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October 12, 2007
San Luis Potosí: Part One
360° Panorama of the Plaza de Armas, San Luis Potosí [larger image]
Shawn had a four-day weekend, so we decided to visit another Mexican city that we had not yet seen: San Luis Potosí, the capital of the state of San Luis Potosí.
In 2005, it had a population of just over 685,000, making it only the 15th largest city in Mexico. It is known as la ciudad de los parques because there are so many parks here. We had to ride five hours in a bus, heading northeast from Guadalajara. If you have Google Earth, you can call it up.
It is not high on the list of tourist destinations within Mexico, and to be honest, we did not decide on it as our next domestic destination because of any particular attraction. We selected it simply because we could get to it in a relatively short time (less than a full day) and we had never been there. It is outside what is considered Mexico's colonial circle, but then again, some say that about Zacatecas. Like Zacatecas, it has its own particular charm, no small part of which is the fact that it is not a big tourist destination. We were not expecting much, yet we have been very pleasantly surprised.
First off, it lives up to its reputation as a city of parks. It seems that the slogan is taken as a guiding philosophy, for one sees many spaces of only a few square meters about town where a mass of plants or cacti have been squeezed in to spruce them up a bit. The more formal parks offer a diversity of trees, plenty of benches, well-maintained sidewalks, verdant lawns, and fountains that are operational.
The city is a pedestrian paradise. Large sections of the historic center have been closed to vehicles, providing safe, wide venues for foot traffic.
In other places, they have nice shaded walkways set apart from the streets, like this one (pictured below) that stretched so far we could not see the end of it.
Walking is not the only thing to do in the city, however, and just because they are not known as one of the colonial gems of Mexico, it does not mean that they do not have their fair share of historic attractions. Along this walkway is a famous historic and architectural icon of San Luis Potosí, el caja del agua.
Because I learned caja to mean''box' or 'cage' in English, I hear this in my head as "box of water" or "cage of water." Both seem funny to me. It is actually a colonial-era water tank, which is notable for its size and ornamentation. A sign, printed in Spanish and English, located next to the caja del agua, tells that there are others about the city, but they are all smaller and not ornate.
There are things like clock towers...
...non-traditional (for Mexico) architecture...
...gargoyles...
...theaters...
...gazebos...
...and temples...
...in San Luis Potosí that we passed while walking around the centro histórico. We passed by this ice cream shop, and I had to go in to try their coconut ice cream.
Stepping inside was like stepping into the 50s.
It was part of this larger building, which is the Mercado Tangamanga, a typical market where they sell all kinds of stuff from religious candles to seafood. The design was so reminiscent of the Pan Pacific Auditorium from the golden days of Los Angeles that I stood there a while looking at it, thinking of what all it would take to find an old musician who would help me turn it into a hip nightclub/roller-rink.
The old metal furniture inside the Fonda Doña María looks like its as old as the building itself (and it probably is), but it's in great condition.
La Cubana is a tienda de abarrotes, the Mexican version of a corner convenience store, and is just up the street a block or so from the Mercado Tangamanga.
This convenience store has been open here since 1875.
After all that walking, Shawn and I both decided to shell out the MXN $10 (just under USD $1) each for a shoeshine.
They let you read the newspaper for no additional charge.
I considered buying a donut-making machine, but I just don't have the room in my kitchen.
Posted by crispy at October 12, 2007 11:33 PM
Comments
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM, Donuts!
Posted by: Carol at October 13, 2007 04:19 PM
I note that traffic can be more difficult in some places where the centro historico has been closed to vehicular traffic.
Does the closing of streets seem to present a problem around the central area? Have they provided parking elsewhere that would normally have been on these street areas? GDL built underground parking areas and several parking towers which were thought to be ample. No doubt they were for years, though now the proliferation of cars has made these inadequate. Just curious.
J
[crispy says: Let me talk with Shawn about that. I don't remember any parking structures or lots near the downtown, but that doesn't mean there weren't any. When we went to the downtown by cab, we didn't experience the kind of traffic we've seen in Guadalajara. It got a bit slower closer to the center (like within two or three blocks), but by the time it got to where we were sitting in traffic, we were where we wanted to get out of the cab anyway.]
Posted by: Joseph at October 14, 2007 07:27 AM
hip nightclub/roller-rink:
"El Xanaduuuuuu, Ahora estamos aquí"
Posted by: Akira at October 17, 2007 04:21 PM