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Guanajuato is another world heritage site and a world away from busy, dirty Leon. The 'central' bus station is 5km out of town and after 20 mins we arrived into the historic area. Vehicles enter through stone tunnels under the town, one road looked not dissimilar to the Cowgate with it's high stone walls and arches, but minus the drunken students, backpackers and hen/stag nights. We arrived at our hostel in a pretty, clean, pedestrianised street with wrought iron Romeo and Juliet style balconies. The same could not be said for the hostel rooms or bathrooms (the clean and pretty part not the balcony bit). As we walked in a waft of weed surrounded us and we were greeted by a couple of guys hoolahooping in the lounge area. We then went up to our room which containted 6 huge bunks. We did have the room to ourselves though plus it had a ensuite but we would of been happier without due to it being utterly filthy, broken glass in it and the overwhelming jobby smell. The drainage system in Mexico is old and the smell of drains is never far away, quite often a foul wave will hit you unexpectedly causing an involuntary gag. Also it doesn't cope with toilet paper so you have to put our bog roll in the bin beside, most places empty them regularly but sometimes they do not... I have had to hold my breath on a few occasions for fear of vomming. Also I absentmindedly have forgotten the no-loo- roll-down-the-loo rule and have had a panicy few mins as the waters rises and rises right up to the rim then disappears in a flourish of disgust.
After a quick change and a sneezing fit by me due to the dusty blankets on the beds, we headed out to the lonely planet (our travel bible) recommend restaurant just down, and over, the street from our hostel. We sat outside on the little bridge leading into the restaurant. I ran back quickly to get our scarves as although warmer then Zacatecas the evenings are still cooler and a cardi and scarf is required. We both orderd a salad, breaded out from the traditional Mexican food. They were huge and utterly delicious (with no salad-washed-in- local-water side affects).
We wandered through the pretty streets. You would be forgiven for thinking you were in Italy, Spain or France except for the vivid colours the buildings are painted, burnt oranges, warm yellows and reds, teals and mint greens. Further along we came across the theatre, a beautiful, grand building with stautues of the muses round the roof one of which is called Cleo, like Gemma's daughter. Opposite was a plaza with amazing trees trimmed to be a large block that followed round the centre of the plaza, classical music trickled out of the trees where speakers were hidden. Gemma is never inhibited to ask random people about anything from the location of the nearest bank to who designed the abstract statue standing before us! A trait I am in awe of (we are currently on a bus and she is yabbering away, in spanish,with the bloke next to us who thinks i look like Celine Dion, not offended at all [much] hopefully it was at least post teeth straightening). She started chatting to a guy (and his quiet girlfriend) who was a painting and statue refurbisher. I stood looking awkward again beside. All was going well, the dude turned out to come from the same place as Luis, then Gemma told him his home town looked a bit like Mordor, as in the barren, smokey, volcanic area, infested with ugly orcs in Lord of the Rings. She then tried to backtrack by telling him about Grangemouth (????) and that it had lots of smoke billowing from it too (like his hometown, apparently) Slightly offended by the first comment and utterly confused with the other he polity said goodnight and headed in the opposite direction to us!
Once back in the hostel, ablutions done, i slipped into my sheet sleeping bag (there was no way I was putting any part of me in direct contact with any of the sheets, blanket or pillows) stuck in my earplugs (lots of people shouting and music pumping outside), put on my eye mask (no curtains and a street light directly outside) and off to sleep I fell.
We were up at 8.30 the next day but our good intentions were scuppered by our inability to decide where to go to next and the lack of information available about the monarch butterflies which we hoped to see in their millions. The area they were in is difficult and long to get to so in the end we decided to phone the travel company and explore our options later. So eventually, after packing up and leaving our bags in a corner, we left at noon to explore the stunning town. My descriptions would not do it justice so I just took a s*** loads of pretty pictures of it! We did stop for a couple of hours for lunch in a charming plaza (randomly next to the couple we had sat down next to the night before, awkward). A man starting playing his guitar quietly near us, children played in the dazzling sunlight and we sipped our local beers soaking in the beauty of this idyllic location. Then a bloody bird shat all over my arm and leg. (see, mum, your not the only one).
Having mopped up the s*** we meandered along a bit only waylaid by the fact there were digging up the entire main car street so we had to navigate around. (it was like being back in Edinburgh!) It was getting on a bit so we decided to clarify what we were doing next. We phoned the tourist office in Mexico city about the butterflies and after being put through to 5 different people and eventually receiving the wrong number we decided that it wasn't worth it. Several of the people said that the butterflies are still arriving so wouldn't be that spectacular at the moment. Could just imagine traveling 5 hours with 2 bus changes and a 2 hour hike into the forest only to find 7 butterflies sitting on a leaf looking sheepish "I'm sure the others will be here soon".
So here we are on a bus to Mexico city. Gem is still speaking to the dudie next to us who, turns out, is an opera singer and studied "manliness" as part of his sociology degree. (i still don't look like Celine though). We've booked a hostel for tonight and then tomorrow we hope to do a day trip to the sun and moon temples. Gem went there a couple weeks ago with the kids and her mum so i am really grateful to her for offering to go there again with me so soon. Right now i need to navigate to the loo, locate the paper and bin all whilst the bus bumps along the rubbish roads here. Wish me luck....
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Islay's Mum Fantastic - laughed till I cried! They say it's lucky to be shat on by birds but it doesn't always feel that way, does it? Mum xxxxx