Getting lost en route to Ixmiquilpan

 Finding the Pachuca bus station is no problem if you know what you're doing. I didn't and still don't.  A convi from Real del Monte (familar turf) back to the big city, restock on cash before continuing to the bus station and onward to Ixmiquilpan and, ultimately, beautiful Totanlongo. Foolproof plan.

To be safe, I extracted the daily maximum from the ATM. It all came out in small biĺls, hundreds and fifties, a wad so thick my wallet couldn't hold it, let alone fold. Yikes. That was a conspicuous stack of notes to be travelling with to unknown places. I shoved most of it into my zip jacket pocket.

Now. Bus station. Find a convi or taxi and we're off.  I walked to another popular convi spot by the square with the big statue to ask around but there was no transportation of any kind there. The police had blocks and blocks of streets closed to traffic for some reason. Keep walking.

I came to one of the local city bus terminals Edgar had pointed out on the way in tiwn.  Closed. They were still cleaning up the broken glass and debris left behind by the riot girls of International Women's Day 2023.

Taxis were super scarce. No problem. I knew the direction. Or did I? Soon I was hiking along 8 lanes of seperated highway roads with multiple exit ramps and overpasses. I had no more confidence in my sense of direction.

Finally, a taxi! He didn't know why so many streets had been closed either.

Finally, rolling down the highway.  Glad I'd checked with the driver before storing the big backpack under the bus. The real bus was 15 minutes late. Who knows where my luggage would have ended up?  The driver of the real bus had me carry everything on board. What do you expect for 44 pesos? A bathroom?

Ixmiquilpan has a rather tiny bus terminal. Depending on which direction you're coming from, you might not see it all. My driver just pulled over to the side of the road. I'd asked him earlier if there was an actual terminal and he'd assured me there was so  I was still waiting  to see something like at Pachuca or Actopan well after Ixmiquilpan. There was another stop further on where he collected packages and shortly after that I finally realized I'd missed my stop.

The driver let me off on the side of the highway, at least minimizing the damage.

So there I was, in the middle of nowhere, wondering how far I had to walk back to town or at least find a bathroom. I had only walked 10 minutes when, out othe blue  local public transport rolled up over the hill. Saved again. A woman I had marched on by raised her hand and this little bus pulled right over. I followed her example and it worked for me too. Good thing too. I estimate from that ride I had been looking at a minimum of 2 hours or more of midday sun hiking with all my luggage

Found a cheap hotel quickly enough. Interesting place that has clearly seen better days. 

Looks like it was an amazing deluxe place back when it was new in the fifties or sixties. Now the pool is dry, the showers are cold, only about a third of the wide sweeping vinyl awning remains and the tvs don't pick up any stations. But the price was right, the feeling of an impending urban exploration adventure was quite intriguing and, as I soon learned, it was ideally situated to get on the bus to Totanlongo the following morning.

Time to wander Ixmiquilpan and figure out my next move.

I managed to get lost only once and a little backtracking set me straight again.

For sure Real del Monte was the birthplace of pastes.

This imposing church dominates the town.

I assumed this church was  Saint Antonio,  the one where the Tolantongo shuttles gather.  So glad I asked someone who knew. The real Saint Antonio was significantly smaller and near the market where I'd just stuffed myself with Barbacoa. More backtracking and I found it right away. Practically around the corner from my hotel.

Saint Antonio. This is the place, at a huge walled convi parking lot within sight of the church. Look for the sign that says Entrada. 

Next stop  Tolantongo

The Riot Girls of Pachuca, Hidalgo: International Women's Day 2023

Someone really just wanted to smash glass.

I'd overheard people talking on the sidewalk as the endless march approached and sevetal seemed a bit concerned about safety. The vandalism was not a promising sign for a peaceful event.

Wise or not, I wanted a closer look. There were police everywhere, prepared for the worst.  

 

As close as I can gather, the main complaint of the march was violence against women, not exactly the thing that can be legislated out of existence. It's already against the law isn't it?  And it's not like we'll ever have a world where all the bullies and bad men just go away.

So, call it a protest if you like or just a collective demonstration of rage, a fun way to let off steam in the relative safety of a crowd.

I appreciate the extra effort some women put into their signs.

There was nothing threatening about any of the women I was near. A completely wholesome bunch.

 It really is a shame about the destruction. Every large group will be infiltrated by instigators. Instigators will try to escalate violence. It is almost impossible to control

them from within and these acts will discredit the group.

The day after

A massive work force gathers to clean up the mess from the night before

Detour to Pachuca

With the help of my good friend, Isaac, I found an alternative to navigating the crowded Mexico City Metro with 2 full backpacks on my way to Tolantongo.

See you later, Huatulco

Hello, Mexico City. All I had to do was find that bus station to Pachuca. I spotted a Ticket Bus booth first. Progress. A flashing sign announced the bus was already boarding but the station was still nowhere in sight. The young guy came around from behind the counter and told me to follow him. He took me right to the station. We practically ran. Outstanding service.

I was the last person on board. I made it.

Arriving at the Pachuca terminal, I was uncertain what to do next. This was nowhere near a hotel district. A young guy just returning from a few months in Toronto overheard me asking general directions to the centre and stepped up to offer help in fluent English. Even better, he offered to give me a lift with the friend who was picking him up. Normally, I would never accept a ride from a stranger at a bus station or airport but my instincts didn't pick up on anything predatory. Edgar was just a genuine good natured helpful guy and I accepted the offer. Even so, I couldn't help thinking about how I'd promised people I'd be careful.

Saying goodbye at the center park to allies.

Edgar's friend warned me the  town would be full because of Inernational Women's Day demonstrations and maneuvering on the streets wouldn't be too easy with a big backpack. He also warned that the demonstrators tended to be destructive.

I found an affordable room.

Unburdened, after more than hour carrying that backpack, I was off to check out Pachuca.

This giant clock, Reloj Monumental, built to commemorate 100 years of Independence in 1910 is easily the pride of Pachuca and the best landmark to look for if you lose your bearings.

Here's a little taste of international Women's Day vandalism.

 

My first meal at La Blanca. The food was great but it was the interior of the place that drew me in.
 

No, it doesn't work and there are no records but what a beautiful old jukebox.

Men's and women's bathrooms are easy to find.