Sunday, January 1, 2017

Day 100 – 101 : Guadalajara

I am so in love with Guadalajara. There's so much beauty in this area.  

Guadalajara is the 2nd largest city in Mexico, after Mexico City.  Though it's the 2nd largest, it is less crowded and not "in your face" as compared to Mexico City, and a lot cleaner too.  There is also a good balance of city and nature here.

It's surprising there is very little information about this city online, and because of that, I had only allocated 2 full days here, when one could easily keep occupied with about a 4 to 5 days stay. 

Downtown area is easily worth spending at least 2 to 3 days, and filled with numerous beautiful colonial buildings with a great vibe. 

Guadalajara Cathedral, Plaza de Armas, Plaza de la Liberacion, Palacio de Gobierno, Plaza de Guadalajara, Mercado Libertad, Institute Cultural Cabañas are just some of the sights the downtown has to offer, and more. 

Mariachis are said to had started in Guadalajara, so it’s not uncommon to find some singing in the Mercados or on the streets.

Plaza de la Liberacion and Cathedral in Background

Guadalajara CathedralDifferent view of Guadalajara CathedralPalacio de GobiernoCeiling Mural inside Palacio de GobiernoInside Palacio de GobiernoCorridor of Palacio de GobiernoInside Mercado Libertad - largest indoor market in MexicoInside Mercado LibertadRows and Rows of foodstalls in Mercado LibertadMariachisShops in Mercado Libertad selling Horse and cow boy stuffFruit stores in Mercado LibertadPlaza de Guadalajara and Institute Cultural Cabanas in BackgroundInstitute Cultural CabanasOpen SquareStreets of GuadalajaraStreets of Guadalajara downtownPlaza FundadoresLuis Manuel RojasTeatro DegolladoInside Teatro DegolladoAnother Cathedral in DowntownBiblioteca IberioAmericana Octavio PazAnother Cathedral in DowntownMuseo de las Artes

I had to give a number of the museums a miss due to shortage of time, and I heard the art in these museums are really good too. 

There's also a very vibrant side to Guadalajara, located along the street of Chapultepec, with numerous restaurants and bars lining the streets and a couple said to be noteworthy nearby towns to visit such as Tonola and Zapopan. And of course Tequila!

Streets of ChapultepecStreet Performances on ChapultepecFamous Monument on ChapultepecStreet food on ChapultepecMy dinner - Arrachera meat placed between 2 tortillas. Yum!

I wish I could had spent more time here.  But with an upcoming flight to catch out of Mexico city in 10 days, and still wanting to explore 2 more cities, I just have to hope I will get another opportunity to come back here again, with more time to explore the city and visit the museums and other nearby towns.

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