Walking

Good news that isn't about rainfall!  (Yes, it eventually stopped, though it's still cloudy and cool.  Glad we have electric mattress pads on our bed!)  We had noted that, in our absence, some of the sidewalks on our path into downtown had been repaired.  Narrow sidewalks were widened a bit; rough places made plain.  And there were lots of rough places!  We didn't know what had been the source of the repair work, but it was all of the same style so figured one entity was responsible for the work.

We had also noticed upon our return that the nearest roundabout, or glorieta as they're called here, was being reworked.  Lots of brickwork going up around the base that supports El Pipila - the statue of the miner who approached the warehouse in Guanajuato where the royalist leaders and their families had taken refuge, with a slab of stone on his back (so he wouldn't be killed by gunshot as he approached) and burnt the door down with tar and torch so the revolutionaries could take control of the city.  It will be a much grander centerpiece when completed. [See this link for an interesting telling of the revolution (mention of El Papila is sometimes been omitted, but recent investigation has suggested that he actually existed): http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/latinamericaindependence/p/09guanajuato.htm].

Michael also noticed a change in the statue near the eastern entrance to the city as our cab careened back into town after our vacation.

So yesterday, walking into town in a light drizzle, we came upon workmen continuing the work on the sidewalk - and they were Public Works employees - at least their truck was a public works truck!  I'm guessing that they will extend the work at least up to the intersection with Sterling Dickinson.  Not sure they will be working on the west side of the street as it's in pretty good shape and would only need a few places repaired.  The side on which they are working has been a challenge to use the past couple of years living in our current location - but it has trees, so a shadier stroll into town.

Downtown, of course, won't be touched, as Centro Historico is under protection against changes.  We did get access ramps built into the corners of intersections last year, but some of them are both short, narrow, and quite steep.  Because the sidewalks in Centro are quite narrow, a wide ramp would have taken up the complete corner and presented a danger to any pedestrian encountering one while already on the sidewalk.

We've recently had a change of mayor here, and he seems to be wasting no time making the repairs and improvements the former mayor delayed or ignored so she could place supporters in the government (some say).  As walkers, we're very grateful for the improved sidewalks!