Z - Zacatecas

About ten years ago  we hosted a Mexican man who had come to Victoria to learn English.  The city he came from was called Zacatecas and it was the first time we had ever heard of it.  So it was natural that when we traveled to Mexico in our beat-up motorhome in 2009 we made a point of visiting this city.

Zacatecas is a silver mining city built by the Spaniards a couple of centuries ago.  It's located almost in the centre of Mexico at an altitude of 8,500 feet (higher than Mexico City) and it is a very special place.  We had heard that it was built in a ravine and there were cliffs above it with a tram going up to the top.  But we really didn't know what to expect.  Well it exceeded all our expectations.  This city of 100,000 people is both simple and sophisticated.  The centre of town is dominated by Colonial buildings, notably rococo churches made out of a local stone that's an astonishing rose color.

There are centuries old aqueducts, sidewalks of volcanic basalt and steep stairs leading up the hills to the residential areas.

We happened on a wedding taking place in the Cathedral with a group of smartly dressed Mariachis.




Contrast this with the campesinos waiting for the bus in the centre of town, and the elegant restaurant overlooking the main zocalo.

We explored an old convent that's been converted to a museum focusing on folkloric masks.

And we took the tram up to the top where we explored another church and saw statues of Mexican heroes.  Apparently Zacatecas had a major role in the Mexican revolution.

This city old city has many arches and steep stairways and hidden alleyways.  It's a charming and colorful city.  Isn't it amazing that most people have never even heard of it?

Many indigenous people live here so there's another condtrast between contemporary clothing and the colorful costumes from the past.  It all blends together in Zacatecas.  

 I'm sure if you ever visit you'll be as enchanted as we were with Zacatecas.

This ends the A-Z Challenge.  It has been a bit of a push for me to post every day but it's been great visiting many other participants and meeting new friends.