First of all - apologies to Hari - the quote at the end of the blog post, Cafe Arjuna is his. What I meant to write is that Hari just sent me one of his songs - “love” - and that I’m a big fan. Probably my favorite of his so far. And that quote was a line from the song.

First day of our trip. I feel like a new person … being out on the road … flying through the desert scenery on the cuota listening to Paul Oakenfold. Only now do I realize how lethargic I felt in Torreon. I’ve only had about four or five hours of sleep, but I feel more awake, more alive now than I did my whole stay in Torreon even though I was sleeping in until 1 or 2 in the afternoon.

Last night … once again I wasn’t able to get to sleep before four or five in the morning. I tried reading (picking up Rain of Gold and putting down The Sound and the Fury) but it didn’t help. Fifty pages in and I still wasn’t tired so I turned off the lights and rolled around restlessly for the next two hours. I thought I would never fall asleep.

But I guess I did ‘cause this morning around 9:30 I woke up to the noise Laura was making packing her bags. I didn’t feel good, but I didn’t feel terrible and I was anxious to finally get on the road.

We stopped by Laura’s brother’s apartment and then her Abuela’s house on the way out of town. Then finally we were on the highway. And like I said … there was the desert … the movement … and Paul Oakenfold. I was smiling.

Arriving into Zacatecas from the highway is like descending into an amphitheater. The city’s cantera (soft reddish stone) houses and cathedrals hug the sides like seats of a concert hall until finally you descend into the centro historico. We parked a little outside of the center near the aqueduct and Jardin Enrique Estrada and explored on foot until stopping at a Birriaria for dinner and then here for Illy cappuccinos – best damn espresso in the world.

Tomorrow night we’re off to Aguas Calientes, about an hour and a half south of here, where we’re going to spend one or two nights with Laura’s other grandma. I wish we had a little more time here though. Zacatecas gets 8 out of 10 stars on the dope scale. Reminds me a lot of Guanajuato but without all the tourists and not as expensive. It’s not really on the way to anywhere, but if you get a chance, worth the journey.