Heaven

At Guanajuato bus station I was sold a ticket for the coach to Morelia. I appeared to have been charged that little bit extra than usual. But then I discovered why. This was a bit more than the deluxe coach ride I had been used to, for stamped on my ticket was the description, super deluxe coach.

It did not look too different from the outside, but as the vehicle pulled out, I was able to identify the precise reason and it was worth every extra Peso. There was an earthly hush on the ride, something that had been missing from all my other journys. With relief I realised that the coach lacked any TV screens. This was after all the videoless bus.  And for my money, that definitely put it in the super-deluxe class.

Dark Streets and Drums

Morelia, in comparison to the other locations I had visited was very provincial. Walking around the back streets of the city in the hope of finding a restaurant after dark was a bit of a difficult task. Firstly there did not appear to be many lamp posts to guide me and secondly, the local restriction on neon signs meant that, in the darkness, you could stand at one end of a short street, look down its length and think, nope nothing down here, but then as you strolled along it, low and behold, you’d suddenly chance upon an open fronted neighbourhood café. I suppose if you want towns to retain their original charming facades, without trashing them, then you have to be prepared for that extra bit of difficulty in locating establishments after dark; a recreational hazard of sorts.

I was on the way back from a café to my hotel and cut across one of the  plazas either side of the city’s cathedral. Round the back was a youthful assembly of drummers in crimson uniforms, who belted away at their instruments. They’d march forward, one pace, two paces, and three paces four. A U-turn would follow. And then they’d do the same manoeuvre in reverse. I sat on a wall admiring their dedication. It all seemed a perfectly choreographed late evening exercise. After ten minutes, they were given the order to stand down. But what on earth were they practising for at this time of night? I forgot about this little incident until the following morning.