Guadalajara

I'm staying in the historical center of Guadalajara. The streets range from crippled to crowded most all paved with some sort of brick, thick, old beautiful brick racing up from the plazas to form cathedrals and towers with spires. The antiquated and the ridicules meet in between. Squares overflowing with vendors and their crap; cheap plastic toys of fluorescent colors imported from China, shoe shine after shoe shine, cotton candy vendors with their tall sticks slung over their shoulders, the alternating pink and blue emulating the gothic spires. There are men selling bas of deep fried pork skin doused with chili sauce, lime, and salt, men walking around with fake multi colored mohawks. Religious artifacts are sandwiched in between under wear vendors and taco stands. One ambitious man carries 5 crucifixes, each 3 feet tall, and tries to sell them to those that pass by.

I'm falling in love with Mexico, a place where the religious and the ridicules meet and live in harmony.

As I was wandering through the streets it began to rain, light drops turned to downpour and the festive, over packed square cleared. People scattered like roaches when the lights go on, myself included, and I ended up in a quaint little cafe. The windows were wide and clear and made perfect for people watching, there were a few vendors struggling to cover their goods.

The server after assessing my pathetic Spanish brought me my coffee and slipped me his number, which seemed odd since his English was way worse than my Spanish.

The rained lightened but didn't stop and the sun was beginning to beat it's retreat so I thought I would do the same.

Here's my visual journey:


Our Lady of the bus station.

 Road snack, chips doused in chili, lime, and salt.

 Bus money.

  At the market.