Back to Guadalajara

 Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Gosh it's early!!  No time for yoga this morning, but we're up and dressed and out the door right on time! Everyone makes it onto the bus and Jorge, our driver gets everyone's luggage stashed in the rear of the bus.  We're going to drive for a couple of hours before having breakfast and Ginger passes out the cookies we bought yesterday to tide people over.  It's pretty quiet on the bus, except for a baño break or two.

Very nice hotel!

Ginger's new earrings and shirt!

Let's reflect on our adventure!

I feel braver taking their picture from inside the bus!

Jorge has recommended a restaurant, El Diamantie, and although it was a bit further down the road than we anticipated, it was worth the wait!  There are eyes of God everywhere and the decor is bright and energizing.  The waiter comes quickly, maybe because we are only the second group to arrive, and drink orders are taken. The drinks and food are delivered quickly and the coconut shrimp is excellent and plentiful. And there's a little time for fun with duckie!!

Every meal seems to have these on the table.

Back on the bus and when I check my email I see that it's time to check into my flights home.  My talk-text-data plan with Verizon includes Mexico and Canada so I am able to check in and get my boarding pass right on my phone. I take a picture of it just in case!

One more baño stop and we're back at our hotel.  Jorge removes everyone's baggage and it's time to tell him thank you and good bye and to show our appreciation financially! We drag inside, after our long trip, and Ginger passes out room keys.  Laura has to leave much earlier than I in the morning, so I'm going to move into Ginger's room since we're on the same flight. (Alex and Karen are on it, too) People scatter with plans to meet on the rooftop for sunset before our last dinner together.  Norm has said he would meet us for sunset, too.

Turns out that sunset isn't until 7:10 here, since we have crossed a time zone, and that's too late for dinner. We are on the rooftop and agree to go on downstairs and walk to the restaurant that Ginger has found for us.  It's called Los Illustres and the lobby is filled with art works.  The tables are under a roof but open to the breezes and the whole thing overlooks the park that Juan showed us, celebrating artists of all sorts. The service is prompt with drinks coming out quickly.  I have what turns out to be dessert in a glass, a dolce rita!  The food orders all arrive at the same time!! Now that's fine dining!  And each dish is unique.  I have the salmon is honey-lemon sauce with asparagus and mashed potatoes and it's so good I might try it at home! It's our last night and Ginger is looking for dessert - so everyone follows suit.  She has my before-dinner brink and I have the other one that had caught my eye, the Kiss Velvet. It arrives with a large ice cube with a yellow flower perched on top!

Bye-bye beautiful mountains

And agave azul

So many murals!

Just making sure we know where we're going!

The restaurant's lobby is full of "illustrations" as the name would suggest!

Even the menu is made to look like a book!

Such an inviting space! 

And with a stunning view of the park!

I'm learning to use Goggle Translate.

The title page

This is the park with all the statues dedicated to artist of all sorts - musicians, painters, poets,...

Dolce Rita

Kiss Velvet

Some clever cocktail ideas!

When everyone is satisfied - and then some - we walk the few blocks back to the hotel where we start saying our good-byes and Ginger makes arrangements for everyone's taxis to the airport.  There are four different groups leaving at different times, and one group will actually stay an extra night because airlines are just weird!

Up we go to our room to decompress, re-pack and get ready for tomorrow.  Those of us who are left will meet for breakfast at eight and we'll leave for the airport around ten.  We both hate rushing in airports and would much rather just sit and read or whatever.  It would be smart if I went back and proof read some of these midnight entries!!  But that's for another day.  Tonight I just want to close my eyes!

Happy Eclipse Day!!!!

 Monday, April 8, 2024

The Observatorio open at 8:00, so we want to leave our hotel at 7:00.  It's not as long a walk as to the lighthouse, but long enough and we want to be in line as soon as we can.  Everyone is ready and excited with lots of hugs and "Happy Eclipse Day" exchanges and off we go.  We achieve our objective and are in line before eight.  When it's our turn to board the funicular, some choose to walk up the stairs and the rest of us enjoy the ride and the view. 

