I am a planner. In preparation for my travels, I research my destinations, outline detailed notes, and even make my own maps of the places I want to visit. Upon my arrival in the charming hillside town of Guanajuato; however, I totally disregarded my research and allowed myself to get completely and hopelessly lost.
The Spanish Colonial City of Guanajuato, Mexico
Located near the geographical center of Mexico, the colonial Spanish built the prosperous city of Guanajuato using the great mineral wealth of its prolific silver mines. This capital city of the state of the same name blankets a steep-sided valley, with homes and businesses jam-packed onto its inclined topography.
Legendary Callejon del Beso (Alley of the Kiss)
The arterial transportation network that connects the city includes an intersecting web of underground tunnels and a maze of narrow alleys called callejons. There are supposedly 3,200 callejons of various lengths and widths in Guanajuato. Each has its own particular charm, and many come with legends, tales, and traditions.
Typical Pedestrian Callejon
Since most of the callejons are too steep and narrow for vehicle traffic, they are ideal for wandering on foot and getting lost. Like a rat with a whiff of cheese, I entered the labyrinth of twisting cobblestone callejons to sniff out the city’s enchanted nooks and niches. Delightfully disoriented, savory new experiences presented themselves to me at every turn.
Suspicious Guard Dog (watching this disoriented gringo)
Clambering up, down and across the precipitous topography, I squeezed past the city’s close-packed residences and small storefronts. Above my head, guard dogs growled viciously at me from their terrace lookouts. Wherever callejons crossed, tiny plazas materialized, sometimes only large enough for a pair of chatting neighbors.
The Colors of Guanajuato
The facades of Guanajuato are brightly painted in a full spectrum of pigments, as differentiated as the colors in a large box of Crayolas. All of my favorite crayons were there: electric lime, carnation pink, cornflower blue, hot magenta, and atomic tangerine.
Descending the Dark Stairwell
Muddling through the warren of tangled alleyways, I stumbled across a dark stairwell. As I descended, I could hear the reverberation of internal combustion engines, as if they were revving inside an echo chamber. To my surprise, I had vanished into one of Guanajuato’s many crisscrossing traffic tunnels.
Guanajuato’s Underground Traffic Tunnels (The Maze Beneath the Maze)
Originally dug using local mining expertise to control frequent flood waters, the tunnels were later converted to divert vehicle traffic away from the narrow and congested surface streets. Like the barrels of interlaced mine shafts, the rough surfaces of the tunnels appeared chiseled out of solid rock.
Music in the Callejons of Guanajuato
When I eventually resurfaced, I headed toward the faint sound of music. As I drew closer, I could clearly hear the voices of a troupe of musicians leading a group sing-along. Upon reaching the chorale, I ascertained that bands of young minstrels in old-style dress gather each night to lead musical walking tours called callejoneadas.
Plaza Los Angeles
Like a rat trailing the Pied Piper, I followed the music, jokes and laughter out of the maze of callejons, and reverted back to the familiar streets of the city center. On this afternoon of uncharacteristic improvisation and dead reckoning, I left behind my maps, and was pleasantly immersed in the strangeness of new, lost in Guanajuato.
Typical Street Scene in Guanajuato, Mexico
Month at a Time Travel 
good story Joe
I have an old compass from the boat (pockett size) happy to donate it to contribute to your orientation adventures.
Hans
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the generous offer, Hans. It was fun wandering around Guanajuato, but I don’t plan on getting lost in any more mazes, any time soon.
LikeLike
Wow, what an interesting – and photogenic – town! It reminded me of Oaxaca with its colors, plazas, and walkways, but it’s also unique in wonderful ways too. One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to get lost… so many discoveries to be made.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you would really like Guanajuato. Like Oaxaca, it is safe, colorful, has a sizable ex-pat population, a full schedule of performing arts, and a maze of alleyways to get lost in.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It seems like a very magical little town. I really hope to make it there on my next trip. Love the vibrant color!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Coming to a modest-sized town like Guanajuato after a month in mega Mexico City has been a nice change-of-pace. I found the people of Mexico City friendly and helpful, but like in most big cities, they always seemed to be in a hurry and rarely made eye contact on the street. Here, the people seem to move slower, and stop more frequently to say hello. Even the dogs make eye contact in Guanajuato.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I think I’d like it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perdio en Mexico a great way to spend a day. Fantastic photos as usual
LikeLiked by 1 person
Muchas gracias, Amigo
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think that’s what you should call the book
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love the pictures Joe. The callejons look like wonderful places to wander and experience the town first hand. We always love the back streets and finding little squares and the pockets of colour and life in them. You captured it well. The traffic tunnels were an unexpected surprise.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Tim & Anne. I like the way you say “pockets of colour and life”. The tunnels are used by the motorists to get around the city, and by pedestrians looking for a level way across town. It took me about 20 minutes to walk through an especially long one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved the pictures joe. Thank you for taking us through your experience of the place ..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. I’m happy you followed along on my little trip. I have to admit that in a place so colorful and interesting as Guanajuato, the pictures really take themselves. I just push the button and then try to decide which photos are most blog-worthy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good lord, the colors on those buildings. Beautiful pictures, Joe. – Marty
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Marty. Unlike the earth tones so many of our home owners associations require, the people here paint their homes and businesses as bright and colorful as they can. Not sure, but maybe its in their CC&Rs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s actually funny! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like to be prepared when I travel, too (and even in my day-to-day life), but every once in a while, it is fun to just roam around and see where you end up! I’m assuming you eventually found your way back to your hotel? That would be my only concern about wandering in a foreign country….figuring out how to get back to where I’m supposed to be!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did eventually find my way home to my notes and maps. Like you say, it is fun to get lost every once in a while, but I really prefer to travel with some knowledge of where I am going. I find that the more I know about a place beforehand, the more meaningful, memorable, and rewarding the visit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Guanajuato’s my favorite place to get lost!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi David, I agree! With over 3,000 narrow alleys, crisscrossing underground tunnels, and millions of steep steps, it is easy and fun to get lost in Guanajuato. The maze is massive, but thankfully it is easy to escape.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The way out is usually down hill 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Joe, we spent a month in Mexico’s Central Highlands, and a week of that was in Guanajuato. We rented a small apartment, settled in, and loved it. I love the scale of the place, and the fact that it isn’t overrun with tourists. Your photos are great and certainly captured the colors of the city. We really enjoyed sitting in the Plaza for some serious people-watching. ~James
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi James, I am happy to hear that you guys experienced and loved Guanajuato too. The scale is just how you describe it, and the steep topography deters a lot of tourists and expats. As you have enjoyed, the plazas throughout Mexico (and especially the colonial heartland) are sources of great people-watching and never-ending entertainment.
LikeLike