Army & Air Force Museum and Jalisco Stadium

Planes at Army and Air Force Museum

Friday morning we started our free tour of Guadalajara at the Museo del Ejercito y Fuerza (Army and Air Force Museum) (Full information here). As we arrived, the museum guide asked us to form two lines. Then, we stood at attention while the military men walked out the Mexican flag and hoisted it atop the flag pole. Finally we sang the Mexican National Anthem. What a great, respectful way to begin our tour of this museum!

Mexican flags. Oldest on the left

Our first stop was the room of Mexican flags over the years. There are quite a variety of flags that have flown over Mexican soil, all the way back to Spanish conquistador times in the 16th century. The earliest flags are those to the left in the photo above. The tour guide quickly recited something about each of the 30 flags that surround this room.

Military outfits for indigenous people, pre-Spainish conquist

There was so much to see in this museum; and, our guide quickly whisked us through each of the exhibition rooms. Some highlights include replicas of warrior uniforms worn by the indigenous people who lived here before the Spanish arrived, a flag captured from rebel Texans in 1836, a room of weaponry from around the world collected by Porfirio Diaz and a plane that was built and flown by a 3rd grade educated Michoacan man in 1936 (after his epic flight, he became a pilot in the Mexican Air Force).

Flag taken from rebel Texans. It says "Liberty or Death"

Helmets from around the world from Porfirio Diaz's collection

Pinocho, a plane built by a Michoacan from plans in the magazine Popular Mechanics
Built 1934-1935
Flown 1936

Behind the main building, there are several different planes, including one that was used during WWII in the Pacific Theater.

WWII plane used in Pacific Theater

The next stop on our tour today was Jalisco Stadium. Our tour guide warned us that may not be able to get in, as the stadium doesn't give public tours. We anxiously waited in the bus while our tour guide ventured into the stadium. A few minutes later she was jogging out to the bus saying that she had been told "let me see". We eagerly eyed the door. A few minutes later, a gentleman walked out to talk to our guide and welcomed us inside!

Jalisco Stadium

For those Americans not familiar the world wide popularity of soccer, think of American football. However, soccer isn't confined to just one country. It's a global phenomenon with a World Cup match every four years  (alternating even years with the summer Olympics). We were about to get a tour of the stadium used by four different soccer teams in Guadalajara. We started by sitting in the stands of the most exclusive section of the stadium, through Gate 1. But, we didn't stop there.

Chapel under Jalisco Stadium

Next, our stadium guide led us under the stadium to the small chapel where mass is held before each of the games. Few people outside of players and coaches ever see this intimate space.

Jalisco Stadium locker rooms

Then, our guide told us we would be going to the home team locker rooms and the field seats. Previously rowdy boys quieted in awe at the chance to see such wonders. They became well behaved in seconds. The locker rooms are used by four different teams; and, therefore, there are no names assigned to each locker. Yet, this is the space used by countless soccer players since it was built in 1960. It was used during the 1968 Olympics as well as for two World Cups (1970 and 1986).

Sitting in the players' seats on the field

We exited the locker room and took the stairs down and then up to come out on the field at the seats for the home team. With repeated exhortations "Don't step on the grass" from our guide and the grounds crew, we posed for photos on the edge of the field. What a once in a lifetime chance to visit the inside of Jalisco Stadium!

Zapopan

Basilica of Zapopan

On Thursday, we toured the city of Zapopan. Today, it's basically a suburb of the Guadalajara. However, it was originally populated by Zapotecs before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1530. Since the population was dwindling, the Spaniards moved other indigenous people into the area. Zapopan's claim to fame came with these immigrants and a missionary intent on evangelizing them. It is a small statue called the Virgin of Zapopan.

