March 7, 2009 Tlaquepaque, Mexico

This has been a very long day. All went well...no delays. Last night, I stayed at the Wyndham Chelsea Hotel, not too far from Logan Airport. Beautiful rooms. Excellent restaurant. They offer Stay, Park, Fly packages at a reasonable rate.....if you want to leave your car for up to two weeks. Anna met me for dinner .....nice way to start a holiday.

Up at 3:15 am for the 4 am shuttle to the airport. 6am flight to Dallas. Lots of "spring breakers" so flights were full. Long lines at Logan. You would never know that it was so early.

All flights were on time. Did not mind the two hour connection. Arrived in Guadalajara in mid-afternoon. My stars must have been in line.....as everything went so smoothly. Had two seats on the full plane.... My luggage was one of the first off the plane. I was met by Jill, an American working for the Guadlajara Language Center. Jill and her Mexican fiance gave me an orientation of Tlaquepaque on our way to 84 Cinco de Mayo and Olivia's Apartments, located three blocks from the main square.....Parian.

I commented to Jill that the landscape seemed dry. She agreed and said that winter was over, they had had their two weeks of Spring......and now it is Summer. It is warm, temps in the upper 70s. Not bad when you walk in the shade.

My condo is spacious, clean, and airy. My bedroom' sliding doors face my walled in garden and patio. Other than the dogs and roosters, it is quiet. I consider this VERY quiet for Mexico. I do not hear much street noise.

Unpacked and immediately checked to see if my Dell wifi mini computer would work. Again...a bit of luck. It works. What a convenience to not have to look for cyber-cafes.

In addition to the apartments, Olivia owns the little restaurant across the street. When I went to pay my $300 rent for my two week stay, the aroma from the kitchen beaconed me to sit down for a meal. It was only 5:00 pm, but, I had not eaten for hours and how could I pass up a meal. Started with tostadas and guacamole, followed by pozole....a wonderful soup made with lots of shredded chicken, shredded cabbage, radishes, and hominy. It was the best I have ever had. To top it off I enjoyed Tacate Light beer in a glass with ice, lime juice, and a rim of salt. I am not a beer drinker, but that could become my drink of choice in Mexico. How much was this filling meal? 38 pesos....and I rounded it off to 50 pesos. When I checked my chart, I saw that this was less than $4 US. I also had a larger cooler of water delivered.....for a whopping 25 pesos.....less than $2.

Walked around town to get the lay of the land. Looks like there is much to see and do. I am home early tonight and will explore further tomorrow.

Why is the Guadalajara area special to me? Fifty years ago, my parents visited Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque, and Lake Chapala. They liked it so much that my father decided to retire and move the family there. My siblings and I were young.....6, 15, and 17. Decision was made......I would go to the University of Guadalajara. Our house was immeRediately put on the market. Months passed...and no offers. My Dad's dream and early retirement were over...and he went back to work. I left for a life in New York City. None of us .....until today....made it back to Guadalajara.