It was another long drive from Guadalajara to Zacatecas, along winding roads . . . six hours to go 200 miles . . . curvy ups and downs through cattle country. We were treated to glimpses of a number of beautiful little towns along the way - clean, narrow strets lined with big pots of flowers; local residents gathered in town squares (Photo 1) for the weekly Sunday activities - mass, market day, visits with friends and family.
Our accommodations in Zacatecas sounded good, based on the report in the Churches' guide book - a luxury hotel, indoor swimming pool, nice retaurant. Little did we know that it was situated between the freeway and the railroad tracks! Ah yes, being in Mexico is an adventure! The trains were pretty quiet, but drivers of the big rig trucks coming off the freeway onto the bypass right in front of the hotel used their air brakes with particular relish to slow down throughout the night. Not much else in the area, except a Pemex fuel stop across the highway, so we settled in . . .
But, I digress . . . In the 1700s, after conquering Mexico, Spain reaped a steady supply of silver from the local mines of Zacatecas. The indigenous people were forced to work the mines in near slavery conditions by the conquistadors. This is a city very European in its appearance, with architecture that seems straight from Spain (Photo 2) and very vibrant. It is just amazing how much activity goes on any given weekday. Of course, being the start of Semana Santa - Holy Week - it's a good excuse to celebrate with music in the squares and performances by costumed entertainers. (Photo 3) Whereas American cities tend to be auto dependent, this city is pedestrian oriented, which leads to more interactions (kisses thrown by a toddler, for example). It's difficult to describe how much better it feels!
We encountered few other tourists from North America and Canada as we strolled the streets; probably because Zacatecas is in the middle of Mexico and not very close to any of the resort towns. It may also be because it rivals Chicago as the "Windy City"! Our departure for San Luis Potosi was delayed a day because of 60+ mph winds . . . At an elevation of 8,200 feet, and with clear skies, night time temperatures dropped into the low 40s, so we briefly returned to wearing winter clothes.
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