A drive in the country

Saturday was our last full day in Mexico. I could not think of a better way to spend it than going for a drive in the country.

We walked down to the center of town and bought a ride on, yes, a local bus. This bus was your typical 1970's retired American school bus. The music was loud and the conductor was the drivers 10 year old son.

The bus took us way up into the mountains through little tiny villages. People were picked up and dropped off in what appeared to be the middle of no where. Now the roads were like those found in the backwoods of West Virginia, just with very few trees. We twisted and bounced and twisted our way through some very dramatic scenery. Beth made me sit by the window so she could not see the bus tires inches away from the edge of the shear drop offs. I put my faith in fate when making these journeys. The bus driver has a family to go home to also...

After an hour, we arrived at Christo El Rey. This is the second tallest Jesus in the world.

The site also is the geographic center of the state of Guanajuato. We were told it is also the geographic center of Mexico(untrue) and the geographic center of the world(true if you want it to be).

At this point most of you are probably thinking I have found religion or something. My last few posts all involve churches and religious services, but here in Mexico you cannot turn your back on religion. It is just part of daily life here. The statue was very impressive to say the least. Many Pilgrims travel great distances to get here. Some even do it on their knees.

Some walk long distances in groups to come here. Some like us come by bus. We were the only gringos here though.

Can you imagine coming here on foot? What about on your knees?

The views and the altitude were breath taking. Not sure how high up we are, but it is high up.

We enjoyed our stay here in Mexico. I feel as though it was a trip to the heart of the country and the culture. This part of Mexico is not frequently visited by Americans, for there is no Club Med or all inclusive resorts. English was spoken by very few and it presented a challenge to communicate, a challenge to get around, a challenge to my everyday life. I feel this is the way to travel to another country, it certainly works for me. I hope one person reading this will be inspired to step off the beaten path and see a place they never have seen before.

Saying good bye has always been hard. I prefer to just slip out and say see you later, or earlier....