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Part 1 (of several to come)

(Note: This words in this report do not include the Spanish accent marks which provide a correct presentation of the words, because I'm having some diffculty inserting them on the new laptop I have with me.)

I chose to travel from Aguascalientes by Primera Plus first-class service, for which the cost of the ticket was MX$245. It was a 9 a.m. departure because I wanted to get into Guadalajara by Noon. The trip from the hotel to the central bus station took about 15 minutes at a cost of MX$30. I believe the fare should have been MX$20 but I wasn’t in a mood to argue the point and I didn’t what to schlep to the station on a local bus … which I could have done had I wanted to walk the three blocks from the hotel and then struggle with the bag and mochilla on a crowded bus.

The “new” central bus station is clean and efficient and a bit further-out than the “old station” was and we departed maybe 15 minutes late. The trend in Mexico has been, for at least the past decade, to consolidate the bus companies into one central terminal and because of shortages of land for new construction the terminals are most often found on the outskirts of the cities.

When boarding the bus, passengers were offered water or a soft drink, drinkable yogurt and a package of two muffins … placed into a small plastic bag. Seating was comfortable and the bus was only about 1/3 occupied. There were video monitors every two rows and the seats had leg-rests. But for anyone taller than, say, 5’9” the leg-rests are mostly useless because you cannot stretch-out like the ‘little people’ can. I find them a bother and uncomfortable to use. The trip to Guadalajara took about 3 hours.

Upon arrival in Guadalajara, the bus terminals at which are modern and spread-out, I boarded a “Tur” bus (the brand/name of this particular bus company, not to be confused with one of the tour busses) and headed for the city-center. This particular route of the bus has a turquoise exterior color (others are blue). The fare was MX$11. The markings on the windshield should say “Centro” as well as “Zapopan,” or you’re getting on the wrong bus. Contrast that with a ride in a taxi which I believe the cost of which is above MX$200. The trip into the city at that hour, Noon, took about 30 minutes and I got down from the bus at the “Calzada” (de Independencia) parada on Avenida Revolucion. From there it was a 5 “short blocks” walk to Calle Obregon (with Centro Commercial Plaza Alameda on the corner) and another block from there, past Plaza de los Mariachis, to Hotel Janeiro. I hadn’t made advance reservations at the hotel (or at any hotel for that matter). There were, however, a couple of rooms available. One at MX$150 which desk clerk “Mari Chu” (Maria de Jesus) said was basic and without TV and another at MX$210, a step-up in quality and with cable TV. I took the latter. She said I could move the next day if I didn’t like the room. I’ve never before stayed in this section of town when visiting Guadalajara.

The hotel is situated in an older, grittier section of the city. San Juan de Dios. It’s a large market area. Sort of like the grittier sections of Centro Historico+ in Mexico City. Not as risky as +Tepito , but had the hotel been situated a couple of blocks more into the neighborhood I don’t think I would have stayed there. My concern wouldn’t have been for safety during daylight hours but, rather, after dark. Lots of street urchins and other not too comforting-looking guys seemed to be moving about. The hotel is just around the corner from Plaza de los Mariachis (the sound to which I went to sleep each night) and it’s somewhat busy from where the hotel is to both the Plaza and the Calzada. There are maybe another 4 or 5 less expensive hotels in this neighborhood from what I observed when exploring the neighborhood … for travelers who may be looking for that in that type of neighborhood.

My room had no exterior windows facing the street but did have one which opened onto a covered central corridor, a ceiling fan with one speed (resembling an airplane propeller just prior to the plane’s take-off), a so-so bathroom and one wall which had seen water damage. There was a desk, two chairs and a full-sized bed. No bed bugs that I could detect (I do check these days). No roaches, that were obvious. The room and hotel appeared to be well-maintained … given its age and price-point. Oh, there is complimentary WiFi and internet connection which worked well. At MX$210 that’s a plus. Oh, there is complimentary coffee, tea and cookies at the reception area. No parking, though. Maybe at a nearby lot/garage.

