Category: Travel

Santo Domingo Church in Oaxaca, Oaxaca.

Many expatriates living in Mexico have a strong desire to see parts of the country both near and far from their homes. We hear tempting stories about the beauties of Oaxaca,
the high desert countryside near San Miguel de Allende, lovely Zacatecas (see last week’s post!), and the glories
of colonial Morelia. We’re left with our mouths watering to see all
these places—and a hundred more—and then we realize that driving in
Mexico is not always easy. Toll roads are expensive, traveling the free
roads seems to take forever, and many of us don’t know how to read the
road signs—and never mind understanding when someone give us
directions!
There is a solution, and it’s not an option most of us would think of in the United States or Canada: the long distance bus.

Bus travel in Mexico is a lot better than what some folks imagine. Long
distance bus service is far better than the stereotypical chicken bus,
loaded to the gills with more passengers than could possibly be safe.
We envision every woman with a baby on her lap and another clinging to
her skirt and each man carrying bags and bundles of everything from
groceries to live chickens.

I must say that in all my years here in Mexico, the only person with
live chickens I ever saw on a bus was me: I bought a dozen baby chicks
when I first lived in Tijuana and brought them home in a cake box on
the city bus. To all the passengers’ great amusement, their
peep-peep-peeping sounded loud and clear through the vent holes I’d
poked in the box.

Bus travel has traditionally been the choice for Mexican
travel. It’s usually convenient, very inexpensive compared to air or
automobile travel, and compared to long distance bus experiences in the
United States or Canada, quite luxurious.

Two friends and I recently spent several days in Mexico
City. We took the ETN (Enlaces Terrestres Nacionales) bus from Guadalajara and were extremely pleased with
the service. Here’s a brief comparison of our bus trip time and cost
versus a similar trip by plane.

*The peso exchange rate as of this writing was 11.3 pesos per dollar. Note: bus fares are subject to change without notice.

Not only is the bus terminal more comfortable than the airport, the
bus is far more comfortable than the plane. The executive-class bus has
only 24 seats. Each seat has a leg rest that allows the passenger to
stretch out almost full length. For less than one-third the cost of the
plane we traveled in luxurious comfort.

We weren’t troubled by the longer travel time on the bus, as we were
able to see close-up the natural beauty of the states of Jalisco,
Michoacán, and Mexico prior to arriving in Mexico City. We enjoyed a
terrific movie—Bend It Like Beckham—in
English. We socialized with a marvelous group of women who were going
to Mexico City for a high-society bridal shower. Had we needed it,
there was a bathroom on the bus, which traveled non-stop all the way.

We lunched on the sandwich, cookie, and soft drink that the bus company
included in the price of each ticket; coffee service was available at
no extra charge. We napped a bit, snacked on some fruit and cookies
we’d brought along, and then we were thrilled by the late afternoon
sights and sounds of Mexico City as we drove into and through the city.

At the Mexico City western bus terminal, we quickly claimed our baggage
and prepaid for a taxi at the booth inside the terminal. We were soon
deposited at our destination in the southwestern part of the city.  After a quick pause to freshen up, we were
ready for an evening on the town.

The money we saved on travel transportation
paid for a huge portion of the fun we had while in the city.

La Central Camionera Nueva
(The Guadalajara long distance bus terminal)

La central camionera nueva (the Guadalajara long distance bus
terminal) is actually located in Tonalá, at the southeast edge of the
city. It’s a huge complex. There are seven and one-half individual módulos (terminal buildings). Each terminal building is host to the arrival and departure of one or several different bus lines.

TIP: It’s crucial to know your departure building number, and
equally crucial to know where to meet an arrival. If you don’t have the
building information, you will not be able to locate your bus.

The terminals handle the bus lines as follows:

Turistar Ejecutivo

It’s quite inexpensive to take the bus from Guadalajara to the nearest
cities along the Mexican border with Texas. The most luxurious bus,
Turistar Ejecutivo, costs approximately $1200 pesos (approximately $100 U.S.) one way
to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico (across the border from Laredo, TX). It costs $950 pesos
(approximately $85 U.S.) one way to Reynosa, Mexico (across the border from McAllen, Texas).
The bus has 24 seats, two across along one side and single seats along
the other side. Two drivers share driving duties. Buses leave the
Tonalá terminal at 6 PM and at 7 PM every evening, arriving in either
Nuevo Laredo or Reynosa approximately 14 hours later. The bus has air
conditioning, bathrooms, luggage check-in service, and videos on board.

Our friend JoAnne, a self-described princess, recently chose
Turistar Ejecutivo for a trip to the border. She describes the Mexican
side of her trip in glowing terms.

            "This story has to start by telling you upfront that the
information is coming from a person                    who is as close to being a princess
as a commoner can be. Picky is my middle name. My decision
             to travel
north by bus stunned all my friends, who were dying to hear whether I
would survive
            or not. They were betting not. Earlier, my retirement to
Mexico had those who know me well
            shaking their heads in disbelief, so
you can see that what is being reported here is from the
            perspective of a truly spoiled and whiny gringa.

"My husband and I had heard great things about bus service in Mexico.
With nothing but time on our hands, we decided to give it a try—we’d go
by bus to the border. We had been told that the Turistar Ejecutivo
luxury class bus was the top of the line, so we took our chances, drove
up to the bus station, and purchased our tickets. During the remaining
days until our departure, I was biting my carefully manicured
fingernails to the quick just thinking about the possibilities for
disaster; the what-ifs were driving me crazy.

"As we boarded the early-evening bus we were given a choice of soft
drinks and a package of cookies. The sparkling clean bus was completely
booked. There are two seats on one side of the bus and a single seat on
the other side, 24 seats in all.

