Guadalajara's Top 20, Number 17: Parque Agua Azul

This afternoon I made my second visit to Parque Agua Azul, a vibrant city park with a tiny splash of zoo life thrown in for good measure. 


Accompanying me today was my friend Osvaldo, who I had not seen in quite a while.  We arrived shortly before 5:00 and made our way over to the aviary...which had just closed.  I thought this was going to turn into yet another complaint about the Top 20, but Osvaldo turned on the charm and begged the attendant to let us in, because his friend had just travelled allllll the way from the United States and wanted to see the birds.  It wasn't exactly precisely true, but it did the trick and we got to spend a few minutes amongst the parrots and ducks.

We then headed over to the Butterfly House which had also just closed.  This particular attendant didn't need a sob story; he just told us to make it quick.  And quick we were, because there were no butterflies...in...the...Butterfly...House?  I wasn't disappointed, but rather expecting it:  A previous visit to the park had only provided two butterflies, one of which was outside the house.  I still like it because it looks like EPCOT.

Making our way over to the large pond Osvaldo was surprised to find that it had been drained.  I, however, was not shocked; it's how these blogs tend to go lately.  It's okay, though.  I will never be able to erase the memory of my last trip to the park, in which I saw diaper-clad toddlers splashing around in, and sometimes drinking, the murky duck-poop infested waters of the pond as their parents smiled and watched from the bank and TJ and I stood slack-jawed and horrified.  I imagine some of them have since died form mysterious ailments.  I would like to think that the lack of water today indicates a good scrubbing is in progress.

There's not a whole lot to say about the place.  A park's just a park, after all.  But families crowd the place on weekends and toss frisbees around while noshing on picnic lunches.  Teenagers come here to make out.  Supposedly, there is live music on Sundays.  A trolley is available for tours of the park.


There's also beautiful cactus garden.  See?

After a long jaunt through the park in which we talked about tv shows and relationships and family and careers, we stopped at a neighborhood coffee shop and talked some more about the very same.  He then remembered that he had forgotten to do a project for his internship and we walked over to a jogging trail and I watched as he futilely begged women to film a mock Asics sock commercial with him.  We then parted ways, with him giving me a hug and a friendship bracelet and me inviting him to come visit in Wasington, D.C.  

With only five days left in beautiful Guadalajara, these are the moments I want to remember.  Not ticking off items on an arbitrary list, but rather appreciating the moments spent with the people I would never have met if not for TJ's chosen career path.  As much fun as the park was, it was the company that made the day.

Guadalajara's Top 20, Number 16: Museo Orozco

The next item on our Community Liaison Office's Top 20 list is Museo Orozco, located at Aurelio Aceves #27.  Frequent readers may recognize the Orozco name from here and here.  I've spent the past two years stumbling across Jose Clemente Orozco in one way or another, the entire time looking forward to the day that I would finally visit his museum.  TJ, on the other hand has been fighting my urges, going so far recently as to suggest that anything on a so-called Top 20 list that hadn't been naturally stumbled upon within a two year period probably isn't worth seeing at the last minute.  Recent experiences here and there have proven him all but right, and I had to beg him to go with me to the museum on Saturday.  

Only we didn't get to go on Saturday.  Despite on-line hours of operation stating that the museum would be open at 10:00, it didn't actually open until noon.  TJ was amused.  I was not.  We had lunch plans that conflicted with the later opening so we had to delay our visit until this afternoon. We returned shortly before 5:00 today and I was concerned that we wouldn't have time to properly explore, as the museum closes at 6:00.

I shouldn't have worried.  


The museum, formerly the home and studio of the artist, features only one solitary painting by the man himself.  It hangs in  the foyer, which has been converted into classroom space.  Much to my surprise, this facility is more community center than museum, hosting a series of classes on such topics as Hispanic-American Literature, Creative Writing, and Furniture History (I am not joking).  Class was in session, so I wasn't able to view the painting or the descriptive text up close.  On the bright side, this painting looks nothing like his murals, so it's nice to get a bit of variety.  

