I'm writing today's blog from Guanajuato: a very picturesque town NW of Mexico City, but before I start I thought I might give my views on buses.
Since Mexico doesn't really have a railway network everyone travels by bus, and so the bus network is really well developed and so there is also a very large number of bus companies. Now this in itself is not a problem; the problem lies in the fact that at the bus stations each bus company has its own sales desk and there is no central timetable. Therefore you have to go to each bus company and ask whether they happen to go where you want to go and when the next bus is. Now in small towns this shouldn't be a problem, but in Mexico City's northern bus terminal there are about 20 different bus companies and it takes 15 minutes just to walk from one end of the terminal to the other. Anyway, that aside I am very impressed with their actual buses. Having travelled by bus both in Europe and the states I can safely say that Mexico's long-distance buses are much better: comfier seats, more leg-room, better "in flight" movies (i.e. they actually have them) and even complimentary snacks!
OK that's enough about buses, let's talk about Guanajuato. The town straddles a ravine and so the centre is all houses one on top of another with narrow winding alleys between them in which it is easy (and fun) to get lost. From the surrounding mountains the town looks like a multi-coloured patchwork quilt. The town used to be a silver mining centre and so was very rich and so the buildings are beautiful and well preserved (hence the city's UNESCO status). It was also the site of the first battles of Mexico's war of Independence from Spain in 1810. Apart from the beauty of the town the best touristy bit is the mummy museum. "¿The what?!" I hear you exclaim. Let me explain: since there is very little room in the town (being built of sheer slopes) if people don't keep paying rent for their grave plots, the bodies are exhumed and cremated to make way for new graves. Now the soil around here is apparently very acidic and so the bodies are very well preserved, and the best specimens, instead of being cremated are put on show at the mummy museum. Logical... and very morbid, which makes it all the more appealing to me. I took quite a few piccies there(including the "smallest mummy in the world"). Let me tell you you've got to hand it to these Mexicans, they have some very unique attitudes and customs when it comes to death.
Apparently the night-life is quite good here as it is a major student town so I plan to sample that tonight. Well, that's it from me for today.
Since Mexico doesn't really have a railway network everyone travels by bus, and so the bus network is really well developed and so there is also a very large number of bus companies. Now this in itself is not a problem; the problem lies in the fact that at the bus stations each bus company has its own sales desk and there is no central timetable. Therefore you have to go to each bus company and ask whether they happen to go where you want to go and when the next bus is. Now in small towns this shouldn't be a problem, but in Mexico City's northern bus terminal there are about 20 different bus companies and it takes 15 minutes just to walk from one end of the terminal to the other. Anyway, that aside I am very impressed with their actual buses. Having travelled by bus both in Europe and the states I can safely say that Mexico's long-distance buses are much better: comfier seats, more leg-room, better "in flight" movies (i.e. they actually have them) and even complimentary snacks!
OK that's enough about buses, let's talk about Guanajuato. The town straddles a ravine and so the centre is all houses one on top of another with narrow winding alleys between them in which it is easy (and fun) to get lost. From the surrounding mountains the town looks like a multi-coloured patchwork quilt. The town used to be a silver mining centre and so was very rich and so the buildings are beautiful and well preserved (hence the city's UNESCO status). It was also the site of the first battles of Mexico's war of Independence from Spain in 1810. Apart from the beauty of the town the best touristy bit is the mummy museum. "¿The what?!" I hear you exclaim. Let me explain: since there is very little room in the town (being built of sheer slopes) if people don't keep paying rent for their grave plots, the bodies are exhumed and cremated to make way for new graves. Now the soil around here is apparently very acidic and so the bodies are very well preserved, and the best specimens, instead of being cremated are put on show at the mummy museum. Logical... and very morbid, which makes it all the more appealing to me. I took quite a few piccies there(including the "smallest mummy in the world"). Let me tell you you've got to hand it to these Mexicans, they have some very unique attitudes and customs when it comes to death.
Apparently the night-life is quite good here as it is a major student town so I plan to sample that tonight. Well, that's it from me for today.
No comments:
Post a Comment