"The seats are the same size as those in first class on a commercial
airline and are complete with seatbelts. Overhead video screens held
the promise of entertainment during the night. We were able to put our
seat backs into a fully reclining position. There was a full leg rest
that popped forward from the seat back in front of us so we could be as
horizontal as possible. Such comfort for us as we hit the road to the
north of Mexico!

"We have driven to the border several times. The trip is
stressful and we always pray that our car does not break down, that we
have no flat tires, and that all goes well as we drive the miles and
miles of often deserted stretches of highway. On our bus trip, as we
approached the first toll booth I realized just how relaxing it was to
have someone else figuring out the turns and the tolls. I snuggled
deeper into my roomy seat and reflected on the pure pleasure of not
having the strain of being on the road in Mexico.

"We had packed sandwiches and at around 7 PM we enjoyed munching while
watching a movie, which to our surprise was in English with Spanish
subtitles. Shortly after the first film they showed another, which was
also in English.

"By this time I had to make my first trip to the restroom. The
facilities weren’t great, but they weren’t as bad as some gas stations
I have been in. It’s really important to be steady on your feet, as the
curves and uneven roads make navigating to the back of the bus a little
bit difficult. I worked my way back by hanging onto the seatbacks of
our fellow travelers. A word to the wise: don’t wait to go till it’s
almost too late—you don’t want a sudden jolt or sway of the bus to
cause you to make a puddle before you reach the WC.

"A third movie was shown; this time it was in Spanish and had no subtitles. That was no problem as I was dozing off anyway.

"At 11 PM we stopped somewhere north of Zacatecas and were able
to stretch our legs and use a non-moving bathroom. We climbed back onto
the bus and made another stop at around 4:30 AM in Monterrey. At 7 AM
we pulled into the station at Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, just across the
border from Laredo, Texas. The trip to the border was accomplished with
very few complaints from the princess.

"After we crossed the border, we boarded a Greyhound bus to Austin. That’s where the fun of the trip ended. There is no comparison
between the Turistar Ejecutivo buses in Mexico and the shabby and dirty
buses in the U.S. The princess immediately became disenchanted with bus
travel on the United States side of the border. Picky is definitely not Greyhound’s middle name.

"The return trip on the Mexican bus was pleasant and without any hassle.
I am currently researching the possibility of traveling by Mexican bus
to McAllen, TX, and then flying on Southwest Airlines to Austin or
Houston, which are ordinarily my two U.S. destinations.

"If you want to go to the border for shopping, to visit friends
or for medical reasons, by all means go by bus. We were thrilled with
the Turistar Ejecutivo service and will travel with them again. We’ll
simply avoid any travel by bus in the U.S. as it is exactly what we
have always imagined."

"This trip really made me wonder about priorities in the United
States. Mexico, a third world country, has certainly surpassed the U.S.
in long distance bus travel."

I have frequently taken the Turistar Ejecutivo bus to McAllen, TX, and
agree wholeheartedly with JoAnne’s assessment of the line’s services.
I’ve also taken other bus lines from the border cities back to
Guadalajara (when Turistar was sold out) and believe that Turistar is
indeed the cream of the crop. Some folks think that it’s best to travel
to the border on Wednesdays, as the midweek bus is usually carrying fewer
passengers than it does closer to the weekend.

Autobuses Americanos
If you prefer to take a bus that leaves Guadalajara and travels all the
way to destinations within the United States, take Autobuses Americanos
from Módulo 6. The line is not as luxurious as Turistar, but it will
take you directly to Laredo (14 hours), San Antonio (19 hours), Houston
(21 hours), Dallas, or El Paso in Texas. It also runs to Kansas City
(37 hours), to Chicago (44 hours), to Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and
Albuquerque. The line connects with Greyhound service to Atlanta,
destinations in Florida, and both North and South Carolina.

The bus carries 44 passengers and doesn’t offer the little extras like
the soft drinks and cookies. The seats are smaller and don’t recline as
much as the Turistar seats do and the foot rests aren’t full leg
supports. While Autobuses Americanos are not the bottom of the heap,
they are probably not for the truly picky.

Should you decide to travel via Autobuses Americanos, be advised that
you and all of your luggage will have to leave the bus at the U.S.
Customs station at the border. Once the bus is examined and you and
your luggage have cleared customs, you will re-board the same bus to
continue your journey in the United States.

Getting Around By Bus in Mexico

What about bus travel within Mexico? There are so many wonderful cities
and towns to visit in this country, and there is easy and inexpensive
bus access to most of them. Many Mexican destinations are accessible
directly from Guadalajara; some, particularly in the far south of
Mexico, require a change of bus in Mexico City.

*The peso exchange rate as of this writing was 11.3 pesos per dollar. Note: bus fares are subject to change without notice.

ETN,  Elite, and Futura offer excellent
and comfortable service within Mexico. ETN advertises itself as la linea más cómoda (the
most comfortable line). My long years of experience traveling with them
make me agree that indeed they are exceptionally comfortable.

ETN takes credit cards and will make reservations for you over the
phone.  Tickets are also available at many travel agencies in Mexico.

These long distance buses within Mexico normally depart punctually to
the minute and offer lots of little extras—bathroom on board, soft
drinks, water, coffee, sometimes a sandwich and a cookie. Most other
lines will make a seat reservation by telephone but require you to come
to the bus station to pay in person at least 24 hours prior to your
trip.

There are many other bus lines which travel to other destinations in
Mexico, some to places less frequented by foreigners. Most of these
other domestic lines are not nearly as luxurious as either Turistar or
ETN, but they will definitely get you where you want to go.

I’ve often traveled on the Primera Plus line (Módulo #1) and recommend
it highly for travel to Uruapan, Guanajuato, and other wonderful
locations. La Linea Plus (Módulo #2) also travels to Uruapan, Morelia,
and many other destinations.

