Finding Our Rhythm in GTO

It’s a new day, and things are looking up. #guanajuato #howtoextendyourladder #howtobreakyourneck

A cholera outbreak around 1833 filled the cemeteries of Guanajuato and led to a tax in 1870 that required families of those interred to pay to keep them there. When families couldn’t pay, bodies were exhumed and stored in a nearby building to make room for paying customers. The dry mountain climate had preserved the bodies, and eventually, the undertakers started a side business charging people to come see them; The Museo del las Momias was (res)erected. Wynne was fascinated although she admitted to having thought all “mummies” were “mommies” and that they’d be “wrapped in paper towel.” #museodelasmomias #guanajuato #donttellyourmummy #homesghoul #exhumeschool

Today is El Día de las Flores when the center of Guanajuato fills with stalls selling flowers to decorate altars to the Virgin Mary on the anniversary of her son’s cruxifixction tomorrow. They also sell all kinds of baskets of confetti-filled eggs to be thrown and characters on sticks with egg-heads. Pro-tip: if you’re a parent considering buying an egg-headed Rapunzel for your 3 yr old, drop an extra $2 for a spare. The heads really are made of egg shells and will not last through the first cobblestone face-plant. #dontaskmehowiknow #familytravel #travelwithkids #guanajuato #diadelasflores

On Saturday night, the mariachi bands case turf in the Jardin de la Union like rival gangs, displaying their colors through puffy shirts, tasseled jackets, striped pants and shiney shoes. When a space opens in a restaurant or someone on a bench calls them over, they spring up from smoking cigarettes and scrolling through their phones to belt out some great music. #guanajuato #mariachi #jardindelaunion

A little more than 7 years ago, Ann and I drove a Nissan Xterra kitted out with a tailgate kitchen and a rooftop tent from San Francisco to Panama, stopping along the way in Guanajuato. Of course, that was 2010 BC (before children), and I had seemingly unlimited time to blog, edit videos and I can’t even remember what else.
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Check out this clip of a video from our time in GTO back then, click the link in profile to watch the rest and see a playlist of others or head to advodna.com for the full stories. Hint: the last video in the playlist shows a bit of our truck setup. Other favorites include Chihuahua Pacific into Barranca del Cobre, Monarch Butterfly Santuary, Jungle Off-Roading in Belize and Ziplining in Costa Rica.
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#overland #overlanding #butreally #guanajuato

I almost have the girls convinced that the dogs along our walking route to the downtown aren’t barking at them, they’re just announcing where they are. #roofroofroof #roofdogs #roofdogsofmexico #roofdogsofguanajuato #roofdogsofinstagram

Flags in the late afternoon sun on our walk home. Note the entrance to one of the many tunnels - some formerly used in the productive mines and others built in the 1700’s to divert the Rio Guanajuato from flooding the city but now used for vehicle traffic - right beside the best coffee roaster I’ve found so far. #travelessentials #guanajuato