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Guanajuato, Mexico: A Cultural Vacation
Doug Bower - PVNN
 Not yet available in bookstores, a copy of Doug Bower's newest book,
A Walk Through México’s Crown Jewel: A Guanajuato Travelogue, can be
ordered online at Lulu.com.
Doug Bower, an American freelance writer and author living in Guanajuato,
shares excerpts from his latest book, "A Walk Through México’s Crown
Jewel: A Guanajuato Travelogue," which describes areas of interest to
American, English-speaking European, and Canadian travelers who have
grown weary of the typical Mexican vacation.
When Guanajuato-bound travelers arrive at the Mexico City airport, it
doesn't take them long to realize they should have flown into the
Guanajuato International Airport instead. There is nothing particularly
wrong with Mexico City's airport, as airports go.
The Aeropuerto de la Ciudad de Mexico, the country's and Latin America's
largest and most important airport, can serve up to 32 million travelers
per year under ideal conditions. And, as airports go, it even has hotels
in the airport, which I find attractive but would anticipate an
intolerable noise factor to consider.
However, once you've landed in Mexico City, found your baggage, and gone
through customs, you then have the unenviable task of finding out how to
get a bus to Guanajuato. I know Americans and Europeans who do this
routinely. But, routine is the operative word here. They are so
experienced that it doesn't faze them one bit to do this. These folks
tend to have a much higher degree of spoken fluency in Spanish than
first-timers into Mexico.
The thing is that flying into Mexico City is not only cheaper but also
much cheaper in some cases. You do have to add in the cost of a bus ride
and adding another four hours to your travel-weary bones. To fly into
Mexico's busiest airport can cost you considerably less than flying into
Guanajuato's airport, I checked with Priceline.com for USD prices on
12/01/2008:
New York to Mexico City - economy class: From $427 - $544 New York to
Leon, Guanajuato - economy class: From $598 - $755
Los Angeles to Mexico City - economy class: From $210 - $660 Los Angeles
to Leon, Guanajuato - economy class: $226 - $262
Miami to Mexico City - economy class: From $276 - $681 Miami to Leon,
Guanajuato - economy class: From $542 - $1197
Though cheaper, unless you are a mega-traveler and know your away around
a Spanish-speaking facility, it would lessen your stress to fly into
Guanajuato's airport, which is right outside of Leon, Guanajuato. Also,
this reduces the chance of being ripped off with the fake cabs and
drivers with their nefarious schemes that seem to so prevalent in the
nation's capitol.
After you've gone through the traveler's woe in Guanajuato's Airport,
you can take a cab directly into the city of Guanajuato for about $35.00
- $40.00. This is the alternative to renting a car and driving in
Mexico, which is something you do not want to do. Just think of the
worst city you've ever driven in back home and then multiply that to
infinity and beyond and you will come up with a nice picture of what it
is like to drive in Mexico.
Here's a Tip: Before leaving the airport, change your dollars to pesos.
The cab driver more than likely will not take dollars and you will need
pesos once you get to The-Land-of-Cash-Only city of Guanajuato. Credit
cards are still a novelty in Guanajuato and traveler's checks are so
last century. If you use your debit or credit card at a Mexican ATM, you
can get better rates.
What To Do and See
Guanajuato is history and culture. There are no fantasy rides, pirate
ships, or huge waterslides. It is not a re-engineered Mexican city to
attract cruise ship or Disneyland crowds. Guanajuato is a thriving and
living city of stories, both historical and modern, to charm you to your
soul or scare you out of your socks. Here are two of my favorites:
Mummy Museum – This is often a big hit, especially with the kids. It is
a little ghoulish and spooky. Your kids will want to see it over and
over again. They'll want to plan a picnic and maybe even camp out in the
place. I've done Las Momias thing once and that was enough! I exited the
museum looking for a nurse's station that would perhaps have a small cot
I could lay down on and be attended to with a cold cloth on my head and
maybe a little Tequila. But, alas.
The first mummy was dug up in 1865. Because of limited cemetery space,
bodies had to be exhumed to make room for more eternal residents. But,
to everyone's surprise, the bodies did not decay but rather mummified.
The chemical composition of the soil in combination with this mountain
desert town's dry climate created a natural mummification process. The
action of this process creates a monster-like cadaver worthy of
Hollywood's best horror flicks. Remember Nightmare on Elm Street's
Freddy Kruger? Well, you get the picture.
