A Good Time and Place in Mexico

The best time to visit Mexico has got to be in October. In specifically, the best place to visit is Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco, about two hours away from the well-known city of Guadalajara. Jalisco is in the northern area of Mexico. The worrying thing about going there in October might be the start of the rain but this is minimal during that time.

At this time, the whole town throws a celebratory month of events that not only play out as a fair in the night but through displays of the Catholic faith on the streets. People will walk, together, displaying cultural signs and other items, while singing catholic songs early in the morning during this time.

The fair is set-up with drinking stands and, for those wishing to dance and not get highly inebriated, a dance stage, where various bands will perform each day. The entrance fee to the dancing is between twenty and thirty dollars, which is a small price to pay to watch and dance to the music of six to eight popular bands from Los Angeles, Mexico and the nearby towns. It's a well-known event to music fans because it's a thirty-day fair with different bands on stage each night. Perhaps, some may even get the chance to see Shakira or Paulina Rubio. The drink to look for in this area is called ponche de Granada, palmagranite punch, which is a tequila-based fruit drink. Not recommended for those underage, of course.

Apart from the dancing, Ciudad Guzman is a city proud of its huge, five-story palace-like churches with unique monuments and impressive daises. It makes attending church a rather unique event. Churches overfill with people, making for each day of prayer eventful.

Lastly, if that isn't enough for some, there's a series of shops along a four-block square for both shopping and food-tasting. Some of the main stores might be those with the famous zarapes, the holed-sheets that cover the entire body, which can be made in a number of colors. There's also the delicious, ice-only ice-cream, which leaves a person in awe. I suggest the lemon and vanilla flavors. Unique to the area is the people on the corners on a grill serving hamburgers with chile, giving them a mild peppery flavor. Other things to look for include the shoes, which are less costly there than in the U.S.

Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco, is a nice and beautiful city to visit during October. People will be sad to leave it.

Sources:

Personal experience, last visit: 2008.

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