A Rainy Day in ....Guadalajara, Mexico
Guadalajara, Jalisco is known as the most Mexican of Mexican cities. It is the birthplace of such Mexican icons as Mariachi, Tequila and the Charro or Mexican cowboy. Many of the traditional folk arts we recognize as Mexican are also created here. It is Mexico’s second largest city with a population of 1.6 million in the City proper and over four million in the metropolitan area. Greater Guadalajara includes the municipalities of Tlaqupaque, Zapopan and Tonolá as well as the city of Guadalajara. Each has its own distinct historical center, but their modern suburbs have become intertwined.
The “pearl of Jalisco” as the city is known, has a wonderful climate for year-round outdoor activities with average high temperatures in the 70s and 80s all year long. June through September is the rainy season, with July averaging 20 days of rain. El Niño conditions extended the rain through October this year. That doesn’t mean that it will rain all day long for days at a time, but you should always be prepared for a cloudburst.
My hotel, the
Quinta Real, was prepared for this eventuality with umbrellas propped at every door and clear plastic curtains to roll down around the
patio restaurant for the duration of the downpour. I could have ensconced myself with a good guide book in my golden suite to wait out the rain at this all-suite boutique hotel with a colonial flavor. I could have taken up residence in the bar for a signature Mariana (a kiwi strawberry margarita with salt and chili powder on the rim of the glass), or lingered in the restaurant to enjoy any of Chef Gabriel Duram’s scrumptious meals accompanied by a variety of musicians who play for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I could have explored the collection of one-of-a-kind historical Spanish and Mexican artwork displayed throughout the hotel’s public areas, or spent some time catching up on email in the business center. And to tell the truth, I did all of those things, but still found some rainy and not-so rainy moments to explore other rainy day possibilities in this beautiful city.
For more rainy day Guadalajara alternatives, check out the Rainy Day Guadalajara links page.
Kayte Deioma
The largest traditional Mexican market in Guadalajara goes by many names. The official name is Mercado Libertad or Liberty Market. Most locals refer to it as Mercado San Juan de Dios ( St. John of God Market) after the nearby church and neighborhood of the same name. Still others call it Mercado “Taiwan de Dios” for the piles of imported electronics sold there. By any name, Latin America’s largest indoor market can keep you occupied and out of the rain for a good long while, even if you’re not a shopper. If you are a shopper, feel free to haggle, but keep in mind that wages in Mexico are really low, so don’t try to drive too hard a bargain.
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story and photos by Kayte Deioma
One of the “must do” activities when visiting Guadalajara, whether it’s raining or not, is a side trip to the town of Tequila to get a glimpse at how Mexico’s national beverage is produced.
When the Spaniards colonized Mexico in the 1500s, they found the native people drinking a fermented beverage called
pulque made from the heart of the
maguey or agave plant. The Spaniards were running low on the spirits they had brought with them from Spain, so they distilled the
pulque, creating the first mezcal wine. After a temporary ban on mezcal production in 1785, the King of Spain granted José Cuervo (Joe Crow) the first official license to produce
mezcal wine in 1795. The Cuervo distillery was the first to give the name “tequila” to the type of mezcal wine produced exclusively from the heart of blue agave plants. With few exceptions, to have the designation of “tequila,” a mezcal must be produced from blue agave grown in the dry highlands of Jalisco and a few surrounding states and distilled in this same area.
