Day 22 - Guanajuato Mexico

There is one other RV here…Bob and Monique from Montreal. They have a 40-ft RV and towing a car and came through the same road we did (so we didn’t make a mistake). He said he has a loud, shrill, automatic alarm over the right wheel of his van that goes off whenever he gets close to the (non) shoulder of the road…..his wife! I can’t imagine taking that rig on the road but they’ve done it before and in fact, have driven Mexico a few times and love it. They both took Spanish lessons and being French, already have a leg up on the language. Anyway, they are also heading to Puerto Vallarta with a few stops along the way and while we are tempted to ask if we can ‘caravan’ with them, we’ve decided to stay here one more day. We expect to see them at the next camp site.
Originally, the plan was to leave this morning but the city has an amazing history and is listed as a national monument in Mexico. After doing the ‘do we take the bus or not’ thing, Wayne says that because this is Sunday, it should be quieter, we should take the van. Now, the guide books all say…’Streets are too narrow for RV’s of most size’ but what the hell do they know…right? Halfway through the city, I take a panic attack of never-before-known proportions…the side-walks on both sides are 18” wide, the streets are 10 feet wide and Sunday is a HUGE family day so every Mexican packs up his wee car and heads for the city!! There are markets, tourists, little rides set up for the millions of kids, vendors, cars, buses—all trying to get their bit of space on/off the streets. “GET ME OUTTA HERE”, say I and Wayne tries to find a way out of this maze that shows no end. He decides to follow a bus through the city…”If he can make it, we can”…and while we get an interesting city tour, in the end, we see a sign that points to the way we want to go and we take it!
What I did see (when I open my eyes) is the most amazing place I’ve EVER seen and the photographer in me says all plans must be changed so we can come back tomorrow. It was founded in 1559 and was a world renowned silver producing area. Because floods plagued the city, a series of huge subterranean ducts were built and these are now part of the ‘historic highway’ that cars (and Roadtreks) drive through under the city. It’s built in a bowl so houses of every colour and descriptions, are built up the hills and the middle of the city is tiny streets with no direction that become another street with terraces and steps that lead to another street. One guidebook says that if you find a nice shop with something you would like to buy, get it then because you’ll never find it again! That’s our plan for today and yes, we will be taking the bus! If you don’t hear from us within two weeks, tell the authorities to look for two crazy Canadians ‘somewhere’ in the city.