Tuesday was my day off, so I decided to get out of the house and experience the world around me. My fellow WWOOFer is a Canadian girl who just happens to be pretty fluent and has a friend in Guadalajara. We make a tentative plan to head to the Lucha Libre show in town and stay the night at her friends house. We first go into Chapala, the nearest city where we can catch a bus. I also needed to pay for my visa because in Mexico nobody can accept government money except the bank. We do that and then I set a goal to find some coffee, but it seems as though there is no regular coffee, only expresso. This is not good, I like to start my day like most rock stars, with a little drip. I search about 5 shops, a 7-11 (I should be able to some coffee at a 7-11 right, nope) and finally 3 blocks up in a little cafe, I see a familiar sight an old pot on an a heated base full of black gold, mission fucking accomplished. (picture is of a fountian in Chapala)
We go though the little market square and eat little taqiutos, yes there really are tacos everywhere in Mexico. A bus we aboard and are on the way to Guadalajara, we exit the bus and I soon find the great thing about Mexico is that they will sell you one cigarette at a time at a number of the various vendors that line the street to sell, goods and food. I purchase some cigarettes, anxiety attack avoided and now I can enjoy the city.
Guadalajara is famous for the "Torta Ahogada", which is a pork sandwhich drowned in a chile sauce, now like a true gringo, I do not really know what i am ordering so I order mine soaking in this sauce, even after being warned by both the vendor and my companion. They chuckle, stand back and watch, as I devour this sandwich covered in a substance the color of lava. As I slowly start to eat this sandwich with eyes a watching and watering. I soon discover my mistake as my mouth goes numb and my throat starts to feel like its being violated, like the new guy in a prison shower. As I choke back tears and try to look cool, my head is swimming and now this substance is burning my fingers where it touched them. I for one moment actually believe I am eating a fire brick. As I reach into my bag nonchalantly for water, I notice the counter guy chuckle a little. I alas finish and we move on to the stadium.
The stadium was on the way to the Plaza where we would meet our friend. We stopped to take some pictures and shop at the lucha shops across the street. It was pretty nice as they have a walk of fame outside with several well known busts in the ground. We moved onto the next stop, we called her friend who was behind and asked us to meet her closer to her home, so I could drop off my bag. Once aboard the bus we are inundated with jugglers in the street preforming for tips and chubby harmonica players jumping aboard and grabbing some tips.
We soon get to our destination, a giant shopping mall where I meet a 20-something girl with short black hair and a leather jacket, from this point on I said very little as no-one else that night spoke English, now I understand most Spanish, but cannot yet vocalize. We get back on the bus and head towards her house. As we arrive at the bus stop, I notice a few things out of place like; An Applebees, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Sirloin Stockade, Blockbuster Video, Office Depot, a Peter Piper Pizza, with a sprinkle of Mexican food places. First thought in my head was OMG I was on the bus way too long and somehow ended up back in Texas. However, I did not end up in Texas, the american businesses are just raping everything everywhere.
We walk about a mile or so and get to a small apartment complex.The apartment, I am led into is a nice 2 bedroom with a split plan, very standard and not at all what i was expecting. I was introduced to some roommates and a baby, I can only remember the babies name because they called it "gordita", but she looked nothing like a menu item from Taco Bell. (gordita translates to fat little girl). At this point we are about an hour or so away from the show and we decide to scrap it, let get drunk instead is suggested. I head to the bodega to retrieve 40's of Corona. A couple hours later I am a little 'down' and some guys come over and we play a table game kinda like monopoly, but in spanish and involving world travel, I kept up really well and never lost track off the game. I did however lose badly, they might have cheated me, but I keep seeing double. I did snap this picture of the set-up.
After the game I headed down for more beer and found a hot dog stand, one bacon wrapped hot dog covered in green chilli later and I am back. The locals start making an enchilada dinner. Upon hearing about my earlier feat and level of disorientation, they have me sample an array of spicy chilis. After the enchiladas we had some hotdogs with ketchup and mustard. Now, your thinking when does this get good. Well at about this time, fat baby had to go night, night, so we ventured to another friends house. We climbed some steps and walked along a roof to a 8x12, two room brick dwelling with a hot plate and tequila. I enjoyed some shots, and sat as we listened to music from youtube on a netbook with a "mexican internet"; a small dish you pointed until you could steal someones signal, I need one of those.
Soon, a pipe was passed to me with what appeared to be Marijuana and soon I was unhinged, completely lost without the verbal skills to communicate, but "fucked up" is good in any language. As we sat chatting and listening to music, I noticed my host separating seeds from pods and grinding them up, soon a tea is being made and I am being handed a glass of something called "mexican acid" now I was really gone at this point so was everyone else, we floated back to the apartment on clouds made of cobblestones and I dreamed hyper-technicolor telemundo dreams. All in all I had fun and learned that people in other countries also like to laugh, listen to you tube, and get wasted. I hope everyone is having a good time tonight, I love you all good night. Thanks for your support.
