Living the Dream on Xenia

While we enjoyed spending time with our friends and family in Manzanillo, it was time to get on the road again for the next leg of our adventure. So, we hopped on the luxury bus for Guadalajara. These buses have bathrooms, foot rests, TVs with Spanish movies, snacks and lots of leg room. If only the airplanes could be like that. The trip was about 4 ½ hours and along the way we saw huge fields of papaya and agave as well as miles and miles of greenhouses which we think housed berries. They have raspberries, blueberries and blackberries here. The last hour was getting us from the outskirts of the city to the bus station which was located closer to the centre of the city. We noticed massive manufacturing plants coming into town and apparently Guadalajara is one of the most important manufacturing centers in Mexico. Guess that is why the unemployment rate is only about 3%.

Guadalajara is the second largest city in Mexico and is comprised of 4 districts with an approximate population of 7,000,000. We are staying in Centro which is also known as the historical district of the city. Our hotel, The Hotel Morales was originally a home and guest house and in the late 19th century was converted into a hotel. In 2009 the hotel underwent a two year major renovation to bring it into the 21st century. The hotel is beautiful and much of the original architecture has been preserved as well as some of the original furniture. The staff for the most part speak good English and are very friendly and helpful.
The first thing we try and do when we visit a new city is take the hop on hop off bus as it gives a great overview of the city. We were surprised to find out a day on the bus was only 100 MXN which is about $7.00 CAN. Our first stop was Tonala which is where the big Thurs/Sun market is. As it was Sunday we were able to experience the market in it’s fullest. Have to say while there was some authentic stuff most of it was from junk. We did however find the linen store and were able to get some tablecloths. In the stores they don’t really barter but we were able to get a few pesos off as we were paying cash. We hopped back on the bus and did the Zapopan loop which is another district in Guadalajara. As we were only able to do 2 of the 4 loops of the tour in one day, we went back the next day to do the 2 other loops. As it was a Monday, we only had to pay 90 MXN – what a deal. The first stop was Tlaquepaque which is the artistic district of the city. We loved it and saw some great art and furniture all of which we would love to bring back if we could. We did however find a mask though to add to our collection. We stopped for lunch at the biggest restaurant which takes up a full city block. We are impressed with all the great street art and how much of it is around. Once back on the bus we did the loop of the historical district which includes the Guadalajara Cathedral, the Court House, City Hall and the Symphony Hall. There are numerous squares where people gather, as well as the largest markets. All only a few blocks from our hotel.
We spent a day exploring the markets and the streets around Centro. No matter what you are looking for, you will find it somewhere within a few city blocks. Each block is dedicated to a certain product, ie electronics, kitchen ware, clothing, shoes, etc. We were in awe of the stores selling dressing for Quinceanera which is the celebration of a girls 15th birthday. These elaborate dresses come in many colours and styles and cost between $1000 and $2000 US. The Jewelry Market is 4 floors with more silver, gold and sparkle than you can imagine with the bottom floor dedicated for jewelry makers. The Centro Market which burnt down in 2014 has been rebuilt and provides residents with groceries on the bottom floor and restaurants on the top floor. The main shopping market is a rabbit warren of stalls selling pretty much anything you can imagine.

We also took a food and historical tour of Centro with Paul who introduced us to some of the food unique to Guadalajara including Birra (goat stew) and torta ahogada (sandwiches stuffed with pork and covered in sauce), as well as drinks such as Tejuino (made with fermented corn and cane sugar) and Cazuelia which is made with grapefruit, orange and lime juice, soda and tequilla (my new favourite). We enjoyed visiting the food markets and understanding where to eat, what to eat and how to eat it.

We also spent a day at the zoo. While not as big or diverse as the San Diego Zoo, it was well done in its own right. There was an overhead gondola which takes you from one end of the zoo to the other, a train which takes you amongst some of the smaller animals and a safari ride which takes you through the larger animals and gave us an opportunity to feed the giraffes. We visited the Aquarium and got to see the penguins. They swim so fast you can’t even get a picture of them.

We have eaten both good food and bad food. We have eaten Mexican, Italian and Asian. We have eaten food we like and some not so much. The only thing we refuse to eat is the tacos made with animal innards. Yuck!!