History, Art, Mariachis: Guadalajara Has it All
Written: Sep 28 '99
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Wonderful city to walk in -- parks, outdoor cafes, museums, etc.
Cons: Nothing in particular -- maybe usual urban area disclaimers
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| mrkstvns's Full Review: Guadalajara |
Guadalajara is Mexico's second largest city and the state capital of Jalisco. It has a diverse cosmpolitan population and a wide range of historical, cultural, and architecturally interesting things to see and experience. Guadalajara has, in recent years, drawn quite a few gringos looking to retire since it has a warm year-round climate and a number of attractive communities in the area, especially around nearby Lake Chapala. Some, such as Ajijic, seem to have more gringos than mexicanos!
What to See
Most of Guadalajara's attractions are located near the city's downtown area (el centro), although several outlying suburbs or towns are definitely worth a visit.
Downtown Guadalajara is blessed with lots of parks, squares, and plazas, all leading one to another. The Palacio de Gobierno (state capitol building) is over 200 years old and is best known as the site for President Miguel Hidalgo's emancipation proclamation, freeing the slaves some 50+ years before America's Abraham Lincoln would get around to doing the same north of the border. The palacio is also home to one of famed muralist Jose Clemente Orozco's paintings depicting the mexican revolution.
There are usually lots of horse and carriages lined up in several spots downtown. The best place to catch them is at the rotondo de los hombres ilustres, which is right next to the cathedral. The carriage tours vary in length and you can negotiate with the driver. He'll take you around the touristy places and give you a running commentary (if you understand spanish). Since you're in the area, check out the cathedral too -- it dates back to the mid 1500s, though I was told that the towers collapsed in an earthquake in the early 19th century and were rebuilt.
Jose Clemente Orozco is one of the most famous artists to have emerged from Guadalajara, and his works are a constant source of pride for the city. No visit to Guadalajara would be complete without a visit to the Instituto Culturales Cabaņas to view some of Orozco's pieces. Originally built as an orphanage, this fabulous museum with its distinctive glassed in dome is one of the most fascinating art museums in latin america. The museum features several Orozco works including the stunning chapel which serves as Orozco's canvas for his mural "Hombre del Fuego". Fantastic!
Another must-see is the huge Mercado Libertad -- rumored to be the largest marketplace in latin america. The place rocks! Early in the morning the place starts humming with humanity as vendors roll up the doors and set up shop and the food vendors on the second floor fire up their kettles and fryers. Narrow aisles are packed with small alcoves housing vendors hawking every kind of imaginable good or commodity. For such a madhouse, the place is actually incredibly well organized with all the guys selling leather goods in one section, people selling clothing in another section, software and electronics in another section, candy in another section, and so on. The food area is incredible with huge piles of every kind of fresh produce that might grace a mexican table, much of it picked that very morning. There are also butcher shops and seafood vendors. At the candy area I was given a sample of a candy called borrachos, which means "drunks" -- quite appropriate since they are made with tequila. Too cool! I bought about 5 boxes to bring home to friends (borrachos, yeah, that's the ticket).
Keep in mind that museums are usually closed on Monday, so schedule things accordingly. I spent a couple hours on a Monday wandering around a wax museum located near the palacio de gobierno, plus doing the Mercado Libertad.
One place that I was kind of disappointed in was the Plaza de los Mariachis. The place was kind of run down and dirty, and there weren't that many mariachis hanging around, although admittedly we were there around 4 in the afternoon. Maybe the place picks up later, or on the weekends. It was a nice opportunity though to sit back and chill out with a few brewskis. There is a local brew called Estrella which is a pale lager brewed by Modelo. I found it thin and uninteresting, but if you like Corona, give it a shot.
Another interesting thing to do is to visit the Tequila Sauza plant where they give tours on weekdays at 10am, followed by a free tequila tasting. Free tequila? Yeah, Baby!
The town of Tlaqapaque is a suburb of Guadalajara that makes a fun day trip. The town's narrow streets are lined with small shops selling a wide range of crafts, furniture, and artwork, much of it made in the local area. There are also some excellent restaurants in the area, many with mariachis. Restaurante Sin Nombre is probably the most well known, although there are other excellent choices in the towns center area. Tlaqapaque isn't very close to downtown, and given the high cost of taxis, I wouldn't be surprised if it cost $15 to get there.
We were also told that the town of Tonala was interesting and was known for its high quality pottery, however, we didn't get a chance to get out there.
Transportation
AIR: The airport is about 10 to 15 miles from the central city and is served by numerous airlines with flights throughout Mexico and the U.S. I don't really like arriving in Guadalajara from flights direct from the U.S. because they have those stupid shuttle vehicles that take you only about 50 yards. The overhead adds about 10-15 minutes in time I spend at the airport (and I'm impatient at arrival since I almost never travel with more than a carry-on.) I suspect they do it to maintain control over passengers who need to clear customs, but surely they could find an intelligent way to handle this problem, like a separate international arrival gate, as is used at most airports.
BUS: Guadalajara is the only Mexican city I can think of where the bus station is OUTSIDE the city center. I find it inconvenient as hell, and I'm a gringo. Can't imagine what the tapatios think of it...
TAXI: Taxis in Guadalajara strike me as expensive for Mexico. One quoted me $5 just to go from the city center to Minerva Circle. They're erratic too though, since after rejecting the high fare another quoted me $2, which is more in line with what I expected. In any case, taxi fare to the airport ran me almost $20, which is more than I've ever paid in Monterrey although the airport is further out.
My overall impressions of Guadalajara are quite positive. It's an exciting, vibrant city with a lot of historical, architectural, and cultural attractions. Lots of good restaurants too! Shopping opportunities abound with the Mercado Libertad, a pedestrian shopping area next to the plaza that's across from the cathedral, plus little shops and boutiques around Tlaqapaque, Tonala, etc. If you want to visit a Mexican city but are afraid of the congestion and mess of Mexico City, than Guadalajara might be a good choice -- it's generally cleaner and saner. One strange thing that sits in my mind is how Guadalajara seems to smell like damp earth -- sort of the smell of walking through the woods on a rainy November morning. Why this should be beats the hell out of me since its not exactly a damp area, but hey, I guess we all remember different things about different places...
Recommended:
Yes
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