So About the Whole Viva Mexico Thing.....

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Believe it or not, Cinco de Mayo is not the only Mexican holiday. Lucky for me, I got to travel to Guadalajara to celebrate Mexico's Independence Day on Sept. 15. Guadalajara is the home of tequila and mariachi, and when I ask my Mexican friends to compare Guadalajara to Monterrey, they always say that it's "mas colonial." Many people here characterize it as the most Mexican city in Mexico, so we figured what better place to spend Independence Day and yell Viva Mexico?
So, I packed my bags and headed out on a trip organized by my friend and personal travel agent, Oliver. Let's just say that he's amazing. He found the cheapest flights, reserved a hotel in the middle of downtown, and even reserved a van to take us from school to the airport. The flight there was uneventful and only took about 2 hours, so we were in Guadalajara for most of Independence Day. We stayed in a Quality Inn that was swank; it had a roof with a garden, swimming pool, and a place to eat. It had much cooler weather down there than here in Monterrey, and it was nice to wear a jacket. Something I've realized is that latitude means about jack squat in concern to weather.
We explored, went to markets, watched street performers, bought and ate regional foods (no parasitos yet ya'll), and went to a lot of different clubs, and my guy friends bought and smoked Cuban cigars. We also went to Catholic Mass at the biggest Cathedral on the square on Sunday. The cathedral was huge, and the service only 45 minutes. It was a totally different kind of experience than any church service I've been too. It felt really free because there were people milling about looking at the church the whole time. It was not just tourists that were looking either, but it was other Mexicans exploring. I felt like I was at a museum and at a church. I can't blame people for looking around though; there's this one holy relic is a statue of a girl in a glass box. The statue is of a little girl that's a saint, and inside that box
inside lace gloves are her hands.
So, about Independence Day, we uh, kind of missed it. I read in my Mexican Culture textbook that it is traditional for the government official to come out on the balcony and yell at midnight on the 15th, so we went to a bar called Cuba Libre for the evening and left at 11:45 to walk to the main square for the festivities. Wouldn't you know that they did it all at 11? I keep telling myself that it's a better story that I missed it than actually getting to see it, but I was a disappointed for sure. However, by the pictures, you can tell that we had an amazing time; check them out.

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Photos

Sombrero
There were plenty of sombreros out and about but not so many girls with mustaches.

Safe?
This fun game was like those in the U.S. except that it wasn't some kind of laser or sensor. Nope, it was BBs, and if you hit certain targets you would make the huge Chucky doll move or the gorilla growl. We were shooting at a metal wall....

Statue
This is Kathleen and I on the way back to the hotel after being questioned by what was a police officer. 1st question: Are you American? 2nd question: Have you been drinking? We thought we were in for it, but it turns that this 50 year old wanted to take us around town the next day.....

Face Paint Anyone?
While James, Matt, and I were shopping at the market, a random guy came up and said something in Spanish about red, white, and green. James had no idea what was going on, and the guy just popped this plastic thing against James' face and asked for 5 pesos. So, they had a kind of stamping method for face paint. However, Matt and I chose to get ours done.

Cuba Libre
We started out on this standing-room-only balcony so that we could watch all that was happening on the street, but they made us move inside as soon as they had our money for the drinks.

Our "Friend"
We spent a couple hours at the same table as this guy. He took care of Kathleen, James, Matt, Aaron, and I and even bought us all drinks, but it was a strange situation that I think Kathleen characterizes best as "creepy."

Empty Road
Guadalajara made us appreciate the nightlife available in Monterrey because in Guadalajara it's all spread out. After refusing to pay an $8 cover to get into a club on this street, we walked for over a mile before we found another place.

Salsa
My first chance at dancing salsa at a club; however, it wasn't straight salsa, so it was kind of difficult. I was diggin the fanny pack though.

Interesante
Just like clubs in the U.S., it seems like I have too much clothing on.

Matt
Only now am I realizing how many people had the mustache clip in their nose. This is me pretending that I think it looks hot.

The Winner
Pretty sure Kathleen looks best in this outfit. Too bad they didn't have a blond mustache for the rest of us.

Quality Inn
This terrace was fantastic. We got to eat breakfast here both mornings, and it provided an amazing view of the city.

Comments

[Whitney Baby]

I am lovin' the pictures very much... but not nearly as much as I'm lovin' YOU!!!!!!

[Kelsea]

I see you were brushing up on your sharp shooting skills...I like your style Christin!

[Rebekah Luhrs]

Whoah!
It really is cralwing with hot, sexy men over there! The first guy is breathtaking...i mean, HE is even hotter than John Rose!!!!!! I am going to e-mail you....soon

[Jessica]

Awesome!
It looks like you had a great time! I'm sooo jealous. I wish I could be there too!

[Len]

Keep having fun!
I'm glad you are enjoying your time and I'm glad I get to share in remembrance of the festivities. Enjoy the rest of your time and I look forward to seeing you around for the end of our senior year!