Day 183
7 hrs, 11 .0 kms

I decide to take a break from my Superhike and catch the commuter train to a city with a special name: Guadalajara. And why is it special? well, I spent four years of my childhood in the Mexican Guadalajara, and I have a lot of memories of that city... I'd like to see how the Spanish Guadalajara compares.

So I'm off across the dreary landscape by train this time. Guadalajara is the capital of its own province in Castilla la Mancha region, but it's really more like a suburb of Madrid, with a population of 84,000 some of the industry being moved this direction in an attempt to decentralize the capital. Guadalajara, Mexico is the second largest city in the country witha metropolitan population of over 4 million.

So let the comparisons begin... I walk past the humble Guad-Spain stadium and recall my experience going to the 75,000 seat Estadio Jalisco in Guad-Mex. I'll never forget the moment I set foot into that awesome arena, from high at the top, gazing out into this massive sea of people--nor the euphoria you feel as they start the wave--a Mexican invention ...

Guad-Mex definitely wins this one.

I continue up a quiet, leafy boulevard, towards the center of the city, past a not so impressive plaza... here I remember the vast pedestrian mall area in downtown Guad-Mex, with amazing monuments all around... Yep, it looks like Guadalajara the Copy definitely beats Guadalajara the Original. I wonder if the founder of Guad-Mex ever imagined that his new city would grow to be 50 times the size of his original hometown in Spain. Obviously the plan was to recreate a bit of Spain in the New World--with a touch of irony: The name Guadalajara is actually Arabic, meaning "river of rocks", as the city was originally founded by the Moors. So he was actually introducing an Arabic name to the New World.

On through a large park, I continue through an apartment building neighborhood, where I take a video clip in front of an enormous shrine in a cemetery. .. Then, very quickly I reach the edge of the city...

A bit unsatisfied with my tour, I head back to the center of town, where I'm pleasantly surprised to find, not one, but 2 castles, one is the Moorish Alcazar which unfortunately is now closed for visiting, which looks much like the Moorish castles of Andalusia. Then there's the beautiful Palacio del Infantado, with an unusual facade with cut stones jutting out. Inside is a charming courtyard as well. I guess when it comes to historical structures, Guad-Spain kind of has an edge of Guad-Mex.

One thing I also appreciate is that along the "hall of fame" a row of busts of the notable historical figures who have played a role in this city and country's history, a number of Moors are included--with a description of their achievements... Glad to see that that segment of Guadalajara's history is being acknowledged.

What about quality of life? Which would be the better city to live in? I guess it depends on what you want. If you want a cozy, quiet, safe sort of city where you can easily walk everywhere, Guad-Spain is for you. If you want exitement and a fast paced lifestyle, Guad-Mex is for you, with is big new project, huge shopping malls and clubs...

So which is the better city? I'm not going to decide quite yet. I need to go back to Guad-Mex and re-experience it as an adult... then I'll post the pictures side by side... and we can all decide together.