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Show On the road with a Shirley Smith Spend a Day in Guadalajara Starved as we are for beaches and sunshine after a winter's snow, we sometimes forget that Mexico is more than seaside resorts, mariachis and margaritas. Next trip south of the border why not combine the sandy shores with a visit to cosmopolitan Guadalajara, the "city of roses". Mexico's second largest city (pop. approx. 3,000,000) has managed to retain much of the gracious atmosphere of the past. It is a city of parks and fountains, of monuments and flower lined boulevards. Beautiful old plazas have been preserved, new ones have been built and most important, perhaps, the city has managed to maintain traces of the graciousness and gentility of old Mexico. Gaudalajara rests on a mile high plain surrounded by rugged countryside and boasts a marvelous climate - eternal springtime with a rainy season for 3 months during the summer. Its' location 150 east of Puerto Vallarta makes it a natural day excursion for vacationers to that seaside resort. You might wish to do as we did and board Mexicana Flight No. 927 at 8:25 a.m. in Puerto Vallarta (about $35 round trip. Be sure to make your reservations here because the daily flight is often full. You also avoid a 10 local Mexican tax.) We are barely in the air - just time for a quick glass of juice -when we begin our descent over the lush, green mountains and land at Guadalajara's modern airport just 30 minutes after take off. Our first destination was the area of Tlaquepaque 5 miles east of Guadalajara, once a distinct village but now enveloped by the city (taxi fare about $3). Famous for its pottery and glass factories, Tlaquepaque is a shopper's paradise. The town focuses around a block square arcade lined with outdoor cafes and bars. Stretching from one side of the arcade is the Avenida Independencia blocked to vehicles and lined with exquisite shops offering everything from custom leather goods and high fashion clothing to papier mache sculpture by famous artists and beautifully crafted pottery, metal and glassware. Prices are higher than the marketplace, but so, often, is the quality. But, I came home with a beautiful blown glass pitcher for $2.50 so there are definitely bargains available. We could easily have whiled away the entire day wandering ' and browsing, but time was racing and we didn't want to miss Mercado Libertad (taxi about $2.50 from Tlaquepaque). An amazing conglomeration of clothing, food, arts and crafts, the Mercado (near the intersection of Juarez and Calzada Independencia) covers 4 square blocks and contains over 1,000 privately owned stands. Here you can, and should, haggle and can buy anything from an embroidered dress (I got a lovely one for $14) to medicinal herbs (passed on those) and baskets and bags of all shapes and sizes ($3.50 bought me a colorful and large - straw shopping bag to hold all my other purchases). Having now spent 8 full hours feeding the local economy with our pesos, we decided it was time to feed ourselves and besides, we couldn't carry any more boxes, bundles and baskets. A short train ride brought us to a most amazing vegetarian restaurant just outside the midtown area. Terra Mater at Lopez Cotilla 1484 - open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. - offered the perfect respire to three tired shoppers. Huge tumblers of freshly squeezed orange juice kept us happy while we perused the seemingly endless menu - they have one in English if you need it. Finally, settled on a spinach salad to share, Aztec soup with tortillas, avacado and melted cheese, hot and heavy homemade bread and quesadillas with guacamole. Total bill - $4 a piece! By the time we dawdled over our coffee and herb tea it was time to head to the airport for the 8:25 p.m. flight back to Puerto Vallarta. By 9:30 we were back at our hotel in time for a relaxing dip in the pool and a brandy at the outside bar. A perfect ending to an exciting day. If you would like to part with your pesos in Guadalajara, call Shirley at 649-7430 or 649-1555. |