Emd, thank you so much! I just started reading, and I am already seeing what I am looking for - recommendation for fine restaurants, side trips, and a private driver for GTO area email. Exellent!

you are very welcome. Michele does a great blog. Her husband is our real estate agent in Playa. They have lived there for years and are raising their children there. Great travel blog for Playa and all the places she goes in MX on vacation with their family.

Playa seems like a nice and relaxing place to live and raise family. And a great blog indeed!

As this trip approaches (and I cannot wait), I just have a couple of quick questions.

First, about my photo camera. I am into photography, and I would like to bring my nice camera with me. Is it safe to walk around with somewhat expensive camera, or it is better to have it hidden? I know these places are pretty safe, but still wanted to check.

And second question about food safety... Well, I should of known better than asking this question. We are well traveled, and normally adventurous eaters. And we follow common sense - bottled water, fresh and well cooked food, etc...
However, my husband is very sensitive at the moment (after 5 month on antibiotics), with some previous experience being stomach sick in Mexico and other South American and Asian countries... So, I wonder if frequent Mexico visitors have any advice on how to stay on safe side.

I spent 3 nights in Guanajuato 3 years ago, A full month the next year skipping going instead to Oaxaca.
This year I am doing a full 2 months in Guanajuato.
I like it! LOL
SM is a hour & twenty minutes via first class bus at 150 pesos.
Not sure what a cab would be but we paid 300 pesos for a cab Guanajuato to Irapuato which is about the same distance or close.

Re the camera, you should be fine with normal precautions. I see people with expensive gear walking around San Miguel pretty much everyday. Same in GTO.
As far as food safety, I think the only time in 3 years here that I got sick was probably from some salsa, which I tend to overdo. My wife got a little something a few weeks back, but we think it was from packaged spinach that we didn't bother to wash with bactyne. We eat a lot of yogurt with probiotics and my wife takes some probiotic supplements regularly as her immune system is not as hardy as mine. I know some people that take a Vermox over the counter pill (as a preventative), which is mainly for Amoebas and other parasites. I don't know if that is really effective or not, but some people swear by it. If you do get a bug, you can call our friend Dr. Sylvia Escarate, 415 101 4810. She speaks perfect English and her office on Codo is a 6 minute walk from your hotel.

A little Mezcal, can't hurt either. Can it?

Baldone, you are so kind! Thank you for this information, and especially your doctor phone number... Hope we do not need anything, but nice to know, just in case.

In my husband case, last time in Mexico (years ago), this was some type of parasite that can live in flour (or so we were told), so it took long time for him to recover.
Anyway, keeping my fingers crossed this time, he is on probiotic supplements as well

"food safety... my husband is very sensitive at the moment (after 5 month on antibiotics), with some previous experience being stomach sick in Mexico and other South American and Asian countries... So, I wonder if frequent Mexico visitors have any advice on how to stay on safe side."

I'm sure you realize that frequent Mexico visitors are more likely than infrequent ones to have built up immunity to various kinds of traveler's diarrhea. Particularly if your husband has had health issues in recent months, I would encourage him to consult his physician prior to your departure. You might both want to do that, and/or consult a physician who specializes in travel medications. I know that my physician has often prescribed medication that I can take if I should notice difficulties when traveling, but the specific medications, dosages, etc., are generally tailored to one's other medications and health issues.

Hope that helps!

Kja, I realize that frequent visitors or people who live in Mexico may have built up better immunity.

However, I think frequent visitors may have various previous experiences or have more knowledge on what food may not be so safe.

Normally, our physicians do not have much info on countries we travel to, and suggest contact a travel clinic.
And we go to travel clinic as well, where for stomach problems they always suggest one thing - Zithromax, or in the past, they always suggested Cipro. Never changes. I never seen any individual approach from any travel clinic. So, I find Travel clinics useful when need a recommendation on malaria medication or need a vaccination. The rest of their suggestions, I know by heart by now. I could be wrong, but this is my experience for last 15 years

Your experience with physicians who deal with travelers is not the same as mine. That said, you should, of course, go with the medical advice that YOU have received! :-)

And of course, I hope that neither you nor your husband have any difficulties.

i have always avoided street food, fresh vegs and ice when in Mexico. i know more and more hotels & restaurants have purified water, but i still erred on the cautious side. Spicy foods might be hard on a delicate stomach. i have traveled all over Mex over the years and never got more than a mild upset stomach. something, pepto took care of.

Helen, my experience with drs is similar to yours. Only advice that is specific is related to my potential illness not related to the specific country if that makes sense.

