Guadalajara !!

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I arrived in Guadalajara yesterday around noon and was just delighted on my first exposure to the city. I spent all afternoon walking around the 15th C Cathedral. It is surrounded by 4 plazas each with it's own claim to fame. I entered the area from the south side and had to smile at the huge art deco gazebo . It is quite beautiful but a bit strange surrounded by buildings that are centuries old...mind you the scale of everything is European not North American...if you know what I mean . Each plaza is at least as large as Victoria Park , one is twice that size , the cathedral encompasses at least one square block and the buildings on the other 3 sides of each of the plazas are a solid mass of granite with arches and carvings befitting the era they were built in.

Magnificant!

The Christmas decorations were still in place and it all looked very festive. It was a treat to sit and drink a cup of Cappacino and watch people coming and going from work and/or shopping. Most of the surrounding streets are pedestrian walkways. There are some streets for driving but the Andadoors are primarily for walking. They are old streets...about 2 car widths and with a population of 4 million in this city this area can't deal with cars. There are parkades below the plazas and MANY underground shopping centers and somehow they make it work.

Day 2 I did a bus tour and gained a real understanding of not only the history of this city but the future as well. It is as modern as it is old with some incredible architecture surrounding the downtown areas . It was a worthwhile tour although I was suffering a little from information overload by the end. I spent the afternoon ar a place called Talaquapaque wondering through history ,markets and shops and people watching as always.

In the evening I went out for coffee with a young Swiss woman and a band was playing tango in the plaza .Watching people dancing was great fun...it kind of reminded me of the disco years and the patterns that dancers used DURING THAT ERA...I know that is a scandalous thought to many of you but...

The Hostel I am at is first rate. It is very clean , friendly and has several different areas for people to gather . There are people here from Australia ,Switzerland ,US ,Peru,Chile...and that is only the ones I have visited with. Sharing stories and recommendations with fellow travellors is another thing I enjoy when travelling.

I do hope to figure out pictures this trip...


Hope all is well with you and yours.

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