It was founded in 1568 on the site of an Otomí Indian settlement called Cocomacán (place where turtle doves are hunted). In the 1800's it became known as Dolores Hidalgo and in 1948, the town was officially given the title of "Cradle of Independence". This is where the Mexican Independence movement began in earnest in 1810.
The Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Church) is where Father Miguel Hidalgo issued the cry of independence (Grito de Dolores). It was constructed in the 18th century, with a facade of rose-colored quarry stone. Like so many of the old churches in this area of Mexico, the interior is quite beautiful.
Ricard and José, our cab driver, in front of
Nuestra Señora de los Dolores church
Directly across the street from the Church, is Plaza Principal (aka the Jardín), and in the park a large bronze statue of Hidalgo. Rick and I were surprised, a little confused and somewhat overwhelmed when we reached the corner of the park and were quite forcefully offered samples of ice cream by 3 people operating a stand. (Apparently Dolores is known for it's unique home made ice creams, and these people are proud of what they have to offer.) Although we're both trying to avoid sugar and although we hadn't had lunch yet, we ended up sampling a variety of flavors, including avocado, whiskey and tequila. Feeling like we had to buy something after all the tasting we did, we purchased small cups of the more conservative mango and pistachio flavors. Luckily they weren't real rich (more like "ices" than real ice cream), but they were very good.
Plaza Principal, aka the Jardine
We walked around and looked at shops for awhile, but didn't really see anything we wanted. So we stopped into El Carruaje Restaurante, an inviting place with a very Mexican atmosphere, and had lunch.
Our enchiladas were delicious, but the condiments on the table were quite hot. At one point Rick was fanning his mouth, saying "Es muy picante" ("Is very hot"). What I didn't realize was that - behind me and walking toward our table - was the nicely endowed young restaurant hostess, wearing a little sundress. After she passed us, with a friendly smile on her pretty face, Rick looked at me and quietly said "I meant the food, not her...although - she is too." We had a good laugh over that one. Leave it to Ricardo...He always seems to be able to make me laugh.
Ricardo in el restaurante
The people in the towns of San Miguel de Allende and Dolores Hidalgo are very proud of their heroes, and have towns, streets, plazas and statues named after them. In the following photo I'm standing against a wall that has beautiful tile depictions of 6 of the heroes who were involved in the Independence movement.
Judy next to tiles depicting heroes from the Independence movement.
After lunch we had our driver, José, take us to Juan F. Guerrero Vajillas, one of the ceramics workshops on the outskirts of town. Dolores Hidalgo has an international reputation for its ceramics and pottery, and I wanted to browse in one of the better shops. Their things were beautiful, and I ended up purchasing a soft boiled egg holder and a tea cup for a special friend. I also secured the owner's web site, so I can look at everything they have to offer at my leisure. Rick and José - our cab driver - waited outside, chatting like a couple of old buddies.
José and Ricardo
José is a 59-year-old Mexican who works 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (a religious man, he takes Christmas and Easter mornings off). The cab he drives belongs to the company, and he does not own a car. He has managed to teach himself basic English through an old textbook that he somehow acquired. When Rick and I are off "doing our thing", José waits for us in his cab, conjugating English verbs and writing out sentences in a very neat script in his special notebook. José speaks highly of his wife, who he says is good for him. On the way home from Dolores we stopped at Mega, the major supermarket in our area, so I could pick up a few things. While I was in the store, José shared with Rick that his wife can't afford to shop there and that despite the many hours he works, he isn't always able to put food on the table. When Rick told me that later, I was glad I that I had thought to purchase a bag of fresh baked goods for José's family. I just wish now that I had purchased staples, rather than breads and sweets - hopefully I'll have another chance in the future.
Despite his obvious challenges in life, José has a wonderful sense of humor. The two trips he's taken us on have been filled with much laughter, and Rick and I have grown very fond of him. I was also impressed by how he constantly looked for ways to be helpful. For example, he made it a point to open and close the cab door for me each time; he patiently and politely corrected our Spanish when we misspoke; and he insisted on carrying our groceries in when we arrived back home. We now have José's cell, and will definitely call him whenever we have need for a cab.
There are a lot of José-types in Mexico - admirable people who are trying to better themselves by learning English on their own while serving others. Just today we met a young woman who stopped to help us when we looked confused about bus routes. We commented on how good her English was, and she told us that she's taught herself by watching movies in English and reading American magazines. Like José, this young lady exuded a strong sense of helpfulness to her fellow man, and a pride in being able to do that. The Mexican people may not be rich in material things, but in the big picture - are material things really that important? Courage, achievement and pride are qualities that I admire, and I have had the privilege of seeing these qualities - over and over - in the Mexican people I meet. The list of Mexican heroes may have begun with Padre Hidalgo and Ignacio Allende but, as far as I'm concerned, that list for me just gets longer and longer every day.
*Hero: a person who is admired or idolized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities
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