Just as the city of Guanajuato seems to be folded into the mountains of central México, so are fantastic legends folded into its streets, plazas, tunnels, caves, and hills.
We run regularly at the Cerro de la Bufa, an area of forested hills and rocky cliffs on the southeast side of Guanajuato. We have seen the statue of the patron saint of the city tucked in a cave on the hill. But today we learned that an enchanted princess also inhabits the peak of La Bufa, and on Holy Thursdays, for hundreds of years, she has emerged to call for a handsome and valiant man to rescue her by carrying her down to the holy altar of the Basilica in the center of town. Once there, she will once again become human, and the city of Guanajuato will be restored to the resplendent glory of the days at the height of its silver mining boom. But there is risk, and the man who rescues the princess must not be so stunned by her beauty that he cannot complete the journey. He must carry her serenely in his arms all the way; he cannot look back or lose his step, no matter what strange noises he hears behind him. If he does falter, the princess will turn into a terrible serpent, and he will meet an ugly end.
Unfortunately, Holy Thursday was last week, and we ran on Saturday - two days too late. Mark missed his opportunity to rescue the princess and enter into the legends of Guanajuato.
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