Two other small rooms were filled sparsely with the works of a lesser known artist.  It all looked the same. 

All told, it took five minutes to walk through the museum.  Written on one wall was the following:

That sounds about right.  I am at a complete loss as to why this place made the Top 20.

TJ was right, and he knew it.

Tomorrow I will be visiting Number 17.  TJ will not be coming.  He couldn't be happier.

Guadalajara's Top 20, Number 15: Plaza Tapatía

Our Jeep is currently in the shop getting new tires, an oil change, and several other nips and tucks to prepare her for the long drive from Laredo, TX to Falls Church, VA that we will face next week.  To kill time in our now carless existence we walked downtown yesterday and had lunch at Terra Madre, a cute little cafe in Plaza Tapatía that I've had my eye on for about two years now. 

The plaza, a pedestrian thoroughfare filled with flowers and fountains, gets its name from the word Tapatío, a colloquial term derived from the Nahuatl word "tapatiotl" that is used to describe someone from Guadalajara.  It can also be used as an adjective for anything associated with this, Mexico's second largest city.  The plaza fills nine or so city blocks and links the back of Teatro Degollado... 

with the entrance to Hospicios Cabañas.

(Disclosure:  Due to the grand scale and of this plaza, you cannot actually see both of these buildings at the same time.  They're one block over, many blocks down from each other.)
  
The plaza was conceptualized following the 1978 approval of a plan for the Urbanization and Regeneration of the Metropolitan Center of Guadalajara, the objective of which was to create open spaces for entertainment and recreation while simultaneously preserving historical monuments and solving traffic problems.  All nice and good, but these traffic problems will only be solved by bulldozing the rest of downtown, too.  But I digress.

Sitting there sipping our limonadas and chowing down on fajitas and molcajetes we were afforded two views.  One, the ever bustling entrance to Mercado San Juan de Dios, and two, the Quetzacoatl Fountain (La Inmolación de Quetzalcoatl), designed by Victor Manuel Contreras.  During our first visit to Hospicios Cabañas our friend Genaro told us that the snake head once sat atop the 82-foot tall bronze piece in the fountain's center before an earthquake knocked it loose, but the proportions seem off.  I think he was messin' with us.  If anybody knows, please share in the comments section.  

Nearby, right outside the recently opened Church's Chicken (yes, THAT Church's Chicken) is a bronze sculpture of the city's coat of arms.  A replica sits atop a fountain in Plaza Guadalajara and the imagery adorns the state flag of Jalisco.  You may also remember that it was the inspiration for Leo, the second-most awesome mascot from last year's PanAmerican Games.

Speaking of the PanAm Games, one of my favorite features of the plaza is this rose.  Guadalaja's nickname is "The City of Roses," and to celebrate the games 42 roses by artist Karla de Lara were commissioned and spread throughout the city during an event known as RosaFest.  There was one rose for each country participating in the games, each sponsored by a different business here in Guadalajara.  TJ and I spent a weekend shortly after the games scouring the city in search of all 42 roses.  We found and photographed most of them, but some were unreachable due to being in places like the airport, past the security gate.  Grrr.

After the conclusion of the 2011 Parapan American Games the roses were returned to the companies that sponsored them, to be done with as desired.  Many companies opted to proudly display the roses in front of their office space, as was the case with Plaza Tapatía's Centro Magno Joyero, a large jewelry distributor.   If I recall correctly, this particular rose was originally located at  Hospicios Cabañas.  Seeing these roses peppered throughout the city, many of which were originally dispersed throughout this very plaza, is always a treat...a reminder of one of my favorite periods here in Guadalajara.

The Illustrious People of Jalisco

Another staple of historic downtown Guadalajara is the gorgeous Rotonda de los Jaliscienses Ilustres (Rotunda of the Illustrious People of Jalisco).  Located just to the left of the Cathedral (when viewing it from Plaza Guadalajara), the rotunda occupies space formerly reserved for the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Solitude and the Garden of Solitude.  And, apparently, a post office and telegraph building.  

