Murals of Mexico

While I'm working on editing some videos, thought I'd share the murals I came across in Guadalajara, Tequila, and Leon. Some of these have been featured in other posts, but I wanted to collect them all in one place so you can appreciate the variety of styles and locations of the public murals. Murals are an important part of Mexican life. The government commissions many pieces to tell the history of the land for population who aren't as literate in Spanish. The following pieces were all found on the street, maybe commissioned for the business it resides on or just a way for a neighborhood artist to show their stuff.

Tequila

A day spent in the town that has given joy and sorrow to millions across the world, Tequila, Mexico.
Just a short hour drive west of Guadalajara, I would recommend a tour for those interested in visiting the area. Our hostel signed us up with "Guatequi Tur", full of interesting facts if you can understand Spanish or if you have a good translator with you.

Welcome to the tour

Our tour guide, Sr. Armando Ramírez León treated us well and can be contacted at asesorarmando@hotmail.com. Highly recommended!

Mountain Biking with Couchsurfer Francisco

Oh, does my body hurt, but oh, how much fun I had last night.
Francisco invited me to the Paseo Nocturno en las Montañas that happens every Wednesday, organized by Gdl Bikers/MTB. After outfitting me with the requisite gear, we were off to La Primavera.

Día de Halloween

The party started at dusk and continued for many until late into the next day. Mexicans seem to personify the saying, 'Work to live, don't live to work.'
The holidays of Halloween and Día de los Muertos are starting to blend in the larger cities of Mexico. Some traditionalists are not happy with this, as Halloween is seen as an infection on the true spirit of Day of the Dead, which is supposed to be a time to reflect on and celebrate the life of those departed, not an excuse to dress up and party at a bar.

Couchsurfers at Centro Cultural Breton

Another week, another Thursday Couchsurfing meet-up. This one was at the fabulous Centro Cultural Breton, near the Cathedral, but hidden away on a quiet street.

 

Check out this post about Nahuatl

I couldn't help but steer my readers to a post written by my Spanish tutor, Siskia Lagomarsino. She talks about the process of learning one of the native languages of Mexico, Nahuatl, something I have a great interest in picking up in the future myself.
Do yourself a favor and check out her post on Fluent in 3 Months, then check out her own blog, The Polyglotist, for more language learning stories. She's a great tutor, so if you're interested in learning Spanish or Japanese, I'd highly recommend her.

My Daily Walk

For the past three weeks I have had the same routine Monday through Friday, leaving my hostel around 8:30am and getting to school around 8:45. One more week to go until I am a certified teacher and can spend some time exploring greater Guadalajara.

Couchsurfing Día de Muertos Altar

The weekly Couchsurfing meetup took place at a home in the neighboring city of Zapopan. A couple of classmates and I took the 51D bus out to the suburbs to participate in the festivities.