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an afternoon to complete relaxation , walking the Barrio Antiguo until we reached the Macroplaza ; the redevelopment of the former largest steel factory in the country that saw the creation of the Parque Fundidora where the chimneys and a good part of the structure were restored and integrated into the new city park .
Driving along the junction that took us out of the city we were impressed by the industrial fabric on the outskirts of the city which we said goodbye to as we entered the rocky mountains towards the state of Zacatecas .
The hot asphalt flowed beneath us despite the pace of the climb that took us above two thousand metres . The red earth and the tall Yucca shrubs welcomed us to the tropical region and the proof was the sign , which saw us suddenly braking , that indicated we were passing over the Tropic of Cancer .
Zacatecas is the capital of the state of the same name and is the northernmost of Mexico ' s legendary silver cities . It emerged like a mirage from the arid expanse dotted with cacti at a height above two thousand four hundred metres . The story tells us of the Zacateco natives who exploited the mineral deposits in the area , but everything changed when a Chichimeco handed over a piece of the precious material to a conquistador . From there thousands of natives were enslaved to work in the mines in inhumane conditions . The best way to experience the history of this city is certainly to take part in the guided tours of the former El Edén mine now transformed into a museum .
We were taken down by a small train along the path which , for the workers , who dug until 1960 , could have led to their death . They paid a very high price to extract gold , silver , iron , copper , and zinc and , if they were lucky enough not to die under the weight of the landslides , silicosis condemned them to a very short life . The original galleries are now lit , and period equipment is displayed in the windows . The guide told us in detail how people lived in darkness for hours and how children were used to enter the narrowest tunnels .
On the road to San Miguel de Allende we found light and colour but also many police vans with masked officers patrolling the small villages trying to protect them from the men of the drug cartels . It was easy to understand why the city is one of Mexico ' s main attractions and why many North Americans have a second home where they can spend the winter months or have even moved there fulltime . It was the first colonial city we visited , and its cobbled streets , pastel-coloured houses and squares adorned with
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