The night before, I got to bed early so that I would be alert for the next day's adventure. I should have know better, as I woke up at 3am ready to go. I packed my bags, and then proceeded to go back to bed and get a more sensible night's sleep. Rewoke at 6:30, did a few last minute chores, said my last goodbyes to Diane and Larry (let Doug sleep). Larry walked me out to the bus stop, after getting a travelers check cashed and within 1 hour I was heading to Guadalajara and eventually to San Miguel Allende. The long distance busses here rock. For the 12 hour - 2 segment bus ride my ticket was just over 60.00 for the first class bus ride. These busses were light years above the busses that I'd spent the last 3 weeks on. Air condtiioned, newly released movies played on 4 screens placed strategically thoughout the bus, men and womens bathrooms in the rear were just some of the features of these behemouths on wheels. They even handed each passenger a bag containing a sandwich, drink and cookies. Better than airline food.The ride was so cushioned that I felt like was floating on air most of the time. As the bus was climbing the road from the coast into the interior of Mexico, I felt like I was on one of those flying contraptions in the empire strikes back, as I could not see the road and felt as if i was flying through a jungle of tall banyon trees and coconut palms. It was quite the sensation. After about was seemed like an hour, we reached the interior highlands. Here there were remants of this area's volcanic past. The thing it seemed as if there were hundred of thousands of acres of agave
plants, the plant in which the infamous tequila was extracted from. It seemed the plant was everwhere there was open space...flatlands, the steep slopes of hills...everywhere for what seemed 100 miles. Awe inspiring scenery in the highlands between the Pacific and Guadalajars - Pictures taken from within the bus while driving 60 mph.Small little villages were scattered about, maybe one city every 15-20 miles and the largest structure was a tall spired church in the center of the town. Someday I would love to come back and explore more intimately these towns we whizzed by at 60 miles an hour...some day!!!After about 5 hours, we finally arrive in Guadalahara at what I thought was THE bus station. Turns out it's the new bus station located on the western edge of town. We drive for what must have been 45 minutes and arrive at the first leg of my today's journey. Here's a little quiz..I'm sure everyone has heard of this mexican city. What do you think the population of the metropolitan area is....4.1 million people. I was shocked to find that out. I was told in PV when I left, if the bus arrived in Guadalajara early I could exchange my ticket for the earlier bus that would save me 2 hours. As soon as I got off I went into the ticket office and tried to explain what I was told...no luck. So I decided to go to the big mall across the street, but I noticed that the bus depot had an another, much larger wing. Turns out everyone there spoke just enough English I was able to explain what I wanted...Five minutes later I was on the next bus heading east towards my final destination. The busses here are much different than any Greyhound I'd ever been on. In the twelve hours that I was on we may have only stopped four times, and just briefly to pick up passengers. Between Guadalahara we stopped at the towns of Leon and Guanajuato and finally San Miguel Allende. This was one...long busride. But I enjoyed every mile of this journey.
When I got in, I was to call Mike Bouchard, jump on a public bus and he would be waiting along side the road. Welll turns out the busses only run till five pm...so it's another one of those expensive, this time 100 peso, taxi rides. Fifteen minutes later I see Mike for the first time in 5 months. I've considered Mike one of those friends for life. After about an hour of catching up, it was time to retire. Where he is staying is quite a compound behind seven foot tall rock walls. The main house perched at the top of the hill is terraced with two handcrafted guesthouses below. The weather I was accustomed in PV seemed like a distant memory....it was DAMN cold here....must have been 45 degrees...thank god I was smart enough to bring a jacket and long pants. Turns out that San Miguel Allende has an elevation of 6,100 feet...about the elevation of sherman pass.
This was quite a day..I'm anxious to go out and explore a new world tomorrow.
Pictures from today A whole lot of pictures-
Many taken from a moving bus...
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