Found here (scroll to bottom of blog):
http://peregrinozapopano.blogspot.mx/2007_02_01_archive.html

The Virgin of Zapopan was made by a local artist in Michoacan in the 16th century using the local technique of "pasta de cana" (paste made from stalks, in this case, corn stalks). The original is quite eloquently innocent (see above). It stands a mere 34 cm (13 inches) tall. It was transported from Michoacan to Zapopan by Fray Antonio de Segovia. Today, the statue resides at the front of the Basilica of Zapopan, a Franciscan church started in the 17th century and completed in the 19th century. The Virgin of Zapopan has been placed on a pedestal of silver, clothed in rich garments and crowned (see below). Due to its diminutive size, it's difficult to even make out the Virgin's face when standing in the church.

The Virgin of Zapopan, dressed and crowned.

There's a great museum of the Huichol or Wixaritari people housed inside the Basilica. This indigenous tribe still live traditionally in the state of Jalisco today. There's examples of their clothing, houses and craft work as well as descriptions of many Huichol traditions. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any photos inside of the museums. But, if you'd like to know more about their traditions, visit the museum (only 10 pesos for adults and 5 pesos for kids) or check out this link: http://wixarika.mediapark.net/en/.

Vortice by Marcela Armas

Next, we walked to Zapopan's Museum of Art.  It's a small, contemporary art museum. The current exhibitions include work by Marcela Armas and Humberto Ramirez. When you first walk into the museum, the first piece that greets you is a double helix mobile hanging from the ceiling. It is made up of cogs with texts printed on them. Every once in a while a motor runs and turns all the cogs along the spiral.

Collage of sports images by Humberto Ramirez

On the second floor is the work by Humberto Ramirez, exploring the concept of games and sportsmanship. There are a variety of objects, including collages with images from different sporting events, hunting images, and a movie of a man attempting a hot dog eating challenge. MAZ is open Tuesday through Sundays from 10-6 and Thursdays from 10-10. Free entry.

Our final stop today was Parque Avila Camacho. At this park, you can rent paddle boats and paddle along a river. There are jungle gyms as well as a bounce house for a kids. The entire park has wide, paved paths for cyclists and pedestrians. One kid was even riding his electric skateboard along the pavement while his dad was videoing. Plus, there are lots of chairs and shade to sit under. Very family friendly. Entrance is free; but, there is a fee for parking.

Glass shop, Santa Cruz de las Huertas, Tonala

Peering through the bars of the metal grate entrance along the sidewalk, we saw workers running back and forth. Most of them were holding long metal poles, often with a molten, glowing end. Our guide invited us just inside the metalwork gate. We squished in between bags of silica and two artisans forming glasses seated on benches.

Specialized bench for rolling glass blowing pipes

The craftsmen were up and down working non-stop. An employee would bring over a long metal pole with a red hot ball of glass on the end. They'd hand it off to the seated worker who would start by blowing into the open end to expand the glass. Then, he'd sit at his bench and start rolling the pole back and forth with his left hand. His right hand was busy sculpting the glass using various metal tools. The bench was special. It had longer than normal arms which were plated with metal on top. At the front end of each arm, there was a peg to keep the metal tube from rolling off.

Blowing glass into mold

In a minute, the artisan was on his feet again. The craftsman would blow some more air into the metal rod, step up on a small platform and plunge the glass end into a two piece metal mold. Swinging the mold shut with his foot, he'd give one more blow. Then, he'd toe the mold open and return to his bench. Another employee would be ready with red hot glass glowing at the end of a metal pole. The artisan would guide this hot glass onto the stem of the wine glass. Unused remnants fell with the end of the second pole to a foot square piece of sheet metal waiting on the floor. The craftsman formed this newly attached glass into the base of the wine glass.

Adding glass for base

When finished, the craftsman handed the entire pole with wine glass to a waiting worker, who moved to another station to remove the piece from the pole before handing it off to another worker, who stacked it in a waiting kiln. The entire process took two minutes. As soon as an artisan handed off a finished wine glass, there was a worker handing him another metal pipe with a blob of glass waiting to be formed.

