Guachimontones, Teuchitlan, and Zapopan

 Thursday, April 4, 2024 (more photos later)

It was a brilliant idea to take everyone's breakfast orders last night! After getting my shower and doing my yoga, and Laura going up to catch most of sunrise, we head downstairs and find about half the group already eating.  As each person arrives, the waiters bring our food and drinks.  I'm going light this morning in hopes of eating all my lunch!  And I've switched to tea in hopes of sleeping tonight!  The French toast is good and comes with a little fruit, which is a pleasant surprise.  People drift away as they finish and Alex and I are deep in conversation when Karen comes to get us!  We were afraid we would be the last people on the bus;  but we're not, so all is well.

And the green juice came shortly after!

There are lots of modern skyscrapers in the newer parts of the city.

Blue agave

Even the gas stations have lovely flowers!

And odd sinks

And seatless toilets - easier to keep clean!

All convenience stores look alike!

Ginger keeps us well stocked with water.

We're going, today, to see a completely different kind of ruins from they Mayan ones we have all visited before.  We arrive and meet our guide who asks if we're okay to walk about 100 meters.  He never mentions that it is all uphill! I'm relieved that I'm not the last person in the strangling group!

Guachimontones is actually contemporary with the Olmecs, which kind of destroys the old theory of the Olmecs being the original people in Meso America!  And they covered a vast territory! Their ceremonial structures are all round and look like layer cakes.  There is a hole going down from the top in which a post was fitted so that the priest, dressed as the wind god and depicted as either an eagle or a hawk, could "fly" during the ceremonies.  The largest reconstructed structure here is composed of four different layers, of which there are thirteen.

In order to drink alcohol in this culture you had to be 52 and they often lived to be 75 or 80!  One of the striking features of these ruins is the "shaft tomb".  The poor people were just buried in a corner of their houses; but the rich were buried in a shaft that was up to 22 meters deep.  At the bottom there were horizontal tunnels leading to large burial chambers in which the body was placed along with clay figures representing the gods and depicting various aspects of village life.  These figures are the way archeologist have reconstructed life here.

Encircling the circular pyramids were the houses of the rich who had the best view of the ceremonies.  The rest of the villagers often took part in circle dances around the pyramid.  The largest of the known pyramids cannot be reconstructed because most of the stones were plundered for other construction and Mexican law says that unless 80% of a structure is present, it can't be rebuilt.

Looks like it won't be crowded!

The slope isn't as gentle as you'd think!

These were foundations for houses

Someone is always cleaning up.

Our guide demonstrates the dance moves and also how to play the "games" on the ball court.  He actually participates in demonstration games and says that they lasted from sunrise to sunset with no rest stops.  Some games were played for settle grievances but others were actual wars.  The winner of those games was sacrificed because the gods had favored him and he was allowed to ascend to the level in which the creator gods lived.  In their religion, Heaven was at the bottom, earth in the middle, and the gods above.  If you were rich and powerful you were buried further down, closer to heaven.  The rest of the people where buried much closer to the surface, but even they were buried with some clay figures.

Never seen a round pyramid before!

Most of the people actually lived further down the mountainside, in the town by the lake.  They only came up for ceremonies or to go to the market, where everything was bartered, based on how long it took to make something.  There were"Grandfathers" who supervised the trading to keep everyone honest.  Those who were deemed dishonest could be killed!

Our guide is very proud of his obsidian bracelets, which he designed and makes himself.  There is a LOT of obsidian here, from the eruption of the Tequila Volcano near by.  Then we head to the museum to watch an interesting documentary and see some of the clay figures which have been recovered from the tombs.

We're off to lunch in Teuchitlan at the Monte Carlo restaurant, stopping along the way to drop off one of the men from the site.  The restaurant is open air and overlooks a lake which is completely covered with an invasive water plant.  But it is still quite pleasant and there's a breeze.  And the food is great! (For some reason the computer doesn't want to export these photos - patience is a virtue!)

After lunch we go to visit Our Lady of Zapopan.  She is also known as Our Lady of Expectation.  People used to come all the way from Mexico City to worship her.  It is said that praying to her in the 1950's ended the drought!  The Bishop in Mexico City had an exact replica made for his basilica so that people wouldn't have to go so far!

