Sunday in Guadalajara, Part 1

Ascending concentric circles in front of Guadalajara cathedral

I had two days of plans for what to do in Guadalajara. This is day three.

That's not a bad thing. Every day of a vacation does not have to have an agenda set in advance. This, by the way, is the Sunday morning view of Los Dos Templos from my hotel's top-floor terrace.

Hansom cab clopping along in front of La Chata restaurant this morning where there is -- get this -- a line:

I cobbled together an agenda while eating local pastries.  I am going to the City Museum, then the Jalisco state museum, and then I am going to find Plaza of the Mariachis, which I could not find on my day set aside for the walking tour of Centro Historico.

This is the Guadalajara Cathedral serving as a photo backdrop. I was thinking of traveling to a different part of town, such as Zapopan, but I decided not to.

There's still more to see in the Centro Historico and, in some cases, re-see.

Such as the giant rattan head wearing a giant rattan sombrero:

I could not get a close look on Friday because of the goings-on here. Turns out, the head and sombrero are made of two-by-fours.

It only looked like rattan from the distance I had to keep. Now, today, because I elected another day in the Centro Historico, I can see it up close and for real.

What do I spy with my eye? Ascending concentric circles! Just like Guachimontones!

I saw these on Friday, but I had not yet seen Guachimontones and the so-called "circular" pyramids. Turns out these ascending concentric circles are quite the motif in these parts.

Sunday mass was happening at Templo de Nuestra Señora de la Merced (Our Lady of Mercy), catty-corner from the Cathedral. I peeked inside -- beautiful -- but I did not want to interrupt the mass with my shutterbugging.

So I moseyed down the Museo de la Ciudad, the Museum of the City.

You know you found a museum that is off the well-beaten tourist trek when no one speaks English and not a single one of the explanatory displays has even a word of English. But when I asked where I "compro" my ticket (the word is "boleto," but I called it a "tickete" because I'm pathetic), I completely understood the Spanish language response: "gratis."

Admission was free!

The first display is from 16th Century Guadalajara, the beginning of the Spanish era. I really liked this statue of the Virgin.

She looks like a mother exhausted from raising her infant who, while the son of God, is also a human infant. Of course she would look worn out.

The collection was small. The section on mariachi music was interesting:

Acordeon con botones! Accordion with buttons. And a mandolin. And a phonograph playing really miniature discs, smaller than an old 45.

The instruments of mariachi music then got more modern:

Violins (violines). And a harp (arpa).

Guitars.

Sombreros.

Oh, wait. We left the mariachi section and now are in the Charrería section.

Costumes that would make Porter Waggoner proud.

Charrería is Mexican rodeo. I know, "rodeo" is a Spanish word, so why do they need a different name for Mexican rodeo? Because the Mexicans wanted it that way

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The Virgin Mary watches over Charrería. Or just plain watched Charrería. Perhaps she is a fan.

Photograph of children attending Hospicio Cabañas circa 1940.

I visited the Hospicio Cabañas, now Museo Hospicio Cabañas on Friday.

Walking over to the Jalisco state museum, I spot a horseless carriage straight out of Cinderella.

More horse-drawn carriages at the Cathedral.

This seems to be the place to embark on your carriage ride, with or without horse.

I walked past the Rotonda de Los Jaliescenses Ilustres and noticed the one Illustrious Jaliscan I overlooked on Friday:

Jose Clemente Orozco. He is the muralist who painted all those end-of-days looking murals in the Major Chapel at Hospicio Cabañas

The Palacio Municipal de Guadalajara:

I didn't mean to upload that picture, but I did. So I will keep it in here.

Then, en route to the state museum, I saw this:

Let's end Part 1 of the Sunday walking tour on a cliffhanger. Stayed tuned for Part 2, where I explain what the heck that is and what it's doing in the middle of the street.

Guadalajara WILL Do, Part 2

José Clemente Orozco murals in the Major Chapel of the Museo Cabañas

Let's say it right now. The Nerd-Kings of 1970s AOR Music were very wrong, at least about Guadalajara. In their song "My Old School," Steely Dan sang that line "Whoa no / Guadalajara won't do." That is not true. Guadalajara will do. Thank you very much. Guadalajara will do as a great mini-vacation destination.

At least I'm enjoying the place so far. On with the walking tour of Centro Historico:

The next destination in the walking tour will be Museo Cabañas, the repurposed Hospicio Cabañas. But first:

Sala de los Magos. Translation: Hall of Magicians.

This is a series of scupltures that I would describe as being chair-shaped space aliens.

They are chairs. And they are space aliens. Hence: chair-shaped space aliens.

There is something similar on the Boardwalk in Puerto Vallarta (named for Ignacio Vallarta) (you remember him from Part 1 of this Walking Tour). Only in Puerto Vallarta it's not called the "Boardwalk." It's called the "Malecon." Because it's not made of boards. It's concrete.

They got bronze chair-shaped aliens there, too.

Because who would not want bronze chair-shaped alien sculptures in their community.

This must be a child-sized bronze alien chair:

The Sala de los Magos is just outside the Hospicio Cabañas, which, as previously stated, has now been repurposed into the Museo Cabañas.

It's now an art museum. Let's have a look-see inside.

This one is called "Fratricida," by the artist Antonio Ramirez. I kinda like it, believe it or not.

This one also was interesting:

The kid has horror-movie dead eyes. Yet it's called "Primavera." "Spring." Go figure.

Next up is the "folk art" section. I give you the highlights:

A chicken. And because this is a Friday in Lent, a fish:

And the bronze death mask of the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera.

Diego Rivera was a communist. But he's my favorite kind of communist. A dead communist. I also found him to be a talented artist. I really do like his stuff.

Speaking or muralists, we now reach the whole reason for coming to Museo Cabañas: the murals of José Clemente Orozco in the Major Chapel of Museo Cabañas.

The murals are quite stunning. I'm not going to post pictures of all of them.

Even though I photographed every single one.

Lots of grays and reds in the artist's pallette.

It's not just the walls; it's the ceilings, too.

Orozco is probably the most renowned muralist in Mexico after Diego Rivera.

More ceiling panels. Which I photographed laying flat on my back because why not? I won't be seeing anyone I saw in here ever again.

The dome of the Major Chapel.

Another ceiling panel. Another photo shot laying on my back.

This was worth the walk.

Time to exit the Major Chapel to explore more of the grounds.

Not sure of the nearby church contributing the two spires in this photo:

This is the Tolsa Chapel.

And here I am. 

First decent selfie of the day. After a big tall cup of black coffee, it will be on with the walking tour of Centro Historico.