San Miguel de Allende, Puro Mexico!
Posted on October 11, 2011 By Joseph
We just returned from our shoot in San Miguel de Allende.This was my first trip to what is one of Mexico’s most beautiful cities. Why this city has eluded my travels up to this point is a mystery but now that I’ve experienced San Miguel’s magic it won’t be my last visit!
Among its many attractions are its artistic spirit, historic legacy and colorful traditions. Its’ population – 10% foreign born – add a bohemian and international flavor to the town and, together with the native born citizens, protect their World Heritage landmarks while sharing their cultural riches with visitors. San Miguel de Allende, one of Mexico’s best preserved colonial towns, not only offers authentic cultural experiences, it’s an artistic and spiritual Mecca. It’s said that San Miguel’s mystical qualities are due to the fact that it sits atop a huge deposit of quartz. Even so, I was taken by surprise when we were asked to join a Temezcal – an indigenous ceremony that pre-dates Spanish conquest that is used to cleanse the body, mind and spirit – sometimes called a sweat lodge. Led by a shaman, after three hours of chanting, aromatic herbs and plenty of sweating, we were all in a calmer and more peaceful place. 
The main challenge for our crew was finding time for all the local activities; riding horseback through El Jardin, the town square, enjoying a birds’ eye view high above the city from a hot-air balloon, soaking our weary bones in one of the many area hot springs and sampling some of the most delectable Mexican cuisine I’ve ever tasted. At Sazon, Casa de Sierra Nevada’s cooking school, Executive Chef Felipe Ramirez Gorosica, took us shopping in the local farmer’s market before sharing his recipe for enchiladas and huitlacoche soup. Top all of this with a brand-new 18-hole golf course, Ventanas—the only 18-hole course in San Miguel—and San Miguel has truly joined the ranks of Mexico’s top destinations. 
Our accommodations were five-star. The new Rosewood San Miguel offers everything you expect from the Rosewood family of properties and has a rooftop bar that is definitely the place to be for sunset over the city. At the Casa de Sierra Nevada, a cluster of historic buildings at the centre of the city, circa 1520 no less, put us just steps from the heart of the city. 
San Miguel is often called the heart of Mexico, because of its geographical location and its role in the Mexican War of independence, but also, because of its warm, open-hearted, welcoming people.
I haven’t even mentioned the Fiesta de San Miguel, celebrating the birthday of San Miguel’s patron saint as only Mexicans can. One part religious furor, one part tradition and four parts fiesta! That’s a whole other story that we’ll cover in detail in the television show. Be sure to watch for Travelscope’s San Miguel de Allende television episode beginning summer 2012.
For information about San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
http://www.casadesierranevada.com
http://www.rosewoodsanmiguel.com
http://ventanasdesanmiguel.net
http://coyotecanyonadventures.com
http://www.casadesierranevada.com/web/omig/sazon.jsp
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