I did move the second day and the new room, across the corridor from the first one had an exterior-facing window … overlooking the market area and, conveniently, an antro+ to surpass all +antros which surprisingly closed its doors by midnight. The amenities in the room were the same (as the first) and it was quiet overnight and until about 10 a.m.

The hotel staff were helpful. Other guests were a cross-section of some traveling small business owners, families who’d come to the city to buy goods in bulk at the market and to take home, Mexican tourists looking for inexpensive lodging in the big city. There wasn’t a presence of ladies of the night or their customers. I did observe an occasional boyfriend/girlfriend who’d rent a room for the daytime. But the hotel staff seemed vigilent and the owners were on-site and watching what was happening, daily.

If you like to shop for merchandise offered at low prices, the San Juan de Dios market area is your place. You’ll be very happy there. I didn’t need/want anything but if I do … shoes, clothing, household items, etc., this is where I come to shop. I’ve been here before and I think it’s better today than in previous visits. The only purchase I made was for two reading glasses with stylish hard cases … for MX$60 apiece. Back in Lake Wobegon I see almost similar glasses w/cases going for US$20, each.

After situating myself in the room I walked the several blocks to visit Instituto Cultural de Cabanas ("Hospicio Cabanas"), which has free admission on Tuesdays. I just paid a MX$30 fee for the right to take photographs. I can take only so much of Jose Clemente Orozco’s pain as expressed in his murals, but every so often I refresh my recollection by visiting. I also wanted to update my photo collection.

When it was time to eat I headed for Restaurante La Chata, a long-time favorite of mine. It’s the type of restaurant and level of service, atmosphere, which I believe is disappearing from Mexico. A very traditional restaurant operation. As is customary, there was a line to get into the restaurant. During the 30-minute wait (at 4:15 p.m.) expectant patrons were treated to a show of kitchen help preparing meals and the young men waiters (no waitresses) retrieve their orders. Sometimes receiving a lecture from the senora in charge. The kitchen for La Chata is situated at the very front of the restaurant. It’s the first thing patrons see. It’s an open kitchen. Women in starched white uniforms, hats and hair nets. The scene could easily have been the same during the last generation or two. To lessen the wait and to show its respect towards its patrons waiting (and to make certain nobody gets tired of waiting and walks away), restaurant staff comes around with small, “shorty” bottles of beer. No water. No tea. No Coffee if you don’t drink beer. Just beer. You gotta love it!

I was in the mood for some pozole+. My favorite style of pozole is +verde+ … the Guerrero standard variety. But in this part of the country, Jalisco, I’ve always seen +blanco+ served. In Guadalajara I don’t think there is another choice. Somebody’s probably serving +rojo+ and +verde+, but I do think the norm is +blanco. I take my pozole with chicken and asked the waiter to bring mine with a double portion of the chicken breast meat. Arriving with the medium to medium-large sized portion of pozole (MX$65) was a plate with onions, shredded lettuce, radish and lime wedges. And a small basket of hand-made corn tortillas. I started the meal with a tequila blanco (MX$55) and a bottle of Modelo’s “Estrella” label beer, and washed-down the meal with another bottle (of the beer). No dessert. Background music was old-school … 50s era … musical recordings. The one large room is nicely decorated. The check for the meal came to MX$156, not including the tip.

Returning to the hotel room, I started to regret having stayed there. But, I thought, spend the night and see how you feel in the a.m. And, as I’ve said earlier, I was given the opportunity to change rooms the next morning and all was well. I returned to Centro, walking about, sitting in Plaza de Armas, watching the ‘rich folks’ enter Teatro Degollado for a performance of Mariachi all-stars. Tired from a long day I headed back to the hotel, stopping along the way at the OXXO in the Plaza de los Mariachis only to pick-up one large can of “Sol” beer to take back to my room … at the price of MX$13 … and I started to upload and edit photos I’d taken during the day.

