from Pachuca

On Jan. 6th We entered Mexico from Laredo (USA) into Nuevo Laredo. The lanscape changes dramatically once you are South of the Rio Grande. The most noticeable is a tall and spiky plants resembling a palm, but similar to a yuca. The vegetation is quite abundant and of the hot desert type, similar to some parts of East Mendoza, Argentina.Our big surprise and disappointment came with Monterrey. They installed many, many factories in the place, each polluting the air with chemicals of all sorts. In addition They extract the minerals needed to build bricks and tiles, spreading big clouds of dust in the air. I aldo assume that there might be power plants contributing with the mess. I don't know how this situation will affect the local population but it will not surprise me if they have a big incidence of cancer and pulmonary diseases. I think that the situation might resemble the worst excesses of the industrial revolution in England, now in the name of globalization and free market.On Jan. 7th we traveled from San Luis Potosi to Pachuca. not a very long trip but it took us 6 hours, plus one more hour to find the hotel in Pachuca. Overall the roads are not very well marked. They assume that the driver is familiar with the area, but this is a problem for outsiders.On the road we drove through Queretaro, and we were much surprised by this city. It is a huge city with plenty of new neighbourhoods. The city is surrounded by mountains which helps visualize the extension of the city. The place looks well ordered and is not covered by smog, as many oth big cities. For sure, this is a place that deserves a further trip just to explore it.For tomorrow, Sunday 8th, we will visit the piramids in Teotihuacan and then drive to Puebla, where we probably spend the night.