Aguascalientes

My friend, Rosario and I, along with her two teenagers, took the bus from Guadalajara to the city of Aguascalientes last Friday, the 16th. It is about a 2 hour drive between the cities. She has two sisters who live there and we are staying with Estela and her little girl, in her lovely big house.



Aguascalientes is the capital city of the state of Aguascalientes, the state just northwest of Jalisco. Once again, do you mind if I abbreviate? Aguascalientes = AGS. It is an old city, founded in 1575 as a postal rest stop between Mexico City and the state of Zacatecas.



The name, Aguascalientes (aguas=waters, and calientes=warm), came about as a result of the many thermal springs in the area. There are still several public bath houses and spas in the city which are open to the public. The Ojocaliente is an original bath house still in use today and fed by the thermal springs.



The Patria Plaza is the historical center of the city. There are several impressive buildings there. The Govenor's Palace with its Neoclassical facade of red stone was built in 1664. Inside there are 111 arches under which are five murals depicting stories about the city. They were painted by the Chilean artist, Oswaldo Barra Cunningham. Other notable buildings are the Municipal Palace, built with pink quarry stone, and the Cathedral, Nuestra Senora de la Asunacion, built in 1575. A very tall statue of an eagle stands high in the plaza and it is said that it covers the spot which is said to be the exact center of Mexico.



There are many plazas, parks, churches, theaters and museums in the city. At the Old Train Station I learned that in 1884 AGS was the largest train hub in Latin America. I enjoyed looking at an original locomotive and browsing through the station itself which has been restored and looks just like an old train station. The rail yard is now a park with trees, flowers, benches and a "Dancing Waters" fountain when each hour the waters "dance" to programmed music.



AGS is well known for its handcrafts, festivals and fairs. The San Marcos fair is one of the oldest (175 years) and most famous fairs in Mexico and is held for four weeks each April. It showcases the regional culture and folklore, art exhibits, cultural events, dance performances and cockfights. Yes, cockfights! Cockfights are very traditional in Mexico. There are also horse races and bullfights during the fair. Many people wear traditional clothes and traditional foods are available. There is also a national competition for young artists at that time.



Another popular festival, The Festival of the Skulls (Festival de las Calaveras) occurs Oct. 31-Nov. 2. It honors the pre-hispanic tradition of paying respect to the dead. It is also known as "El Dia de los Muertos" and is celebrated with candy skulls, offerings of food and drink, and a living altar. La Catrina is the symbol most recognized for the festival and she appears permanently in many places in the city. "Catrinas" are humorous figures of modern people depicted as skeletons.

AGS is also widely known for their handcrafts: embroidery, knitting, crocheting, and weaving. Embroidered clothing, tablecloths, doilies, and tortilla covers are cultural symbols of the area. Pottery made from natural clay, kneaded, molded and painted by hand grace the tables in restaurants and homes. Also wool textiles (cowboy clothes), stained glass, and artistic ironworks are "hecho mano"---made by hand---here in AGS.

The city is rich in history but is also a very modern industrial city. Nissan, Texas Instruments and a Coca Cola bottling plant are located in the city. There are several big shopping malls as well as a busy downtown shopping area. Movie theaters, restaurants, video game arcades, and this week: a circus is in town!! I wish I could go to the circus but, I guess I will have to miss it!

AGS is a big city, but smaller that GDL, thus the lifestyle is more relaxed and quiet, not so busy and crowded. I have enjoyed seeing the sights and interacting with the people. Soon I hope to be able to post some pictures of the city. In the meanwhile...

Hasta luego