Mexico

Mexico: States of Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Queretaro, Jalisco, Colima, and Michoacan (2006-2010)

(This banner shows painted smiling skulls made of papier-mache used to celebrate El Dia de Los Muertos in Mexico. This celebration is particularly intense in the State of Michoacan.)

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These western and central highland states have plenty of spectacular colonial cities, in particular the silver mining cities of Guanajuato and Zacatecas and the well preserved town of Patzcuaro in Michoacan. They do not receive many foreign visitors and they are sufficiently far away from Mexico City to avoid hordes of tourists on weekends.

(2007) Zacatecas (State of Zacatecas):

Zacatecas is the capital of the state of Zacatecas.

General views of the city, with the Catedral Basilica de la Asuncion de Maria de Zacatecas visible in all three photos.

Detailed carvings in the front facade of the cathedral.

Some beautiful masks from the collection on display in Museo Rafael Coronel.

Reproduction of old scenes of Mexico with marionettes in Museo Rafael Coronel.

The ruins of the ex-Convento de San Francisco (16th century), in which the Museo Rafael Coronel is located.

The Plaza de Toros San Pedro (inaugurated in 1866) and the El Cubo aqueduct behind it. The last bullfight occurred in 1975. Today the arena is the central patio of a hotel built in 1989. The 18th-century aqueduct has been in use until 1910.

(2007, 2008, 2010) Guanajuato (State of Guanajuato):

Guanajuato is the capital of the state of Guanajuato.

The 17th-century Catedral Basilica Nuestra Senora de Guanajuato (yellow) and the 18th-century university (gray/white building behind the cathedral).

Front facade of the cathedral.

Other views of the colorful town.

Calle Potrero, during the day and at night.

Narrow streets.

Yet another street.

Statue of El Pipila, Guanajuato′s hero, seen from el Jardin de la Union, with Templo de San Diego partially visible in the forefront.

Closer view of the statue of El Pipila.

From left to right: Teatro Juarez, El Pipila, and Templo de San Diego.

Top of the facade of Teatro Juarez, with bronze sculptures representing Muses of the Greek mythology.

Left: Templo San Francisco. Right: Templo de la Valenciana.

Romantic dancing on Plaza San Fernando.

Mina de Guadalupe.

Statues of Sancho Panza and Don Quixote. (Each fall Guanajuato hosts the Festival Internacional Cervantino.)

(2007, 2010) San Miguel de Allende (State of Guanajuato):

Cathedral.

Balloon vendors on Plaza de Armas.

Streets and dangerously steep access ramp for wheelchairs.

(2007) Queretaro (State of Queretaro):

Queretaro is the capital of the state of Queretaro. It is an industrial city with a beautiful colonial center.

The aqueduct. It was completed in 1736 to bring spring water to the growing city. It is 1280m long and consists of 74 arches, some 23m high. It is no longer in use.

In the cloister of the baroque former Convente de San Augustin (now the Museo de Arte).

In the cloister of former Convente de San Francisco (now the Museo Regional). The dome of the adjacent Templo de San Francisco is visible in the photo on the right.

Domes of Templo y Convento de la Santa Cruz.

(2006, 2008) Guadalajara (State of Jalisco):

Guadalajara is the capital of the state of Jalisco.

Two of the Murales de la Revolucion Universal painted by Guadalajara artist Guillermo Chavez Vega in 1970, in Municipal Palace of Zapopan: Socialist Revolution (first photo) and French revolution (second photo).

Portion of a mural painting (by Jose Clemente Orozco, 1883-1949) in the Jalisco Palacio de Gobierno.

Basilica de Zapopan.

Religious figurines for sale in a market.

Other figurines in the same market.

Street food.

(2006) Guachimontones and Teuchitlan (State of Jalisco):

Circular stepped pyramid in prehispanic archeological site (Guachimontones) and church tower in nearby village (Teuchitlan).

(2008) Ciudad Guzman (State of Jalisco):

Sagrado Corazon church.

Plaza and arcades.

Reproduction of the mural ″Hombre en Llamas″ (″Man on Fire″) of Jose Clemente Orozco in a kiosk. (The original painting is located in the Instituto Cultural Cabanas in Guadalaraja. But Orozco was born in Zapotlan el Grande, now Ciudad Guzman, and this mural is considered his greatest.)

Countryside between Ciudad Guzman and Volcan Nevado de Colima.

(2008) Volcan de Fuego (State of Colima):

View from Volcan Nevado de Colima (4240m). Volcan de Fuego (3820m) is one of Mexico′s most active volcanoes. Both volcanoes are close to Ciudad Guzman.

(2008) Patzcuaro (State of Michoacan):

A beautiful colonial city with cobbled streets, tiled roofs, white-brown buildings, and old churches.

Men relaxing on Plaza Grande de Vasco de Quiroga.

Danza de los Viejitos (Old Men′s Dance) on Plaza Grande de Vasco de Quiroga, a piece of traditional indigenous Purepecha music. The performance has a humorous flavor, as the dancers stage the pains of old age while showing a youthful vitality adapted to the rhythm of music. [Side note: The Purepecha language is spoken by about 200,000 people in Michoacan.]

Religious procession.

In a nearby village.

(2008) Tzintzuntzan (State of Michoacan):

Tzintzuntzan was the ceremonial center of the short-lived pre-columbian state of Tarascan (funded in the 14th century). It is built on a plateau overlooking the Patzcuaro lake, 17km north of the town of Patzcuaro. The site consists of five circular pyramids called yacatas.