I just noticed this in our hotel's lobby area.

Everything is so colorful, even the stairways!

Everything is set up for the eclipse by the beach.  They are giving out glasses to anyone who needs them.

The Oxxo is our friend!  Water, snacks, change...

So far the clouds don't look like a problem!

Street art everywhere!

This sign guarantees that we're on the right path!

We're in line nice and early.  We've seen lots of open vehicles with armed military people in them, machine guns and all!  We thought the government was expecting rowdyism after the eclipse, but later we learned that the president of Mexico was in town to see it!!

Stairs to the funicular - but better than climbing all the way up, like some people!
They are handing out commemorative glasses in a folder with the schedule of activities.

The funicular won the Project of the Year for safety in 2021!

There is much more up here than we had anticipated!

The advanced party has staked out a claim to twelve spots at the breakfast tables.  Yay!  The tables are all line up parallel to one another with black table cloths and folding chairs and when we arrive some people are already in line for breakfast.  At the entrance down below we all received a gray folder with special glasses and a strip of printing with "breakfast", "mimosa", and "cafe o jugo" (coffee or juice) and a circle by each one. 

There is a large raised platform facing the tables and backed up to the ocean.  A shaman is preparing for the ceremony which will begin in just a little while.  I recognize some of the objects he has gathered and they include a mother earth figure and sunflowers and his drum and so many others. I work up the nerve to talk with him for a minute or two and we agree that so many versions of shamanism have more in common that differences.  We are all part of the ancestors. He says that as long as what you practice comes from your heart and is done with good intent, that is all that matters.

Can you see the spectacular bead work?

Well at least I can prove I was there!!

We join the breakfast line and as we get to the front we select coffee or juice and that circle is punched.  Then we move on to the breakfast section with scrambled eggs, beans, and tostados covered in sauce and your choice of add-ons, including onions, celantro, shredded chicken, cheese, and crema!  And there's a huge fruit cup! It's a lot of food!!  

As we're eating, several ladies who are with the shaman begin healings with singing bowls and the magic begins.  There is time before the event gets underway so Ginger and I explore the grounds. There is an iguana sanctuary and a cacti garden and an enclosure with macaws and peacocks.  There is an old colonial house that is now a museum and also has the observatorio's bar and other breakfast tables set up.  There is also a 360 degree viewpoint and a demonstration of agave distilling and a replica of a native village!  So much to see while we are awaiting the big event!

A gaggle of iguanas

This was the young lady who wasn't able to swap shirts because it's her uniform!  But maybe later!!

So far, so good with the clouds!!  Everyone had been so concerned because the forecast was for clouds starting around nine o'clock!

Oh!  It's beginning!  John has brought his camera, with protective lens, and tripod and he's set up with all the other photographers and everyone has their glasses handy.  At this point the shaman begins his ceremony.  It is in Spanish but his hands are eloquent and we all seem to resonate with the message.  Everyone has come down to the stage and is seated on the ground.  At one point the ladies pass out beans and we hold them to our hearts.  After what must be a blessing everyone eats the beans.  A bit later the ladies pass out hot chocolate which has been a sacrament here for centuries.  The message of gratitude and connectivity comes through loud and clear.

As totality approaches the shaman asks who resonates with various animals and elements and the ladies pass out instruments that are representative of each.  I recognize the rain stick for water and the jaguar whistle, and there are many others.  Then, like tuning an orchestra, the shaman asks each musician to play his instrument and when he is satisfied everyone plays, representing the unity of all the elements and ancestors with the people.

It's almost here!  Everyone is listening to the invocation and staring at the sky. I've never seen anything like it!  I've given up trying to photograph it and instead become lost in the experience.  We are all awed by the black spot encircled by the ring of fire when suddenly it's as though the whole thing has exploded and there is a huge bright spot with a diffused orange ring around it and that is surrounded by the light reflecting off the wispy clouds in the sky.  Really I can't describe it accurately but, while the totality was greeted with applause, the second stage was met with gasps of disbelief!  No wonder the ancients thought the world might be ending!  It is vaguely reminiscent of an atomic blast! Oh!  And the temperature has plummeted!

