I recently returned from Guanajuato Mexico. Guanajuato is in the colonial heartland and is one of Mexico’s most beautiful silver cities. It is built in a rugged ravine and the colorful house climb up along the hillsides. The twisted streets are home to beautiful churches, shaded plazas, ornate colonial architecture and the fabulous Jaurez Theater.
Three miles outside of Guanajuato is La Valenciana, where in 1549 silver and gold were discovered. Naturally, I wanted to visit the silver mine and we spent an interesting two hours visiting the mine shaft and the museum. Art and I climbed 60 meters down the irregular stone steps which is what is accessible to tourists. The mine is 100 meters in depth and where miners hauled loads of ore-rich rock back up on their backs. Many of the miners were indigenous Indians and their lives were grueling and they were paid with company store script. Accidents and lung disease took many lives.
Mentally, I still feel like I’m in my thirties but what was I thinking? The steps down were harder to maneuver than climbing back up but naturally, what goes down must come up and I have been limping around for the past 3 days. It’s incredulous to me that men dug the mine shaft and hauled the rock out on their backs.