We stormed through highway 57 North with a quartet of beat conductors ransacking their playlists from the backseat of our rental. Noah tossed his best punk and reggae, while Mario rummaged through his hip-hop mix. Revaz entertained us with his 1990′s R&B and I scrolled through whatever it was the highway told me to play: Iggy Pop with a mix of The Pharcyde nestled in between Prince. Don’t knock it until you rock it. Oso didn’t crash into anything, or slouch onto the steering wheel in utter boredom, so we did our job.

We arrived well into the Semana Santa festivities in Guanajuato, Mexico and with minimal clue as to where we were staying for the evening. Hot dogs, pozoles, enchiladas and giant bags of chips were being sold on every corner of Plaza de La Paz. Children were spinning their tops on the cobblestone, which seemed an extraordinary feat at the time. The Universidad de Guanajuato‘s steps were riddled with onlookers appeased by a chorus of songs. The hills were already taking their toll on my legs, but we pressed on.

The town abruptly ended our journey for a moment when the crowds swarmed large enough to form walls impenetrable to any unrepentant soul. Faithful disciples awaited the body of a mannequin draped in white linen and stained in blood. I looked over towards the other side of the wall and found smiling children holding candles. Their parents reached towards the heavens with their digital cameras to snap pictures of the melee. And just like many Semana Santas I’ve spent in Madrid, the sharp peaks of a dozen or so masks bobbing in the moonlight made me shudder.

The next morning was pleasant in a way a cold shower soothes the skin after an afternoon on the soccer field. 80 degrees of sunlit beauty awaited us outside of our room. The city of Guanajuato is a bounty of color where residents aren’t shy when it comes to the latest splash of blue, pink and orange on their walls. Jesus was only a day from resurrection and the city was festive. I crept away from the crew for a few moments to spy on the city. She was rumbling.

More images here.

 

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