The Center Square

Leon Historic Center is a community gathering place. Every community has one or two. All centers(centros) in Mexico, feature a Catholic Church, some big some small, but always a cathedral. Here you will find shopping, eating, and just a place to gather and socialize. And in the center of it all is some kind of water fountain.

Some of the Catherdials are massive and quite impressive. They are decorated in gold leaf, with columns and a ceiling that makes you wonder how you can have one in your home.

The center was far from my hotel, so I had to take the bus. Getting there was interesting; the view went from good to questionable. When you got off the bus, you had to walk about four or five blocks. But like all drones, I just followed the crowd. Like everything I’ve experienced so far, I was not disappointed when I got there.

The Center was filled with people, sitting around, going to mass, shopping, and eating. You could see children playing. Generations of families enjoying their time together. Fathers, sons and grandsons, Grandmothers, mothers, and granddaughters talking and laughing together. There was a calmness about this place. The was no fear in the air. Just a feeling of calmness and peace.

I sat in the square just watching and observing people, their actions, expressions on their faces. This place these people live life in such a way was hard for me to understand, yet it was something that I had always wanted. Living in the States has made has taken something away from me. Or better yet stole a gift from me, a gift I never had the chance to hold or unwrap. Who I was supposed to be was already predetermined by

I had to visit the cathedral to observe its architecture and its construction. The outside was worn, and scaffolding was set up for much-needed repair. Entering this building was like entering a fantasy wonderland. Like a magic castle.

I spent my day visiting the nearby shops and coffee shops. Looking for that one great cup of coffee.

The buses were crowded, and I had to stand. The bus station was located in the middle of a two-way, four-lane Boulevard. Like you would find when catching a trolly or a train in the States. You pay your fair and squeeze through this narrow gate.

The people were quiet, no air conditioning on the bus, I guess that could be a reason for the silence, preserving energy. Oddly enough they had monitors on the bus, providing you with local news and entertainment.

After I got off the bus I just followed the crowd, after all, safety in numbers. You enter the Center from a narrow street, as most of the streets are. And you walk into this wide open space. Which seems to be the running theme. The buildings are spectacular. Nothing above three stories.

The thing I had to remember, this was a place for the locals to gather. Three and four generations of families hang out together shopping, eating, and praying together at mass. There were tourists, but mostly from other places in Mexico or Latin America. I admire the way they respect, honor, and take care of each other.

I saw very few Americans, believe me, we stick out in a crowd, so you’d know one when you saw one. Even though I stuck out, it didn’t bother me or them. Well, I’d like to believe that anyway. It was weird if felt familiar to me. Like I was welcomed. People smiled and greeted me with a salutation for the time of day.

Not an inch of space is wasted. Every building, doorway, side street has a vendor selling something. The spaces may not be wide but they have depth and every inch is filled with their goods and wares. You will also find someone playing custom music on a guitar or other instrument. Or a group of people wearing their native attire.

Time was running out for me to find a place in Leon, I must admit I didn’t make much of an effort. Leon reminded me of living in a major city in the States. I know I could lie well because of the cost of living. But that was just one of the three things a city needs to have for me to consider living there.

I did manage to speak with several people about Leon; how was it to live here, and what were the safest areas. Not to my surprise they like the city for the night life and what if offered. As far as safety was concerned if you lived in a gated community it was considered safe. This mindset sounded very familiar to me. It was like being back in the States. It was a nice place to visit and even stay for some time. But it wasn’t what I wanted at the moment. So I decided to take a trip to Oaxaca, Oaxaca City Mexico. I made my reservations and planned my trip to Oaxaca. The plane fare was affordable and if I didn’t like it, I could come back to Leon or visit someplace else. Even though I did not know what I was looking for, I knew what I didn’t want. And the big city living was not what I was looking for. I needed something a little more subdued.

I chose Oaxaca Mexico, it was place that was rich in culture, it had the most variety of Indigenous people as far as languages and nationalities. This was something more inline to what I was looking for. For more images of Centro Leon.

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