Guadalajara - Day 3

View from hotel roof

We had our usual light breakfast with Coffee from an Oxxo convenient store and fresh pastry from a bakery.  We took our time enjoying our breakfast sitting on a bench and watching the people of the city walking purposely to start their day.

We then returned to our room for a round of hand clothes washing.  We had refined our drying method from using clothes hangars over the window to hanging the clothes from the hotel washing lines on  the roof, one flight of stairs up.

Sculpture in Plaza Tapatia

We then walked to the museum and found it closed at 11 AM even though our guide stated that it would be open at 10 AM.   We then found our way to the information center, where there was surprise that the museum wasn't open.  They made a phone call and learned that the museum was closed for the day for renovation but would be open tomorrow, so this represented a reverse transfer of information.

Artwork outside of Instituto Cultural

Brenda with friend

We then walked down the Plaza Tapatia, which leads to the Instituto Cultural de Cabanas, a building that dates from 1805 and was used as an orphanage and home for invalids for 150 years.  The building has many pillars, archways and courtyards.  It's most famous attraction is a mural by Jose Clemente Orozco, which is claimed to be his best work.  Brenda and I spent over 30 minutes viewing the paintings, often while laying on our backs on benches provided for the purpose.  The paintings are complex and full of details which would take many hours of contemplation to fully appreciate. 

Guadalajara Cathedral

Note baroque candle sticks

The crypt below the altar

Brenda looking uneasy inside crypt

We then walked back up the Plaza which is an amazing concourse full of shops, street vendors, water fountains, and offshoots of other pedestrian areas.  We picked a place to eat that offered a special of Mexican grill for two and 5 beers thrown in for 250 pesos.  We were served a splendid dish of various meats and vegetables, a side dish of salad, tortillas, and 5 Indio beers in a bucket of ice.  We managed to eat most of the food and drink four of the beers before staggering back to our hotel room for a nap.

Lunch

Dome at Insituto Cultural

Brenda in deep contemplation

Brenda's mealtime story 2: The meal described above and pictured  contained some Mexican specialties. One was Nopales, a cactus also known as Prickly Pear which we often saw growing wild in Baja.. It has flat spiny 'leaves', or pads. It is prepared for cooking by first removing the spines, then removing the skin with a vegetable peeler. Ours was small pads, grilled and I think lime and a little olive oil had been added. Although I have seen freshly prepared Nopales in the supermarket, this was the first we have tried. We both liked them. They were soft and had a pleasant flavour.

At about 5 PM we took a stroll up Madero street with the goal of getting a close look at some interesting looking buildings that we had seen from the hotel.   While Brenda and I were standing at a corner looking at some buildings a brightly dressed man approached us and insisted that we go inside of the building next to us.  Inside was a large dance floor, and band stand, with a long bar at the rear.  He and a colleague who hailed from the Cabo area of Baja led us into a side room to meet some of his friends, and we found ourselves in a scene from The Buena Vista Social Club.  There were 6 or 7 older men around a table, probably playing dominos or some other game.  For all we knew we could have been in Havana.  We were then taken to the bar where the man insisted that we have a drink on the house to toast the building.  I was presented with a generous neat serving of the smoothest tequila that I've ever had.  Brenda had hers mixed.

It turns out that this is a widely known center of Cuban music and dancing.  The place is connected with the University of Guadalajara and has cultural ties with Cuba, which regularly sends their musicians.  Three times a week the joint is jumping with top quality Cuban music and jam packed with dancers.  The next music night is Thursday and Brenda and I are tempted to stay in Guadalajara one more day in order to experience the evening.  The music begins at 11 PM and runs until about 3 AM, and we were advised to get a table in the old bandstand area at 10.30 PM before the place fills up.

Guadalajara - Day 2

Street Scenes From Tour Bus

We started the day with large coffees and sweet rolls at a local bakery then headed off to see the cathedral a few blocks away.  But then we noticed the tourist buses and soon we were aboard a double decker Tapatio Tour bus for a one hour tour of the city with descriptions in English via head phones.  It was a clear and temperate day so Brenda and I got good views from the open upper deck.  At 50 pesos each (geriatric rate) it represented great value, especially since we are allowed to hop on and off wherever it suits us, which means a cheap ride to the biggest shopping centers in the city and even the U.S. Consulate.