Forming base

At first glance, the entire workshop looked like chaos with workers running all over the place, swinging around glass blowing pipes with red hot glass on the ends of them. Yet, it was a highly coordinated team of people who knew exactly what they were doing. We saw no accidents. Even though we, the tourists, pushed every possible space limit, the artisans knew exactly how much space they and their metal pipes needed to get around us.

Mass chaos to the untrained eye

The safety equipment was minimal -- I think I saw two gloves and two arm guards total. No one worn any type of mask to protect from the silica dust. The foreman let us venture further into the bowels of the shop among the burning kilns. We formed tight knit groups of six plus our guide. Walking single file, we'd huddle together wherever the foreman said was safe. Workers raced around us with metal poles of glass, forming glass jars, loading kilns. We simply tried to stay out of their way. It was certainly the only time that no one had any questions for our guides.

Forming glass jars

Tours of Tonala will return during summer vacation. For more information, please visit Tonala Tur's facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TonalaTur

For more information on the glass shop: http://www.elnuevotriangulodecristal.com/

Ceramics of Tonala

Tonala is world famous for its craftsmanship in ceramics. In fact, it has its own, distinctive styles. Artisans in Tonala continue to keep these traditions alive today. During Holy Week and Easter Week, there were free tours of Tonala. During these tours, I've had to opportunity to walk through the workshops of two different styles of Tonala ceramics: petatillo and betus.

Petatillo is characterized by cross-hatching in the designs painted upon the clay. We had the chance to walk through Jose Bernabe & Sons' shop. It was so amazing to be walking through their work area! Since everything is so time intensive, the rule is "you break it, you buy it".

Painted pieces waited to be fired

We carefully watched the brothers painting. Each had his own specialty, whether it was a certain color or a certain line type. They all sat outside in small chairs, hunched over pieces that they were painting.

Bernabe sons painting

After the pieces are painted, they go into a very large kiln for two separate firings. Before the first firing, the pieces are dipped in a glaze. After the first firing for six hours at 900 degrees C, the pieces are a shiny, enamel white. In the second firing at 1100 degrees C for 8 hours, the colors brilliantly illuminate for the final product.

Inside the kiln.

The Bernabe sons are carrying on the tradition of Petatillo. And, their work is world renowned. Even Pope John Paul II and Barack Obama have eaten off Bernabe & Sons pottery. However, since it is so time intensive, it's not a cheap tradition. A 94-piece table setting for 12 takes seven people working 6 hours per day for 3.5 months. It comes with a 250,000 peso price tag (~$20,000).

Products for sale

Next, the bus stopped in front of a nondescript door on a what appeared to be a small, residential street. Only a small painted ceramic tile above the the door named this place "Ortega". We walked through the narrow door past a small room, a kitchen, and then through the door to the back workshop. A dog silently sniffed each of us as we passed into the workshop. A cat sauntered by while a roster strutted near the back wall. A chicken cared for her chicks nestled among work supplies. What an honor to get to walk into yet another artisan's workshop!

Molds that clay is built around

The Ortega family continues the tradition of the betus style, which is characterized by bright, bold colors. The starting point of each figure is a small, brown mold about the size of two peanuts. The sculptor wets clay and massages it around this form until the desired figure is obtained.

Figurines drying in sun

Next the figurines are set outside to dry. During these hot days, the clay dries overnight.

Brick kiln for firing

After drying, the sculptures are placed into a wood fired brick kiln and fired at 350 C (662 F). Once finished, they are left in the kiln overnight to cool.

Painting figurines

The figures are painted the signature, bright colors of the betus style. Some of the more popular figurines we saw were the stacked animals for the story of the Bremen town musicians and Trees of Life. There were also several examples of Tastoan masks, traditional ceramic masks worn for dances that will take place on July 25th this year.

Tastoan masks

100% Agave Tequila!

Tequila! In the USA, it's a name synonymous with a type of hard liquor. But, did you know that Tequila is also the name of a town in Mexico? In fact, there are 22 different tequila companies in the town of Tequila. The name "tequila" can only be used on the liquor produced from the blue agave plant in a only a couple states in Mexico. The state that produces the most is Jalisco, where the town of Tequila is located. Today, we were going to explore two tequila companies in Tequila: 3 Mujeres and La Cofradia.