Hotel Janeiro
Calle Alvaro Obregon 95
Centro
Guadalajara, Jalisco
(33) 3617-5063
Website: www.hoteljaneirogdl.com</a>

Restaurante La Chata
Corona 126 (between Juarez and Lopez Cotilla)
Centro
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Website: www.lachata.com.mx</a>

LW


You make someone stronger when you help them a little, but you weaken them if you help them a lot. Uno hace más fuerte a alguien cuando lo ayuda un poco, pero lo debilita si lo ayuda mucho. ~ Buddha | Buda
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Part 2

If you’re visiting Guadalajara and want to experience the “real Mexico” then Hotel Janeiro is the place for you to stay. It’s ‘up close and personal.’ The good and the bad. I didn’t sleep well the first night because of overnight noise from neighboring rooms. Don’t adjust well to unexpected noise? Mexico’s probably not the place for you to visit. My high-velocity ceiling fan blocked some of the noise but it too made noise and nearly blew the coverlet off the bed … which kept waking me. Grin and bare it. So Mari Chu (at the front desk) found me another room – the one with the exterior/street/market view and I was happy.

It takes me longer to get ready for a day’s exploration now than it did 20 or 40 years ago. Age brings malities and medications. I travel with more electronics/cameras than ever before. So the body and the equipment require care and feeding. TLC. I’m also a walker and getting the proper shoes, sunblock’s, hat, etc., take time. But I get it all together and off I go. I typically walk 10 miles a day when touring in Mexico. Today’s principal destination was the Cathedral, but many of the attractions scattered nearby were also visited. There are many, and they’re easy to get to and close to one another. The Lonely Planet Mexico guide highlights the most popular of these, and you can learn more about them and ones additional by searching the internet.

I probably spend two hours at the Cathedral. It’s huge, impressive and has a “history” … as such structures go. It’s more than a church, but a substantial history museum in its own right. A couple of other churches I visited were Templo de Jesus Maria and Templo de El Carmen. When I was admiring the interior of El Carmen many people started to arrive. Musicians and vocalists were warming-up. And then it dawned on me. The Templo isn’t usually open at that hour. It was well-lit. Staff was on hand. And all of the people arriving were wearing … black. There was a funeral service about to take place. So I positioned myself in a back corner and observed. It must have been someone of means, because it was an elaborate, music-filled service. The church was full. I then made my way to the Museo de Palacio Gobierno where additional murals of Orozco have been painted. It’s an impressive, beautiful building chocked-full of the state’s history. You can feel it as you move about the complex. It still serves as a state government center.

Back to the hotel to rest a bit. Down a couple of beers purchased at the OXXO nearby. And then off to witness one of the callejonadas where a Mariachi group strolls through the streets of Centro. This night the group was in the neighborhood near the municipal government building and it ended its tour playing for several hundred people with the Cathedral as a backdrop. The group was okay as musicians but nothing special. The people participating/watching appreciated their efforts, however. There’s no charge to listen.

