A Day Spent Walking Around Tonala

Friday a.m.
On Wednesday we drove across Guadalajara to the town of Tonala. We visited there last year and I posted a lot of pictures of the items made and sold there. So hopefully this year’s pictures are a little different.
Just thought I post a picture of the road into and out of the RV park. It is rather rough and narrow. A lot of the cobblestones are missing leaving deep potholes of hard, dry dirt. So we just have to take it easy and The Driver has to pay attention to the holes, curves and big trees that overhang it.

Going over the Periferico towards Tonala we get an over view of the city. Lots of smog out there.

But this time we kept the windows in the jeep down even though it would be easier to breathe with the a/c on. Don’t need to get stopped for the tinted windows again. Link
I never stop marveling at the initiative of the people here. Someone has something for sale at every tope and intersection. These guys are selling papers and/or offering to wash windshields. Sometimes there are two or three of them and they can wash your whole car while you are stopped for a red light. Amazing

notice soda bottle sitting on pavement - it has soap and water in it to wash with

Just had to take this picture. The bright yellow flowers of a tree in front of the bright blue of the building.

Turning on to the main street of Tonala some of the interesting stuff for sale. The man and agave plant are made out of metal and the chairs are hand carved wood.

Just caught a quick foto of this guy. Not sure what he is carrying it could be gas, water or juice or something else entirely.

We found an estacionamiento (parking lot- try saying that fast a couple of times) and parked. I have finally mastered the pronunciation of it -.took a while -just too many letters in it. Sometimes it is just easier to pay to park than trying to find a place to to park.
Took lots of pictures of stuff so will try to sort them out and not repeat any from last year. Found these kind of interesting. Don’t know what you would use the gun for but…..

A picture of The Driver admiring “stuff” in one of the shops. In the foreground is a juice stand. They will squeeze it as you wait. Then using a small metal plainer they shave ice off of a block that’s on a table behind them and add it to the juice. Smelled good.

A couple of posts ago I talked about the fake trees lining the streets in Tepic. These are the flowers the trees are made of. These are lite up. Very pretty – the picture doesn’t do them justice.

The next store we came to had wood furniture all hand carved. This is a crib.

And this is just one of the elaborate headboards.

Another store - another thing I liked. Might even be able to make something myself. It is about five feet high. It is a lighted waterfall. The water cascades down the rocks. The lights are top and bottom. Very pretty.

A person could walk and walk around this town and never see everything. Streets and streets and blocks and blocks of things. From the tackiest plaster frog to the most beautiful furniture and paintings and sculptures. If you are decorating a home and can’t find it here it isn’t made. And we weren't there on the busiest days - Market Day.

These remind me of some of the things Chilhuly makes. Like the ceiling in the Bellagio Hotel in Vegas.

Glass balls and bowls

And of course if you get hungry there is the KFC with its ChickyLandia. They are all over. Like weeds.

Speaking of all over – when we were in Applebee’s the other day the manager told us there are even Applebee’s in China now. Imagine that.
One thing while you shop you shouldn’t get hungry. Some kind of food is sold one very corner. This lady is selling candy, nuts and seeds.

They are selling fresh cut up fruit in tall plastic cups.

He has fresh cold coconut milk. Cuts the top off then drains the milk into a plastic bag, sticks a straw into the bag and ties the neck shut.

chunks of ice keep the coconuts cold

Noticed this cart – a metal frame lined with cardboard boxes. Guess it does the trick.

As I’ve mentioned they are inventive people.

Continued walking and looking. We must be becoming a little more used to the altitude as we weren’t huffing and puffing quite so much. Don’t know whether it’s the altitude or the smog but both of us have been really stuffed up and had bleeding noses. Saw this figure and love it me and Day of the Dead things.- she is about five feet tall and all hand painted ceramic.

Another inspiration – these vases are covered with tiny pieces of stained glass. Need to try that when I get home.

Here is a boyfriend for the above lady. He’s just sitting waiting for her.

Finally we got tired of walking around and headed back to the car. Took these as we drove down the street. Both pictures of 2nd floor of buildings. First one has metal horses on it

Second on has Don Quixote sitting on a balcony. Gotta love this town.

Can’t be in a hurry when driving here – narrow streets and people walking in them. He has quite a load.

he has pillows and quilts in plastic bags

Only missed one turn on the way home but figured out how to correct it quickly. Then stopped at Soriana (supermarket) and got a roasted chicken with potatoes, potato salad and coleslaw for dinner.
On Thursday we went to Ajijic to visit Jeff. Today, Friday, today,we are going back downtown. Later I will add a short post about the glass blowers we watched.