A Callejoneada

I know what you think it is, and you're right. It is, in fact, an intricately detailed, handcrafted, well sculpted, Gafete. It is used, for exactly what you think it is supposed to be used for--drinking. Drinking orange juice, more specifically. I obtained this sweet memento when I went out Friday night on the Callejoneada--a musical interpretation of one of Guanajuatos most romantic and tragic stories--which ends in the Alley of the Kiss (Callejon del Beso). You can read more here.

As the weekend came and went I found myself with a lot more alone time, despite going out on the town perhaps more than I ever have. Many of the people that I have met while here have left, or were getting ready to leave by the end of the weekend, which has allowed me to revert to my upon-arrival state of solitude. However, I did do exactly what I wanted to do this weekend. On Friday I went out and (kind of) partied. On Saturday I rid myself of my cold and voyaged to the centermost and highest point in Mexico at El Cubilete, where I was able to see my first of two really large statues of Jesus. Sunday saw me going to the Museo del Alhondiga, as well as Museo de la casa Diego Rivera. When Monday came, I went to class at Academia Falcon, then scaled La Bufa.

After I arose and struggled to find a better state of consciousness on Friday, I went to Academia Falcon to meet up with some people, only to run into this girl Elizabeth who convinced me that I should go to the callejoneada with everybody, if for nothing other than the fact that I could pick her brain about Ecuador--my next destination and a place where she had just arrived from herself--and the benefits of buying over the counter amoxicilina in Mexico for really really cheap. Anyway, I left the school and headed back up the walk of death to the humble Saucedo abode to read, do laundry, and more importantly eat.

An Aside: I'm constantly impressed by everything that is put on the table here, regardless of how simple it is to make or how much time it spent on the stove (As I have found, it is ONLY on the stove. Ovens are conveniently used as storage units and NEVER for baking). The ingredients are always incredibly fresh and bread, dulce, etc. freshly made or purchased fresh from somebody who can do it even better. It's amazing. Nobody in the family that I'm living with has any problems with weight either, as they stock up on all the goods early in the day and finish up with a nice little snack of pan dulce (sweet bread) and chocolate milk ALWAYS before 9pm. As my grandfather, and subsequently brother, have said (and I paraphrase), ''you shouldn't eat after dark.''

After the big meal and a sweet siesta, I got dressed in my finest black t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, then headed down to the Jardin de Union where I met up with people for some Coronas and Enchiladas. In accordance with our earlier plan, we bought some tickets for the Callejoneada, snagged our Garafetes and embarked upon the sing-a-long adventure that is a one and a half hour walk through Guanajuato in the (not really) freezing cold until you get to the Callejon del Beso, all the while being led by the Estudiantinas, who are dressed in colonial regalia. I made friends, I sang along, I danced, I swayed, and I drank plenty of orange juice (it really was O.J. too). Luckily, the O.J. was free, as the extra vitamin C probably helped my damn cold. Unfortunately, I am not so sure that I understood any of it... But hey, it was an experience, right?

Anyway, I'm not really feeling inspired to type, since the sun is shining pretty bright right now. Alas, I'll post more later.