Fiesta!! Our first night in San Miguel de Allende

After arriving in SMA and resting, we're hungry and ready to explore. We haven't bought a a map yet so we set out walking and start wandering up and down streets.  It seems that out of nowhere we find the perfect place--Tortitlan!  One of San Miguel's fast food restaurants, they specialize in many kinds of tortas, a Mexican version of a sandwich. These are huge - mine has breaded chicken, a thick slab of cheese, pineapple, tomato,  lettuce, and some delicious secret sauce.  There's interesting soda flavors here too--tamarind, mango, hibiscus.  After three large tortas and drinks, our dining tab is less than US$15.

It turns out that there's a fiesta going on this night in El Jardin.  El Jardin is the main plaza in town and is located across from La Parroquia, the tall parish church and the emblem of San Miguel.  A stage has been erected and dancers from different regions and states (Mexico has 31 states) are performing.  A highlight is the Dance of the Little Old Men (El Baile de Los Viejitos) from the region of Michoacán.  The history of the dance goes back to the time of the Spanish conquistadors and was a mockery of the ruling class.  Performers are hunched over with canes like old men and wear masks of pink faces with white hair.

Here's Tortitlan.  When we first arrived, we thought we 'discovered' it on a small side street but found out later that it was a fairly busy street just around the corner from our apartment!

Just one of many cobblestone streets in the historic section.  Beautiful, rustic, and a little hard to walk on.

                La Parroquia, Neo-Gothic design and one of the most 

photographed parish churches in Mexico.

A local mariachi group--there are many in SMA

Dance of the Little Old Men

Performers are hunched over with canes like old men 

and wear masks of pink faces with white hair.

The plaza at night, a social gathering spot

Another mariachi band warming up for their performance

A curious onlooker checking us out during dinner.

Our final view of the plaza as we leave to walk back home.