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Travels Around Mexico – Tepic

Travels Around Mexico – Tepic

Before we started traveling a year ago, we took Spanish classes from private instructors and a private language school. One of our instructors was Zuri and we chatted with her every week on Skype. Through our classes and our Spanish conversations, we got to know Zuri and she got to know us. When we arrived in Guadalajara, Mexico we contacted Zuri and arranged to finally meet her in person. Zuri was excited about our visit and so we took a…

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El Dia de Charro

El Dia de Charro

Every year, just before Mexico’s Independence Day, Guadalajara celebrates El Dia de Charro (Charro Day). Charros are Mexican horsemen and women (also called vaqueros) and El Dia de Charro is a day to recognize and celebrate charros and all those who participate in Charreadas (rodeos). This nationwide celebration began in 1934. It was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2016. In Guadalajara, the Charro Day parade consists of mariachi music, riding skill demonstrations and the…

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Viva Mexico!

Viva Mexico!

Viva La Independencia! Viva Mexico! We heard thousands of people shout this chant over and over again last weekend as part of Mexico’s Independence Day celebration on September 16th. Every year, at 11 pm on the eve of Independence Day (September 15th), thousands gather at Plaza de Armas in Guadalajara to celebrate and to reenact the famous “EL Grito de Dolores” (The Cry from Dolores). History In the early nineteenth century, Mexico began planning a revolt against Spain. Father Miguel…

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Los Guachimontones

Los Guachimontones

Scattered throughout eastern Mexico are the famous Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, Tulum, and Palenque. Mexico City and the area surrounding it has Aztec ruins. However, in western Mexico, near Guadalajara, there are remnants of a lost civilization that dates well before the Spanish arrived in the western world. Thirty miles west of Guadalajara is the town of Teuchitlán (A Place for The Devine). It’s a picturesque and tranquil locale with beautiful views of Lake La Vega. Just outside the…

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Travels Around Mexico – Querétaro

Travels Around Mexico – Querétaro

Last week we ventured outside of Guadalajara to the city of Querétaro-a city of 750,000 people and a major industrial, agricultural and commercial center of Mexico; sometimes referred to as Little Mexico City. In its early years, Querétaro played an important role in Mexico’s fight for independence. The city has over a thousand monuments throughout the historic center, most from the 1700s, and is recognized as one of Mexico’s 35 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Our Journey to Querétaro Querétaro is…

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Mariachi Music in Guadalajara

Mariachi Music in Guadalajara

This week Guadalajara hosted the 26th annual International Mariachi and Charrería Festival. This festival draws mariachi groups from all over the world including the United States. Over the course of ten days, there are mariachi concerts throughout the city in parks, squares, and theaters. Thousands of locals turn out for the free events, singing and clapping along with the musicians, singers, and dancers. Background Mariachi is a type of musical group, originally from Mexico, consisting of violins, trumpets, Spanish guitars,…

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Tacos, Tacos, and More Tacos

Tacos, Tacos, and More Tacos

Over the years, we have been to many cities in Mexico. We have traveled to Cancun, Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, several border towns and twice to Mexico City. It’s hard to choose our favorite food city in Mexico because, in a country with such a rich food culture, there’s a lot of good food to be had. Although Guadalajara is not a foodie destination like Mexico City or Lima, Peru, the food here is some of the best…

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Guadalajara

Guadalajara

Why are we in Guadalajara, Mexico (after Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru)? The city was never on our bucket list, but mostly we wanted to continue practicing our Spanish in a big Spanish-speaking city (4 million) with a perfect climate. Plus, we have visited Mexico City several times, which we enjoyed but is much bigger (8 million), and we wanted to try another Mexican city. In GDL (as it is abbreviated by locals) the days are sunny, often with rain in…

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Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

As a child in grade school, Kathy read a National Geographic article about a magical place in Peru called Machu Picchu. The huge building stones were fit together so tightly and with such precision that earthquakes couldn’t level them, and you couldn’t slip so much as a piece of paper between them. Looking back, Kathy realized that might have been when she first got the travel bug. From then on, she knew one day she would see this place with…

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The Southern Valley

The Southern Valley

Last week we visited the Sacred Valley, a popular tourist area north of Cusco, to see three pueblos with indigenous culture and Inca ruins. This week we visited the valley south of Cusco, a less popular tourist destination, to see a Spanish colonial church and ruins from the Inca period and an even older civilization. We visited the small town of Andahuaylillas to tour the colonial church referred to as the “Sistine Chapel of South America” where almost every inch…

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