San Miguel de Allende - Gringo Lingo

The amazing cathedral off the main garden
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So from Guanajuato we took a small bus-ride to San Miguel de Allende. This where we began to understand the differences between the different classes of Mexican buses. We took a second class bus because it was only $6.50. What Second-Class mean apparently is that the bus stops everywhere along the way, small towns, roadsides, schools. The locals basically use it as a city bus as you get closer to your destination, so the last 10 km took a very long time.

Mostly I wanted to visit San Miguel after reading Tony Cohan's books about it, On Mexican Time and Mexican Days. I knew the town would be different, after all the first one takes place in the 1980s, but I don't know if I was quite ready for the difference.

The Jardin
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Gringos, gringos, gringos viejos everywhere. The town is amazingly lovely with scattered churches and charmingly winding streets, but the influx of affluent Americans has driven the prices up on food and drink. Our hostel was good deal, (we slept in the dorms making it even more so) with a sweet little courtyard in between the front building and rear one. Lime trees bloomed above and there was a tiled former fountain whose purpose now seemed to be a holder and backdrop for many pots of geraniums. The people were also amazing, Patty who seems to live at the hostel for long periods was very helpful in giving me directions to shops, and Tracy was great fun entertaining us with her tales of life as a server on yachts. We set out walking trying to find some local restaurant offering antojitos (mexican snacks, small meals) but instead found everything else. Italian, burgers, pizza and even, amazingly, the only Starbucks that we have encountered in two and a half months. There isn't even one in Mazatlan.

Lookout! Starbucks has landed.
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Then we saw it. Down a side street, among a cluster of outdoor restaurants in tents and palapas. The shadow of a word almost hidden by the restaurant in front. Longhorn BBQ. Texas-style. Oh, we did it. The BBQ was amazing, brisket, sausage, ribs, potato salad and beans. With authentic Texas ambiance of Nascar discussions and bad country music. While we were there Danny and his young Texan server told us about a place a little outside the historical area that had a long list of import beers. We eagering asked about the possibility of American microbrews and they assured us there were some. Imagine our disappointment when we arrived later that night to find out the "American microbrew" on offer was in fact, Sam Adams. Sigh.

Matt loves Texas!
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So we instead walked back to the Jardin in the center of town, which is now ringed with expensive, trendy restaurants. Matt told me we could go to anyone that I wanted when he caught me looking wistfully at them. So we strolled around and compared two-for-one drink specials until I spotted Azotea, with 2x1 mojitos. Sold! It turned out to be a Spanish tapas bar, so Matt made me order as well, so we stuffed ourselves with Brie baked in tamarind sauce, parmesan asparagus, and salmon and goat cheese on toasts. The final bill for 4 mojitos and all that: 370 pesos. So more expensive than other cities, but still manageable. Patty also helped me find a lovely used English bookstore, Garrison & Garrison, right off of Mesones, that had only opened a few days before. Books in Mexico are notoriously expensive new, averaging $18-30 for a new paperback. Garrison & Garrison is a lifesaver, and I was able to snag a Kate Atkinson and an Isabel Allende for only $8 together. Books!!!