Guadalajara Trip, Rotary Club and Ruins

Victor was a prime mover in the creation of a local Rotary Club in our town that started up last November. This month the club received its Charter at a District Meeting of Rotarians in Guadalajara. I traveled with him and other Rotarians to the event and was really glad I did. We started the trip on Friday evening, my first big road trip at night. Our friends drove, and their teenage sons were along. We stayed at their daughter's house in Zapopan, a suburb of Guad. She and her spouse are medical students with a one year old baby. It was a challenge for me in this total Spanish speaking environment, but a good one to say the least, as it forced me into conversation even though I still struggle with tenses other than present.

Saturday morning we met 11 other Rotarians at the breakfast meeting at a luxurious Tennis residential club. The district included the States of Jalisco (which Guad is in), Nayarit (our state), and Sinaloa to the north of Nayarit. Largely though, it was Guadalajarians attending. When it came time for the club to present itself and accept the charter, they all stood up there proudly in their blue polo club shirts with Bahia de Jaltemba logos. I took pictures, and the president spoke of the history of the club getting started (including mentioning Victor's role), and projects the club has already accomplished (helping with scholarships for local high school students) and the future building of a new building for kindergardeners in a poor neighborhood of our town. Everyone clapped and clapped and many photos were taken. It was an emotional moment, and I could see Victor in tears, of happiness for the hope for the future of the club in our town, and knowing what can be accomplished when a group of people have the desire and inspiration to make change happen for the good for people in a community.


The club wanted to do some special sightseeing together but we had to go pick up our friends' family, and go eat lunch downtown in El Centro (the downtown) of Guadalajara. It had been some time since I had been three, and I always love exploring and relaxing in El Centro.

It is a beautiful spacious area of old 15th century buildings, cathedrals, the theater, plazas and fountains, flowering trees with brilliant orange flowers, others with purple. Many families are strolling the plaza, enjoying being outdoors, after the swine flu closedown that had occurred. Due to a few outbreaks of the virus the city had closed all entertainment, sports, and school for a week, just as Mexico City had done. But everything was reopened and I only saw a few people wearing those silly blue masks, which really don't help and are best worn by sick people to prevent them from spreading it to others, and if you were sick you would be home anyway. We ate at a Mexican restaurant and I had yummy chicken enchiladas with mole sauce. We strolled some more, and sat drinking espresso at the corner of El Teatro, a good spot to people watch. A mime stood there all painted in silver paint, and entertaining little children.

Daniela, her brothers Oscar y Hector, baby Sebastian, Edgar

Church next to El Teatro

The next day we headed out of town on our way back home, but stopping to visit some ruins near the small town of Daniela's spouse Edgar. The ruins are the Teuchitlan ruins close to the town of Teuchitlan, and we were excited to visit them, until we were turned away "due to the swine flu"! I think this is a bit ridiculous. Having left the second largest city in Mexico with no worries, now we are in the middle of nowhere and it is closed! So we drove up into the hills and got a view of them at an overlook. Very interesting structures, unlike anything I have seen at other ruins. This society is also known for building shaft tombs.

A large lagoon lies off in the distance, the mountains surround us and the agave plants (tequila) make for lovely scenery. It was a really hot afternoon, but dry.

We ate at Daniela's in-laws' house, talapia fish from the nearby lagoon. Drove home in thunderstorms through the mountains, but at least it wasn't dark out yet. When it rains it rains quite heavily here, and these were some downpours. Upon arriving home, we found a flooded kitchen! Time to get the repairmen out. thank goodness I didn't have important papers on the table that got flooded.

It was an enjoyable weekend experiencing new sights and new friends in a city I love and can't wait to get back to, for there is so much to see and do there. We could take in a concert or dance performance at the Degollado Theatre, visit more museums, eat interesting food, stroll the plazas, and appreciate the 15th century architecture. I don't have to go to Europe to experience the old, it is right here only a few hours from my town of La Peñita.















Agave plants for Tequila