2013 January 31 Guadalajara Three

After our first 2 days here it was pretty apparent that we weren't going to even be able to skim the surface of this place in 3 days, so we extended our stay for another day in order to take a walking tour of the historical section.  But first, it's Shopping Day!  Wait a minute, wasn't that yesterday?  Cancel that thought, EVERY day in Guadalajara is Shopping Day!  Off we went on a shopping tour of Tonala and Tlaquepacque.  (That's "toe-naw-LAW and t-lacky-PACK-y").  These are nearby towns that have been eaten by Guadalajara and now form part of the city, but they are still cultural and artisan centres in their own right.

 

Tonala is definitely an experience, it's basically a sidewalk under-the-tarps market on the side of a very busy main thoroughfare, but all of the business places behind it are in on the action and the whole thing is I don't know how big.  Our tour bus was a double-decker so of course we rode in the open top which was very nice.  The bus rendezvous was 2 hours, which we missed and picked up the next tour bus after 4 hours; in that time we made it about 5 blocks up the street on one side and back on the other side, and I'd be astonished if we saw half of it.  Debbi fell in love with a wall-fountain which is a wood frame with 3 clay pots and a glass fish tank.  Hang on wall, fill up tank with water, insert fish, start pump, and there you have it!  Looks like a racoon-trap to me....

 

Basking in the sunshine

Bingo Ball curtain-management devices....

Tlaquepacque was quite different, no tarps, everything is inside shops and little malls, much more upscale and with lots of real artisan-stuff.  We only had an hour or so here, which is a shame.  We'll need to go back to this one, as it deserves a full day to itself.  It's a very pretty street scene with lots of unique and authentic things.  Like most things, once you've taken the city tour you realize you don't need it to get there.  A city bus will take you there for 1 buck, or a taxi for 10 bucks.  Take the city bus, it's more fun!   After 2 days of constant walking and shopping, it's definitely time for a quiet evening in our room, particularly as we have an early start for our walking tour tomorrow!

 

I could drag this out, but the walking tour was a gong show.  The operator showed up over an hour late, and then we were put on the wrong tour!  After much discussion, we eventually ended up on a driving tour of the city sites and a 2-hour walking tour with an excellent guide who did his best to retrieve the situation.  I would confidently book future tours with this operator, as it appears we just fell into a crack; the company gave us a complete refund and a full apology without hesitation. 

 

Having said all of that, here's what we saw:

Our guide, Pablo, started by driving us around the city showing us a number of monuments and works of art pertaining to the history of the city and the country.  Most of the intersections of major arteries are huge roundabouts, and the city government has used these to very good purpose.  There are war memorials, monuments to exceptional individuals, and just plain works of art.

 

This is called 'The Stampede'. 
Metal sculpture on the side of a busy intersection!

Pablo then took us through the 'consular district', which is an older part of the city with massive Edwardian, Georgian, and Art Deco private homes.  Few people can afford to live in them anymore, so they are leased out to foreign nations as embassies.  It looks a lot like the back streets of Shaugnessy in Vancouver..  Then it was time for a quick bite to eat beside the oldest church in the city, which other than being really really old is noteworthy as it has a clockwork display where Jesus and the Apostles put in an appearance every time the bell bongs.  Clearly they must have had Germans or Swiss build it, as it's still working!

 

Yet another church, but at THIS one
Jesus and The Apostles trot out every hour.

Then it was time for the historical section.  We only went inside a few buildings; sadly, the Opera House was in full rehearsal for that evening so the inside was barred to the public.  That's a shame as it is a stunning building, but I guess we have something to see for next time!  Trotting around through all the buildings would take about 3 days, but we got a look at all the main squares and monuments, and we went inside the cathedral and a couple of the historic government buildings.

 

Don't know how a sculptor makes copper look like it's
blowing in the wind....

The original legislative building is a real treat as it is pretty much a working museum, and also as it houses two monumental murals by Miguel Orozco.  The main staircase is dominated by an enormous mural painted in 1936, which depicts all of the ways that mankind has found to enslave itself (church, army, fascism, communism, capitalism), and is dominated by Miguel Hidalgo, the father of the Mexican Revolution, waving the torch of freedom over all.  Awesome.  And all done on the ceiling and very high walls by an old guy who was afraid of heights!

 

This is a VERY small part of a truly massive mural by
Miguel Orozco in the original legislature.

 

Sr. Hidalgo lighting the way - or burning the place down;
there's a difference of opinion.  These murals were done
10 years before the Holocaust.

The cathedral was a great place to end the tour, as it is quiet, peaceful, and beautiful with a wonderful ambience.  The stained glass is stunning, and somehow the architect managed to take a gigantic pile of rock and turn it into light and space.

 

The central arcade in the Guadalajara Cathedral. 
A gorgeous building, worth the trip all by itself.

Despite all the initial hiccups and the short time we had, the tour was great.  Guadalajara historico is pretty awesome for history, art, and architecture.  There are museums and art galleries to keep you busy for another 2-3 days if you are so inclined.  Put it on your bucket list!