Blogs from Hidalgo, Mexico, North America

We are staying in Mexico City. Brad and Christopher joined us for five days. We signed up for a day trip to Tolantongo Hot Sprigs through Airbnb. We had an early start, 6 AM so we took a Uber to meet our tour group at the Angel of Independence statue. We piled into a small van and headed out of Mexico City. We stopped for a buffet breakfast after an hour and a half. After another hour and a half we stopped at a shop where we bought water shoes. Our next stop was at the hot springs. The hot water from caves that flow into a river is used to make hot pools of water. There is a campground, hotel and restaurant. The water is a beautiful blue from all the minerals in the water. ... read more

Noch am Sonntag Abend haben wir in Tecozautla Quartier bezogen, natuerlich im ersten Haus am Platze (die bisher billigste Unterkunft, ca. 20 Euro). Am naechsten Morgen wollten wir endlich mal ausschlafen. Allerdings wurde vom Uhrturm am Hauptplatz jeweils um 7 und um 8 Uhr von einem elektronischen Glockenspiel die Nationalhymne abgespielt. Macht nichts: Umdrehen, weiterschlafen. Um halb 9 erklangen dann im Patio vor dem Hotelzimmer mexikanische Volkslieder, Gesang mit Gitarre. Bald wurde mir klar: Das war kein Lautsprecher. Spaetestens jetzt waere mindestens einer unserer geschaetzten Leser mit der abgesaegten Schrotflinte hinausgestuermt und haette dem Barden eine Ladung Blei in den Pansen gejagt (derjenige weiss sicher, wer gemeint ist). Nachdem Diana unvorsichtigerweise die Klospuelung betaetigt hatte, verlegte er seinen Standort direkt vor unsere Tuer (er war auch sonst recht aufdrin... read more

After seeing the pictures on the website (http://www.elgeiser.com.mx/) and hearing about it from friends, I was eager to take a weekend trip out to the hot springs area of Hidalgo. I love the water but I can't stand it when it's too cold for me to even get in and enjoy it. I'm not 9 years old anymore jumping into the ice cold springs of California. Give me sun, shade, and warm water now! We left Nicole's house around 9am and took some lovely bad roads from Queretaro to Hidalgo. I can't believe the condition of some of these roads. Nicole said that the worst part is where the two states border each other and neither state wants to take responsibility for the road so everyone suffers. Not good for tourism but the locals are probably ... read more

Well, I guess I can say that the countdown is officially on 6 days until I leave Toronto and go on a month long adventure! We wrapped up work on Friday, and it was quite sad, cleaning out the office and saying our goodbyes. It was quite bittersweet as I loved my job and the people I worked with but there was a sort of relief to realize that the 6 months of transition were over, and we could all begin to move on to bigger and better things (hopefully!!). Before I take the next steps in my career, I am heading south for a month to visit some friends, see some new lands, practice my Argentine Spanish, and eat a ton of great food and drink even more great wine! My travels will begin on ... read more

In Mexico, Pachuca is known for soccer as it was the gateway through which futbol/soccer entered Mexico, introduced in the 19th century by miners from Cornwall, England. Pachuga just recently won the South American Cup and the Mexican Title as well. While the Mexican Title is a great one to have, in Carlos' family it only counts when the team America wins. Carlos, on the other hand was happy that Pachuca won because that means America didn't win. He is a fan of Chivas. We started the day at the Cristo Rey monument, which is ONE OF the best vistas/ views of Pachuca, before making our way down to the city. From the view you can see the brightly painted houses blanketing the hillsides. The houses and buildings were just painted within the last 3 ... read more