That was all cleared out in 1949 to make way for this rotunda, designed by architect Vicente Mendiola, which stands as a tribute to people of distinction who helped write the history of Jalisco with their words, art and actions.  First named "The Rotunda of the Illustrious Men" upon completion in 1951, the monument's name was later changed to rightfully include important people from both genders.  

The rotunda features a quarry stone ring supported by 17 Doric columns.  Ninety-eight tombs are provided to house the remains of illustrious people, though most are currently empty.  An eternal flame stands (awkwardly enough, unlit) in the center, an intended homage to the illustrious children of Jalisco.

Lining the rotunda are various statues cast in copper that represent some of Jalisco's most distinguished citizenry.  Due to their dark color and Guadalajara's perpetual sunshine (I know, what a problem to have), it is often difficult to snap good pictures of them.  Here are three that somewhat do them justice:

(L to R):  Pedro Moreno and Rita Perez de Moreno, insurgents in the Mexican War of Independence; Jose Clemente Orozco, Mexican social realist painter.

Such a shame that I can't get good pics of them all; they truly are gorgeous.  Hopefully time and weather will wash these puppies out into a photogenic light green, Statue-of-Liberty-style.

Somebody, please call me when that happens.  With only eleven days left here, I'm already looking for excuses to return to Guadalajara and visit all of the illustrious people that I have met over the last two years.

They may not have led righteous wars or painted famous murals in historic buildings...but they are my friends.  They are doctors and scientists, lawyers and accountants.  They are the Foreign Service Nationals that welcomed us to post and showed us how to do our jobs at the consulate...and will do so again when our replacements arrive.  They are students working for a better tomorrow.  They run family businesses and help take care of their nieces.  They are our friends.

And we are going to miss them terribly.          

Guadalajara's Top 20, Number 14: Architecture

Architecture?  How vague is that? 

When I hear the words "Top 20" and "Architecture," my mind can't help but leap to examples of structural superiority that have managed to work their way into my heart over the years:

The Empire State Building.  The Louvre.  Centre Pompidou.  Chichén Itzá.  That funky McDonald's in Oklahoma with the golden arches that cross an interstate highway.

So when I saw that the word "Architecture" appeared on our CLO's Top 20 list for Guadalajara, my interest soared.  And then plummeted like a duck during hunting season.  

Strong in theory, this topic is sadly weak in execution...for two reasons.  One, because in a sea of historic landmarks and breathtaking cityscapes, the list only names three buildings as must-see architectural feats.  And one of them already has a separate listing (Teatro Degollado).  Two, because Santa Monica is also on the list.

Since Teatro Degollado (which,for the record, totally deserves inclusion on a list of Guadalajara's architectural feats...it's just weird that it got listed twice) has been covered lovingly and in depth already, I will take the liberty of moving forward with my scathing review of Santa Monica.

I have attempted to visit the Church of Santa Monica (intersection of San Felipe and Santa Monica, for anybody silly enough to want to go after reading what follows) on two occasions.  Both times, I was denied entrance to the church.  The first time was because they saw my camera and wanted to ensure respect was paid to the worshippers attending services inside.  Okay, fair enough.  They at least let me peak my head in.  It looked not unlike a construction zone.  The second time, there was no service to speak of.  The lights were off and the door was closed.  The frumpy attendees at the door (there were three...there are always three) directed us to a side chapel full of similarly frumpy people that were only slighly less photogenic than the house of worship itself.  The outside is much prettier, I suppose, and I guess that's really why this mess makes the list.  Built toward the end of the 17th century, the facade features fine stonework ornamentation depicting grapes, angels, eagles, and whatnot.  A statue of St. Christopher overlooks the street., presumably to make sure nobody attempts to enter the facility.  There's also some charming graffiti decorating the doors to the larger, off-limits chapel which, thanks to rotting and splitting wood, allow for a tiny peak inside.  TJ was ready to kill me after our first waste of time visit.  After the second, he demanded promises that we won't be following any Top 20 lists at future posts.  

