Hj Plaza Hotel Zacatecas

... and then turn left. Well after heading 10 km out of town and not finding a railway or a left turn we flagged down a pickup truck load of locals. "No esta camino no existe!" The road doesn't even exist! The railway has been abandoned for ages and we didn't even see a sign of it! We had to go back the way we came and get on the "Cuota" (toll road). We did save 128 pesos though as we got on the Cuota after the toll gate! That got us into Parras after ...

... was the Museo de Guadalupe (Arte Virreinal y Exposición de Carruajes Antiguos) located beside the beautiful cathedral. We weren't disappointed as we viewed an abundance of beautiful art. It was all a bit surrealistic as we toured the halls of this art gallery so richly decorated with some of the works of Cabrera and Villalpando among others. The surreality was not only the rich selections but also the lack of climate control as ...

... Zacatecas No. 5 of 23 Destinations (this is not a ranking) --------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Zacatecas - Cerro de La Bufa -The View From Above Part 2 or 6 --------------------------------------- -------------------- "They say that exercise causes an increase in endorphins - the feel-good hormone. In the case of Zacatecas I don't think it was ...

... San Luis Potosi - An Interesting City". Thirdly, it is the place where you will find the delicious fresh fruits for sale ready to eat in a plastic cup for about 10 pesos. That was a delight we enjoyed all over Mexico. It became our standard lunch. Beside the market there is a beautiful little plaza - the Plazuela Genaro Codiana -where the benches provide a moment of rest and a place to enjoy the fruit. There is also a little bakery located on the plaza ...

... night at a Pemex gas station. Today we visited the ruins of La Quemada which stands 45km south of Zacatecas. It was thought that these ruins were inhabited between 300 and 1200AD with a peak population of 15,000 people. This civilization was linked to the major trade network of Mexico. Traces of a major fire indicate its final downfall. The site covers over one square km and has roads systems stretching ...

... that afternoon and he was more than willing to let us tag along. Now I'm sure that some of you (most of you?) have strong feelings against bullfighting but I figured that this would be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch a bullfight with someone who knew what was going on and could actually explain what I was seeing. I will come clean and admit it. I thoroughly enjoyed the bullfight. It's not really a ...

... playing trumpets, baritones, and drums of all types. People were dancing, fighting, drinking, smoking, and just partying. It was crazy and to think it was just the beginning of the fair, there is two or three more weeks of this. sheez. The cerveza and the food i ate, was not mixing so we decided to eat some tacos. It helped and i was so close to yaking, but i didn't want that to happen on my first night here. Instead i fought it off and made it home. What a day!!

... did their job. The shadow vanished and the sun reappeared. The feet retreated and the voices faded. I clambered to my feet in a state of shock. Everything worked. I felt no pain, only relief, profound relief. I thanked God, I thanked the clowns and I thanked my **** for cushioning the blow. Some eejit screamed at me to 'follow the bull'. I screamed back 'Get ****ing lost!' A short while later it was all over. The bulls were safe in the corral and Country and Western ...

... tequila and a citrus each, we rejoined our new-found friends. Along with the rest of the group I raised my cup and, on the count of 'tres' up-ended it. Vapour singed the back of my throat as the liquid swirled around my mouth. I swallowed the tequila and brought the citrus to my lips. My heart felt warm and my taste buds resounded with the freshness of lime. The procession moved off again, the jolly sound off brass mixing with the chatter of the crowd as we passed ...

... Christians to defend the Turkish castle from the awful Moors.....and their Spanish allies? The costumes of the thousand or so soldiers (ranging from 10 years old to 70) were really impressive, the bands remained in sync despite the confusion of the armies themselves, and the spectators were loving it. Unfortunately, it was really cold (Zacatecas is at 2500m elevation), windy, and it took nearly four hours to get underway even though it seemed on the verge of starting ...