Diary of 3 Weeks in Mexico

Thursday June 7
6pm

The bells with Jesus´ friends are chiming a few blocks away as I sit out on the patio writing tonight.

We´ve had a great final two days in Guadalajara- yesterday being quite relaxed; we spent the morning at the mercado de libertad- the largest indoor market in the world...and it was crazy. So many people: looking, shopping, selling, interacting, speaking all sorts of languages, amazement. Mostly sellers of crap though, or things we had no interest in buying. Kristen and I therefore, lost interest quickly and went to check out a beautiful Church next door- San Juan de Dios... yes we discovered yet another beautifully architectured church in this grand city... and this one´s bells were ringing too. But the ringing was done by an old man standing on the patio, at the Church´s entrance pulling on a rope that was atached about 150 feet up to the big bell.

We then hopped down to the southern end of the city to go to the Parque de Agua Azul. We had read a lot about it- butterfly houses, aviaries, ampitheatres, sports complexes and a man-made lake and thought we´d find some lunch and enjoy ourselves in the sunshine and vastness of a beautiful park. Unfortunately, the park was a bit dissapointing and we ended up hopping a bus back to the downtown and exploring Calle Vallarta instead... this main street in the wealthy and commercial district. So many American companies are here in Mexico, in fact their biggest bank is HSBC and their Air conditioners are made mostly by Carrier. There are McDonalds, Burger Kings and Starbucks on every corner. There´s Walmart and Sams Club, Chili´s and Outback.

But what surprised me the most about this district especially was the excessive amount of bridal shops. In a matter of 5 blocks there must have been 10-12 stores and they just kept continuing, but I lost count. All the dresses were so beautiful in the windows... most sold both bridal dresses and dresses for quinciñeras- the Mexican celebration of the 15th birthday. The dresses were also surprisingly inexpensive-to the point where one day down the line, I may return to Mexico, buy a dress and have it fitted, and fly back knowing I had still saved money.

The rain poured down last night and the hostel lost power for hours. The rain was coming so hard- we didn´t leave at all last night but instead drank tea and read by candlelight and hung out with some of the other travellers. Kristen and I also both called to the states, enjoying a quiet night.

This morning was quite different- we boarded a tour bus at 10am leaving for the town of Tequila- and spent some time at the factory of the most famous and best quality brand of Tequila in Mexico- La Casa Herradura. We walked around the factory- which is actually a hacienda: a gated, self-sufficient, sustainable community. There are homes for the workers on premises, community kitchens, a chapel, gardens, farmland, animals and a soccer field. We learned extensively about the Tequila making process, agave-the plant the Tequila is extracted from, and the tradition of Tequila making in Mexican history. We sampled Tequila in the various stages along the way and different tequila products that Casa Herradura makes at lunch. This is about when I realized I really only prefer tequila in a margarita... no more Tequila for a long time for me. But it was a fun experience, definitly a step into Mexican culture.

We returned an hour ago tired, and Kristen and Becky are napping now. We´re gonna try our hand at Mexican quesadilla making tonight in our hostel´s kitchen for dinner and then get ready to leave early tomorrow morning for the beach.

Guadalajara has been a city unlike any city I´ve ever seen- In some parts so modern, in others its antiquity preserved- and in all parts: worn, dirty and poor... but yet safe. I´ve definitly enjoyed my time here and feel like I´ve done some solid exploring and have a handle on the feel of the city. It´s not a city in which I could ever live, nor one I feel the need to come back and visit (unless of course for that wedding dress some day) but I know I´ve learned so much from it.