If being a tourist means one who is consantly spinning his head in awe of his surroundings, I guess I will always be a foreigner.

Hippies and Gazpachos

Last day in Morélia, Michóacan. Verdict is it's a really beautiful city... a bit smaller than León with a Guanajuato zip. I'm trying to remember exactly all that we've done these last three and a half days. From Thursday to Saturday my friend (oringinally from Hungary, living in Morélia) came to León, and then on Saturday afternoon we came by bus to arrive where we are now.

In León it was kind of fun, because suddenly I didn't feel like such a foreigner. For the first time I was introducing my Mexican home to someone who was "new". Also we went to places that I had always meant to go, but had never been. For example we ventured into La Zona Piel. I don't know why I had never gone before..... it's super close to my first house. In fact the bus stop closest to my home was right across from this area of town. It consists of about a dozen streets filled to their rooves with leather (and it's a safe to say that half of it is shoes). Really I've never seen so many places that sell shoes before I came to Mexico. I dont know what I'll do when I get back to Tbay where everyone wears ALDO and whatever they can scrounge in PAYLESS.

Hmm what else did we do... we went to la deportiva on Saturday to do my social service, which is basketball with the Special Olympics. On Thursday (sorry I know I'm jumping) right when Korinna arrived, we went to Guanajuato for the day. We ate with my host dads family (the guacamole was really tasty), and then went with my Mexican cousin to a girls' orphanage. They're super cute and I'm hoping to stay there for the month of June to volunteer there as well as do a couple other things. We went for a drink with a couple other exchange students that live in Guanajuato and then for tacos. On Friday we did a lot of walking. This was the day we went to La Zona Piel and also to a restuarant called LOS PRESIDENTES. We ate a heck of a lot considering we weren't that hungry to begin: nachos and salsa, tuna salad, a fish filet and a piece of chocolate cake. It was the special of the day and only 70 pesos, which is pretty darn cheap for a meal like that. Later we walked to the centre where we sat, drank water and watched the Mexican life. There were some teenagers setting down mats for break dancing, a blind couple singing in the shade, and hippies walking towards us. Their leader wanted to know wouldn't we like to dance to his music? I swear, you get asked the randomest questions when on an exchange. I don't know why, but we said "no". 1)No sé como bailar 2)No bailamos en Canadá y 3. Tengo pena. Ok so those were my reasons. But being a hippy and all he was a friendly guy, and I don't know why I had to listen to my head (?) and to say no.

On Saturday we were contemplating whether or not to stay in León for another night or if we should hit the road. The fireworks in Morelia broke the tie, and after eating a large and delicious cup of mango and watermelon, we took the bus to Michóacan. They have heeps of plazas (outside areas for hanging around) with a number of monuments and old churches, enough to fill your memory card. It was here I discovered my loveeeee for papas with a salsa called Valentina. Here the potato chips are thick and look like they might be homemade. They're not quite as crunchy and get perfectly soggy in the salsa. They have a museum of dulces here. I don't think we have a word for dulces in english, but the closest would be sweets. The ones that go over well here contain milk and sugar. Super yummy, hoping I can bring some back to Canada. We went on a tour in this museum and the next day Korinna and I went to el mercado de dulces. Very yum, and a lot cheaper. Now that I've consumed enough sugar for a month, I'm considering starting a lent trend tomorrow. Theme? No unnecesary sugar (chocolate, ice cream, mexican sweets etc).

One morning we went for tacos for breakie. They were really really good. I have to say I wasn't sure how I felt about eating them in the AM, but it turns out it doesn't make a difference what time of the day. Morning, day and night they are amazing. Today we did a bit of shopping because we are lacking beach clothes, and we leave for la Ruta Maya in less than a week. I found a couple of great shirts in a store similar to Global Experience and Korinna found shorts for a good deal. We ate gazpachos which is like a fruit salad with melon, mango, watermelon, pineapple, hicama, cucumber and orange juice with chile, lime and salt. Then we met some of her classmates at a print screening store. They're making shirts for one of their classes. A bit more than half-way through, I left to walk around a bit. I didn't get too far before I found a park with a fountain, trees and benches. I sat on the rim of the stone fountain and enjoyed not hearing anything but the water falling behind me. Even though there were a lot of couples at the park, there were even more singles, sitting by themselves listening to their own thoughts. I started to take pictures discreetly of an old man, who was playing and feeding the birds that loitered at his feet. I couldn't tell if he was chewing or talking to his feathered friends, but his lips were moving. Watching the old man throw seeds at the pigeons, I wished I had danced with the hippies.

Guanajuato, Gto

Not long after stepping out the door of our house in Guanajuato, it crossed my mind that other than the general direction, I didn't know much about where I was going. I knew where I wanted to go, and I knew I would know I was there when I got there (whew, breathe) but before that, there were several wild guesses that needed to be taken on my part. But as I merged into the general stream of locals, I could feel I was getting closer to the heart of the city. The smell of elote and tortas gave away its position, leaving me no other option but to follow it. To follow my nose that is.

Walking the streets of downtown Guanajuato, Gto leaves me with a bitter-sweet feeling. I don't know where to begin in describing its beauty, so I'll skip ahead to what disturbs me. I've been in this town several times during daylight hours, and even though it is... well, daylight! there are so many people crowding the narrow streets that one hardly notices the beggars. But at night it's different. I guess what I didn't notice, what surprised me to realize is that these people stay on their piece of sidewalk in the day, as well as the entire night. Thinking about it, I don't know where else they would go, but it's a sad truth that not many people allow themselves to think much about. There's one mother I often notice in the daytime with three young kids. On this Saturday night, just as I finished my Starbucks and was walking home just past 23:30, thinking about sleeping, tomorrow, what we would eat for breakfast etc., there they were. The mother with her three children, two who were still awake and the other who learned how to sleep in a sitting position, holding her plastic cup. Sad isn't deep enough of a word to use, when saying that these kids really don't have much of a chance in the world. It doesn't really matter what their potential is because they were born poor and most likely will die poor after living a life similar to that of their mother. I know it sounds pessimistic, but isn't it the truth?

Coming from what I consider to be an average-city (although maybe a bit smaller) in North America, it's not so easy for me to appreciate a place with poverty such as in Guanajuato. Just about everywhere I look I see and am reminded of Homelessness. Covering their faces, they beg twenty-two hours a day to do less than survive. And I guess I feel guilty because to them I'm another Rich Gringa. And I feel that there's not much I can do about that.

Sorry, I'll try to give a more cheery update lickity-split.