Lukas Hostel

May 7, 2009 No comments

Some swine cancelled the Feria

Ugh. Well the general consensus is that it was for the greater good. Probably that’s true but it’s still disappointing. After the first week and a half of the Feria de San Marcos, the festival was cancelled. I think people were worried about the festival grounds being a place for the swine flu to spread. Fortunately, no one in Aguascalientes came down with the flu and although we saw lots of masks in town and at the hostel no one here had any problems. The first week and a half were great. The hostel was filled to capacity plus a few extra beds that we brought in. But now things are slower since the festival is off and most people are staying at home. But really – no one here got sick and so we’re hoping that things will pick up again soon.

April 15, 2009 No comments

The Feria de San Marcos is Almost Here

Lukas and I have been working hard to prepare for the Feria de San Marcos, Aguascalientes’ biggest festival and arguably the biggest festival in all of Mexico. It goes on for three weeks and the city is expecting 5 million visitors from other parts of Mexico. We still have some space left for most of the weekdays but space for the weekends is going fast.

We’ve reorganized both of the hostel lounges to be more comfortable and – I think – pretty cool and funky looking as well. We seem to give each other good ideas and we’re making good use of all kinds of found items from local recycling centers. The furniture is all reclaimed palettes, refrigerator shelves, and of course our beloved Annika is here to welcome guests, though she doesn’t say much. We have two sets of checkers, playing cards, lots of books and magazines, and we now have a TV/DVD area set off from the rest of the 1st floor lounge. We’ve moved in some extra beds for the festival, repaired a handful of things that needed attention, and we’ve made sure that the place is clean and that we’re stocked up on purified water, towels, cleaning supplies, and the funky tambores the guests can use to lock their backpacks in for safety.

We’ve had some real help from one of our guests – a sassy French girl who is living and studying in Mexico and who came to visit us but probably didn’t expect to end up carrying mattresses. We can’t thank her enough for her help but she seems to be enjoying herself and that’s what it’s all about.

We also had two great guests from Korea spend the night with us. The fella and I walked through the city at 2am to find an OXXO (convenience store) that was open and we found one just a short stroll away. And we have a couple of Mexican lads who are here to participate in some of the sporting events during the festival. They’ll be with us for a few days and they’re making use of the terrace and the kitchen and the DVD player, where they’re watching themselves playing and trying to improve their performance.

We’re tired (Lukas more than me since he’s been working harder) and we’re going to get some sleep before the festivities start this weekend. They go until the 10th of May. I’m looking forward to it but somehow I think I’ll be glad when it’s over.

April 10, 2009 No comments

The new website is live!

The Lukas Hostel has a new website! You can now find us on the web at http://www.lukashostel.com.

We’ve moved our blog to the new website as well. Read all of the news from the Lukas Hostel.

This update is just one of the exciting changes we’re making at Lukas Hostel to celebrate our one year anniversary (April 29th.) Come to the website to stay up to date on Lukas and the gang.

August 20, 2008 No comments

rock climbing – tapias viejas – Lukas Hostel Guests and Friends -

One of the things that can be done a few minutes away from the Lukas Hostel is Rock Climbing…..and then on the way back just relax to get a snack and perhaps play some cards…..

August 20, 2008 No comments

one bbq with the Aussie, the Mexicans, the French and the Swiss couple….July 08

July 1, 2008 No comments

a post on lonelyplanet about Plaza de las 3 Centurias

Plaza de Las Tres Centurias … Aguascalientes
tres_centurias , aguascalientes , barrio , de , la , estacion , train_station

THREE CENTURIES COMPLEX- Aguascalientes

Plaza of the Three Centuries (Plaza de Las Tres Centurias)

A place to visit and enjoy while having ice cream… or to sit by the fountains and relax…a place that had such an influence in the city of Aguascalientes that would not be the same if such a place (railroad company) and workers had not operated there

a link to see a bit more of this place…photos and more

http://www.aguascalientes.gob.mx/turismo/atractivos/plaza.aspx

Aguascalientes was and continues being a Railroad center of great importance in Mexico.

Its Railroad tradition comes from the end of 1800. The present station is the second one that was constructed in the city; there was one of provisional character that was located alongside. South of the present cruise with the Alameda

The Building was begun to build in 1910 and it was inaugurated in 1911, it was the work of the Italian Ing. G.M. Buzzo. It is of Californian colonial style although it also has elements of Hispanic influence. The disposition is of levels and cover of cut to four waters. This building is a clear example of the Railroad architecture in which a series of prefabricated construction equipments was used. The stamp of this small and colorful Terminal fits perfectly with the province image cheers and smiling that still conserves the city.

Jardín de la Estación

Just a few meters from this building is the Garden of Station one of the favorite places of the railroad workers and its families for several generations until years 50, was a very ingrained custom between the local families, almost a ritual to go in the afternoons to the station to take a walk by its platforms and to wait for the arrival or exit of the trains, to listen to the municipal band and to wait for the new news brought to the city by means of the mail that transported the railroad.
The Place of the Three Centuries has become an important tourist, recreational, cultural space and of services with an especially historical essence, cradle in the railroad tradition that distinguishes Aguascalientes.

