Narrow cobblestone streets in shallow canyons of colorful Colonial buildings, unique architecture, and a heartbeat thumping with Miguelenos and expats – San Miguel de Allende is everything we expected and more.
We only arrived yesterday and are already smitten.
The trip down was uneventful until an over-zealous immigration officer busted Terri for poor penmanship. I am not making this up. Terri had made a date mistake on her immigration form, and had crossed out two numbers, and then written the correct numbers. Forget a south-of-the-border mañana attitude, this hombre was serious. He sent Terri back to complete a new form, which of course, put her at the end of the long queue we had just waited in.
We arrived in SMA late in the day, and were anxious to stretch our legs and do a bit of exploring. The apartment Terri found is excellent, and the location is perfect. But right outside our door is one of the things this area is known for – hills.
On our walk to the Jardin (main plaza), we were lashed by the perfect storm of exhaustion. In addition to the hills and weariness of a long travel day, our bodies reminded us about the rigors of a rapid change in altitude. As you may remember, we live on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean: elevation 0 feet. San Miguel, located in the Sierra Madre Mountains, is at 6500 feet. It’s not Everest, but it was enough to take the wind out of our sails, and pronto. At one point Terri was walking behind me, and I reminded her not to step on the anchor I was towing.
After a good night’s rest, today was much easier. We’re excited about the rest of our week here, and you”ll hear all about it.
Happy Trails,
James
GALLIVANCE 
Love the colors of the city and once you are rested, start tackling those hills! We feel the same way being in Florida at sea level. Once we get back out west, we will have some work to do before we start hiking any mountains. 🙂
Living in the southeast has made me a hill wimp LuAnn. My calves are a bit tender this morning, but SMA is good prep for the other places we’re visiting. Have a great weekend. ~James
Hope you enjoy San Miguel as much as we did.
My daughter, Lee Gentry and grandchild and her partner live in San Miguel de Allende….I am a good friend of Terri Lou Royse.
Thanks for the comment Ellen, and for dropping by the blog. After being here a few days, I can see that SMA would be a fun place to live. It’s beautiful, interesting city, and has a nice small town feel. Say hello to Terri Lou for me. ~ James
The colors of these houses are wonderful. I live on the top of a steep street like this. Good for you calf muscles. Not so good for the snow like we have been having lately. This is a very cheerful scene. Thanks for sharing.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
I absolutely love the rich colors here. Frequently, they’re colors that I wouldn’t put together, but they work in SMA. The wonderful golds and burgundys are my favorites. ~James
Fabulous, colorful shots! ~SueBee
Thanks SueBee. SMA is a very photogenic place. Watch our posts for the next few days for more color. ~ James
Will do!
House colours are fabulous. Not so keen on officious immigration officers or hills, but the place looks worth the hassle.
I think this guy at immigration was on a power trip, and we had to bite our tongues. But our objective is to get in-country, and our motto is to be pleasant and keep our mouths shut. Then once through immigration, (quietly, between ourselves), we let him have it. ~ James
Looking wonderful already!
Can’t wait to see more
It’s pretty cool Chris, and I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but bring sturdy shoes and an big SDHC card in you camera. ~ James
We can’t wait to fill up several cards! 🙂
I love the colors too. Makes for a happy time, methinks. I wait for more of your adventure.
Today we’re off to the local market, where we hope to sneak in a cerveza and an enchilada or two. We love local markets. ~James
I know. Local markets are full of activity and lots and lots of people you can strike up a conversation with. And there’s all that lovely f.o.o.d.
oh yes! i live at zero as well, and when i go to quito, i often forget and do something silly like run up a flight of steps.. and for the next few days i have a complimentary buzz that slows me to a turtle’s pace. i laughed about dragging the anchor!
it sounds lovely there! enjoy your visit! z
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It’s great to hear from a sealevel compatriot that can appreciate acclimation to altitude. And given your artwork and love of bright colors, you’d love SMA. I understand there’s also a big art community here as well. ~ James
yes, it looks ike a very fun yet peaceful place!
I’m always smitten with narrow cobblestone streets and colorful buildings. Can’t wait to hear about your adventure. By the way, your second image isn’t showing up for me. I wonder if anyone else has this problem?
I have been having all sorts of problems with missing images. I have to keep clearing my cache and this seems to provide a temporary solution.
Thanks Andrew. Does this mean that the image is missing for you as well? ~ James
Yes it is but I have been having similar difficulties with other blog posts as well so the fault may not be yours!
