Tuesday, 24 January 2017: San Miguel de Allende
We dropped off laundry on our way out of town as we headed to the ruins -- Canada de la Virgen. I was totally disappointed when I learned that we couldn't go into the area without a guide. I thought I had done enough research beforehand to exhaust this possibility, but no. The next tour was to leave at noon so we only had about a ten minute wait. As it turned out, it was just the three of us and our guide spoke excellent English. So now, on our private tour with Roberto in the lead, we head up the mountains. The lands were once the largest hacienda in all of Mexico and since they are still private lands all visitors must be escorted.
These ruins were occupied by the Otomi people between 540 and 1050 AD. The ruins were only discovered and opened to the public about twenty years ago. The indigenous people studied the moon, the sun and Venus and based their religious and agricultural cycles on this astronomical criteria. The lore and the science that tracks (and predicts) eclipses and solstices is rather phenomenal.
On the way down the mountain, we stopped at a small museum/restaurant run by a lady who earned her PhD studying archeological and specifically these ruins. We joined an English tour already in progress. Since we had a pretty good idea of the basics from Roberto we were able to gain a bit more insight from her perspective. The rest of the tour group left but we stayed for lunch. We sat outside on the patio and enjoyed a very rustic meal. The starters of guacamole, pico de gallo, salsas and tortillas were served with a papaya juice and an agave juice that Mike said tasted like burnt hair. It was said to have been medicinal, but I left mine on the table. I watched as the tortillas were made and imprinted with a special purple stamp. A ceremonial tostada was also served to honor the phase of the moon. The course ground blue corn tortilla was topped with queso and honey. Most of that, albeit special tostado, joined the agave elixir staying on the table. Chicken mole, tamales, napolitas (cactus), arroz and frijoles followed. A slice of pumpkin pie and coffee for dessert rounded out the meal. The offering was a set menu and since we didn't really know what to expect, each course that came was a surprise and an adventure.
We dropped off laundry on our way out of town as we headed to the ruins -- Canada de la Virgen. I was totally disappointed when I learned that we couldn't go into the area without a guide. I thought I had done enough research beforehand to exhaust this possibility, but no. The next tour was to leave at noon so we only had about a ten minute wait. As it turned out, it was just the three of us and our guide spoke excellent English. So now, on our private tour with Roberto in the lead, we head up the mountains. The lands were once the largest hacienda in all of Mexico and since they are still private lands all visitors must be escorted. 
These ruins were occupied by the Otomi people between 540 and 1050 AD. The ruins were only discovered and opened to the public about twenty years ago. The indigenous people studied the moon, the sun and Venus and based their religious and agricultural cycles on this astronomical criteria. The lore and the science that tracks (and predicts) eclipses and solstices is rather phenomenal.
On the way down the mountain, we stopped at a small museum/restaurant run by a lady who earned her PhD studying archeological and specifically these ruins. We joined an English tour already in progress. Since we had a pretty good idea of the basics from Roberto we were able to gain a bit more insight from her perspective. The rest of the tour group left but we stayed for lunch. We sat outside on the patio and enjoyed a very rustic meal. The starters of guacamole, pico de gallo, salsas and tortillas were served with a papaya juice and an agave juice that Mike said tasted like burnt hair. It was said to have been medicinal, but I left mine on the table. I watched as the tortillas were made and imprinted with a special purple stamp. A ceremonial tostada was also served to honor the phase of the moon. The course ground blue corn tortilla was topped with queso and honey. Most of that, albeit special tostado, joined the agave elixir staying on the table. Chicken mole, tamales, napolitas (cactus), arroz and frijoles followed. A slice of pumpkin pie and coffee for dessert rounded out the meal. The offering was a set menu and since we didn't really know what to expect, each course that came was a surprise and an adventure. 
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