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/