Tequila, tequila and more tequila

That’s me in Guadalajara. I am paying bills, but still happy. Not working is so nice. I’m in a pasteleria (cake shop) right below our hotel and am about to have a mocha and a big piece of napoleon (which will be delicious). They had free wireless and we took advantage as much as possible. When we weren’t eating at the OK Pasteleria, we were usually to be found at La Chata, a restaurant that has been around since the 1940s. They had great cheap food and it was right across the street from our hotel.

Speaking of our hotel - we stayed in a converted 130-year-old mansion. The lobby was beautiful, full of murals and character. The rooms were nothing to write home about, but perfectly adequate. The bathroom was the real treat. It was basically a shower stall with a toilet and sink inside. The good thing is, you could take a shower and take a crap at the same time. (Gotta be careful not to get the tp wet.) The truly talented could also wash some clothes in the sink while they did their S,S & S. How’s that for multitasking?

We stayed in Guadalajara for 6 days. It reminded me a bit of Miami. It’s hot (although not as sticky). There are lots of people, cars, malls and all the other crap that cities have these days. Unlike Miami; however, Guadalajara has centuries-old buildings and mind-blowing murals. Like most Mexican towns, they also have music and exhibits in the plaza every weekend and lots of free (or very cheap) art and entertainment.

The first day we were in Guadalajara, they were inaugurating a new governor and so most things were closed.. We spent the better part of the day chasing down a guitar string and a plug adaptor. (None of the guidebooks mentioned that most places did not have three-pronged plugs.) The next day we went to see the Jose Clemente Orozco murals, the reason for our stop.

This is a picture of one part of the murals, but it doesn’t do it justice at all. We were completely blown away. The murals are in a cavernous, ballroom-sized hall in what used to be an orphanage. Every wall and patch of ceiling (in between stone beams and arcs) is covered in murals about the conquest. To paint these murals, Orozco, who was disabled, must have climbed up a scaffolding at least forty feet high with only one hand and very poor eyesight. Amazing.

After the murals, we saw the cathedral. Inside they have the body of some martyred little girl in a glass case. She was apparently killed during anti-catholic violence. They have plastered her face so that it doesn’t look completely disgusting (at least that’s what I think they did), but she still appears to have a full head of hair. Her hands are repulsive, completely grotesque and gnarly. Creepy.

The highlight of our trip was a tour we took to Tequila. It was the first time I have ever been on a tour, but we decided that, since we wanted to partake in the town’s namesake beverage, it would be better if someone else drove. Turns out the tour was great. Our guide knew everything about everything (or at least made up really good answers). We went to the Jose Cuervo factory. Their tequila is terrible, but the factory is in a beautiful old hacienda. We got plenty of opportunities for tasting (everything from raw agave to aged tequila). As you can see, they made us wear hairnets. The nice thing is, after enough tequila, you don’t care that you look like the elementary school lunch lady.

The night we got back from tequila, there was a blackout. The entire block lost electricity. When we went out on the balcony, we saw tons of smoke gushing past the cathedral and other buildings in the main square. You can see it in the picture. The fire was still smoking the next day when we went by, but our lights were only out for a couple hours. Glad we brought flashlights.

That basically catches you up on Guadalajara. We are now in Irapuato. We have been here two nights and Isela’s family has been incredible. I’ll put up another post in a few days and tell you all about it.