“El Grito”
This is how independence day is celebrated in Mexico. People gather at 23h00 on Thursday and hear the president shout “Viva México” on television (if you are not in Mexico City) and everyone else shouts “Viva!“.
I took this chance to go visit a friend who lives in Guadalajara because Friday (16th September) is a national holiday –and here is the visual recollection of all the events that unfolded over that long weekend. See them on the slideshow (below) or directly on Flickr.
Great food, great company & perfect weather (reminded me much about Bogotá weather, indeed). I loved everything about this weekend, but most importantly, I was really happy to be able to experience a new rich, fascinating culture in the company of one of the warmest, kindest families I have ever met –all of this whilst experiencing the feeling of being closer to “home” than I have ever felt outside Colombia.
I’ve always said that Mexico can be summarized as a “gastronomical feast”… at least this is the impression I had after visiting Mexico City in 2004. Guadalajara did not disappoint (nor I was expecting it to) but the food in this region was also very unique and delicious. There aren’t many photos of just food in this set, but trust me: heaps of new, unique things were consumed in record time. There is no doubt I made my metabolism work up to its max capacity.
The other constant theme around Guadalajara during my visit was the Pan American games which will take place there in a couple of weeks. Needless to say, the city is getting a major lift and many billboards and decorations are all about this very important sporting event. Heaps of construction, yet, many brand new developments around the city.
If you haven’t considered visiting Guadalajara, you should indeed. I took me by surprise just how much it has to offer as a tourist destination.