Diary of 3 Weeks in Mexico

Tuesday June 5
9:30pm

My first full day in Guadalajara behind me and what an experience it´s been already. Let me start with all the doubts, fears, concerns of safety, have definitly been alleviated since my arrival. Of course, we´re still being safe, and making smart decisions, but on my last plane ride (the one from Houston to Guadalajara) these rushes of anxiety had come washing over me- was this trip a good choice? Will I have enough money? Is Dad right?- ugh I hate ever to admit that one. Is this country really safe for Kristen and I? What am I doing?

But then again, who wouldn´t freak out at least a little? Blindly leaving their life, with a new job up in the air, to meet a friend whom I haven´t seen in 8 months or travelled with in 2 years in a country neither of us have ever been too, and don´t usually hear good things about...

In the end, no need to stress... Kristen and I met just as we got off our planes and went through customs and baggage claim together. We easily found comfortability once again with each other and are on the same level. We checked into the hostal and spent the evening talking through our plans. We´ve changed a few dates and cities to make things more convenient, safe and cultural. We spent the night seriously going over our itinerary, and firming up plans... deciding against going to
acapulco at all. It´s just not that necessary to us, in that we feel we can get the beach experience closer to where we are and in safer towns. They´ve been having some corruption and protest problems with their taxi system and we´re not that into that.I think we´re going to end up adjusting our whole trip actually, and not go to acapulco, but instead some smaller inland towns with more culture and history up here in the midcoastal pasific region.

We had dinner out last night - a leisurly night, walked to a grocery store to buy bottled water and a toothbrush (since I had forgotton mine) and stopped for a dinner in this really cute plaza by the templo de carmen, this beautiful catholic church converted from a judaic temple. It was really neat.

While the hostel´s clean and the people are friendly, it was super noisy last night upon the arrival of a foursome from the Dominican Republic. We, as a result had a leisurly morning heading out after some emails and breakfast at about 10. Kristen and I walked 10 blocks or so to the Cathedral Metropolitano and all the prestine-ness and age of the Zona Central. There were parks, people, gazebos, fountains, and at least four major churches. We explored a few and then sat and read about what we were seeing from our travel books and from our vantage point in the park, we spied some bus tours. Deciding this was a great option for not only covering a lot of ground in Guadalajara, but also for learning about what we were seeing and what we might want to come back to and explore further.

The all-day, hop on-hop off tour was great, plus offered a bonus trip to Tlequepaque- just on the outskirts of Guadalajara, in the afternoon. We left our first tour bus at 12:45, found some sandwhiches and chips and were back on the bus at 1:30.

We spent an hour and a half strolling the brightly painted and quainte streets of brilliant artisan shops in Tlequepaque. There were so many stores with beautiful work... some of it was mesmorizing, like the glass blowers or bead makers, and we´d just stand and stare. These artisanas were astounding, however way out of our price range. Even the more affordable street vendors in Tlequepaque had more talent than I could ever imagine to possess. Great little side trip.

We came back to our hostel this afternoon for some quiet time and met some fresh faces. There are about 15 people staying at this hostel, and there´s a lot of community space here, so everyone kind of hangs out on the patio and chats about their travel adventures. Theres a girl from Arkansas who has been working on a travel boat two months on one month off for the past year that spends here free months in Mexico, one from England who has been travelling alone for the past five months, trying to find a city in the world where in which she one day may want to settle down and open a bar, a woman from Australia on a religious quest, and Tuki a man from Argentina who just loved Guadalajara so much he now works part time for the hostel and joined a band here. Its sometimes so interesting to meet these sorts of people.

Heading back out to the Cathedral behind our street for the six o´clock show of what the locals call ´Jesus and his friends´- a group of statues of Jesus and his disciples that encircle the bell tower as the bells chime 6. There are a million Cathedral-like churches in Guadalajara- I´ve counted five we´ve visited already- and to my amazement in each one we´ve found a bunch of Mexicans praying. The Mexicans are known for their devout Catholicsm and spiritual ferver of course, but I was taken today by the truth of that statement. As a visitor of hundred of Cathedrals, these have been the first I´ve seen to have a steady stream of real, local and faithful worshippers.

The visitors sitting amongst the tourists, the true visitors, who´ve come because they only want to stare at the ornateness of the structure for a few moments in awe and snap some photos. While the structures were in fact amazing, it really was the collective group of people in each cathedral that were captivating.

My night´s been spent talking with family, emailing friends and reading. It´s quite pleasant here at night, it never really cools down, and we have this open-sky patio that´s delightful just to sit at and enjoy relaxation.

I´m looking forward to another day of learning and exploration... I know this is just the beginning, but I´m already so glad I came, no need for all those worries, though I know there´s always justification for concern and it´s better to think through the what if´s in preparation for what could be. But what a relief, this comfort of knowing I´m so happy to be here right now.