On to lovelier things...

The final item on this unusual list, Templo de San Francisco de Asís (295 Calle 16 de Septiembre) is held in much higher regard.  This church was built by the Franciscans in the late 17th century and stands on the site of an earlier church and convent. Solomonic columns adorn the exterior, spiraling artfully toward the heavens.  The church is surrounded by beautiful gardens, and families can be seen comfortably lounging in them at any given time.  I have fond memories of this church from our early days in Guadalajara, as it was here that Los Gigantes rested in between sets...though I didn't connect the church's name and location until we arrived on-site this past weekend.  I was all like "Hey, I probably have pictures of this place already," and TJ was all like "Duh.  No more Top 20's!"     

Well, I have six more to go, and then the Guadalajara Top 20 adventure will be over.  TJ's grudgingly agreed to go along with this until conclusion, but I'm inclined to agree that, going forward, we should make our own fun. We've seen and done so many amazing things here that were so far off that list, or any guidebook, that it really makes you question the effectiveness of such travel tools.

Teatro Degollado is a wonderful building, both on merit of it's architectural design and its role in Guadalajara's performing arts circles.  But it already had a spot in the Top 20.  To toss out its name again in a general "Architecture" slot that includes the tacky Church of Santa Monica while failing to mention the aqueduct (we'll get to that in a couple of days), the Cathedral, or even one of our impressive malls is just weird and indicative that it is far past time to update the list.     

Guadalajara's Top 20, Number 13: The Orozco Murals

José Clemente Orozco (1883-1949) was a Mexican social realist painter.  Along with fellow artists Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, Orozco helped to establish the Mexican Mural Renaissance, a 1920s movement that saw artwork filled with social and political messages in an attempt to reunify the country under the post Mexican Revolution government.  Orozco was fascinated by the idea of human suffering, a theme that flows through his various works.  His art is on display in Mexico City's Carrillo Gil Museum and Escuela Nacional Preparatoria, as well as the Orozco Museum in Guadalajara, itself the subject of an upcoming Top 20 post.  Today we will be discussing three other locations in the city that boast Orozco murals of their own.  I had the pleasure of viewing my first Orozco mural during my initial visit to Instituto Cultural Cabañas in February 2011.  A series of 57 frescoes adorn the walls and ceiling in the chapel of this one-time hospital, the most famous being El Hombre de Fuego (The Man of Fire), which adorns the interior of the dome.  The piece, considered to be Orozco's greatest achievement, features a central figure engulfed in flames rising above monochromatic figures that represent the natural elements (earth, wind, and water).  It is said to be a metaphor for social struggle.    

The surrounding walls feature chronological depictions of pre-Columbian Mexico, the Conversion, the Conquest, the Revolution, and the Resolution.

My second opportunity to view an Orozco mural was during the first or several visits to Guadalajara's Palacio de Gobierno, also in 2011.  The first mural, titled Lucha Social (Social Struggle) is located on the walls and ceiling just above the main staircase, and depicts Father Hidalgo brandishing a torch and waving off dark, shadowy figures that represent slavery and oppression.  Another mural, The People and its Leaders, is located in the State Congress chamber on the second floor and features Hidalgo signing the decree to abolish slavery in Mexico.  Benito Juarez can be seen below, signing the reform laws.

I did not have the pleasure of visiting the scene of the third Orozco mural until this afternoon, when I visited the Paraninfo (auditorium) of the University of Guadalajara.  Well, that's not exactly true; I spent three evening in this building over the summer, supporting a film festival TJ hosted for LGBT Pride Month, without even realizing the murals were a couple of doors down the hall.  Goes to show that there's no telling what wonders lie just around the corner.  Be ever vigilant, world travelers!  

The first picture is of El hombre creador y rebelde (The Man Creator and Rebel), which is painted inside the auditorium's dome.  El pueblo y sus falsos líderes (The People and Their False Leaders) fills the top half of the wall behind the lecture stage.  

