In the quiet darkness of the morning, my friends and I wait outside for our Uber driver to reach us. We’re dangerously close to missing our bus, so I’m impatient as I watch the tiny black car on Tolu’s phone screen inch slowly toward us.
When the driver arrives, I tell him we are in a hurry to catch our bus from the Mexico Norte Terminal. I don’t say this because I want him to drive faster than he’s allowed to, but I don’t want him to drive slower either. We’re lucky; it’s early enough that the streets are not yet congested, so we arrive just in time to wait in a short line before boarding our bus to San Miguel de Allende.
The recliner seats inside the bus are roomy and cushiony, so I drift off to sleep quickly. When I wake up, I see from the time on my phone that we are less than an hour away from our destination. The sky’s blue is more visible now, free from the grey smog that sometimes darkens the sky over Mexico City. Rolling green hills and asymmetrical rows of painted houses come into view as we approach San Miguel de Allende.
The town is a kaleidoscope of color. From the backseat of a yellow taxi, I see walls painted in terracotta, bright yellow, and blends of both. Rainbow-colored paper garlands hang in rows strung from one roof to the next and sway gently in the breeze.
Our arrival coincides with the week of Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead): an annual Mexican holiday where families celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed on. Although the calendar says the two-day holiday is over, festivities continue through the weekend.
Vivid orange marigold blossoms -named Cempasuchil in Aztec- frame entrances to buildings, decorate courtyards and sprout from planted flower gardens. Elaborate ofrendas (altars) grace stores and restaurants and display various mementos: photos of departed loved ones, more marigold blossoms, bottles of tequila, fruit, and white Calaveras (skulls) painted in a motley blend of colors.
We spend our days in the city walking through its festive downtown streets, many of which are closed to vehicle traffic. We take photographs of the scenes in front of us and of each other, smiling in alleys or against colorful building walls.
Occasionally, passersby stop me and my friends to tell us that we are beautiful, that we look like dolls, and that they would like photos of us. Many of their approaches are kind, but the photo requests stir discomfort, so I decline most of them, uninterested in becoming entertainment.
In the cool evenings, we watch the sunset from the cactus-lined rooftop at our home in the hills, stroll quiet cobbled streets into town for dinner, wait in line for decadent churros that we dip in mugs of hot chocolate, and enjoy the easy familiarity of each other’s company.
***
I don’t take it for granted that I have loved ones who I look forward to traveling with, and I hope I never do. While traveling alone fulfills my need for solitude and comes with the ease of making or canceling plans for a party of 1, having real-time shared experiences with the people I love is a gift.
Good to Know
Getting there
We traveled to San Miguel de Allende by bus from Mexico City. It’s a 3-hour ride, and the ETN buses are incredibly comfortable. You can purchase roundtrip tickets online here
Language
English is spoken in some places, but Spanish is the primary language.
Payments
Credit Cards and Cash are accepted, but make sure to carry cash to pay for taxis especially.
Getting Around
Walking or via yellow taxi. You can flag the taxis down on the street or take down a taxi driver’s number to contact them directly.
San Miguel de Allende sits at a high altitude, so keep in mind in case you start to feel nauseous or light-headed while walking. Here are some tips on how to deal with being at high altitude:
Stay hydrated with water, travel with/ buy nausea medicine and pain medicine for headaches, and rest at regular intervals while walking or doing strenuous activities.
Where to Stay
You can book the gorgeous Airbnb we stayed at here. Note, this house is in the hills ~15-17 min walk from town, but it is well worth the stay.
Food & Drink
We enjoyed our meals at:
- Tené Kitchen & Bar
- Inside Cafe
- Chocolates y Churros San Augustin
Traveling Mexico is a monthly series chronicling my time in Mexico last November. I lived in Mexico City for one month, and it felt both restorative and exciting. Click the “subscribe” button to receive the next part of this series as soon as I hit publish.
As always,
Thank you for reading!
Same Footprints, Different Sands
Same Footprints 
1 Comment