Zacatecas

It’s been awhile since I’ve had the Sunday evening blues. I guess the logistics of getting from A to B and all the ups and downs that happen in between have served as an effective distraction. Tonight is a bit different. We actually found a place that makes us sad to leave. Getting here took two days of long driving through mountainous terrain, the stench and haze of industrial cities and the wide expanse of prickly deserts. Along the way we were fortunate enough to stay in the small pueblo of Leon Guzman. The owners of a small restaurant treated us with great hospitality and allowed us to park outside for the night. We woke to a miniature oasis of green fields, a swiftly flowing river and the inexplicable charm of people going about their daily business. And now we are here in Zacatecas, a kind of urban oasis. If you can picture the narrow latern-lit streets of Barcelona and the steep vibrant hills of San Francisco then you can transport yourself here for little while. You can sit here with me on the roof-top terrace of Hostal Margaritas in the comfort of a warm tiled kitchen watching the brilliant glow cast by the setting sun on the pastel houses of the opposite hill. . . . Here are some highlights from our stay in Zacatecas . . . Riding the Teleferico (a cable car) over the town to La Bufa, the highest point of the city . . . Following Trobadores through the city at nighttime. These are small bands of musicians dressed in casual clothes who walk the city streets at night. Groups of young and old follow the pied pipers in a procession through the winding alleys taking part in the revelry. They even make stops in the various plazas for people to rest and to dance. . . . Wandering in the market on the outskirts of town. We stuffed our bags with fresh papaya, pineapple, nopalitos (edible cactus pads), avocados and much much more. Rodrigo and Daniel, who help to run the hostal with their mother, escorted us as we drank auga de miel (sweet honey-like water from the Maguey cactus) and tried other mysterious treats. Incidentally we are now paying a small price for our intrepid experimentation . . . Sipping coffee on the terrace and practicing our Spanish with Rodrigo, Daniel and their friend Omar. That’s a only little taste of Zacatecas. We could probably fill pages but its time for us to head to the coast. Drop us a line we want to here from you.

Here’s a rundown of the pictures: 1. Althea and I fighting over our last bit of food in the cold copper canyon.

2. A pastoral scene of from Leon Guzman (they're harvesting alfalfa)

3. The view from our roof-top in Zacatecas

4. Trobadores fostering great merriment

5. Josh and Thea in the market


And now for a brief update:

We've just spend three days at Laguna Santa Maria del Oro and now we really are on the hunt for some salt water. Pics and details will be coming soon.