Last blast in GTO

Feb 15/09: I started the last day in GTO with another hike up the bufa first thing in the morning. This a big rock outcropping that dominates the town on the south side. In my fitter days an hour and a half hike, now two and half hours. Great views of the city and surrounding from up there. Got up to the top around 9:00am. Beautiful morning light. Great for photos. Felt great to be up there and not another soul around this time. Hiked up their earlier in the week but encountered a gang of young Mexican guys at the top so didn´t linger. Since being robbed last time I was in Mexico, I´m more cautious. They were probably fine kids and GTO is very safe but nonetheless.......

Back to town, some shopping for the road and dinner and the obligatory coffee at Café Tal. Don´t think I´ve reported on Café Tal, owned by and American expat who´s lived in GTO for the last 21 yrs and is a very passionate and expert coffee roaster. He´s also developed a chocolate syrup for his chocolate drinks that is quite remarkable. The epitome of chocolate. Goes very nicely in my Americanos.

Another nice home cooked dinner on the rooftop terrace with the usual assortment of Casa Bertha characters. Then a few of us went to the theatre at the bottom of the hill to see if we could get in to the Tango performance. We´d seen posters for this event and intended to get tickets but when we finally got around to doing so, it was sold out. So we hung around at the door and when all of the ticket holders had gone in we approached the door and, to our surprise, they let us in, for half price no less and we got great seats. And a most wonderful performance it was. Varietal, tango Argentino is an Argentine troupe, as the name suggests and utterly superb. Guitar, bass, piano, violin, bandoneón (like an accordion but with only buttons, no keys), a singer and male and female dancers. The male dancer is the foremost tango dancer in the world. Much toe flicking and haughtyness. They did a variety of material interspersing instrumental numbers with dance numbers and song numbers. Wonderful vocalist with a deep, rich baritone. During the last number the power went out!! It was a song known by the audience and as the band faltered, the audience picked up the song, the band revived acoustically, people got out their cell phones with the little lights and lit up the stage and the whole place carried on sans electricity.... but it was electric!!! A wonderful ending to a wonderful week.

Today was a 12 hr day on the buses. I´m in Xilitla (Heeleetla), high in the Sierra Gorda. A spectacular bus ride through these wild mountains beginning with dry, barren landscape and ending with lush, humid jungle-clad mountains. Arrived in the dark so will save a description of the town for tomorrow.

Time for bed. Buenas noches.