Regresamos a la playa

Guanajuato to Guadalajara. Not a huge fan of Guadalajara, just another big city.
Guadalajara to Mazatlán. I like Mazatlán, at least the old part. Nice to be back at the coast. Hot here but nothing like the southern coast. It's not humid here, which is really nice. There is an "El Shrimp Bucket" which reminds me of Cabo, however, eating there is a bit out of our price range. We usually go for street potatoes and horchata.

From here it's north to Los Mochis to catch the Copper Canyon Train to Chihuahua. With some stops along the way I assume since we still have a week to go.

Now to the beach to build sand castles!

Guanajuato

On Sunday we left Mexico City for good and caught a bus to Guanajuato, about 5 hours to the northwest. Guanajuato is and old silver mining city that was built in the middle of a bunch of big hills. Nothing here is flat or straight. There isn't a single square block in the city and the buildings are literally built on top of each other as they climb up the steep hills leaving the main center. One can either walk up and down the main street in the center or climb a steep hill. The pictures really don't do it justice. There are actuall very few roads for cars to drive on to get up the hills. Most people walk up narrow paths and stairways between all the buildings. It's like a maze, you just find a narrow opening between two buildings and start climbing. Some dead end and some go through. When it's windy the wind rips throught these walkways like you're in a narrow canyon, which you are. This place actually reminds me of scrambling around the rocks and canyons in Joshua Tree National Park.

Since the roads are so narrow and there are many cars they built underground roadways to
accomodate all the traffic (pictured below). The city has like 30 tunnels or something going under the main downtown area and under all the hills. and they have sidewalks through them. It's where you have to go to catch the bus. And they look like they're about 150 years old, which they probably are. From what I've seem I'd say this is about the most beautiful city I've seem in Mexico. although not the best for accomodations. We just moved hotels today from a gross, dirty room with a sink that didn't drain (and when it finally did drain it just leaked all over the floor making a huge puddle) to a not as dirty room just down the street. It's funny how a place can cost 30% more than the place we stayed at in mexico city but be about 60% less apealing.

Well I hope our little house hasn't floated away or been crushed by a giant tree in the storms at home. We finally had some rain in Mexico City, but now it's back to the sun. Trying to figure out how we want to spend the last two weeks of our travels. Looks like tomorrow it's off to Guadalajara for Mariachis and tequila.

D.F. El Segundo

Here's the view from our hotel room in San Agustinillo. Well I actually wouldn't call it a hotel room, more like a wooden shack. But we were on the second floor. As I think I said before it was a nice relaxing town with an almost empty beach with good waves. Only one road through town and maybe 10 restaurants. From there to Puerto Escondido then to Acapulco. On the way to Acapulco we had a blow out (pictured below) and had to sit on the side of the road and wait for the next bus to pass through. Then we had to go through a military checkpoint and get searched by guys with really big guns.



Acapulco was a little different. (see below) big everything and not really that nice in my opinion. I think we might have accidentally gone to a Wal-Mart. oops. But we had ice cream and some other good foods. Still really hot and sticky though. I guess not too much to talk about here.

So we left and got right on a bus to Mexico (city). Only 5 hours and 3 bad movies later. And we got to ride the ultra-fancy Estrella de Oro (star of gold) bus line withflod down tv screens, free drinks and a velocity detector that has a really loud alarm and flashes red lights when the driver goes over the speed limit. Now we're staying in a different part of the city in an old, old building that has crooked floors. But we have a giant room with a king sized bed. and it's the cheapest place we've stayed yet. about $15 a night for the two of us. And last night we discovered the Churro restaurant which only serves churros and hot chocolate and is open 24 hours. I think I might have to go every night.

It's starting to feel like the trip is nearing its end. Which I guess is ok since I have no more money. less than 3 weeks.! That's about all I have to say except that I really like Mexico City! I'm sure Kira's blog will fill in all the details.

Puerto Escondido!

Arrived in Puerto Escondido yesterday. This is definitely the party beach. I'm guessing the vacation spot of the whole state of Oaxaca. There's even a giant inflatable bucket of ice and Coronas perched up on the rocks. I'll try to get a picture of it. There are tons of people in the water swimming and food and stuff vendors everywhere. Even stands selling food in the surf with the water crashing under their carts. A big jump from San Agustinillo where there are about 15 people on the beach at a time and almost everything is closed after 6pm. I think only about 200 people live there.

Yes it's HOT here!!! HOT HOT HOT!!! almost too much. but then we jump in the ocean or in the pool or take a cold shower before bed. Thanksgiving was uneventful, we ate a big lunch of spaghetti, salad, french fries, huevos rancheros and tortillas. and a huge pitcher of lemonade.

Tomorrow, assuming we can get bus tickets, we're off to Acupulco then back to Mexico City. Where internet will be cheap again and I'll be able to post some photos.
Now maybe go down to the beach to ride the big banana.

San Agustinillo

At the beach now. very slow internet I type a sentence and then wait for 2 minutes as I watch the words slowly appear. Have to go now. Time to go swimming.

Hasta la vista, Oaxaca!

We just bought our tickets for the beach. Puerto Ángel, San Agustinillo or somewhere like that. Apparently it's REALLY hot there, at least that's what everyone says. At least there's water. It's kind of weird to be leaving Oaxaca since we've definitely made ourselves at home here. We have all our usual places we go and all the usual things we do. Like the market 20 de Noviembre where we eat at least 3 times a week at our favorite puesto (pictured below). But it's also very exciting since I almost forgot that we're travelling and not just living here. Although because of that I think our once light weight packs are now a good 10 pounds heavier. oh well.

Yesterday I was talking to 3 Mexican guys about the US. They told me that it's dangerous to go there because everyone will try to sell you drugs. And you can't even buy a new TV, stereo and camera at the store and walk home without being mugged and probably killed by drug addicts. I laughed and said people in the US thought the same about Mexico. It's funny the ideas people have about places they've never been to. Then they asked me if I could bring them some stuff from the US if I come back. The things requested were a video camera, laptop, digital projector and motorcycle. I said that I would be a little nervous trying to bring all those things across the border. Customs might want to ask me what I was going to do with all that brand new stuff in Mexico. I also told them that I probably wouldn't make it to the safety of Mexico before I got mugged and probably killed by drug addicts.

Schooooooool's out for ever!

Well our stay in Oaxaca is nearing its end. Just got out of my last spanish class. Now I can say my head is about as full as it can get with spanish grammar and I need some time at the beach for it all to soak in. It's exciting to learn a new word or phrase that you thought you never heard before and then after you learn it, hear it everywhere. It's like the whole unintelligible mess you hear everyday on the streets starts to finally make some sense. It's funny to think that I've been hearing some of the same things everyday but never was able to pick out certain words. But mouch of it's still unintelligible. Apparently in Mexico it's customary for police to remove the license plates off of cars that are illegaly parked and wait on the street corner for the owner to come reclaim his or her plates for a fine, or maybe a "fine". I've seen several police standing around holding license plates and one crouched down removing a plate from someones car. I've asked some locals here about it and they say it's normal practice. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera at the time so all I have is a picture of part of the market (top) and all the food we bought (left)