Guadalajara and back

I have now reached the two thirds point in my trip. As I write this, it is Friday the 14th, Día de Amor [Valentine's Day], and I leave México on Friday 28 February. This week, from Monday until today I was in Guadalajara working. When I come to México I always try to give some conferencías [talks] on my philosophical work. My theories, in the area of Argumentation Theory, are greatly appreciated here and seem to speak to the Latin soul. (Too bad they don't speak so strongly to the Canadian or American soul!) So Monday, I took my wheelie carry on across the seemingly mountainous cobblestones of Ajijic to the plaza. Had a cafe con leche at the Black and White, and then caught the Chapala Plus Directo to Guadalajara.

All the buses in México that go any distance are extremely comfortable with seats that lean back, foot rests, cup holders and all the mod cons. The trip was scheduled for one hour so, of  course, was an hour and one half. I was met by dear friend Fernando, taken to my hotel, and then la comida. The hotel was directly across from the Plaza des Armas, which is (allegedly) the exact centre of Guadalajara. The room is on the small side, spartan in a kind of Scandinavian way, and truly delightful. Best of all was the location - dead centre - and the view, which was outstanding.

The view from my balcony

Here's a 15 second look at the room and the view: My room and view 

La comida was at a restaurant which served a Guadalajara specialty not available anywhere else. Carne, in this case pork, is cooked with frijoles [beans] in its own juices.

Carne en su Jugo

As really, really exciting dishes go, I wouldn't rank it at the top. But more important was the company of my many friends from the Universidad de Guadalajara [UdG ] whom I had not seen for several years.

Following la comida we had a faculty session discussing their future plans for Argumentation Theory, and then I was ferried back to my elegantly simple hotel room,  and it's beautiful view.

 The next day was work. I was offering a three session course to grad students in the UdG Department of Philosophy - in Spanish, which makes it more effort by a factor of, say 10. Nonetheless, it was going quite well. We took the usual middle of three hours break, and I wandered alone clearing my mind and organizing my thoughts. When I returned and said, Bueno, empeazamos, [OK, let's begin] one of the students said, Maestro, if you want to work in English, we all understand it. Now you tell me. So those remaining classes were primarily n English spiked with Spanish when the spirit moved me.

That afternoon I had la comida at one of my usual Guadalajara haunts right on the plaza, La Mexicana. I had been curious about tortas ahogadas, which translates as drowned sandwiches, so I ordered one. A torta ahogadas is made from a bun, a bolillo, which is the same one used for molletes [see this blog entry: look for molletes]. Only in this recipe they are stuffed with your choice of filling - I chose carnitas - and then drowned in sauce, usually very spicy, but I begged forbearance.

Eaten with a knife and fork, it was delicious. El Mexicana is a huge place mostly attended by locals. I've never been there when the entertainment is on, but I imagine it's great fun. (Sorry for the bad pic, but the lighting was difficult.

Wednesday was another three hour class, and Thursday was my large public lecture. That, I did in Spanish.

Wednesday night I went with friend Jaime and his friend Linda,

to a new and very chi-chi restaurant in Chapultepec called Chochon Gastrobar. The food was excellent and beautifully served. Here are some pictures taken in bad light. In order, tuna, pulpo [octopus] and lamb.

My fresh Tuna

Linda's Pulpo

Jaime's lamb

We had a lovely time, and a new friend was made. I hope.

I was having a problem in Guadalajara. I had too much time alone, and could only work so many hours on other things. I have walked the Guadalajara plazas many times, and have visited the Mercado Libertad often.

It's huge and fun but... Been there done that.

I mentioned something to Fernando in passing, who also mentioned it to his wife Judith also in passing. Judith [pronounced Hu-dith] like virtually every woman I know, said, Well did you invite him for comida tomorrow? Are you taking him somewhere? Which is no small part of the reason why men need women so much. In a flash I was invite to their lovely house.

Thursday comida  at their house and it was wonderful. [I don't say lunch because la comida is later and much larger than what we think of as lunch. I'll have a separate entry on that.]

We ate a Guadalajara specialty called tacos al vapor. These are

tacos that are first cooked, then dried and then steamed, and they were wonderful.

After my final class I was taken to a restaurant called Otate, which lays claim to the best tacos ever. I ordered, and Fernando looked at the waiter and said, no, no, no, and re-did my order. I went with him, and they were grand. Two were tacos pastor [country style] two machaco [pork] and one chicharon [fried pig skin] and they were all grand.

Best of all was the company.

Molcajete on the malecon, and then some

So, Andrew was picked up by Arturo's cab at 4:30 am, got his flights, and is safely home. Before he left we had what was my first disappointing meal in Ajijic. It was at La Nueva Posada, a lovely place to stay and a great place for a drink. It's housed in an ancient building but with lovely rooms, and a new annex overlooking the lake, but with very boring food. Seriously, if you go to Ajijic you must visit it, just don't eat there. Oh, you can have a snack.

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Sunday 9 February

All this was made up for on Sunday. First we had to exchange some of the napkins and indivuales [place mats] we had got for Diane. That actually took most of the morning since, as it turns out, the shop didn't open till 11:30. Fortunately, I had explained to the señora that when I sent my wife the photos I might have to come back and exchange the patterned individuales for plain ones. She said, "Sí, siempre la patronessa." [Always the boss.]

One thing I had promised Andy was a trip to the Chapala malecon and a comida [late lunch] of molcajete.   This is a molcajete, and it is always used for making guacamole. However, it is also used as a serving and cooking dish for certain specialties.

