Blogs from Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico, North America - page 2

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, which was the first Franciscan convent in the province of Zacatecas. The construction was authorized by Pedro de Ayala, Bishop of Nueva Galicia (Guadalajara). The Templo, or church part of the convent, burned down 80 years after the convent was built but was quickly rebuilt in 1648. The Franciscan Convento was closed in 1856, along with many other religious facilities around the country. The complex was ... read more

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. Today was technically the last day of term, minus the students. Students were able to come and pick up their report cards from the school if they had not already done so, and us teachers cleared out our classrooms and returned our teaching books and CDs. I was soon free to leave and said my semi-goodbyes to the school and principal although ... read more

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 died either of accidents, tuberculosis, or other diseases inflicted by the mine work. The mine is 1,620 feet deep of solid rock. All digging was done by hand with picks! One can't imagine the labor it took. They even have a dance club built in the mine. Met some cool people at my hostel. Partied a couple of times with ... read more

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.... read more

There is a great mask museum here. The building was originally a monastary, then a prison and now a gorgeous musem.... read more