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Published: December 15th 2006
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The view of Guanajuato
The view of the city from at the top of the hill of Pipila Statue Guanajuato once a major mining town, nestled on hilly terrain is clean (they actually wash the streets everyday!), colourful and free from traffic lights and neon signs. (It was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage site since 1988) Narrow cobbled streets leads you through many well preserved colonial buildings and in a tunnel under the city was where the bus dropped me at this wonderful place after a 5 hour bus ride from Patzcuaro.
I went at the best time ever as the yearly Cervantino Festival, the biggest arts and music festival in Latin America was being held for the whole month. With the Cervantino festival on, Guanajuato was truly alive. I got a taste of the Cervantino Festival,when a clown jumped on board the city bus and started belting out jokes in Spanish. Although I could not understand anything, his facial expression and him laughing at his own jokes just cracked me up! By the way, for laughing one would have to part with some pesos which was perhaps why many on board the bus held a tight lip...ha ha
I had originally planned to stay in Guanajuato for only 3 days but liked it so much that
I ended up spending 2 weeks there instead! I enrolled in Escuela Mexicana and took a week of Spanish lessons which was really affordable and had 3 hours of Spanish lessons everyday which did help me improve my Spanish a little but i have a long way to go for sure.
I stayed at Hostel Kloste for the first 2 days and took a room for myself as Shoko, a Japanese student i met in Guadalajara helped me get a really good deal during this festive period.
Albeit after 2 days I went to check Hostel Casa Mexicana out as someone mentioned that it was a real cool place. As fate would have it, I bumped into Dan from Canada there and the next day I checked into Casa Mexicana.
A wise old friend back home (yes Terry its you)... once said to me, "that people usually help make a place you are at special" and I truly agree with him as i met and hung out with some really, really cool people at hostel Casa Mexicana, and that added to the magic of the city.
Everyday throughout the two weeks, I watched performances on the
Monumento A El Pipila
At the top of Guanajuato street and at the theatres. Contemporary, flamenco and folk dance performances, opera, concerts and the orchestra. Visited art galleries and got to see some works by Rembrant, Da Vinci, Van Gogh and Edgar Degas.
The Festival was truly magical and how would I describe how I felt.......
...at the Flamenco...how my heart moved with every beat of the drum, every strum of the guitar and the passionate cry of the flamenco singers. And together with the stunning dancers it created a dramatic setting in the cold and stillness of the night. The dancers seem to float on air as they danced the night away.
Flamenco was passion that night and life at that moment was Flamenco...(for me.. anyway)
...or how the North Opera Rock Company from the States entertained us at a free concert with their amazing blend of music combining Opera with Rock that both rocked and soothed the soul at the same time!
..........maybe the Orchestra from Europe was the icing on the cake as I sat in an old church in Valencia top of the mining town dating back to 1700, listening to Mozart echoing in the solemn and peaceful setting surrounded by
15 ft high paintings, gold sculptures of Jesus, angels and saints in church and everything seemed so peaceful.
IT WAS MAGIC!!!
Everyone who knows me well, knows that I love food and I have to say that the Pollo Asado or Roasted chicken served here at the local rotisseries was so DELICIOUS!
The local bakery here serves bread in abundance and you will be spoilt for choice when you see the mouth watering buns....
In Mexico, the staple is tacos. Everything is served with meat (meat lovers would enjoy Mexico) and it is truly difficult to find vegetables. So, I was delighted when I found a nice little cafe called El Midi run by a French lady that whips up gorgeous spreads of vegetables in their salad bar everyday.
Oh yes, not forgetting Cafe Tal, a little cafe next to the hostel that serves the best coffee and chocolate in town....really!
I even managed to get a chance to cook chicken curry, chinese fried rice and vegetables at the hostel! So, my chinese food fix was satisfied...I have to say that I was surprised to see Petai ( a local bean delicacy in Malaysia) in the market
Teatro Juarez
With Shoko I met from Guadalajara while shopping for ingredients.
After 2 wonderful weeks in Guanajuato, it was time to move on. It was sad to say goodbye to everyone and to Guanajuato but the beautiful beaches of Mexico were calling.....
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Nick
non-member comment
Thru' your eyes, man.
... nice ... gt to "visit" another country thru' your somebody elses eyes! - Nick