Nice to meet you, Guadalajara!

 

Chile en nogado (with pomegranate seeds on top)

Chile en nogado (with pomegranate seeds on top)

After a year of waiting, we finally arrived in Guadalajara – and we are not disappointed! It’s a beautiful city and everyone has been very welcoming, including our sponsors, Cindy and Raoul who met us at the airport when we arrived Monday.

They got us settled into our temporary digs, then took us out for grocery shopping followed by a drink on their balcony and a nice dinner out on the town.

Raoul and Cindy with tamarindo margaritas

Raoul and Cindy with tamarindo margaritas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday was our first day in the office – everyone seems really nice and friendly. The Consulate building is old and pretty decrepit, but it’s in a busy location downtown with lots of restaurants and a Starbucks within walking distance. My immediate boss, Pete, is a fun New Yorker who seems like he’ll be fun to work with; the other managers are nice, too.

Wednesday we moved into our permanent apartment in the afternoon – it’s nice to finally unpack the suitcases and know we’ll be here for a while. The apartment is lovely with a fantastic view over hole #2 of the Guadalajara Country Club. It’s fun to watch the golfers from our balcony.

Balcony view

Balcony view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rainbow if you look hard

Rainbow if you look hard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday night we grabbed a taxi and braved the rain to go to a nice reception sponsored by the Guadalajara American Chamber of Commerce at a local hotel. Met some nice folks there.

Thursday we walked to an excellent oyster bar in the neighborhood where I had the best po’ boy I’ve ever had, along with a good cold Mexican beer.

The Ambassador was here for a visit on Friday. He led a town hall meeting on the Consulate’s patio, then we mid-level officers had a meeting with him afterward.

Old habits die hard: on Saturday, John and I went to work. John’s group actually had work to do since the fiscal year closes next week; I didn’t have so much work, although it was nice to have some quiet time in the office. We went out for lunch and then after work, grabbed a beer at a fun little outdoor spot close to the Consulate.

Today, Raoul and Cindy picked us up and took us to Tlaquepaque, a fun little town on the outskirts of Guadalajara. We had a good lunch with a margarita, then moseyed along looking at the little shops. Fun!

 

Tlaquepaque

Tlaquepaque

 

Taco stand, Tlaquepaque

Taco stand, Tlaquepaque

 

Tlaquepaque

Tlaquepaque

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The trip here was uneventful. We had to get up at o’dark thirty for our 6AM flight out of Little Rock. We ran into a college friend, Connie, and also John’s buddy Leland from Systematics. Flavie did great on the plane. After my normal stressing about her paperwork, the airlines in Little Rock looked at it, but no one in Mexico did – typical! She’s gradually getting used to her new surroundings.

It still hasn’t quite sunk in that we are here in Mexico – and will be here for three years! Pinch me!

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