Trip Dates: 2008-02-03 – 2008-02-08
I’m sitting at the airport in León, waiting for my flight to Monterrey, which is two hours delayed. I’ve had a wonderful week in León and Guanajuato. I arrived here last Sunday and went straight to the Feria de León, a huge annual festival in León that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every day. It’s a lively mix of markets, food in every imaginable variety, rides, bars, and restaurants for every taste. I went there with my friends Joel and Fabiola, whom I know from my stay here in 2005.
On Monday, I had dinner with Arturo and his girlfriend, Claudia. I shared an apartment with Arturo for five months back in 2005, so he’s one of my closest friends in Mexico. Together, we visited “El corcho de Baco,” a wine and delicatessen shop he recently opened on Plazuela San Fernando in Guanajuato. I think the shop has turned out really well. Arturo sells fine wines from Italy, Spain, and other parts of the world, along with Parma and Serrano ham, a variety of cheeses, and other delicacies—mainly from Europe. The place also doubles as a café, where from stylish rustic furniture on the charming Plaza San Fernando, you can sample Arturo’s wines, enjoy tapas, and watch the world go by.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, I went out to various places in León with Rod—another one of my best friends here—and his classmates and friends. We dropped by a European film festival and watched a moving yet tragic German film about the production of counterfeit banknotes in Germany’s concentration camps during the war.
On Thursday, we headed back to Guanajuato to meet, among others, Laura and Patricia, who hosted me and two friends when we traveled through Mexico in 2003. That night, we went out to “El Grill” in Guanajuato to celebrate my last evening in town. It was a great night in the company of beautiful Mexican señoritas.
Next stop on the journey: Monterrey. Until next time — more updates to come!
