The Best of San Miguel de Allende/Lo Mejor de San Miguel de Allende
by Joseph Harmes
Publication date: November 27, 2004 (Self-published)
Price: $19.95/Pages: 412 (192 in English, 204 in Spanish, 45 color photographs)
ISBN: 968-7846-72-0
Contact: Joseph Harmes
(01-415) 152-1077 Within Mexico
(1-828) 278-0013 Dialing San Miguel de Allende from the U.S.
author@thebestofsanmigueldeallende.com
www.thebestofsanmigueldeallende.com
Sojourn the Real San Miguel de Allende with an Acclaimed New Book
In only four months, the comprehensive The Best of San Miguel de Allende/Lo Mejor de San Miguel de Allende (self-published; November 27, 2004; $19.95), called "a publication long overdue in these parts" (San Miguel VIP Restaurant Club) has become the most talked-about and fastest-selling book ever written about the renowned colonial landmark.
San Miguel de Allende, the cradle of Mexico's 1810 war of independence and a haven for gringo artists, writers and intellectuals for the last 60 years, needs no introduction. It consistently ranks among the world's most highly-rated destinations in publications like Condé Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure, International Living, The New York Times and even Bon Appétit. In a March 16, 2005, feature on retirement, The Today Show directed aging Baby Boomers to San Miguel de Allende as an alternative to Florida.
Now, veteran journalist and long-time Mexico resident Joseph Harmes has filled a long-standing void in travel literature about the 450-year-old town with an exuberant "book that twinkles with joie de vivre" (The Miami Herald), helpful not just for tourists and newly-minted expatriates but full-time residents (the highest tribute). Chapters detail the arts, dining, history, children's activities, recreation and a shoppers' treasure-trove.
Harmes sets himself apart from every other chronologist about San Miguel de Allende because he didn't just parachute into town: he's visited it continually since 1976 and has lived there for the last three years. Given the geographical confinement of its romantic narrow streets, he literally walked almost every one and explored each establishment to compile a revealing panorama of hushed historical lore, the most comprehensive and descriptive calendar of colorful local holidays and centuries-old fiestas, culinary advice about Mexican caviar (ant larva), the aphrodisiac qualities of the foul pulque (a liquor) and a rollicking commentary on the thousands of Americans calling San Miguel de Allende their home or second home. Harmes "combines thorough research, an obvious love for the place and cheerful irreverence," (the Guadalajara Colony Reporter).
Starting with the most frequently-asked question in town ("Where's the bathroom?"), Harmes leaves no dusty cobblestone unturned. What emerges from The Best of San Miguel de Allende is honesty (no free lunches or other quid pro quo) and even a sense of humor not found in other travel books (except "The People's Guide to Mexico"). His admirable research reveals that Mexico's founding father, the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, was a father in more ways than one: indeed, he sired at least eight children. Harmes walks readers from the town's humble origin of adobe and sticks into arresting colonial churches and macho cantinas (one which doubles as a shrine to Marilyn Monroe); swank restaurants and humble market food stalls; stores selling home decor for thousands of dollars (not pesos) and prison workshops where the inmates can produce the same upscale designs for the cost of materials only.
The up-to-date, all-inclusive guide is unique in yet another telling, important way: readers get two books for the price of one. One half contains 192 pages of text in English. Flip it over to see an exact 204-page translation in Spanish. Mexican visitors to San Miguel de Allende outnumber all others by six-to-one and The Best of San Miguel de Allende/Lo Mejor de San Miguel de Allende is the only even-handed travel guide affectionately written with this audience in mind.
Unlike other travel books, The Best of San Miguel de Allende talks to its curious readers with a blend of humor, integrity and insight, vividly capturing the town's storied ambiance and even debunking much of what has been written about it in the past. For example, at least 14 different publications (including The New York Times and The Washington Post) have estimated the local population of U.S. expatriates at anywhere from 1,000 to more than 14,000 (hint, not even the U.S. Consul General knows the answer, so why guess?). When viewers of The Today Show heard the line, "You go to Florida to die, and you come to San Miguel to live," Harmes had to laugh, as his comprehensive book identifies this tired description as one of the "best clichés you want to forget."
A book that twinkles with joie de vivre, especially if you are a traveler for whom the (slightly) absurd is essential seasoning for a tasty experience-fest. Barbara Kastelein, The Miami Herald international edition.
This one's a winner. If you have any thought of visiting San Miguel sometime in the near future, you'd be crazy if you didn't pick up a copy before you leave home. Alan Cogan, www.mexconnect.com.
This is the guide for one fun adventure. It belongs in every home. Suzanne Ludekens, Atención San Miguel.
Best guide book to San Miguel. La Jerga.
That book is FANTABULOUS! I'm having SUCH fun with it. Jennifer Hamilton, director of the House & Garden Tour.
Joseph Harmes was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. He began visiting the U.S.-Mexico border as an infant and moved to Mexico City in 1974 where he reported over the next 13 years for Time, Newsweek and other publications. He spent 12 years reporting for People and was the magazine's bureau chief in Houston and, later, Miami. He has covered assignments in 18 countries, written about civil wars in Central America and the Balkans, followed the Pope and drank privately with Gabriel García Márquez, Carlos Fuentes and Octavio Paz. He moved to San Miguel de Allende in 2002. He recently used The Best of San Miguel de Allende/Lo Mejor de San Miguel de Allende to teach a workshop on "The Pros, Cons and Strategies of Self-Publishing" for The San Miguel Authors' Sala. Atención San Miguel, the town's English-language weekly, publishes excerpts of the book's exhaustive holiday and fiesta listings fulfilling a long-standing reader request.
April 2005