Friday, October 28
The hotel garage this morning held lots of motorcycles that weren't there when I checked in. Big motorcycles too. Harleys and GoldWings, and Honda VTX's.
Today, I headed to Guanajuato and there are hundreds of motorcyclists on the roads, many of them with club colors. It is hard to pinpoint where they are headed. I get several different answers. I wish I was fluent in Spanish.
I think Mexico has a middle class. Certainly not on par with the US and Canada, but improving. Industry is huge from what I've seen and I am surprised by the name brands being manufactured here. I pass through Aguascalientes, and see huge Nissan plants, and not just one, either. And in several cities, I have seen what I suppose are brand new "subdivisions" with hundreds of new houses. They are all the same and very close together, not like our suburbs.
"Rooftops bring retail". There is no shortage of Walmarts, Sorianas, Coppels, and other chain mega-stores in the cities.
If I thought Zacatecas was hilly, Guanajuato has it beat. The Centro is a maze of roads, steps, alleys, and now add to that, tunnels. Colorful houses climb the hills.
The tunnels were originally built and used as flood diversions until 1961, when reservoirs were constructed to stem the floods. Now, they have been converted into streets, and I presume, added to as well. It was funny to see intersections and forks in the tunnels and the traffic crossing through them without stop signs or stoplights, hundreds of feet underground. Even passengers use them inches from the traffic.
There are several theaters and museums here, and a large university.
A top attraction in Guanajuato, number 1, or so I'm told, is one I skipped. I have read about this museum numerous times in ride reports by other motorcyclists who have also traveled south. So much so, that it would have been anticlimactic for me. Nevertheless, for my loyal readers, I include this account lifted from the internet:
It is also the birthplace of Mexico's Independence as a colony of Spain. "The Cry of Dolores" (El Grito de Dolores) was uttered just up the road in the town of Dolores Hidalgo, and the slave/peasants under the leadership of a priest, Father Hidalgo, won their first battle over the colonialist Spaniards at a fort in Guanajuato.
The narrow little roads are all made out of cobblestone, or more accurately, stone pavers. I think it would be very slick in the rain on some of the steeper streets.
The crowds were considerable at night. A lot of that is in anticipation of Dia de los Muertos. In fact, every city since Durango has had people in face paint made up to look like skulls. There are La Catrina contests for best costume.
I had the pleasure of dining with a couple who live in Guanajuato, who I met through a mutual friend. I enjoyed hearing about the culture and history of Guanajuato. Thanks Phil and Maria! On the way back to my hotel, at 10 PM, I passed about a dozen men with violins, guitars, and trumpets serenading on the sidewalk. I don't know who or why, but they sounded wonderful. I took a photo, but it came out too blurry.
The hotel garage this morning held lots of motorcycles that weren't there when I checked in. Big motorcycles too. Harleys and GoldWings, and Honda VTX's.
Today, I headed to Guanajuato and there are hundreds of motorcyclists on the roads, many of them with club colors. It is hard to pinpoint where they are headed. I get several different answers. I wish I was fluent in Spanish.
I think Mexico has a middle class. Certainly not on par with the US and Canada, but improving. Industry is huge from what I've seen and I am surprised by the name brands being manufactured here. I pass through Aguascalientes, and see huge Nissan plants, and not just one, either. And in several cities, I have seen what I suppose are brand new "subdivisions" with hundreds of new houses. They are all the same and very close together, not like our suburbs.
"Rooftops bring retail". There is no shortage of Walmarts, Sorianas, Coppels, and other chain mega-stores in the cities.
If I thought Zacatecas was hilly, Guanajuato has it beat. The Centro is a maze of roads, steps, alleys, and now add to that, tunnels. Colorful houses climb the hills.
The tunnels were originally built and used as flood diversions until 1961, when reservoirs were constructed to stem the floods. Now, they have been converted into streets, and I presume, added to as well. It was funny to see intersections and forks in the tunnels and the traffic crossing through them without stop signs or stoplights, hundreds of feet underground. Even passengers use them inches from the traffic.
There are several theaters and museums here, and a large university.
A top attraction in Guanajuato, number 1, or so I'm told, is one I skipped. I have read about this museum numerous times in ride reports by other motorcyclists who have also traveled south. So much so, that it would have been anticlimactic for me. Nevertheless, for my loyal readers, I include this account lifted from the internet:
Although a little gruesome, the Mummies of Guanajuato have proven one of the city's most popular attractions, and remain an important cultural phenomena relating to local customs and traditions. Consisting of the naturally mummified remains of locals who died during a cholera outbreak in the mid-19th century, the Mummies Museum (El Museo De Las Momias) got its start after the bodies were disinterred between 1865 and 1958 for failure by relatives to pay cemetery taxes. Entrepreneurial cemetery staff charged the curious a small fee to see the mummies, and as word spread, it became something of a spectacle enjoyed by tourists from far and wide. Adding to the somewhat grisly display is the knowledge that some of those buried were still alive at the time, hence the sometimes frightening expressions on their faces.Here is one photo lifted from the internet that is the least gruesome:
It is also the birthplace of Mexico's Independence as a colony of Spain. "The Cry of Dolores" (El Grito de Dolores) was uttered just up the road in the town of Dolores Hidalgo, and the slave/peasants under the leadership of a priest, Father Hidalgo, won their first battle over the colonialist Spaniards at a fort in Guanajuato.
The narrow little roads are all made out of cobblestone, or more accurately, stone pavers. I think it would be very slick in the rain on some of the steeper streets.
The crowds were considerable at night. A lot of that is in anticipation of Dia de los Muertos. In fact, every city since Durango has had people in face paint made up to look like skulls. There are La Catrina contests for best costume.
I had the pleasure of dining with a couple who live in Guanajuato, who I met through a mutual friend. I enjoyed hearing about the culture and history of Guanajuato. Thanks Phil and Maria! On the way back to my hotel, at 10 PM, I passed about a dozen men with violins, guitars, and trumpets serenading on the sidewalk. I don't know who or why, but they sounded wonderful. I took a photo, but it came out too blurry.
Exploring the next day, I came across many small plazas, gardens, and lots of artwork, statues, and fountains. A farmer's market was setting up for Saturday. The smell of freshly cut flowers competed with the smell of garlic and onions right from the farm. Many booths had pastries, baked goods, jewelry, or other handmade goods. I would like to spend more time there again. It's a great city. This is a city that I would definitely return to, and spend several days here.
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