Guadalajara Cathedral

Note Baroque Candle Sticks

The Crypt Below the Altar

Brenda Not Too Comfortable In The Crypt

After lunch and a nap we visited the cathedral, which is the jewel in the crown of Guadalajara's historic center.  To quote the tour guide, "Guadalajara's twin towered cathedral is the city's most beloved and conspicuous landmark.  Begun in 1558 and consecrated in 1618, it's almost as old as the city itself."  The cathedral is open to the public and we walked around with quiet respect because there were quite a few people praying and contemplating.  A man approached us out of nowhere and led us the the crypt below the altar, where we found ourselves standing on the graves of past luminaries and looking at the coffins of various cardinals and bishops.

We then walked around the district admiring various parks and historical buildings the visited the historic Palacio de Gobierno, the seat of government of the state of Jalisco.  It is a working building and we are fortunate that the public is allowed to visit.  And historic it is!  It was completed in 1774 and is where Hidalgo proclaimed the new republic and constitution.  It was also the residence of Benito Juarez for a while.  On one ceiling is an enormous mural by the artist Jose Clemente Orozco where "Hidalgo brandishes a torch in one fist while the masses struggle at his feet."  The imagery is brutal, reflecting the literally hundreds of years of struggle to achieve democracy.  (An estimated 2 million Mexicans died during the incessant struggles, and during the revolutionary period an estimated 8 percent of the population perished.)  One section of the mural depicts the struggle between fascism and communism.  Another section, to quote the guide, shows that "... he obviously has a point of view on religion.

Mural by Jose Clemente Orozco

For the evening meal we went to a nearby small Taco stand that Brenda had spotted earlier in the day.  The place was called "Gay's Tacos".  It was on  the corner Ocampo and Priscilliano.  Across the street was the Ye Ye and Priscilliano gay bars.  The guide states that "Mexico is more broad minded about sexuality than you might think. ... There are large, growing, and confident gay communities in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Puerto Vallarta."

Guadalajara, Jalisco

Mural at Palacio de Gobierno

Jose Luis Soto's Vision of Hell

We woke up a bit earlier than usual and went for a walk around our part of Tepic.  It was a cool Sunday morning and everything was quiet.  We noticed that barricades had been erected across some of the streets and were told that every Sunday that section of the main road in the center of the city was sealed off to traffic so that the people stroll around the center of town in peace.

Brenda and I visited the Palacio de Gobierno building which has spectacular ceiling murals by the artist Jose Luis Soto, depicting the brutal history of the area in brilliant colors.  At the rotunda is his vision of hell, which would encourage most people to stay on the straight and narrow, at least for the rest of the day.

Brenda's meal time story: This is a new occasional series in response to many people back in Oz asking about the food here in Mexico.

Lunch at Tepic

In Tepic around lunchtime we settled on a small cafe near the main plaza offering Mariscos (seafood) as many do. We each had the dish pictured - very fresh and tasty grilled fish, the ranchera option, with pleny of healthy accompaniment. The salsa was a little spicy and the avocado outstanding. The purple and white salad was made of chopped red cabbage, red onion and pecans, in a light creamy dressing, very slightly sweetened. The meal including two fresh fruit drinks, lime and orange, cost 152 pesos.

Children Learning Bicycle Safety

In the court yard at the Palacio de Gobierno

We checked out of the Sierra de Alica hotel at 11.30 AM, took a cab to the central bus station, and were fortunate to arrive about 20 minutes before the departure of the next bus to Guadalajara.   We went through airport style security before boarding the bus, with luggage checked and a wand passed over our body.  The inspector asked Brenda why her backpack was so heavy, and inside found books and other mundane items and asked "No Boom Boom?"  The bus was a modern Volvo equipped with big plush seats, seat belts, and drop down movie screens. The cost of the tickets for both of us was only 410 pesos (34.20) which to us represents spectacular value.

We arrived at the central bus station of Guadalajara at  3.45 PM.  This left us with plenty of daylight remaining in order to find a hotel room.  The touring guide had warned to book ahead for the Christmas and Easter holiday season, and I was a bit apprehensive.  We didn't have to wait long for the next city bus to the center of the city 9 kilometers away, at 20 pesos for both of us.

