Yesterday I took an all day tour to the cities of Dolores Hidalgo and Guanajuato. In Dolores Hidalgo we visited the church where Fr. Manuel Hidalgo began organizing the Indians in a rebellion against the Spaniards the led to Mexican independence in 1810.  The whole country is preparing for their bicentennial next year, but especially in Dolores Hidalgo. 





Restoration is taking place both inside and outside the church - notice the scaffolding on the left above.  Unlike many of the churches in San Miguel which are dark and comber, this church is light and airy.  Below you can see the difference between the bright and clean bay on the left and the dirty one on the right.



The town is also known for its ice cream vendors in the Jardin who offer many, many flavors of ice cream, some of them a bit unusual, such as cheese or shrimp ice cream.  I had mango.



Dolores Hidalgo also produces about 75% of the ceramic ware of Mexico.  We visited three shops - two too many for me!



This is what the countryside between the two cities looks like.  The mountains in the distance are part of the Sierra Madres range.



 Located in a basin surrounded by hills, Guanajuato is the capital of the state of Guanajuato. The city came into being during the 16th century when it became the world center for silver mining.  The city has an entirely different character than San Miguel - it is scruffier, and perhaps more authentically Mexican.  What is distinctive about the historic enter is that many of the streets are only pedestrian ways because they are so narrow and windy and steep, many with steps.  There are tunnels underneath the city for through traffic - an older version of Boston's Big Dig! 



We visited the house/museum where Diego Rivera was born and raised and the University of Guanajuato, known for its outstanding law school. (below)



The houses in Guanajuato are painted in a greater array of bright colors than in San Miguel.



Just at dusk we took a funicular to the top of one of the surrounding hills.  There was a magnificent view of the city below just when lights were being turned on.



Someday I would like to return to Guanajuato to spend more time exploring the city.  The tour was rushed when we got there because of all the time spent in the ceramic shops!