Guanajuato; Museo de las Momias

Not your usual Holiday posting: A couple of days ago I have visited the Museo de las Momias in Guanajuato.  The interesting thing is that the bodies on display here are not really all that old, nowhere close to the age of ancient mummies in Agytian mueseums for example. 

On a cementry here in the city of Guanajuato a body will typically lie for 5 or 7 years, should the family decided not to pay for an extended period, that is when the graves will be cleared. Since the climate is dry and the bodies stored in their grave with practically no oxygen they mummify within this short period. There is no other treatment it is just the circumstances. Kind of a spooky place. In the 70ties the bodies were just standing in a room, directly accessible. Unfortunately tourists started breaking pieces of taking them home as souveniers. Many years later a proper museum was established and the bodies are now displayed behind glass. 

Should you be in Guanajuato and decided to visit the mueseum follow the well marked signs from the town center to the west. This is about a 25 to 30 minutes walk from the the center (Jardin) of town. Should you be driving it is marked as well, however the way is different and shorter should for pedestrians. Parking is available in front of the museum.