Tag Archives: Guadalajara

Mexico Trip: Guadalajara/Chapala

The bus trip from Guanajuato to Guadalajara took about four hours. I had been here before, and also to Lake Chapala, which is about 30 miles south of the city. The Mexico Trip: Guadalajara/Chapala began with a ride on the city’s newest rail line (Linea tres), which conveniently went directly from the bus station to the Centro.

I stayed at the Hotel Real Maestranza, just a couple of blocks from the Centro stop so I was able to walk there on a lovely afternoon. It was a beautiful modern hotel, with a gym I didn’t get to use (sadly). Price-wise it was extremely reasonable. I’d go back anytime.

Guadalajara Centro area

I mainly wanted to see my friends Chris and (his husband) Terry, who were old friends of mine from California and who’d made the move to Mexico. They owned a home in Chapala and also had an apartment in Guadalajara, not far from where I stayed.

While waiting to connect with Chris, I did do a little walking tour of the University area, which is just to the west of the Centro:

Cooks at La Chata in Centro
A view from my table at La Chata
Plaza Expiatorio, Templo Expiatorio del Santísimo Sacramento
Templo Expiatorio del Santísimo Sacramento. inside
Stained glass, Templo Expiatorio del Santísimo Sacramento
Biggest monstrance I’ve ever seen, Templo Expiatorio del Santísimo Sacramento
Interior at Templo de Nuestra Señora del Carmen
Fountain next to Templo de Nuestra Señora del Carmen
Welcome shade at the Parque Revolucion
Bike shop in the University area
Jardin de Santuario statue of Antonio Alcalde
Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
I thought these trash receptacles located beneath the sidewalk were ingenious
Local team on the big screen in a Centro Plaza
Dawn – looking east from my hotel room at the Real Maestranza.

This statue of Antonio Alcalde is somewhat imposing and it makes him look quite frightening but Wikipedia says:

“The people came to respect their bishop and knew him best for his gentle and affable attitude while noting him as a jovial but direct individual. He had a bed of simple sheepskin on the bare ground and would use wood as his pillow. He wore a rough blanket in the winter and fasted often. He often fed on vegetables but would sometimes add meat to his meal on some occasions”

Among other accomplishments, he was one of the founders of the University of Guadalajara – so perhaps not as scary as the statue suggests.

Lake Chapala/Ajijic

I spent several days in Chapala (also seeing Ajijic, the adjacent town) at an AirBnb, just a couple of blocks from the lake itself. Apparently the lake is safe enough to swim in, though I did not see any swimmers while I was there.

It’s Mexico’s largest lake and quite beautiful (see photos). Close enough to Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city, it’s a popular and convenient getaway. Also, Lake Chapala and environs (including Ajijic) have large expat communities from the U.S. and Canada.

My old friends Chris and Terry have lived there now for about three years (from California). Some of the views below are from their rooftop mirador in the neighborhood San Antonio Tlayacapan, along the lake between Chapala and Ajijic.

Lakefront at Chapala
Blogger at Chapala
Lake Chapala
Part of the Chapala Malecon
These guys seemed to be everywhere!
Statue at the Lake
Jesus Pescador at Lake Chapala
Boats on Lake Chapala
Old Chapala train station, now a museum
Street in Chapala
Caught these caballos grazing
Sidewalk and a wall in Chapala
In Ajijic – “Jimmy’s Thing” (a paella restaurant)
The blogger in Ajijic
Plaza of Ajijic
Dildoria “dildo” store in Ajijic
Ajijic Church
Lake Chapala Society gardens in Ajijic
Another Lake Chapala Society Garden photo (Ajijic)
My friend Chris and his pups at their home in Lake Chapala
View from Chris and Terry’s Mirador (of San Antonio Tlayacapan)
Another view of San Antonio Tlayacapan
Couple of neighbors of Chris and Terry

A great few days for the Mexico Trip: Guadalajara/Chapala. Next, and finally, on to Puerto Vallarta.

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And We Went to Guadalajara

We made it! In front of the Jalisco State Government Building in GDL
Seems like he’s beckoning.
GDL Cathedral
Detail GDL Cathedral
Plan ahead.
Typical traffic.
Stone Eagle Monument in GDL.
I like the color. We had Birria while in GDL.
Chandelier in Tlaquepaque.
I liked this building, it’s a magic shop.
In front of Vicente Fernandez’s ranch.
With Mexican Superstar Vicente Fernandez.
Mexican History mural in Chapala.
Blogger in front of the mural.
Dave Arnold and I at Chapala (Ajijic)
Plaza Photo GDL.
Old School in Tlaquepaque.
Me and masks. Must have been that insomnia day!
Wires, building, door, rails.
Historic Center shot.
Mariachi Band in the Plaza.
A little bit of found gay on a sidestreet.
It was fashion week in GDL. Literally.
Divine Decay.
On the corner.
Green detail of building.
Dave in front of one of the plaza fountains.
Some big ass doors on that church.
Flower lane in Chapala.
This is beauty School, GDL style.
At the Cafe Madrid, GDL.
Three Mexican ladies and their ice cream in Tlaquepaque.
More of the mural in Chapala.
Another Plaza fountain shot.
Courtyard of the Hotel Morales, GDL
Cathedral Night shot
Another plaza view.
Vicente Fernandez’s guitar-shaped pool.
Building detail, GDL.
Stations of the Cross lit up with little lights, Tlaquepaque.
My future patio! In Tlaquepaque.
Basilica Ceiling.
AA in GDL, next to the Michoacana.

Who? Oh, my brother David and I. To see it. Because I wanted to go to Mexico. Because it was his birthday. Because I was interested in seeing Lake Chapala, where large numbers of U.S. expatriates go. It’s pretty there, not sure it would be too stimulating. Chapala, that is. Perhaps you bring your own stimulation. Affordable most definitely.

So, to answer the question, is it safe to go to Guadalajara? I can answer that. Yes, it was fine. The scariest thing that happened to me over the course of our short, 4 night stay was that one night I had trouble sleeping. I have insomnia sometimes; I can hardly blame that on Mexico. (That damn Obama!)

The people we met there were lovely and they were POLITE. They had MANNERS. I’m not talking just about service people at hotels or restaurants, but people on the street. Imagine that, what a concept! Someone’s mama raised that country right. OK, there were dark alleys, I wouldn’t rush to venture down. There were lots of insanely armed police and security guards all over. I wouldn’t confront them. If you have a modicum of the usual street sense that you’d need in any place like L.A., NY, Chicago, New Orleans, etc., you’d feel pretty safe in Guadalajara. Don’t let the scaredy cat warnings you find on social media and from the state department frighten you. If you’re not going to confront the government of Mexico or the drug cartels, my opinion is, it’s as safe or safer than living in a place like I do, Los Angeles, where really bad things happen to people every day.

OK, end rant. Now for the pictures. I like taking pictures of buildings and parts of buildings, always wondering what is behind the walls, who built the building, who lives there or works there, what their lives are like, etc. So some of these are likely moody that way. Since I live in a place where everything is always new and very dry, old and weathered and moldy (as in lots of humidity) always fascinates me. So enjoy. I will comment on some of the photos directly.

UPDATE October 16 2015 – I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the Guadalajara area can be dangerous to your health if you’re a member of a cartel or the military or the police. Less than a week after our return, this article on an arrest appeared in the L.A. Times.

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