Carnival

After my refreshing siesta I headed out to look for the much heralded Carnival. Much to my disappointment I didn't really see anything that would qualify. I did find a suitably cluttered bar though.

Cluttered Bar


There wasn't anybody in the place, but I was undeterred. Shortly after I sat down at the bar the proprietor did emerge from somewhere and served me a beer. I wondered around the place looking at all of the stuff on the walls, and there was plenty to see. You will notice in the picture they even had a picture of, surprise, Zapata and his gang.

Bar Man Amidst The Clutter


After finishing off a couple of beers I headed outside and wandered into the midst of, ta da, the Carnival Parade. Now this was supposed to be the Mexican equivalent of Mardi Gras but, fun loving people that they are, the Mexicans put a decidedly macabre touch to the event.

Float Of Death


If that one wasn't enough to traumatize the little children, and it was amazing how many of them there were, considering the lateness of the hour, there was also:

The Demon Float


Of course there had to be a float celebrating Jalisco's most famous product:

The Tequila Float


The parade made its way to a large fairground where there was a full blown fair in progress. It was kind of neat in that it reminded me of fairs that I remember from my youth, except this one had electricity. There were all kinds of booths and interesting looking rides for the, by now, traumatized kiddies.

A Ride For The Kiddies


I was touched to see that they even payed homage to the good old U.S. of A. with one of their rides.

The Statue Of Liberty Ride


That ride would have been even cooler if it was surrounded by a fence and you had to dig a tunnel to get to it.

There were also numerous games of skill and chance and this one was, without a doubt, the best I had ever seen.

Electrocute The Convict


I am not quite sure which was the more gruesome, the convict you were supposed to electrocute or the guy selling the tickets. The point of the enterprise was to shoot a target with the rifle. If you hit one you sent a jolt of electicity to the guy in the electric chair, lights went off, there were puffs of smoke, he gave a great shudder, screamed and, somewhat anti-climatically, you won a prize.

And A Prize For The Terrified Tyke


All in all it was a most gratifying evening and I am very glad I decided to spend the night.

A Road Trip

After a few days in Guadalajara I decided it was time to take a trip out of town and see what I could see. I had heard about Lake Chapala since I was a kid. It is a large lake about an hours drive from Guadalajara. Because it is far enough inland foreigners can buy property outright (there are restrictions about actually buying on the coast or near borders) and has long been popular with both Americans and Canadians. In fact there are about 12,000 ex-pats living in the vicinity.

It was easy enough to get to and the bus ride only cost about nine dollars American. The bus was quite comfortable too.

Fascinating Picture Of Bus


The size of the lake, big, and its altitude make the climate particularly tolerable for gringos. The lake has had its ups and downs but for the last three years there has been plenty of rain in the region so it is considerably higher now then a few years ago. Still, it is quite shallow and more of a marsh than a lake near the shoreline.

A View Of The Lake


This is a view of the lake from the town of Chapala named, surprisingly enough, after the lake. Or, maybe, it was the other way around.

After a quick peek at the lake I headed into the center of the tiny town to take in the sights. There weren't a whole lot of them but my fascination with meat was quickly satisfied. I love these little butcher shops where they drive the sides of meat up to the back in an open truck where somebody hacks it apart into pieces that can be carried off.

The Local Meat Market


This place was really great though because some of the less edible stuff was being grilled right out in front.

The Grill Room


Now don't get me wrong, Bar Man loves this stuff. I bought a plastic bag full of a variety of whatever it was and hauled it over to a table where I could buy a few beers, douse the meat with hot sauce and chow down.

Outdoor Dining


While I was sitting there I noticed a lot of activity in the little square, including someone selling a lot of balloons.

Balloon Man


I thought at first this was just a normal event, Mexicans being a happy and fun-loving people except when they are sneaking across our border to irritate Lou Dobbs. However, I soon noticed a number of signs that indicated something else was afoot.

A Carnival




It appears that Chapala has a Mardi Gras celebration and I had, by luck, arrived on the day it was to start. I hadn't planned on staying overnight but how could I miss this. I bought a toothbrush and toothpaste (please don't comment on my not buying a change of underwear) and went looking for a place to spend the night.

I didn't have to go far before I spotted a sign for a hotel that proudly advertised that they had hot water 24 hours a day. On top of that, who did I spot standing in the doorway with a beckoning look in her eye? Why, the Mysterious Chinese Woman.

Hot Water (Not Sheets) Hotel


The proprietor was, of all things, a middle aged Mexican transvestite who hadn't yet quite dressed for the day. She was wearing a tattered robe and had her hair up in curlers. Nicely painted toenails though. Bar Man felt like he was back in New York. I would have loved to have gotten a picture but she wouldn't let me take one because she said she looked a mess. Well, she did, actually, and I didn't feel like waiting around for three hours while she made herself presentable.

The room was only about $20 and was clean enough even though very small. Big deal, I didn't plan on spending a lot of time in it. It had a surprisingly nice little terrace though that looked out over the neighboring rooftops with the mountains in the background.

El Terraza


After checking out the room and making sure that I could touch all four walls with my hands and feet at the same time I wandered around the town a bit looking for a place where I could get a cocktail.

Across the street from the lake was this lovely looking restaurant and bar with a lovely wrap-around deck.

Lovely Restaurant


I sat and enjoyed the view of the parking lot and the cool breeze while sipping a rum and coke. I liked this place because they give you a glass of ice, a bottle of Coca Cola, and sizable pour of rum. You get to be your own bartender, kind of.

Enjoying My Drink


After finishing my drink (well, alright, two drinks) I decided to head back for a bit of a siesta before the evening festivities began. I will fill you in on those when next I post. It should be pretty soon though because I finally got my DSL connection and can actually work in the daylight now.