Advertisement
Published: January 3rd 2009
As we descended into Guadalajara, I was quite pleased to see that the air below us was relatively clear. Given Mexico City’s reputation as one of the worst polluted places on the planet, I had worried that its much smaller neighbor would face similar woes. The woman sitting next to me on the plane (who also shared my dire fear that the sound of the wing flaps was really some kind of structural failure that would soon cause the entire plane to burst apart in mid-air) had been born in Guadalajara. For the majority of her adult life, however, she had resided in California. She was taking her sister to visit relatives, and it was her first time back to Guadalajara in many years. She expressed a good deal of surprise over how much the city had grown.
Before this trip, I had never been to Mexico. Not even a brief dip across the desert to Tijuana. I considered this rather embarrassing, given the fact that my country shares a 1,969 mile border with Mexico. Thankfully, a recent opportunity gave me the chance to rectify this situation, beginning in Guadalajara. The state of Jalisco seemed like an excellent place
Mural by Orozco
Inside the Instituto Cultural Cabanasto start. It is, after all, the birthplace of Tequila and Mariachi music. With a population of just over 1.5 million within the city limits, Guadalajara is Mexico’s second largest city, though it has the reputation of being much more manageable than the smog-choked capital.
Interestingly enough, the name Guadalajara originates from the Arabic word meaning “Valley of Stones”. It was named after a Spanish city that originally received its title during the time when the Iberian Peninsula was occupied by the Moors.
We stayed in a small but friendly hostel in the Zona Rosa, the lively area known for its many cafes, restaurants, and active student scene. From there, it was roughly a 20-minute walk to the Centro Historico, past the University of Guadalajara. Situated directly behind the University is my favorite slice of the city: the Templo Expiatorio. This gorgeous gothic church was designed by an Italian architect, and construction began at the end of the 19th century. In addition to the spectacular design, the cathedral features some of the most beautiful stained glass I have ever seen.
One thing I instantly loved about Mexico was the vibrant atmosphere. The colors and artwork are astonishing.
Nuns
Admiring the architecture of Templo Expiatorio We spent a lot of time meandering through the back alleys; admiring brightly painted colonial homes, with heavy wooden doors and purple bougainvillea clinging to the walls. Spending the afternoon wandering around the plazas in the old part of the city was also extremely enjoyable. They were always packed with vendors, street performers, musicians, revelers, and families young and old relaxing and soaking up the atmosphere.
There was never any difficulty in finding extremely good live music. One night as we were walking back to the hostel, we just happened across and entire symphony, dressed in crisp white suits and crammed in a gazebo; playing a free concert to the public. And of course, there were mariachis everywhere. One young man told us that whenever he happened threw a party; he would simply drive to the plaza and scoop up one or two mariachis for entertainment. Apparently it was a very casual arrangement.
Guadalajara’s historic district contains a plethora of amazing architecture, and one of the most prominent features is the “Instituto Cultural de Cabanas”. A former orphanage, it is now a UNESCO site and school for the arts filled with leafy courtyards. It also contains an
Chicos
Little boys enjoy playing in the fountain on a sunny day amazing collection of murals by Jose Orozco. Later, we visited the nearby “Mercado San Juan de Dios”, which claims to be the largest indoor market in Latin America.
Though I had always known the Mexican love of futbol was likely beyond my comprehension, I was even more impressed witnessing this devotion firsthand. During our stay there was a large match between Mexico and Honduras, and (absolutely no exaggeration) every bar we passed in Guadalajara, and likely the entire country, was packed with enthusiastic fans out to watch the game. We viewed part of it from an outdoor café where we ate “tortas ahogadas”, a Guadalajara specialty. They are basically pork sandwiches served on a baguette (and given that I am not the biggest fan of pork, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it so much had everything not been completely doused in chili sauce). Still tired from the flight, we ended up leaving early; and though I am not even sure if Mexico won, I could still here partygoers celebrating outside our window at 4 am.
I love Mexican artwork, and was pleased to see that the popular images of smiling skeletons and similar themes were prominent everywhere, and
not just reserved for the “Day of the Dead” celebrations. The most notable figure is Catrina, an elegantly dressed female skeleton wearing a large, ornate hat. One of the art vendors explained that she had originally been created by artist Jose Posada. During the Mexican Revolution, Posada had produced many such etchings featuring cadavers as a satire on the political turmoil that gripped the nation. Today, these figures have become an integral part of mainstream Mexican culture, and are particularly important during the famous holiday taking place on November 1st and 2nd.
In order to explore more of the city we later moved our lodgings to Tlaquepaque, a suburb just fifteen minutes from downtown Guadalajara. This area, once a neighborhood of wealthy aristocrats, is now famous for its artisans and features everything from upscale galleries to small, street-side stalls. The entire district, filled with cobbled streets and flat, brightly colored houses seems very quiet, at least until the sun sets and people begin flocking to the plaza for the night market.
Altogether, Guadalajara is a fascinating city, packed with culture and history. The weather was also fantastic, so it seems no surprise that thousands of North Americans retire
to Lake Chapala, about an hour’s drive south of the city. From Guadalajara we took the bus inland and East to the gorgeous town of Guanajuato, probably one of the most stunning places I have ever been. (Though I will save that for another entry).
Advertisement
Tot: 0.059s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 8; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0379s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