The mummies are housed in glass cases that preserve them and with slick
lighting and some sound effects. It is in a comfortable facility for
easy viewing. It is a huge draw with Mexican kids who seem to be there
most often on field-trip days. But the slick presentation wasn't always
so. A Mexican friend told me that the mummies used to be housed in the
basement of a work building next to the cemetery. They were bolted to
the walls of the basement with metal bands around their torsos. The
exhibit was accessible via a narrow, creaking spiral staircase that
descended into a darkened, mummy-filled basement lit with only about a
25-watt bulb hanging by a wire from a high ceiling.
Well, the frequent comings and goings by visitors created a fluctuating
climate (Guanajuato does have a rainy season) for the mummies as well as
vibrations that would sometimes shake loose an arm, maybe a leg, and all
too often a head would pop off at the most opportune time when there was
some child standing there watching great, great uncle José fall apart.
Children would screech in horror and women would swoon. The visual and
consequent mental effect had to be right out of a Buffy the Vampire
Slayer show! Trust me, your kids will love this.
Alhóndiga De Granaditas – Another potential hit with the kiddies is this
200-year-old granary built to look like a fortress to store seeds and
grains. It was here that the first Mega-Bloodied battle for Mexico's
Independence was fought. Not only was blood spilled in abundance but
also heads were lost as the result of this battle.
When word reached the city of Guanajuato that the rebels were on their
way, and in a very bad mood in their bid for freedom from Spanish rule,
the Spaniards ran for their lives to the Alhóndiga to hole up until
reinforcements came to the rescue. The rebel army, some 20,000 strong,
engaged the Spanish there and eventually overcame the opposition in a
violently bloody end. This is today a history and art museum, which
still bears the holes from the gunfire on the outside of the building.
An especially grisly reminder of the rebel's struggle for Independence
came a little later. The Spanish eventually hunted down the leaders of
the rebellion and not only executed them but relieved them of their
heads. They hung the heads, four of them, as an object lesson (a lesson
which didn't work, obviously) to those who would rebel against Spanish
rule, on the four corners of The Alhóndiga in small cages for the birds
to dispose of. The hooks are still there and are very visible from the
ground.
The building was eventually turned into a prison and housed prisoners
from 1864 until 1967. It was then converted into a museum and now hosts
a bookstore, gallery, and tours can be taken for a small fee.
El Pipila – Is a monument to an alleged hero of the battle at The
Alhóndiga in which Juan José de la Reyes, El Pipila, set the doors
ablaze allowing the rebels to break into the granary and take the
Spanish stronghold. The view of the city from this monument high over
the city as if standing sentry is worth a visit.
Other Sights
A host of other sights are available for those with extended vacation
time to see. Below are some that might just become some of your
favorites:
Churches
Basilica
Templo de la Compañía
Iglesia de San Francisco
Callejón del Beso
Museums
Don Quijote
Ex – Hacienda San Gabriel
Valencia
Mine Templo la Valenciana
Place to Stay
Here's a Vital Hotel Tip: If you plan on being able to actually sleep at
night during your trip to the city of Guanajuato, stay as far away from
the Historic Center as you can possibly afford. In the online travel
advice forums, I constantly hear of potential first-time visitors to
Guanajuato wanting to stay in hotel accommodations in the Historic
Center or El Centro. I get the appeal. They want to be where the action
is and want to be able to step out the front door of their hotel right
into the thick of it. They want to soak up all the charm of Colonial
Mexico they can, something I totally get, and don't want to use up
valuable charm-soaking time in the back of a cab.
The thing is that Guanajuato is a thriving and living Colonial Mexican
town and much of the locals' affairs from entertainment to things dark
and nefarious also take place all night long in El Centro and often
right outside your hotel window or door. The noise factor is almost
always underestimated by Gringo visitors. We come from a land of Noise
Ordinances with the weight of the law of the land behind the enforcement
of them. Mexico is not America and this will become painfully clear if
you try staying downtown for a good night's slumber. If it isn't the
all-night partying that keeps you awake, the church bells clanging will
be the recipe for a really bad morning when you haven't slept all night.
If you bring the kids, just think of them being up all night from the
noise. If earplugs aren't what you had in mind, then book your hotel
outside of The Historic Center.
