Guanajuato

the bus . . .

(copied from Sandi's email) Everyone is having a good time and Guanajuato is gorgeous! It's a hillside town with brightly painted homes on the hillside and lovely colonial buildings in the center along narrow stone streets. It has a very European feel to it, but it is also very significant in Mexican history as the fight for independence from Spain began here.Yesterday, we went to the mine. Getting 15 kids (including two that don't speak English and one with a hurt foot) up and down the steep, ancient stone steps of the silver mine in the dark was an adventure, but all went well. Then we went to Casa Leyendas where they tell some of the many ghost stories that this city is famous for. For the most part, the kids just laughed!We had comida in a lovely restaurant on the plaza, opposite the historic theater. Megan pronounced it the best meal in Mexico so far (she had pollo asado) and Rebecca was shocked to find that she actually liked spinach soup!The kids caught a quick swim in the hotel pool after their day of sightseeing. It was very cold but that didn't stop anyone!We went to a concert at night (the state orchestra was playing at the local theater and we were given free admission) so we spent an hour listening to Mexican classicaL music in a completely packed theater. The kids were exhausted and fell asleep quickly back in the rooms. It was a packed day! By the way, it's a fabulous group of kids! You should all be proud of how well they are doing.
The church built by the owner of the Vallenciana mine after he discoved silver, because he had promised to build a church . . .

at the entrance to the mine . . .

going down, down, down . . .

Unfortunately, there wasn't any silver at the bottom, but it was fun going down.

the pool at the hotel . . .

our rooms were on the 2nd floor

The museum of the mummies . . naturally preseved by the minieral content of the soil . . a very unique occurrance.

A marching band competition in the plaza.

We got to eat pizza while we watched.

Another painting of Hidalgo in the actual building where the battle for independence started.

The statue of Pipila at the top of the city with awesome views . . .

the city behind us . . . (very European)

The bell in the atrium of the Alohndiga (the building mentioned above) . . .

And then we took the bus to Leon, and went to the science center (explora) and had comida in a Mexican restaurant where the kids happily ate hamburgers and spaghetti and played in a great playground . . back home and back to school . . .