Airplane Bloggin: Quetzalcoatl Stole My Pillow, Pt. 2

Writing now from the semi-comfort of my somewhat chilly house in Venice, Ca. 

I missed the second half of the Giant game, after seeing the G-Men take a 20-10 lead on a ridiculously defended hail mary pass at the end of the first half, at a Chili’s (really) in Guadalajara Airport.  When we landed in Phoenix for our change, and I turned my phone on, I got a New York Times update about the Giants spanking the Pack (sorry Mark, Newman, Basch, it is what it is). 

I also missed the Golden Globes on television (much less, going to any of the parties).  Not that I am such a fan, but I usually watch.  Sounds like some worthy movies took the gold. 

To continue the blog I was writing before having to literally sprint on still semi-wounded ankle to catch the connection to LAX….

After the hacienda party (pics attached), we took the long bus ride back to the Riu Plaza hotel (which is very nice).  I was exhausted, running on perhaps three hours of sleep over the previous two days, and I wasn’t going anywhere. 

Until.

Charles, who had slept on the bus despite the cacophony, was downstairs telling me that I had to come downstairs, that quite a crowd had developed, including the girls who had been our chaperones the night before (and friends).  

I rallied, I rose, I showered and I departed, sleepless still.  Went downstairs to the hotel bar, where we had the local tequila, which they shoot with lime and salt just like in the states.  Jada, who had been our hostess on the first night, was again there to provide, with a few of her close friends along for the trip.  We didn’t even leave the hotel until after one thirty AM, and headed to Barra Bar, a baroque testament to Guadalajara nightlife, complete with a full assortment of disco and electronic and funny foam hats.  Mind you, Jada did all this on a broken foot – making her a kindred spirit. 

The second night ended earlier than the first.  My best recollection is being asleep at around 5AM.  Some of the crew were headed back to Bar Americanos at around 4AM but I was not just hitting a wall by then, I was burying myself underneath it.   We bid goodbye to Jada, who went out for a late dinner with another of the BG crew, and I was asleep minutes after my head hit the pillow. 

The next morning, Sunday, was brunch in the hotel, a bit of saying goodbye, and on the road.  And now I am back in Venice, catching up on (blogging and) correspondence, and preparing to hit the road again on Wednesday, this time to Maui (at least I think so).

Til then, remaining yours, somewhat faithfully (what happens in Guadalajara stays in Guadalajara, didn’t you know)

Grumps.  

Airplane Bloggin: Quetzalcoatl Stole My Pillow

On the way back from a short jaunt in Guadelajara Mexico.  Charles and I had grabbed a Friday afternoon commuter to Phoenix, and then the evening flight south into Mexico’s second largest city. 

We were attending the ribbon cutting for a company with which Charles is involved, Blue Gold.  Blue Gold’s tech basically purifies water, regardless of its toxicity or turbidity, and makes it usable for agriculture, industry, drinking.    Pretty important stuff.  The pilot project actually is taking leachate water from a dumpsite and making it usable for agriculture.  And a single mobile plant churns out enough water to keep a small city in ice cubes. 

But lets take a step back. On our arrival, and meeting some of the BG folks, we went out on the town in Guadelajara.  First stop was a rock club, Old Jack’s, with a more than passable cover band barking out music, quite adeptly, as varied as The Doors, Coldplay and Kings of Leon.  We tossed a few back, Grumpy made a friend J, and then we headed to an underground club, Bar Americanos, in a warehouse type space.  With the assistance of your friendly neighborhood bartended, and a change to central time zone, somehow we were out til almost 6AM, before retreating to the hotel for perhaps three hours of sleep before jumping on the bus to the ribbon cutting. 

For obvious reasons, I was a bit piqued in the morning, and directly following the speeches and ceremony we headed out to a hacienda owned by a local (Mexican) business partner, where we were plied with tequila (I abstained at the party), which was actually invented in Jalisco, the state where Guadelajara is.  I know, pretty cool.  There was a dance show, more mariachi than you could shake a senorita at, and a lovely outdoor meal.  I somehow avoided full on grumpster mode due to fatigue, at least until we got back on the bus for the 90 minute ride back to hotel (expletives regarding behavior of tequila-induced maniacs excised). 

Landed in Phoenix – Blogger Interuptus.  TBC.