Long distance bus travel in Mexico is a relaxing and stress
free way to get around. Riding the bus gives you the opportunity to see
the countryside along the way and have rich experiences of real Mexican
life.

Next time you decide to travel, you might just see one of us on your bus.

The Metropolitan Cathedral in Zacatecas.

From the time I arrived with my friend Clara to meet Javier in this state
capital city of 125,000 until the moment she and I reluctantly drove out of
town, we were delighted by everything we experienced in Zacatecas.
Three days were not nearly enough time to really savor its Colonial
pleasures. The simple 4-hour drive northeast from Guadalajara to Zacatecas
makes this trip one that we can repeat often—and we certainly want to
go again soon.

Founded in 1546, Zacatecas is a gorgeous Spanish-colonial city filled
with lively cultural activities. The spotless streets paved with lajas
(flat square cobblestones) twist and turn enticingly through the hilly
city, frequently ending at charming green pocket-size parks. The
climate is pleasant and the residents are helpful and welcoming. Street markets, color and music abound
and it seems as if there are art galleries and museums on every corner.
The rich silver mining history of the area oozes from every
architecturally splendid building.

In 1994, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization), named Zacatecas a Cultural Patrimony of Mankind
site due to its architecture. The designation is richly deserved. The
elaborately carved pink cantera
(quarry stone) facades of churches and other buildings, the
intricate hand-wrought ironwork on balconies, door, and windows and the
brilliantly colored flowers blooming in pots and gardens throughout the
city make Zacatecas a visual feast.

The vibrant city of Zacatecas offers constant festivals of art,
music, film, and dance. We were there during an all-French film
festival which coincided with a classical music festival. In three
short days, the three of us attended a concert by the Zacatecas State
band, a free classical guitar concert performed by an
internationally-acclaimed soloist, and a book fair at a gorgeous Art
Deco period theater.

Friends had told us to take good walking shoes to Zacatecas. We were
glad we followed their advice, because for three days we were up and
down hilly cobbled streets, walking the sets of stairs that lead from
one level to another level in this city of fascinating nooks and
crannies.

Detail of one carved column of the Cathedral.

We were glad we packed sweaters, too.  It’s chilly in Zacatecas on winter
nights, although it’s warm and dry in the summer. Here in the heartland
of Mexico, dress is much more conservative than in the coastal areas
often frequented by foreigners. We quickly noticed that the tourists in
Zacatecas were chiefly Mexicans. Very little English is spoken in
museums, on the streets or in restaurants; we were glad that all of us
are fluent Spanish-speakers.

Zacatecas is approximately 8,000 feet above sea level in the
high desert region of Mexico, so some tourists experience shortness of
breath at first. It’s good to be initially wary of alcohol consumption.
At this altitude, alcohol hits hard until folks become accustomed to
the thin air.

Hotels and restaurants range from the humble to the luxurious.  There are
plenty to choose from in every price range, from youth hostels to the
most elegant of digs. The most famous local hotel is the Quinta Real
Zacatecas. Architecturally stunning, this luxury hotel and its
surroundings are a must-see. Where else can you stay in a hotel that
lies alongside a 16th Century aqueduct and incorporates the oldest bull
ring in North America into its facility?

The interior of the hotel is truly impressive. Circling the
bull ring, hallways are boldly decorated and filled with a profusion of
potted plants and shrubs. You’ll find elegant boutiques around the
perimeter, with a prime spot reserved for a sophisticated restaurant.

Much as we loved the Quinta Real, my friends and I opted for
convenience and economy and stayed at the Hotel Posada Tolosa, located
just two blocks from the cathedral in the heart of the historic center.
Rooms here with two double beds are comfortably large and cost
approximately $60 USD per night. The room rate includes enclosed secure
parking. However, the hotel has no elevator and the stairs to
the rooms are steep.

Zacatecas has a great system of inexpensive public transportation: buses, combis (VW
bus-style taxis which follow a defined route) and private taxis. Any of
these vehicles can take tourists to outlying areas of interest. There’s
plenty of on-street parking if you’re visiting in a car, but the best
way to see the historic center of the city is on foot. All of the usual
tourist haunts are easy walking distance from the Cathedral, the heart
of the city.

La Bufa, which means the wineskin, is the name of the highest hill
overlooking the historic center of Zacatecas. Aptly named for its
distinct shape, the hill is the terminus of a fantastic teleférico
(cable rail) ride that lifts off near the El Edén mine entrance to sway
its way higher and higher over the city. The views are fantastic and at
the top there is a museum devoted to the Mexican revolution, complete
with larger-than-life-size statues of Francisco ‘Pancho’ Villa and
numerous other heroes and generals.

Every day of our stay we visited one of the many large museums and galleries for which Zacatecas is known. 

The Pedro Coronel Museum is named for one of the foremost Mexican painters and sculptors of the 20th Century, and a zacatecano.
The massive and eclectic art collection of this older Coronel brother
(1923-1985), is housed in a huge colonial building which has been at
various times in its history a Jesuit college, a Dominican convent,
early military headquarters, and a jail. Room leads to room, and each
is filled with treasures.

Pavana para una mujer embarazada, Pedro Coronel, 1959, oil on canvas, 184 x 202 cm. Private collection.

Coronel’s personal eclectic collection of Twentieth Century art is the
focus of the museum. Every modern artist from Braque to Miró to Picasso
is represented. Most were Coronel’s friends and contemporaries. We
devoured the glorious paintings. We spent only a morning here; to give
this museum its due, several mornings would be better.

The Rafael Coronel Museum, built in 1567 as a Franciscan
convent, is a superb example of colonial architecture at its finest. At
each turn in the building and everywhere on the grounds I found a
breathtaking opportunity to use my camera. The museum houses Rafael
Coronel’s collection of nearly 5,000 Mexican masks once used in dances
and traditional ceremonies. We marveled at the variety, the materials,
and the intricate artistry of the masks. Many of these masks were part
of Diego Rivera’s collection and were inherited by his daughter, who
married Rafael Coronel.