We got off at what we thought was the Centro Historico section of the city and immediately Brenda and I both liked what we saw: a clean modern city with wide avenues and plenty of parks, fountains, monuments, and trees.  We sat down on a park bench to bet our bearings and decided to make for a hotel mentioned in the guide, with the intention of making enquiries at any likely hotels that we saw along the way.  Walking along Madero street we saw the Hamilton hotel and went to the desk.  The price asked was a ridiculously low 160 pesos per night with no TV, and 250 pesos per night with TV.  We asked to see the room.  (Gulp!)  The first room was the one with the TV and we didn't like it at all.  For one thing, at this late in the afternoon it had not been cleaned and I began to wonder what kind of a hotel it was.  We were then taken to the top floor and shown a room that we liked much better.  It was clean, had good ventilation, and was beyond the main traffic of the hotel.    We booked the room for 4 days for a total cost of 640 pesos ($53.33, or $13.33 per night).

OK, it's small, rough, and has little furniture.  But it passed all of our basic tests: toilet flushed, shower worked, both lights worked, had one power point, and above all felt safe.   There are no chairs, two small bed tables with a drawer each, and a short slatted bench.  There is no shower curtain, no towel rail, and no toilet roll holder.  The double bed has a good mattress and two lumpy but adequate pillows.  You could describe the accommodation as two painted concrete rooms with steel doors and window frames.  We figure that in the summer it would intolerable because there is neither air conditioning nor ceiling fan.  But this is a cool time of the year and the room serves our requirement for a simple base of operations.

And we like the people that run it - all women.  There is the polite old lady, the nice younger one, and the young one who does the cleaning accompanied by her 5 year old daughter. 

The blog will know how we fared through this experience but, hey, backpackers have to be ready to walk on the wild side once in a while.

Tepic, Capital of Nayarit

Great Sculpture at Waterfront

We went for a 2-hour walk from the hotel, along the Malecon and around the big hill then into old Mazatlan, which we found to be amazingly clean and tidy, with sections of very elegant housing.

We checked out of our hotel at 11 AM and headed for the bus station which turned out to be much farther than was indicated in the not-to-scale map of the city that we were using.  Once we had the bus station in view we dropped into a sidewalk cafe and had an excellent taco lunch for 50 pesos ($4.20) all up.

Fog Rolling In.  Note Lighthouse Almost Obscured.

At the bus counter we were given the choice of taking the 12:03 PM bus to Tepic, although it was already 12:10 PM, but we elected to take the 1 PM bus, which actually left at about 1:15 PM.  It was a good bus ride.  A movie was presented, Al Pacino in "88 Hours", which was understandably not to Brenda's taste.  I watched a bit of the movie, dozed, then put in some time studying for the Ham license test with my laptop.  At about half way through the trip we were asked to change busses and on we went across the lushest country that we had seen so far in Mexico, with thick vegetation and rivers that were actually flowing.  Brenda spotted crops of  mango trees, tobacco, blue agave cactus (from which Tequila is made), and perhaps even rice.  The bus ride for both of us from Mazatlan to Tepic, by the way, cost 380 pesos ($31.70).

Elegant Home in Old Matlazan

During the trip we crossed from the state of Sinaloa to the state of Nayarit, of which Tepic, our destination, is the capital.  Tepic is described in the travel guide as "... founded by the nephew of Hernan Cortes in 1524." It lies 900 meters above sea level and is surrounded by volcanoes.

Typical Street in Old Matlazan

Cathedral at Matlazan

The bus arrived at the Tepic station at dark, much later than we had expected.  We hailed a cab who agreed to take us to the "Sierra de Alica" hotel in the middle of town.  This had been recommended in the travel guide as a good hotel modestly priced at 350 pesos for two people.  The cab driver quoted only 30 pesos for the ride, but the ride was a long one and my sense of fairness overcame my sense of frugality so I gave him 50 pesos (about $4.20).  The hotel charge was 540 pesos (about $45) per night which was higher than I had expected.  However, it was after dark, Brenda and I were tired, and this was no time to stalk the streets of the city laden with heavy backpacks looking for cheaper accommodation.  We took the room and are delighted with it.  This is a solid  "old world" hotel with beautiful rooms and cable TV to boot.  Best of all, we are in the middle of town within easy walk of the town's historical sites.