After the Mariachi I headed to Restaurante La Fonda de la Noche … one of my favorite food stops in Guadalajara. I hadn’t eaten more than some yogurt and a couple of cookies all day. The restaurant’s been in existence for about 18 years. Owned by a native of Durango (Durango, Durango) who left that city as soon as he was old enough … and has never looked back. A former 20-year resident of the USA, Carlos, the owner, has created a relaxing, beautiful, artistic environment in private home in which the many rooms have been turned into small dining rooms. It’s intimate. Maybe the nicest intimate (ad dimly-lit) dining option in Guadalajara. There’s no sign out front. The doorway is somewhat hidden by a large hedge out front. The menu is spoken, never written. 4 options from which to choose. Only 4. They’re pepared with TLC in the open kitchen … open to the small main dining area. Meals are accompanied by house-made salsas, totopos, etc. Everything is accomplished in Spanish, although Carlos can assist with translations if he’s in the house when you’re there. It’s a “light” menu. You won’t find steaks or fish. They’re small portions. There’s a combination platter featuring a little of each of the four offerings and that’s been my preference. There’s an open-air roof-level dining terrace for people who smoke … or just want to enjoy the night’s air. The restaurant’s open only from about 7:30 p.m to Midnight. What I enjoyed the most were “media luna’s” filled with a mixture of mushrooms. Carlos stopped by the table and we talked a while and after dinner he invited me to sit with him on the roof terrace and have some drinks, and talk. That “chat” lasted about 2 additional hours. We caught-up on things in Guadalajara, and the USA. The drinks kept coming and I excused myself. My dinner/drink check came to just shy of MX$200 and I handed the young man/waiter who’d fetched the drinks for us and who took care of me at dinner an additional MX$50 for his efforts.

It was a long day and one during which I re-visited ‘old stomping grounds’ and into some people along the way I’ve not seen in a while.

Restaurante La Fonda de la Noche
Jesus 251 (corner of Reforma)
Col. El Refugio
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Tel: (33) 3827-0917 (reservations not accepted, just show up)

LW


You make someone stronger when you help them a little, but you weaken them if you help them a lot. Uno hace más fuerte a alguien cuando lo ayuda un poco, pero lo debilita si lo ayuda mucho. ~ Buddha | Buda
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Someone, by steeling myself, I was able to read your report although it didn't have the proper accents. LOL!

Other than that "glaring flaw", it was very interesting.


Panza llena, corazón contenta.
{links}http://mexkitchen.blogspot.mx/
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Ya can get any accent modes at this website

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Thanks for the post....this is probably the next city my wife and I will be staying in for a month.

Firefly

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I think this is a great TR. I mean, really, when travelling or living I am not so nitpicky, I try I guess to forget details. I kinda like Guad cuz its a great city and I have had great times there. The murals in Cabañas and the U are incredible. The climate is nice. The people are pretty 2nd city sofisticated. What is there no to like?

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Part 3 - FINAL

The last full day in Guadalajara was occupied by revisiting some places I wanted to see once again this visit. The Cathedral was on the list. The various plazas. An acquaintance in one of the mercados. I slept well in the hotel. I’m liking the location a lot. It’s in the middle of lots of hustle and bustle during the day, and quiet at night. The sound of the Mariachi at night is a nice touch. I have some work responsibilities to attend to this trip so the WiFi in the hotel makes it easy to connect to the internet for emails. The speed and connection has been excellent. I did some reading about the Democratic Convention and Bill Clinton’s address. Cleaned and packed the cameras, changed batteries. A couple of men were playing a marimba below the window to my room. So I got a late start leaving the hotel.

I was in the mood for an early meal, since I didn’t typically have anything (or much) for breakfast. I intended to have something at Café Madrid but after arriving there I decided to walk around the corner to Restaurante La Chata for something. At about Noon there was only a 5 minute wait to be seated. The choice was Caldo Tlalpeno+. A large bowl it was. Chicken, consume, rice, vegetables, a few quirts of lime juice, some salsa pico de gallo and a nice smokey chile on the top. Accompanied by a few hand-made corn tortillas … and a bottle of “Estrella” beer. The restaurant was full. The check: MX$106 tip.

From the restaurant I headed down 16 de Septiembre to visit Santuario de Guadalupe, one of the nation’s principal shrines to the Virgen de Guadalupe. Then followed by a long meandering walk through a part of the city I’d not before visited and past the Hospital and over to the Teatro and back to my hotel to rest my weary feet. Afterwards I did some light shopping in Mercado San Juan de Dios. I purchased the “readers” I referred to in Part 1, above. I was tempted to purchase a lot more, but I didn’t really need anything and I didn’t want to schlep whatever I bought around before I head home. Later in the evening I wandered almost next door to the hotel, around the corner, to checkout Plaza de los Mariachi and, again, was not impressed by what I see there and the lack of business. The best music is coming from a sound system featuring pre-recorded Mariachi music … playing to a couple of hundred empty chairs. I then just wandered through Centro towards the Cathedral, and beyond. No place especially in mind.

