Chapter 8 - Markets, Sculptures, and Big City Living

- May 30, 2022

Hi -

On March 30, we left the Lake Chapala area and drove 1 hour north to an inland city named Tlaquepaque. Tlaquepaque is a referred to as a magical town (Pueblo Mágico) located 15 minutes away from the City of Guadalajara.

We stayed in Tlaquepaque at Maria Eugenia's Place for 5 nights.

😀 The pros of Maria Eugenia's Place:

2 bedroom, 1 bath
walking distance to Centro and Independencia Ave.
American style living
secured underground parking
strong wi-fi
washer and dryer in unit
tv worked
patio

😀 The cons of Maria Eugenia's Place:

it felt small because of design
rooster crowing started at 4 a.m.
portable air conditioner/had to dump water reservoir
slight sewer smell in kitchen
no convenient potty spot for Charlie

Corp was not a fan of our neighboring feathered friend.

One of the most visited places in Tlaquepaque is Independencia Ave. We enjoyed walking this artsy, colorful and lively pedestrian street day and night with its many shops and restaurants. This street is the heart of Tlaquepaque and a very short walk from where we stayed. It was a great place to walk around and people watch.

I knew the minute we got there that we would enjoy this place!

Tlaquepaque is known as the home of mariachi music. There was mariachi bandstand in the center of 6 restaurants that served as entertainment for all the restaurants. Corp shot a quick video to share their unique skills.

One night we came across some great break dancers on Independencia Ave.

Another night we came across a chalk artist drawing Marilyn Monroe.

In Tlaquepaque, they were having a floral festival.

I loved the festive dancing in this video.

On March 31, we took an Uber to Tonola to visit the Tonola Street Market (tianguis).

The huge market had so much stuff and so many people that
we didn’t even walk through all of it.

We had the best turtle cheesecake!

The main street in Tonala had a ton of warrior type sculptures.

Uber is incredibly cheap in Guadalajara. We used it quite a few times.

Charlie on one of his Uber rides in Guadalajara. Looks like he is smiling!

That evening, we went to Karne Gribaldi; a famous taco place in Guadalajara that serves food super-fast. We were told to order the “meat in juices” tacos. I timed it, they served them in 1 minute and 2 seconds.

We couldn’t believe it was served that fast! Yummy!!!

On April 1, we went to Centro Guadalajara, which was founded in 1541. We were amazed at all the history we saw; beautiful churches and public squares everywhere.

Stumbled upon the craziest parade in Guadalajara. We have no idea what they were celebrating. Check out the video below to see what I am talking about!

The next day we were planning to go to the largest indoor market in Latin America (Mercado San Juan de Dios Market). During the night, there was a huge fire on the second level of the building and the market was completely closed. Corp was happy because he was “marketed” out. I still think it would have been pretty neat to see that large of a market.

We read the fire started on the second floor in the food market area.
At least the market was not a total loss.

That evening we had the worst michaelta (beer and tomato juice with garnishes like a bloody mary) and buffalo wings we have ever had. The shrimp were shriveled up in the michaelta and the wings were so dry that there was no meat on the bones. They were so gross! For those who love the movie Christmas Vacation….it felt like we were eating the turkey that Klark Griswold cut into on Christmas Day. I don't usually post restaurant reviews on Google, but the Cantina Doroteo's got a 1 star review that night.

Michaelta was disgusting!!!

After the worst wings in the world, we bought a few beers and seltzers at the OXXO and sat on a bench in the town square and people watched. So fun!

On April 3, we took an Uber to Centro Guadalajara and discovered they had a cyclopista on Javier Ave. on Sundays.

They closed the street to vehicle traffic and 1,000’s of pedal bikers,
hula hoopers, walkers, and dancers are on the street being active.
Awesome people watching!
It was over 22 miles in length.

Lots of fun activities going on this video.

That evening we headed back to Independencia Ave. and ate at LaMata Tinta. They had the best sirloin steak, roasted potatoes and bruschetta.

I don't share very many food photos because we are not foodies.
But, this was delicious and had to be shared.

We loved the décor with all the upside-down umbrellas.

And of course, I loved the day of the dead sculpture at the entrance. I am fascinated by the day of the dead (Dia Los Muertos). It is a Mexican holiday on November 1 that celebrates those who people have died. Bucket list item…..visit Mexico City during the Dia Los Muertos in the future.