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Published: August 15th 2006
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Just 3 hours NW of Mexico city via scenic countryside is Queretaro state and city. This is 1/2 million as opposed to MC´s 20 million and makes quite a difference. It is the size of perhaps Omaha or Cincinnati but much more accessible. The hostel I´m staying at (The Red Girafe, don{t ask me why) is 20 beds instead of 200 and much quieter and laid back, with none of the constant noise and distraction of MC. The town center is all walkable with red-brick streets and parks every few blocks with landscaped trees and flowers and the ubiquitous fountain or statue in the center. It is so difficult to convey even in pics all the sights and the sounds and smells. Queretaro and Guanajuato states were hotbeds of dissent in the early 19th century and is sometimes called the cradle of Independence as many of the plots were hatched here. But one legacy of the Spanish here that is a symbol of Queretaro is the amazing sandstone aquaduct built in the 18th century.
Mexico has a mix of the familiar and foreign. There are the ubiqitous commerical symbols like Gap and Coca'Cola and Hundais and Chevys and
Domino´s pizza (see motorcycle pics below) and their are seemingly universal genres and people categories, like the mustach-bearing working class mechanics with white or blue button down shirts, lip-sticked and painted faced young girls with fashionable t-shirts, moms telling the whining children "no and because i said so" in spanish, etc. but also the novelty of the unique and vibrant mexican marcado and street vendors and cobblestone pathways with cactus and acacia popping up here and there and evening mariachi bands, church bells rung with serious but chaotic intent it seems at random times, and this penchant some mexicans seem to have for exploding fireworks at any hour day or night. Some of the cool things about architecture here in mexico are the interior courtyards/patios with plants and open sky, the ceilings often have glass cubes to let light in during the day, and many places have rooftop patios as well to enjoy nightlife go by. And of course there is the uninhibited choice of vibrant colors, from bright blue to pastels and idiosyncratic designs on their doors and mantels.
I stayed In Queretaro a couple days and went on to San Miguel de Allende, a bit further to
the NW in the foothills.
I´ve mentioned a bit about San Miguel in an earlier email...it is has a colonial/ex-pat/artsy feel to it, which has its good and bad aspects. I´ve mentioned the library which has a wealth of culture and atmosphere. One can read Mexican history or Kerouac in spanish while having a tea or beer or mocha in the open air Cafe right in middle of the the library! Does it get better?
SMA has a wonderful park with a new section for mexican artists to display there work, though the central plaza in front of the main church is a bit crowded most of the time compared to the various ones in Queretaro even though the latter is a much bigger town. The non-spanish population here makes for accessibility of many things, but that is also its downside, because you are always able to speak to someone in english if you want or need to.
I am over my illness, whatever it was, completely now. Yesterday I had the best day going to the Botanical Gardens several kilometers out of town. Quite a hike up a hill to get there but it was worth
it! It is adjacent a wetlands and canyon and so I just strolled through. It´s always fascinating to come across ever-new plant and animal species, so I Learned a bit about local botany. One bit of advice for curious folks: don´t casually stroke the fruit of a prickly pair cactus! You will end of with the tiniest slivers of ouch covering your hands for the day. It is a species called Nopal and it is everywhere here and Mexicans sell the fruit (tuna) and the "paddle" on the street and in restaurants. The first night in MC, I had agua de tuna, which is basically cactus fruit drink and it was semi-sweet and actually very good and now i know where it comes from. Inside the tuna are dark red berry type substance which i haven't yet tried. the pads are eaten as a vegetable and have many vitamins and minerals and i think i had one a week ago, fried and covered in a type of sauce.
then last night i went to a biblioteca publica viewing of "the Real Dirt on Farmer John", and hosting of Farmer John himself, his quirky guitar playing girlfriend, and afterward an
organic dinner in the cafe. A version of the film aired on PBS a couple months ago. Because i´m into the organic lifestyle movement, I had watched it with my mom and I would recommend it highly...a beautiful film. It´s about John Peterson, an Illinois farmer who loses his family farm then gets it going again after much trial and error and grief but now farms it as organic and has a CSA supporting some 1000´s of local people in addition to hosting interns and refugees. The film version here showed more footage from mexico and guatemala and more personal information on John Peterson. Evidently, John comes to SMA now when he can as a home away from home. He was just like in the film, simultaneously subdued and quirky and answered questions from an audience of about 100 or so. What a great event to catch while I am here.
I keep postponing leaving here but i suppose i shall move on tomorrow to Puebla area and the volcanoes, SE of MC and then on to Oaxaca and Chiapas, where i am most excited to go. Someday i would like to take a roadtrip down to SMA from
the states with my car. Dreaming about roadtripping on my roadtrip!! Basta!
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Tom M.
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hey from Sinclair
I'm enjoying this immensely, Ryan, thanks for including me. (I don't suppose I ever told you Jack Kerouac was my cousin? :)