Guadalajara 2016 - A Few Words About Mexican Churches

No matter how impressive every Mexican church I have ever visited exudes a certain humility. Many European churches, as well as North American ones, seem designed to flaunt wealth. Mexican churches, by contrast, appear to be designed not to be showcases for what a church owns but to beautiful spaces in which to worship. In one the gilded altar was juxtaposed against humble carved wooden wainscoting along it's walls. Images of saints, instead of being sculpted marble are painted wood. Exquisite examples of folk art inspired by deep belief and faith. While true that some 16th century cathedrals in the Yucatan were built using stone from Mayan structures demolished by the Spaniards, when the people of Mexico took control of their faith they created interiors that spoke of humanity and humility, not greed, fear and a lust for power. The addition of electricity in the more venerable churches is evidenced by almost ubiquitous Murano glass chandeliers, but even these are glass. not crystal. While beautiful they provide light, they do not exude it. Mexican churches, even the most grand, are monuments to a people's faith not an affront to it.  

Guadalajara 2016 - The Light Fantastic

On Friday night I treated myself to the best meal of my trip. I chose a restaurant on the second floor of a building that stood on one side of the plaza in front of the Cathedral. My choice was made, for the most part, because from the menu at the entrance I discovered I could enjoy a glass of Chivas for the equivalent of $5.

The long windows of the restaurant afforded me a view of the plaza below from my table. Night had fallen as I descended the stairs after dinner. I was unprepared for the sight I experienced as I stepped outside. The fountain in the center of the plaza was flooded by spotlights which changed color, from bright red to brilliant blue to a deep orange, brilliant color after brilliant color illuminated the water. The cathedral was equally spectacular. The baroque elements of it's facade were highlighted and enhanced by bright golden lights. As I made my way back to the hotel I discovered the fountain in the plaza outside the university was lit in a similar way giving an almost carnival atmosphere to the evening.

I was determined to return the next night, phone in hand, to capture the sight. I have mentioned the hordes of people I encountered in Mexico's second largest city. On Saturday night these were multiplied several times over making the sidewalks feel like rush hour subway cars. Miraculously I managed to find enough space to shot a video of the cathedral fountain and buildings surrounding the plaza by walking in a small circle to capture a 360 degree view. A band played in an outdoor restaurant. A group of punks walked by donned in tight, torn, gaffitti covered clothing and sporting multiple piercings. I saw another wearing heavy eye makeup and a long leather trench coat waiting for his order in a Subway sandwich shop. A man was ranting into a mike about God knows what, a group of girls, wearing what appeared to be Quinceanera gowns hung out the sunroof of a hummer limo as it passed by in the street.

Just your typical Saturday night!

Guadalajara 2016 - The International Brotherhood of Jewelry Salesmen

I arrived in Guadalajara after dark. I caught a cab to my hotel from the airport. It took me through some rather desolate areas, a condition I was to see repeated a number of times over the following days, before dropping me off at the 100 plus year old doors of the establishment that was to be my base of operations during my stay. As I entered the lobby and was checking in, working as hard I as could to overcome a language barrier, I noticed a tiny jewelry shop off to one side. After depositing my bags in my room I returned to the lobby. It is, given my profession, difficult for me to pass up a jewelry store, especially since it was after nightfall and I, frankly, had nothing else to do. The proprietor, a smallish gentleman with prematurely silver hair heavily sprayed into place greeted me. He was dressed in jeans, long sleeve shirt and a stripped apron, his uniform of sorts as I saw him wear a variation of it every day I was there. After he greeted me it was ascertained quickly that my Spanish speaking language skills were, to say the least, limited. Fortunately his English was excellent. He was to become my unofficial Guadalajara guide.

I had intended to take public transportation while there. He suggested that, not being fluent in Spanish, this was not my best option. Taxis were cheap, plentiful and much, much safer. After later seeing the neighborhoods I would have had to traverse between my hotel, the zoo and Talqupeque this suggestion proved to be sound advise.

It was after my one of my outings that, upon returning to the hotel, I began to question his sexual orientation. Although I didn't, for various reasons, explore this aspect of Guadalajara, I knew from my research that it has the most active gay community in Mexico. My research also suggested that the epicenter of that community was close by my hotel. Rather tentatively I asked him which, bringing up a listing of gay establishments on my phone, if any, were close by. He knew of a couple, telling me one was a stripper bar where the strippers danced full on naked. It appeared that from his familiarity with the bar he had been there more than once. On a seperate occasion he told me, without prompting, about another bar I had read about. This one had a "back room". He suggested that I might have more "fun" there. Again his knowledge of the venue seemed more that just casual.

I did purchase a tourquise ring from him. The stone is unique in that it contains both the green and blue hues of the semi precious gem. He told me that all the jewelry was made by Mexican artisians. I took him at his word. True or not it does add a bit of romance to the piece.