Thanks Andrew. We’ll try a re-load and see if that helps. Otherwise, it might just be the ghost in the machine. ~James
Thanks, Andrew. If I can figure out how to do this, I’ll do it for sure! 🙂
Thanks for the heads-up Cathy. We have a couple of things at work here. First is a sketchy and intermittent wifi connection, and we’re writing the post on an iPad. We see the photo just fine on our end, but we’ll check it out. ~ James
Colours reminded me of Burano near Venice. I’d always heard that it was difficult to get into the USA not Mexico!
That was my thought exactly Andrew. I was expecting lackadaisical and got nit-picking. You just never know. ~ James
Glad you have arrived safely. What I know about Terri she is a real trouble maker. 🙂 hope you adjust to the new elevation and get rested up for adventures ahead.
Thanks Sue. As I said in another comment, living in the southeast has made me a altitude and hill wimp. My calves are killing me this AM. But a little ibuprofen and getting back on the trail will sort it all out. ~James
Yes you beach folks! 🙂 as you say it will all sort itself out in the days ahead. Cheers.
Just love the colourful buildings – I can see this trip will have you putting the camera into overdrive, James.
I guess Terri won’t make that mistake ever again.
You’re right Vicki. SMA is a very photogenic place. Not only is it colorful, but the contrast of the rich colors make it even better. I charge my camera battery at the end of each day. ~ James
Beautiful place that looks so much as Old San Juan in Puerto Rico. Hope you enjoy your stay at SMA. I wish to be there.
We haven’t been to Puerto Rico Fabiola, but if it looks like SMA we’ll add it to our list. I just love the colorful Spanish Colonial architecture, and of course, the food. ~ James
You guys are so brave! From your pics it seems totally beautiful down there! Can you breathe? haha I just found you guys, as I am getting the urge to fly south myself. Your adventure will surely breathe some life back into some of us as well! It looks amazing! I wish you guys flowers and fun every day! about 5 hours from the border… 🙂 p.s. try some lucious citrus drinks for the high altitudes!
Thanks Cissy. One of the nice things about Mexico is that it’s an easy place to travel. The people are friendly and helpful, and have no problems with gringos. I’ve always loved Mexican food, so that’s a big plus as well. I’m sure you’d enjoy SMA, if you can make it down. ~ James
Terri & James, what a kaleidoscope of color! Wish you two safe travels and more mischief-filled adventures. 🙂
Thanks Tricia. Kaleidoscope is exactly the right word. I think that SMA is the most colorful town we’ve ever visited. I’ve always enjoyed the bright colors in Latin America, but San Miguel has taken it to a new level. ~ James
Enjoy Mexico. We are considering traveling down there this fall so I’ll be following along to see where you go. Guanajato nearby to SMA is pretty amazing if you get the chance (but you probably already know that.)
Jeff, our next stop is Morelia, and then Guanaguanto. We also had read great things about Guanajuato, and we’re looking forward to our stay there. On this trip we decided to keep it relaxed, and avoid Mexico City. And FYI, Delta now has a direct flight into Leon from Atlanta so we could skip a stop in Mex City – sweet. ~ James
Many years ago I traveled across Mexico by bus and when I got to Mexico City, I walked out of the train station, walked right back in and bought a ticket to Guanajuato. I want to go back and experience it, but at the time it seemed too overwhelming. So, I know what you mean.
United now has a direct flight from Houston to Leon also so going to MEX isn’t a must anymore.
We spent a week in MEX Jeff, and while we enjoyed it, it isn’t somewhere I’m itching to go back to. ~ James
Guys, how very random. Leslie and I have decided to cut our Paris adventure a little short and instead go to live in…San Miguel de Allende. We decided yesterday and then guess what, you posted from there. Looks like we’re going to miss you though, unless you’re staying for a month? If not, I’ll be sure to dodge that anchor you’ve obviously left in the street.
Cheers.
That’s amazing Steve, and yes very random. I’m sure that you and Leslie will enjoy it here. The historic center is beautiful, and has a relaxed vibe. SMA also has a beautiful mountain setting, and the area around the city has loads of interesting sights. And you probably aready know that it was numero uno on Conde Naste’s top 25 cities in el mundo. So a few other folks think it’s cool as well. Living here would be great fun. We’ll be gone before you get here, but given our coincidences, I’m sure we’ll bump into each somewhere on the trail. ~ James
Lovely and warm looking! Still looking out at snow here in CT, grateful for the vicarious pleasure you offer in this blog and look forward to more!
Thanks Tricia. It’s Sunday morning here; my coffee is warm and delicious, all the windows are open, the doves are cooing outside, and life is good. San Miguel isn’t that far from CT you know. ~ James
Looks like an absolutely gorgeous location. Look at those colours!
