Guadalajara

http://allaboutguadalajara.com/

http://www.answers.com/topic/guadalajara-jalisco

http://www.explore-guadalajara.com/

And several hundred more--

I've been to Guadalajara many times (used to visit a friend who lived there), the latest of which was Nov. 2011.

There is a lot to do and a lot of places to visit. Tonala, Tlalquepaque and Zapopan are cities that used to surround Guadalajara but were engulfed and swallowed up by it years ago. Each is worth a day trip and each offers different things.

The Guadalajara Reporter is an English language newspaper that covers the whole region and should give you a good idea of what's going on there.

The forums at MexConnect can be a good source of information as well. They have a board devoted to GDL, activity waxes and wanes, but you can search on questions you have and see past answers.

There is a Mariachi festival in September. Jalisco claims the Charro as their own, and has an entire street downtown close to the Mercado Libertad devoted to all things Charro.

The Virgen de Zapopan is #3 on the hit parade of Saints in Mexico and has her Virgen-mobile in which she tours the entire state of Jalisco every year. Long story dating back to the 1500s and an earthquake.

And you are only a day-trip away from Tequila.

Airport is about 20 minutes south of town. Should be pubic transit to and from centro, cabs are not expensive. Close to the airport is El Chololo which is a really great birria (goat in this case) place. Huge, barn-like restaurant, easily seats 1,000+. Go on the weekend and stay all afternoon.

Take in a Chivas game if you're there when they're playing. In spite of the Xolos beating them last week, they're a seminal soccer team in Mexico and a game well worth experiencing.

Just go, see as much as you can, and have a good time

It's been about 30 years for me to have been really be immersed in that city for a substantial length of time, being a vagabond/traveler. At the time, Guadalajara was a fun city; big too. Big cities are great. I can handle the energy for awhile and get up for it, but that is not the tempo that I want for living. My preference is to spend longer periods in smaller villages and maybe even settle in to live. I have been to Guadalajara since but was only in transit. It was not enough time so see what changes have transpired. And surely they must have as the times and cultures do evolve.

When there the first time, I was able to quickly learn the bus routes, walk the neighborhoods and also explore the commercial parts of the city. I saw lots of very interesting things; museums, galleries, bands, shops, wonderful parks, restaurants and the great mercado central.

I stayed in one of those "Mexican-Basic" rooms that was situated on the roof of a small hotel. It had a shared bathroom with a funky shower and tepid water. The bedroom, or rather, cell, had a wooden platform bed with a thin camper-type mat. You have to provide your own sleeping bag and pillow. A bare light bulb hung from the ceiling on a frayed cord. You get used to the loud voices, the honking of car and truck horns, and the smells of the city after awhile. In the early morning the hotel housekeepers or residents would hang sheets, blankets and clothes in the sun in a large area of the roof. It was just outside my front door, of course! Chatter, laughter and songs were what I woke up to.

Almost every day I would go into the mercado for lunch and soon found a favorite stall. You could sit on a stool in the aisle, or go inside a small, low-fenced area where there were tables and chairs. I would alternate between the two. The counter offered a crowded and congenial group of locals, a good view of the food being prepared, and a good rapport between the diners, the waitresses and the cooks; lots of good energy! At other times I would find a corner table inside, eat the great food, read a book and people watch. Sometimes I would exchange brief conversations with the people at a nearby table, too.

One day, while walking, I heard orchestra music wafting from open doors across a large parking area. Soon, I discovered it was the rear of the Symphony Hall. I approached one of the open doors and peered in. It was dark in the audience area but the stage was lit and I could see the orchestra. I casually walked in and sat alone in the vast auditorium. A couple of enjoyable hours were spent there, listening to The Guadalajara Symphony rehearsing. It is a world class symphony orchestra. For the time, I was transported into another world, quite apart from Mexico.

One of the most entertaining spectacles I have ever experienced was the Plaza des Mariachis. It was a large park with trees, shrubs and walkways with benches. There had to be at least 25 Mariachi bands within 20 feet of one another, all in different colorful Mariachi vestidos y sombreros, all playing a different tune simultaneously, as loudly as they could.

What a cacophony! It was not the sort of place you would go with a companion to carry on a conversation. You could easily become irritated if you were of such a mind. What I did was to spend time in front of each band through several tunes, listening to their musicianship, comparing their styles. You have to encapsulate within yourself, isolate the band you are standing next to and enjoy. You have to return more than once. Upon returning a second time and thereafter, you could find your favorites and spend more time listening to them. It was a great way to spend a sunny afternoon. Oh!...and then there were the pretty women...

Well, I can tell that this piece has ended because I have become disracted...

Hotel Frances is right downtown and reasonable. Can walk to a lot of sights from there. They have Mariachi night on Fridays. Sometimes great bands. It's one of the oldest hotels in the city but has lots of charm. Try to get a room on the 3rd floor not facing the same direction as the entrance. Noise factor!!