Our arrival in Guadalajara was a difficult one in many ways. Our timing was terrible. It was 7pm, the setting sun was still blisteringly hot, especially combined with the heat from the city and the immobile post work trafficOur arrival in Guadalajara was a difficult one in many ways. Our timing was terrible. It was 7pm, the setting sun was still blisteringly hot, especially combined with the heat from the city and the immobile post work traffic. Our riding gear was sticking to our sweating skin, and once again, our trusty GPS was trying to constantly send us the wrong way down one-way streets.
Half of the historic centre, the location of our planned hotel, was being dug up in preparation for the upcoming Latin American Games, and I had steam coming out of my ears in frustration, only adding to the heat!
Finally, I rode around a no entry barrier, down a dug up road, and found the hotel we had been looking for for the past hour, only to find that we could not reach the garage or park anywhere in the immediate vicinity due to the road works. I talked the receptionist into letting me check my e-mails, and hallelujah, there it was, an e.mail from a friend of a friend inviting us to stay at their house in Guadalajara. We put our damp jackets back on, and at 9pm arrived at our friend’s, friend’s house!
The next 10 days in Guadalajara were a blur of missed dates. `We missed two free Manu Chow concerts but made it to the Free Music Festival and caught a wicked Reggae band in one of the city Squares.
We had a long drive down to San Pancho down by Puerto Vallarta, and an even longer trip back, mainly thanks to a flat tyre and an even flatter spare in our friend’s car. We went on a small distillery tour of on of the quality Tequila makers, Partida, ,were treated to a Botana from Tequila's most celebrated bartender, Don Javier
had a day at Chapala lake to the south of Guadalajara, before finally heading out for Guanajuato.