As we're leavingNorm joins us with his guitar but when he starts singing, an official asks him to stop.  We have half an hour free time to go to the market or wander about.  Ginger, Juan, Norm, and I get a cold drink.  Ginger and I have kahlua and it's delicious and refreshing!  I go off on my own for a bit and get back to our meeting spot right on time.

Norm has talked Juan into giving him a ride back to Guadalajara and Juan changes seats with Lisa.  Ginger and I swap and I get to chat with Laura all the way home! When we dismount Ginger says we will reconvene on the roof for sunset then go straight to dinner in the hotel.  We'll place breakfast orders again and leave straight from breakfast, so we need to bring our bags down with us.

Laura is going swimming with some of the crowd, but I'm staying in to blog.  She's back pretty quickly, though, because the water is too cold for comfort! I'm a little peeved because my computer has decided not to export some of the photos that I need for today!  I'll worry about that later.  Right now I need to wash my face and get ready for dinner!

So Laura and I decide to get a drink to take up to the roof for sunset.  Sounds simple, right? So we go downstairs and learn that the bar is somewhere below us but our waiter will bring our drinks.  It's going to be a while so I suggest that Laura go up and see the sunset and I'll bring them up.  The drinks and bill arrive and the waiter says he can't put them on our room, so I go back up and get a credit card, come back down, take a photo of them with the duck, and realize I might not have enough hands!  The guy is so cute and charming he smiles and motions for me to come with him.  He calls the elevator and pushes the number five button for me.  When I arrive there is still a lot of color - oh!  wait!  Where's my phone?  Of course it's back downstairs on the table where I collected the drinks.  Back down.  Back up.  There is still a smattering of color so all is not lost.  And Norm is playing his guitar and harmonica for the crowd.

Back downstairs for dinner.  The drinks take a while, the food even longer, but finally everyone is served and conversation ensues.  After dinner Ginger takes breakfast orders and we confirm the plans for the morning. It's been a really long day (over 15,000 steps) and everyone is ready to retreat to our rooms and make sure the beds still work!

Guadalajara, Chapala, and Tlaquepaque

 Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Wow!  I got up and dressed and yoga-ed in time to catch the sunrise on the roof!  Golden hour happens at both ends of the day!

Then downstairs for breakfast, being one of the first.  Of course no one beats Juan!  He says he's having green juice (cucumber, spinach, and celery) and that sounds good, so I have some, too. And decaf because it's going to be a long day. The huevos à la Mexicanoa are delicious as long as I ferret out the bits of jalapeños! 

Juan is in full tour-guide mode today, starting the actual tour.  We will walk around the historical center for several hours, and during that time Ginger will have to peel off and catch a taxi to the airport to meet Laura.  She's had a had time getting here because her first flight was delayed and she would up spending the night and catching her second flight this morning!

Our tour begins with this commemoration of the founding of the city by the Spanish - yes you must always be nice to your conquerors! The city of Guadalajara is one mile above mean sea level and was founded in 1542, after a couple of other sites were judged unsuitable.  The name means River through Stones. It currently contains five million people!

Juan tells us that the cathedral is lined up with the cardinal directions and that there is a park on each of the four sides. We'll be able to go inside later, when it is open.  Several of the towers have been damaged by various earthquakes, although they were built to withstand them. Because it took so long to construct, it is a mixture of classic, baroque, and neo-classic architecture. The center door is only used on special occasions. 

We are able to go inside now and see the alter to "Innocence".  She was a young girl who wanted to study Catholicism and was denied the right by her father.  She found a way to study with the nuns and her father killed her.  But her body has never decomposed.  It is on display in the cathedral.

When we come out we cross the park and see a troupe of folklorico dancers in costume.  Juan asks why they are there and they say they need to update their publicity photos!  And, yes, we can take pictures of them, too!

Next we can visit the theatre which was inaugurated in 1866 with a performance by a famous opera singer.  (Norm has been tagging along and tells us again that he and his wife and children have all performed here.)

Now we are heading for the crown jewel of Guadalajara, the Museo Cabañas.  It was built because Bishop Juan Cruz Ruiz de Cabañas y Crespo saw that there were many orphans and homeless people in the city and asked King Philip II to fund an orphanage and old-age home. It is decorated with 57 amazing series of murals, considered the masterpieces of José Clemente Orozco.  Juan takes us inside and explains much of the dark symbolism in the paintings and shows how they predicted the rise of the machine age.

