Aguascalientes

Out of the way and off most tourist tracks, Aguascalientes is a quiet enjoyable town that represents real Mexican life. There is only one hostel and not a lot of hotels.  The town square area is beautiful, there is nice shopping and several museums, the most curious of which is the Museo de los Muertes the "Museum of the Dead."  There is also a hot spring bath house that is wonderful to visit, not just for apparent reason of soaking in a nice warm bath.   

Arriving in Aguascalientes by bus is about as exciting as arriving at any bus terminal in Mexico - it's not.  But take the bus down through the streets as you look desperately to find the righ

t place to stop, unsure of whether your bus driver is going to be truly helpful, and you will enjoy the melee of the Mexican city streets and shops among the frenzied search.  Getting off the bus, still disoriented and you will enjoy the kindess and helpfulness of a local Mexican as you use your broken spanish to ask for help in locating the right direction, this does assume you have written down the instructions to your destination meticulously.  Then of course you will be unsure and have to ask again, because you are in a foreign country where street signs, are merely suggestions or worse - non-existent.  When you do ask again people will they will escort you to your destination, or in our case a shop owner sent her son to help us out. 

The only hostel in town - Lukas Hostel, is clean, comfortable and most importantly - welcoming.  Lukas will show you around, and advise you on all the best locations, how to get around and then some.  The best part is grabbing some beers and sitting in the hostel kitchen chatting it up with Lukas and Sonny, after a day touring the town (or maybe climbing Aguascalientes famous rocks).  There are hammocks on the roof to kick back in, or sleep in if you are so inclined, and and big barrels that serve as sturdy lockers.  At 100 pesos a night, it's a sweet deal.

Take a walk around Aguascalientes to the center square of town, there is a fountain, and a nice midday, work-break atmosphere (Aguascalientes is a city of business).  There are plenty of cafes and shops, gardens to stroll through, and the government palace.  Shopping here is a pleasure after the touristic town of Mazatlan, people don't hassle you to buy and prices are reasonable.  

The hot springs that Aguascalientes is known for, are located at the edge, of the center, of town.  Look sharp and you'll be able to get off at the main hotel where they lie just beyond.  For 130 pesos, you can spend one hour in a large, private bath that will comfortably hold about four to five people.  An hour is plenty of time to relax and ponder your trip.

The museums in Aguascalientes are small but interesting,  you can get into many for cheap or free if you have a student id (this is not the case everywhere in Mexico).  The National Museum of the Dead is a tribute to the annual celebration and the Mexican reverence and respect for those who have passed.  There are many works of art from clay figurines to paintings, some funny, and a few mildly disturbing.  The museum offers

 insight into the ancient roots that affect the modern celebrations.

Known as the heart of Mexico because of its central proximity within the state, Aguascalientes is a great out of the way place to get a good feel about the Mexican way of life.