Peter Paul and Mary once sang ‘ Leaving on a jet plane , don’t know when I’ll nee back again.’ Well this time I wasn’t. And I did. No jet plane for us on the journey North to Guanajuato. And. I knew when we would be back again. In roughly 10 days time via Oaxaca.

Yes. Ian had said that the journey would be better by bus. 5,5 hours. By bus. He’d done his research and decreed that the best bus to travel on was ETN. So we went and booked days in advance. Asked for the best seats which were upstairs and at the front. I also did my research and asked if they used the toll roads. Why? I’d heard you were less likely to be held up,if you used the toll roads. See. My paranoia was still there. But. The journey was easy. Comfortable and the bus was quiet and added to that we got to see the countryside. When I wasn’t snoring.

I’d never heard of Guanajuato. I’d looked it up and read a bit but Ian had said I’d like it. Great photo opportunities he said. So I did what we all do theses days. Hashtag Guanajuato.

Guanajuato was a wealthy city in Mexico famous for its silver mines and at one point accounted for two-thirds of the world’s silver production at the height of its production.

Ian had booked the accommodation either with Airbnb or Home Away. Not Home and Away ~ that’s totally different. It had all been done months before and I had forgotten what was where. Oh boy. Did he hit the jackpot with this accommodation.

The entrance hall from the street lead up to the first floor. Filled with tall columns. A skull. And an atrium full of plants. I mean full. A lovely house overlooking the plaza.

But for me the piece de resistance was the terrace. Boy. What a terrace. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. I couldn’t remember seeing this on the itinerary. Filled with plants. In pots. On top of Columns. So many ideas to take away with me on and if I ever left the house.

Perfectly situated to go to the bakery for bread and pastries for breakfast and for fruit. But. There were things to see. Places to go.

Guanajuato City built its wealth on mining and silver in particular. Getting into the centre is an interesting experience. After being dropped off at the airport you have to get a taxi into the centre. But to do that you have to enter via the underground tunnels which are too low for buses and it’s one way in and one way out.

It’s a colourful city with narrow one way streets and small roads with a lot of steps and small alleys. We stayed on Plaza San Fernando where cars weren’t allowed. ‘Queue Abba song lyrics’

The houses are definitely colourful and so opposite to the Pueblo Blanco’s in Spain. Guanajuato is a world heritage site and apparently it’s illegal to paint the houses in any other colour. I cant find why they were painted in the first place but maybe to identify them. But colourful they certainly are. Viewed from El Pipila after taking the funicular they are an abundance of colour shape and size with an obvious view of no planning controls.

El Pipila is the nickname of a local hero and was famous for his heroism at the beginning of the Mexican war of Independence in 1810. The base of the statue is where us tourists go to get the best pictures of the city. You can climb the steep steps instead of using the funicular. Guess what. We didn’t.

Like Mexico City the streets and squares had trees. I particularly loved the way that many of the trees were cut and shaped to provide shade for the benches below.

What a great use of topiary.

I’ve never been a bus nerd. But these buses were amazing. Classic. Old fashioned and plentiful. I say that like we used them. We didn’t. But I loved the shape and style and the way they wrote the destinations on the windows in what looked like windowlene!

I was surprised to find such a beautiful theatre right in the heart of the city. I don’t know why really but I did. The Teatro Juárez, a stunningly beautiful facade and interior which was built between 1872 ~ 1903. We were lucky enough to sit in on a mornings orchestral rehearsal when we wandered in. The auditorium was stunning with fabulous acoustics. Sadly the facade was heavily graffitied when we were there during the women’s march. Very sad as graffiti is never the answer.

The presence of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo is everywhere. But especially in this city as it’s the city of Diego’s birth. We had to go visit his home which is now a museum ~ not as interesting as Casa Azul but informative. The ground floor where photos were allowed were the living areas. The upper floors now galleries where no photographs we’re allowed. The house has many of Rivera’s early works which were interesting but if I’m honest I liked the large murals more.

I really loved the way they shaped these trees which I understand to be Indian laurels. Cut to shade the benches below them. Needed in the heat of the day and one thing that surprised me was the amount of greenery in both Mexico City and again in Guanajuato.

We took a cab ride to the mansion and gardens of Ex Hacienda San Gabriel de Barrera The mansion was part of a mining complex and is open as a museum where you can see the living parts of the house. The gardens are large and are set in themed areas. An English garden. The Italian garden. The Mediterranean garden. All interesting in their own way. But it didn’t take my breath away.

We visited the most visited museum in Guanajuato ~ Museo de las mommas de Guanajuato. I did take some photos. But to honest the place freaked me out.

The Museum  has a large number of naturally mummified  bodies. These were interred following a cholera outbreak in around 1830. You can see facial expressions and some mummies still have articles of clothing intact. And hair. It wasn’t one of the highlights of the trip but was full of Mexican families ~ the mummies are part of the national culture. But ~ Not for me,

I needed cakes and biscuits when we got back to the house. There was a fabulous bakery close to the house where we went to buy pastries and cakes. Next door we could buy fresh fruit. You have to know where these places are. Don’t you?

I loved the house Ian had found. The terrace was amazing and full of lovely plantings. The pots were really interesting. Pots on the top of large pieces of tree trunks. Glorious colours. Strange to see some British annuals amongst them. Allysum for one. I hadn’t seen that since my parents garden in the 1980’s.

The lovely Jardin de Union was a central square surrounded by cafes and restaurants and parading singers. Another lovely green space in the centre of Guanajuato. A little bit too busy at night but a great central point to sit and people watch.

After five days it was time to move on. A flight to Oaxaca via a three hour stop over in Mexico City. Adios Guanajuato.