During the 1800s the building was used as a military installation; but then reverted to its primary use.  Juan actually meet a man who lived there as ah orphan!

We are heading back to the hotel and I ask Lisa if she'll come with me to the market to hunt for a t-shirt.  I saw it yesterday and Juan is wearing it today!  She uses her excellent Spanish to find the right stall in that mammoth building and I actually get a slightly different one so we won't look like the Bobbsey Twins! When we get back to the hotel Laura and Ginger have returned from the airport and I finally get to meet my new roomie!

As soon as everyone has had time for a pitstop we reconvene downstairs and we head for our bus for the first time.  It's a fifteen-seater Mercedes and that fits us very well, just a couple of empty seats in the back!

We're heading to lunch at Los 3 Potrillos Restaurant.  I just order quesadillas with cheese and mushrooms but it's still more than I can eat!  I wind up scrapping the cheese and 'shrooms out and just eating those, leaving the lonely tortillas on the plate!

Now we're off to Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico, and the source of Guadalajara's drinking water.  The lake is really, really low.  There is a fun walk with a skateboard park and amusement rides and snacks.  But the coolest thing is that we are just in time to see the Voladores!  We had seen them years ago in Vera Cruz and I never thought I'd see them again!

At least one photo for tonight!  The Voladores

!

Our last stop is the arts and crafts town of Tlaquepaque!  Juan gets us oriented and then set us loose to shop for an hour and a half! There is a lot of amazing street art and a blown glass shop and stores that are really art museums!  I start out with Ginger and Laura, but we get separated.  Happily we reconnect and are back at our meeting spot a few minutes early.  Funny story - We are sitting across from one another on a couple of benches.  Ginger's bench has a young couple who are obviously in the throes of some major unhappiness and we are doing our best to not intrude.  Laura takes a particulary unflattering photo of Ginger and shows it to her.  The couple can't help but look, too, and it actually makes them laugh!  Our work here is done!

Juan has found us a restaurant for dinner, El Abajeño and it's perfect.  Ginger and I split the national dish that is served on Independence Day because it is red, white, and green.. It is called Chile en Nogada and is peblano pepper with ground beef inside and a delicious white sauce covering it. And it has pomegranate seeds sprinkled on it for the red.  Actually, ours had strawberry bits but it doesn't matter.  It was delicious!  And half a serving was perfect.  The chef even divided it for us.

Everyone is full and exhausted as we make our way back to the bus.  Ginger takes breakfast orders so that we won't be held up in the morning, as we need to be on the road by 8:30.

And my watch says that I walked 20,500 steps today.   (And I can't keep my eyes open!  Photos later - sorry!)

Seeing more of Guadalajara

 Tuesday, April 2, 2024

So good to have time in the morning to blog and yoga and shower and dress without worrying about being late somewhere!  I'm just finishing up when Ginger texts that she's on the roof and I go up and join her.  It's as lovely in the morning as it was last night and there's a fresh breeze blowing.

At nine we go down to meet our bus driver for the rest of the tour, starting tomorrow.  Juan is already there and says there was a communications breakdown...but that's okay, he just comes a little later.  By that time Lisa has come down and Norm is here.  Javier, our driver, is very communicative and we're sure we will be in good hands.  Anyway, Juan selected him, so he knows to take good care of us!!

BEautiful detail in y headboard!

So different in the morning light!

Gorgeous jacaranda trees!

Modern building amongst the ancient ones.

Beautiful wood work

Grab shot of Javier, trying not to be conspicuous!

We set off with Norm to see more of the city, including several fascinating fountains and the largest market in Latin America!  There we have breakfast and wander, noticing that there is a lot of leather and cowboy related goods. Of course!  Cattle ranching is big business in Jalisco, Guadalajara's state.

The Devil's corner!  I didn't see him but maybe you do?

The kids are off from school and everyone helps out.

Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent

Lovely murals, but not as many as in other cities

Down the stairs to the market.

It's three stories tall!  These are the roofs of the stalls underneath.

Breakfast

Beet and carrot juice!

