Come along with me and share the excitement as I explore the world researching freelance articles. These blog posts offer short chunks of travel that you can digest quickly as well as plenty of photos so you get the picture. You'll have some fun, make discoveries, and pick up great ideas and information for your own vacations. Think of me as your canary in the coal mine. For even more travel inspiration, visit my BERKELEY AND BEYOND website at http://www.berkeleyandbeyond.com.
Rich in history and only 5 minutes from downtown El Paso, Juarez is the largest U.S. border city with Mexico. You can walk across the international pedestrian bridge and into town, where it is easy to find a taxi should you want to go farther in. The fess is US$3.50/vehicle, and US$.35 cents/over pedestrian bridge.
629 Ave. Juarez. Daily 11am-2am. Founded in 1920, this famous bar is said to be the birthplace of the Margarita. Nowadays these icy delights run 50 pesos/US$3. Sitting at the old bar itself, where you can watch the drinks being made, is definitely the way to go, though I was a bit disappointed by the unenthusiastic “I just work here” demeanor of most of the staff. In spite of that attitude, they make a really good margarita. The dark interior is filled with interesting items, and a menu of snacks and meals includes popular nachos and hand-cut fries.
exterior of Kentucky Club & Grill in Juarez, Mexico
2.El Mercado
Agustin Melgar St./Avenida 16 de Septiembre. This traditional Mexican market operates inside and around a 2-story building. It serves the locals with produce and prepared food items, but it also holds several cafes and is the perfect place to find a Mexican souvenir.
Av. 16th de Septiembre, 2 blocks west of Av. Juárez. This is the first mission in the region built by the Franciscans. Built between 1662 and 1668 by Mexican, Spanish, and Indian labor, this is the oldest surviving church in the area and remains an active chapel today. It is considered a prime example of Indian baroque architecture, influenced by Arab tradition, and is adorned with 18th-century sculptures and oil paintings. Next door is a contemporary cathedral, and behind the mission is a bronze statue of the founder, Fray Garcia of San Francisco.
exterior of La Mision de Nuestra Senora Guadalupe in Juarez, Mexico
interior of La Mision de Nuestra Senora Guadalupe in Juarez, Mexico
Avenida 16 de Septiembre/Avenida Juarez, centro historico, (011.52) 656-612-4707. Tu-Sun 91am-5pm. Housed in the Old Customs House, this museum features exhibits regarding the Mexican Revolution and Ciudad Juarez. They tell about the role of the railroad as well as of politician, writers, and revolutionaries. Exhibits on Pancho Villa are particularly enlightening.
teacher addresses his students outside Museo de la Revolucion en la Frontera in Juarez, Mexico
painting of cows in Museo de la Revolucion en la Frontera in Juarez, Mexico
a taxi ride away from downtown:
5. Big Red X/Monumento a la Mexicaneidad
The mammoth red “X” that can easily be seen from El Paso is a public art piece by noted Mexican monumental steel sculptor Sebastian. According to artist Sebastian (Enrique Carbajal González), the piece honors mixed-race peoples and re-creates both the Christian cross and an Aztec religious symbol called the Nahui Ollin, (he explains it all in this video. Begun in 2007 and finished 2012, the controversial piece was commissioned by the city of Juarez and stands 196 feet tall--the equivalent of a 17-story building. An elevator operates inside.
Big Red X/Monumento a la Mexicaneidad in Juarez, Mexico
30 min. N of San Miguel de Allende. Mexico’s independence from Spain was fought out here in Dolores Hidalgo in1810. Today the town is known for its ice cream and beautiful handmade talavera pottery. Ice cream vendors have carts at the four corners of the central square, and the flavors are unusual—shrimp, tequila, mole, avocado. The town is also known for great carnitas. It is one of the premier places in Mexico to buy Talavera pottery at a fraction of the prices in the United States or even nearby San Miguel. Artists are seen at work painting in shops.
talavera pottery made in Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico
●Our Lady of Sorrows church
is a carved from rose-colored quarry stone and a gorgeous example of churrigueresque architecture.
In the state of Jalisco, 2 hours/76 km NE of Guadalajara.
The Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos in Mexico
Founded in the 1600s, San Juan de los Lagos is one of the most important pilgrimage centers in Mexico. The Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos is the second most visited religious site in Mexico, only after the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. For more than 3 centuries, millions of pilgrims have visited the Virgin here. The story begins in 1542, when a Spanish priest brought a statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception to the village. In 1623, the sick daughter of a local Indians recovered after her parents prayed for her. Following this miracle, the statue began to be visited by pilgrims who walk on their knees to the Virgin’s altar. I found the alcove to the right of the altar especially interesting--it is where pilgrims place letters and objects that thank the Virgin for their personal miracles.
Jardin de la Union/Union Garden in Guanajuato, Mexico
The spectacular square and garden known as Jardin de la Union/Union Garden dates back to the colonial times, when it was the center of street markets and traditional festivities were held here. It is lined with a neatly trimmed canopy of Indian laurel that is so dense it looks as if it is just one tree. Cafes, restaurants, and shops surround the garden, and mariachi bands entertain.
Jardin de la Union/Union Garden in Guanajuato, Mexico