After settling into our room we walked along the street until we found a Mexican restaurant where I enjoyed a hamburger with french fries and two tacos, and Brenda had two tacos and a sort of tortilla filled with cheese and meat.  That along with a coffee for Brenda set us back 102 pesos, or about $10.  What I liked about that restaurant was what I like about most restaurants we eat at: the Mexicans eat there.  Tonight, as frequently happens, we were the only gringos there.

Mazatlan, State of Sinaloa

Waiting for the Ferry with all our luggage

Heavy Duty Industrial Construction (the ferry)

Tug Assistance at Mazatlan

One Legged Brenda in the Fog

Barrier Against a 5 Deck Fall into the Water

We took a taxi from La Paz to Pichilingue and arrived at 4.30 PM.  The ferry to Mazatlan was scheduled to leave at 7 PM and we had been advised to be at the terminal 2 hours early.  We need not have bothered because nothing happened until well after 6 PM when we were placed in a shuttle bus that took us to the other side of the harbor to board the ferry.

The Baja Ferries web site mentions several of their modern vessels that boast restaurants and bars but we boarded the Mazatlan Star, built in France in 1984 and purchased by Baja Ferries in 2010.  To Brenda and I it looked a ship out of the 1960's - rough, heavy, clangy steel construction and an ergonomic jungle that would not pass muster in the 21st century.  The entire ship had an industrial feel to it and indeed transportation of heavy semitrailers seemed to be its primary function, with passengers as an afterthought.  The old, sick, or feeble had best take another route to Mazatlan.

Having said that, Brenda and I had a great ride.  We "checked in" at the main desk where I handed in my FM3 card as hostage to the return of the room key.  A member of the staff led us up one deck to level 6 to our room 608.  The room was small, nice, and cozy: twin beds, a twin desk, and a generous en suite with a terrific shower.  After settling in we went down to the cafeteria for our complementary meal.  The cafeteria too had that industrial feel with its large clientele of truck drivers.  But we enjoyed the ambiance and the food was simple but very good.

We had a good night's sleep although Brenda had to get up during the night to put on some warm clothes because the single thin blanket was not adequate.  In the morning we had a stroll around the deck then we returned to our cabin where I resumed my study for the Ham License tests.  Brenda went back onto the deck and was rewarded with her best view of whales in the Sea of Cortez yet.  There was a pair of them, 100 meters off the starboard side, and one of them did the classical dive with its tail completely out of the water.

Misty View from Room

Brenda at Malecon.  Hacienda Hotel Middle Building.

Looking North From Hotel Room

Looking South to Old Mazatlan and Harbor

Panoramic Looking Inland From Hotel Room

Soon after getting up we had noticed fairly heavy fog, which is something that we are not used to in La Paz.  For the rest of the way into Mazatlan the fog seemed to come and go.  The ferry crept into the harbor with visibility of only a few hundred yards and we seemed to pass through a very narrow channel with an island uncomfortably close to our starboard side and a breakwater even more uncomfortably close to our port side.  Two tugs ghosted out of the mist and assisted the ferry to back into position.

Pulmonia Taxi

Sunset in Mazatlan

It took close to an hour after contact for us to get off the ferry.  In the Seattle ferry system the passengers, bicycle, and motorcycle rides get off first.  In Baja the heavy vehicles get off first, then the light vehicles, then the walk on passengers last.

It was 11.30 AM when we stepped ashore.  The duration of the trip had been variously advertised as 12, 14, and 15 hours and it actually took 16 hours.  This presented a problem to us because we figured that we had until 1 PM to board the bus to Tepic if we could not find a hotel room, but we got lucky.

Waiting for us was a small fleet of taxis anxious for business.  One of the drivers approached us and I told him "No hablo mucho Espanol."  He replied "Do you speak English?"  He turned out to be very, very helpful.  He thought that he knew of a Hotel along the beachfront that might have a room at a reasonable price.  Soon we were in his taxi, which was an experience in itself.  Mazatlan has a fleet of unique taxis know as "Pulmonias" which look like large golf carts and from the sound of it are powered by VW engines.  They are light, open air, and extremely efficient.

