Can it be....?

If only.

To Yell with Mexico

 Despite a common misconception, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day. That would be September 16, anniversary of 'The Cry of Dolores', the announcement of the Mexican independence revolution against Spain.

The Cry ('El Grito') was delivered in the town of Dolores, Guanajuato, by a Catholic priest named Miguel Hidalgo de Costilla. Although, no historian is exactly sure what Hidalgo said as no records were kept.

To commemorate this historic event, at around 11PM the night before Mexicans gather in their local plazas and yell patriotic things. Viva Mexico! Viva la Republica! Viva independencia! are popular.  There are fireworks and a fair amount of drinking, like all good national festivals,

Guide to Guadalajara: La Catedral

 The Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady - or, more simply the Guadalajara Cathedral - is the symbol and centerpiece of the city. It is depicted on innumerable postcards, paintings, tourist advertisements, and even appears in outline on the city's taxicabs.

Built in the Spanish Renaissance style, the cathedral has existed in various forms since 1541. The larger structure was completed in 1618 but was heavily damaged by an earthquake in the early 19th century. Famed architect Manuel Gomez Ibarra was hired for the rebuilding and created the cathedral as we know it today.

The basilica easily dominates the skyline of the Centro Historico, acting as a convenient nexus or landmark for the surrounding historic buildings. The interior is highly ornate and the surrounding courtyards are a pleasant place to contemplate life and the Eternal.

Do your best to dodge the priests spraying passers-by with holy water on your way in.

Guide to Guadalajara: San Juan de Dios

What city would be complete without its bustling marketplace?

This, the largest indoor market in the Americas, comprises three stories selling practically anything you could need - food, clothing, art, souvenirs, pets, household goods, all in dizzying profusion.

It put me ever so slightly in mind of Ben Thanh market in Vietnam, although more obviously geared toward an American tourist market, although still with plenty of locals to keep it authentic.

Beware, however - bargaining is expected, and an unwary gringo with limited Spanish may find himself taken for a ride.

Tequila vs. Mescal

 Both are national spirits of Mexico. Both are made from the agave plant. Technically speaking, tequila is a kind of mescal. BUT:

Tequila

Only made from the blue agave plant.

Can only be called 'tequila' if it comes from Jalisco, or a few designated zones in other Mexican states.

Is cooked in an oven. Tends to taste smoother and less distinctive.

Mescal

Can be made from any kind of agave.
 
 Cooked in below-ground pits. This gives mescal it's smokey flavor.

Will occasionally have a 'worm' (actually a butterfly larva) in the bottle. This is mainly a marketing gimmick and does not improve the taste.


I prefer mescal myself. It has a richer taste and is more distinctive.

Viajes Mexicanos: Los Altos de Jalisco

Los Altos ('The Highlands') is a geographic region in the western part of Jalisco state.  Beyond it's obvious elevated status, it is known for three things:

1. Producing tequila, being one of the premier tequila-making places in the country (after Tequila itself, of course).

2. Beautiful women. Though of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This reputation probably stems from the very strong European influence on the region, generally resulting in people who are taller and fairer than the Mexican average.

3. Religiosity.  Los Altos was by some measures the epicenter of the Cristero rebellion, the revolt against the government's anti-clerical policies in the mid 1920s.  Remnants of this can be seen in the many churches dotting the landscape and the occasional monument to a martyr or saint from that time.

Generally speaking Los Altos offers mild weather, fine views, and a decent number of historical sites and haciendas, and so is a popular tourist spot for those going slightly off the beaten path. If they every get reliable internet service the place could really take off.

Why Join the Foreign Service? Part V

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

– Helen Keller