Weekend Trips

So last weekend some fellow volunteers and I went to San Miguel de Allende after our workshops. We stayed in the most amazing Bed & Breakfast. My room actually came with its own private terrace, which was a great place to just hang out, relax, and enjoy the great view of the city. The staff was all very friendly, the service was amazing, and I just loved the overall experience. I think running a B&B like that would be quite a fun job, since you have the opportunity to meet world-travelers and provide a unique, personalized experience. I hope I have the chance to go back! This is San Miguel at daybreak.



While in San Miguel, this time I manged to make it to the hot springs with my amigos. Everyone we talked to recommended La Gruta. It is famous for having a grotto, with a tunnel linking the grotto to the outdoor pool. It was a bit hot in there, but otherwise the water was great! They actually had a set of rules, and you could get kicked out for "antisocial" behavior.



In San Miguel, I also had some great Chile En Nogado, kind of like chille relleno, but the chiles were stuffed with a mix of nuts, meats, and fruits.



I then went to Guanajuato with one of the guys, since I will have a hard time visiting the city again (being so far North really hurts the travel opportunities). However, there are so many things to see in the city that I have to go back!! The view from the Monument de Pipila was great. The city is in a bowl, and essentially has different layers to it. As they built the city, they used old mining tunnels as roads, lowered the streets, and otherwise built around the natural features. As a result, the city is really a 3D maze! Doors of buildings literally lead into the open air!



And, after another week of PC workshops in QRO, a couple of us went to San Luis Potosi, a couple hours northwest of QRO. One of the volunteers there had 7 very cute puppies, and I have some great pictures that I will have to post next time (I am hanging out in the local food court with no cable for my camera). I just received all the keys to my house today and spent a good half of my settling in allowance today buying basics (trash cans, cleaning supplies, etc....definitely surprised how quickly it added up), so I will post pictures next time! The next week will be filled with cleaning and more economic stimulating.

Freedom!

So the swine-flu standfast was lowered on Thursday, which meant that we could take trips outside of our sites--freedom! The cities actually started coming back to life around Wednesday, as the Méxican government also lowered its alertness level. I believe that after the primary and secondary schools re-open on Monday, everything will be back to pseudo-normality.

Friday night we had the First (Annual) Peace Corps Pretty Night--following groups now have the burden of raising the bar! Some of the other volunteers who are going to rural areas felt like they were never going to be able to use their formal suits and dresses, and so they organized a fiesta for the occasion. Our country director graciously hosted the event at his amazingly beautiful house. Some of the staff also showed up, and it was a great time. One of the volunteers formally graduated with her MPA yesterday (she was allowed to leave her program early for Peace Corps), so we had a surprise mini-ceremony for her since she couldn´t be at her actual ceremony.

Since things have loosened up, on Saturday I headed out to San Miguel de Allende, the American retirement mecca of México. The city is famous for its hot springs, and somehow it has become the go-to place for American retirees to live. I saw license plates from Texas and Florida, and I heard more English on the streets than anywhere else in México so far. It was a bit hot out to really enjoy the hot springs, so I went to the Jardin Botánico El Charco Del Ingenio outside of town. It is a giant reserve for native flora and fauna, and it is famous for its cacti.



San Miguel has several central plazas with churches, which are architecturely very beautiful. Here is their most famous one, the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel.



Once I returned to Querétaro, I also finally made it into the Alameda, a nice, shady park in the southern part of the city. The park is surrounded by a fence with a rotating exhibit. Right now the exhibit includes photographs from the Sierra Gorda, the famous biosphere in México, to help raise awareness of environmental issues. The rumor I heard was that a Peace Corps volunteer was involved with this project.