Leaving
Casa Lita had to end with stately meal of course, so I had quesadillas and
cereals for breakfast, with the usual fresh squeezed orange juice. :) Im gonna
miss that and my lovely host, to whom I had bought three yellow roses the day
before. She called a cap for me, and then I was off to the bus station around 8
AM with all my luggage.
I got a bus
ticket for Guanajuato, 4 hours away. I knew it was THE best bus company, and
that I could have gotten a cheaper ticket, but the 335 pesos turned out to buy
me an adventure in itself. The ETN bus was incredible. First of all I got a
soda can and a sandwich before boarding. The seat was so wide that they can
only fit 3 on each row, and the space to the seat in front is long, that I can
barely touch it with my legs stretched out. It has a footrest that supports the
entire leg, and the seat comes with headphones and a pillow. The drivers cabin
is closed off by a wall, and in the back of the bus there are two restrooms and
a coffee machine. If the slogan of this company isn’t already “ETN – make your
journey a destination”, it should be!
On the road
I got some interesting insights into Mexico. First of all leaving Guadalajara I
noticed again the blanket of smog that is covering the city. No wonder my nose
is acting up with all the pollution. Secondly I noticed how gas stations and
shops off this large road are not connected by exits, but literally on the side
of the road where cars can pull over when needed. Interesting. My third
discovery was some sort of pilgrimage taking place on the highway. That part I
still don’t get. There were thousands people walking along the road, and to
judge from the amount of garbage in the grass, it had been going on for a
while. I have no idea where the people were going or why, if anyone knows,
please let me know! :) Most people were not carrying much, some nothing, others
just a backpack. There were hundreds of shops and vendors along the road to
feed the walkers… Very peculiar!
Soooo after
4 hours I got to Guanajuato. I knew the bus station was a bit out of the way,
so I was surprised when the taxi driver asked for 40 pesos for the trip! But
well… Good start! He was a really nice guy and tried to make conversation in
Spanish. I understood must of what he said (2nd or 3rd
time he said it, or reexplained ;)), so it was actually a good practice lesson
for me! On the way to the destination he stopped to drop something off with a
friend (!), I doubt it was actually on the way, but I wasn’t in a hurry, and
the price was already set. Back on the road, which was insanely narrow and
twisting between the houses on a mountainside, he asked me where I was gonna
stay. I told him, and he advised me something else, very close to the original
destination. The trip there included a dive into the submerged streets of
Guanajuato, looks like mining tunnels, but were apparently carved out by an
ancient river.
The driver
took me to the Teatro Principal after pointing out my initial choice of
accommodation. Then we started climbing up some stairs on the side of the
theatre, got to a plaza, turned a corned, hiked up a hill, turned again, and
then finally, with me gasping for air under my heavy backpack, arrived at Casa
Bertha. 110 pesos for a single room with shared bathroom, internet and rooftop
terrace included – yes thank you! :) Paid and tipped the driver, then checked
in with the nice older man in the reception. Jorge. Started speaking English,
but I asked him to speak Spanish for some practice. Was really nice actually,
he was really patient and spoke slowly, and (yeay) I understood all of what he
said! Incredible what a week of practice can do! :) Then he showed me the
terrace, so nice with a great view of the city!
After
unpacking a bit I went to explore the city. First I went with a bus (though I
think it would have been faster to walk!) to the museum with mummies, a quite
bizarre place. The mummies are from a nearby cemetery, and around 100 years
old. The bodies are preserved because of a certain mineral content of the water
people drank and in the dirt. Then when the families are no longer paying for
the burial site, the bodies are excavated and if in good condition put in the
museum… Nice, huh?!
I walked
back to the centre, grapping some bread from a bakery. I strolled around for a
while, went into the churches I passed (they are beautiful!), and concluded
that the guidebook was right when saying that Guanajuato is one of those cities
where when you take a street you think is gonna take you somewhere, you end up
somewhere else! Has its charm, and who cares where you are anyway, when you are
exploring? :)
The city
itself really is charming. Those narrow roads and old buildings, theatres,
churches, restaurants, etc. I walked around for a while, and saw a museum with
an art exhibition of Don Quijote. Not sure about his story, but I am intrigued
to look into it after the experience! Was really nice. I also passed by Mercado Hidalgo, a large building from 1910 housing a market with foods and cheap stuff... One of these places where the food smells amazing, but which I kinda have to stay away from to protect my stomach! Which btw is doing just fine so far, even without an extreme approach, avoiding ice in drinks, salads and stuff like that.
When I went
back past one of the theatres a crowd has gathered to watch a mime perform. I
was passing well behind him with some other people, but he spotted me, and
brought me into his performance, walking arm in arm with me, pretending to be
having a conversation. The crowd were yelling “Beso, beso”, beso meaning kiss,
and I got a “kiss” on my cheek. Then I was let off the hook! I had dinner in a
restaurant with a student menu, including a salad, a drink, and a delicious
chicken with mushrooms and rice. Oh, and a peach for dessert. Back home I sat
on the terrace for a while, before going to bed, exhausted from the trip and
the sightseeing!
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