My favorite section of the museum was the magical collection of
19th Century Mexican puppets. The child in me adores antique dolls,
puppets, and other old toys.

The Francisco Goitia Museum is housed in the state
governor’s former mansion, located a longish walk or short cab ride
from the historic center of the city. Two huge rooms of the museum
house works by Zacatecas artists Julio Ruelas, Pedro and Rafael
Coronel, Manuel Felguérez and others. Another illustrious zacatecano,
Francisco Goitia (1882-1960) has been compared to the best European
painters. Several downstairs rooms are devoted to Goitia’s haunting
paintings. Up-and-coming younger Mexican artists are often invited to
exhibit in the second floor rooms.

When we visited the museum, two of the large upstairs rooms were
devoted to an exhibit of works by the best-known Mexican artists of the
first half of the 20th Century, including Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo,
and David Siquieros. This exhibit was on loan from the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City.

To refuel for our next round of adventures, we happily hunted for—and
found—great food. We ate several meals at a landmark Zacatecas
restaurant, the Café Nevería Acropolis. It’s across the street from the
cathedral.

Teatro Calderón at night–the Zacatecas State Band is playing in the foreground.

This place bustles! From early morning till late at
night, the staff hops to keep up with the hordes of locals and tourists
who bring their need for sustenance to the café. Is it a Greek ice
cream parlor? Is it a Mexican restaurant/coffee shop? You be the judge.
Sit in a booth by the long windows on either side of the restaurant and
watch the town stroll by as you dine. Don’t miss the art on the
restaurant walls—original works by famous clients cover every available
space.

The menu is loaded with great Mexican breakfast, lunch and
dinner specialties plus a lengthy selection of pastries, cakes, pies,
and ice creams. I loved the cafe con leche (expresso coffee and hot milk). The fresh fruit salad with homemade yoghurt was delicious, as was the sopa azteca,
a spicy tomato-based broth loaded with fried tortilla strips, chunks of
ripe avocado, and thick cream topping. My companions raved about their
dinners. Clara chose enchiladas with cheese and chicken. Javier ordered
the chilaquiles (lightly fried tortilla strips, chicken, and onions basted in a red salsa picante
and topped with cream and a fried egg.) Both their offerings came with
rice, beans, and fresh hot tortillas. The prices were sure right! For
much less than $10 US per person we stoked our furnaces for another
night of festivities.

We ate one lunch at Doña Julia’s gorditas place, located
about a block and a half from the cathedral. Doña Julia is a real
person as well as a local institution. She has three or four tiny gorditas restaurants in Zacatecas and is the sponsor of an important athletic club. We loved the gorditas—they’re
a regional specialty of Zacatecas. Thick flour tortillas—cooked, split
and stuffed with a variety of savory treats—make an excellent breakfast
or lunch. Try the bean with cheese, or the pork, or the chicken.
They’re small—you can eat several. The skinny man at the next table ate
nine—we counted!

For a more formal meal, try the restaurant at the Hotel Quinta Real or
walk two blocks from the cathedral to Mi México or venture to the Mesón
de Jobita. Zacatecas is loaded with options for excellent food.

In Zacatecas, dancing in the streets is strongly encouraged. Every night we followed the callejonadas,
troupes of meandering street musicians who wander the city with an
entourage. Just before sundown every evening, a man with a burro and a
group of musicians appeared in front of our hotel. The bands usually
consisted of a couple of trumpets, a trombone, a saxophone and one or
two drums. A few people gathered around to listen, and then a few more.
Javier noticed that everyone had a tiny cup on a string around his or
her neck—and then suddenly we each had one too!

When the crowd was large enough, the musicians began strolling up
a callejón
(alleyway) playing razzmatazz music. Clara, Javier and I followed the
crowd up the narrow streets until we reached a charming tiny plaza. The
band struck up a dance tune, everyone danced with everyone else and the
fellow with the burro filled all of our little cups with aguamiel (a local tequila-like drink).

This little burro carries clay jugs of aguamiel, ready for the callejonadas.

That little burro was a four-legged bar! After we all had a little aguamiel
and a little dance time, the band led us around a corner and up another
alleyway, playing music all the way. A bit of dancing, a tad more aguamiel, some more marching along—until suddenly a couple of hours later
our heads spun from drink and dance and our cheeks ached from laughter.

The callejonadas are just the icing on the fabulous
cake that is Zacatecas. Our three-day visit wasn’t nearly long enough
to see and do all that we wanted. There is a variety of side trips that
we have in mind for our next journey: the town of Guadalupe to see the
museum of early colonial religious art, the town of Jerez and the 13th
Century ruins at La Quemada.

It won’t be long until I go back to Zacatecas.  Let’s all go!

I’ve known Paul Callahan and Arturo Mercado Arreola for much longer than I
have lived in Guadalajara, but until recently I’d not visited
their sumptuous bed and breakfast lodgings. The unassuming outside of
the building purposely tells the passerby nothing about the beauty that
waits inside.

"These old city houses were enormous," Paul said, once we were
comfortably ensconced in the patio’s period chairs. "They weren’t built
to be elegant or all gussied up. It’s kind of odd that people think
Mexican architecture is about cupolas and domes and exotic colors. City
architecture has always been extremely simple. The old houses were
huge, but they were simple to the point of severity.

"This house was once part of the Santa María de Gracia Convent. When we
bought the 16th Century house about 30 years ago, it was a white
elephant. No one, but no one, wanted to live in downtown Guadalajara in
those days. We bought it at a bargain price and started fixing it up."

Arturo continued, "We met here in Guadalajara 33 years ago.
Even way back then, when we bought the house, we were thinking of
opening a B&B. It took us a while to get around to it, though."

