March 2017

When you have a couple of days off before making a big career change, what do you do? Go to Mexico!

Unfortunately, this one had no planning and had to be on very specific dates. So I checked into possible destinations and out came Guadalajara, Mexico. And I am very glad that it did. After hearing some initial negatives about going to this Mexican destination, I looked a little closer. Guadalajara is a cultural hub for Mexico and guess what is just a short drive away? Tequila! As in Tequila, Mexico. So the tickets were purchased and the hotel booked (yes, this time I booked a “real” hotel, not just a hostel). Besides those items, I did not book any other tours or activities before setting out. Below are the details and let me just say, this turned out to be one of the most fun trips I have ever been on.

Guadalajara

Accommodation: La Villa del Ensueno

Absolutely loved this hotel! The decor is fantastic. Very colorful and Mexican in a very artistic way. The room was clean, big and bright and we had a great little porch. There is a bar onsite and the bartender is absolutely the best I have ever met. Do not tell him what to make, tell him to make you whatever he wants. He will use the freshest ingredients and use plenty of Tajin on the rim. The pool was very nice. Not large but it also was never crowded. The hot tub was clean and warm.

Breakfast is sit-down and order (not buffet) which I was initially disappointed in, having been to so many resorts. However, the food was delicious and the wait staff exceptional. They were very attentive.

This hotel is located in Tlaquepaque. It is just east of Guadalajara. It is known as an artsy neighborhood with good food. And that is very accurate. We felt very safe walking around, even at night.

Transportation: Uber

Seriously. Guadalajara Mexico has Uber! This is a fantastic option for anyone who speaks little to no Spanish and is concerned about haggling. Generally, I let the front desk staff do the haggling for me (they offered), but with Uber, we didn’t have to worry. Prices are great and everything is just as easy to use as at home. We got picked up at the hotel, at the zoo and in the middle of the city.

Food: DELICIOUS

I seriously get more and more disappointed with American cuisine whenever I travel and Guadalajara was no exception. Everywhere we went had delicious, fresh ingredients. As a bonus, most places we went had mariachi bands!

As we were staying in the Tlaquepaque area, we mostly ate there. It has plenty of choices along Independence Avenue, the main walkway. It is a bit on the touristy side but was very lively. Along the walk are art galleries and shops.

To do: Drink tequila and visit the zoo

Once we were checked in we got our free welcome drink and talked to the front desk about options to visit Tequila. She was very informative and gave a range of options we could do. These included a private driver and tour guide, a small group tour and a larger, cheap options. We went for the small group option and were not disappointed! I will explain more below, under TEQUILA.

After spending most of the first day in Tequila, we had the driver drop us off near the Guadalajara city center. We wandered the town and checked out some shops. Again, we felt very safe and besides one unhelpful shop attendant, everyone was very friendly. We ended up at the Catedral de Guadalajara. While we did not end up going into the buildings here but the square and surrounding area were beautiful. Ubered back to our hotel, walked to a restaurant for dinner and relaxed the rest of the evening.

The next day we decided on visiting the zoo. This was my first time visiting a zoo in a foreign country. Besides having to translate most of the signs, there isn’t much different from any other zoo (I know, not surprising). The Guadalajara zoo is pretty spectacular. There are a ton of species and interesting animals. There are several walk-through areas where the animals are right there with you. Besides wishing we had brought a picnic lunch (food here was a bit expensive) I have no complaints and would make it a stop on our next visit.

Has this trip was meant to be relaxing, those are the only things we did/saw while in Guadalajara. I definitely feel that we could have stayed longer and seen so much more! The highlight was the tour of Tequila which I go into below…

TEQUILA

Tequila is the home of…Tequila. Here you will find a rich history of the production of tequila along with most of the well-known and not so well-known brands. Unfortunately, I did not get contact information for our tour, we just booked it through the hotel. I suggest doing the same. Our tour started from another hotel (quick uber ride over) and included a driver, tour guide and 4 other people (total of 6 customers). We rode in a well air-conditioned van and the drive out was filled with informative and entertaining information provided by the tour guide.

Our first stop, an agave farm. Our tour guide provided history and basic information. We joined another tour group for a talk by one of the Jimadores (the title of the person who harvests the agave). This was in Spanish but was translated by our guide. We learned about the tools used and even got to sping a couple. There was time to wander around and take pictures of the plants and scenery. They were even selling a local balm made from the agave. It has been great for rough hands and minor cuts.

We then headed to Tequila and the Jose Cuervo factory. First, we explored the town. It is small, has a great market and a few shops. Then was time for our tour. The Jose Cuervo tour starts with a short video of the history of tequila and Cuervo. It is in Spanish with English subtitles. Then we took an English tour seeing each step of the process. We go to try oven-roasted agave and (only) twice distilled tequila (if you don’t know what that means, basically it is too strong to legally sell until the third distillation).

After the factory tour, we had free time to get lunch (it was not provided). The guide gave some recommendations and we picked the rooftop restaurant across from the factory. The food was phenomenal. Mango guacamole is my new favorite thing.

When we got back to Guadalajara, they took us back to the hotel, but after hearing we planned on going to the city center, they took us there.

Recap and Tips:

Don’t listen to the naysayers who speak of dirt and bad air. Guadalajara is a big city in Mexico. So there is dirt and there is bad air. But if you can get over that, it is a beautiful place with amazing food and a very rich history.

Use Uber to get around. Do not try to drive! Even my husband, whose main love in life is driving, admitted he had no interest in driving here, in the city.

Do a Tequila tour, privately or in a group. Don’t worry about booking ahead unless you want to do the tequila train, even if all the websites say you have to.

Go to the zoo and get horchata.

Learn a little Spanish. Do not expect anyone to know English. This city is not as touristy as Cabo or Puerto Vallarta. If you plan on getting out and about, there will be a language barrier. As long as you can handle pointing in a menu and have a map, you will be fine.

Verizon Wireless offers plans with Mexico and Canada included. This was how we were able to use Uber and translate text at the zoo and on menus (Google Translate, use the camera).