House-Sit #10: By the time this post publishes, we will already have said goodbye to our temporary pets, driven two days north through three Mexican states, and crossed back over the border, where we’ll spend a whirlwind few days in Texas getting ready for our flights to Tokyo. But I’ll have much more to share on that later. As I write this, I’m enjoying a comfortable, sunny afternoon in beautiful San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico.
I should start by briefly telling the story of our drive from house-sit #9 in Mexico City. We expected to arrive comfortably by 7pm, but instead, our 3-hour drive turned into 12-hours! Driving in Mexico has a bad reputation with those who’ve never done it, but I assure you, this experience was not typical. There were a series of car accidents on the busy highway, each causing traffic to stop completely, or to merge from three lanes to one. This is partly due to the fact that Mexican car insurance companies require the vehicles stay exactly where the accident happened, until the insurance employees arrive on the scene, as they make their determination of fault at that time. Each time we had finally broken free from a few hours of traffic jam… we would sail right into the next one.
However! Arriving in San Miguel de Allende, bleary-eyed at 2am, driving down windy little cobblestone streets that got more beautiful, and more narrow, as we got closer to our destination in the Centro Histórico, was an experience I’ll remember for some time. And fortunately, we had planned a full day of overlap before our host left for her vacation, so we still had plenty of time to discuss the details of the sit.
Which brings me to: Bella and Zoe! These two are just a friendly pair. Zoe, the slightly chonky but very affectionate kitty, whose crossed pale blue eyes hint that she must have some Siamese in her lineage. Bella, the little blue dog who spends her whole day sitting in her favorite spot, and getting the occasional “zoomies”, all the while adoring the people taking care of her. Zoe was friendly immediately, saddling up to solicit attention. When Bella realized these two strangers in her home weren’t leaving, she was quite suspicious. But it only took her a few days to warm up and decide that she really actually liked us too. But that’s to be expected, as this was Bella’s first experience having her person leave for a month, so it was an exercise in trust. We think she did really well!
We got to enjoy the month in a quiet neighborhood, with homes full of friendly neighbors who love to stop and chat. The circular drive has a picture-perfect park in the middle, and a great little restaurant a few doors down. It was nice to see Bella light up every time she saw a neighbor friend!
On the other side of the gated drive, the bustling life of the Centro Histórico begins! Our neighborhood exits directly into the famous Mercado de Artesanías. This massive market consists of multiple buildings filled wall-to-wall with vendors, and three alleyway blocks absolutely stuffed with even more merchandise. Booths are overflowing with everything you can imagine, including: leatherwork from León and Guanajuato; hand-embroidered clothes, bags, hats, shoes, tablecloths, and tapestries, in various Oaxacan styles; colorful glazed tiles, used in creative ways to make wall-art, framed mirrors, and even bathroom sinks; hand-painted treasures of all kinds; and one of the commodities San Miguel is known for: silver, in the form of jewelry, kitchen items, figurines, and sculptures. One whole building is devoted to food carts, a cantina, fresh fruits and vegetables, local meats, honey, sauces, and wooden barrels with every flavor of scratch-made mole. It’s sensory overload in a good way.
It seems more often than not, when I mention to someone in Mexico that I’m a photographer, they say: “You have to go to San Miguel!”. But having seen so many beautiful cities all throughout Mexico, I was a bit hesitant. How much more beautiful could it be? As soon as we arrived in San Miguel, it felt magical, and I can definitely see the attraction. Throughout the day, dozens of church bells sing a chorus outside, each one manually rang, as San Miguel proudly has no automated church bells. The narrow cobblestone streets are just enchanting, with their string lights and silver stars draped across to guide the way up and down the hills. Please enjoy a few photos as my attempt to showcase this city, as the evening light turns golden, then the city lights up after sunset!
This house-sit was hands-down the perfect way to spend our last month (for now) in Mexico. San Miguel de Allende was a highlight of our fourteen months in this incredible country. I know I’ve already shared at length how much I’ll miss Mexico the moment we leave, so I’ll just wrap this up with a heartfelt thank you to all the friends we made on the journey, those who opened their homes and shared their pets with us, and those who’ve helped and encouraged us from a distance. Thank you, Mexico, for all the memories and unforgettable experiences. The next time we touch base, we’ll be on our way to Japan!
Our YouTube video covering House-Sit #10 ⌄
Thanks for reading,
ダニとエバン ベントン
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