"Irapuato, Gto." a Irapuato Travel Page by jmbredeck

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View of Jardin central. and Presidencia Municpal

Central Mexico

Arrived: June 2004
A city with fountains and where it rains almost every day in late June -- a big change from the Sonoran desert climate of Hermosillo.

Feb. 2005
Irapuato seems to have been settled originally as an Estancia, or ranching and pasture area. Growth of the mining industry in Guanajuato and Zacatecas fueled the need for supplies and provisions in the mining towns that were booming centers of commerce and trade. Irapuato was one of the areas meant to feed and clothe the miners.
Nearby there are cities (Celaya, Salamana, Salvatierra) that reflect the typical urban planning of settlements which the Spaniards foresaw as planned cities - but not in Irapuato. Here there is no neat central garden bounded by arcades and the principal buildings of civic and religious authority.
The jumble of churches and streets downtown seems to reflect this initial lack of intention to build a city, or villa. A challenge facing Irapuato today is to reconcile the disorder of those early decades with the demands of an attractive and appealing downtown area. Efforts to rescue the center have yielded results - there is now a functional square for civic activities (Plaza de los Fundadores), a mural nearby depicting the blending of races that produced Mexico, and a new underground parking garage in front of the recently designated Cathedral - formerly the Parish church.
March 2005: Irapuato is also the city of bikes - they're everwhere (usually men) on the streets, and their hazard to your driving is enhanced by the frequency with which you'll suddenly be behind other cars with no brake lights whatsover! Driving here is a challenge, and not unlike various video games like Frogger.