car racing

On Thursday I went to rally for a car racing competition in Guanajuato. The rally was held at the Alhondiga, the building I have mentioned before (and recently posted a picture of on my photo page). The Alhondiga is the building in which the Spaniards grouped as Hidalgo led the march to Guanajuato to begin the war of independence. El Pipila burned down the door to the building and most of the Spaniards inside were killed, however four of the main leaders of the revolution, including Hidaldo, were beheaded. Their heads were hung outside of the Alhondiga for ten years to serve as a warning to future revolutionary movements.

The Alhondiga has a huge set of steps that lead to a square at the bottom, which during the day is occupied by playing school kids and Guanajuato residents. However, for the rally every inch of the steps, the streets, and any building and flat surface was covered by people craning their necks to see the cars. I think half of Guanajuato must have been there. In the square there were two sets of bleachers for press and a massive stage set up for the display of the cars. The night was filled with interviews with the drivers (who came from across the world), fireworks, and admiration of the cars (which I could barely see). It was an interesting experience, albeit a strange one. The rally was sponsord by Corona and Coke, so advertisements were everywhere. It´s amazing how different capitalism (or just general consumerism) looks from the outside. If this event had been held in the states, I probably would have been horrified at the amount of brand promotion (and everything it implies), but from my foreign position, it was just plain fascinating. When I was able to get to higher ground to get a good view, I took and few pictures and a video that I will have to upload sometime this week.

On another exciting note, my parents are coming in a month. I am extremely excited, as I´ve gotten a little homesick lately and am craving some family comfort.