“I was taken in by the bravado and the sounds of Mexico… not so much the music, but the spirit” — Herb Alpert
No sooner than landing at GDL airport, we headed straight into Guadalajara for a fun weekend of (great) Mariachi music. It’s the 26th annual festival that takes over the city for weeklong events. Jalisco State is the birthplace of Mariachi.
We unfortunately missed out on our first event due to traffic and street closures – a massive “dance-in” of nearly 900 dancing couples. They set a new Guinness World Record for the biggest folk dance gathered together in the grand plaza in the Histórico Centro. It was a fantastic kickoff to the weekend ~ a soulful expression of Mexican culture at its best.
The elaborately dressed dancers were required to perform a choreographed routine for at least five minutes without interruption in order to qualify for the record. They twirled and stamped their feet to Mariachi music. The male dancers wore traditional “charro” suits featuring hats and neckties, while the women wore vibrant and colorful, full-skirted dresses, bold jewelry and ribbons in their hair. Fortunately, we caught it on TV soon after, as it became an instant social media sensation.
A quick walk from our hotel brought us to the Teatro Degollado, a neoclassical Mexican theater located smack in the central historic plaza of Guadalajara. It’s a glorious monument to the city’s culture and was inaugurated in September 1866.
It’s patterned after the fabulous grand opera houses of Europe. We sat on the rail three balconies up for the night’s Mariachi concert in great anticipation.
Upon arrival and just inside the oval three story cupola-topped lobby was the largest floral arrangement of white gladiolus (my favorite flower) that I’ve ever seen. The theatre decor is gorgeous and lavish with its red and gold motifs, marble columns and beautiful, ornate fresco painted ceiling.
I‘ve learned to love (good) mariachi music; so for the next three hours we were treated to and serenaded by the top 3 groups in the world as the played a diversity of genres: classical, beautiful love ballads, corridas, tangos, even rock and roll! The music touches you individually – no translations necessary as it speaks of love lost, gained. Individual members were showcased throughout as songs progressed. The passion they possessed shined through with beaming smiles and shared camaraderie onstage.
The magnificent Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied the Mariachis in the first act. Second act featured bands only. The finale was, of course, “Guadalajara” with all three bands assembled together in a rousing sing-along. David said the performances were like “mariachi music on steroids!” Heavenly sounds. I said, “Does this evening have to end?!”
The following morning we taxied several miles to the west to watch the Charrería and Mariachi Parade. We stood on the sidelines and were treated to acrobatic motorcycle cops doing amazing tricks, dancers in various styles of costumes, floats and mariachi groups from ‘round the world: France, Denmark, Japan (!), etc., proving that Mariachi is a shared international language. Of course there were gorgeous horses galore adorned in their finest regalia. We asked to pose with a 18 hand = 4 inches stunning fellow.
Afterwards, we wandered through the Colonia Americana area on our way to the movie theatre to see Quentin Tarantino’s latest “masterpiece,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” I’m not a big fan, but David wanted to see it mostly for its Musso and Frank Grill scenes, a famous stars’ hangout since 1919. It’s his favorite restaurant and he dined there regularly with friends before we met. His 40th & 50th birthday parties were celebrated there. My movie review: at two hours forty minutes long – WAY too long – CUT at least an hour OUT, por favor, Señor Tarantino.
On our Sunday stroll we came across the Templo Expiatorio del Santísimo Sacramento ~ a Catholic church dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament. The church is in the neo-Gothic style and is considered the greatest work of its kind in Mexico. Its construction began in 1897 and ended 75 years later in 1972. We caught the end of Mass.
Dinner that night was at La Chata, a popular local institution since 1942. It’s a Mexican style diner with an ever present queue. They serve up platillos típicos mexicanos; both David and I devoured our meals: David’s crispy, extra thin pork milanesa and I savored the chicken mole – that’s right – if there’s mole on the menu, 90% of the time it’s served with chicken and so my vegetarian ways flew out the window. La Chata’s open kitchen faces out towards the street and is busy with ladies in white “Handmaid Tales” inspired uniforms dishing out dish after dish of yummy tummy foods.
We really enjoyed staying at our hotel with a view, the NH Collection. It overlooks the Palacio de Gobierno, Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral. Its 7th floor rooftop restaurant had a breakfast buffet that made David a very happy camper – you had to walk through a plethora of sweets to get to the savory items. He started breakfast by popping marshmallows and gummy bears into his mouth.
On our way home David discovered yet another import food emporium, with a great bakery, cheese and charcuterie departments. We purchased a few items, including delicious spinach, corn and cheese empanadas … so delicious … should have gotten a dozen to go.
Saturday morning we flew to Cancún (3 hrs.) to enjoy a little “vacation” at Playa del Carmen with our friends, Ginger and Larry. They graciously offered us their time share suite at a wonderful resort hotel on the beach … stay tuned … a new adventure begins on the Yucatán!
On the Menu …..sautéed scallops, served with gnocchi in a light cheesy, pesto sauce and since we were going away, I made a “refrigerator burrito” – stuffed with a week’s worth of leftovers.
88°F Mostly Cloudy
Solidaridad, Solidaridad, QROO, Mexico
