Day 1 - Guadalajara

I finally arrived in Guadalajara after a long, tiresome day of traveling. Guadalajara is a densely packed metropolis, sprawling for miles in all directions. It is a hip, urban center. One that, in a good way, defies all preconceptions of Mexico. Sure, it is not perfect, but I have yet to find a perfect place. The picture above is the Plaza de Armas in the historical center of Guadalajara. I stumbled upon an Art Nouveau building, the central/underground market with rows upon rows of merchants selling bric-a-brac, loud mariachis, beggars, goths, Orozco murals, politicians, hipsters, you name it. It was a sensory assault, but in the best possible way. I needed a break, so I waited for 1.5 hours and caught a bus back to the hotel (nope, no chickens on this bus).

This is an image of the massive Orozco mural in the central administrative offices of Guadalajara (pictured at the top). The picture does not capture the size of the mural, which spans an entire ceiling and four walls of a grand stairwell. There is a bright red/orange light that illuminates the mural (which is hard to make out here), amplifying the already tense mood. There are swastikas, soldiers, swords, and sangre that didn't make it into this photo. Trust me, it is intense.

Here is a generic picture of the main cathedral. I did not enter it because, well, I just didn't feel like it. Maybe tomorrow I'll drum up the gumption. But maybe not. There is a lot to do, and having been spoiled by having access to the "oldest standing church" in the Americas (in Santo Domingo), this one just starts with a handicap.

So, hoorah! to preconceptions being destroyed, 5 cold bottles of water for one whopping dollar (interesting, considering monetary policy, inflation, and consumer price indices), fresh tacos, and the nice, cool, and (so far) rainless weather.