Guadalajara: the city center

Guadalajara is NOT south or central america. At least, not the part I'm in. We are a couple of blocks from Costco, one of the biggest Wal-marts I've ever been in, a huge shopping mall, 3 stories tall reminding me of Sun Valley Mall in Concord, a humongous supermarket called Mega, and then all the ancillary small store trappings: Coach, Boss, and such famous Mexican food places as Outback Steakhouse, Applebees, Hooters, Starbucks, etc.
The difference between here and Costa Rica is profound. San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, had ONE mall. S. tells me Guadalajara has about 5 of this mega-size. The people of Costa Rica went to the mall alright, but they never bought anything there because they couldn't afford it (other than American fast food in the food court). The Mexicans here, part of the burgeoning middle class and upper middle class, were buying. The prices are all about 75% of California prices. There is also not the same heightened police presence (government and private) like there is in central and south america. I also suspect there is a proportionately lesser amount of crime. The ATM machinces are just out in the open and there are lots of them. In central and south america, frequently the ATM machines wouldn't work, or there would be a limit on the amount of cash they would dispense, and frequently you walked past a guard with a submachine gun to get into the little booth. Not so here.
The center of Guadalajara is a collection of plazas intermixed with churches and government buildings. As sheer luck would have it, S. and I walked into the main square in front of the cathedral just as the church clock struck 12 o'clock noon. There were a bunch of kids in the campanile and at 12 o'clock, they started ringing all the bells, I guess because it was New Year's Day. Wow! It was awfully loud but also beautiful. We stood there mesmerized by the powerful sound and the sight of kids pulling hard on ropes connected to the bell hammers. This went on for a full 10 minutes and was delightful.
The architecture of the buildings is heavy; simply that, heavy. To say it's Romanesque, or baroque, or whatever doesn't really describe it. They have all the grace and charm of a pile of blocks, the polar opposite, say, of Notre Dame. However, in their own way, they have their own character. We walked briefly into the cathedral. Mass was going on. Despite the huge dimensions of the church, the place was packed, with many people standing. The music was slow and heavy, just like the church. The people looked either serious or sad, burdened by the weight of their sins as well as the teachings of the catholic church and the heavy architecture. Happy New Year??
We saw some equally heavy murals by Jose Orozco. He was a contemporary of Diego Rivera, of Rockefeller Center fame (or infamy). Orozco's works, although different, carry the same heavy handed message.
The uplifting moment for me was outside about a block away. On the church steps, as perhaps on church steps throughout the world, were the usual beggars. However, about a block away, sitting with his back up against a building, was a young kid (12?) playing the accordion and singing loudly, completely unselfconsciously, with obvious heartfelt emotion. He was singing just for the joy of it and seemed oblivious to the audience members who tossed a coin in his upturned hat. Now maybe THAT is the real Italian influence on Mexico??