Hotel Recommendations
Casa de Espíritus Alegres – La Ex-hacienda
La Trinidad No. 1, Colonia Marfil
Phone and fax: +52 (473) 733-1013
Email: info(at)casaspirit.com
Website:
CasaSpirit.com
Casa Estrella de la Valenciana
Callejón Jalisco #10 Valenciana
Phone: +52 (473) 732-1784
Email: info(at)mexicaninns.com
Website:
MexicanInns.com
Quinta Las Alondras – (Hotel & Spa)
Autopista Guanajuato-Silao Km 1
Phone and fax: +52 (473) 733-3030
Email: reservaciones(at)quintalasalondras.com.mx
Website:
QuintaLasAlondras.com.mx
Villa María Cristina
Paseo de la Presa de la Olla 76
Phone: +52 (473) 731-2182 Fax: +52 (473) 731-2185
Email: reservaciones(at)ral.com.mx
Website:
VillaMariaCristina.com.mx
Holiday Inn Express
Phone: +52 (473) 735-2000
Misión Guanajuato
Phone: +52 (473) 732-3980
Website:
HotelesMision.com (click on Guanajuato)
Paseo de la Presa
Phone: +52 (473) 731-0777, +52 (473) 731-0778 and +52 (473) 731-0779
Do Your Homework
Our first visit to Guanajuato was all the more pleasant as the result of
reading as much as we could before going. The result was that we weren't
lost trying to figure out what to do and the things we wanted to see.
So, I offer the following as sources of information Before You Go to
Guanajuato, Mexico, The Cradle of Mexican Independence.
GuanajuatoCapital.com/Atractivo
bivir.uacj.mx
GuanajuatoCapital.com/Tbarrera
mexperience.com
Doug Bower is the author of A Walk Through Mexico's Crown Jewel: A
Guanajuato Travelogue. Check out his website at:
Mexican-Living-Guanajuato.com
Doug Bower is a freelance writer and book author. His writing credits
include The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Houston Chronicle, The
Philadelphia Inquirer, Associated Content, Transitions Abroad,
International Living, Escape Artist, and The Front Porch Syndicate. He
is also a writer with EzineArticles.com where his articles have been
syndicated in more than 5,024 online publications.
Book Credits: The Plain Truth about Living in Mexico – Universal
Publishers Guanajuato, Mexico: Your Expat, Study Abroad, and Vacation
Survival Manual in the Land of Frogs — Universal Publishers, You Can
Learn Spanish No Matter Your Age or Disposition — LuLu Press, The V!VA
List Latin America: 333 Places and Experiences that People Love — (He is
a contributor to this work,) and A Walk Through Mexico's Crown Jewel: A
Guanajuato Travelogue - Unlimited Publishing
Guanajuato slide show photography by Bill Bell
Mexico’s
Gift to the World: Vanilla Planifolia
Tropical Rainforest Orchid
By Tara Spears
More than a gorgeous Mexican tropical
flower, the vanilla planifolia is the only orchid that bears edible fruit. The
string bean-like pod becomes the key ingredient favored by cooks around the
globe for baked goods and beverages. Vanilla’s complicated history is interwoven
with mythology, horticultural discoveries, and political intrigue. But most
significantly, imagine a world without chocolate!
The Fairytale: The gentle
indigenous people, Totonaca Indians, an agricultural tribe inhabiting the Gulf
Coast of Mexico in the present-day state of Veracruz, were probably the first
people to cultivate vanilla. According to Totonaca mythology, the tropical
orchid was born when Princess Xanat, was who forbidden by her father from
marrying a mortal, fled to the forest with her lover. The lovers were captured
and beheaded. Where their blood touched the ground, the vine of the tropical
orchid grew.
The History of Vanilla: In the fifteenth century,
Aztecs from the central highlands of Mexico conquered the Totonacs, and the
conquerors soon developed a taste for the vanilla bean, which the Aztecs used to
flavor their unique chocolate drink, cachuatl, that is made from cocoa beans,
ground corn, ground vanilla beans, and honey. The Aztecs named the bean "tlilxochitl",
or "black flower", after the mature bean, which shrivels and turns black shortly
after it is picked. After they were subjugated to the Aztecs, the Totonacs were
required to grow vanilla as a tribute to the Aztec king, Montez uma.
The vanilla bean was used as currency.
When the Spanish explorers arrived in
Mexico in 1519, Hernan Cortes traveled through Veracruz where he first
tasted vanilla. Upon arriving in Mexico City, the conquistadors were wined and
dined by Montezuma, who believed Cortes was a fair skinned god-“Quetzalcoatl”.
The Mexican King served the foreigners his prized beverage, chocolatll, in
golden goblets. Seeking the Aztec king’s power and riches, Cortez and his men
conspired to kill him and plunder the wealth they felt was hidden in Montezuma’s
palace. Imagine the Spaniards’ disappointment to find bags of cocoa and vanilla
beans instead of gold. When the explorer returned to Europe, he brought bags of
the Mexican cocoa and vanilla beans along with the plundered jewels, gold and
silver from Montezuma’s conquered empire. Within fifty years Spanish factories
were preparing vanilla-flavored chocolate. For many years vanilla was only used
in conjunction with chocolate until enterprising chefs began using the savory
seasoning in baking. As vanilla’s popularity grew, many countries tried to
cultivate vanilla plants, but while the plants thrived, the orchids never bore
fruit except in Mexico. For more than 300 years, Mexico was the sole producer
of this exquisite spice.
