Yorch Place

Today is the last day of the celebrations of Holy Week and Easter, this year I went to my mother's home town, Salvatierra (in Guanajuato state) to visit the seven houses on thursday.

Last supper representation in a church in Salvatierra.

Crowded church in Salvatierra.


On friday, I went downtown in Queretaro to watch the silence prosetion, but due to the large amount of tourist I couldn't find a parking space on time, and had to park very far and walk a lot, when I finally reach the main plaza, it was too late. There where over 3000 thousand walkers in the prosetion, and like 20,000 people watching this event.

Paramedics from the Red Cross in bikes


So I only witness the crowded plazas and streets in dowtown, with 1,000 police officers making sure everything went ok, several ambulances parked and ready to act, and even paramedics on bikes, to reach the injured faster (in case of needed). I saw and old lady suffering some illness, to much walk maybe, so the ambulance took her.

Crowded streets in downtown Queretaro


Then I witness some teens getting attention of the media (national TV and newspapers) because they where in the plaza where the attack against the emos took place, they found a piece of paper and write something and just stay still and suddenly everybody was there taking photos of them and interviewing them. Later I saw the same kids talking about their "great idea" to get the media, and how they discovered something already discovered "The power of the ink" ignorant as it can be, they where very pleased to have that interviews and appear on national media.

Food stands in downtown Queretaro


On Glory Saturday I found that the state Water comission cancel the service in several neighborhoods (ver traditional) where there is this tradition of trhowing water to the people in the streets, so because it is a bad use of water they had no water that day. Later I went ot a casino with my friends and finally to the celebration of the "New Fire" (Fuego nuevo) where the main candle in the church is lighted fo the use in the entire year (Cirio Pascual), it is one of the most mystic events in the catholic church, in the church in my neighborhood the fire came from a cross on top of the building to a huge bondfire and from them the candle was lighted. The celebration take at least two hours!! at the end a party started, with food and sweets for everyone.

Cardboard Judas dolls to be burned in Salvatierra

My father's family is from Celaya, in the state of Guanajuato, is located about 50km away from Queretaro, in the 60's Celaya was larger than Queretaro, but since Queretaro's goverment focused to grow and to create an industrial infraestructure, Queretaro is now three times bigger, Celaya has like 350,000 people, and Queretaro has more than a million.

Celaya's main activity is agriculture and agriculture related industries (dairy, poultry, eggs, etc.) and a lot of agriculture trade takes place there.

I have a lot of relatives still living there, and in recent years the city has received (finally!) investment from the local, state and federal goverments. Celaya now has a brighter future ahead.

Is not a very colonial city, since it's best time was in the 60's and at that time the goverment didn't value the old buildings they almost destroyed the entire historic district to built new really ugly buildings, thank God they didn't destroyed all the churches. In that time the destroyed their bullring, and entire street has the houses cut in half (literally) in order to help pass the cars (progress and modernity first then beautification and history)

Some of their treasure buildings where demolish to have parking lots... so they ruined the city back then.

On the bright side, in the city hall there are great murals, and on the only plaza in town (Jardín principal) they have a train (I loved that train when I was a child).

And that is the city where my parents met, beacuse to get a better future my mother leave Salvatierra at age 18, there (Celaya) her sister went to college, and my father was friend of my mom's sister and friend of her cousin too and one thing take to other... and they are happily married.

To see photos of Celaya (don't have many) go HERE

I'm from Queretaro, but my entire family is from the near state of Guanajuato, and my family is so proud of it you couldn't believe it.

Guanajuato is a great state with tons of places, history and people, is one of the most populated states in Mexico, and one time tried to "eat" Queretaro, because Guajauato told the congress Queretaro was a small poor state.

And since in nearby and my family is from them, and actually all my actions and behavior are more related to Guanajuato than Queretaro (Queretanos are more introvertive and close to foreigners)

I post some photos of that beautiful state's capital, the city of Guanajuato and the mountain of "Cubilete" where is located a giagantic statue of Jesus Christ, built to "fight" against the anti religion goverment in the 30's in the "Guerra Cristera" (war against Christ)



To see more photos go HERE

Finally my ISP arrange the speed connection, I have a 1mb DSL contract, but suddenly this week the speed connection was 15kbps, tooooo slow, today everything was finally working, so I was able to upload the photos of Cerro Prieto.

To see the photos click here