez, who was from the town.
Next stop is the Sanctuario de Atotonilco, known as the
Sistine Chapel to many Mexicans. As soon
as we turn off the main road, it is crowded with parked cars, people walking
and little stalls. Many are selling food
but most are selling little religious trinkets.
The one I found most amazing and disturbing were little rope flagellators
for children. As soon as one enters the church, you can see
why it is referred to as the Mexican Sistine Chapel. The ceiling is covered in paintings. But these are not the beautiful, peaceful, cherubs. These are mostly black and grays and depict
gory aspects of the crucifixion. Then
there is the side chapel that costs 20 pesos to enter. That is where the real gore and macabre
is. Life size 3D figures of people
putting Jesus on the cross as well as the other 2 who were crucified that
day. Arms hanging at strange angles, men
on horses coming to do who knows what. This
is so contrary to any way that I think.
Outside of the church is a statue of Hidalgo with a banner of the Virgin
of Guadalupe. The war of independence
was a war between the Mexican version of Virgin Mary and the Spanish version of
Virgin Mary.
On to San Miguel de Allende.
Our hotel is wonderful! First off,
the office is a library where one can go sit and look at all the books. Plants are everywhere and there are little
sitting areas hidden around. Dean and
Melanie’s room is the most unusual - up
a little spiral staircase. But once you
get there, there is a cute little sitting area as well as a little
balcony. It’s 2 long blocks to the main
square, right next to the park where artist set up their work on Sundays. Serves breakfast. I think I may have finally found a
hotel in San Miguel de Allende that fits all of my requirements.
We all walk up to the main square and have a little time to
enjoy the ambiance before going to dinner.
The church is beautiful in the daytime and at night when it is all lit
up.
When we were at Canada de la Virgen, we were talking to
another traveler. We said we were
planning to go to the butterfly reserves.
He said he had tried to go and that they were closed to visitors because
it was their mating season and would not open for another 2 weeks. Obviously, this was unsettling news. Juan and I looked into it and the website
indicated what the hours were. Checking
it at various times of the day it would say things like “Open”, “Closing soon”,
“Closed”. Seemed promising but I was
still dubious without talking to a person saying “Yes, it is open to visitors
now” A bit deeper research confirmed
that it was closed to visitors until November 18. OH CRAP!
What to do??? How will we tell
people???
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