To the center of México, San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato, to be precise, I went as a management intern as part of my tourism study. Belmond Casa de Sierra Nevada is a beautiful 5 star hotel right in the city center with Colonial style.
I joined the departments of marketing, spa, housekeeping and F&B as an assistant to the supervisors. The hotel and city are popular for weddings. Personally I enjoyed the breakfast with their green juice and spa massages most, as well as walking through the 37 beautiful rooms (every single one is different) and facilities together with the housekeeping supervisor.
But the staff is the best! They make the atmosphere familiar and comfortable. I found great friends there... Visit the hotel Casa de Sierra Nevada here: http://www.belmond.com/casa-de-sierra-nevada-san-miguel-de-allende/
San Miguel de Allende itself is the city of handicrafts which one notices everywhere around the city. It is famous for its Parroquia (church) and weddings.
Once I participated in the annual traditional city run (only for Mexicans) of 5km distance to test my fitness. I could win nothing anyway as I am no Mexican. The track went up and down the hills which made it more difficult to what I'm used from home. Especially because the air is thin in San Miguel de Allende due to the altitude. Before the finish line I ran through the water of a flexible tube some guy spilled on the track laughing.
Underneath you can see pictures of San Miguel de Allende. Very enjoyable was the park 'Parque Juarez' of San Miguel de Allende. There you encounter skateboarders, basketball players, people doing tricks with a football, expose paintings, doing jogging or do yoga and sometimes there are events.
I also had the pleasure to see the festivals in September like for example the 'Grito' (Independence Day). People in indianer costumes walk on stalks, dance with devils and dogs and so on.
Twice I went to see a reserve with native flora and fauna. The reserve is called Cañada de la Virgen. I also visited the cities of Guanajuato and Querétaro which was great fun too.
Guanajuato has a tunel system; relict of the former miner culture. I went there for Día de los Muertos. Many people had painted faces and the streets were full of carpets of flowers and colored sand.
Querétaro has a beautiful aqueduct constructed from 1726 to 1735. My taxi driver told me that with its 74 acrs it is 1298m long and has an average height of 28.5m. Furthermore, I went to a cathedral from inside and the temple of San Francisco from outside. Shopping in this city was great fun. The handicrafts and other typical and untypical souvenirs are pretty unique in Mexico.
Here some impressions:
