February 25, 2009 San Miguel de Allende – Taboada
This morning, we had a nice breakfast of pastries and coffee and headed out to La Gruta Balneario on a city bus. It is located 8 kms northwest of the city, near Santuario de Atotonilco. There we found several thermal pools of varying temperatures laid out amidst prettily landscaped grounds. Our favourite pool was fully enclosed within stone walls and provided access to a water passage leading to a rounded cavern. The grotto was dimly lit by shafts of sunlight from small openings in the roof of the cavern, glowing dimly in the gloom. The sound of water dripping off the ceiling echoed eerily through the chamber. The grotto added a hint of adventure to our swim this morning and we all had a great time.
We timed our visit perfectly. The pools were virtually deserted when we arrived and the air was still cool enough to make the warm pools tempting. By the time the tourists arrived, we were comfortably seated at a shaded table in the grass, eating our lunch.
As we were waiting for our return bus near the highway, a local stopped and offered us a ride back into San Miguel. Our drive back was pleasant, despite our struggles to communicate. When our driver declined my offer of gas money, he said something I actually did understand: “corazon”, or, “from the heart”. We are having such a wonderful time in Mexico. The people here really blow my mind.
We spent the afternoon at the park and picked up an amazing dinner of chicken and vegetable alambre at a small restaurant across from the Templo de San Francisco. A single order was enough to feed all three of us for a mere $6.
