Thanks to Independence Day Friday, the 17th was only a half day, with no teaching since the English school canceled classes all together Thursday and Friday. I did, however, have to wake up to teach bright and early on Saturday. Students that take Saturday classes only come one day a week for six hours (I only taught for one hour of their day). After teaching sentences like “You aren’t going to swimming, are you?” and new vocabulary words, it was time to test some of my “slowly coming back to me” Spanish at my classmate’s barbeque.
Tom invited the bunch of us over, along with some of his wife’s family for a barbeque. He was kind enough to seek out veggie burgers for me, and generously provided a keg of Minerva (a delicious microbrew of sorts not easily obtained) for us all to enjoy. It was nice to spend a relaxing afternoon in the sunny backyard with friends before the last week of classes began. The Posado San Pablo group made it home pretty early by recent standards, but of course trekked out to the nearby bars for a few rounds and a bit of dancing to round out the night.
Sunday afternoon I was a total tourist. I found my way to the red double-decker bus, climbed to the second level, obtained headphones to get the English tour, sat back and enjoyed a two hour tour of the city. I now know that the main municipal cathedral is surrounded by four plazas that create a cross, and that the regional museum used to be a seminary. The inscriptions on the arches translate to something like a pleasant visits ensures a return, and near the famous arches stands a statue of Minerva (the god of poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, crafts and the inventor of music) in the center of a traffic circle. The newer millennium arches are very modern looking, and are a looming burst of yellow amid the traditional stonework of the city. Cathedrals pepper the city, and since it was Sunday, markets outside were bustling.
After the bus tour I made my way to the regional museum. It was my first museum of this trip, which is quite odd seeing as though in most cities I visit a museum is top on the must see list. The Regional Museum of Guadalajara is a unique mixture of archeological history and historic religious paintings and relics. It was interesting to see the two juxtaposed against one another, and how crucial both aspects are to the history of Guadalajara and Mexico as a whole. Also, quite randomly, I found my favorite exhibit in the museum outside in the square adjacent to the wishing well (yes, I made a wish). It was a series of hand-crafted, beautifully painted mirrors. Photos will follow.
After my day as a tourist I made it back to the Posada to get ready for what is turning out to be one busy week. It’s the last day of classes. By Friday I’ll (cross your fingers) have my certification, and possibly a job on the coast.
** As a side note, there are huge moths here. One recently made his home outside my room, and honestly I thought he was a bat. I haven’t managed to get the courage to stand close enough to get a photo yet, but if I do, you’ll understand my utter fear when it came flying at my face as I went to brush my teeth one night. If you find one in your room it is supposed to mean bad luck, I’m hoping that since he hasn’t managed to get past my doors and we’ve only briefly crossed paths that he hasn’t muddled my luck. Maybe I’ll come across a white moth soon to balance it out.
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