Be Happy in Guanajuato

Have you heard of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Guanajuato, Mexico?

An American married couple discovered Guanajuato on a trip to central Mexico in 1999. When they arrived were entranced by the tightly wedged houses, gaily painted with watermelon, lime, and tangerine colours.
After their first visit, they kept returning, lured by the city’s beauty and charm, until they finally succumbed and bought a house. Now they divide their life between Guanajuato and Eureka, California.
They say that one of the things they like best about the city is its unusual shape. Guanajuato is a steep V-shaped town in a valley surrounded by hills 1,000 feet higher. And since they don’t have a car they have to do everything on foot! 
However they take this as a very positive feature. By simply taking advantage of the town’s physical contours, they naturally stay fit.
There's no escape, in Guanajuato you're always heading either up or down—and as any physician will tell you, inclines are great for the heart and the lungs.
As with many Mexican towns, it’s easy to want to walk around this city because is pedestrian friendly. Streets are small, inviting squares, gracefully landscaped with flowers, shrubs, benches, and fountains, are filled with people, providing a sense of safety. Is like if Mexicans have an intuitive understanding of how to design public space.
They say that some days they wander the alleys that twist and turn in this vertical souk of a city but they feel those walks more like explorations than exercise, and before they realize, an hour has gone by.

Twice a week they go exploring in the semi-desert landscape. It’s simple to do. They just shut the front door and 10 minutes later they’re looking down at the city. It’s an hour each way to one of the white crosses that crown any number of the hills. And if they prefer a gentler route, then they walk the gravel road to the village of Peñafiel.
On Sundays they can also bicycle along La Panoramica, the road that circles the city. Mountain bike enthusiasts ride for hours on the dirt tracks near the small town of Valenciana, high in the mountains just above Guanajuato.
Other expats take yoga, Pilates, Zumba, or Tai Chi classes. Gyms exist, but you hardly need one.
But being in shape is not the only thing you're going to get by living in Guanajuato. You can also save money because the cost of living is less. In their household of two, they spend $8 per month on drinking water, $100 a month on utilities and property tax, and $250 a month on groceries. They paid $107,000 for their home in 2005, but other expats have bought houses for much less. House costs are widely variable. Concerts or movies cost between $3-$6.
So if you want to experience something new and good for your health and money, Go and Savor the beauty of Guanajuato!.

Original story by Louisa Rogers.