Fortunately our bike was still parked where we left it the night before when we woke up (we had that stolen bike in the back of our minds). After a long day of relaxation, it was time to prepare for a 10 hour day through the mountains and to Guanajuato. We took the toll road since we knew how long a drive it would be, and didn't want to waste any time getting stuck behind truck drivers on winding mountainous roads. This plan would get us to Guanajuato before dark.
View from the roof top of our hotel
Eric setting the GPS coordinates
We left around 9:30 am with some technical setbacks and made our way to the quota. Driving on the quota allows a much faster drive, but the problem is that it avoids small towns making it hard to stop at any time for food. Along the way we passed through Colima and were able to get some great shots of the Volcan de Colima, which even gave us a show by spitting out very large puff of smoke as we were driving by. Apparently, Colima is one of the most active volcanos in Central America and one of the potentially most dangerous ones.
After what seemed like an eternity, we found a small town to get some food in. We ordered soup and a torta in a spot where we were able to watch our bike from a distance.
We spent the next few hours of the drive adding more and more layers of clothes as the drive became colder and colder. About and hour before sunset, we had about 45 minutes left to make it to Guanajuato and since we didn't have a hotel room booked yet we realized we would be driving around at night time just before and while we were there. At this point we had a choice to make: either stay in a small town outside of Guanajuato and drive the remaining hour in the morning, or try and make it to Guatajuato and stay in the first hotel we came across. We opted for the latter. We figured we made it this far, why give up now?
Arriving in Guanajuato just before dark (yay!), we managed our way through the impressive tunnels that wrap around and under this colonial town. We had no idea just how confusing a drive through Guanajuato could be, so one drive through the town and we turned into the first hotel we found with parking on the outskirts of downtown centro. The hotel was surprisingly cheap for a last minute pick at $41 including gated parking, wifi and hot water. We were tired from the 10 hour drive, but we wanted to explore the town as much as possible since we were leaving the following day. We groomed ourselves as much as we could without taking showers, and went for a walk around town. Guanajuato is beautiful beyond explanation. This pedestrian friendly colonial town is by far my favorite colonial town on this trip. Founded in 1559 due to the regions silver and gold deposits, this town is described as one of the most influential during the colonial period and as a result is now the capitol of the state. With a university nearby, the nightlife was energetic with lovers snuggling in gazebos, small bands playing in every nearby squares, and courtyards of restaurants, busker's, and locals and tourists alike strolling the town and sitting on benches people watching. We decided to eat in the main square and since it was the night before our anniversary, splurge on a wine and food pairing. This probably wasn’t the best idea since we were dehydrated from the ride, and while we drank seemingly as much water as we did wine, we were drunk after the first glass of 6. The meal came with 6 dishes including a dessert, and while we both decided the food could have been better, the experience was still unique and provided a romantic atmosphere.
This band had the biggest audience of them all
For the last song, the band invited their audience to walk along the square with them while they played
Our view at dinner
Some of our dinner
After dinner, we stumbled through the streets of Guanajuato, took some pictures, and somehow made it back to our hotel safe and sound. Notice how blurry our pictures are..
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