Via Recreativa

With a population totaling almost 5,000,000 in Guadalajara and the surrounding municipalities, the city's streets often resemble parking lots: Cars, buses, motorcycles, pedestrians, and the occasional bicyclist are all over the place. Every Sunday, however, everything changes.

On Sundays, the city of Guadalajara and the neighboring municipality of Zapopan close an entire network of streets to vehicular traffic from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The program is called, "Via Recreativa," and I think it's a great way to see the city. Enforcement is strict: Employees or volunteers are posted at all intersections to direct traffic, and even residents along the route are issued special placards for their vehicles so they can leave their homes in their cars.

There are also several locations along the route where loaner bicycles are available for free, but there was not a place near Paulina's house, so we opted to walk.

There is even a place to have your bicycle repaired or get a drink of water.

We enjoyed the freedom to stroll the streets without dodging cars and buses. As we walked, I marveled at the way this city is transformed each and every Sunday. Normally, it's nearly impossible to cross a street around here: Amazing as this may sound to most people living in the U.S., it seems the worst place to cross the street in this city is at an intersection. I have spotted two or three crosswalks with signals in the entire city, and those were in El Centro GDL. Not a city I would usually consider to be pedestrian- or cyclist-friendly, Via Recreativa allowed us to see Guadalajara in a completely different way.

Taco Stands

One of the things we love about Mexico (in case you hadn't already noticed by reading our blog) is the great food. As I mentioned last year, some of the best food can be found at the taco stands that pop up all over the city each day. Some are only open during the day, while others are only open after the sun goes down. The one pictured above is just one of six stands that are open nightly off of Avenida Chapultepec in Zapopan. Here you can find many varieties of tacos, as well as hamburguesas and hot dogs done the Mexican way: Cilantro in the hamburger meat, and hot dogs with mustard, tomatoes, and chile.

This plate contains 5 tacos: 2 tacos al pastor, 2 tacos de chorizo, and 1 taco de carne asada, at a cost of 30 pesos (about $2.50 US).

There is also a desert stand. After all, a great meal calls for a tasty desert.

And while GDL is a fairly affluent city, there is also a great deal of poverty here. These two boys were wandering the taco stands asking for money, and were beside themselves with joy when our friend, Oscar, offered to buy them a licuado at the desert stand. Oscar told us that he never gives money to kids who beg, as they simply take it back to their parents who are likely addicted to drugs or alcohol. He said it's better to offer to feed them directly, as they can enjoy the fruits of their labor this way.

Autlan

Over the weekend, we traveled to Autlan to visit Paulina's aunt and uncle. Autlan is located about 2 1/2 hours southwest of Guadalajara by bus. A word to the wise here: The majority of the trip is on a narrow, winding road, so if you ever take this trip, make sure to sit in the front of the bus and take Dramamine. We learned this the hard way, as we all became carsick -- although Maisy was the only one who threw up (a lot).


First, we went to the area where the buses pick up, which is not the bus station with which we are familiar. It is an area located on a busy road, where you buy tickets from a man leaning on a pay phone. Felt slightly sketchy.


Another tip: The bus we usually take to travel around Mexico is ETN, which is very comfortable. ETN is not available to Autlan, so we took ETN's competitor, Primera Plus. While ETN costs a bit more, if it's available, it's worth it. ETN's buses are newer, cleaner (particularly now, since Maisy puked all over one), and roomier.



Upon our arrival in Autlan, we opted to forgo the taxi service and walk to Paulina's aunt's house. It was a little longer than we expected, and Trent had to pull our suitcase on cobblestone roads and narrow, uneven sidewalks. It's best to leave your wheelchair and stroller behind.


We were welcomed by Paulina's aunt, Bertha, who is a doctor at the local hospital.




Bertha and her husband, Jesus, live in a traditional Mexican home. Bertha is the sister of Paulina's mom, and their house is the one in which Bertha, Cristina, and seven other siblings grew up. When you enter the home, you are in a large patio surrounded by the rest of the house. It's very large, with six bedrooms -- but only two bathrooms.





There is a great view of the cathedral from the patio. The bells start ringing very early each day, so combined with the roosters, don't count on sleeping in.


First, we went to the mercado, which is the closest grocery store.


Shopping is done the old-fashioned way -- groceries stacked floor to ceiling, and you ask for what you want to buy.


On Saturday night, we went to Bertha's favorite carne asada restaurant. Everything was made on a wood-fire grill. The food was fantastic, and, as an added bonus, we smelled like we had been camping.




On Sunday morning, we hiked to the chapel at the top of the hill,


through neighborhoods,


and past farms.


Oh, good, I was hoping there'd be a bathroom.


At the top, there was an amphitheater.


The view was gorgeous. Trent took a panoramic photo.


Then we hiked down,


and went to the swimming pool. Ah, heaven.

Interesting Signs

As we travel around Jalisco, we occasionally notice interesting signs that are worth sharing. Some examples follow, and I'll try to photograph more to post soon.

This sign is posted throughout the forests. Point-blank shooting of the wildlife is forbidden? What about if you are shooting them from a distance?


Would you care to finance all your liquor purchases for 6, 12, or 18 months? Seems a reasonable thing to do, especially since you won't be charged interest while you drink it, right? BTW, Superama is the high-end supermarket owned by WalMart here in Mexico. Interestingly, everything costs more at Superama than at any other supermarket we've visited in GDL. This one has a Sam's and VIPs in the same shopping center. Never heard of VIPs? It's the popular casual dining restaurant chain also owned by WalMart.

Tonala and Lunch at the Mercado

Over the weekend, we visited Tonala, one of the seven colonies in GDL. One of the less affluent colonies, Tonala offers plenty of opportunities to buy Mexican kitsch. We visited Tonala last year, but it was on the day of the street market, so the crowds were huge. The place was much more manageable this time, and we were able to explore more of it. These photos are of the town center, complete with a cathedral and a town square.

I love the cobblestone roads.

We wandered through the shops for a bit, and then we ate lunch in the mercado (market). We all drank 'licuados', which are milkshakes made with milk, fresh fruit, and honey. They are served in plastic bags, which is common for beverages purchased in the mercados or on the streets.

Fresh meat or fresh flowers? You can purchase them both right here, along with your fresh fruits and veggies.

Parque Metropolitano

On Sunday, we visited a local park, Parque Metropolitano, for a picnic. This park is HUGE, with multiple playgrounds, trails (both dirt and paved) throughout, bicycle rental, an amphitheater, and even a small amusement park. The amusement park, however, was not open that day -- no clue why, though -- lots of seemingly random events like this take place around here: An attraction that's closed on a busy Sunday in the park? Hmm. . .


After we ate, we rented bikes for the kids (25 pesos for an hour, which, at our very favorable exchange rate, is less than $2 US).