We walked into the lobby of the Hacienda Hotel and while we were waiting for the desk clerk I balked at the posted price of 1200 pesos a night.  He told me to hang in there because he had just been told that the price was 900 ($75 USD) pesos a night.  And so it was, so I took the room.

I paid the taxi driver the 120 peso fare, having learned the obvious lesson that if you arrive in a strange town and need accommodation (or whatever service you want), tell the taxi driver what you want.

Dancers Giving Demonstration

Brenda and I were extremely pleased with the room.  The 10-story hotel is located half way along the resort beach of Mazatlan, across the road from it so that we can hear the waves breaking.  From our 4th floor room we have 180 degree views of the entire bay, from the old town and port to the left, to the "golden sector" up market hotel area to the right.  The building is one room thick which means that when we step out of the room we have 180 degree views of this side of the city.

We've taken a couple of strolls through the area.  We had lunch at a nearby cafe and dinner at a nice simple place further down.  We've already formulated some impressions of the city.  We've noticed that English is spoken much more here than in La Paz.  Eating out seems cheaper.  The taxis are definitely different.  This appears to be more of a Mexican town than a tourist one, which we like very much.  We strolled through some of the residential back streets and liked what we saw.  Having said that, we were reluctant to walk through Old Mazatlan at night because we just don't know the area and appear to be what we are: semi lost wide-eyed tourists.  Another big impression is the presence of serious armed forces in the area.  We've seen convoys of 4 and 5 small trucks with black masked and well armed special forces on board as well as quite a few army vehicles carrying their brand of firepower.  We think (and hope) that it is a show of force to ensure that order is maintained during the Carnival season.

... Speaking of which, all of the signs are here.  After we arrived a wooden viewing platform was built at the front of this hotel, for the big parade of the Carnival.  Several Mariachi bands were practicing all afternoon at a palapa on the beach.  (After waking up from my nap I told Brenda that somebody should ring the neck of that tuba player whose effort bore no relationship to the sounds emanating around him.)

I'd better explain my reference to studying for the Ham radio license.  The Club Cruceros will be holding examinations for Ham radio licenses on 6 April.  Although having a Ham license will not lead to any reduction to my $250 pa fee for membership to Sailmail, it will open to me other useful HF radio facilities.  I've downloaded study guides for the "Technical" and "General" licenses and my plan is to sit for both on the same day.  To that end I'll  drag out my netbook and study whenever  I get an opportunity that does not detract from our my touring experience.

Going Walkabout

We expect to depart for Mazatlan on the ferry this evening at 7 PM.   It will be a 14 hour ride which will be made more pleasant by what appears to be an excellent restaurant on board as well as the cabin that we have booked.

 We need to arrive at Mazatlan tomorrow morning at 9 AM fresh and bright eyed because we'll need to have our wits about us to deal with a ... challenge ... on our first day.

Our travel guide expresses it as follows: "Mazatlan has Mexico's most flamboyant Carnival celebrations.  For the week leading up to Ash Wednesday, the town goes on a nonstop partying spree.  Be sure to reserve a hotel room in advance."  We are about 30 years too late for a nonstop partying spree.  And we are also too late to book a room.  Well, I tried one hotel and it was booked, and another one did not respond.

Preparations for Carnival Begin

But we have a plan!  After emerging from the ferry we will spend a few hours walking around the historic part of Mazatlan while trying to find accommodation.  If we fail to find accommodation we'll get on a bus and proceed to Tepic, 4-5 hours away on the road to Guadalajara. 

I will be taking my Acer netbook with the internet dongle paid up for the next 30 days.  We should be able to access email and manage the blog whenever we are within range of a mobile telephone tower.

I'm enclosing a photo that Brenda took 2 days ago.  La Paz may not have gotten a mention in the Carnaval stakes, but they take it seriously enough to have partially blocked off the Malecon, the important sea front drive, and started setting up the rides a full week before Ash Wednesday.  We heard on the morning VHF radio session that Carnival officially starts today.

It would have been nice to be in La Paz to have a look at this city's festivities, but it probably would have been just a look or two.  The only member at the Palapa morning coffee group who planned to see anything was Dave, who planned to walk for a pizza one night and have a look around.  Bob Carroll plans to clear out of town altogether in his boat.  Must be an age thing with all of us.