RE: Guadalajara
Hotels:
I stayed at the Ejecutivo Express when I was in Guadalajara. It is a relatively new hotel. I believe it opened within the past eighteen months. I only paid about $60.00 per night including all taxes. The girl who made the reservation for me works for the Jalisco government and probably told the hotel administration that I had a meeting with the Governor of Jalisco or with some other official. I believe the regular room rate is around $130.00. This hotel is not the W or the Four Seasons, but it is new, clean, and pretty nice. It is within walking distance or a short taxi ride of the nightlife, restaurants, and other attractions.
Restaurants:
I usually ate at a restaurant called Cocina 88. I kind of get into the habit of going to the same places. This place is similar to Dolores But You Can Call Me Lolita in Brickell, Miami in that it is a restored mansion converted into a restaurant. The main difference is that it does not have that first-floor lounge that Lolita in Miami has. The food in Cocina 88 is very cheap for that nice of a restaurant and is definately high quality. There are almost always one or two decent looking waitresses there who are easy to numberclose. Women never to to that restaurant alone and it is usually anywhere from completely empty to half-full. I really do not know how the place stays in business with such low prices, high overhead, and low volume. A restaurant called Manyalee opened up last year. I have not yet been there but it probably has a decent singles scene. Any information on Manyalee would be greatly appreciated.
Nightlife:
Lola Lolita has been mentioned several times in this thread and in others. I believe it is a good choice on nights where the other venues are closed or dead, but I do not believe it is too good on nights like Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. They have a latin night I believe on Tuesday. I went there and thought it was pretty good. It is decent every night of the week, but I believe there are better options on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. The best latin club I saw in Guadalajara was Callejon de los Rumberos. It is popular on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. There is a live band on Saturdays and possibly on Fridays and they play about 50% salsa, 30% merengue, and 20% everything else. If you know how to dance and you speak fluent Spanish, you should de well here. Another option on Friday and Saturday nights is Mala Noche. This is more of a cross between a bar and a nightclub, but is more of a nightclub. It draws a similar crowd as Lola Lolita, but bitch shields are lower in my experience. For the dancing crowd, Callejon de los Rumberos is better than Mala Noche on weekend nights. For the drinking crowd, Mala Noche is better.
Daygame:
I tried the mall in Zapopan and various other malls throught the city. My hangovers generally did not put me in a great mood to daygame and I did not exactly see a pleathora of talent in the malls during the day. The downtown area during the day is probably your best bet.
Gyms:
For anyone who is a member of Anytime Fitness, there is one located in the central area of Guadalajara close to the hotel Ejecutivo Express. Your Fob from Anytime Fitness in the United States should definitely work at the gym in Guadalajara. There is at least one more Anytime Fitness in the Guadalajara area, but I believe it is pretty far from the center of Guadalajara. I cannot comment on any other gyms in Guadalajara. There does not seem to be a strong exercise culture there, which is bad for the obesity epidemic.
Women:
The women look worse than in Medellin, Cali, and San Jose, Costa Rica. They look better than they do in many other Latin American cities and countries. They tend to be more friendly than in many other cities and countries as well. Saying that they are easier than women in Buenos Aires adds little value and is similiar to saying that there is a boxer who is easier to beat than Floyd Mayweather. I will say that the women are more difficult than they are in Medellin, Cali, Lima, and San Jose. I know some guys struggle in Medellin and Cali. They are typically guys who are not fluent in Spanish, don't approach women, who are not in shape, or some combination of those three. Those guys should probably stay clear of Guadalajara. Although Guadalajara is by no means a cakewalk, guys who do well in Medellin and Cali should not have too much trouble there.
On a side note, on my way back to the United States, I had a connecting flight in Dallas/Fort Worth. The agent from Homeland Security who was a Cuban guy from Miami basically flipped out on me when I was going through immigration. He started using the term "drug smuggler," said that there was no beach in Guadalajara, and repeatedly asked me what I was doing there. I remained calm as always and eventually gave him a summary of everything I did there and he eventually understood and allowed me to pass. That was the first time that happened to me and will hopefully be the last time. Looking back, the best response I could have given him to his question regarding what I was doing there would have been "Me diverti con las tapatias y eres un pato." (I can hear some of the guys who grew up in Puerto Rico, New Jersey, and New York City laughing from here). I didn't say that. Hindsight is 20/20.
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