Why Haven’t Far more Travelers Heard Of Guanajuato? Possibly That is Great . . .

For some, global cities have lost their luster. As we travel from New York City to Paris to Tokyo to Buenos Aires, some travelers have discovered that each city is, as the Taiwanese that I met liked to say, “same, same, but distinctive.” In most urban centers you can locate major corporations, like Starbucks or McDonald’s, that, for better or worse, ease the cultural transition. Yet, the traveler’s zeitgeist seems to be shifting.

While a city holds the convenience and quickness that particular travelers may want, those that crave a cultural clash seem to be drawn to the outskirts or even the middle of nowhere. I have come across a lot more and a lot more articles about this phenomenon, which includes this recent one in the San Francisco Chronicle.

In it, Spud Hilton takes us to Guanajuato, a tiny city that is not well recognized, yet is only a small over a hundred miles from Mexico’s major cities, Guadalajara and Mexico City. He describes how it seemed to have been designed for wandering by means of its streets, past corner tables in little bistros where cervezas and tequila are rampant, and where five-member mariachi bands will congregate near you although you eat and smooth your soul (or was that the tequila?). Guanajuato is also household to mummies, is Diego Riviera’s birthplace, and did I mention how it exudes a Spanish essence? Oh my.

Reading about other people’s curiosity of remote places makes me wonder about this shift. It appears as although we want to see some thing different, one thing painfully and splendidly and authentically a world apart from our own culture. We are utilized to seeing cell phones and billboards and galleries hosting up-and-coming artists. But some travelers — specifically those that travel the most — are fascinated about the locations that are untouched by the modern Western hand. Those locations supply a glimpse into a country’s story — either its recent or not-so-recent past. Some want to see some thing much more genuine. But, how lengthy will this last?

With the porosity of borders, despite international efforts at controlling it, the world wide web of cultural practices and language are spinning stronger strings. With the media, we are able to connect to 1 a different and share our cultural history and diversity. It makes me wonder what will occur next? whether or not travelers will dive into the depths of nature in an attempt to see how humans are as themselves?

For me, the motives behind traveling just got more interesting.

By Brit Weaver

About the Author

Toronto born and based, Brit is an avid leisure cyclist, coffee drinker and under-a-tree park-ist. She frequently finds herself meandering foreign cities searching for street eats to nibble, trees to climb, a patch of grass to sit on, or a little bookstore to sift via. You can come across her musing life on her individual blog, TheBubblesAreDead.wordpress.com.