April 24, 2023, San Miguel

For our last month in San Miguel, Dave and I rented a vacation apartment in the downtown “Centro” area.  We wanted to be close to the Jardin and churches, but not so close that we noticed every bell ring throughout the night or the notes of every mariachi trumpet.  This place is two stories tall ( our living space is on the second level) plus a beautiful rooftop patio on the third level.  Even though the rooftop has a lot of covered areas, it has been pretty hot up there during the past week of 89-92 degree weather.  So instead I go up to the rooftop at sunset, as the temperature begins to break,then hang out to watch the various churches around me begin to glow as the sky darkens.  These churches are huge, and tower far above my third floor perch.  Their architecture is stunning during the day; but at night they are strategically lit to really show it off.

The bells I heard from Nate’s house, about a mile away from here, were quaint compared to the eight or so churches that surround me now.  These bells ring off and on throughout the day and night for various reasons—calls to Mass, plus the Parroquia rings every quarter hour with extra on the hour.  Last Sunday, though, they all began to ring at once.  This went on for a very long time.  It seemed as if some of the bells were harmonizing with others.  It reminded me of those movie scenes where the church bells begin to peal for some big celebration.  My guess was that it was the conclusion of high Mass.  I hope they ring like that again this coming Sunday.