Author, activist, founder of Fat Girls Traveling, and friend of Intrepid Annette Richmond recently hosted her first custom-made tour of Mexico, with a focus on female empowerment, relaxation and — of course — a heavy dose of adventure. Share how it all went.
Did you know this? Mexico Wine has been produced for over 400 years. I recently explored Mexico's hidden gems—including two wineries—with four other plus-size travelers. The ladies are members of the fat positive travel community Fat girls travel They were the first to join me on Tailor-made Bold Tour.
Two great things about Tailor-Made Tours are that you have a local Intrepid captain and the option to customize your trip, which allowed me to modify the itinerary to make it more accessible. I was also able to add day trips to places like the natural hot springs at Grutas Tolantongo.
Relaxation and women's empowerment were central to Mexico's adventure on hidden gems. We started in Mexico City where I was able to accomplish one of my travel goals: to visit La Casa Azul (aka Blue House, or Frida Kahlo Museum) in Coyocoan. Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter, feminist, original selfie queen, activist, and one of my greatest inspirations. She was born, lived and died in Casa Azul. Her ashes rest in a pre-Hispanic toad urn in her nighttime bedroom. You can feel her energy throughout the property.
Driving from our hotel to Coyocoan, I shared some of the stories I've learned about Frida over the years. Like, she created her first painting "Self-Portrait in a Velvet Dress" in an effort to win her boyfriend back. How did she develop a drinking problem after her divorce from Diego. How Diego supported her financially even when they weren't together, as she had large medical bills.
After an emotional and educational start in Mexico City, we made our way north to Grutas Tolantongo, where the group enjoyed fun and relaxation in hot springs not many people know exist in Mexico.
We enjoyed tacos, fried fish, quesadillas, chicken and cold cerveza for lunch at the restaurant in Grutas Tolantongo, then made our way through the mountains to Querétaro, Mexico. This central Mexican state is known as the birthplace of Mexican independence, made possible by an independent woman.
Our local guide, Jason, took us on a walking tour through Querétaro, stopping at the Corregidora Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez statue. Josefa was a mother, activist, rebel, and supporter of the Mexican War of Independence. She was married to Miguel Dominguez, the mayor of Querétaro, Mexico (or Corregidor) and had the desire to help.
It began by helping the indigenous people of Mexico, along with the Mestizo and Criollo communities. Eventually she persuaded her husband to organize several political meetings in their home. These meetings quickly became revolutionary. The historic center of Querétaro - where their home still stands - is a World Heritage Site.
The Mexican War of Independence was scheduled to take place on December 8, 1810. However, on September 13, the Spanish authorities imprisoned Josefa in her bedroom to prevent her from exchanging information with her fellow conspirators. She managed to get a warning that allowed the leaders to declare war on Spain ahead of time, on September 16, 1810.
After our walking tour through Queretaro, we went to the first of the two wineries on our itinerary. Mexico has been producing wine for hundreds of years and Queretaro is now the second largest producing region in Mexico after Baja California. We visited Freixenet, where we explored the vineyard by train, and San Lucas Vineyards, where we did a walking tour and wine pairings. For one of my travellers, it was the first time they had visited a winery and tasted wine.
To celebrate the occasion, I bought a charcuterie board to share and another bottle of champagne - Freixenet is famous for its sparkling wine. After sharing a second bottle, a few of us bought a bottle to go, first timer included! Exploring a winery by train, tastings followed by Charcuterie and more wine, what more could one ask for? bottle to go! No wine?!
Finally, our tour takes us to Guanajuato, Mexico, a former mining town with winding underground tunnels and colorful homes in the hills. The siege of Guanajuato made the Spanish realize that there was a major uprising happening that they should take seriously.
On September 28, 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo and Ignacio Allende brought their rebel army of 50,000 angry natives and poverty-stricken soldiers to Guanajuato. They were joined by the miners and workers of Guanajuato, including miner Juan José de los Reyes MartÃnez Amaro known as "Pibila".
The Spanish forces in Guanajuato decided to fight back, and made a large base of general granaries (Alhóndiga de Granaditas) fortress-like. The wealthier Spaniards moved their families and fortunes inland and fortified the building as quickly as they could.
Jason explained how Pepilla strapped a large flat stone to his back and made his way to the large wooden door of the granary with tar and a torch. So the stone heated him up and put tar on the door and set it on fire. This allowed the rebel army to enter the granary and win the Siege of Guanajuato.
It was amazing to explore some of Mexico's hidden gems and learn so much about the country's rich history and culture. I will definitely be hosting more tailor-made tours with Intrepid; Visiting for a day or two is just not enough time! I would be happy to host this trip again, and all the ladies who traveled with me said they would come back to learn more about this interesting and beautiful country.
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