Some of our favourite spots were the weird melty steampunky statues/benches in one big square
and the murals by Orozco in the government building
Murals are a big thing in Mexico and there´s lots to be found- lots of famous ones were commissioned after the Revolution, but its also just a much more common art form at all levels.
We learnt a lot about the tequila that evening, as our host has several different kinds and introduced us to them over a nice dinner we made with our co-surfer (1). In order to drink it properly you should just sip it neat, apparently. J is in favour of this and decided it would be culturally appropriate to sip a lot of it. Having said that you couldn´t do it with what you actually get in the UK, as it´s totally different and the method is usually to drink it so fast you can´t taste it.
On Wednesday, surprisingly devoid of headaches (must be the quality) we went to Guadalajara´s Museo Palentologica. There was a special exhibition on about corn, which at first glance sounds very boring, but when you remember how completely integral to all the agriculture and human culture of the area it is it makes it really interesting in context.
On Thursday we went to ask immigration what we should do about not officially being here (in the Federal government buildin we dubbed the Kafkaquarium). We could wait three weeks and pay 1,250 pesos which we should have paid on the border (if we´d personally hunted down the border guard from wherever he was(2)), and is included in your flight if you fly here, and get a tourist form. Or we´ll be fined on the border when we leave. How much? we naturally inquire. She reckons its about 290 pesos and basically officially advises us to go for that. Seems like they WANT you to not be official.
That evening we went to the oldest cantina (bar) in Guadalajara with our host and a whole crowd of couch-surfing friends and contacts of his. A couple of guys from Japan (3) are also on a round the world trip. Look how much more professional and shiny they are than us.
After a quiet Friday as J wasn´t feeling great (not enough tequila) we explored the Tiangus Cultural alternative market on Saturday (some good stuff from the local area, but a lot very similar to alternative markets the world over. Plus the group of people doing some traditional native dances from the area being next to a larger group watching people play Guitar Hero was FUNNY- C.
On several evenings we made more tin-can flowers and chilled in squares (not at Tiangus Cultural though because there were much better tin-can things there). It´s a really nice way of interacting with a new space. You´re not demanding people watch you like busking, and you can still people watch. But lots of different sorts of people come over and chat or want to buy them, and as they cost us nothing but rather enjoyable time we just sell them for whatever people want to give.
Sunday we went to see a charro competition. Lots of pretty horses
and impressive tricks
and it´s pretty cheap and full of locals, obviously something people actually go to in the area.
Yesterday we hitched easily to Guanajauto, Guanajauto (so pretty they named it twice). The majority of the journey we made in a big yellow school bus (minus children). Our lifts had just appropriated it in Guadalajara and were driving ten hours back to Monterrey for reasons they did not elaborate on. Such is life (which is still a famous saying among bush rangers)
Our host here showed us round last night and today we´re off to explore and find out what events are on at this month´s Cervantino Festival.
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(1) Our co-surfer was a very nice guy from Australia, but left a couple of days early because he paid to go and stay in a hostel where he could be sure of getting internet to watch the Aussie Football League finals. Heh. Australians.
(2) It´s not that Mexican customs doesn´t exist. It´s all available and there for you to find, just like local bypass schemes
(3) Did anyone know in Japan you get vending machines with booze in them?!?! Really! But apparently underage drinking isn´t a problem, which, combined with our very British and Aussie excited reactions to this news probably explains culturally why Japan is allowed that privilege and we´re not.
The time difference means when I come home relatively late there`s often a new post from you waiting which is a cheering way for me to end a long day - and I was just explaining about those bush rangers to someone today!
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