One such specialty is a dish called, oddly enough, molcajete. Various carnes and mariscos [meats and seafood] are put in the bowl with onions, mushrooms, slices of green and red pepper, and then topped with cheese.The whole thing is put in an oven, and served when it is so hot the cheese is bubbling. It comes out looking like this:

And you eat it by putting some on a taco along with fresh salsa, guacamole and salsa roja, like this:

Boy, did that do us in! It's really enough for four and, no, we could not finish it.

That night we had planned to go to Bruno's for steak, but we quickly realised there was no way that was going to happen. We called Sandy who was coming to Bruno's with us and changed our plans. Instead, we went to Memo's [may-moes] for Zoplole Roja.

And had a grand time.

Now I am in Guadalajara, and that's going to be a different post.

Two weeks, tamales and La Banda

Thursday was the two week point of my six week trip. Hard to believe that one third is already down and gone. Since  my last post was Wednesday there's bit of catch up to do.

This Thursday I had la comida at Ritchie 88, a very excellent place right on Colón, the main street. There was a chap at a table himself, so we ended up dining together. I had a delicious tortilla soup - a beef broth with shredded tortilla seasoned with crumbled chorizo.

That afternoon I went over to Linda and Sandy's for a reunión. Linda put out a nice spread, and we had a lovely time relaxing on their mirador.

You can actually get a nice view of my apartment from there:

 but not nearly as beautiful as the sunset.

Couldn't even think abut dinner after those lovely botanas, so just took it easy.

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Friday was peaceful with a walk to El Torito to get coffee and enchiladas at Salvatore's right next door. Had lunch with a very nice couple from Colorado. That evening I found a restaurant I'd been looking for named Memo. I mean, I knew where it was, but it never seemed to be open. Opposite to the most common routine here, it only opens at 6:30. Had some nice taquitos. As you can see it's a very Mexican place, the giveaway being the promotional Coca-Cola chairs.

Walking there I caught a beautiful glimpse of Ajijic backlit:

On the way home passed several late night snack vendors. Since in México the big meal is mid-day, street vendors do a good job for something to munch on later.

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A Mexican Reunión

I'm going to tell you about a  family and friends dinner I was invited to, a reunión, but first, catch-up.

Friday night I attend the Chapala-Ajijic Jewish Congregation for Friday night services. I needed to say kaddish for my nephew Josh. As I expected, it was brutally hard, but also cathartic. The people there were warm, welcoming, supportive and, simply beautiful. I thank them for welcoming me and embracing me.

So much for hard stuff.  Today I had the privilege of being invited to the home of my dear friends Judith and Fernando. Judith wanted her friend to come for la comida so naturally she came with her brother, his wife and daughter, his sister and their mother. In México, when you invite people for dinner, unless they are all nortes, you are never sure how many will turn up. If Judith's guests had had several cousins dropping by when it was time to leave, they would have simply brought them along. Large pot meals and buffets are the norm.

Their house is beautiful, on a hill overlooking lake Chapala and the town of San Juan Cosala.

Everyone was expected by noon and all were there by 1. We sat at the table, had some cerveza [beer] or tequila [tequila] or pop or juice. A big bowl of fruit was placed on the table along with a sprinkler of chile, and a VERY hot hot sauce. Oh, and limes, of course.

That's the fruit bowl in the middle

In the meantime, the main courses were being finished and placed into serving bowls over clay heaters.

Judith says it's almost ready

The main courses were chicken molé [chocolate sauce], chicharones in a green tomato sauce, and rice. Of course, there were also fresh tortillas, salsa, and a salad of nopales [cactus]. ¡Estaba muy rico! It was really delicious!

Mexican parties, whether small reunións, fiestas or pachangas [wild fiestas], tend to be inter-generational. There's always kids and elders in the mix, and everyone is interested in everyone.

There are few people missing here

The conversation was primarily in Spanish, and I did OK, though I found the more tequila I drank, the more I understood. When I was really lost, or thought I'd missed a good joke, I asked Fernando who's fluent in Yanqui.

 The reunión broke up at at 5 ish, and it was a wonderful time.

La comida

In México the big meal is mid-day, usually at one or one-thirty. It is called La comida, which, oddly enough literally means, the food, but really means, the meal. This practice is also true of many hot countries as it also allows people to get out of the mid-day heat. In the greater part of México people work near their homes so they are able to return for la comida, unlike us Nortes who typically commute.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, some days I do comida, and others a light lunch or even brunch. When I have la comida, I don't eat again, as is the custom, till eight or nine at night, and then a simple taco or two. In México city you'll see the local taco stands quite busy at late night, much more so than during the day.

Today I had la comida with an old friend Jim. We went to Tony's, an Ajijic institution serving first-rate Mexican food.I had BBQ ribs which were delicious, as were the frijoles and guacamole.

 

La comida is intended as a large meal.  After la comida everyone goes back to work, and children go back to school. The kids are not home before seven, and most worker not till eight or nine. When I ate at the Beer Garden on the Chapala malecon last Sunday, the tacos shown here weere listed as an appetizer. They sure did me in.

You probably noticed that I mentioned that the food at Tony's was Mexican. What, you said, what else would it be? I mean, you're in México, right?  Good question. Every Mexican town or city of any size has several restaurants that are not Mexican but, perhaps, Thai, Chinese, African, German among others. (Though, come to think of it, I haven't seen any Indian restaurants. Odd, that.) The higher the socio-economic status of the Mexican community and the larger the Canadian/American community, the more range you will find. After all,  people live here full-time, and especially the ex-pats will seek a change. Whence my burger last night.

Tomorrow's going to be a photo day of central Ajijic, so look for it. You  can often find more photos by looking at the links to the right of the blog at the top.