Gwana-who?

Greetings from Guanajuato!
I{m copying this from my notebook. I can{t find the right apostrophe key...sorry.
Wow! I{m sitting here in this wonderful restaurant in Guanajuato listening to classical music. Guanajuato is a trip! I{ve just arrived. I took the ultra-luxury bus from Guadalajara. The guidebook calls Guanajuato "gorgeous." I{m not sure I would use that adjective but it really is pretty cool. The town is in a bunch of hills reminding me very much of Nevada City. Also, like Nevada City, there was once a lot of gold and silver mining done here. In fact, an incredible amount. The result is that, under these hills there{s a rabbit warren of tunnels, reminding me of Virginia City. After the mines were exhausted, rather than just board them up, the city has made them into car traffic tunnels. This is a great way to route traffic through the city without putting it in the city. The tunnels are eerily dark, narrow, and low. They{re only one lane wide and accomodate one way traffic. Every couple of blocks there{s a wide spot for the bus to stop and load/unload passengers.
The station for the long distance buses is about 10 miles out of town. I took the local bus into the city. What a surprise when I found myself going underground like a mole!
Guanajuato is understandably a tourist town. Fortunately, about 85% of the tourists are Mexican. I went across the street to a cafe to try to get some lunch. He only offered coffee and liquor but he directed me to this outstanding restaurant, if for no other reason that I{m the only gringo in here. I had soup, a mixed veggie dish of squash corn and herbs and a main dish of beef with veggies and chiles (not spicy hot), and a fresh squeezed pineapple juice for $3.50. I{m staying in a hostel. It{s a large 2 bunkbed room, but it{s only $10 a night, with computer use and breakfast thrown in. Not bad!
The town is a maze of narrow pededstrian streets and alleyways. It{s easy to get lost but fortunately the city center is relatively small so, sooner or later, I emerge into some small plaza that I recognize. The center is filled with small plazas, every few blocks or so, with benches and restaurants. It{s very nice indeed. More about Guanajuato tomorrow! Hasta luego!