Architecture between colonial times and commercial hypermodernity

Tidy, polished, organized ... Guadalajara could be perfectly described in these bourgeois categories. Maybe it was also because of the holidays. The shops were closed, residents, guests, and tourists strolled through the old town. Christmas market and street art provided entertainment.

Guadalajara was founded in 1542, 50 years after Columbus discovered America for the Europeans. The Spanish colonial style was omnipresent and testified to enormous wealth. We had breakfast in a hotel that dates back to 1610.

The architecture of the planned city was supplemented with modern concrete buildings in the 1950s and 1960s, in Latin American style. Brutalism with Aztec-style elements. I was particularly impressed by the market. Small shops wound seamlessly on several levels around covered courtyards. Unfortunately, many buildings from this period have not aged well.

We spent the late afternoon away from the modern hotel complex, where we visited Andy's friends. There, a commercially/private dual city was created, reminiscent of American malls with H&M, burger grills, and air-conditioned arcades.

In the evening, we went to a variety show. Mexican music and cabaret performances... I didn't understand a word and held onto my Corona light.