A late post from Colima

I can’t believe this is only my third post after ten days of travelling and sightseeing and great fun in
Mexico. Actually i did try and post about the rest of my birthday and
Guadalajara on the 8th but after writing for an hour the computer crashed… so my memory might need to be jogged a little for this one.The rest of birthday was probably the best day so far – I got presents from the
Mexico gang (a photo album for memories and a picture frame) and then we just explored our way towards a mountain. Guanajuato is the most amazing place; the guidebooks rave about it (I’m such a bible basher) and after visiting the city I can’t imagine anywhere better… although we haven’t seen the beaches yet. We made our way up the cobbled streets and ended up in this wide straight avenue (we discovered that it was a UNESCO World Heritage sight) with a small gradient towards the mountains in the middle of this was a large park of winding paths and trees; which carried on until a series of small weirs and lakes. This ended in a large park with a gigantic statue of Miguel Hildaglo (his statues, and street name, are everywhere) who liberated the first few cities of
Mexico from Spanish rule. We the found some more steps up to an almost Japanese promenade, overlooking a lake at the base of the mountain.  

            Leaving Guanajuato was very hard (as we had all fallen in love with the place) but we got a late bus to the second largest city of Mexico,
Guadalajara. (All of our bus rides have been particularly un-Mexican, traveling first class and watching sub-titled American movies). After the shock of arriving at our last destination, this seemed rather too easy (now Will, and I have tried to be more prepared, feeling that something is soon going to go tits up, but this may just be what we have recently dubbed `the gringo paranoia´) … but we got a cheap hotel not far from the main plazas and started to explore the city. Guadalajara Centro is made up of several plazas, each with their own character and centered around a more modern huge one that looks upon both the Cathedral (with brightly tiled spires and the blood and hands of a saint contained within, but more gothic than Mexico City´s) and the colonial theatre (with amazing frescoed dome and lots of gold). Guadalajara  didn´t seem to have as much to offer after our last locations but more relaxing than
Mexico City and felt more Mexican. We also had lots of great food; Sopa Azteca (Tomato/Chilli soup with lots of side dishes, this really nice dish of Marlin and Guacomole and Tortillas and some brilliant Burritos. It was also in
Guadalajara that are egos were much inflated by a group of Mexican girls coming up to us to have their photos taken with us because we were ´cute` and looked like the Libertines. 

After a day of exploring, found our way to a bus to Tequila. You can kind of guess what happened, but it was brilliant none the less. First we had a tour of a distillery then, not before time, the tasting session where we tried 6 different types of Tequila. Mark and I might have had a little too much… and we came back with over five litres of fine Golden blended Tequila, for only about 16 sterling. (We also went to this great Tequila themed restaurant where we had those great burritos and free faux-Margaritas.) (Will has also reminded me of the great Iranian guy who came from LA, whom with we bitched about how the rest of the world was not as relaxed as
Mexico and how Tequila was so great).  

Yesterday we arrived in Colima, taking a three hour bus ride through both mountains and for the first time, proper desert. We got an amazing hotel, and our room is the size of a barn (that is the most realistic impression I can give actually). We explored Colima, which is just really chilled with some small shady plazas and crumbling colonial buildings, but really we have just got stuff for our coastal stretch (rope, hammocks, money etc.).  Tomorrow we leave for unchartered territories, and for white sand blue waters and hopefully lots of Tequila and grass (we had our first offer last night but I left my rizzlas in the hotel). So adios Amigos…. Until next time. P.s. email me about whats going down in
Britain and Frank, can you send me your address.P.p.s from Mark – don´t worry Luke, sent off the script, last thing I did before I left, can safely say Michael Caine will be the sleeper hit of 2007…P.p.p.s The most embarrassing moment so far – Will wishing Mark was a women in
Guadalajara so their ´relationship´ could be a lot easier… who know what goes through a mind such as William Darkin´s.