MEXICO CITY (AP) — The people of Guadalajara like to brag about it being the most Mexican city in the country. And perhaps they’re right. After all, the state of Jalisco, where the western city is located, is the birthplace of the mariachi band and tequila.
Besides the music and the famous drink, Guadalajara is a city of stunning colonial beauty and deep-rooted passion for soccer, having already hosted two World Cups in 1970 and 1986. However, security concerns arose following a federal military operation in late February that resulted in the death of CJNG drug cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.
Local and federal authorities, as well as FIFA officials, have expressed confidence in the city’s security for the World Cup.
Last March, the city hosted two matches of the intercontinental playoff, and more than 80,000 fans attended without incident.
The Guadalajara Cathedral remains the city’s most recognizable silhouette with its unique neo-Gothic yellow spires. Inside, you’ll find the reliquary of Santa Innocence and a collection of historic art.
The Hospicio Cabañas, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a former orphanage that is an architectural marvel designed by Manuel Tolsá. It houses 57 breathtaking murals by José Clemente Orozco.
Guadalajara’s culinary identity is defined by bold, spicy flavors that are a source of immense local pride, but be warned: the spice levels here are not for the faint of heart, starting with the iconic "Torta Ahogada," a crusty birote roll stuffed with fried pork and submerged in a spicy tomato sauce.
While birria has become a global trend, in Guadalajara it is traditionally made with goat (chivo), not beef. The meat is slow-roasted in a deep pit until it falls apart, then served in a rich, spiced consommé.
Another local favorite is “meat in its juice,” a dish consisting of finely chopped steak cooked in its own flavored broth, mixed with crispy bacon, beans, and grilled onions. It is traditionally served in a clay bowl with a side of radishes and cilantro and is widely considered the ultimate local soul food.
There is no public transportation available to get to the stadium and hailing a cab to go directly to the stadium gates on match days is not going to be allowed. Local authorities have implemented the “Ride al Estadio” program, offering shuttles from 10 designated points across the city for ticket holders. These buses drop fans in the Bajío area, leaving a final 800-meter walk to the entrance. Play it safe and avoid street-hailed taxis, stick to authorized “sitio” stands or reputable ride-sharing apps.
While arriving at the stadium can be relatively smooth if you head out early, leaving is notoriously difficult. The venue is bordered by major highways that frequently become gridlocked once 48,000 fans spill out at once. Avoid the temptation to call an Uber immediately; instead, consider waiting at the stadium’s concourse for an hour or walking toward the nearby Periférico to catch a ride.
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
FILE - Akron Stadium, a 2026 FIFA World Cup venue, sits in Guadalajara, Mexico, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — One of the most accomplished mountain guides on Mount Everest is not ready to hang up his boots.
Briton Kenton Cool this week scaled the peak for the 20th time, breaking his own record for the most ascents of the world’s highest mountain by a non-Sherpa guide.
“Maybe another two or three more times,” Cool told reporters after flying out of the mountain to Kathmandu on Sunday.
The 52-year-old from southwest England had said last year that he would be only climbing Everest maybe one more time before switching to other smaller peaks.
He was among the hundreds of climbers and their Sherpa guides to have scaled the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) summit in the last few days despite the delay caused by a serac hanging dangerously over the route. It forced climbers to make their attempt during a short widow of good weather, with a big number crowding at the summit.
A total of 274 climbers scaled the peak on Wednesday, a single-day record from the popular route on the southern face of the peak, which is located in Nepal.
“We had no issues. We had no crowds, we had a great summit,” he said, adding he reached the summit on Friday.
The peak can be scaled from either the southern side in Nepal or northern face in China’s Tibet, but Chinese authorities have closed the route this year. Nepalese authorities had issued permits to 494 climbers who were accompanied by equal number of their Sherpa guides.
Record-setting veteran guide Kami Rita Sherpa suggested limiting the number of climbers, saying it was too crowded this year.
Cool, however, said it was not necessary to control the number of climbers, but rather focus on the experience and knowledge of those with permits to go up the mountain.
“It is the various companies being little more diligent on who they take, so they are making sure there is the experience of the climbers and then just being little more careful with when they want to climb,” he said.
Nepal's mountaineering authorities are trying to introduce new regulations requiring climbers to show they have experience, but at present they are are only required to come up with the $15,000 permit fees.
British mountain guide Kenton Cool, who scaled Mount Everest Sunday for the 20th time breaking his own record for the most ascents of the world's highest mountain by a non-Sherpa guide, arrives at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
British mountain guide Kenton Cool, who scaled Mount Everest Sunday for the 20th time breaking his own record for the most ascents of the world's highest mountain by a non-Sherpa guide, arrives at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
British mountain guide Kenton Cool, who scaled Mount Everest Sunday for the 20th time breaking his own record for the most ascents of the world's highest mountain by a non-Sherpa guide, arrives at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
British mountain guide Kenton Cool, who scaled Mount Everest Sunday for the 20th time breaking his own record for the most ascents of the world's highest mountain by a non-Sherpa guide, arrives at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
British mountain guide Kenton Cool, who scaled Mount Everest Sunday for the 20th time breaking his own record for the most ascents of the world's highest mountain by a non-Sherpa guide, arrives at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