I don't think travel clinics are usually going to give you any specialized advice for Mexico, my doctor never has either, because there isn't any. You don't need special vaccinations, so the main advice is just to avoid stomach problems caused by bacteria in food, and the cure is antibiotics. So that's why they suggest Cipro. Now if you haven't had a Hep B vaccination ever, you should probably get one, and tetanus, of course. Not that Mexico is a special problem in that regard.

I've never had a problem in Mexico myself but I don't go into the wilds. When I went a few years ago, a "travel clinic" doctor I went to (mainly as a quick way to get my tenatus and Hep B vaccines) did prescribe me some antibiotics, also. I don't remember if it was Cipro or not, but she did that as what I should take if I started feeling bad. I never did, so it was wasted money.

Parasites are a different problem, I don't believe you can protect against them, you just can't be eating dicey stuff or going into unsafe water.

I've never gotten sick in Mexico but I don't have a delicate stomach and haven't anywhere else and rarely do at home. I don't really consider Mexican food to be that spicey, myself.

Most dishes aren't spicy, but some offer hot sauces on the side.

I am glad to hear that most people do not get sick, so I hope this time would be Ok for my husband. Last time, he got really sick eating at 5 star resort (parasite) :).

We will try to follow common sense...

I agree, my doctor only can suggest something specific to my problem, but not related to a coutnries.

I actually have no Hep B vacination, as I consider this a very low risk (I just did not add it, when we had Hep A) done, but we are up to date on most of vaccination as we traveled to Asia, Africa, and South America in the past.

And I have no vaccination for measles, but this is a separate story...

Thank you SO MUCH for everyones input!

Balding, we are in SMA now... Beautiful...We just made reservation at Hecho, but unfortunately Andy Garcia does not play there anymore...ahhh! They have another gitartist.

I wander if he plays somewhere else here.

Baldone, sorry my iPad replaced your name :)

Sorry, I don't known what I was smoking ... I meant Pedro Cartas oc course ...

Try Mi Casa at the Institute. I don't think Cartas is playing, but likely Gil Gutierrez is.

And maybe I responded too late, but Severo has been playing at Hecho's lately as well, and is no slouch either. Also see who's playing at Mama Mias, they usually have a pretty good line up of live music. We were there tonight, Lobo was playing, a kind of Nuevo Flamenco. Bummer that Cartas isn't in town, sorry. For more info google sanmiguelevents.com. find the music tab.

Baldone, we just went there, and he played with a gitarist.Wonderful! Apparently, our concierge was confused and only a gitarist was different. We had such a great time! thank you so much for this recommendation!

We came back from a glorious week in Mexico, and I just wanted to say Thank you so much for all this help in planning of our trip. GTO, SMA, and QRO are all beautiful, and in its own way.
A trip really surpassed my expectations, and on the way back I was already ready about other regions of Mexico.
We used a lot of your recommendations for food and restaurants - in GTO (La Tula twice, Los Campos, Las Mercedes), in SMA (La Posaditas, El Hecho (great music), La Parroquia,Posada de Carmen), in QRO - 1810 - all very good!
La Casa de La Marquesa in QRO is one of the most beautiful hotels, I have ever seen. It was decorated for X-mas, and it was breathtaking (plus wonderful musicians in the restaurant).
A trip to Mineral de Pozo and surrounding ruins took my breath away (we had a private driver).
Food was great, and we could not get enough of night street parties and mariarchy.

We did not want to leave.... Thank you again everyone for all this priceless advice!

Sounds like a wonderful trip!

Thank you, Yestravel! Yes, this trip surpassed my expectations, and change my perspective on travel in Mexico.

I was wondering, if anyone knows - around GTO and SMA - there are a lot of women dressed in traditional dresses, selling handmade dolls or jewelry or sweets. Who are these women? Are they from nearby villages? Do they belong to any of the local ethnic groups?

Hi Helen:
Glad you enjoyed your trip. Your OP reminded me of our own experience in that after many beach trips, we also decided to explore colonial Mexico. 15 years later, we ended up living here full time.
As for the women in traditional dress, they are either Nahuatl or Huichol, most likely Nahuatl (pronounced ny-wat). Both make the rounds but the majority are Nahuatl, or Aztec. Most live in the area, or in the outskirts of San Miguel.

Thank you, Baldone! You know in SMA, when I was walking in the market (my husband had to work that day), I was imagining I live there, and shop at that market, and come home to cook fresh food, and walk those streets, and do a little photography, and a listen to a music, and do some writing (I write in my native Russian), etc... This was such a nice thought! Unfortunately, no in the cards for now ... But I just loved these places... I talked to Pedro Cartas a bit during his break, and he suggested we attend his concert.... I wish we could...

Did he say where/when he was going to play? Besides Hecho's?

The was flyer on the wall at Hecho's, and he was supposed to be playing with 3 other people on different instruments. Unfortunately, I did not memorize where.