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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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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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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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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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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