I headed back to the hotel in time to listen to President Obama’s address to the Democratic National Convention. It wasn’t on television but I watched it on a CSPAN live feed, on my laptop. During the speech I edited more of the photos I’ve been taking and sipped a couple of cans of “Sol” brand beer, purchased at the nearby OXXO for MX$13 each … and munched on the contents of a small package of glazed Bimbo cinnamon rolls.

There was some loud horsing around by several young guys staying in a room nearby, out in the wide passageway outside my room. In about 15-minutes, at Midnight, hotel security came up to tell them to shut up. It worked.

I was up at 4:30 a.m. in the morning to get ready to depart for the Nueva Central Camionera. I’d packed the night before. I was out the door of the hotel at 5:15 a.m. and the street urchins were still out. Some spread across the sidewalk. Others nearly falling down in the street. Some slinking in the shadows and appearing to be up to no good. And I felt more secure as I wandered past Plaza de los Mariachi, where maybe a dozen musicians remained (standing, not playing) and maybe 3 or 4 patrons drinking at a table. I walked rapidly the maybe ½ mile stretch between Calle Obregon and Avenida Revolucion where I’d catch a bus to the central bus station. I found the correct parada at which to stand, together with 3 or 4 other people. I hopped aboard the first bus to come along and one of the Mariachi who was returning to his home motioned to me when we reached the area nearest the bus station. We had to climb then cross and descend a pedestrian bridge and when doing so the Mariachi guy told me to let him go forward and then he, twice, stopped because he thought some guys were on the bridge waiting to rob people. He said this wasn’t uncommon, to be robbed at that hour. It was pitch dark, no lights. He said to move quickly and follow him. When we made it onto the grounds of the bus station, all was well. The bus ride cost MX$6 and took less than 30 minutes at that hour.

I’ve rarely opted to travel in the luxury class of bus service. This would be an approx.. 5-6 hour trip so I thought I’d give ETN a try. Cost of the ticket was MX$475. It was a 7 a.m. departure.

I’ve been to Guadalajara probably a handful or more times over the years. It’s been a long time, though, since I played tourist as much as I have this trip. I don’t dislike the city, but I don’t really like it, either. I think that’s because I’m so accustomed/familiar to Mexico City and the D.F. has probably everything Guadalajara does, generally, and then some. Why settle for “seconds” when you can have “firsts”? But if people are going to be nearby, or stopping in GDL fits with an itinerary otherwise, it makes for a good several day stop.

THE END.

LW


You make someone stronger when you help them a little, but you weaken them if you help them a lot. Uno hace más fuerte a alguien cuando lo ayuda un poco, pero lo debilita si lo ayuda mucho. ~ Buddha | Buda
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" ...when travelling or living I am not so nitpicky, I try I guess to forget details" @5

I keep journals, or steno books with me when I travel, to record details, observations. I have a box full of them from over the years of traveling through Mexico. I often refer-back to my notes to compare price differences and to recall the names/places I've either enjoyed most or dislked. These are habits I've developed over the years.

LW


You make someone stronger when you help them a little, but you weaken them if you help them a lot. Uno hace más fuerte a alguien cuando lo ayuda un poco, pero lo debilita si lo ayuda mucho. ~ Buddha | Buda
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Another great trip report. Bill at his finest.

I have told Bill over the years if he could control his dark side, he would easily be the star of any message board. This is what I am talking about.

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Maybe he should also be sure to keep taking his medicines to control his accusations of people not telling the truth!! Edmund

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