Guadalajara y unas cosas

GUADALAJARA, Mexico - Hola a todos. One of my favorite things about this blog is getting to be drunk on the job. Did I say that? Sorry mom. It's past midnight here and I've just returned to Hostel Guadalajara (an excellent, excellent hostel) from a brief night on the town with my new hostel friends Patricia, from California, and Gerome, from France. I'm supposed to board a bus to Mexico City tomorrow, but I'm considering staying here one more night.

That's because I underestimated Guadalajara. I don't know how, but I was so busy enjoying the last few cities I went to in Mexico that I didn't have time to consider that this historic city of 4 million inhabitants might also have more than I can see in just two days. The problem is now that it's September I have about one month to get to Nicaragua and time is of the essence. I'm roughly halfway through Mexico and I need to budget my time perfectly to get to Granada a tiempo and experience everything I want to see along the way. The other problem is that I have fallen in love with this country and don't want to leave.

How is it that I've traveled to four continents but never once stepped foot in Mexico? That's not entirely true since a year and a half ago I went to the island of Cozumel with my mom, but the mainland is a whole different animal. I feel almost as safe here as I do in the United States. Haven't caught swine flu, haven't met anyone who has swine flu and don't even get me started on the drug war. There is a war going on in this country, no doubt, but aside from the occasional military checkpoint on the highways I haven't seen it. I'm not nearly as vigilant of my luggage in buses as I was in places like Morocco, Peru or Costa Rica. Part of it may be that I haven't been robbed in any of these trips and I'm feeling a little bold, but another part of me really just trusts the people here on the whole. It's incredible to think how many people (who I appreciate for caring) thought I was putting myself in danger by coming here.

The other international travelers I've met here in Guadalajara are of the same opinion. Some have been here for months and are trying to think of ways to stay longer. Every day it becomes more clear to them and to me that this country is just as diverse as the United States, geographically and politically.

I'm now reminded of a certain young man, who we will refer to as Sr. Cabron, I met two years ago through a mutual friend in Tuscaloosa. He swore to a table full of people that if you own a goat here you're considered a regular Mexican Paris Hilton. I told him he was wrong, but I hope he gets to come here one day and see for himself there are no signs hanging outside the banks advertising the current goat/dollar exchange rate.

That's the problem with how we gringos interpret life in Mexico. We live so close, yet in our minds Mexico is worlds away. Americans can say whatever they want about this country and there's not very many around who know better to stand up for the people here. I see it all the time. I hear it from people who genuinely surprise me with their views. One friend recently told me that Spaniards are "classy Mexicans," and I regaled her with the story of a "classy Mexican" who stripped down to his camo underwear in Madrid and chased after some female friends of mine until I went after him. If people thought I took what they said poorly then, just wait till I get back to the States.

But what was I talking about? Guadalajara. Si. I want to stay but I don't think I have a choice. Checkout here is at 10 am, nine hours away, and I don't think I'll be going to sleep anytime soon. I'm not doing anything else tonight, aside from sitting at this table in the lobby with some Mexicans enjoying a late night quesadilla dinner, but being alone and sleeping on a hard bed in a dorm room makes the lonely traveler think all he can think no matter how tired or happy he is. Then his empty mind just sits there on the pillow, and at some point lets go and falls into sleep. The nights are cool here, which makes the process easier. Buenas noches.