Guanajuato 3: people shape the built world

June 2015

People shape the built world, even when the built world seems the drawcard.

Though tourists often enough seem to want to be hauled between lumps of construction, life is in abundance in between.

What's more, in Guanajuato, walking is the only way to get around. We chose to stay a week in Guanajuato rather than nearby San Miguel de Allende because Guanajuato is a university town and a destination for Mexican tourists, whereas San Miguel has a higher number of tourists from the US. We plan a day visit to San Miguel.

I use a camera much as Helen is carrying in the first photo below, Olympus E-P1, with flattest attached lens, Lumix 14mm (in this type camera = 28mm 35mm type camera), which makes it man-pocketable. Fast enough for me, good for high ISO. Unobtrusive everywhere except Mexico where people tend to see everything. I do not put the camera up to look at the viewfinder, which would interpose camera between me and subject. I am, after all, in Mexico and this is according to Hollywood a place to shoot from the hip. Which gives a much better view of people than to look down on them. And a nice price second hand on ebay. Superseded cameras are not to be disparaged. In this 4/3 range of cameras as in others, later models tend to reduce features because the market is ferocious and conventional photography is overwhelmed by the use of cellphones. 

So then... Guanajuato alive and in passing... as in Mexico City there is brightness of garment and expression and lots of affection. This place is much more relaxed and relaxing than Mexico City. With its nearby airport, it makes a destination in itself and is within easy road reach of other drawcards.

on the steps of the university

at the Jardin Union (link to video of mariachis performing here, the sort of km-zero of Guanajuato)
[hah-din oo-ny-ON]

understand the place of corn in Mexican life before you come here

on the steps of the Teatro Juarez

photo also to show the entry to one of the underground road tunnels

I am very happy about this photo, offering rich colours and emotions

her work seems to be happy

a poodle vendor

These two photos bring you into the happiness of life.

the old advice we got in school about crossing the road applies here: 

"Stop, look, listen."

— and take a picture.