Maria Benita Zacatecas

... got any good shots, especially as I was shooting into the sun most of the time. Hadn't realised some guy on a horse stabs the bull in the jugular before the pansy will even get in the ring, so he doesn't have to do much cape flapping before the bull has his tongue hanging out, foams at the mouth and keeps tripping over onto his knees - then they stab it in the back of the neck with crepe paper covered sticks (3 pairs). After that, the matador returns with red cape and sword ...

... were two old mexicanos sitting on a wall chewing their cud. We hopped out and had a chat to them (in very broken espanol!) "donde hay un lugar para nosotros trailer por la noche?" We deciphered their response to mean "just head over this shady looking track and there is a big place to camp and turn around". Cut a long story short and we headed over the hill and found an old campo resort "San Estaban" in the area "Los Filtros" that looks like it hadn ...

... that houses this museum was begun in 1567 and rebuilt after it burned down in 1647. The Franciscans had to abandon the convent during the Reforma, around 1855. The temple was in use until 1924 when the barreled archways were destroyed. Restoration and reconstruction began in 1966 and the museum opened its doors in 1990 in the old convent area of the complex. What we missed out on in Zacatecas was another art museum - that of Pedro ...

... for an active social life with fellow expats it may be a big challenge - heavy traffic through downtown - lack of pedestrian malls or streets --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- --- Feedback/Questions: travelswithlobo@yahoo.com --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- --- Coming Soon: Guadaloupe - It is So Close to Zacatecas (Part 3 of 4)

... beige, brown salmon and burnt orange with wrought iron railing on upstairs windows and narrow terraces. The overall effect is of a maze of alleys that are somewhat charming but con become either really romantic or somewhat ominous at night, depending on your perspective. Its a college town as well as a popular tourist stop, with 40,000 students including law and ...

... 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 ...

... 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 ...