I am posting a recap of the various items we spotted on our 2016 Mexican trip.
Artist Frida Kahlo was born on July 6, 1907, in Coyocoán, Mexico City, Mexico. Considered one of Mexico's greatest artists, Frida Kahlo began painting after she was severely injured in a bus accident. Kahlo later became politically active and married fellow communist artist Diego Rivera in 1929. She exhibited her paintings in Paris and Mexico before her death in 1954.
You will find renderings of Frida and her works on everything, everywhere in Mexico.
She is often depicted with her trademark "unibrow" and faint mustache.
Mazatlan
Painted on the wall of an art gallery "Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?"
Guadalajara
Mural on El Andador Coronilla
Tlaquepaque
San Miguel de Allende
Guanajuato
This town is the birthplace of Frida's husband Diego Rivera.
A nude painting of Frida done by Diego, it is in Diego's museum.
For this Cinco de Mayo I thought I would repost the highlights of our 2015-2016 trip to Mexico!
JANUARY
MEXICO
December 15 - March 15 2016
We ended 2015 in Mazatlan Mexico the first leg of our three month winter sojourn. We had made a couple of long term rentals from home.
Three weeks in Mazatlan at El Cid, four weeks in San Miguel de Allende and a month in Puerto Vallarta.
We knew we wanted to go to Guadalajara for a few days as well.
We met up with friends and bloggers in Mazatlan who pointed out that we should definitely make a trip to Guanajuato while here and that was the best suggestion!!
The schedule worked out like this:
December 15 to January 9 Mazatlan
January 9 to 14 Guadalajara we added two additional days based on advice from friends.
January 15 to February 14 8 San Miguel de Allende reduced by two days at the start added to Guadalajara and we left five days earlier to include Guanajuato (3 days) and Leon (2 days)
Guanajuato February 9 to 12 as soon as we arrived we feel in love and cancelled Leon and extended our stay by two days.
Guadalajara February 12 to 14
Puerto Vallarta February 14 to March 19 15 this was reduced by three days due to flight limitations and we also managed to use some frequent flyer points for a flight to LA.
A highlight was on our last night when we went to Beach Burger for dinner with friends Bill and Carol of The Golden Years blog. Another blogger George of Tioga and George, a legendary (he's in his 80s*RIP) blogger was visiting Bill and Carol. As we were having our drinks Carol and I spotted another blogger, neither of us had ever met her but immediately recognized her husband from photos on her blog. It was Contessa of 5C's Que Pasa.
Our favourite server, Roberto was working and Rafael Rodriguez was performing also a friend of Bill's.
We spent five days in Guadalajara, a cosmopolitan and enjoyable city. It is high in the mountains so the evenings got quite cool but the days were full of heat and sunshine.
We took a tour in a carriage on our first day then we walked all over the town making sure we stopped at the bar beside the theatre as recommended by George. I also had my first Michelada here.
Our hotel was quaint and historical, the staff were superb.
The city abounds with murals. Click the links below.
We went to Tlaquepaque on our own even though there are tours you can take. This gave us the flexibility to do what we please. We did get caught in a torrential downpour in the afternoon but it only lasted a while.
We caught a show by The Danza de los Voladores (Dance of the Flyers), or Palo Volador (pole flying), is an ancient Mesoamerican ceremony/ritual still performed today, albeit in modified form, in isolated pockets in Mexico. It is believed to have originated with he Nahua, Huastec and Otomi peoples in central Mexico, and then spread throughout most of Mesoamerica. The ritual consists of dance and the climbing of a 30-meter pole from which four of the five participants then launch themselves tied with ropes to descend to the ground. The fifth remains on top of the pole, dancing and playing a flute and drum.
A guided tour to Lake Chapala was a big disappointment as tours go, but we enjoyed ourselves anyway!
January 14 we took the bus from Guadalajara to San Miguel de Allende.
We had rented an amazing artist home for the duration. We spent many hours enjoying the heat in the garden. The house got amazing cold overnight and we often woke to 59 F or 15 C.
For 7 pesos we could get the bus into town from the corner. A cab ride was only 40 pesos. The house was a five minute walk to Mega for groceries.
The definite highlight of the week was the "Callejoneadas" performed before or after a wedding. Bride and groom along with guests stroll through the callejones, drinking and singing along with mariachis.
We also took a day trip by bus to Dolores Hidalgo
Semana ocho our last week as we head out to Guanajuato.
We couldn't get into the Hotel Morales so we booked a brand new hotel the NH located on the Plaza Universidad. So new our taxi driver had never heard of it.
An overview - the weekend included the 374 th anniversary of Guadalajara, Valentine's Day and a very unusual public baptism attended by thousands of people.
Where we are - Puerto Vallarta we left Guadalajara on Monday morning and took a bus to Puerto Vallarta. We will spend four weeks here.
We had rented a condo at Plaza Marina a five minute walk from the Marina.
What did we buy? In the brown bag are six tequila glasses.
Toronto to LA - on Air Canada used AMEX points
Sheraton Hotel in LA used 2015 $200 AMEX travel credit
LA to Mazatlan - Alaska Air booked through Cheapo Air
Timeshare El Cid 3 weeks
ETN buses used from town to town
Hotel Morales Guadalajara
AirBnB San Miguel de Allende
Hotel Posada Santa Fe
Hotel NH Guadalajara
condo Marina Plaza PV
Puerto Vallarta to LA - Alaska Air used AMEX points
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