By Fernanda Noriega
San Miguel de Allende is no longer a Magic Town. Some years ago it was removed from the list because it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, some things never change, and one of them is that the city still maintains the magic it always had. If you are not from here, surely you have been surprised to see that San Miguel people know what time it is after hearing the ringing of bells coming from… La Parroquia? No. The time is given by the clock tower on San Rafael church and it is unique in the world. It has been in operation for just over 120 years and to this day you can hear its majestic tinkling at every hour of every day.
To understand a little better how the time is indicated by the clock, you only have to count the number of chimes. There are two key sounds to identify: the first is two chimes that come in pairs, as if they were two inseparable eighth notes that we will call “tick-toc.” Each “tick-toc” represents 15 minutes, that’s important.
The second sound is individual chimes, they have a deeper sound and there is a short pause between them, we will call these “ton” and each of them represents an hour. Therefore, if for example, it is 12:30, the clock will sound something like this: tick-toc (x2) and then followed by “ton” (x12). If it were 12 o’clock, on the hour, the sound would be: tick-toc (x4), since an hour consists of 4 quarters, and then ton (x12).
After reading this edition of San Miguel in numbers, you will no longer need to check the time on your cell phone. You are in San Miguel, all you need to do is listen!
