http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , Mexico , Zacatecas , Zacatecas en-us Fri, 24 May 2013 17:35:39 +0000 Fri, 24 May 2013 17:35:39 +0000 Lunes 5 March we said goodbye to Ed and Michelle and struck off on our own to Zacatecas. Leaving San Miguel the terrain appeared to be mostly ranch land. Then we crossed an arid Nevada looking stretch. Nearing Zacatecas most acreage appeared to be used for grain cultivation.We are camped on the site of Hotel Hacienda del Bosque and RV Park. Being adjacent to the highway it is pretty noisy but http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-697739.html Zacatecas Zacatecas. Like New York New York it39s a city in a state of the same name. Named after the Zacatecos Indians that held this land before and during the Spanish invasion into Mexico. To get to ZacZac drive north from Guadalajara through Aguascalientes. Once past Aguas about a half hour or so the terrain dramatically changes and you begin to snake your way up a mountain Zacat http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-633985.html David here...We got up especially early 0630am as the bus from Guadalajara to Zacatecas takes 5 hours and we wanted to get there early enough so we could get into our chosen hostel. We got to the bus stop to the bus terminal and jumped onto a bus after both of us checking with the driver that he did in fact go to the bus station. After about 40 minutes we ended up on a random street in Beunos A http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-629459.html The thing about travelling is that you have to travel. At the moment we're moving pretty quick not more than two nights in any one place. We're well aware that this can't be maintained for the whole time but we want to have a bit of a look at Mexico before we move on to Central America.It does tend to give the budget a bit of a hammering. Bus travel while cheap here still costs. On the oth http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-550685.html Bueno estamos en la ciudada de Zacatecas en el estado de Zacatecas. Esta es una parada pequea. El viaje en bus duro 4 horas y llegamos al hostal Villa Colonial. No lo recomiendo los baos sucios y nada esta en muy buen estado sin embargo es conveniente y creca de todo. En zacatecas nos quedamos solo dos noches ayer y hoy. Maana para Guadalajara por 3 noches. Ayer fuimos a las fiestas ti http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-530401.html We started our day sightseeing at the Rafael Coronel Museum. We walked the already familiar route from the hostel and along the central road until we reached the ruins. We found the tiny ticket office and I bizarrely had to give up my handbag and camera bag before gaining entry to the monastary complex. The Rafael Coronel Museum occupies the ruins of the Convento de San Francisco built in 1567 w http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-514926.html We started our morning sitting on a wall opposite the taxi collection point in the early morning sunlight sharing our breakfast of bread and biscuits with the local pigeons. When the taxi pulled up we clambered in with a few other people and set off for the first point on our tour the Cerra de la bufa. This is one of the most important symbols of the city and was the scene of the Battle of Zaca http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-514925.html The end of term has come and gone and the last day disappeared in the usual whirl of films and popcorn games and goodbyes. Most of the students made an effort to come in for the last day and stayed for the entire lesson a.k.a. party I had fun with each class and students and teachers alike were wandering in and out of each other's classes saying goodbyes and joining in with various activities.T http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-514923.html Sandra often tells the story of how back in her pagan days she marveled at a Christian family living in her apartment complex who took missionaries and others into their home. At that time she couldnt understand why they would do that. How could they care for strangers the way many dont care for even their own flesh and blood On this trip we have been cared for in such a way. Even complet http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-511970.html We are now in Mexico and feeling surprisingly comfortable everyone we meet has gone out of their way to assist us. The guy at the car wash in Hidalgo de Parral who showed us the way on his bicycle to the hotel we were looking for the owners of Hotel Acosta who allowed us to park in their front foyer to make sure the bike was safe secure although it could be seen by all through the window. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-446520.html Zacatecas was a cool town. It had great architecture and everything in the centro downtown was easy to get to by foot. Rode in a cable car that crosses over the city. It had awesome views of Zacatecas. Traveled deep under the earth into a retired mine called El Eden. The mine was first worked on in 1586. As many as five people died on a daily basis back when they worked on the mine. They http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-340014.html The weekend planned in San Luis Potosi was cut short due to the disgusting state of the hostel. Whatever you do dont stay at San Miguelito Hostel described in the Rough Guide as a brand new place with a roof terrace it has never been cleaned since. Theres a fusty odour and grime on everything...to give Angela her due she made a small effort to mop the floor and was a very sweet lady but http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-339405.html ZacatecasIst schon ne weile her seit meinem letzten Eintrag. Aber wie heisst es Keine Nachrichten sind gute Nachrichten Anspruch und Wirklichkeit......gehen bei mir etwas auseinander zumindest was meine Finanzen betrifft. Soweit ich es bisher absehen kann wird mein Geld nicht fuer die geplanten sechs Monate reichen. Das ist zum einen natuerlich schade zum anderen aber nicht wirklich tragisch. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-337736.html La Quemada is a set of ruins and a pyramid 45 minutes outside Zacatecas. They are not as spectacular as some of the ruins in southeast Mexico but they are mysterious because nobody is sure about their origins. There is controversy as to the culture that inhabited them and for what purpose. We spent the day wandering around them and enjoying a beautiful day. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-315214.html I spent the 10th with John UK James Australia and Tomas Switzerland hiking up the Cerra de la Bufa taking the teleferico down and touring the mine. They even gave us hard hats for the mine tour. Que Padre. On the way back I got some photos of the people gathering in one of the plazas for a clown and comedy show. This happens every evening. A really lovely city. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-315206.html There is a great mask museum here. The building was originally a monastary then a prison and now a gorgeous musem. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-310684.html I was on a total of four buses to get from Real de Catorce to Zacatecas. I arrived there a little after 9pm and the town looked amazing at night. Luckily the hostal Hostal Villa Colonial had some open beds. 9 a night with an amazing view of the whole town. Zacatecas has one of the coolest cathedrals in all of Mexico a lot of museums and a cable car teleferico that takes you to the top http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-309910.html I only left the US five days ago but already it seems like that was ages ago It was sad to leave Phoenix Ill miss Luba Terry and Sean but at least I know Ill probably be going back there before I go home. I also miss the guaranteed comfortable bed every night air conditioning and clean water On the bus into Mexico I was the only nonMexican. I know this because when we got to the bor http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-300732.html After over a month in Mexico we are now officially sick of the buses. Always with movies being played but often competing with the drivers radio. And frequently we are arriving at our destination before the movie is finished. Hmm.Zacatecas is set in the hills at around 2500 meters but it was surprisingly warm. We stayed at the Hotel Condesa which was quite pleasant. Unlike Guadalajara this town ha http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-273770.html The last stop Zacatecas couldn't have been any better. This was one of our favorite cities in Mexico and also a favorite by many others as it is a Unesco World Heritage site. The state of Zacateces is actually one of Mexico's largest but smallest in population. The city of Zacatecas has an altitude of 2445m which is 5m higher than Mexico City which makes for some hot days and cold nights http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Zacatecas/Zacatecas/blog-201625.html