The rain stick symbolizes water.

Frigate birds circling overhead

Many people chose to ascend the platform to be blessed.

I think it was Lisa who spotted the small rainbow in the sky!!

A lot of the staff, waiting to be able to clean up!

Can you see the zigzag path up to the light house?

And we descend into the real world

Karen is waiting for us.

There is much hugging and crying and the shaman and his assistants have prayed throughout.  The ladies use crystal and singing bowls and he uses his drum and there are double gongs that one of the ladies also plays.  eventually, as things wind down (somehow watching the moon make its exit isn't nearly as exciting as its entrance!) the shaman and is primary assistant do healings for anyone who wants  to go on the stage.

Never felt anything quite like this.  But after a while it's time to go.  But first, as word about t-shirts! The entire staff is wearing white and black shirts commemorating the day and we are amazed that there aren't any for sale.  We were among the first to arrive and they were already gone!  Ginger offers to swap the shirt she's wearing or to just buy the one this girl (see photo eventually) is wearing, but it's her uniform for the day and she can't.  Much later there is a guy who seems to have discovered a small cache that he is willing to sell when no one is looking!!

Anyway - back down to earth and we split off into smaller groups.  Ours is still on the hunt for shirts and, after a while, for lunch!   (got to leave for the bus!)

(I'm back!)  We've asked several people where they got their shirts and even stopped into the Best Western since one lady said her hotel was selling them in the lobby!  Ginger finally finds one in Salty Feet but the sizes are limited and they are white with black printing.  She gets one anyway!  Back on the road and we're also searching for lunch.  There is a lot of wandering along the malecón until we find a place that might do.  The loud music a down a ways and there are two tables that we can push together and clear off to make ourselves a spot!  We've tried a couple of other places and everyone is packed, so this is an improvement.  After waiting a while Ginger takes our drink orders and goes off to the bar.  That at least gets their attention and she also takes our food orders!  Now we have a waitress! Our favorite food item isn't available but we all quickly make other choices before we lose her!  The garlic shrimp is superb with lots of garlic and real vegetables! We cringe when a gentleman starts setting up his amp but he actually is quite good!!

It says this is the meeting spot - so we are meeting!!

Selling points used to be things like A/C or pool - now it's strong wifi!!

I love this!  It looks like a giant artwork instead of a poorly patched wall!

This reminds me of my dad!  Black and White scotch used to give away black and white
scotty dogs mounted on magnets - but they always wound up back to back!!

How to choose your favorite Beatle!

This beadwork is so delicate and exquisite!

One of the three house kitties!

Back to the hotel, with a brief stop at an interesting artsy kind of shop, and we take a short break before meeting for sunset by the beach. It's a typically colorful affair and people are ready to think about dinner afterwards. We walk in the other direction because we haven't been that way yet and see a young man with a fiery torch out on a platform.  He is waving the torch around and I think it might be some sort of ritual. Another young man joins him and I'm chatting with someone when I turn just in time to see him dive into the rocks with his two lit torches!  It's mind-blowing and I'm so glad I caught it, even if I didn't have a second to take a video or even a photo.  Ginger got a great video, though! 

Valerie

We'da just finished singing "Y M C A" to the delight of onlookers!

Bright lights up and down the shore.

He dove down to the rocks below, with both torches blazing!

Dinner!

Our dinner view

Ginger got a goodie!

And right across the street is a restaurant that looks good.I just get a small salad with strawberries, goat cheese, candied walnuts and a balsamic drizzle.  Yum!  And Karen presents Ginger with a pair of silver and blue earrings with a quarter moon on them, in a tiny beaded purse, accompanied by a thank you note that everyone has signed!! Such a perfect way to finish this phenomenal day!  And Alex had said that the one thing he wanted to see was the cliff diver!!  Mission accomplished! 

We have to be on the bus at 6:30 in the morning for the long ride back to Guadalajara, so it's an early night.

Thank you, Ginger!