Agave field at 3 Mujeres

What makes 3 Mujeres special? It is all organic. 3 Mujeres organically grows it's own agave plants, which take 7-12 years to mature. It's tempting to go non-organic to speed up the process (e.g. Sauza injects it's agave plants with growth hormone so that they mature in only three years).

Roasted agave -- it's sweet!

When we first arrived at 3 Mujeres, we were treated to snacks of roasted agave. Like sugar cane, it's to be chewed and sucked on but not swallowed. These pieces of agave were surprisingly sweet!

Jimador supervising tourist chopping agave leaves

Next, the jimador, a person who harvests agave, let us try chopping the leaves from an uprooted agave plant. Originally, the natives had used the leaves and spines of the agave plant for food, fibers and as roofs. However, today only the heart of the agave is used to make tequila.

3 Mujeres steam cooks the agave hearts for 48 hours in these large ovens. There are other ways to speed up the process. For example, some distilleries roast the agave, which can shorten the processing time to 8-10 hours.

Machine to juice agave

Truck full of agave fiber

Then, the agave hearts are cooled for 10 hours before being run through the above contraption. This machine strains out the juice. The fibers are dumped into a waiting truck and used as fertilizer on the fields.

3 Mujeres Tequilas. From left to right:
Extra Anejo, Anejo, Reposado, Blanco

Finally, the agave juice is distilled in waiting vats. Did you know that all tequila starts from the same agave juice? The only difference is how long each matures in oak barrels. Tequila Blanco (usually clear) is ready almost immediately. 3 Mujeres Reposado Tequila (slightly tinted) is aged for 10 months in oak barrels. Anejo and Extra Anejo Tequilas are matured for years.

Tequila barrel transportation in Tequila

After tasting these four types of tequila, we got back on the bus for a sight seeing tour into the town of Tequila. We couldn't stop in Tequila without stopping by Jose Cuervo's large store. Did you know that they also manufacture and sell Cholula, the hot sauce?

Jose Cuervo

Jose Cuervo is a pure tequila distillery. It doesn't grow any of it's own agave. Instead, it purchases agave from producers. Therefore, only a small percentage, family reserve, is made completely traditionally and organically. However, Jose Cuervo is the oldest tequila manufacturer still in business. Jose Cuervo received official distillery license from the Spanish government in 1795!

Specialized Jose Cuervo Family Reserve box designs

Don't worry, we did stop and eat. We had some ice cream. And, something from a bag of Tostitos (we're not really sure what this is):

Tostitos snack

Plus, there was a stop at a fancy restaurant with a basic buffet and a live mariachi band. Really, though, we were just killing time until we could get to the next tequila farm, La Cofradia.

La Cofradia is a relatively recent entrant into the tequila business. It was established in 1990 by Carlos Hernandez Hernandez. He had some interesting innovations for the tequila business, including building his cellar around the trees instead of cutting them down. In this way, his cellar is cooled by the trees' shade. It's only other cooling comes from strategically placed windows.

Outside La Cofradia Cellar.
Tree branches poke through roof.

Inside La Cofradia Cellar.
Tree growing inside.

La Cofradia has a small but interesting museum on-site that talks about the history of the company as well as the history of tequila. The quick synopsis of tequila:
1. Our guide told us that the word tequila comes from a Nahautl word for the obsidian rock from the now dormant Tequila Volcano. "Tequila" basically meant the people who cut things with obsidian rock (e.g. agave harvesters)
2. The native Nahautl were producing a fermented agave drink called "pulque".
3. The Spaniards, running out of brandy, were searching for a local alternative.
4. The Spanish government enjoyed significant income from the taxes levied on tequila (originally called mezcal wine).
5. Every once in awhile there was a ban on all tequila by the government.
6. But, tequila is still around and becoming even more popular today!

