Tlaquepaque

Historically known as San Pedro, Tlaquepaque was eventually surrounded by Guadalajara as it grew and spread outwards. Now a city of about 600,000, Tlaquepaque is a few kilometers from the city center of Guadalajara. Tlaquepaque (pronounced tlah-kay-PAH-kay [link]) comes from the Nahuatl language and means “hill where the clay comes from” (link) referring to the city's long history of pottery making (link). We drove from Ajijic about an hour north to Tlaquepaque. We arrived before the shops opened, found parking and walked the streets photographing old buildings in the early light.

Ceramic pineapples for sale in Tlaquepaque

Guadalajara

Guadalajara is Mexico’s second largest city with a population over four million in the city and surrounding metropolitan area (link). It’s less than an hour’s drive from Lake Chapala. We took a bus from Ajijic ($50 MXN, about $4 USD) to avoid dealing with traffic and parking. The bus dropped us at the Antigua Central Camionera (old bus station*), which is more than a kilometer from the city’s Centro Histórico, the colonial center of the city, so we caught a taxi from the bus station.

Plaza Guadalajara looking toward the Palacio Municipal (built between 1949 and 1952)

The Centro Histórico is laid out like a cross from west to east when viewed from above (link). The cathedral lies at its crux surrounded by four plazas: Plaza Guadalajara at the head of the cross; Plaza de la Liberación at its base; Plaza de Armas to the south; and Plaza de la Rotonda to the north. The circular fountain in the Plaza Guadalajara is shaped like an oyster with rose petals alluding to the city's two nicknames: "Pearl of the West" and "City of Roses." The stairs lead to an underground parking garage.

Ajijic

We left the Pacific coast before Easter and headed inland to Lake Chapala. Semana Santa (Holy Week) was approaching and the beaches would be filled with vacationers, a kind of Mexican spring break. The drive from Barra de Navidad to Lake Chapala was uneventful. We took Mexico 200 south along the coast skirting mangrove-flanked estuaries and the port of Manzanillo. Turning north on Mexico 110, we passed through Colima, the capital of Mexico’s fourth smallest states, and picked up Mexico 54 to Guadalajara. Gaining elevation, we passed the impressive Colima Volcanic Complex, including Nevado de Colima at 4,300 m (14,000 ft), at the western end of the 900-km (560-mi) trans-Mexican volcanic belt (link).

Ajijic and Lago de Chapala

Bucerias

Bucerias is on the Pacific Coast in the state of Nayarit north of Puerto Vallarta. It is located at the southern end of the Riviera Nayarita, 200 miles of coast stretching from San Blas in the north to Nuevo Vallarta south of Bucerías (link). We spent two weeks here in March.

The beach at Bucerias looking north to Cruz de Huanacaxtle

Founded in 1937, Bucerias was known as a place for diving and fishing (link). With a population of 17,000, it has cobblestone streets; brightly painted homes; a lively Saturday market; and shops, art galleries, restaurants and services to satisfy tourists and expatriates (expats) alike. We rented the downstairs of a duplex two blocks from the beach.

Mazatlán's Mercado Municipal

Officially known as the Mercado Municipal Pino Suárez, Mazatlán’s central market was opened in 1900 and covers a city block in the Centro Histórico. The design was influenced by the late 19th century French ironwork aesthetic seen in the Eiffel Tower and fabricated by the largest foundry in Sinaloa (link).

Mazatlán’s central market

The roof sits atop 29 single-cast iron columns 10 m high and the locals began calling it the Iron Palace (link). The market was named after José Maria Pino Suárez, who was Vice President of Mexico when he was assassinated in 1913 during the Mexican Revolution (link).

Mazatlán

We crossed into Mexico in early February and stopped in San Carlos, a small town on the Sea of Cortez 250 miles south of Nogales. San Carlos is a popular destination for Americans and we had stayed there several years ago. It has a large, natural harbor, good sportfishing, fresh seafood and is less than a day’s drive from Tucson. We needed to work on our trip plan, the extent of which was to “drive down the Pacific Coast of mainland Mexico,” and unwind after traveling over 5,000 miles in January (125 by boat, 3,000 by car and 2,000 by air). 

Our next destination was Mazatlán about 500 miles south of San Carlos. It would be our first time in La Perla del Pacifico (The Pearl of the Pacific), a city of over 430,000 (link), and we needed to get familiar with the city map, especially given the warning of the State Department: “…any travel in Mazatlan (sic) should be limited to Zona Dorada and the historic town center, as well as direct routes to/from these locations and the airport” (link).

Sidetracked in Seattle

We flew to Seattle in January to visit Rande’s family. It gave me a chance to learn my new compact digital camera, a Sony RX100. I wanted a good pocket camera to use when it’s inconvenient to carry a full-sized digital SLR and to be less conspicuous in crowded locations. I also wanted a camera that would fit in a compact housing for underwater photography. The RX100 is a photo-enthusiast’s compact camera (more details at the end). 

Main entrance to the Pike Place Market