 
Orchid vine
Vanilla blossom and fruit unripe beans
Vanilla Horticulture: According to Stephen Block, author of Vanilla
Enchantment, wild vanilla orchid grows as a thick, bright green vine up
rainforest trees, producing clusters of celadon colored flowers. These delicate,
small flowers usually bloom for just one day and can only be pollinated by the
small, stingless Mexican Melipona bee. If the flowers are not pollinated, they
drop to the ground without producing vanilla beans. It was not until 1836 that
a Belgian botanist, Charles Morren, discovered that other common insects could
not pollinate this orchid-thus explaining why the plants could grow well in
other countries but would not bear fruit. Efforts to relocate the Melipona bee
ended in frustration: the bee did not survive outside of Mexico. Morren tried to
hand pollinate the flowers with little success until a former Madagascar slave,
Edmund Albius, devised a method of hand pollinating the vanilla blossom with a
bamboo splinter. This method is still used today by commercial vanilla growers.
Labor Intensive: Vanilla production is
the most labor intensive of all agricultural products. The entire process of
vanilla cultivation, pollination, and harvesting is done by hand. To further
complicate the production is the fact that most vanilla plantations are in
remote locations that do not make using chemical fertilizers or pesticides
practical- a good thing with today’s modern go organic mindset.
The orchid vine will grow as high as
possible if left alone, so commercial growers fold the higher parts of the
plants to stay at a height that is accessible by a standing human, which also
greatly stimulates flower production. In commercial operations, it takes 18
months for a vanilla cutting to root and product its first flowers. Like all
orchids, the vanilla flower buds, growing along the 6 to 10 inch stems, bloom
and mature in a sequence, each at a different interval. This requires several
repeat hand pollinations per bloom cluster. The pollinated orchid will produce
a long green bean within a few weeks, but the bean must remain on the vine for
nine months to develop the desired complex flavor and fragrance. Yet, when the
beans are harvested, they have neither flavor nor fragrance until they go
through an arduous curing and drying process.
  
It takes 2 kilos (about 4 pounds) of
the green vanilla beans to end up with less than half a kilo (one pound) of
dried vanilla bean. The vanilla is completely cured when the proper moisture
content is reached, turning the beans dark with a rich, sweet aroma.
The culinary scoop: Today,
there are three main commercial preparations of vanilla: pods, powder (ground
pure whole pod or blended with sugar), and extract (in alcoholic solution).
Each of these forms is made of one of the three main types of vanilla beans:
Bourbon, Mexican or Tahitian. All types are equally good but with different
tastes and aromas. While both the Bourbon and Mexican vanillas are from the
planifolia species, the Bourbon strain (which is grown on Madagascar and whose
name derives from the French ruler at the time the plantations were started) is
described by noted vanilla expert, Patricia Rain, as “very rich taste and strong
aroma, with creamy, sweet overtones. The Mexican vanilla has a mellow, smoother
quality and a spicy, woody smell. These two are the gold standard of the vanilla
market.” The shorter Tahitian beans contain more oil and water and can be
characterized as having a flowery, fruity taste and aroma.
When purchasing fresh vanilla beans, the best quality will be the darkest color
with a length between 6-8 inches. The pods should be plump, moist, and glossy
with a rich aroma. Avoid dry, woody beans with little scent. Natural vanilla
extracts will have a brown to golden clear color depending on the concentration
strength. Vanilla extract maintains its quality well over time when stored.
Vanilla beans will keep indefinitely
in a cool, dark place in an airtight container. Don't refrigerate beans as this
can cause them to harden and crystallize. In the humid tropics where beans are
grown, they are wrapped in oiled or waxed paper and stored in tin boxes. If you
live in a hot humid climate, avoid air-tight plastic containers as beans can
mildew easily, especially if additional moisture collects in the plastic.
  
What Mexican vanilla extract
can look like (above)
Real Vanilla, with its complex
flavor characteristics, can be incorporated into a wide range of foods. In
many regions it has specific uses like smoothing spicy sauces, flavoring
cookies, fruit and pastries. It is one the most utilized flavors in recipes.
Vanilla harmonizes very well with many other flavors and is used not only as
stand-alone flavor, but also as a component in complex savory recipes.
