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Riding the
Tequila Express Train
By David de Los Angeles, Mexico Travel Writer
Guadalajara, famous for its museums
of the revolution, majestic cathedrals, and incredible murals by Orozco, is
also home of the famous Tequila Express, train ride to Amatitan. Here you
can experience Mexican heaven and hell in one day.
The train leaves Guadalajara on
Saturdays and Sundays during high season. It chugs along some of the most
exquisite countryside imaginable while you chug away at the unlimited tequila
drinks offered onboard. The drinks enhance the vistas of rolling
hills covered with thousands of blue agave plants in the Amatitan Valley in the
state of Jalisco, Mexico.
The plush coaches each have a different musical theme on the
90-minute ride out to tequila country. Some coaches have mariachis, one a D.J.,
another a salsa band, etc. All cars have a bartender and pretty señoritas
who keep your glasses full. Our destination was the Herradura
Tequila distillery in the town of Amititan.
In the village of Amititan,
the train stopped in a grove of trees where we boarded a fleet of motor coaches
for the Herradura distillery tour and a fiesta. The Herradura grounds are
immense with acres of green grass, shade trees and red brick colonial buildings
scattered about.
We viewed the ancient ovens
where the agave root balls are cooked. The original ancient distillery has been
preserved; with cellars full of dark shadows, brick alcoves, copper tubing
running here and there, and old human powered agave presses.
An incredible non-stop food
and Tequila orgy followed the tour. Mexican Folklorico dancers performed while
we continued to drink and indulge in every kind of Mexican food delight
imaginable. When I die, this place is going to be one of my stops along my way
to eternity.
On the return flowed like the
Rio Grande, people salsa’d, and conga'd in the aisles. My wife was
dancing with every man in the train car while I attempted to sleep off the
buffet and my 4th (or may 14th) tequila drink of the day.
I have to say Mexican men can
be gentlemen, as they always asked me for permission to dance with my
wife. The last time I saw her she was dancing through the train car doors
and into the next car with the Mariachi band. I don’t remember giving
all nine of them permission to dance with her..
The train gently rolled to a stop in Guadalajara - the doors opened to waiting Red Cross nurses, police, and ambulance attendants. They thought of everything. Hey, anyone seen my wife?
Author David Mandich lives in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico and can be contacted at: angelswrote@gmail.com url: www.angelswrote.wordpress.com
The hills are covered in blue agave plants -
Details - Tequila Express train ride to Amatitan, complete with Mariachis, snacks, drinks and lotsa tequila, then a tour of Hacienda San José del Refugio (or whichever the season's sponsor happens to be), followed by a buffet lunch overflowing with tequila and more tequila on the return ride followed by rides to your hotel, hospital, or jail depending on your condition.
Tours operate Saturday and Sunday throughout the year, and Friday night tours are expected to begin in the near future. The Tequila Express is operated by the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism of Guadalajara. The tour starts at 10:30 am and the train leaves at 11:00 am from the train station at Avenida Washington esq. Calzada Independencia, CP 44100, Guadalajara, Mexico.
The tour prices are $850 M.N. for adults and $480 M.N. for children up to 12 years, children younger than 5 go free!. You can buy your tickets at the Chamber of Commerce of Guadalajara, located at 4095 Vallarta Ave. in the corner with Niño Obrero Ave., from 9:00 to 14:30 hrs. and 15:30 to 16:30 hrs. Monday to Friday, or from Ticketmaster's Mexico outlet (www.ticketmaster.com.mx). Phone: 333-818-3802.
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