Paul nodded in agreement from his cozy chair across the room. "We’ve
only been taking guests for the last year and a half." He laughed. "At
the time we bought the house, it was divided into a lot of tiny rooms,
and it had no bathrooms. Now we have eight very large bedrooms, each
with a private bath. We have our own quarters, as well."

Arturo gestured across the patio. "Would you like to see where we live?"

I followed the two men across the simple patio that they have
planted with elegant bamboo that reaches to the second floor balconies.
They led me through a hallway and into another patio which seemed miles
away from the bustling Historic Center of the city. In the old houses
of Guadalajara, there was often more than one patio, for increased
ventilation and light, with each patio surrounded by rooms opening onto
it.

Both patios feature covered terrazas (terraces that
serve as outdoor rooms) furnished with comfortably soft-cushioned
furniture, antique paintings, Oriental rugs, period lighting, and the
many small treasures that Paul and Arturo have accumulated over the
course of their life together.

We chose our chairs in this terraza and continued our talk.
Paul pointed to the back of the house. "That part of the house used to
be the stables," he reminisced, thinking of the house as they found it.
"This patio was the corral. We didn’t need room for clotheslines or
chickens, so we put a partial roof over the patio and made it a terraza."

Arturo gave me a pensive look. "You know, so many people have strange
notions about what it’s like to live in the city. Pollution, crime—you
name it, people think it’s a problem here. The truth is that it’s so
safe here. We love the city. And we’ve had this upholstered furniture
out here for years. It’s not the least bit dirty from pollution."

Paul nodded. "If I feel like going for a walk at three in the morning,
I never feel the least bit afraid to go out. The Historic Center is
probably the safest part of the city. Best of all, everything we want
is right at our fingertips. Sometimes months go by and we don’t take
the car out of the garage. We walk, or we take a cab or a bus."

Paul excused himself to consult with a repairman who was
working in the house while Arturo continued talking with me. "Our
guests just love it here. Even though we’ve only been open a short
time, we’ve had repeat customers. We don’t take children; the B&B
is for adults only. The whole house is completely non-smoking. Plus, of
course, as Paul said, everything is right here. The Teatro Degollado
and the Cathedral are just a couple of blocks away, along with all the
plazas, museums, and monuments in the colonial center of Guadalajara."

I glanced around at the beautiful outdoor room we sat in. Lush
plantings combined with exquisite antiques to create an atmosphere of
quiet luxury. "Arturo, are your rooms usually completely booked?"

"Often all of our rooms are full during the winter, when people
want to escape the cold in the north. Summer is less busy. We do love
having guests. The people who choose to stay with us are so very
interesting, so very sophisticated."

Paul walked into the room again and picked up the conversation.
"We don’t advertise aggressively at all. You know we have a website,
but it’s very simple. There aren’t a lot of places to click the mouse
to go to other pages—it’s just that one page. If someone wants to email
me with questions, of course I answer with all the information the
person needs or wants. But we don’t advertise very much."

Paul continued, "The longest anyone has stayed with us is sixteen days.
That couple loved it here so much that they just couldn’t leave."

Arturo explained that the B&B is gay-friendly and that they
do advertise on a gay Mexico travel website. "It’s very low-key," he
mentioned. "Once in a while we have male couples, sometimes we have
women couples, but all of our clients socialize together here, gay and
straight alike. Breakfast is always a wonderful event."

I’d heard about the sumptuous Old Guadalajara breakfasts from some of
their former guests. "I’ve heard rumors that you two are quite the
cooks," I smiled.

Arturo’s eyebrows jumped up. "Not me!" he exclaimed. "Paul’s
the cook. He prepares exquisite breakfasts for the guests. Tell her,
Paul."

Paul grinned. "Of course we set the breakfast table with linens,
crystal, china, and silver. There are always fresh flowers. Our guests
come downstairs and gasp—then they have to run right back up to get
their cameras, the table is so beautiful.

"We start with freshly squeezed juices, excellent coffee, and
English teas on the table for him or her. There are always four or five
types of seasonal fruits on the table. If a guest wants something
special, a tropical fruit like guanábana or carambola,
we make sure it’s on ready for him or her. Then we serve eggs any way
the guest wants them, or hotcakes, or any number of things. There are
always breakfast meats, such as smoked pork chops, bacon, or sausages.
I always make muffins—they’re served with my own homemade marmalades.
Sometimes I even make my own butter. I’d much rather prepare too much
food than have a guest want something that isn’t available. No one
staying here has complained about not having enough to eat."

"My goodness, Paul, I just might show up for breakfast myself
some morning." I was practically drooling over his descriptions. "All
of that sounds out of this world. Do you offer lunch or dinner to your
guests?"

Arturo laughed. "You should have seen him at Christmas. The
rooms were full and on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day nothing in
Guadalajara was open. Paul prepared a full dinner buffet for the guests
on Christmas Eve—and then did it all again on Christmas Day so that our
guests wouldn’t have to go out hunting for food. They would never have
found a restaurant open."

Paul shook his head. "It was a lot of effort, but it was so
good to see our clients so happy. We had a wonderful time with them."

"And are there other services that you offer your guests?"

"We do keep ice on hand for people who want to have a drink here, and
we’re thinking of selling some good table wines to those who want them
during their stay. There’s not a liquor store here in Guadalajara’s
Historic Center that stocks that sort of thing. Our guests sometimes
want to have a glass of wine here and then go out to dinner. It would
be a convenience for them." Paul motioned to Arturo. "Let’s show her
the guest rooms and the rest of the house."

We started our tour with the kitchen, a well-used and obviously
well-loved area. The stove, a professional model, dominates one wall.
Cooking equipment including an Italian ice cream maker cluttered the
counters. "I built this kitchen for me," Paul said. "I love to cook and
we rarely eat in restaurants, so this is my retreat."

