Bibiloteca Publica del Ejercito y Fuerza Area Mexicanos

I bet you've been wondering when I was going to write about the libraries of Guadalajara. Unfortunately, due to my school schedule and having unlimited WiFi at both school and hostel, I didn't need to seek out a library during most of the month.
I finally wandered across from one the day before I left the city and it did not disappoint.

What better way to end out the year than take you on a tour of an army gunpowder factory turned public library.

Thank you everyone who has been reading my blog and given me support on this new journey. I'm looking forward to 2016 and sharing with you even more about the people and places that make each city an amazing place to live.

Panteón de Mezquitán

Putting 2015 to rest with the Cemetery of Mezquitán.
It's been an adventurous year for me, starting in Berlin with a visit to a friend, which gave me the drive to quit my job in the tech world and dedicate myself full time to traveling and teaching English.
I've visited Pittsburgh for my brother's wedding; spent more time in Berlin with quick side trips to Leipzig, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam; gained a new appreciation for walking around Los Angeles; spent over a month in Guadalajara getting my TEFL certificate; met wonderful Couchsurfers, fellow life travelers, and reconnected with old friends.

There will be one more post from me before the year is out, but for today, enjoy a look at the Panteón de Mezquitán.

Parques Agua Azul y Mirador Independencia

Having been cooped up in classes for most of the month, it was only in my last week that I had time to wander and appreciate the parks Guadalajara has to offer. The city is dotted with green spaces, large and small. On this Wednesday, I visited two- one in the south of the city and another on its northern edge. All thanks to a great BRT line.

Parque Metropolitano

I may have a new favorite place in the world. The Parque Metropolitano in Zapopan can occupy a park lover's month, let alone day. Located a quick 20 minute bus ride from Parque Revolución on Tren Linéa 1 (a bus line, not a train line, no matter the name), the park is full of activities to delight kids and inner kids alike.

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.

 

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.

Friday morning rain

The hurricane may have passed, but rain has been threatening every day since Wednesday. The clouds finally broke today and we awoke to heavy and consistent downpour.

Couchsurfing Potluck Dinner

Bernard (Bernie) responded to my Couchsurfing request to show me his city by inviting me to a Wednesday dinner at his place. Coming with the expectation of a few friends around a table, I should have known better growing up in a Mexican family where one person invites a friend, which snowballs into the dinner turning into a little party.

Sunday Wanderings with Tour Guide Karla

Karla contacted me through Couchsurfing, having posted a notice to all those in Guadalajara interested in showing me their favorite parts of the city. We met at Parque Revolucion near my hostel because she said she spends almost every Sunday there. I knew that Juarez had been shut down to car traffic for the day, but I didn't expect to see so many activities as I rounded the corner.

Saturday Night Clubbing

Most towns have a hip area where the kids come out to play, in Guadalajara, this is Chapultepec Avienda. The evening started with the ladies of my class meeting up for a dinner around 7. We walked from the hostel where two of us are staying to the land of restaurants and clubs.

Hurricane Patricia

Traveling can take you on some wonderful adventures. And sometimes nature can meet you on those adventures and give you a spin.
I got to class yesterday around 9am with other students going on about this tropical storm that had just been upgraded to the worst hurricane that had ever been recorded. Knowing we were protected by a couple hundred miles and some mountain ranges, I wasn't too concerned about us. The danger to the coastal regions was quite real, however, and I'm glad that the best case scenario of the hurricane making landfall away from the major population centers and quickly losing intensity happened.
One of my classmates tells me the worst of the wind passed by us around 1am, furniture banging around the rooftop patio of our hostel woke her up. Having experienced a few Seattle windstorms, though, I slept right through and didn't realize anything had been out of place, the staff having set everything to right before I left my room.

I took some videos of my school shutting down in preparation for the event- flooding was a danger here, so it was important that students and teachers were able to get home. Unfortunately, when I uploaded the videos, the sound wasn't working, so I'm going to have to figure out what the problem was if I want to share some moving pictures.

Walking around this morning, I did notice a sign in the park near my hostel still knocked over, so Guadaljara wasn't entirely unaffected.

Weekly Guadalajara Couchsurfing Meetup

The Guadalajaran Couchsurfing community is quite an active bunch. There are language groups that meet weekly (one for each I speak), lots of posts about road trips to Tequila or Puerto Vallarta or other destinations close by, and a weekly meet-up to just hang out at a bar in El Centro.