Pros and Cons in the Cradle of Mexican Independence

Just as in the city in which we live, Guanajuato, while sitting in the plaza trying to enjoy the evening you will be hounded almost endlessly for donations to something or another. Usually, young people come up to you with a tin can and a slit in the top. The can will covered with some paper advertising the charity they will claim the money is for. This is, I am convinced, a turn off for the average American tourist. Maybe they can tolerated it for the short time they will be in the city, I don't know. When I say the solicitations are relentless I am not making that up. I noticed the locals do not even look at them or bother to acknowledge their presence.

My wife suggested that why don't they set up tables with some sort of poster announcing their collecting endeavors rather than hounding you where you are trying to relax on a park bench. Sigh! No one ever asks us what we think!

I can't get over the fact that the walks we took through this town revealed a super clean place. I mean, there were some infraction here and there, but nothing major. When I compare it to Guanajuato it is almost like night and day-extremes. If the good people of Dolores Hidalgo can keep their city virtually spotless, then so could Guanajuato.

This town does not have the automobile nightmare as does Guanajuato. It is dead quiet comparatively speaking. Though there are cars here we did not once, even walking through the barrios, any sort of rage honking of car horns. Nor was there the choking pollution that is evident in Guanajuato. I loved that very, very much and could see us living in a place like Dolores Hidalgo.

Also, though our gringo pale faces got a lot of stares like they rarely see gringos, the people were friendly and accommodating. Whether this was an act, I don't know. It takes a while to weasel yourself into the inner circle of the Mexicans so we don't know what to think. The surface impression was that they were nice enough people.