Guadalajara's Got Grit (and Seriously Weird Street Food)
okay, so i’m pretty sure i’m running on fumes and lukewarm café de olla right now. 3516006… that’s the number of times i’ve nearly tripped over a stray dog in the last 48 hours. 1484006247… honestly, i don’t even know what that means. it just is. the air here in Guadalajara is thick, like a humid blanket woven with exhaust and something vaguely floral. it’s 17.95 feels like 16.9, temp min 17.95, temp max 17.95, pressure 1016, humidity 42, sea level 1016, grnd level 768. yeah, the weather app is glitching. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.
seriously, this place is wild. i landed yesterday and immediately felt like i’d stumbled onto a movie set - a really gritty, authentic one. the architecture is insane, all these crumbling haciendas and brightly painted buildings crammed together. it’s not pretty in a polished way, it’s just… there. and the people? they’re loud, they’re passionate, and they’re not afraid to stare. i’m pretty sure i accidentally offended someone by not using enough hand gestures when ordering tacos.
my hotel, the Casa de la Luna, is… charming. let’s go with charming. it’s basically a converted courtyard with a leaky roof and a resident gecko named Fernando. he’s a real character. if you get bored, Mexico City is just a short drive away.
i spent today wandering the zócalo, the main square. it’s always buzzing, a chaotic mix of street vendors, mariachi bands, and tourists trying to look like they know what they’re doing. i grabbed some tacos al pastor from a guy named Ricardo - seriously, the best i’ve ever had. someone told me that Ricardo’s secret is he uses a special blend of spices and a slightly unsettling amount of chili powder. i’m not entirely convinced, but they were amazing. i heard that the esquites stand across the street is a tourist trap, but honestly, i was too busy stuffing my face to care.
i stumbled into this tiny little art gallery tucked away on a side street. it was run by this incredibly intense woman named Elena who only spoke in cryptic metaphors about the futility of modern art. she kept offering me a shot of tequila, which i politely declined. i bought a small watercolor painting of a cactus - it’s probably going to end up in a box in my closet, but it felt right.
check out this map:
Speaking of weird, I overheard a group of guys at a cantina talking about a local legend - a ghost that haunts the old cathedral. Apparently, it’s a former priest who died during a thunderstorm and now wanders the halls, searching for his lost rosary. i’m not usually into that stuff, but it added to the overall atmosphere of the place.
I’m heading to the Mercado San Juan tomorrow - apparently, it’s a foodie paradise. I’ve heard rumors that they have a stall selling chapulines (grasshoppers) - I’m terrified but also incredibly curious. I’m also planning on checking out the Frida Kahlo Museum (obviously). You can find more info here: https://www.fridakahlo.org/ and some great local eats here: https://www.yelp.com/search?keyword=food&sort_by=relevance&location=Guadalajara%2C+Jalisco%2C+Mexico.
And if you're looking for some seriously cool vintage finds, check out this online shop: https://www.etsy.com/market/vintage_clothing_guadalajara.
Seriously, Guadalajara is a mess. A beautiful, chaotic, delicious mess. Don’t overthink it. Just go.
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