# 38 Life in Colorful San Miguel in 11 Surprising Observations

On giant puppets, expats, tricycles, tourists, and more

San Miguel de Allende is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with an undeniable allure. I walk around with my phone camera in hand because there’s something beautiful to capture on every corner. Purple bougainvillea on orange walls, street art, carved wooden doors, 18th century architecture, verdant courtyards, and a lofty Gothic pink church.

Photography in Latin means writing with light, and that’s what I’m doing here, writing stories about this Mexican city by catching its colors, shadows, and light.

After nearly three weeks of being here, I’ve also made some surprising observations on life in San Miguel de Allende, also known as SMA.

Street art in Colonia Guadalupe, SMA, Mexico

Life in San Miguel in 11 Surprising Observations

1. Paper-Mâché is a Vibrant Art (and Trump is a Puppet)

San Miguel is populated by mojigangas, giant puppets made from paper-mâché. These puppets make an appearance at weddings, festivals, and ceremonies, mostly for comic relief. Sometimes they resemble the bride and groom like larger-than-life-sized caricatures. Traditionally, they’re also used for social commentary and ridiculing public figures. Which is why Michael Jensen was able to photograph Trump going up in flames. Much smaller paper-mâché figurines are sold on street corners as souvenirs. Originally from China, the art traveled to Mexico by way of Spain and… stayed.

2. Fireworks are Religious

Fireworks are part of religious festivals in Mexico. In the week preceding Easter, known here as Semana Santa (Holy Week), fireworks went up all around town. It was lovely seeing them after sunset from our rooftop terrace, but when they announced that Jesus had come back to life at 6 am on Easter Sunday, I was less pleased—the booms and bangs! But such is life: Not all celebrations will be to our liking.

A mojiganga at the entrance of Instituto Allende, SMA, Mexico

3. San Miguel de Allende’s Historic Center is Gentrified but the City is NOT Ruined

I worried before coming to San Miguel de Allende that living here would be like living in a community for senior citizens of wealthy nations. A lot of people from the US, Canada, and Europe have settled in SMA for their retirement. Of the 175 thousand inhabitants, about 17 thousand (10%) of them are expats. Would I find El Centro full of overpriced restaurants, art galleries, and designer boutiques?

Well, yes, I did. Starbucks is present, as are social events in fancy places where only English is spoken by people (considerably) older than me—and I’m not that young. But I also found a city with vibrant markets, street vendors, taco stands, hole-in-the-wall tailors, neighborhood shops, and shady courtyards where Mexican family life is being lived.

San Miguel de Allende is a cosmopolitan city, a creative melting pot. Ever since the silver trade and later the wool textile industry brought prosperity to this Spanish colonial town, SMA has attracted a social and cultural elite. Mansions and large haciendas were popular. In the 20th century, more and more international artists and wealthy patrons found their way to San Miguel. Not only to benefit from the cheap cost of living or the better weather, but also to build schools, public libraries, and communities.

In Colonia Guadalupe, where I live, I see a fair amount of gringos, but Mexicans still make up the majority of inhabitants here, and I feel no tension. People greet me with kind faces and zero animosity. Perhaps they secretly resent the rich expats who buy up the fancily remodeled houses they themselves cannot afford, but if so, they’re doing a good job in hiding that resentment.

Inequality, unfortunately, is huge here. As it is in many parts of the world. I’d like to write more about the ethics of gentrification and how my nomadic lifestyle may contribute to the problems.

But for now I’ll leave it at this: When you’re in San Miguel de Allende you’re still very much in Mexico.

Waiting for the Good Friday Parade

4. Tourism is Present yet NOT overwhelming

There are mariachi bands serenading (mostly Mexican) tourists. There are souvenir shops, a permanent artisan market, and Instagram hotspots. Part of El Centro is pedestrianized—hurray!—and some small tour groups benefit from that every now and then. But just like the expats have not ruined San Miguel, the tourists have not ruined this city either. Beauty attracts people, so people do travel to San Miguel, yet it’s not as crazy here as it is in Santorini (Greece), Chefchaouen (Morocco), or Hoi An (Vietnam). The Jardín Allende, the main square, is simply a lovely outdoor living room for locals and tourists alike.

5. Trash is Picked up by Tricycle

The garbage truck is too big to barrel down our narrow street. So there are large containers at the edge of our neighborhood where we can dump our trash. If we don’t want to lug our trash there in the 30°C (86°F) heat, we don’t have to. Three times a week, an old gentleman will pass on his tricycle, ringing a small bell. His name is Juan and for a tip of 20 pesos ($1) he will load our trash onto his cart.

6. Street Art is Omnipresent

This is not entirely a surprising observation, rather a pleasant one. Some cities have designated streets where graffiti artist can show off their work. Here, they seem to have been invited to bring all kinds of residential areas to life. It’s a delight to walk to the grocery store or the library and get my daily dose of life-enhancing art.

Street art and beetles in SMA, Mexico

7. Beetles, too, are Everywhere

It was one of the first things I noticed when I arrived in San Miguel de Allende: It’s full of retrofitted old Beetles! I kept photographing them everywhere. Why? What was the story? Two readers of my notes (Ashleigh at Travel Bugg and The Souvenirist) kindly pointed me in the right the direction.

8. Water is Brought to Your Door

Tap water is not drinkable in Mexico and we don’t have a filter on our tap. Several times a week, a van stumbles down our road. “El agua! El agua!” the sellers call. Knowing they have loyal customers in us, the men—they’re always men—also ring our bell. For 40 or 50 pesos ($2 to $2,50) they exchange our empty 20-liter bottle (over 5 gallons) for a full one. A great service.

9. Cobblestone Streets are Tricky and Sidewalks Slippery

I have good balance, wear decent footwear, and can walk on cobblestone streets in Amsterdam for hours. But crossing San Miguel de Allende on foot is a bit of a challenge. How mule trains loaded with silver once made their way through this city is beyond me. I assume most contemporary cars are destroyed within years. There are also holes in the slanted sidewalks and snarling dogs might snap at you from open windows as you pass. It’s wise not to rush through San Miguel. I keep my eyes on the ground and come to a full stop before admiring the beauty all around.

Gorgeous murals in Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez—a free museum

10. The Air is Incredibly Dry and Often Polluted (in Spring)

I know how dry Greek summers can get and traveled through Morocco and Egypt. But the low humidity here in spring is of another level, sometimes as low as 10%. I slather on moisturizers twice a day, apply lip balm, treat my cracked heels to enriched creams. But it’s not entirely enough. There’s also air pollution to deal with, which is apparently worse because of draught. My nose is permanently stuffy. It will get better when the rains start in June, the locals tell me. One shower and the sky is clean. Really?

11. Blue Tortillas are Super-Delicious

Okay, this is not a surprising observation either, since I lived in Oaxaca for several months in 2022, but it merits repetition: You haven’t tasted corn until you’ve come to Mexico. Whether they’re tacos, tortillas, tostadas, or gorditas, they’re really tasty. As a gluten-intolerant person, I’m in a food paradise.

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Time to Say Goodbye

My grandmother passed away yesterday, peacefully in her sleep. I feel both sad and relieved: She was ready to go. Life had become more and more lonely for her, despite the good care and visits she received from family, volunteers, and professionals. She’s going to be with her children now, as she described it this weekend to my brothers in the Netherlands.

I will surely write more about her, but I doubt I can do better than the tribute I published last September: How Do You Get to Be a 107-Years Old?

All my best,

Claire

P.S. What are your thoughts on San Miguel de Allende?