San Miguel de Allende is of course inside Gto, Mexico, but with 75,000 "gringos" in the town it is more like the Usa that any other small city in Mexico (omitting Mexico City). The prices reflect the Usa right down to a glass of orange juice. The town has charm, nice weather, lots of authors and artists and more non-profits than any other place in the world (since "gringos are big on "fixing things" that are broken, like poor kids with malnutrition and lack of way to books). Our mail pick-up is in San Miguel de Allende, so we go there about once every 4-6 weeks and to get mail that is couriered from Texas. Easy bus shuttles for passengers to the Usa are available.
I would fantasize you'd pay 0Usd to 00Usd a month for a modest apartment in Sam Miguel de Allende. It would be very hard to get whatever other than a room in someone's home for less than 0 Usd a month near the central section of San Miguel de Allende. The center of San Miguel de Allende is about a one hour drive on very winding two-lane roads straight through rolling hills from our rural home in Nuevo Cajones.
One hour in the opposite direction from our home is Leon, Guanajuato. Leon is a very commercial city, much more modern than whether San Miguel or Guanajuato. In Leon the air is quite dirty from all the manufactures spreading commercial pollutants. Leon is where the airport that serves this region is located, as well as Costco, Sam's Club, Office Max and more traditional shoe manufacturers of all shapes and sizes than you can imagine. Leon is a large sprawling city. The city of Deloris Hidalgo is also close to us, but unlike Leon, Deloris Hidalgo is quaint and filled with ceramic makers.
At any one time we have 200-250 "gringos" or other foreign visitors in the city of Guanajuato (Gto, Gto like Ny,Ny). Population from all over the world come to Gto to study Spanish. There are many language schools and several universities and other post high school training facilities. The cultural offerings in Gto are lavish, cheap, frequent and very well done, frequently they are at the top level of professionalism like our U of G orchestra. There is a cafeteria in every block, maybe two, most are superior and all of them are clean. Gto is a town where Mexicans, as well as global foreign travelers, come to vacation so high standards of hygiene are maintained except with street vendors. All Population from Mexico know the city of Gto and most have visited the mummies on display here. Natural mummies, in the museum, are a very base tourist attraction..
Gto, Gto is the most colonial city in all of Mexico. It is shaped like a bowl. There is a driving level at the top of the bowl, at the bottom of the bowl and a series of incommunicable tunnels below the street level. The easiest way to get colse to is to walk or take a bus. Every nook and cranny has a space that has been made into a small apartment with a great view over the bowl or a magnificent home carved into the granite mountainside that is several stories high with a great view over the bowl. It's real hard to Not have with a great view over the bowl. Think of winding, swerving colse to granite walls and ordinarily captivating colse to in a 3-D environment, weaving colse to mountainsides, on intricately patterned brick streets and unique old incommunicable tunnels; that is Gto.
A few days ago I spoke to a girl who found "her dream apartment" for 0 Usd a month with all furniture and appliances. My dearest friend here found a new apartment, 2 bedroom, 2 bath for 0 Usd a month, also furnished but no appliances; she had to buy a stove, refrigerator and water heater. It would be rare that were utilities not included in the rental price but tradition, not real estate rules, set the standards so as a renter always be cautious. Looking a place for 0 Usd is base for smaller spaces, but do Not expect the landlord to do any repairs. In Mexico it is the responsibility of the renter to do any repairs. Therefore, Before you rent make sure the water and sewer work. See if there is a water heater and if that works. Make sure there is propane and that the stove works. Check for window screens, etc. Etc. Or you will be very unhappy. Do not expect to find any interior heat source and the only place that has air-conditioning is a movie theater.
Nuevo Cajones is rarely even a spot on the map. It is an unincorporated community near the largest body of water in the State of Guanajuato. There are no street names or home addresses. There are about 14 other communities colse to the "Presa de la Prisima" (the dam and lake). The water for Gto and Irapuato comes from the "Presa de la Prisima." The water is very polluted, so never, ever drink out of the tap. always drink bottled water.
Btw: never, ever "eat off the street" (vendors) either. The street vendors have a low thorough of cleanliness too due to their lack of way to clean water.
Nuevo Cajones has collective water way every other day due to water rationing. There are septic systems for many homes, but some do not. There is no collective sewer in Cajones. Modest block or brick homes are usually not closed and the brick is exposed. Some Population lack windows and doors (they use sheets or blankets) but most Population have them. Few enjoy Tv but most have a particular light bulb at least. Most Population have indoor water, but many lack indoor bathrooms (over 27% of home in rural San Miguel de Allende have no bathrooms). Approximately no one has heated bathwater in the rural areas.
I know of 4 gringos living in one of the 15 communities colse to the "Presa" (man-made lake) and 3 of them live in my modest "campesino" (rancho) home. One particular young woman lives alone in a magnificent ex-Hacienda atop the mountain and overlooking the Presa. Another particular mature woman is construction a beautiful big home on a bird sanctuary over the Presa from our home. There are no Internet cafes, no restaurants, no stores, any way local Population do sell Coke, chips and a tomato or two out of their homes, often straight through a window into a room inside the home.
Gto is green in September and October, beautiful, and mild. The Big every year Cervantino festival is in October and prices go way up for rooms while that timeframe (about 2-3 weeks). After it is over all things is back to normal.
Due to his health, which was damaged in Vietnam, my husband leaves Gto the end of October because the weather in Gto gets cooler, he returns in April. He travels west to Puerta Vallarta on the ocean where the summers are unbearably hot and the winters very mild. It's a cheap (about ) 10 hour bus ride from Gto to the ocean near Puerta Vallarta, but the prices on the ocean reflect the weather capability and the way to an ocean (very high for hotel rooms, condos, apartments or homes). My husband lives on a nonprofit owned sailboat and teaches kids how to sail with Another nonprofit organization.
January and February in Gto, at just under 7,000 feet, can be cold. Inside homes or other structure it can be highly cold because the stone structure get very cold and do not warm up while the day even though the days are filled with captivating sunshine, cloud-free blue skys and no rain or snow. There are no wooden structure (wood is highly expensive), they are all stone, granite or concrete, often built into the side of a mountain. frequently the walls are "weaping" (water) right into the indoor space and so they get more permeated with the cold. Older Population sit exterior in the sunshine and warmth in the winter "to warm their bones." It is nearly always dry and sunny while the winter months.
The Mexican Population is physically clean, as our their homes. The exterior is often littered with evidence of having had a beloved Coke (real sugar cane and more of it than in the Usa). The city Population are easy going and friendly, the rural Population are highly polite and very shy. A local bus will cost about 20 cents, a cab about . Visiting in winter or summer plan to layer clothing and bring the best walking shoes money can buy. Bienvenida! (Welcome)
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