There are several symbols of Guanajuato. One is the mummies mentioned yesterday. Another is Don Quixote. The reason for the Guanajuato-Don Quixote connection is the nice museum in Guanajuato dedicated to nothing but Don Quixote.

Not only are the works in the museum very interesting and beautiful, but so is the museum itself.

The Don Quixote Iconographic Museum (Museo Iconografico del Quijote) is located near the Plaza de la Paz and Teatro Juarez.

I hadn’t read Don Quixote before my visit. After returning I did read the entire thing (all 1,000+ pages) with my son. I have an abbreviated version in Japanese (ドン*キホーテ) at under 400 pages that I plan to read someday.

Posted on November 26th, 2008 under Other. Tags: guanajuato, mexico, museums. Comments Off on Don Quixote Museum in Guanajuato, Mexico

Guanajuato, Mexico is known for its mummies. It is a dry area (although I’ve been caught in a few rain storms in Guanajuato), and there are natural chemicals in the ground which allow for a quick mummification process. The mummies you can find in the museum (El museo de las momias) are all modern mummies. I don’t think the oldest mummy is more than about a hundred years old even though no new ones have been dug up in over 50 years.

The mummy museum of Guanajuato features the world’s smallest mummy (on the right). The baby mummy pictured above, and its mother, died during the birthing process. It looks fairly large in this picture, but in real life it is only a few inches in height.

Ever heard of dying with your boots on? The guy in the above photo didn’t quite meet that saying, but he did die with his socks on, and they haven’t moved ever since.

Posted on November 25th, 2008 under Other. Tags: guanajuato, mexico, museums. Comments: 5