Day Trip to Chapala

The city of Chapala is a different world. Although it is located just 30 miles from Guadalajara, it gives off a tranquil feeling that I just stepped back in time. There are no big hotels or high rise office buildings. The area is along the shoreline of Mexico's largest lake (Lake Chapala). We noticed that most of the signs are in English and Spanish because there are thousands of retirees from the U.S. that have made Chapala their home.

David and I parked and walked along Lake Chapala and I took some pictures.

 

This man is pushing his bicycle with buckets of drinks for sale.

Along the boardwalk, there were children playing on a playground and many dedicated women exercising. There was also a skate park and we watched the kids maneuver their boards.

 

 

Two Nights in Ajijic

 

Before moving to Guadalajara, I had read that there was a charming little town known as Ajijic. I told David I wanted to visit there, so we battled the traffic and 45 minutes later our car was bouncing along the cobblestone streets.

 

 

 

We ended up on a street named 16 de Septiembre (the month our oldest daughter Morgan was born). We found Estrellita's Bed & Breakfast. The host Lorraine greeted us and we learned that she was from California. We stayed two nights are her lovely place.

This is the patio off of our room. One of the nights there was a heavy afternoon thunderstorm which was perfect napping weather. I read that the siesta hour is still a very important part of everyday life in Ajijic. After the storm, this patio was green and alive with birds chirping.



 

Once the rain stops, life goes back to the way it was. We saw kids playing in the flowing water in the streets. We visited a corner store where a woman was making fresh corn tortillas. We bought half a dozen just to enjoy the fresh, hot corn taste.

 



El Parian

Another stop in Tlaquepaque was El Parian, a large plaza bordered by columned arcades and surrounded by restaurants. There are also two important churches, El Santuario de Nuestra Sonora de la Soledad (the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Solitude) and San Pedro (Saint Peter).

We enjoyed a giant drink with grapefruit, oranges, limes, tequila, and Squirt. These were the actual fruits, not the juice. The Squirt was the liquid part. It is like a Sprite. Very refreshing.

Sergio Bustamante

While walking the streets at Tlaquepaque, I noticed the gallery of Sergio Bustamante. He is a Mexican artist and sculptor. I noticed his love of ceramic sculptures, colorful paintings, and unique jewelry - each piece created by hand. I wasn't sure if photographs were allowed, but I took some. Isn't it beautiful and unique?

Centro Tlaquepaque, MX

Travelers from all over the world come to Tlaquepaque, Mexico to visit. It is a beautiful historic center with colonial-era churches and old mansions. It's also a major center for decorative arts and crafts. Here are some pics from our visit to "tuh-lah-que-pah-que."

 

Bosque los Colomos

David and I walked through Bosque los Colomos, which is referred to as the Central Park of Guadalajara. The area is 92 acres of nature nestled in a large urban area. The walking or jogging trail took us to a gorgeous Japanese Garden. On our way we saw families having picnics, kids playing, students playing Frisbee, and even some locals napping. We saw the Colomos Castle which was built in 1898 and used today as a House of Culture for classes in drawing, painting, concerts, and other exhibitions. There are camping areas and you can rent a horse and enjoy a tour.

 

It's Important to Have a Plan

I am relieved to have a place to live, so my focus can shift to enjoying time with David. We spent hours walking around the city (mostly the neighborhood where I will be living) to become familiar with Guadalajara. At one point we stopped at a McDonalds, knowing we could find a cold drink and Wi-Fi. We decided to share a sandwich and were surprised to find hot sauce and jalapeno's in addition to ketchup.

Here, David is referring to a map because the streets in Guadalajara go in all different directions and

 

it is easy to get lost. Even after referring to the map we got lost (several times).

  

Home Sweet Home

I found an apartment only five blocks from school! UNO Urban Life, entre Colomos y Jose Maria Vigil, en Villas del Country. Each of the 2 BD/2 BA apartments are sold to investors or individuals, and I was able to rent from Consuelo, a sweet woman who is an investor. Since the apartment will not be ready for four days, and David and I have to check out of the hotel, we have decided to rent a car and explore the city and beyond. (www.unourbanlife.com)

Small World

We stayed at the Hotel Lafayette for four nights while searching for a place to live. One of those days we spent with Katrina. Believe it or not, I taught both of her children when they were in ESL. They had recently left Arkansas to return to Guadalajara to live. They live just 15 minutes away. Small world. Katrina took us out with her friends to Zapopan for drinks and dinner. Needless to say, we had a good time.

First Day in Guadalajara

July 18th
It's the first day in Guadalajara and we are going to look at properties in the area of Providencia. Our first stop was ASFG, where I received a cell phone, a bank card with some spending money (in pesos), and hugs from my new friends in human resources. We then saw eight properties - both houses and apartments. I'm glad David was with me because it was a little overwhelming. I kept notes so later we could go back over our thoughts in hopes of finding me a place to live. We stopped at a café for coffee and later were treated to lunch. Both times I couldn't help notice the slight breeze. The weather was perfect.

Leaving Arkansas

July 17th
We made it to the airport with two suitcases and four large plastic tubs. David and I said goodbye to the fam and our neighbor's son, who so graciously drove us the airport. (We didn't have a vehicle large enough to accommodate the load. Our flight has been canceled, so AA is booking us on another flight through Dallas to Guadalajara. Well ... the second flight has been delayed - no, canceled! AA agreed to switch us to a Delta flight. We leave in less than an hour.

To Atlanta in coach, but first class from Atlanta to Guadalajara. (We paid extra for first class in order to bring more luggage, increased weight limit, and comfortable ride.) We were served wine and given a hot steamed fresh towel to freshen up.

We landed in Guadalajara, but didn't pull up to the building. Instead we exited and boarded a bus which took us literally 20 feet and stopped to let us off. An international airport with a city of 7 million and we don't pull up to a gate? I could see two employees fighting with five large red plastic tubs trying to get them to cooperate and stay on the cart. The whole process seemed a little primitive.

Well, where is the bilingual representative from ASFG? Surely they know I'm the new teacher. I'm toting a noticeable amount of bags and I look confused and concerned. Regardless, I have a giant grin across my face. David and I continued outside and waited half an hour, then decided to catch a taxi to the hotel. You know the bags are heavy when two good strong men grunt when they attempt to lift them, and some somewhat familiar Spanish words exited their mouths. I was prepared to tip them well.

On our way to the hotel I remember thinking, "This city is alive." It was 1:00 AM and people were buzzing around, cars honking, music playing, and everybody had smiles on their faces. We checked in, carried some of our items upstairs to the fifth floor and plopped down exhausted. I was thirsty, but remembered, I can't drink water from the faucet. Even the locals don't drink it. It's not safe and I don't want to get sick, so that's it. Goodnight.

My Journey Begins

Lord, go with me on this journey.