This tourist Development which lays on what used to be the Train Station, is only a few minutes away from the city of Aguascalientes downtown

In this Place you have the chance to get to see 2 enigmatic buildings:

The Old Cargo Warehouse, one of the first constructed buildings of the city with cement, inside this building there is a Photo Gallery that takes you through the times from the steam locomotives to the arrival of the Diesel Locomotive, how did the whole Railroad company and its workers played a very important role of the daily life of Aguascalientes you get to see the equipment and the tools with their explanation of how were they built and its function,

The Old Train Station, which has the furniture and all the things that it had while it was open as a passenger waiting area

They have some temporary exhibitions about the railroad subject

This two beautiful buildings (the Old Cargo Warehouse and the Old Train Station) that along with the gastronomical area give name him to the Place because they were constructed in three different centuries: XIX, XX and XXI.
Main Attractive within the Place Three Centuries

The Hidrocálida
A beautiful steam locomotive will be the assigned one to give the welcome to this important cultural center.

Water Show
You will have the opportunity to rest in the beautiful Garden of the Station and to enjoy its banks particularly designed by its sponsors which were the most important companies of the State, also you will be able to admire the Water Light and Sound Show the equipment for this show brought from Barcelona Spain, its lights at nights can reproduce up to 60 colors different and the water fountain streams can reach up to 12 meters height. At the moment it is the greatest of Latin America.

Monumental clock
In the Place of the Three Centuries you will be able to admire the Monumental Clock, which was constructed in honor of the workers of the Round House where the first Mexican locomotive named Number Forty was made, this in the year of 1913.
There is a model of the Round House which is the place where they built and fixed the locomotives…(you can see the how a train gets to the round base and turns around in order to be lead to the workshop to be repaired) that emerges when the platform opens up

In this wonderful place we can appreciate the greatest spear of the State with 60 meters of height and one of the greater monumental flags of all the country with measures of 30 meters in length by 17,5 meters in width. This flag can be admired from Madero Street in the city Historical Center

The Wagons

You can get to see the way they were designed – from the passenger’s rooms with showers and toilets to the restaurant wagons…

They have workshops for kids, musical events, food courts…and everything you may want to enjoy a bit of the history of this place

It took me a few hours to go through this whole complex…but i never got to see my watch….it was a very fun and interesting visit that hours went by without even noticing about it…

June 30, 2008 No comments

June 28, 2008 No comments

symposium in aguascalientes….

Posted on lonelyplanet.com
25-Jun-2008 18:18
by: scubagiz

Posts: 5
Registered: 25/06/08

help needed for Aguascalientes and ancient sites

Hi everyone, it’s Gizem Bezirci from Turkey.
In october I’ll be in Aguascalientes for a symposium and I’ll plan to visit those wonderful aztek and mayan temples and sites but I couldn’t find enough information about getting there from aguascalientes. Me and one friend will stay in aguascalientes for 5 days and we will 5 more days to travel. We need some recommendations about the places worth to be seen and some information about travelling ways. We will be two women and I read somewhere that it is not safe to travel alone. Is it true??? We plan to rent a car and go those historic places. Is it gonna be safe do you have any idea??? Thanks for now:)

Posted
26-Jun-2008 03:31
by: exlovago

Posts: 24
Registered: 20/05/08

9
aguascalientes , zacatecas , la_quemada , uaa , architecture_schools , hostel

hey there…

well, here is the link to the Aguascalientes Tourism Board website….lots of helpful information
http://www.aguascalientes.gob.mx/idiomas/ingles/turismo/default.aspx

Just wondering, are you going to be there for a symposium at a University, maybe UAA, Tec de Monterrey, UVM…or any college, why not contact the School and ask them for some advice….

The Architecture School of the University of Aguascalientes (UAA) may be able to give you all the info about Aztecs and Mayan places and how to get there from Aguascalientes, architecture schools always have people researching the subject,
here is the link to the Design and Building Department of the UAA to contact them
http://www.uaa.mx/centros/ccdc/contacto.html
since schools like this send people over to other countries for lectures, symposiums and courses they are always happy to help people who go to their cities for that same reason

You may as well ask them if someone is going or is willing to be your guide, you never know, you can get a guide who knows about everything you are looking for to go with you for nothing…just because he or she likes the chance to help and share his or her knowledge

I went to some architecture schools to get info about the places i was visiting….they always helped me

There is a hostel in town….they may be able to give info too
http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/LukasHostel-Aguascalientes-24311

lukashostel@hotmail.com

Like someone said, yes Zacatecas is really close to Aguascalientes about an hour by car, and from there La Quemada archeological site is 40 minutes away they are worth a visit.

good luck and have fun

June 15, 2008 No comments

Migrant Worker’s Rights Org… interns stopping by the Lukas Hostel

Natalie and I (Julia) are stopping by Aguascalientes on our way to Zacatecas, where we will spend ten weeks interning for a migrant workers’ rights organization. Natalie is a 3rd year law student in Seattle, and I am a 4th year undergraduate in Chicago. We were hoping to visit the botanical gardens, and the museo nacional de la muerte if we have time before heading out again. We would also like to travel around the area a bit, and are grateful that the owner lent us the magazine about Mexico’s Pueblos Magicos!