GUADALAJARA IS A FEAST FOR THE SENSES

There is so much to see and do in and around Guadalajara, that I'd run amok with words if I started trying to capture the sights of this wonderful colonial city. It is rich in art, architecture and history. And by way of contrast a colourful, noisy and crowded sidewalk market filled with food, local crafts that are all yours for the haggling!

And then there's tequila and mariachi - both of of which are quintessentially a part of Jalisco.

Will explore all this in a series of thumb-nails below. As before click to enlarge, and then hit the 'back' button to return to the page.

Bas Relief Panels, Stone and Bronze Sculptures along the Plaza Tapatia pedestrian walkway

Whimsy and humour - Alejandro Colunga's bronze benches in the Hospico Plaza fronting the Cabanas Cultural Institute

Sergio Bustamante's Pillowhead characters swinging through life in Tlaquepaque's trendy neighbourhood - arty, crafty and hugely popular with visitors.

Tiled mural in Tlaquepaque depicting the rich, the poor, the famous and the infamous... all stalked by the skeleton of mortality!

Jose Clemente Orazco's murals, like all great work of art, literature and music they resonate in the minds and hearts of viewers. The ceiling frescos in the Cabanas Cultural Institute and the bitter fury against oppression depicted on the walls of the Government Palace are powerful images of Mexico's troubled and often violent history.

These murals face the town square in the small town of Ajiic. They celebrate the sea and its bounty.

And...so to enjoy two time-honoured Jalisco traditions - tequila and mariarchi!
All aboard the Tequila Express!

Click on Jose Cuervo for an insight into one of the world's most acclaimed producers of Tequila,
and a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the making of a liqueur as carefully calibrated as a fine Scotch whisky.

And now on to a few shots of the pretty cobblestoned lanes of Chapala where several attractive haciendas
are owned by U.S. and Canadian citizens.

...and this little cutie!

Hacienda el Carmen, with its graceful colonial architecture, and spacious grounds filled with fruit trees, and flowering shrubs
is is a rural retreat complete with spa, sauna, stables, a private chapel - and yes, even a miniature golf course!

And finally, we can't say adios to Mexico without plunging into a noisy, colourful street market in Tonala (outskirts of Guadalajara), with row upon row of brightly decorated stalls carrying plastic trinkets and mass produced kitsch, in addition to attractive embroidered blouses, hand-crafted pottery, and intricately designed Indian bead bowls. Bargain hunters and vendors spit rapid-fire Spanish at each other, singers lament lost loves while strumming guitars and accordians, and the thick, strong smell of sizzling spices, and ripe tropical fruit lies over everything.