Mexico Land of Contrast – Jala Small & Colonial Town
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Mexico is a land of contrasts. Sandy beaches line lush tropical forests; quiet seaside villages reside beside hedonistic tourist towns and brand new Cadillacs Esplanades share the road with carts pulled by horses and donkeys. This year in our quest to see the real Mexico we decided to go off the beaten path and visit a small town called Jala. It is a vastly different place from the frenetically paced Puerto Vallarta.
 Jala is small and colonial in nature. Its location, high in the Sierra Madres makes it less accessible than the cities that dot the Pacific coast. It isn’t entirely remote but getting there takes some planning. The town that is home just over 5000 people is nestled under the shadow of Ceboruco, a dormant volcano. It is the home of a beautiful basilica, the Basilica Cateranense de Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion was built in the mid 17th century at the height of Spanish colonial influence. It is also the home of a stunning 5 star spa hotel, the Casona Xali.
The Casona Xali was built in 2005 as a project of Governor Antonio Eshevarria Dominguez to accommodate visitors to Ceboruco and to the Basilica. Small in size with just seventeen suites, it is the ultimate in Spanish luxury. We decided on the Junior Suite. It featured a beautifully appointed living room, bath & shower and a large bedroom. The entire suite was white marble and was accentuated with white quartz rock. For a one night stay, breakfast and a spa bath of our choice the cost was just under 150.00 Canadian dollars.
 Getting there can be a bit of trick. Pacifico is one of the main bus lines in Mexico but Jala is not on its regular route. It is a case of you have to go here in order to get there. When we made our reservation we received travel instructions. We were to pick up the Pacifico bus bound for Guadalajara and stop in a place called Ahuacatlán. This would take approximately 2 hours and from there a taxi could take us the 20 minute drive into Jala. What was not mentioned was that the bus to Guadalajara could be cancelled at any time.
On the day of our departure we bought our tickets and waited for our bus to arrive. Minutes before our scheduled departure time we were told that ‘there will be no buses today... come back tomorrow’. We told the bus agent that we needed to get to Jala; he shrugged in that very Mexican manner that signified mañana, tomorrow. In limited Spanish I told him that we had ‘reservations’ and could not go mañana. Thankfully, in English he gave us our new travel directions. We could get directly to Jala via Tepic but suddenly a 2 hour bus-ride had become a 5 hour trip.
In Tepic City we connected with the Norte Sonora bus line and purchased tickets. It was too late when we noticed that the Omnibus Mexico line went to Jala every 20 minutes via the toll highway. We had truly taken the long way around.
 We drove through rustic towns climbing steadily through the mountains. It was a beautiful drive. The tropical flora of the coastal region gave way to plants more suited to the extremely dry soil and pine trees replaced palm trees. At one point we drove through the lava fields from Ceboruco’s eruption in 1870.
We finally arrived in Jala but because of our late arrival, we could not receive our spa service that day. We booked for the next morning and set off to explore the town. Because of the hot temperature and high elevation Jala continues in the age-old tradition of a mid afternoon siesta so all the shops were closed. We returned to our hotel and after enjoying a cool drink found that siesta is a very civilized way to spend an afternoon.
That evening we visited the only restaurant in town, the El Monesterio. We dined on a virtual feast of large coastal shrimps and hot spicy salsa and chips. The tab including drinks and tequila nightcaps was under $20.00.
The next morning we enjoyed our breakfast and because of the cooler temperatures decided to walk around the town. During our walk we found the reason that orange juice and other citrus fruits are so inexpensive. Every street was lined with orange trees with ripening fruit on every tree. Numerous trucks passed by laden with limes and oranges en route to the coast. Before it got too warm we found a bus that was bound for Ahuacatlán. From there it was on to Tepic where we boarded a Pacifico bus that returned us to the coast. It had been a busy two days.
 Mañana is a Spanish word to describe many things. It can mean ‘morning’ or ‘tomorrow’ or even a philosophy that means ‘sometime later”. When going off the beaten path in Mexico you may need this mañana attitude but it can pay huge dividends. It allows you to find some real gems that don’t make it into the mainstream travel guides. If you decide to go to Jala however, pack your Lonely Planet Phrase book because not much English is spoken here.
Mexico is a land of contrasts. If you are planning a visit to this fascinating country, consider an excursion off the beaten path. You will see firsthand what this diverse place has to offer and you won’t be disappointed. Email to a friend
Lilianne Fuller
E-mail: lilianne101@shaw.ca
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