Prior to leaving I made a point of thanking him for all his assistance and information. He insisted he did nothing special. His grace, humility and kindness left me with only one problem, how was I ever going to be able to pay this forward. Thanks my silver haired amigo.

A number of years ago when we were in Venice we ran into difficulty locating our hotel. Noticing a beauty salon on the street my husband, a hairdresser, exclaimed "The international federation of hairdressers! They'll help us!". Sure enough, despite a language barrier, one of the women led us down the street and pointed through an archway. We found our hotel, tucked away behind two courtyards. On this occasion I put my trust in the International Brotherhood of Jewelry Salesman.  

Guadalajara 2016 - No Cars Allowed

On Sundays Guadalajara, like several other large Mexican cities, closes some of it's streets to vehicular traffic. The population walks, jogs, skateboards and bikes down avenues choked with traffic every other day of the week. In Merida this tradition results in a party air complete with musicians and dancing, literally, in the streets. In Guadalajara it conveys a feeling of the citizens exhibiting an air of freedom of movement, despite them being stopped at corners occasionally so that cross traffic can make it's way past the vast numbers of people enjoying an afternoon of activity untethered by cars and buses. As I walk through the historical core of the city I passed another hotel as venerable as mine, each of it's ground floor windows graced by caged tropical birds. I stopped in a store thinking I might purchase a suit for my new job, coming up empty handed. I took a photo of another stores long entryway. Vivid gowns with 4 foot wide skirts in colors not generally found in nature were displayed on manequins along one wall. One was barebreasted, clad only in a bright green bell shaped skirt. My mind reeled. I posted the photo on Facebook. People streamed past me and churchbells rang as I continued to my hotel to pack and prepare for my trip home.

Guadalajara 2016 - A Visit to a Museum - Art

Many people, when they think of museums, think of art, a selection of which can be found at the museum in Guadalajara. One long, narrow room contains religious art dating from the 11th through 18th centuries. In this gallery Jesus is depicted on a cross...repeatedly. One piece attempts to tell the story of the founding of the Carmelite order of nuns. Jesus is in the center, seen suffering through the agony of his crucifixion while in one corner is a group of sisters, all habits and rosaries. Cherubs, their naughty parts creatively draped, fly through the air. On the whole it resembled some overproduced, slightly gory, Broadway musical number gone terribly awry.

It was interesting to see the evolution of both materials and techniques between the older pieces and the more "modern" ones. The 11th century works were crude, their imagery flat and lacking in the concept of perspective, while the 18th century have more dimension. The colors are stronger, perhaps due to improvements in the quality of pigments available. Light reflects off of the draped fabrics and faces in the paintings. Art education is also most likely a factor. 11th century artists worked on almost pure inspiration and devotion to their subject while later artists were able to receive more formal training.

I wandered a bit more and came upon a true treat tucked away in a corner. It was a special exhibition of portraits of famed artist Frida Kohelo done by Mexican artists. The paintings filled two rooms. Each work evoked the reverence and respect the artists obviously felt towards her. Done in an array of styles, they each portrayed her and her odd beauty in their own special way. In one she is embraced by a Day of the Dead skeleton, another shows her surrounded by a group of cats. One envisions her on the cover of Vogue. In another she is imagined as a Hollywood screen siren. She wears a bright crown of flowers, rainbow smoke issues from a cigarette she is holding, a hummingbird hovers by her shoulder, I have no idea why.

I had two favorites, although it was difficult to chose among the works. There was an obviously Picasso inspired piece of classic cubism. The image is fragmented, the colors vivid and arbitrary. The other, by contrast, was quiet and subdued. It was a rather large, straight forward. sepia toned portrait. Not only visually lovely it also evoked an emotional response, one characteristic that defines great art. It radiated self confidence and serenity.

I returned to the venerable maze of courtyards and staircases. The dome and spires of the cathedral could be seen above the roof line as the bells pealed calling the faithful to mass.

Guadalajara 2016 - A Visit to a Museum - Artifacts

Sunday, my final day in Guadalajara, came in cool and overcast. Whatever I had contracted prior to leaving for Mexico flared up and I had started the cycle of antibiotics I had brought with me the night before. On my first day the museum, for a reason I never did ascertain, wasn't open. As I approached that morning I saw the doors were open and once inside discovered that admission on Sundays is free. I entered the venerable structure, built in 1701, and found myself in the courtyard that I had come to realize over the past week is an integral part of the architecture of the area.

