Guadalajara

Guadalajara is Mexico’s second city, a cheaper, less-congested sibling to the monster that is Mexico City. I got a private rooftop room through AirBnB (for $11 a night), with a view of the neogothic Expiatorio Temple of the Blessed Sacrament.

While there, I made sure to try pulque. It’s made from the fermented sap of the agave plant and has a sour yeast-like taste. This pulqueria was covered wall to wall with lucha libre memorabilia.

Which, of course, inspired me to see the action first-hand. It was a dazzling, ridiculous spectacle, made even more entertaining by the fact that two factions within the crowd exchanged foul-mouthed chants throughout. Let’s just say that I learned a few new words that night 😊

Oblatos Canyon, on the outskirts of Guadalajara, is free and a must see.

This is Guadalajara’s specialty, the torta ahogada (literally “drowned submarine sandwich”). It is called "drowned" because the sandwich is submerged in a sauce made primarily of a dried chili pepper.

Cooked grasshoppers aren't exactly a Guadalajara specialty, but you can't not eat them, right?

Formerly Guadalajara University and now an art museum. The university is now a generic looking modern monstrosity.