In the center of San Miguel de Allende, the UNESCO World Heritage Site and World Class Tourist Destination, across from the town's main parrish church called the Parroquia, is a park, which is shaded by tall sculpted trees. This is the Jardin Principal; literally, the principal garden; it is the main plaza, in a town with numerous parks and plazas Besides the trees, the Jardin has numerous garden spaces filled with well-trimmed bushes and seasonal flowers, and several fountains bubbling away. There are also numerous pathways leading through the Jardin, laid out through the garden spaces and converging on the central bandstand. And then there are the benches. These benches are what give the Jardin its final accent of appeal.
Throughout the day, people are crisscrossing through the Jardin on their way to and from various business, houses, churches, official buildings. While some move through the Jardin to negotiate the town, others are coming to stroll through, to enjoy the green, the splashing water, the shade, the views of the Parroquia, or the colonial town itself. Many come to meet people, hang out, sit in the sun or the shade on the aforementioned benches, read, write, take pictures, or just watch to comings and goings of others.
There are, as well as those who have come as the visitors to the Jardin---whether tourist, town folk or a person on a mission---the people of commerce as well. At the curbs along two sides of the plaza are vendors. Food products include the usual snack foods found in locations where people gather, sodas, chips, candy. And then there are the uniquely Mexican twists: slices of the root vegetable Jicama with chile sprinkled on them; fresh garbanzo beans, still in the pods, steamed and also sprinkled with chile; roasted corn, slathered with mayonnaise and topped with chile; plastic containers full of freshly cut fruit; homemade ice cream.
Another set of merchants wanders through the Jardin, selling various wares. One vendor has a stack of hats balancing in one arm, for that visitor who forgot that the sun at 7000 feet is stronger, more intense; he also has a set of woven table mats rolled up with floor mats, tied and slung over one shoulder. Items carried with the other arm include some baskets and a small rack upon which are beaded bracelets with various names on them. If you don't see the name you want, he'll create it for you on the spot. Lastly, from his back pocket, he will show you his impulse sales item, a small cylinder woven out of the same plant material as the baskets and mats. It is open on one end where a finger can fit in; when the cylinder is tightened by pulling the "the leash" at the other end, the finger is "captured." The vendor usually makes the pitch to the girlfriend to keep her boyfriend in line. It's tourist kitsch at its best.
Another group of merchants, walking around the Jardin, are those that sell children's toys. The vendors stroll along the paths with an assortment of inflated toys on wheels. These come in many shapes and sizes; most popular, at present are the cartoon-inspired racing car for the boys and the pink cartoon pony for the girls. There is also the stationary toy vendor at one corner of the Jardin, selling what looks like a large inflated pencil, over 7 feet tall. This is also very popular. It is a light balloon rocket of sorts, with a sturdy base. The object of it is to bounce the rocket on its base and watch it shoot up into the sky. Because the balloon is so light, even a small child of three or four can manipulate it; older children, with a bit more coordination, are able to send the rocket soaring 20 feet into the air or more. On weekends and holidays, when families are more prevalent, there is often a group of children gathered in the level space between the Jardin and the Parroquia, launching their rockets over and over again. The only interactive plaything that equals the rockets in encouraging participation is the simple bottle of bubble mix, which can hold children enchanted for hours.
There are also other vendors who make quick passes through the Jardin, as part of a regular route that takes them throughout the town, stopping at restaurants, cafes, other plazas, and open markets. These travelling vendors are selling shirts and blouses, vanilla (both beans and liquid), jewelry, toy puzzle maps of Mexico, and artisan handicrafts from other parts of the country; one vendor specializes in handmade cloth doorstops shaped like frogs, and snakes which are laid across the door when closed, to prevent drafts coming through.
Stationed near the corners of the Jardin are the shoeshine stands; the proprietors ready to brush the dust off and make your shoes and boots shine. On one edge, the newspaper seller, rotund and bearded, calls out in a deep bass voice, hawking the numerous city, state and national periodicals. Across the street from the Jardin, surrounding it, are the buildings with restaurants and shops, a bank, the Parroquia, and the place where you can pick up your car license, if you parked in the wrong spot and the Transit officer has left you a ticket and lifted your license plate.
The business of business in the Jardin is only one side to the experience; just a layer. The people, and their comings and strolling and goings, are the main show. They set the pace and create the rhythm. The rhythms of the Jardin change throughout the various parts of each day, and they change again throughout the weeks and months. Each part of the day offers a different Jardin. In the next of this series, we'll explore San Miguel de Allende's Jardin Principal, as it comes to life, in the morning.
After spending numerous years in San Miguel de Allende, building sustainable homes and learning about the Mexican culture(especially Mexican Cuisine) close up, Lalo Palmer is writing a book about the experiences he and his wife have had here.
For more information about purchasing a Green, Sustainable Home in the Countryside of San Miguel, follow this line: https://sites.google.com/site/casitadosarbolitos/
Follow 'Our Things You Need In Mexico' Blog for more information about Mexican Culture; http://thingsyouneedtoliveinmexico.wordpress.com/
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