I can only hope that these photos do the art enough justice that you can appreciate them and I can personally look back on them in the years to come and remember the emotions they invoke now.  Whether or not you understand the history and artist intent behind them is irrelevant; they are haunting.  You feel a sense that something is not right with the world, and that something must be done about it.  And they fill such large spaces that you are forced to look upon them with awe.   

An Orozco painting will steal the show in any environment, and I hope my journeys take me to more of them in the years to come. 

I will discuss Orozco in more detail once I have visited his museum.  For now, I leave you with an excerpt from a 1997 PBS article:

"The life of Mexican muralist José Clemente Orozco (1883-1949), a life filled with drama, adversity, and triumph, is one of the great stories of the modern era. Despite poverty, childhood rheumatic fever that damaged his heart and an explosion in his youth that cost him his left hand, Orozco persisted in his wish to become an artist. He experienced the carnage and duplicity of the Mexican Revolution, the hardship following the New York stock market crash in 1929, and rising fascism in Europe during his only trip there in 1932, and emerged with an aesthetic and moral vision unparalleled in twentieth century painting."

Wow.  If art immitates life, that was quite a well to draw inspiration from.

Guadalajara's Top 20, Number 12: Plaza de los Mariachis

On more than one occasion, a consulate employee has asked how I came up with my Top 20 List for Guadalajara, and I have had to first clarify that these aren't my personal choices and then direct them to a link on our office intranet page, where our Community Liaison Office has done a wonderful job of providing various information about the city in which we live.

Here's what our CLO says about Plaza de los Mariachis:

If the Cathedral is Guadalajara's soul and the market its stomach, the Plaza de Mariachis has to be its heart. Drink up the ambience from morning until night, but go at night if you have a choice. Not for children or dining, the Plaza is located between and near the junction of Calzada Independencia and Obregon.

Now, I'm not going to blame our current CLO staffers for this, since the Top 20 list was published before either one of them held the position, but if Plaza de los Mariachis is the heart of the city, we're on the cusp of cardiac arrest.

There are a couple of restaurants in the plaza, so the age of the above recommendation is certainly called into question. I wouldn't suggest going at night, though. Whether it is actually dangerous or not, I can't say. The place is, however, located on the outskirts of the bustling city center, and as such the mantra of "safety in numbers" begins to diminish right around here. We went this afternoon and as dusk approached TJ commented that we needed to leave because the prostitutes were starting to come out. The above review is apparently correct on one count: It's not for children.

Visitors of Plaza de los Mariachis that enter at the corner of Javier Mina and Independencia will be greeted by a small but elegant church named El Templo San Juan de Dios, which is the namesake of the market a scant 130 yards to the east. That's about where the pretty ends, though I did appreciate the metal Mariachi that adorned the adjacent jewelry store.

The plaza covers what amounts to an average-sized city block that, at least in the wake of this past weekend's Mexican Independence Day, is canvassed with tents, stages, and foldout tables and chairs. There's not much of a plaza feel; there are no fountains, scarce foliage, and no park benches. It's very much a pedestrian street.

On the far side of the plaza, at the corner of Independencia and Obregón, you may find the odd group of Mariachis congregating and hoping to be hired for a party, dinner engagement, or wedding. At the far edge of the plaza, looking out on the city at large (or perhaps turning his back on the remnants of this historic space, is a bust Silvestre Vargas, who took over leadership Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán from his father in 1928. The group made dozens of recordings and stared in several film throughout the 1960s. There is a museum dedicated to Vargas located in Tecalitlán, Jalisco.

The official name of the plaza is Plaza de Pepe Guizar, in honor of the composer of the song "Guadalajara," arguably the most famous Mariachi ballad in the state of Jalisco. I really have nothing else to say about the space, except that the Top 20 list should be revisited and revised immediately, so I'll end by treating you to a video performance of the aforementioned song. I hear it every time a Mariachi band is nearby, and I will forever remember it as the theme song for this two year tour in beautiful Guadalajara.