Día de Ocomo in Etzatlán

Oconahua is an indigenous community where is located the Ocomo Palace, one of the most important archaeological sites in western Mexico.

The delegation Oconahua, located in the municipality of Etzatlán about 20 miles west of Tala on highway 4, holds the Ocomo Day celebration annually on the 2nd of May since 1996, organized by the teacher Acelia Garcia de Weigand.

The Palace Ocomo, as an archaeological site, dating back to a thousand 100 AD and is the culture that follows the tradition of the Guachimontones Teuchitlán. It is a monumental tecpan among the largest buildings in the entire Republic. This has given an identity and pride to its residents.

After two years a team of archaeologists, alumni Weigand at El Colegio de Michoacán (COLMICH) returned to surface excavations that began two months ago and will run for approximately five years. The work is funded by the Ministry of Culture of Jalisco, and this year has a budget estimated at 2 million 500 thousand pesos.

In two months of excavation, archaeologists have uncovered much of the original floor of the palace. With the progress of their work they might find inside the main structure graves, hearths, burials, warehouses.

Fifth Anual Beer Fest - Guadalajara

In the Metropolitan Park this Friday 19, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 October 2012

2008 was the first festival of the brewing revolution in Mexico aiming to promote economic activity in the industry and make Guadalajara the Cradle of Premium Beer. The fifth year celebration hopes advance toward the most important festival in Latin America.

Like last year, we continued to generate a genuine search experience, so again it will be in the Parque Metropolitano de Zapopan as the natural setting for experiencing an authentic Bier-garten, German-style.

A natural environment to enjoy and share responsibly cultural activities focused on beer

Festival de la Cerveza

Jalisco State Fair

The 46th Expo Ganadera Jalisco, considered to be one of Mexico’s best livestock fairs, will open Wednesday, October 10 for a 25-day run that should rope in thousands of visitors keen on having a look at top-breed farm animals as well as enjoying a jam-packed schedule of special events.

In addition to the varied livestock and commercial exhibits, the Jalisco State Livestock Farmer’s Expo also offers the Mexican Charrería, superb regional cuisine, artistic events, music and contests and activities for kids. This event is truly the best of its kind in the country.

 

Unión Ganadera Regional de Jalisco

   

Location map in Tlaquepaque

A drive into Guadalajara and back

A drive from Chapala to Guadalajara and return video

Mariachi Festival in Guadalajara

Mariachi Festival in Guadalajara starting Today

For who like Mariachi, today starts the yearly Mariachi festival here in Guadalajara. There are performers from all over the world in various location through out Guadalajara performing till the 9th of septermber

Internacional del Mariachi Website

Mercado San Juan de Dios

Mercado San Juan de Dios in central Guadalajara is sometimes called Taiwán de Dios due to it's frantic pace and large size. An average of 20 thousand people pass thru the market every day among it's 2600 businesses. The building is on three levels and covers over 44 thousand square meters. This is a place you spend days exploring.  It has everything a Tianguis has multiplied many times

The current location was founded in the early 1950's but the original market dates back to 1551 and the founding of the city. In 1613, the barrios of San Juan de Dios and Analco were united with the rest of the city by building a bridge and the market was expanded. It was not until 1888 when the first solid construction was built and that was torn down in 1925 for a larger one, then again in the 1950's

 

Outside entrance

Interior panorama

Interior courtyard

Carniceria

San Sebastian del Oeste

San Sebastian del Oeste, Jalisco (located off highway 70) was one the main mining centres in the New Spain during the Colonial period. By 1785, ten gold and silver reduction haciendas and nearly 30 mines had been established there. The small town became a city in 1812, and reached its full maturity around 1830. San Sebastian's productivity was halted by the 1910 military revolution, and soon after, foreign companies in charge of mining works moved to other areas. The last mine was abandoned 1921, and San Sebastian fell into complete oblivion. Nowadays, its main economic activities involve agriculture, stockbreeding, increasing tourism and to a lesser degree, forestry.

UNESCO Historic Towns

Second Annual International Music Festival

May 31 to June 3, 2012

The International Fair of Music (FIM) is a project of the University of Guadalajara, which aims to be an international meeting point and cutting edge with a commitment to enhance the professionalization of the creators and producers of music, as well as promoting Ibero-American musical culture.

