Hostel Refugio De Angeles Guanajuato

... me at the bus stop in Guanajuato was to leave my favorite, hand woven vest (from Rosemary in Australia) in his car - one of the two warmish garments that I had brought. But at the time, that was the least of my worries because I was so overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of the busy bus station where everyone was yammering away in Spanish (!) and the need to get a bus to SMA. I'd told my future hosts that I'd be showing up at their place between 4 and 5 - and it ...

... t matter any more. We attended one techno party with some great DJs in a park one sunny afternoon (a strange but wonderful experience that later spilled into a nearby club...a total of 12 hours in a row of dancing to some great music with a hip, friendly, and exhausted crew of people from all over Mexico). Another night (morning), we summited Pipila, a huge stone statue towering from atop Guanajuato ...

... and also about their peculiar head distorting and cross-eyed creating customs - performed on babies in the name of beauty and indication of nobility,<br>Later, Daniel took me to large pub sort of a place where enormous bull heads festooned the walls, and where we were served a succession of delicious snacks - to the extent that eating any dinner was out of the question. We were joined by Daniel's brother, Alexandro, his wife, Sophia and ...

... going to cry. It took me 10 min. to say it right, and then I couldn't do it again. (I can now do both farely well) <br><br> I found the perfect video to describe this time I have had so far. Check it out. Go to youtube. Type in Steve Martin in Pink Panther. Find the video about "I would like to buy a hamburger". AWESOME. I showed my pronunciation teacher, he died laughing. <br><br> On ...

... and get something to eat (like at at stand somewhere), almost always you get a real plate, not a throw away and a real fork. You eat it on the curb or at the little bar they have. Also, if you get a drink in a glass bottle, NEVER try to take it with you. They recycle them and get money. You ask them to make it to go, and they pour it into a sandwich type bag and give you a a straw. You also get this if you get a certain type of milk/ice cream drink.

... so headed off on the hunt - finally found Casa Bertha, up a steep hill via a maze of narrow alleys (like much of the city!) and an apartment for $10 a night - hurrah, a break from Mexican food! Knowing I was going to be cooking from here on in, treated myself to a decent Italian pizza, something I can't make for myself. Move in & try to get to a decent supermarket - missed the first as bus driver forgot to let me know as requested so ended up with a scenic tour of the city - got ...

... Due to the rugged terrain, the route into the downtown along 5 de Mayo led through a steep rock cut and a short tunnel. This would bring us to Av. Juarez, the main street. Av. de Juarez, a commercial street, is quite wide at this point full of the usual activities that one finds in Mexican streets. This short stretch of Av. de Juarez is probably the only wide street in this city as flat real estate is at a premium due to the terrain. So how does ...

... to be picked up- but they refused. So... our trip to san Miguel was basically a big ol waste of time and money. The bus tickets to go and return add up around twenty-five dollars. I was not happy so say the least. We did however stay for the rest of the day-to try and justify the visit. Everyone was so frustrated that after we left the immigration office we all headed to a bar .... Ha... lucky for me.... On antibiotics... I had the pleasure of watching everyone drink. Mmmm ...

... I made my way back downtown to see some friends who were at Botellita (a bar). The guys had bought a bottle of brandy (yes Mexicans enjoy brandy.. odd) and Gustavo informed me that I had no choice but to drink one glass. One glass soon turned into two.. into three... into FOUR. And before I knew it I was happily prancing in front of Theatro Juarez, loudly singing in Spanish at 2 AM in the morning on a Tuesday. If it will help my case at all, it was the first time I've been ...

... also nice to be the one laughing, rather than being laughed at. Our trip down (via a different direction) was much quicker, but also extremely more dangerous and slippery. Our decent was lined with ropes (as falling was quite frequent) and police. High-heals? NO thanks! DRUNK? No thanks! Over all.. a great journey... and the pictures don't even come close to justify being there in person. I need to right a thank-you note to the person who came up with the brilliant idea of siestas. -Daniela