Not long after arriving here we were sitting on some steps at a plaza waiting for the man to cook us some cheap and tasty tacos. It wasn't surprising to find street food available at nearly eleven at night, but a little cafe selling all kinds of hot chocolate was a surprise. But then again, the lively bars were only just beginning to get going, and this is a city filled with students, after all, and famed for live music and entertainment. It has a unique feel, and I wouldn't be able to compare it to anywhere else that I've been.

Guanajuato is a very beautiful city - colourful by day, as well as by night. It has much history, but was initially founded upon discovery of silver. The mines here produced 20% of the world's silver supply for 250 years. No wonder it was the scene of more than one violent clash, particularly during Mexico's War of Independence.

The city's streets form a winding maze that is easy to get lost in. For car drivers, this is even more the case, as they have to use the tunnels that follow old river beds, surfacing in unexpected locations from the city centre to the outskirts. And if there were any doubts that we had now arrived in the highlands, the chilly nights and breathless climbs up steep cobbled streets back to our hostel soon reminded us of the 2045m altitude.

Our long road journey here took a full day and suffered a few delays, but it was a very scenic trip through dense hillside forests, followed by miles of blue agave plantations around Guadalajara - the main region where these plants are turned into tequila. We only stopped there to change buses.