The centerpiece of the museum's collection is a skeleton of a mammoth discovered nearby almost intact. Other prehistoric fossils line the walls. There is a rhino skull estimated to be 7 to 8 million years old, a the molar of a mammoth as large as a man's foot and the skull of a sabre tooth tiger with it's impressive fangs. Drawing on the walls above the bones depict how the animals appeared when alive. This was the only area of the museum where English translations, somewhat garbled, were presented next to the Spanish language ones on the description cards accompanying the artifacts on display. The closing paragraph of the last panel contains a statement that I think might be too controversial to be found in most American museums. It is a discussion regarding the different theories of the cause of the extinction of the creatures whose fossilized remains are housed there. The final paragraph addresses climate change and that man through his disregard for the earth and his rampant consumerism  could cause the next great extinction. It is a message both chilling and thought provoking.

The next galleries focused on artifacts of the indigenous societies of Mexico. The items on display dated from 600 to 1500 a.d., so far as I could tell, the signs were all in Spanish. Case after case contained examples of jewelry, household items and terra cotta figures, all beautifully presented. There was a feeling of respect for not only the items themselves but also for the cultures that had created them. One case centered on music. Clay flutes were shown as well as sculptures depicting people involved in the joyful activity of making music and dancing.

The museum is somewhat of a labyrinth with multiple courtyards ringed by covered walkways on two levels. Some exhibits appeared to not be open, perhaps the reason the museum was completely closed when I first attempted to visit it. In an upstairs gallery I found artifacts from more recent eras. Portraits of important Mexican historical figures, I presume, again the signs were all in Spanish, filled the walls. There were several rather primitive paintings of battle scenes from Mexican wars. In an odd juxtaposition items of finery are also housed here, Elaborate opera glasses, an ivory fan and a delicate cup and saucer graced one case. There were also examples of military garb. Brass buttoned tailcoats and dress helmets decorated with horsetails and feathers. After all, we want to look our best when we go off to war. A mark of a true gentleman is an understanding of appropriate dress for the occasion.

I left the gallery and returned to the maze of walkways, staircases and courtyards.

Guadalajara 2016 - Talquepaque

In a word, well two words, Talquepaque is a tourist trap. A place to make money off of visitors to Guadalajara. However, when a tourist trap is as lovely as Talquepaque I am willing to be forgiving. It began life and still retains the character of a small historic Mexican town. As has happened with other major cities, as the urban area grew the town was annexed by the city of Guadalajara.

My half hour long, and remarkably inexpensive, cab ride began at my hotel in Guadalajara's Centro Historico. Just a short distance from the 17th century churches across the street from my hotel the scene changes to one of auto shops, abandoned buildings and rolling garage doors buried under layers and layers of graffiti. Closer to my destination the streets narrowed. The buildings which lined them are painted bright colors and although modest in size there seems to be a sense of neighborhood pride in those living there, perhaps because of their proximity to the battered no man's land that lies between them and the center of the city.

My cab driver, in an odd coincidence the same one that had driven me back from the zoo the day before, drops me off at the edge of the district. A building along a pedestrian walkway with an arched arcade is filled with restaurants and shops. At that fairly early hour, 10 a.m., the stalls hawking wares one finds in such places throughout Mexico, are just beginning to come to life. I crossed the main plaza with it's ubiquitous bandstand, every town seems to have one, and visited the two nearby churches. Construction began on both in the 17th century but neither was completed until the 19th century. The San Pedro Apostal Church, the smaller of the two, resembled several of the others I had seen on this trip. The other, The Sanctuary of the Virgin Mary, was a different story. It features a stunningly beautiful interior of carved wood and stone and is filled with natural light which streams in from the windows around it's dome.

I wandered the narrow streets, many restricted to pedestrians only, lined by beautiful historic buildings. The lush courtyards of mansions were visible behind iron gates. The goods in the stores ranged from souvenir kitsch to massive chandeliers and heavy wooden furniture. Colorful textiles were stacked in high piles. Cheap bead and plastic jewelry was juxtaposed against more pricey silver pieces. Sculptures dotted the tiny lanes. Some examples in this public art display were realistic and representative, some more abstract. I stopped in one shop to purchase a Christmas ornament, a small terra cotta pinata. Showing the young men helping me a photo on my phone of our heavily laden Christmas tree he grinned and said "one more!"

A cool breeze broke the warmth of the afternoon sun as I began to make my way back to the main square to hail a taxi to return me to my hotel with the fair number of bags I had collected during my shopping expedition. I stopped in my tracks and almost shrieked like a girl when I realized that 5 men were preparing to perform the Danza de los Valadores. I had seen this performed once before in Mexico City. An American couple nearby were speaking with each other wondering what was going on as the men climbed the tall pole one by one. I told them it was worth waiting for. 4 of the men launch themselves off of a wheel at the top of the pole operated with his feet by the fifth man. Ropes tied to both their feet and the wheel hold them upside down as the wheel spins and they are lowered slowly to the ground going around and around as the ropes wrapped around the wheel unwind. There is a video on YouTube that will give you some idea of the spectacle but nothing can compare with seeing it performed in person.

Did I behave like a tourist? Yes, unashamedly! Sometimes you just have to.