Arandas Mexico tequila churros Carnitas Jaime mariachi

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It all started near Guadalajara, where so many good things have happened for us. That’s where we met Pascual and Jakeline who generously invited us to hang out with them in their town, Arandas. A few days later we were there eating, drinking, seeing and enjoying the best that this unsung destination has to offer in the hands of two great guides.

Arandas has a huge gothis cathedral, and it towers abov e town. believe it or not, looking at it from a vantage point outside town it remided me of Chartres, the way it towers over the town.

The plaza in Arandas is dominated by a huge Gothic cathedral which looms large over the entire town remarkably like the much more famous cathedral in Chartres, Paris.

Not only were we treated like family (our eternal thanks to Jakeline’s family for being so generoso), but we had our first brush with politics during a hastily arranged meeting with the Presidente, or Mayor, of Arandas who was really nice and accommodating but short on time (he had to hurry off to attend the laying of the cornerstone for a new hospital), just like politicians everywhere.

We even had a meeting with the Presidente (Mayor) of Arandas - Karen, Presidente, our friend Jakeline & Eric

We ended up in a brief meeting with the Presidente (Mayor) of Arandas. Here's Karen, El Presidente, our friend Jakeline and Eric in the Presidente's office.

Arandas has something of a reputation for exquisite tacos, a food we’ve come to not only love but appreciate having eaten hundreds of the things by now. Jakeline and Pascual took us to Tacos Sanctuario where their buddies worked the grill and the brassier to produce really wonderful tacos. The el pastor tacos we had there were the most unique and most flavorful of any we’ve eaten in Mexico. So far.

We (heart) good tacos & the ones at Tacos Sanctuario are great.

We (heart) good tacos and the ones at Tacos Sanctuario are great.

As if there could be any doubt that a visit to any destination is always richer when you’re with a local, Pascual and Jakeline capped off our first perfect afternoon in Arandas with an evening visit to Hacienda Santa Maria which we wouldn’t have even known existed, let alone gained entry to, on our own. Their barn full of pure-breed stallions in training rivals many of the hotels we’ve stayed in. The stalls were so clean and airy we wanted to curl up in them ourselves! And there’s really nothing better than sipping tequila on the tailgate watching newborn foals learn what their legs are for as the sun sets.

A nine day old foal and its mother at Hacienda Santa Maria (aka horse heaven) just outside Arandas.

An evening stroll to the plaza is an excuse to do some snacking and Jakeline took us to her favorite churro vendor, Mario’s Churros where fatter and puffier than usual churros are churned out from the cleanest churro cart we’ve ever seen. Filled with cajeta (a thick concoction that’s halfway to caramel) and rolled in sugar, the things are deadly delicious.

Churros are found everywher, but Mario made the best we have had to date. Actually, we didn't have the heart to tell him that he was making fried bread and not churros.

Churros (basically deep fried bread) are found everywhere in Mexico but Mario made the best we've had to date.

Yes, we’re still eating.

Pig in almost any of its many guises is delicios, but nothing beats good carnitas, (except for bacon and braised Berkshee pork belly). the Carnitas at Carnitas Jaime's on the road into Arands made some of the best we've had.

Pig, in almost any of its many guises, is delicious but nothing beats good carnitas (except for bacon and braised Berkshire pork belly). Carnitas Jaime's served up some of the best we've had.

A shot of local tequila (more about that in our next post) and a rousing version of “Arandas”, courtesy of one of the Mariachi bands that troll Carnitas Jaime’s looking for customers, helped us digest a half kilo of pork.