Aztec Trek - Part 4 - On the Tequila Trail

The views of blue agave plantations, stretching as far as the eye could see, as we reclined in our super comfy seats, gave us a clue to our next destination. The 4-hour journey to Mexico’s second largest city was a delight as we reclined at the front of our luxury double decker bus.  I remember being impressed with the long-distance buses were when I last visited Central America, and if anything, they had improved.

Sad to leave our cosy bubble, we stepped out into the clamour of  central Guadalajara – home of mariachi music, the sombrero – and of course, a close neighbour of the pueblo magico – Ay! Tequila!…

Our home for the next few days was an apartment in a three-storey converted mansion, with an shady inner courtyard, and a small rooftop pool overlooking the city.  I counted no less than five cathedrals from the top of the building, and we had dinner that evening admiring the beautifully illuminated twin towered Catedral de Guadalajara.

The surrounding streets were lined with incredible old buildings, many quite run-down, but along with the amazing murals on almost every wall, it gave the place character.  Again, although we clearly stood out as “tourists” we never felt unsafe and were often stopped by locals for a chat in a combination of broken English/Spanish.

The local market was a dazzling array of colours, full of unusual fruit and veg, stalls which only seemed to sell a huge variety of dried chillis, shops crammed full of piñatas and much to our horror, Christmas decorations!  In fact, there was a whole market next to our apartment solely dedicated to Yuletide wares – and we thought we’d escaped it this year!

Being partial to the odd margarita, I couldn’t resist treating myself to a trip on the “Jose Cuervo Express” train for a visit to La Rojeña Distillery, in the town of Tequila, where the famous spirit was made. Worryingly, the factory had suffered a huge explosion in the summer, when one of the giant containers sparked a fire causing 6 fatalities, but had recently re-opened for tours.

Boarding our luxury train at 9am for the 2-hour journey, we were soon offered our first “tasting” of the day – a choice of four cocktails, mopped up by a selection of Mexican snacks.  This was followed by another tasting session, with explanations of the different types of tequila (sadly in Spanish…but after a while, strangely, it all began to make sense!).

Luckily, our factory and museum tour were in English, and after more tastings (hic!) we were shown how this famous spirit was made. I’m not sure how much of this information I took in, but we sobered up slightly over lunch and a walk around this pretty town.

Although we were ready for a “siesta” by then, our (mostly Mexican) fellow visitors were obviously ready for a “fiesta”.  They all thoroughly enjoyed the “Mexican Show”, heartily singing along to the huge mariachi band while applauding the colourful dancers.

Mexicans really know how to party big time, and a sunset visit to the agave fields to see the harvesting process on our way back, was followed by a full-on rave up, with (you guessed) more free-flowing cocktails, food, mariachis and line-dancing.  Despite the alcohol, this old retired (and retiring) British couple could only sit and watch, and we returned home exhausted, having thoroughly enjoyed a long, but very well organised day out. Recovering from a “slight” headache, the next day was spent re-charging our batteries “up on the roof”!

Being the old “hipsters” that we are, we couldn’t visit Guadalajara without exploring the Colonia Americana district, which was voted “The Coolest Neighbourhood” in the world recently by Time Out. A 30-minute walk brought us to Avenue Chapultepec, which was lined with restaurants and bars.  Home to the University of Guadalajara, there we were accosted by a group of young students who were keen to interview us for an English college project! After trying out the beer at the “York Pub”, full of faux British paraphernalia, we found a great little restaurant for lunch.  The area was indeed pretty “cool” and as we wandered down its side streets, we came across more amazing artworks, art deco mansions and sleek cafés (many of which were closed – the area really comes alive after dark).  We made a note to return one evening to sample the famous night life.

Our lodgings were pretty central to most of the main historic sites, and the next day we made a pilgrimage to see the nightmarish murals by famous Mexican artist José Orozco at the UNESCO recognised Hospicio Cabañas.  This vast former orphanage and asylum was home to some of Orozco’s most famous masterpieces which adorned the chapel’s walls and ceiling.  They were impressive, though quite dark and sinister. The paintings depict disturbing images of pre-Hispanic Mexico, the Spanish conquest and the centrepiece – “Man of Fire” (man’s submission to machines) – was not one for the living room wall!

Near this museum we stumbled across the HUGE market of San Juan de Dios – spread across several blocks and on so many levels we lost count!  With eye-popping displays of charros (Mexican cowboy) outfits and all the accoutrements that went with them – from saddles to hats and beautifully embroidered dresses (for the cowgirls I assume!).  The heat and smells radiating from the food court made us feel slightly queasy, so we navigated out way out through the crowds with some difficulty.

We felt that this city held more sights than we had so far discovered, so the following morning we met up with a young local guide, Santiago, for a walking tour.  His English was excellent and he entertained and educated us as he showed us around his city.  We ended up back at the market, where he gave us the chance to try out the unfamiliar fruits and recommended local dishes to try.  One of the most popular was torta ahogada (literally “drowned sandwich) – a roll filled with pork and onions, all soaked up in a tomato and chilli sauce and served up in a plastic bag.  Even Ian felt reluctant to try this one for fear of the mess he would make while he was eating it!

Our final day was spent visiting the pretty town of Tlaquepaque (pronounced telakipaki) on the outskirts of Guadalajara. We ventured there on the recently opened metro line, which was remarkably clean and efficient.  Hundreds of brightly coloured paper picados floated above the pedestrianised streets which housed an amazing collection of artisan shops, art galleries and some extraordinary sculptures.

Guadalajara isn’t on the usual tourist trail, but we really enjoyed exploring the neighbourhoods in this vast but diverse and fascinating city.

Next stop:  On a Wing and a Prayer!