Through the swinging kitchen doors is the formal dining room where
breakfast is served. Across the first patio, we climbed a flight of
stone steps to the second floor guest rooms. A collection of antique
Mexican masks hangs on one staircase wall; paintings of every style and
age cover the other walls.

At the top of the stairs, Paul and Arturo guided me into the first
guest room. A bed draped in hangings from a princess’s fantasy stood
against one wall, antique rugs hung on another, and more paintings
covered the rest of the walls. The room is at once simple, graceful,
and very well furnished. The bathroom is well-appointed and large.

As we walked along, we talked about the décor and the various styles of art and artifacts found in the B&B.

"We don’t want the house to be too fussy," Arturo said. "We want our
guests to have the experience of elegant luxury of a kind they wouldn’t
find in a hotel."

"How have you priced the rooms?" I asked.

Paul answered, "We still charge just $125 USD per night for a
room, whether it’s occupied by one or two people. All our rooms have
queen size beds, and of course they all have private baths."

"You’ll see that all the baths are very simple—large, but
simple. All of the tile is white, all the shower curtains are white,
and all the towels are white. White is sparkling clean, which is what
we emphasize. Beauty and cleanliness are our hallmarks."

Arturo mentioned again that the neighborhood is exceptionally
safe, even late at night. "Our guests enjoy going to hear the
Philharmonic, going to a late dinner at one of the restaurants near
here, or staying out late for drinks and talk. There’s never been a
moment of concern for anyone’s safety.

"We cater to real travelers, people who have experienced
several different cultures and want to experience Mexico in all its
glory. We think we offer that experience right here in the heart of
Guadalajara."

I think so too, and so will you.

The Old Guadalajara B&B  is located at Belén 236, Centro Histórico, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

For more information, see the Old Guadalajara B&B  website at www.oldguadalajara.com or Email: information@oldguadalajara.com

Those of us from the United States and Canada can recognize many of the historical landmarks and buildings in our native countries. We know by sight the Parliament buildings in Ottawa and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Even when we think of important historical tributes in foreign countries the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the Parthenon in Athens, the ancient pyramids of Egypt pop instantly into our minds. These are cultural icons that cross international barriers.

Here in Mexico, most of the historical monuments and landmarks are less well known to foreign travelers. Even Mexican history is fuzzy and confusing for most of us. When we’re first living the expatriate life here, it seems that every other holiday on the calendar is an Independence Day of some sort. The reasons for frequent patriotic parades escape us and the flowery language on commemorative plaques can be baffling, even if we’re fluent in reading Spanish.

Here’s a nutshell tour complete with photos of some of the more prominent sites and monuments in Guadalajara.

When I first visited Guadalajara in the early 1980s, I could not imagine what the blue logo on the trunks of taxicabs could be. It looked like a line drawing of a Batman-ish cap with pointy ears. Finally one day it dawned on me that the logo was really the dome and spires of the Metropolitan Cathedral. Shaped like inverted ice cream cones and tiled in pale yellow, the design of the spires, legend has it, came from a mid-19th Century bishop’s dinner platter. Although the cornerstone for the Cathedral was laid in 1561, these beautiful spires were built to replace the originals, one of which fell to the ground in a strong earthquake in 1818. The spires contain sixteen bells, the oldest of which dates to 1661 and the newest from 1877.

Catedral Metropolitana de Guadalajara

The Cathedral has eleven altars and 30 Doric columns. There is a crypt below the main altar in which the remains of several bishops and cardinals are buried. In the sacristy there is a painting of the Immaculate Conception by Spanish master Murillo. On the facade of the Cathedral is an enormous plaque which reads in Spanish, ‘If the Lord does not build the house, the laborers work in vain.’

The Cathedral is located on the southeast corner of Avenida 16 de Septiembre and Calle Hidalgo in the Centro Histórico.

La Rotonda de Hombres Ilustres
The Rotonda de Hombres Ilustres (Circle of Illustrious Men) commemorates nearly 100 prominent and influential people who were born in the state of Jalisco. The Rotonda was built in 1952. It is composed of 17 striated columns without bases or capitals; these form a circular enclosure. The cremated remains buried in the enclosure include those of scientists, writers, artists, and educators, each of whom made Guadalajara a better place to live. In the year 2000, the remains of educator Irene Robledo, the first woman given this honor, were transferred to the Rotonda. Nineteen of the honored dead are represented by larger than life size bronze statues which surround the lovely green park of the Rotonda. On any Sunday—the day for family outings in Mexico—you will see Mexican parents proudly showing their children the details of the statues and their identifying plaques.

The Rotonda de Hombres Ilustres is located on the northeast corner of Avenida 16 de Septiembre and Calle Hidalgo in the Centro Histórico.

Teatro Degollado

The Teatro Degollado is not technically a monument, but it is certainly one of the more monumental structures in Guadalajara and is a major draw for tourists. The graceful Neoclassical architecture of the building and the Grecian frieze depicting Apollo and the Nine Muses along the top of the theater’s front combine in a classic piece of architecture. Along the theater’s back wall, a historical bronze frieze depicts the founders of Guadalajara. Each colorful Sunday morning presentation of the University of Guadalajara’s Ballet Folclórico attract hordes of tourists visiting the city from everywhere in the world.

Construction of the theater began in 1855 and the doors opened in 1866. It is named for a former governor of the state of Jalisco, Santos Degollado, whose remains are interred in the Rotonda de Hombres Ilustres. The theater’s opening production was Donizetti’s opera Lucia de Lammermoor, starring the "Mexican Nightingale", Angela Peralta. The theater, which seats more than 1000, has recently undergone major interior restoration to retain its original glory.

