La Casona De Los Vitrales Zacatecas

... so we pulled up at a gas station on the main road and asked if we could stay there the night. No worries. We had tremendous fortune the next day. All feeling better we unhooked and drove into town. We drove past a little wine shop and parked up. We tasted a few wines (all of which were no better than draino!) when the owner happened to walk in. Don Ignacio or as he prefers "el Barron de Parras" . He spoke great english and when he found out that we ...

... windows had no glass and were therefore open to the elements. Among the works depicting the life of St. Francis, we found what we were hoping to see - the fabulous paintings of the "Virgin of Guadalupe". Images of the Virgin of Guadalupe can be found all over Mexico and where better to find them than where we were on this day - Guadalupe, Zacatecas. How lucky could we get? Here we were visiting the beautiful city of Zacatecas and ...

... endorphins, it is just the city. There are so many uplifting vistas that one just can't help but feel good. It is a feeling I had in the four months we lived in Victoria, BC. There wasn't once on my daily walks past the old port, the Empress Hotel and down Government Street that I did not have a smile coming over my face and the affirmation - "damn, I am in a beautiful place". That is the feeling that Zacatecas elicited ...

... great "crusty buns" and a good "Nescafe" from a vending machine for 7 pesos. The "Nescafes" are almost as good as the more expensive "café americanos" sold at coffee shops and restaurants. The plaza is also a great place for people watching, observing buskers and of course dodging the hordes of pigeons that are eager to get the crumbs of the "crusty buns". Exploring the northern end of the "centro historico" we were in search of Plaza Miguel ...

... 170km, some of which can still be seem in the country side today. Only about 1% of this site has been excavated. These ruins stand on a hill in a broad valley so we were able to take in great views of the country side as we explored. Tomorrow is a shopping day in Zacatecs. This region is know for fine leather and silver. Dan can hardly wait. Woo Hoo! Pictures to follow and Haley is now back to good health.

... at all (since the outcome is not in doubt. The bull always dies), it's much more like watching a dance, where the toreador is leading the bull and attempting to make the bull look as good as it can look. It is an intricate dance and can be very dramatic. The final moments, when the toreador attempts to kill the bull with a single stroke of his sword, is incredibly captivating. Now, feel free to judge me ...

... drinks while others pedalled leather apparel. Here and there, wives and girlfriends lent colour to the crowd, but in the main the rodeo was a male affair - norteño man and boy united beneath the white cowboy hat. Trucks came and went, disgorging cattle into a corral adjacent to the ring. Each time a new consignment arrived a squad of cowhands sprang into action. Armed with electric prods they manoeuvred their loudly protesting charges into ringside pens. Meanwhile, the ...

We went off on our own for 3 nights to the capital of Guanajuato State, the city of Guanajuato. We got out of the taxi and followed the directions, UPHILL, to the Plaza Meximora. There we found El Zopilote Ma....... From there we went on up to the other building they own, Perros Muertes, a bright orange building. This place is a treasure, only 3 rooms each with their own bathrooms. Plus, you get to share a ...

... narrow streets lined with elegant period buildings. By a fountain in a smart plazuela we paused for more dancing and tequila before moving off again, up a flight of stone steps and along the arcaded main street to the Plaza de Armas where we turned into the lanes behind the floodlit cathedral. To where we were headed, we did not know and nor did we care, so long as the band played and the tequila flowed - which they did. We swayed deeper into the maze of callejones ...

... when we showed up. Oh, did I mention that all of the "soldiers", including the kids, and even some of the spectators, were armed with real muskets? These, along with dozens of small cannons, were fired off in a constant barrage of deafening noise and blinding smoke until eventually my ears almost reached a state of comfortable numbness. And, since they couldn't point the guns at each other, even without real ammo, the battle often looked more like hundreds of guys offering ...