But gosh, don’t cross those immigration people. Wouldn’t like to find out what happened if you did something really wrong…
Bronwyn San Miguel is the most colorful city we’ve ever visited. The houses, churches, and artwork – all are rich, vibrant colors. And when it comes to immigration, I learned long ago that the objective is to get in-country. I say hello, smile, hand over my papers, and keep my mouth shut. I’ve been pulled out of line before, and it isn’t fun. ~ James
Aaaw!! This post brought me such good memories. I came here to do an exchange program while I was studying at Illinois Institute of Technology. I also visited other cities around and with Guanajuato this was one of the most colorful. Loved the architecture and the food. Did you try the arepas?
I’m glad you enjoyed the post Virginia. We fell in love with Spanish Colonial architecture in Peru, and it’s great to be able to see it again. We’re going to Guanajuato and Morelia as well, so we’ll have a steady diet of nice architecture. We haven’t had arepas, but will be on the lookout. I love Latin American cornmeal based food, so they sound great. Thanks for the tip. ~ James
Ah James, hills are good. Come visit Peggy and I in our mountain retreat in Oregon sometime and we’ll give you practice. 🙂 Between you and Terry and Alison and Don, Peggy and I are getting lots of new ideas for Mexico. Thanks. –Curt
Actually Curt, it’s getting a bit easier, and the anchor has gotten lighter. FYI when we lived in Oregon we lived in Newport … at 0 feet! If you guys haven’t been to this area you should check it out. It’s a bit unusual with all the gringos around, but the total Mexican feel shines through. The historic centro is small and a great place to wander, and the architecture is wonderful. ~ James
I have always been impressed James with just how quickly the body responds to exercise, given half a chance. –Curt
Lovely introduction – looking forward to more…
Thanks Suzanne. The town is so lovely and colorful, and the photos don’t really do it justice. We now know why it’s such a popular destination. ~ James
People never think about the change in elevation. By the time you get used to it, it will be time to go home. Just think though, a little slower walk gives you more time to take in all the beauty and color!
You’re spot on Laura. We’re big into architectural details, and stopping to look for them makes a great excuse to catch my breath. In Peru we flew from Lima (sea level) to Cusco (11,000ft), and buddy there was no ignoring that change in altitude. ~James
Glad to know you’ve got the spring back in your step! It looks such a pretty place- hills and all. 🙂
After a few days, the hills are less of an issue Jo. And honestly, the hills are a big part of the charm of San Miguel. I just have to work harder to prevent these Mexican grandmothers from walking around me as I’m trudging up the street. ~ James
Beautiful!! San Miguel de Allende sounds a bit like a Mexican San Francisco, what with the lung-busting hills and colorful architecture! (Although… from what you report, San Franciscans are much more laidback re: penmanship. Glad you made it in!)
I hadn’t thought about it Miranda, but the SF comparison isn’t that far off. The expats here are mostly US and Canadian retirees, and are free spirits. The town is artsy, loaded with spas and yoga classes, and lots of long, casual lunches. Luckily, the town has absorbed the expat influence well and maintained its unique Mexican flavor. ~ James
I like that expression – dragging an anchor behind you. It describes a lot of my hikes…and runs.
It’s funny about exercise. Some days are just harder than others. And the first few days in SMA were all hard – hence the anchor. ~ James
Terri’s just lucky with that immigration form. She could’ve been sent a number of places rather than just to the back of the line!! Same thing happened to Bert in China, and he understood NOT a word of Chinese!!! Happy travels!
We’ve had a few hiccups at immigration Rusha, so every time we make it through easily, we do a little victory dance. I got pulled out of line at LAX returning from China and was detained for an hour. It was a passport mixup, but was not fun. They won’t tell you anything as to why they’re holding you. It was pretty scary actually. ~ James
That’s what happened to Bert. He had no idea why he was detained, nor any communication skills to find out!!! It is scary!!!
I can’t believe I missed all your Mexico posts! I was having problems with my WP emailed posts and then I was in Cuba. I still am not sure why I didn’t see this series as I LOVE it!!! When did you go to Mexico and how long were you there? This is a part of Mexico I’d love to see! How did you get around? Tour or by rental car?
Thanks Nicole. This is a wonderful part of Mexico, and it’s so easy and fun to visit. Our entire trip far exceeded our expectations. We traveled between cities on buses (see comment on Morelia post). The people are friendly, the food is great, and the weather was perfect for the month we were there. In addition to San Miguel, Morelia, and Guanajuato, I’d add Oaxaca to your itinerary. It’s southeast of Mexico City, but it’s a special place as well. ~James
Thanks! Now I have yet another place I want to visit! This is the kind of Mexico I’d love to see!