Vanilla acts as a flavor enhancer to boost other flavors. Before
sharing a few recipes, a word of caution follows.
BEWARE: Vanilla sold in tourist
markets around Mexico is sometimes not actual vanilla extract, but is mixed
with an extract of the
tonka bean, which contains
coumarin. Tonka bean extract smells and tastes like vanilla, but
coumarin has been shown to cause liver damage in lab animals and is banned
in the US by the
Food and Drug Administration. The FDA banned coumarin use as the major
ingredient in the inexpensive "vanillas" or vanillin. Coumarin enhances the
flavor which, along with the low cost, makes it appealing to the
unsuspecting tourists seeking the famed Mexican vanilla. You get what you
pay for, so choose a quality product after reading the label.
Vanilla Salad Dressing
2 T. Pure Vanilla Extract
½ cup corn oil
Salt, pepper to taste
1 T. chopped chives
Mix ingredients together in order.
Pour over tossed salad. Makes enough for one or two small salads.
Recipe created by Chef Thierry
Lefeuvre, Froggy's French cafe, Highwood, IL
Seared Scallops with Vanilla Sauce
½
pound sea scallops
½ cup butter
1 cup cream
2 tablespoons onion, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
½ teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
½ pound angel hair pasta, cooked
Chopped parsley for garnish
Melt butter in a 12-inch frying pan.
Add scallops and cook until just done, about one minute per side. Remove
from pan and keep warm. Add onion and garlic to the pan and sauté 2 minutes.
Add cream and vanilla. Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly
thickened. Add scallops back to the pan and stir. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle
with fresh parsley. Serves 2. (Nielsen-Massey Vanillas)
Shrimp Kabobs
2
cups olive oil
3 T. chili powder
3 T. Vanilla Extract
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
24 red, yellow and green peppers, cut into triangles
24 red onion slices, cut into triangles
¼ c. garlic, coarsely chopped
½ cup white wine
1 T. mixed herbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine olive oil, Vanilla and chili
powder. Let infuse overnight and strain. In a large bowl, combine the
infused olive oil, shrimp, vegetables, white wine, garlic, herbs, salt and
pepper. Marinate for 2-3 hours. If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 1
hour. Assemble the skewers with one each of the peppers, 3 onion triangles
and 3 shrimp. Grill or broil over moderate flame. Serves 4, 8 as appetizers.
(Recipe courtesy of "Food for Thought" catering, Chicago, Illlinois)
Mexican Hot Cocoa Mix
Chocolate has been
found to contain cancer-fighting antioxidants, and a cup of hot cocoa is one
of the best ways to get these beneficial goodies. Cocoa is made all the more
special with the addition of Pure Vanilla! Try this recipe for a hot cocoa
mix with a Mexican twist. It makes a great gift when it's put into a special
container and tied with a festive ribbon. The perfect health-boosting winter
warmer!
1 cup powdered
nondairy coffee creamer
1 cup fine granulated sugar (or powdered sugar)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Powder
1 Teaspoons cinnamon
Combine all
ingredients. Store in an airtight container. To serve: Add 2/3 cup boiling
water to 1/3 cup Mexican Hot Cocoa Mix in a sturdy mug. Stir. Top with
marshmallows, if desired, and enjoy!
Contact Tara:
terri_sprs@yahoo.com
More
articles by Tara Spears
SPORTS
Tiny toreador
Michelito, 10, king of the bullring
IT'S no bull. Tiny toreador Michelito is already a
star of the bullring, and was before he even turned 10. Michelito is
just like any other child who likes playing guitar, surfing the internet
and watching Spiderman, but at just 10 years old, he is also a star
bullfighter and has already killed 160 calves. ….More
Blanco's homecoming
is legendary
Cuauhtémoc Blanco's place among Mexico's all-time
greatest players is secure. His astounding goals and impressive
accomplishments for both club and country have set him apart from all
but a handful of his countrymen. But even for a legend, Blanco continues
to dazzle…..More
Toluca to play Cruz
Azul for Apertura title
Toluca will take on Cruz Azul in the Mexican Apertura
final after rallying to beat Santos 2-1 on Sunday with goals from Edgar
Duenas and Chilean striker Hector Mancilla…..More
Mens Golf winners
Darts winners from Men's darts League Wednesday at Crazy Nellys
WEATHER
SAN Pancho Weather www.sanpanchoweather.com
Weather in Mexico
Currency
Eric Nice Plays every Thursday at
Mateja's
Mexico
Spends $1.5 Bln to Hedge Falling Oil Prices
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2009
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