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First Time Reader? ......here is the background to this series of blogs
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lobo/9/1233502800/tpod.html
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Click on "VIEW AS SLIDESHOW" and then the rectangle in the right corner to see photos in full screen format
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Mexico: 23 Destinations to Spend the Winter Months
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Aguascalientes
No. 6 of 23 Destinations (this is not a ranking)
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Aguascalientes - Can We Warm Up To This City?
Part 1 of 1
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Population: 463,000

Altitude: 2,063 meters or 6,770 feet

Location: In the state of Aguascalientes

Economy: Industrial city - site of a Nissan plant
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"I wrote in an earlier blog, for instance, that San Miguel de Allendeprovided a soft landing for expats into Mexican life . Aguascalienteson the other hand, I would describe as being a "near crash". I wouldnot recommend this city for the average expat."
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Our visits to the towns of the central highlands have been rather intense. They have been exceptionally beautiful and that beauty has been well documented in the number of photos that we have taken and have posted to the internet.

We were ready for a break and Aguascalientes is just that break that we needed in terms of things to write about and photos to take.

I wrote the heading somewhat tongue in cheek trying to squeeze some humor out of the name of the city. For anyone who does not speak Spanish, Aguascalientes is translated as "warm waters" hence my feeble joke of "can we warm up to this city?"

The short answer is surprisingly "no"!

Why "no"?

All the other places we have visited and blogged about have had one characteristic in common and that has been an outstanding "centro historico" or historical center . It turns out that in the cities/towns of the central highlands, the key ingredient is indeed this beautiful centro historico. Without it, they are just another Mexican city.

In the case of Aguascalientes this key ingredient is missing. The centro historico of this city runs out incredibly quickly. It appears that the centro historico is basically centered around the Plaza de la Patria which is bordered by the cathedral and various government buildings. It certainly is an impressive square but when one walks the streets in all directions from the square, the historical aspect quickly disappears. This results in a rapid immersion into the melée of the nearby streets characteristic of the average Mexican city.

I wrote in an earlier blog, for instance, that San Miguel de Allende provided a soft landing for expats into Mexican life. Aguascalientes on the other hand, I would describe as being a "near crash". I would not recommend this city for the average expat . As a matter of fact I would not recommend it for those who are not average either. Therefore, with respect to Aguacalientes, I will not even engage in my usual pluses and minuses in trying to analyze the merits of a place.

Having said all that, there are a few comments that need to be made. Yes the Plaza de la Patria has its definite merits. For instance, we were totally impressed by the murals in the Palacio de Gobierno or the state government buildings. Oswaldo Barra, a follower of the famous Diego Rivera, painted these murals. They depict life in early Mexico.

We were particularly touched by the mural which shows native people bringing the silver up from the mines, carrying it up a ladder, passing it off to an angel who then passes it along to the well dressed Spaniards whose opulent lifestyle is also depicted. The use of the angel to pass the silver from the native people to the Spaniards spoke volumes and touched us greatly.

There is a decent network of pedestrian streets in the downtown area, however they are incredibly crowded and have a somewhat shabby appearance although we did see some city employees doing clean up.

We would also be remiss in not mentioning that like the citizens of Mexico City who drew a great deal of pleasure and fascination out of their skating rink in the Zocalo, the city government of Aguascalientes has tried to emulate this by having a small skating rink in the town's main square as well . Many gather here to skate or just to gawk and admire from the stands.

Another drawing card in the square surprising to us is a menagerie of live animals that in the evening, includes a nativity pageant. Considering how Christmas has passed, it is puzzling how this scene still fascinates people.

In the suburbs this city of warm waters has thermal spas that allegedly have healing powers that draw people from far and near in an attempt to regain their health.

As we walked through the central area of the city, Barbara kept being amazed at the number of shoe stores that are in this city and in other Mexican cities. They are by far the most common type of store and I had to wonder "how many pairs of shoes does the average Mexican own?" especially considering I only own four pairs of shoes including the running shoes I am wearing now here in Mexico. As you may have noticed if you have been reading my blogs, I choose to spend my money on travel, not shoes.

On a negative note, three police officers were assassinated in this city a few days ago in the ongoing battle between authorities and narco traffickers. This seems to have become a fixture of Mexican life in the larger centers.

Real Time: April 4, 2009

Next week is the start of the three-week-long San Marcos Fair, the largest fair in Mexico . This is a prime time to be in Aguascalientes except for the hotel prices.

http://www.mexconnect.com/en/articles/3106-the-san-marcos-fair-in-aguascalientes-and-what-to-do-afterwards

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Comments/Questions: travelswithlobo@yhaoo.com
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Coming soon: Ajijic (Lago Chapala) - The Most Popular Place for Expats?