Teatro Degollado is located on Calle Belén between Calles Hidalgo and Morelos.

La Casa de los Perros
Just past the Cathedral on Avenida Alcalde you will see the Casa de los Perros, a huge house decorated with cantera (carved rock) and stained glass windows. Two enormous stone sculptures of dogs stand guard on the roof. The first printer’s shop in the city was located on this spot. Before the existing house was built, a print shop here published The American Alarm, which is considered to be the first independent newspaper in the Americas. Aside from its other architectural details, on either side of the top of the house you will see the much larger than life size sculptures of pointer dogs. These were brought to Guadalajara in the 19th Century from the J. L. Mott Ironworks in New York.

The house was opened as the museum of Guadalajara newspapers in 1994. The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM and Sundays 10 AM to 3 PM.

The museum is located at Alcalde #225 in the Historic Center.

Plaza de Armas

The lovely and picturesque Plaza de Armas is surrounded by a series of important buildings including the Palace of Government and the Templo Metropolitano del Sagrario, built between 1808 and 1843. Central to the Plaza is the Art Nouveau wrought iron froth of the kiosco (bandstand), which was imported in 1909 by the French residents of Guadalajara as a gift from France. The bandstand roof is supported by eight caryatids (female figures nude from the waist up) which represent different musical instruments. When they were first installed, the nudes created a terrible scandal among proper turn-of-the-century tapatíos (residents of Guadalajara). The roof itself is formed of fine woods, which give special acoustic resonance to the bandstand. Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday afternoons there are special public concerts in the kiosco, performed by the state or municipal bands.

The Plaza de Armas is located at the corner of 16 de Septiembre and Calle Morelos.

El Monumento a los Niños Héroes
The Monumento a los Niños Héroes (Monument to the Boy Heroes) commemorates the 1847 battle between the United States and Mexico at Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City. Chapultepec Castle was a military school and home; it was unable to withstand the battle waged by the U.S. forces.

During the course of the fighting, in which Mexico was defeated, one general and six young cadets lost their lives in defense of their country. Legend has it that when just one cadet remained, he wrapped himself with the Mexican flag and leaped from the tower to protect the flag from capture.

At the top of the monument is a feminine sculpture which represents Mexico. She wears a long tunic and holds a garland between her hands. At her feet is the national symbol of Mexico: the eagle, standing on a cactus and devouring a serpent.

At the bottom of the monument are statues of the child heroes who gave their lives for Mexico. The inscription in brass letters reads, "They Died for their Country." Each of the boys’ names is inscribed in gold.

The monument is located in the glorieta where Avenida Niños Héroes and Avenida Chapultepec intersect.

Beatriz Hernández

At one side of the Plaza de los Fundadores (Founders’ Plaza) behind the Teatro Degollado, the statue of Beatriz Hernández commemorates a woman who lives in the hearts of all Tapatíos. Most know her as the foundress of Guadalajara. Legend has it that she was a woman of strong and decisive character. One day, when the Spanish were indecisive about where exactly the new city should be founded, Beatriz Hernández asked to speak and counseled them that it should be in the Valle de Atemajac—just east of the area that today we call the historic center of Guadalajara. The statue in her memory is more than six feet high, a size as heroic as her personality.

El Monumento a la Independencia

Just south of the Historic Center on Calzada Independencia is one of the most beautiful public sculptures of Guadalajara. The Monument to Independence was built in 1910 as a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of Mexico’s independence and abolition of slavery. The monument consists of an octagonal base made of pink cantera (carved stone) and a cantera column with a study of Hidalgo, the father of independence, carved in white marble. Hidalgo is addressing his oppressed children who are beginning to rise up in the fight for liberty. The column features other white marble statues. One represents history (a woman with a book); another represents the national epic of Mexico (a woman with a long trumpet). At the top of the column is the angel of independence.

The Monument to Independence is located on Calzada Independencia at the point where it crosses Calle Corona.

I’ve saved three of my favorite Guadalajara monuments for the last. Each of them is near my house and I get to see all three nearly every day.

La Estampida

La Estampida (The Stampede) was designed and created by sculptor Jorge de la Peña. The horses are bronze and represent a group of horses in full gallop. Every detail of each horse is filled with dynamic action, power, and intense emotion.

La Estampida is located on Avenida López Mateos Sur at the glorieta (traffic circle or roundabout) called the Jícamas.

Glorieta and Fuente Minerva

The goddess Minerva, representing justice, wisdom, and strength, is one of the most famous symbols of Guadalajara. The fountain is in the center of a huge lawn-covered glorieta. The enormous bronze statue has at its feet the motto in Spanish, "Justice, Wisdom, and Strength, Custodian of this Loyal City". At the back is written in Spanish, "To the Glory of Guadalajara".

The names of eighteen illustrious Guadalajarans are engraved on the pedestal. The Minerva is the largest fountain in Guadalajara. Water erupts from the pedestal in a mist which offers an incredible scene to passersby and which can occasionally spray water onto motorists waiting to cross the glorieta. The statue was conceived by Pedro Medina and sculpted in Aguascalientes to be brought to Guadalajara and installed. The entire project was conceived by Agustín Yáñez, governor of the state of Jalisco from 1953 to 1959, to pay tribute to Guadalajara.

Arcos de Minerva

Built in 1942, the Minerva Arches commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Guadalajara. They welcomed travelers at that time, when the location was the point of convergence of the important highways from Mexico City, Tepic, and Barra de Navidad.

The Arches are similar in design to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The motto on one side reads, "Hospitable Guadalajara" and on the other side, "A Wonderful Stay is the Guarantee of Your Return". The Guadalajara coat of arms, granted by King Carlos V of Spain, is featured on either side. The city Office of Tourism has been located in the arches since 1959. In the offices are permanent exhibits of Guadalajara memorabilia. Upstairs there is a vantage point where tourists can enjoy incredible views of the city. The monument is as well-recognized as a symbol of the city as the steeples of the Cathedral.

