To spend an interesting weekend exploring Guadalajara's historic district, stay at one of the hotels right off the Tapatio Mall. There are two that I know of within a couple blocks of the Degollado Theater; one is the Mendoza and my favorite, the Frances which has been a Hotel since 1614; imagine seeing that in the U.S. or Canada! It has the most interesting elevator imported from Italy in the 1800's. It even works sometimes, which is especially nice if your room is on the third floor or the penthouse. Speaking of the penthouse, even when the elevator is working, it doesn't go to the roof, so one must walk up the final flight of steps no matter what. The hotel has some 2 room suites costing 500 pesos including IVA; the one we occupied recently had a charming sitting room in addition to the sleeping area, which came with 2 double beds, 2 balconies, television, telephone and ceiling fan. When I arrive at the Frances, I give my car to the bellhop for parking, and I don't see it again until I'm ready to leave. I have no idea where it goes, but when I'm ready to leave, I send for it and it appears at the doorstep again without fail.
There are so many things within walking distance as you're located right behind the Cathedral. The Degollado Theater where one can attend a Saturday night performance or go for the Sunday morning Folkloric Ballet. The particular weekend I was there, the Saturday show was a dance group from Spain doing modern dance inter-pretations. The regional museum is across the mall, certainly worth a couple of hours, since everything in it is related to the state of Jalisco. They have a mastodon skeleton, remains of prehistoric animals (many of which have been found here at Lake Chapala) antique pottery from throughout the state of Jalisco, historical illustrations of famous Jaliscienses, Ramon Corona, for example. There are antique carriages and personal items, most of which seem to have belonged to the Orendain family, well-known in Jalisco for the production of tequila. There is also a gallery of religious art. Lighting in this last exhibit, unfortunately, is so bad that it's impossible to see and appreciate the many paintings. I don't know if they are so bad someone felt it advisable not to make them more discernible, or whether they've just been neglected, whatever the case may be, they can't be seen. But don't let that discourage you from enjoying the rest of the museum and don't overlook the building itself which is magnificent.
Just outside the entrance to the regional museum are the horse drawn carriages, authentic vehicles lovingly restored. My friend had never been to Guadalajara before, so we hired one for the hour tour, cost us $200 pesos. I've been here for over 10 years, yet it's the first time I've done the carriage tour. The driver was quite knowledgeable and pointed out all the points of interest along the way; however, he spoke no English, which could be a problem for many foreigners.
The Libertad or San Juan de Dios market, is also within walking distance and one must allow several hours to go there. Great fun. I believe that every artisan product made in Mexico can be found at this market. It's a veritable treasure trove. One just needs perseverance and stamina to find anything you could possibly want. When exhaustion completely overtakes a person, the Mariachi Plaza is right next door for a drink and rest and of course, music.
The Hospice is at the end of the mall, in the vicinity of the market, and this is the magnificent building where Orozco's "Man of Fire" is found as well as other of his murals. In addition to the Orozco murals, the building and patios are absolutely wonderful and, sometimes, you'll find dance students practicing, drama classes going on, or who knows what else. Just keep your eyes open and expect anything.
Magnificent churches abound, the Cathedral being just one of them, Government houses built by the Spaniards in their inimitable style, plazas, fountains and gazebos, exhibits and demonstrations of all kinds or the mall itself. There is so much to see and do, it's just a question of which way one chooses to stroll. Presidential candidate Fox was on hand the Sunday we were there, as well as anti-drug rally and a gay rights parade. Many streets in the district are closed to traffic, so it's just as well to walk and not try to maneuver a car through all that activity.
Guadalajara is a great change of pace for us Lakesiders. If we don't need to drive everywhere (I'm usually lost for the better part of the trip when I'm driving), we can relax and get into the spirit of the sights and sounds. Staying in Guadalajara overnight eliminates the necessity of driving back to the Lake after dark, which is a welcome relief to many of us.
By the way, this last trip, because I had to go to "Office Depot" on Lopez Mateos before leaving town, we came back via route 15, which comes into Jocotepec; the back way you might say. Not far outside of Guadalajara we found a wonderful campestre (country) style restaurant "El Tajo" full of Mexican families at Sunday comida. Outstanding service and food, plenty of shaded parking, a lovely cool oasis, altogether a real pleasure. If you're on that road, see if you find it as pleasant an experience as we did that hot dusty day.