La Cofradia tequila brands

Some tour options of Tequila:
Tequila Express (train) - 1200 pesos (~$100 USD) - http://reservaciones.tequilaexpress.com.mx/
Jose Cuervo Express (train) - 1350-1530 pesos (~$110-$130) - http://www.josecuervoexpress.com/es/compra/reserva-tu-experiencia.html
Tequila Grande tour (bus) - 450-750 pesos (~$40-$65) - http://www.tequilagrandtour.mx/

Puente Grande and the Hydroelectric Plant

Sign on side of tour bus for free tours of Tonala

Today I slept in. The tours to the nearby town of Tonala don't start until 10 am! However, these tours are also very popular. When I arrived at 9:50, there was already a line of people waiting for the bus. When I asked the young guys running the tour if there was still space, they just said "No hay parados"; but, yes, I could still go. Note to self, if someone says "no hay parados", ask how long the bus ride is. I learned once I got onto the bus that "parados" are seats. Thankfully, it was only a 25 minute ride. 

Inside the bus

Finally, we arrived at our destination, the hydroelectric plant in Tonala. The plant was originally built in 1910. At the entrance are two statues, a male and female that represent the positive and negative poles. Originally, these figures were naked. However, sometime during the last 100 years, an official forced the statues to be clothed; and, they remain clothed today. 

Figures representing positive & negative poles

We got to walk up into the Control Room and see the remaining controller for the final generator in use. Originally, there used to be five generators and 325 people working at this plant. Today, only nine people remain employed. From my understanding of one employee's presentation, this is because there is less water today to create power. In addition, other cities have built their own electricity plants, usually using other methods instead of water, like coal.

Hydroelectric control room

The views from the plant were gorgeous! It was my first time outside of the city this visit to Gaudalajara. 

View from the top, near the hydroelectric control room

Then, we piled into the energy company's trucks and took a ride down to the river and the generators. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take any photos inside of the plant with the generators. However, we got up close to the generator still running. It was pretty cool to be standing near the inner workings of a generator providing power to so many people.

Riding down to the river

In addition to the switchback road from top to bottom, there is also a steep stairway. On the way back, some of us ascended via the stairs. I should have counted the steps! This was definitely my workout for the day.

Stairway to the top

While we were checking out the generators near the river, a young man approached me and asked, in English, if I needed help understanding anything. One of the pleasant surprises in Guadalajara has been how helpful everyone has been. On every tour, someone has offered to translate for me in English. These are usually other tour participants. On this tour, unbeknownst to me, the tour guide was concerned that I didn't understand Spanish and called a coworker to see if he could come translate.

We swamped the girl selling ice cream

Paleta (popsicle)

We boarded the bus and rode down to Puente Grande (Large Bridge). There were a brother and sister waiting for us, selling paletas (popsicles) and ice cream in two flavors: fresa (strawberry) and vainilla (vanilla). The sun was up; and, the shade was disappearing. It was the perfect refreshment.

La Garita de Puente Grande

At Puente Grande, there are ruins of a house built in 1718. It's called La Garita de Puente Grande. The ruins are beautiful. And, the Tourism Commission in Tonala works hard to keep the ruins clear of all trash.

Puente Grande

The beautiful Puente Grande is a Roman style bridge that has 26 total arches. There is a legend that it was built by the devil himself when a young man sold his soul to get across to the another side to his lover. For this reason, the bridge is also called El Puente del Diablo (The Devil's Bridge). In reality, Puente Grande was built in the 18th century.

Lord of the Ascension church, Tololotlan

Our final stop was the community of Tololotlan. Originally, this area was full of pyramids. However, when the Spanish arrived, they brought with them a fever that wiped out all of the original inhabits. The Spaniards constructed a church called Senor de la Ascension (Lord of the Ascension) here. Inside, the Christ on the cross isn't the usual Anglo-Saxon version.

For more information on tours to Tonala during Holy Week and Easter Week: http://www.lupacity.com/vive-tonala/