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.