Back to civilization

Matehuala was really disappointing. No Pointy Boots in sight. You can probably have some made, but we didn't want to stay there for that long. "Towns" like Matehuala are referred to as "Bicycle Town" here, because unlike Monterrey, you don't need a car. I think city dwellers like to make fun of small towns. Maybe a little more extreme than with us. Matehuala reminds me of the Mexico you know from American movies and series. The first time I feel like something matches up. At least the tacos were good, and there was a nice church. 👍

During the drive, we passed by a contaminated area, although I don't know how a warning sign would have helped. There was no detour, and rolling up the car windows doesn't help much either. 😂

When Monterrey finally appears on the horizon after the long drive, you sadly have to realize how heavily polluted the city is. Surrounded by a green mountain range, a dark cloud of smog hangs menacingly over the city. Unfortunately, without new ideas or expanding the public transportation network, this probably won't change. On the contrary, the population is growing, and so is the pollution. 🤢

After one of the Monterrey soccer teams won the cup in the evening (it was close, first overtime, then penalties), we went out with half the city to the old town to celebrate. It was a cool experience, many had their friends in the back of their pickup trucks, some even had a grill or speakers attached. And it's the only day you can drink on the street without having to pay a fine. 🎉

Fun Fact: Since you can't buy alcohol here at certain times either, there are illegal sales outlets. The police mostly tolerate them, as they also go shopping in the evening.