{"id":942,"date":"2021-12-15T17:17:34","date_gmt":"2021-12-15T17:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/donniemeals.net\/?p=942"},"modified":"2021-12-18T01:26:04","modified_gmt":"2021-12-18T01:26:04","slug":"the-macho-pole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/donniemeals.net\/index.php\/2021\/12\/15\/the-macho-pole\/","title":{"rendered":"The Macho Pole"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>5 Minute, 47 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

Friday, December 10<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been in Mexico now about a month and a half although I haven\u2019t crossed the border yet.  These past four months were pretty tough on the psyche so I mentally started vacation early.  Today Sharon and I made it official by leaving San Antonio just before noon with a target well south of the border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You know those big orange construction barrels that the workers put out to make hazards obvious? Well I took that hazard out by completely annihilating it.  Construction guy had one job; to put the barrels out.  I guess he missed that day of training where you fill them with water or sand so it would stay in place.  It was no match for the draft caused by the 18 wheeler in front of me. And this was just barely after we crossed the border.  This was just prepping us for Sharon\u2019s 10 mile wrong turn and the 30 minute traffic jam caused by something invisible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Las Palmas Midway Hotel<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Matehuala is just far enough to make you feel like you\u2019ve gotten some decent miles behind you but not so far as to make you feel beat to pavement pulp.  We stopped in our favorite and funky hotel, Las Palmas Midway.  This is an extremely well-kept roadside hotel that would be an appropriate setting for an episode of \u201cI Love Lucy\u201d.  Want more info on this hotel, see earlier posts like The Matehuala Wal Mart<\/a> or Chasing the Dream<\/a>.  We\u2019ve stopped here so much we feel that we should be brand ambassadors.  Gringo spokes peoples. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saturday, December 11<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We left Matehuala rather early only to make a U-turn back to Las Palmas.  I needed their Wifi to look up our hotel in Guanajuato and to download some podcasts for the drive.  The drive was nice but rather uneventful. It should be noted however that upon entering Guanajuato one should NOT miss a turn when one is instructed to turn.  Guanajuato is a maze of above ground and below ground one-way \u201cstreets\u201d that vary in width from super narrow to \u201cI didn\u2019t need those side mirrors anyway\u201d narrow.  I\u2019ve seen wider sidewalks.  Heck, I\u2019ve seen wider fettuccini.  Besides squeezing between buildings the drive also includes steep inclines, speed bumps, small children and an occasional burro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After about an hour of \u201cmissing the turn\u201d we parked in a lot and hiked to the hotel.  Most of the hotels here don\u2019t come with on-site parking and we were prepared for such a situation.  Load a backpack, grab some pesos and leave everything else in the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This was outside our window<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our Guanajuato hotel was small but tall. It was 4 stories of stairs and don\u2019t \u2018cha just know we love stairs after walking through a town of steepness and high altitude.  Somehow we acquired the only room with a balcony, (4th<\/sup> floor) with a great view along with plenty of light, noise, fireworks, church bells, loud dogs, sirens, borrachos and the occasional Spanish argument. Still, we love this town.  We got pizza at one of our favorite restaurants, achieved a decent wine buzz and sauntered back to the small and tall with spotty memories of the evenings events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunday, December 12<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUm,\u201d was the first word from Sharon this morning.  \u201cI think I left my purse at the restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHmmm\u201d was Donnie\u2019s first word.  \u201cAre you\u2026 Hmmm\u201d.  You know.  Why state the obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharon was calm about the situation so I tried to follow her lead.  The restaurant wouldn\u2019t open for several hours so\u2026. On with our plans.  To quote Alfred E Neuman, \u201cWhat? Me worry?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today is the reason we wanted to come to Guanajuato.  For us the way Guanajuato celebrates Our Lady of Guadalupe Day is an unforgettable cultural experience.  This is the second most important religious holiday, only out done by Semana Santa; Easter week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We started the \u201clost purse\u201d morning by walking the trail to the church and checking out their set up.  The crowds haven\u2019t formed yet.  So back down the hill into centro we caught the loud and long parade that would make the same trek we just finished.  The parade was mostly drums.  Hundreds of drums.  Then sprinkle in some questionable bugle playing.  You know.  Just enough to cover up the dog howling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short History: Today in 1531 Mary appears to Juan Diego.  They have some conversation, maybe breakfast tacos.  Juan tells the church about what he saw but, hey, those Catholics.  They need proof and no one has suffered enough yet.  So repeat 3 more times but on the last visit Mary has Juan pick some roses and carry them in his tunic back to those stubborn priests.   Voil\u00e1, err\u2026 \u00d3rale! There in the tunic is the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  If you want the details on this just click HERE<\/a>.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We decided we needed a post parade nap and possible adult activities, like Scrabble.\u00a0 Back in the small and tall while I was attempting a double word score, someone discovered a purse that looks quite similar to Sharon\u2019s.\u00a0 And it happened to be under Sharon\u2019s pillow.\u00a0 And it happened to be the pillow her cute little head was on all night.\u00a0 We had a pretty good laugh at this.\u00a0 We blew off the Scrabble game and whipped out the Pokemon cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n