Guadalajara Centro

Aloha Everyone,

Architecturally impressive landmarks seems to be concentrated in the Centro Histórico district of Guadalajara. From our hotel, it’s an easy 15 minutes walk. The weather has been in the low 50’s to mid-80’s. Early in the morning and by sunset, it gets breezy and very pleasant for a stroll.

Our lunch stop was at La Rinconada Plaza Tapatía. So elegant and beautiful, this late 19th Century French-Style mansión was once a private home of a prominent citizen. J.J.’s pasta was “al dente” (firm) just like in Italy. My salad tasted fresh and better than its appearance. We enjoyed having lunch in a place with wonderful ambiance. The music playing was Julio Iglesias, one of my all time favorite Spanish singer.

La Rotonda de Los Jaliscienses Ilustres is one of the main plazas in Centro Histórico. The busts of important individuals are displayed, attracting students and visitors who are interested in history.

Aloha -- Cathi

Lake Chapala

Aloha Everyone,

Lake Chapala is the largest freshwater lake in México. Located on the border between the states of Jalisco and Michoacán, the area is 5,000 ft above sea level. This is a shallow lake with a median depth of 15 feet and a maximum of 34 feet. Lake Chapala is fed by four rivers and flows northwest into the Pacific Ocean vis the Rio Grande De Santiago.

J.J. and I also read and heard a great deal about Ajijic, a small town near Lake Chapala that is popular among American and Canadian retirees. We were curious as Ajijic is often compared to San Miguel de Allende.

There were delays and last minute changes with the tour schedule. Ajijic became a drive by. The reason given to us was “atrasado debido a las personas” (behind schedule because of people). Despite standing in a line at the gate which did not open, to access the first attraction of our tour, J.J. and I had a wonderful day. The reason, Dave and Dorothy from Alberta, Canada who were among the 50 or so passengers on the bus.

With his dry sense of humor, Dave kept us laughing and entertained. We had a great meal at a touristic restaurant located on the edge of Lake Chapala. My red snapper and J.J.’s grilled shrimps made up for some of the challenges of the morning. Prices were 30% higher, but the food was good.

A boat ride on Lake Chapala was more like floating on the unclear aquatic surface. We noted some immense hill side mansions around the lake.

Our final stop was at Chapala City, also located alongside the lake. The Sunday crowd was so thick that the four of us encountered difficulty securing a table.

Expected delays and changes are more of a norm here than back home. Our tour guide Ramón, ever gracious and patient tried so hard to speak to the four of us in his labored English.

In summary, it was a fun-filled day and we extend our “gracias” to Dave and Dorothy!

Aloha -- Cathi

Mercado Libertad San Juan de Dios

Aloha Everyone,

San Juan de Dios promotes itself as the largest indoor market in Latin America. Inaugurated on December 20, 1958, the city claims that there are 2,980 vendors spread over 3 levels. The distance from our hotel is less than a mile, but instead of walking unfamiliar neighborhoods, J.J. and I took a taxi.  

The best way to describe this Mercado is that it is immense. As in other large markets offering clothes, toys, jewelries, durable goods, souvenirs plus vegetables/fruits and flowers, you are bombarded with so many choices. Sheer sight, sound and the smell envelope your entire being. I have a very low tolerance for scent of any kind. On this trip, J.J. was more willing to explore, but 30 minutes was the maximum duration that I could endure.  

We took another taxi back to our hotel amidst the large Saturday crowds in the Centro district.

Okuma Sushi has an ambiance remotely resembling a sushi restaurant. J.J.’s appetizer was cheese filled Mexican empanada and his udon, he said, “Tastes like udon noodles in Mexican flavored chicken stock." I ordered a Teppanyaki grilled vegetables with no sauce. In other words, stir fry vegetables. We both agreed to adhere to Mexican food from now on.

For dinner, we went back to the restaurant located adjacent to the Jardín del Carmen and ordered tried and tested turkey panini. The only excitement of our dinner was J.J. ordering a soda which smelled and tasted like a cross between homeopathic treatment and something a native healer would prescribe!

Aloha -- Cathi

In Search of Alebrije

Aloha Everyone,

Alebrijes look somewhat like a dragon, a mystical creature that originates out of one’s imaginations. Alebrijes are Mexican folk art sculptures made of wood, papier-mâché or sometimes in metal. Pedro Linares is generally credited to creating the first alebrijes as well as the name “alebrije.”

My first discovery of Alebrije was a metal sculpture on the wall of a restaurant in Guanajuato. The second time I saw one was at the toy museum in San Miguel de Allende. Since then I decided to do some research and look for a book or a small replica to take back to our granddaughter.

Today’s quest which led us to three bookstores and a couple of toy shops did not bear fruit. But J.J. and I were able to find unusual restaurants. We had our lunch where upstairs was a research library and gallery.

For dinner, the restaurant customers literally walk by a large, bright and hygienic kitchen where food handlers were all clad in white uniform from head to toe. Inside, the place was absolutely packed reminding us of popular dim sum restaurants on Sundays in Hong Kong. Service was quick and professional. Quality of food?  Well, let’s just say J.J. and I stood up with our plates still half full.

Aloha -- Cathi

¡Donde está la Lavandería? (Where is a laundromat?)

Aloha Everyone

Our hotel offers dry cleaning services to its guests but not laundry. So this morning, after our healthy breakfast, the two of us went out to look for a lavanderia (laundry service).

 Based on instructions from the front desk clerk and out breakfast room server, it sounded like the place is within a 10 minutes walk from our hotel.

J.J. and I should’ve questioned their directions when one told us to go North and the other to head South. Clean, orderly street became untidy, unkempt, and the two of us realized that we were lost. How relieved we felt after 20 minutes or so of uneasy walk, we begin to see familiar sights including Jardín Cuauhtémoc, Museo De La Artes, Universidad de Guadalajara. J.J. correctly assessed that we were going in the general direction but in a round about way.

So happy to finally find Clean Laundry and dropped off our weekly washing requirements.

Instead of 50 minutes walk, our return back took us only 20 minutes.

J.J. spent the afternoon catching up on US and international news, while I tackled the 100 Most Common Spanish Verbs.  

I apologize to the linguists among you but at this time, I am focused mainly on tenses of present, past and future, and not so much on imperfect, conditional and all other perfects which I had to memorize when I first studied Spanish in high school. It is rewarding to be able to string along 2-3 sentences without hesitation to communicate with Los Tapatíos, as those living in Guadalajara call themselves.

Aloha -- Cathi