Leon -officially named Leon de los Aldama- has about 1,250,000 people and known as the largest town in the state of Guanajuato and the fifth most populous city in Mexico. You will find the town 15km away along Route 45 in the northwest from the Guanajuato Airport. This is the host town of the Rally Mexico. The town locates at around 1,800m above sea level, so the air is thin and dry. The sunshine is so strong during the daytime that it gets almost 25 degrees Celsius. But once the sun set, there was a perceptible change in temperature. Some girls dress in tube tops but at the same time others wear down-jackets. Everybody is different! To keep the good health was difficult in such conditions.
Leon is globally famous as the "Shoe Capital". The area features large factories that not only produce shoes, but also boots, belts, jackets and so on for both national and international markets. We stayed in the hotel near the city center and there was a great market dealing leather goods -especially shoes.
You can find all kind of leather shoes there at reasonable price! Among those shoes, particularly the cowboy boots attracted our eyes. They are colorful and decollated with delicate workmanship. They are all hand-made and authentic. Each shop has wide range of sizes so everyone can find the proper boots.
How about the Mexican food? They use chili pepper well. Wide variety of chili peppers was sold around the town. There are so many types of chili peppers with different flavors that we cannot tell one from one. Mexican kitchen cannot work without those peppers! Some snacks are covered with the powder of the chili peppers. I guess many Japanese people like them.
Tortilla, the thin, unleavened flat bread, made from finely ground maize or wheat flour is traditional staple food in Mexico. There are many kinds of recipes using tortilla, such as Tacos, Burrito, Enchilada, Quesadilla and Tostada. Nowadays they are popular around the world.
The popular drink is famous Corona extra beer with fresh lime juice. Yes, Corona is the main sponsor of the rally. If you prefer stronger one, various tequilas that is made from blue agave are waiting for you. Sangrita might be the best chaser for tequila. Sangrita is tomato based cocktail with orange juice, hot chili sauce and lime juice. Blue agave, also known as Agave Tequilana azur was planted in the motor pool in the Guanajuato airport. If you don't like alcohol, there is something sweets, too. Enjoy your stay in Mexico!
