Spring Break
(Originally posted April 2016)
Spring Break came early in Guadalajara! The girls from Minnesota came to visit the week before the break officially began.
On Sunday, I met Nicole, Jess, Danielle, Olivia and Amanda at the airport. After settling them into their AirBnb, right outside the Templo Expiatorio, we walked down to Avenida Chapultepec to eat, drink and watch the Chivas game. The girls blended right in with their red and white striped Chivas jerseys.
Monday we toured outside of the city with a private trip to the pyramids of Guachimontones and Tequila. The Guachimontones are distinctive with their rising circular steps. This was of particular delight for Danielle, since we visited the archeological sight on pi day (March 14th, 2016…3.1416). Next stop, TEQUILA! We toured the Tres Toños Distillery and learned all about the tequila process, from the plant to the bottle. The guide pulled us up to the bar at the end of the tour. When we asked which we would be sampling, she simply waved her arm Vanna White style and said “all of them.” She taught us the proper way to sniff and taste each tequila, from blancos to añejos of all the brands that they bottle.
Another highlight of their time in Guadalajara was the evening of Lucha Libre, Mexican wrestling. We started the evening at the Red Pub, where my friends from back home got to meet my friends from down here. After dinner, drinks and an impressive 4-3-2-1 human pyramid, we boarded the upper deck of the bus to the arena. Ale and I reviewed bus safety for the lucha newbies to avoid any branches in the face. ¡AGUAS! means duck down, quick. When we arrived, the arena was packed. Our group got separated when we went through security but thankfully we made it to a set of seats together before the biggest matches. The crowd was rowdier than I’ve ever head, shouting all of the groserías back and forth. The fights were as theatrical as ever with teams of three battling through the rounds. The girls were greatly impressed by all of the ridiculous show and each went home with their own lucha libre wrestling mask.
On Wednesday they left for Puerta Vallarta and I finished out the workweek at school. Friday night I took the bus to meet them. In Vallarta, we enjoyed home cooked dinner and margaritas on their balcony overlooking the Pacific. Eli had joined the group in Vallarta and it felt so fulfilling to be surrounded by all these amazing friends. I felt so special that six friends would travel all the way to see me this week.
In Vallarta we enjoy time at the beach and on the balcony of the apartment. We ate delicious food in downtown and went to Bodeguita del Medio for some Cuban music and dance. Spontaneously we celebrated Danielle’s birthday when she was called up on stage to have a birthday song and received a certificate. We watched the sunset on the beach. Jess and I walked to downtown to get some exercise, soak in the people watching and ate street tacos, an important activity on her vacay list. And they were delicious. Sunday afternoon the girls packed up and returned to the chilly Minnesota spring weather. I hope they had as much fun visiting and I did having them here.
Next I went to Nuevo Vallarta to an All-Inclusive with Ale, Vicki and her kids. Spending a couple of days at an all-inclusive is one of my bucket list items while here in Mexico. My travel plans usually involve getting into the local scene, rather than stay at a resort. While actually residing in Mexico, I figured it was time to check out one of these places. We literally ate, drank and played all day and night. There were buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner with more options that I had imagined. There were bars everywhere, from the lobby and even in the pool. The expert visitors carried their oversized thermos mugs with them everywhere. It started to look like Wall-E future of humanity scene. All in all, the days were very entertaining and relaxing.
Ale dropped me off at the bus station in Vallarta and next I rode to visit my parents in San Miguel de Allende. They spent the month of March, so I had seen them earlier with a quick weekend trip with Ale, Vicki and Mandy. I felt like a few more days of relaxation and a slow pace seemed like a great idea. I took the overnight bus from Vallarta to Leon, and made the next bus to San Miguel with seconds to spare.
In San Miguel, my folks and I did a day trip to the Cañada de la Virgin archeological site. We enjoyed the Holy Week celebrations, even though the town was extra packed with tourists now the San Miguel has been recognized as one of Mexico’s Pueblos Mágicos. As always, I spent my time in San Miguel enjoying delicious food, working out at Parque Juarez and reading on the terrace. Also during the days, I joined Sue from school for wine and saw several of my parent’s friends. I left feeling rested and relaxed.
In the remaining days back in Guadalajara, I spent some quiet days visiting with Claudia and Jared, working out at Colomos and picking up some extra shifts at the FM4 Paso Libre. I’ve very much enjoyed volunteering at center, providing aid for migrants on the train. I most appreciate the conversations with the migrants. I have been learning tons and each shift is comprised of fun and caring volunteers. I have been busy the past two weeks relaxing with friends and family. Back to work on Monday.
