Well here I am again in good old Guanajuato. For the first time since I've been coming down here, a few crewmembers expressed interest in going into town. If I must be honest, I kind of prefer to fly solo around here because I have a bit of a routine when I go into town, but I was open to see how other folks did things.
We hopped in a cab and took it to the Pipila, the monument overlooking the city center. This saved everyone the trek up the steps, but it seemed like cheating.
From the Pipila, we walked down into town and into the University of Guanajuato. It would not have been a normal stop in my itinerary, but I suppose it's good to see new things.
The captain showed us a few places he liked to eat. For the most part, I made a note to not return to these establishments. They were overly touristy and/or only served pizza. In the captain's defense, he eats vegan, so his dietary restrictions don't do him any favors in a place like Mexico.
After walking into a few churches and mulling about, we ate at a restaurant in one of the secluded squares away from the chaos of the main pedestrian zone.
The flight attendant and captain were both somewhat concerned with what to order. Both were vegan and both were nervous about the water, as they discussed how one shouldn't order a salad. Mexico dining 101 really. About 5 minutes after this conversation took place, they each ordered a plate of fruit and a smoothie. I sat there befuddled. The human mind is a curious thing.
I'm sure they'll be fine, but I just found the progression from, "I brush my teeth with bottled water!" to "I'll have the mango smoothie!" to be a bit nonsensical, but maybe I'm missing something. The streets were very crowded in the main pedestrian zone, and it really wasn't fun. With the easter holidays looming and a flower festival going on, the timing wasn't ideal. I don't like being sandwiched between a lot of people. I've also decided I prefer exploring Guanajuato by myself. This is nothing against my fellow crew mates, who were very friendly and pleasant, but I've clearly become accustomed to doing things my way.
If I had come across the crowds above and I was by myself, I would have hailed a taxi and left. It was torturous being in the crowds and knowing I didn't have that option without seeming antisocial. I persisted.
After what seemed like hours...because it was, we took a taxi home. I noticed that for both directions, the cab fare was 10 pesos more than what I have paid in the past. Were my cab-sharing gringos the cause for this price hike? We will find out next time I go into town.
Something else we will all find out tomorrow . . . how did that mango smoothie go down?
