Yawn...  thanks to good field notes and a very handy digital voice recorder, I can remember the exact sequence of events, from the time we left Cd. Victoria until the time we arrived at Llera de Canales, at around 2130 on Thursday, September 28, 2006.  Yes, we'd driven south, nearly 300 miles south of the U.S. border, and we'd visited exciting Cd. Victoria, and made many interesting stops along the way.  Actually, I wanted to stay in Cd. Victoria, but Rodolfo knew, as only a native of the area would know, about the small town of Llera de Canales, and he promised us that there was a lot to see and do in the area, and that he knew a place where we could stay, at a very reasonable rate, and yes, it would be "no problema" to arrive at the place after 9:00 O’clock on a Thursday night. After leaving Cd. Victoria, and crossing the Tropic of Cancer, we were on our way to Llera de Canales.

Photo:  Welcome to Llera de Canales on a sleepy Thursday night, September 28, 2006, as we look east, at the intersection of Calle Canales and Calle Hidalgo.  Note the lack of traffic... foot, dogs, or anything?

Photo:  The patriotic decorated municipal center, across from the park.  Thanks to Jerry Flinn for the photo.

Believe me, at 2130 on a Thursday night, the streets of Llera are boarded up and the lights are dimmed.  Because Rodolfo is a native of Tamaulipas, he guided us effortlessly through the narrow streets of Llera, and we easily found the lovely Hotel Guanajuato, located on Calle Servando Canales, near the corner of Canales and Hidalgo, just across from the town square.  We checked into our room, which was a bargain at only MEX $250.00 for the three of us, and left our gear in our hotel room, and decided to explore the streets of Llera de Canales on a warm, humid, Thursday night in September.

Photo:  The flower shop, located on Calle Morales, facing the park, was alive with bingo action.  Blurry Jerry and Rodolfo are seen in the photo before entering the building and crashing the bingo game.

Dorothy, you're not in Kansas anymore, and Juan, you're not in Tijuana, as you're in small-town Mexico, at its best. If you you're a tourist looking for bright light, honky-tonks and wild women, Llera is the place to be, as it's quiet, mostly closed, and very laid back.  We hiked the streets around the center of town, near the municipal building near the corner of Calle Canales and Calle José Morales, and found absolutely no action, except we were able to take a drunk in custody and escort him to his temporary new home in the municipal building.  Outside of a video hang-out place, located on Calle Hidalgo, the only place that seemed to be vaguely alive was Cafeteria "Wong," located next to the municipal building on Calle José Morales.  

Photo:  Family bingo action, at it's best, inside of Floreia Lupita, located on Calle José Morales, in downtown Llera de Canales.

We were able to find "action" at a florist shop, named Floreria Lupita, located on Calle José Morales, just south of the park at the town square, where we discovered a mother, and several kids, playing a version of Mexican Bingo. Mexican Bingo is very, very different than the version played in the U.S., as it involves a lot more skill, and the players play with real money.  It seems to be a passion in the state of Tamaulipas, as everywhere we toured, we encountered people playing a version of this game.  We surprised to see an entire family playing the game together, and we were even more surprised to see that they were playing with real money, and making real bets.  I guess you have to do something to keep you sanity on a humid, September night, in the small town of Llera de Canales.

Photo:  Cafeteria Wong seemed to be the place where all of the action was located, during this September night in Llera de Canales.  If you're looking for hot action and nightlife, Llera should be avoided, as nightlife is almost non-existent.

Photo:  This gentleman was manning a cash register at a convenience store near the busy Cafeteria Wong, where we purchased bottled water, and Jerry managed to snap his photo, despite the fact that he was enjoying dinner.

However, we are three 50+ married men, and we weren't looking for "action," not that there is much of it in Llera, so after exploring the streets of Llera de Canales for an hour or so, we were ready for the seedy beds that awaited us at the Hotel Guanajuato.
 

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