Wild cosmos carpet the Michoacán countryside in the early fall.

Santa Clara del Cobre
During breakfast on our second morning
in Pátzcuaro, all hands voted to head for Santa Clara del Cobre, a
small town famous the world over for its hand wrought copper. The town
is just half an hour from Pátzcuaro and was declared a national
historical monument in 2001. Santa Clara was an important producer of
copper ore and copper vessels during the reign of the Purhépecha, long
before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors. Although the local copper
mines were depleted in the early 1940s, the copper industry has
continued and even thrived. Currently, all copper vessels start with
reclaimed copper wire which is sent to local foundries to be melted
into ingots. Individual seamless copper pieces are hand-hammered from
those ingots.

Our first stop was at the Museo del Cobre (Copper Museum), a small
repository of historic photographs, old posters from prior years’
copper festivals, and some of the finest examples of the local
coppersmiths’ art. The museum is located just past the town plaza, at
the corner of Pino Suárez and Avenida Morelos, Santa Clara’s main
street.

The individual heads surrounding this museum-quality copper jar are repujado (repoussée), or hand- hammered from the inside out.  The remaining decoration is hammered on the outside.

The value of a copper piece, whether for decoration or for utilitarian
purposes, is based on its design, its workmanship, and its weight. I
wanted my friends to visit the museum first to see the best of the best
so that they would have a basis of comparison when looking at
commercially produced copper goods in Santa Clara’s shops. After half
an hour or so of exclaiming over the designs and workmanship of the
copper vessels in the small museum, we were ready to hit the streets
and the shops.

Several copper shops are just around the corner from the Copper
Museum. The first place we visited was Casa Felícitas, Pino Suárez #88.
The owners are Lourdes Paz and her husband, Alfredo García. I’ve known Lourdes and her family for years.
In my opinion, her shop sells the finest copper in Santa Clara and has
the best service as well. Our group chose a number of items to take
home, and we particularly enjoyed the demonstration of copper
workmanship in the workshop at the rear of the store.

The workers explained the copper-making process step by step as we
watched in awe. First, the solid copper ingot is heated red-hot in a
fire stoked with tree bark refuse from local sawmills. The fire is
urged to enormously high heat by a foot-operated bellows. A wedge of
copper, sized according to the piece to be made, is cut is from the
red-hot ingot. That wedge is then fired again and the actual work of
forming the desired piece is begun. Workers use sledgehammers to hammer
the red-hot ingot until it is too cool to work further. It’s reheated
and again the sledgehammers take up their rhythmic pounding.

Eventually the ingot becomes a solid round sheet of copper. At that
point, the heating and hammering continue until the copper artisans
begin to bend the solid copper to form the shape of the vessel it will
become. The day we were at the workshop, the artisans were making
copper sinks for kitchens and bathrooms. Sledgehammer strike by hammer
strike, the sinks took on the appropriate form.

The surface of every piece is hand finished, wrought using smaller
hammers with textured heads. The finished copper pieces range in color
from matte reds and deep golds to the brilliant shine that we
ordinarily associate with highly polished copper. The maestro (crew
boss) explained that the finish of each piece is created by bathing the
piece in water and/or acid to give it its color. Each copper artist
creates work that is his alone.

As we were leaving Santa Clara, we made a last stop at the workshop of
Abdón Punzo. Sr. Punzo, one of the town’s most famous copper artists,
also creates large decorative objects in solid (.999) sterling silver.
Some of his copper pieces are monumental in size and weight and
flawless in execution, entirely hand-wrought from a single ingot of
copper. He recently finished a life-size sculpture of a Purhépecha
woman, complete with a long braid and ropa típica (typical clothing). He has won countless national and regional awards for his copper and silver art pieces.

As we drove toward Pátzcuaro, I noticed that the car rode a bit
differently, tilting a bit more heavily to the back: we’d managed to
acquire two sinks, ten cooking vessels, and a variety of smaller copper
pieces. Alan, Jeanne, Sara and I talked non-stop about the techniques
and arts that we had seen in Santa Clara. We all agreed that this
fascinating town has to be high on the list of places to visit during a
trip to Pátzcuaro.

The following morning, our last in the area, we walked the length and breadth of Pátzcuaro’s large daily tianguis
(street market). The street market, located just to the west of
Pátzcuaro’s Plaza Gertrudis Bocanegra, is easy to find and really a
must-see. Many of the vendors offer fruits and vegetables similar to
those we see at most Mexican street markets, but there are certain
items that you’ll only find here.

Alan, Jeanne, and Sara wanted to see every variety of dried bean, every variety of fresh regional chile,
and every local fruit that they’d never seen before. I was kept busy
telling them about what the different beans are used for, helping Alan
pick out the freshest chiles perón (an extremely hot bright yellow chile grown in Michoacán), and being urged by many vendors to taste regionally grown fruits such as nísperos (loquats), duraznos blancos (white peaches), and the nanche,
a small yellow fruit which has no equivalent name in English. It’s the
size of a cherry and is usually eaten cooked, at room temperature, with
salt, lemon, and a sprinkle of powdered chile. Nanches are a taste that Sara and I haven’t acquired, but Alan and Jeanne loved them.

Buy one red, one yellow, and one green: Mexico calls that selection a semáforo: stoplight!

It was tempting to buy bags and bags of produce, but my three visitors
from out of the country knew it wasn’t possible to import to the States
most of what they craved. They consoled themselves with hot out of the
oven pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread) from Rivepan, a typical bakery on the east side of the tianguis
street. Loaded down with many more freshly baked goods than we could
have eaten in a week—and with a long backward glance at beautiful
Pátzcuaro—we pointed the car toward Jalisco, and home.