I always find it interesting how I start every trip with some level of fear; it makes no sense because it is only before I leave that it exists...once I'm gone and actually making my way to some new place, it completely disappears. I guess it just goes to show how irrational fear really is.
My trip started with Norma and some of her family. Apparently, Norma was quite sick last year, and as a result, her eldest sister made a promise to God that if she were to get better she would journey to San Juan de los Lagos, one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Mexican Catholics. So this is what we did; we drove 7 hours to attend mass at the church in San Juan de los Lagos along with what seemed to be a billion others. As I am told, whenever you return to a holy place to give thanks, you are supposed to enter on your knees. I watched as Norma and her sister made their way to the front of the church on their knees (hard floor an' all)- it took them a good 20 minutes with the distance and crowd. Thereafter, they returned to the rest of us and embraced, a moment that turned rather emotional for the family. I felt honored: not only did I get to visit such a holy place, but I got to do it with people it really meant something to...I was affected.
Since then, I have been left to travel alone for the next ten days. My first stop, Guadalajara. I have been here for the past two and a half days, and while there isn't so much to see in regards to tourist sites, the city is definitely a favorite of mine. I love art, and this place is full of it! From music to contemporary art galleries to the classic Mexican architecture- I love it all. Walking down the street, ipod in hand, sun high in sky, I am energized. A highlight has been El Cabanas, where I was struck by the intensity and magnitude of murals upon all encompassing walls. I probably stood mesmerized in that room for a good fifteen minutes.
And even more, Guadalajara is only an hour's drive from Tequila, origin of the infamous, tequila. Here I toured through the Jose Cuervo distillery, drinking more tequila than I had been prepared for while getting a run down of the process in which tequila goes from blue agave (a cactus- like plant) to alcohol. It is one thing to go wine tasting; it is a whole other thing to go liquor tasting! I never thought I liked tequila, but multiple tastings have given me a whole new perspective on it- some types are in fact REALLY good. Who knew. Also, I was given a taste of the family reserve, said to be the best tequila in the world- only recently have they begun to sell it, distributing only 10,000 bottles a year. I was amused to return to the city in a bit of a haze.
What else? The hostel. I haven’t stayed in a hostel since my trip through Southeast Asia after my year abroad in Australia. I totally forgot how awesome it can be- sharing a room with five others, meeting people from all over the world, reminiscing about India from fellow India lovers (oh how I miss India!), learning quirks about other countries and laughing about the ones here, and staying up till 2am with a Polish guy talking about spirituality. Even the Mexican staff is phenomenal. This type of atmosphere exists no where else than in hostels (for the most part) and I´m glad to have suddenly been reminded of that. But I must admit, it hasn't been too good for my Spanish.
Mexico Quirks:
- Like many other countries, Mexico often offers soda in glass bottles. But unlike other countries I have been in where this is the case, they offer you a little plastic bag to dump your drink into should you need to take the soda to go. I was like ‘what the hell’ when I first experienced some woman pouring my drink into a bag along with a straw.
- Chicharron, commonly requested and eaten, is basically fried pig skin! They sell it in bags like chips in commercial stores, and put it in just about anything, from tacos to gorditas. Yes, I’ve tried it…but a try is a try, and I have left it there.
- They eat all parts of the animal: I’ve tried cow brains, chicken kidney, and pig intestines (yeah, I was a bit grossed out to be frank…the things you do to be respectful of one’s culture), but like I said, a try is a try and I don’t need to try again :) I have also seen Norma buy a bag of…I don’t know what else to call it…bugs! They look like roaches, and apparently are tasty in certain dishes- her dad likes to cook them. I saw them same bugs in the market, alongside tomatoes and onions as a topping for tacos (my face cringes as I write). God knows if any of the dishes I have eaten at her house have been cooked with these bugs- I haven’t asked because now, after the fact, I’d rather not know. Lol.
Soon to come: Lucha Libre...
"Maybe you'll get what you wanted,
maybe you'll stumble upon it,
everything you ever wanted,
in a permanent state."
-Coldplay
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