The Broken Sidewalks
Memories come flooding back the minute my feet begin moving along the broken sidewalks of Guadalajara, Mexico. Even in the city’s more exclusive colonias (neighborhoods), the concrete splits and crumbles, protruding up from the earth like tiny mountainous obstacles.
The uneven walkway is as disruptive as the city itself. Brilliantly lit up with modern buildings and sparkling shops on one side, hopelessly struggling with corrugated-steel neighborhoods and worn goods on the other.
But on the surface, as one looks up and around, at the trees, grasses, flowers and scattered greenery of this inland second city, the gentle attention to a green aesthetic limits the impact of the unloved streets.
This is the reality in Guadalajara, a sprawling city of five million set in the Atemajac Valley of central west Mexico. The nation’s second largest city, the capital of Jalisco, the home state of tequila, mariachis and the folkloric tales for the nation. At 5,000 feet above sea level, the city enjoys a warm, breezy climate, and to that end attracted a concentrated population.
Many years ago, Guadalajara was my initial introduction to Mexico. The country I expected to see was not the place I came to enjoy. The city would serve as the home base for eliminating my stereotypical ideas about the third most populous country in the Western Hemisphere, and endearing me to the people who were gracious, entertaining and extraordinarily interesting.
Guadalajara is an excellent place to learn about the dynamic history of the country’s fight for independence, the extraordinary cultural legacy in the murals of José Clemente Orozco, the unmistakable sound of the mariachis, and almost from the smell in the air – the making of tequila.
The city’s size is not explained by its location. Surrounded by farmland and rolling hills, the population does not sit on the ocean or a major river. The valley is not a central location for trade or a natural regional magnet. At about one-fourth the size of Mexico City, one wonders how Guadalajara came to be number two. And perhaps that’s the point.
Away from the federal district’s impossible traffic, pounding population, sweltering demands and absolute control, Guadalajara emerges as a comfortable alternative. An industrial center without the choking command of one. A busy bustling population that does not feel omnipresent.
As a student, I had ten weeks to explore the city and its environs, to become a local who knew how to ride the bus across town.
Returning now years later, I discovered the same city, expanded and rising higher. But still providing the quiet comfort of a place of learning.
Explore to See
If you want to understand the world a little deeper, walking around a city requires more than rushing from tourist sight to tourist sight. When you take the time to stroll through residential neighborhoods, you develop an understanding for the location.
Houses in Guadalajara tend to be behind walls and fences, with intercoms to request entry, and occasionally guard dogs. You see this in different types of neighborhoods, despite the city’s reputation for being relatively safe. In many places, the locals do not relinquish their basic precautions even as the area grows and prospers with limited additional crime. In most developing countries, barriers are commonplace, and expected.
As you walk, you may find yourself alone. Although people will walk to get to the bus stop, you will not often see people out for a stroll. You will have the streets to yourself as you explore.
Centro Historicó (Historical Center)
The orientation to the city begins and ends at its center. Mexicans call their central town square, el zocaló, and in each city and village you will find one at the heart of an urban area. The zocaló is where people come to relax, linger and regenerate life. Guadalajara has arguably the most beautiful zocaló in the country.
Framed by the cathedral, of the Assumption of Our Lady, originally completed in 1618, and with its gold-domed neo-gothic spires, it forms the focal point for a walk through the center of town. The central square stands out for its trees, flowers and fountains. As you walk around, the background music is splashing water intermixed with the laughter and conversations of circling locals.
But the walking tour is only beginning. The city’s historic buildings frame four plazas all offering colorful attractions. La Rotonda de Los Jaliscienses Ilustres features permanent busts of historical heros; while on Plaza de Armas, Plaza de la Liberación or Plaza Guadalajara, you will find sellers, performers and curious crowds. For quieter areas, simply duck into any of the narrow alleyways or side streets to soak up the atmosphere, admire the architecture, or buy a souvenir.
A city’s historical district gives the visitor a vision of the past from a local’s perspective. You can understand the ideas that are cherished and retained by looking at where money has been spent on historical sites. The focal point of the city center is the cathedral, just as religion is often an identity point in people’s lives here. Being Catholic is an understood feature of the culture and the Mexican identity.
But Mexico also pays respect to its heroes. They are on display here as in other cities. The country has written its past to reflect the rebellion, and revolution, of the people who fought to remove the worst scars of colonialism through the movements led by locally-grown leaders. Understanding this commitment to self-propelled historical reflection, heightens your admiration for the settlers here.
The murals at City Hall
One of the most visible cultural legacies dotting the Mexican landscape are the murals painted, often by Diego Rivera, but also other national artists such as Orozco who has the honor at several locations in the city.
When you are in the center, the easiest murals to see (free entry) are over the main staircase at the Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace). If this is the only place you will see murals in Mexico, make the stop. The murals depict the history, culture and people in vivid and dramatic form. While in Europe, a traveler can be scanned by security and pay a fee to see the past in the scattered paintings hanging on the walls of dozens of magnificent museums, all over Mexico you only have to walk in to a public building and can stare as long as you like at the incredible legacy left by these artists.
For the most striking Orozcos, stop at the Instituto Cultural Cabanas, a former orphanage in the center that now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The music
Their look probably catches your eye before you hear the sound. Men in wide sombreros, with matching suits, jackets open to reveal a colorful belt or sash matching the pattern on pant legs or jacket sleeves. The guitars are raised and the magic begins – mariachis.
The music originated in Jalisco in colonial days and is an enduring symbol of Mexican culture. You don’t have to understand the words to sway to the music, and to ‘compensate’ the performers when they come by. You often see the locals mouthing along to the lyrics as the performers encircle you at a restaurant or park.
Nearby
All your souvenirs can be purchased in this artesania town to the south of the center.
Lake Chapala: Mexico’s largest freshwater lake and a popular spot for retirees
Jalisco agave fields and tequila production: Learn how this quintessential Mexican drink is made at the source.
Puerto Vallarta: If the ocean is calling, you can be in the resort city of Puerto Vallarta in just under five hours by car or bus (or fly).
Back on the Streets
My walk ends where it began in Colonia Providencia, one of the city’s upper middle class residential neighborhoods. Few people occupy the sidewalks, but the trees provide constant shade from the heat.
Guadalajara surprises with a tropical climate, wet and dry seasons, not dropping below freezing, but easily heating up from the spring through the summer months.
Few exact details remain from university days. The campus does not look at all like the picture I hold in my mind, and I cannot find the spot where I used to hang out with my friends. But somehow that does not matter. The warm air is reminder enough of the lessons about Mexico and its people that were learned in this graceful city.
Guadalajara was a perfect introduction to Mexico. Lined in all the elements that made the country famous, and few linked to its infamy. The traffic is challenging, but not totally reckless as in Mexico City. The art and treasures can be found and easily navigated. And the tight streets around the Cathedral and the old city are praiseworthy examples of the country’s colonial past.
A worthy city for the first-timer, and the temporary resident who was content to return and navigate its cracked sidewalks once again.
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