In its program of activities, the Fair includes concerts and showcases local artists and international market exposure, exchange and sale, lectures and discussions related to new problems and opportunities in the music world, meetings with stakeholders, workshops and clinic, as well as a sample film.

In its second edition, the International Music Fair Guadalajara will take place from May 31 to June 3, 2012. Its headquarters will be Expo Guadalajara and with subsites at Teatro Diana, Auditorio Telmex, film forum at the University of Guadalajara, Hotel Hilton, forums and different bars in town.

FIM Guadalajara

La Isla de los Alacranes

La Isla de los Alacranes (Scorpian Island - Lake Chapala)

Bill bought a "speed boat" a few months ago and has been working on the steering and controls. He actually just bought the boat and trailer and had to match it up with a motor he had. He launched it a few days ago and it's moored in the Chapala public boat harbor. So because I'm heading for the coast soon he wanted to give me a ride.

Pretty bumpy ride for a light boat over the waves. Most everything else on the lake are heavy pangas that plow thru the waves. Smoother coming back with the wind.

Every little restaurant of about 8 has their own moorage/dock. Someone comes out to help you tie up. They know you want to look around the island so they offer to take your meal order and have it ready when you get back. The island is not very long and is narrow but because of the lake level we couldn't make it to the east end. Meal was just OK but a nice setting.

A few of these signs around the island

Boat docks

Restaurant

A few of these around the island too

The ride back with sailboat and island in the distance

Guadalajara light rail system

The Guadalajara light rail system (Spanish: El tren ligero de Guadalajara), which is operated by SITEUR (Sistema de Tren Eléctrico Urbano, Spanish for Urban Electrical Train System), is a light rail system serving the municipalities of Guadalajara, Zapopan and Tlaquepaque, in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. It is owned by the state of Jalisco, and operator SITEUR is a state authority. Opened in 1989, the system currently has two lines: line 1, running from north to south, with 19 stations, and line 2, running from downtown to the east, with 10 stations.

Guadalajara light rail system

A great alternative when bussing from Melaque or Colima to get to downtown Guadalajara is with Primera Plus and their buses that stop at Periferico Sur and the Metro station.

The stop after Periferico is the Metro station (you will see a Burger King on the right). Get off there, take the pedestrian overpass to the other side of the Periferico, board the train and will be in Centro in about 15-20 minutes. Get off at the Juarez stop, change trains and go one stop east to surface at Plaza Universidad at 16 de Septiembre and Juarez, a short walk from several hotels in Centro, such as the San Francisco Plaza, Francis, Regis, etc. A 6 peso ride with no traffic worries and shaves 25 minutes off the bus trip and about another 20 minutes quicker than a cab ride from Tlaquepaque back to Centro. So at least 45 minutes quicker than going to the central camionera and cabbing it back to centro, if that is your destination.

Station Espana

Jose Cuervo train and theme park

Tequila giant Casa Cuervo will invest 25 million dollars in the next 18 months in its bid to turn the town of Tequila into one of Mexico’s leading tourist destinations.

Apart from operating the new Jose Cuervo Express tourist train, which made its inaugural journey from Guadalajara to Tequila last week, the company is building an 87-room hotel, four museums and a conference hall.

The new hotel will be operated by the upmarket Camino Real chain, while the museums will focus on contemporary art, folk art and the equestrian sport of charreria. Cuervo is also promoting the installation of small privately-owned liquor stores in the town in an effort to reduce sales of adulterated tequila.

Jose Cuervo's express train to Tequila The new seven-carriage tourist train has a capacity for 395 passengers and will make three weekly trips, on Fridays evenings, from 7 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The luxurious train is equipped with a full bar and restaurant.

Unlike its established rival the Tequila Express, the Cuervo Express travels into Tequila itself and takes visitors to the Cuervo distillery and its ancillary tourist development, Mundo Cuervo (the World of Cuervo). For more information on the Cuervo Express, visit www.josecuervoexpress.com or call 01-800 681 0442.

Guadaljara Reporter article

Fabrica de tequila Patron en Atotonilco

Except for all the promotional hype that the Patron brand of Tequila puts out there are very few good reviews. Mainly that it's way over priced for an average to below average Tequila. Most of their sales are in the US and what do Americans know about Tequila ... evidently very little.

Anyway .. this is a good video on the making of Tequila