When it comes to entertainment, I don't appreciate works full of good sentiments, stories that end well and feel-good movies. I like to be overwhelmed by powerful emotions turning into drama and tragedy. I like noir novels and cruel movies where characters die unexpectedly in the middle of the story. I think I have found the equivalent for the fine arts with José Clemente Orozco. His works are magnificent, impressive and moving.

It is not easy to appreciate the Hospicio Cabañas for its historical interest as a hospital. Very few remains bear witness to this rich past. There is no doubt that the structure is very large and that the idea of arranging all the spaces on the same floor offers undeniable advantages. However, it is el Instituto Cultural de Cabañas that now occupies the place that steals the show. I must say that many aspects of the visit seem to have changed since Solivagant's visit. I had an excellent guided tour in English, given by an old man walking with a cane. I was the only visitor at the time. I sometimes regret not being able to record what he was saying. Today I look at my photos without remembering exactly the fabulous details that each of the works contains.

Orozco was a master of perspective and a socially and historically relevant painter. One need only think of the missionaries' cross that becomes a blade pointing at the natives, the eyes of the two-headed horse following you wherever you are in the room, Hernán Cortés depicted as a killing machine, or the European wheel crushing pre-Columbian technology. The Hombre the Fuego in the cupola of the Capilla Mayor is a remarkable masterpiece. This fresco painted on a curved surface, but showing straight, erect lines to the observer, wherever he is positioned, illustrates Orozco's genius for perspective.

Guadalajara is a pleasant city with many other attractions, including old plazas, churches (the Cathedral, Zapopan), and markets. If the murals of Orozco thrill you as much as they thrill me, you should visit el Palacio de Gobierno and el Museo de las Artes (free, two frescos here [El hombre creador y rebelde and El pueblo y sus falsos líderes]. The fresco of Hidalgo in the stairs of el Palacio de Gobierno is particularly breathtaking. Tequila, another WHS, is a half-day excursion from Guadalajara. Logistically, I took advantage of the free access to the cultural center offered on Tuesday. I also didn't pay to take pictures (my guide actually encouraged me to do so abundantly) and the guided tour was free. In my 2019 itinerary, Guadalajara was a stopover between Uruapan and Guanajuato.