Tlaquepaque
After saying goodbye to our housesitting hosts, Ron and Janice and their horses and dogs in Chapala, we headed to Tlaqupaque. Tlaquepaque is south of Gaudalajara (try and say that fast!!) and is a very colourful and bustling part of the city with lots of beautiful handicrafts. Jeanette really enjoyed browsing the many craft and handmade furniture shops along Independencia Avenue – the mostly pediatrianised main road. There were also some fantastic restaurants and good street food stalls around the main plaza.
On our first day in Tlaqueapaque we wondered across the local mercado (market). It was lunch time and we were hungry. It was in the mercado we discovered gorditas, a kind of Mexican panini. They were made fresh in front of you and filled with a variety of yummy Mexican toppings. They are a taste sensation and its now hard for us to walk past a street vendor selling gorditas, and impossible if you are hungry!!
We found a lovely hotel to stay in while we were in Tlaquepaque called Hotel Boutique La Villa del Ensueno. Close enough to walk to all the sites and shops, but far enough away to have a quiet nights sleep. The breakfasts were exceptional, especially over the weekends. What sets this hotel apart though is their staff, they were incredible.
Our main mission while we were in Tlaquepaque was to find a van to buy that would be our transport and our home for the next 12 months. Jeanette had her heart set on a VW kombi, however Glen wasn’t convinced. There is a local car market a 15 minute drive from Tlaquepaque that has close to 2,500 vehicles for sale. We thought this would be a fantastic place to start, so headed there on Sunday. We were in luck, we found a 1996 Chevrolet Astro, that was in good condition, within our budget, and we both liked it.
The next challenge was to get the van registered in our name. As tourists we are not legally allowed to own a vehicle. So lucky for us the mechanic we used to check the van out knew someone, that knew someone, that could make it happen (for the right price). Two days later we were the owners of a Chevrolet Astro!
After walking around 2,500 thousand cars, we needed a break. Well so Glen thought. Jeanette had other ideas. She was keen to head to the famous Tonala Craft Market.
The craft market runs every Thursday and Sunday. It is made up of mostly family-run, small-scale workshops and stalls.
A short Uber ride away we pulled up at Tonala Markets. They were massive, and a little overwhelming, but boy were the prices cheap. This is where the wholesalers from all over Mexico come to buy their handicrafts to sell to the tourists. If luggage allowed Jeanette would have gone mad here, luckily we have limited room. So it was a few corn husk angels, a nice hand stitched top, and some Mezcala glasses, and we were on our way back to the hotel for a much needed siesta.
The following afternoon we headed into the historic centre of Guadalajara – about a 20 minute drive, to catch up with our friend Eli. She gave us a guided walking tour around the old town and through the central market. Eli also took us to an old historic bar, which was pretty rustic, and great people watching.
After the tour around the old historic district of Guadalajara Eli took us to her fathers workshop. Her Dad use to be a Dentist but gave it all away to follow his heart and hobby, engraving glass. An interesting guy, who really struggles with why someone would leave Mexico, as it has everything. Eli his daughter is an intrepid traveller, and will soon be departing to work with Husky Dogs in Northern Finland. It is wonderful to hear both perspectives about travelling – staying and touring around your own country versus travelling abroad. We are on the fence for this one, as we love travelling around New Zealand, but also enjoying exploring new countries and cultures.
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