The kids help out, as I said!

It's pork and yummy.

Gardening

It's time to go to the airport to pick up Karen and Alex.  Juan will be doing pick-ups later, so Ginger and I hop a cab and head out. We arrive in plenty of time, since their flight is slightly delayed and we scoop them up and head back to the hotel.  Ginger gets them checked in and they go to their room to get settled.  We go up to the roof and find a shady spot. Soon Alex, Kathy, and Lisa join us and everyone gets acquainted.  

Welcome to Guadalajara, Alex and Karen!

  

Will you marry me?

Karen is particularly interested in seeing the market, and Alex hasn't eaten all day, so off we go!  There is so much to see and so many food places to choose from, but we select one and everyone chows down.  Ginger and I had thought that breakfast was so huge we'd ever eat again.  Silly us!  But at least it was just a little taco and jamaica juice, made from the hibiscus flower.  For a while there is a saxaphone player and eventually he is replaced by a really good singer!  

More wandering and Ginger gets a new belt that she's been needing and Lisa gets the guy to punch a couple of extra holes in her belt. We're all a little beat so we gradually make our way back home.  And what to our wondering eyes should appear but Norm! We veto his suggestion of walking ... somewhere, it doesn't matter.  We're tired!  Lisa and I split off to take some shots and Norm stays with the rest of them.  But they plead exhaustion and he comes to find us.  We're tired, too, and he goes off to run a few little errands and we escape upstairs.  He'll be back for sunset on the roof.

Dress like your favorite Mexican wrestler!

Our hotel

While we're out Ginger gets a call from Laura, saying her plane was late and she missed her connecting flight.  She won't be here until tomorrow.  We'll have to see how that all plays out. For now, I'm just resting and blogging.  Soon I'll text Ginger and we'll probably go up on the roof.  It's so lovely there!

By the time I head upstairs, Ginger and Norm are about to come down!  Juan is almost here with the next six members of our group.  Ginger gets them all checked in beforehand so that they can just take their keys, drop their bags, and meet us back in the lobby by 7:30.  We have dinner reservations at 7:45 at Casa Dolores and it's just a few blocks away. The people in front know where they're going and Juan is at the back to catch stragglers.  We actually have a bit of time to talk and that's a treat!

I hope we pass this way again!  He's got two buddies that are just as cool!

I need to learn his story! And, maybe, climb the steps!

Such a lovely carousel.

And we're here.  All the restaurants seem to be upstairs!  

But that gives us a lovely view!

Ginger stayed in the lobby until the rest of the crew appeared.  They all made it (except for poor Laura!)

What a hoot dinner is!  These people are all so entertaining and the restaurant is a delight! Karen orders a margarita and it arrives in a ceramic skull! The little mini Coronas are free, but mini, and I order a Limonada Electrica, made with Blue Curaçao, cadramom, lemon mineral water and gin.  It must be bathtub gin, because it arrives in a ceramic bathtub, complete with tiny little rubber ducky!

He's stamping a little game board at everyone place, and we each get 
a crayon, too.  I think it's like tic-tac-toe for grown-ups!

"Rubber ducky, you're the one..."

These numbered pictures are all around the ceiling.  It is some sort of very popular lottery 
game.  I think it is the same one we saw in Guatemala.

Such a cool presentation!

They look so innocent and the guac was delicious.  There is meat in there, too.

Love this presentation, too!

I'm still pretty full from lunch so I just order the Tacos de Asada Tijuana, which has three pieces.  I'd have been happy with just one!  They're delicious but I don't make it all the way through. Linda gave one of hers to Juan, but I couldn't convince him he needed another!

Well, we've closed down another restaurant, but it really wasn't our fault! There was quite a bit of time between ordering and serving.  Not that we minded because the conversation never stopped.  But I'm sure the staff wanted to go home.  As do we...

You have to insert your room key, then choose your floor. 
It will only accept the floor on which your room is located!

Ginger and the rest want to get water, but Lisa and I go straight back to the hotel and it is really good to have some alone time with her.  No wonder she and Ginger have been friends for so long.  I already feel close to her! But it's late and we're both really ready for bed! Another wonderful Ginger-tour day!!

(Maybe I can convince Blogger to add videos another day!)