December 3, 2008

Hola,
What a day we had in Guanajuato yesterday! That place really is a must see. Lynda and I took the bus from San Miguel de Allende to Guanajuato (about 1 1/2 hrs each way) for under $30 return for the two of us (and that was on the first class bus!!) Buses here are great!!

Anyway, as our bus rolled into Guanajuato, we started into a tunnel that never ended!! It just turned into another tunnel and then another one and then another. We had no idea how we'd ever find where to get off as we were looking for the Centro Zocalo Historico area. When in need - ask for help - so we did and the people sitting next to us were able to tell us when to get off. We got off the bus in the tunnel and up the stairs we went to come out onto the most gorgeous zocalo you can imagine. Pointsettias lines the stairwell railing, umbrella covered restaurant tables dotted the area surrounding the zocalo, merchants wandered with all their colourful wares, musicians strummed their instruments, people sat and chatted, the fountains sparkled in the sunlight, the workers worked on repairing the front of the impressive theatre that loomed at one edge of the zocalo.....all in all it was breathtaking.

We wandered and shopped and wandered and sat and wandered and ate and wandered some more admiring the narrow roads that reminded me so much of being in Venice. Guanajuato Centro Zocalo is possibly the prettiest spot I've seen in Mexico so far. Certainly we didn't see much of the city but what we did see was very clean and inviting to any and all.

We caught the last bus back to San Miguel and arrived back at Allan and Rosa's around 9:00 pm. I'd like you all to give a little acknowledgement to the fact that once again, we did it all in Spanish :) Not bad heh?! When in Guanajuato, we even used the local bus transit from the Central Bus Station to get to the downtown Zocalo.....that 20 minute ride cost us all of 4 pesos each (or approx 40 cents) The taxi we took back to the Bus Station (about 10 minutes) in the evening was pretty affordable too at 40 pesos (or approx $4.00)

I should back up a little and tell you about our early morning adventure prior to our trip to Guanajuato. Rosa, Lynda and I went to the Tuesday market in San Miguel where there is reported to be everything you might ever need and then some. After seeing it, I'd say that claim to fame could very well be true and we gave it a very rapid tour stopping long enough to get something to eat at one of the little open air stalls. There we had gorditas which were delicious! The really crazy part came when we were looking at some clothing in a stall near where we had parked the car. I noticed that a policeman was standing at Rosa's car with her licence plate in his hand. I called to Rosa, she ran to the car and luckily the policeman gave her the plate back without charging her any $$. Whew! The reason he took her plate was that she (along with at least a hundred other cars) were parked in a no parking zone. Whenever the police find a car that needs a parking ticket - they just take the plate and then the owner has to come to the police station to pay the fine and retrieve their plate. Effective measures!!!

Today has been a day of prepping to leave early in the a.m. Lynda visited the salon and looks like a million bucks and I took the opportunity to call on a massage therapist that Rosa and Allan swear by. She came to the house and an hour and a half later.....I was feeling pretty darned relaxed :) Got caught up on laundry again as this may be the last time for any washing for a while. Will catch the bus to Mexico City at 7:00 a.m. and arrive there about 3 hours later. From the Central bus station in Mexico City, Lynda and I will catch another bus to the airport where we'll be able to pick up our airline tickets to Tuxtla in Chiapas. We should be landing in Tuxtla around 3:00 in the afternoon and then will take a bus (about another hour) to San Cristobel where we'll find a hotel and by then I'm guessing we'll be ready to stop for the night!

We got some of Lynda's pictures off her camera last night so I'll try to attach a couple of them into this blog.

Till next time,
Lorrie
p.s.
Valerie....I don't know what you said to Lynda on the phone but she's been walking around for the rest of the day with a bottle of tequila in her hand.....do I need to worry?? Just kidding but no worries...we're both having a margarita for each of the readers of this blog in every town we stop at :) We're having a really great time!! :)
L