Day 47: Navidad Season Begins

After Zochimilco, on our way home, we saw what looked like parade floats on Reforma. Our tour guide told us there was a Coca-Cola Christmas parade! We decided to eat at a Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant along Reforma. Since Luc's never been to Benihana, this was the closest we could get. It was a place where we have our Japanese food prepared by a chef right at our table on a flat grill. By the time we were done with our lunch/dinner the parade would be starting. People were already starting to line up near the barricades set up along Reforma. So we camped out til it got dark and the parade was ready to do. Luc gets very fidgety and it was hard for him to stay in 1 place for so long. But we made it and the parade was a great start to a Mexican holiday season! My fave was the faux confetti/snow that shot out of the floats. You gotta remember that these revelers never see snow. Very Edward Scissorhands-esque! Feliz Navidad!

Day 47: Xochimilco

We head southwest towards Xochimilco. This was a long ride through traffic. On the way our tour guide fell a sleep in the van. While he snored, we had a good laugh at this with our Puerto Rican friends.

We got of the van and walked our way through various merchants and ultimately ended up in front of several brightly colored boats. There were some many you could nearly walk across the entire waterway without getting wet. On our way to our boat Rebecca received a corsage. Once in our boat, we got beers for a vendor and began our journey in the water.

Along with the boats selling beer and cooking food, we saw boats with mariachi bands on them. They would tie up to your boat and, for some pesos, sing songs to your party. One of our fellow travelers bought a couple songs, and convinced the band to let him sing. He hopped over to there boat and sang to his wife. It was unexpected and great.

The colorful boats were everywhere. So I guess it was only a matter of time before a collision happen. Our boat smashed into another really hard. At the time we were facing our guide and didn’t see the impending danger. Rebecca save her beer, I caught the camera, but my beer hit the deck and on the way down, covered Rebecca’s leg. Oops.

With the crash behind us we returned to land. We did so shopping and returned to the van. Xochimilco was a marvelous place. Many Mexicans go there to spend time with the family.

Day 47: Cuicuilco

We decided to head to Xochimilco. This is an area is in Mexico City and still has some of the original lake the once covered the basin. It is in the south of the city which is more rural then the center and north. Xochimilco means place of flowers and that is their major export. When we boarded the van we met another couple. They were visiting from Puerto Rico. The man was an English teacher and we shared a few classroom stories before the start of our tour. They were a very nice couple but weren’t staying long.

On the way down we stopped at the Olympic Stadium, which still stands after Mexico host the Olympics in 1968. Now the National University of Mexico uses the stadium. I liked seeing the site the ‘68 Olympics. I read the story of Bob Beamon in college, who set the Olympic record for long jump in ’68. Forty years later that record still stands, although these games are more famously remembered for the Black Panther salute on the medal stand.

From there we continued south to another pyramid, Cuicuilco. This one not as large as the ones in Teotihuacan, but instead was much older. It is theorized, our guide explained, that the Olmecs built this structure. They are the oldest civilization known to exist in Mesoamerica and the age of the pyramid is debated to be 10,000 years. The pyramid and the people living around it would then suffer a horrible fate; they were buried in lava. Under the harden rock, the pyramid stood preserved for centuries. Like many of the discoveries in Mexico City, Cuicuilco was uncovered by mistake. The owner of the land tried to level the mound of rock with dynamite. There were great views of the modern city from this ancient site. It is agreed that this is the oldest structure in central Mexico.

Day 46: Match Point West

This particular Saturday morning, we had painting to finish up. Our last bedroom needed its second coat. Afterwards, we wanted to go for a stroll and headed out to Chapultepec Park. On our way over, we heard a crowd cheer. It was coming from the Deportivo Chapultepec, a Sports Complex across the street. I asked the armed guard (YES, armed guard) what was going on. She (yes, she) said there was a tennis match b/w Spain and Mexico. There were still tickets so they twisted our arms to head inside. Ticketmaster tix were about $40 and that bought us center court seats. The tennis stadium was quaint and cozy with a clay court, but pretty impressive for a gym-type complex. We're still not sure if it's a public or private kind of place. Instead of chairs, all seats were similar to large cement steps. Seat #'s were painted on the cement and lines were drawn to delineate each person's space. It must sound uncomfortable but it was actually pretty nice. As it turned out, we had 2nd row seats again! We came to find out that the match was officially called the IberoAmerican Competition between Spain and Mexico. Each country had a team which consisted of about 5 players. But only 2 players on each team were competing that day. Guess what? Mexico won! Viva Mexico!

After the match we wandered over to the zoo. Take 2!

Day 45: Thanksgiving

Obviously, Thanksgiving isn't celebrated in Mexico but as it got closer to the 28th, we had a hankering for some turkey and stuffing! I was pretty bummed that I couldn't watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Although, I'm sure my fam is happy that I didn't force them in front of the TV to watch this year. It was hard to find, but learned that the Four Seasons Hotel had a turkey dinner. Luc figured that the hotel was on the end of Reforma that was further downtown but as we started driving in the cab, we realized we were going the wrong way. Oops! Once we got there, we were confused by the crowd in front of the hotel. Were ALL of these people in line for turkey dinner? NOPE. They were all waiting for a glimpse of Madonna, Oasis, and Duran Duran. All of them were in town this weekend. I have to admit it was kind of awesome to roll right past the paps and walk inside. This hotel was breathtaking. Since the restaurant was partly outside, we walked through a giant courtyard to be seated. There were 2 classical guitar players and X-mas lights on the shrubbery. It was definitely a romantic feel. We decided to eat outside next to one of those faux firepits that's really a heater. I never would have imagined eating turkey dinner al fresco during the end of November! Tonight, there was a prix-fixe menu with all of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes. At first we felt guilty being gringos and still embracing the US custom of Thanksgiving, but then realized that we weren't alone when the whole patio filled up w/Mexicans and non-Mexicans. We were blown away by the fantastic service and TLC from the waitstaff. Each course was a virtual work of art. When can we go back?!?!

There was a little blond muscley guy walking around causing a stink w/some friends. Luc and I kept looking at eachother saying--hey, this guy looks really familiar. Luc had a hunch that he was a boxer and I was thinking he was way too tiny. Afterwards, we looked him up and realized that it was Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton. We're on a celeb citing roll!

After dinner we strolled home since we NOW know that the hotel's in walking distance.

We're thankful for so many things!

Day 45: Job Hunt is Over!

Today I got a job and it might be my most career-like job to date. It uses words like salary and medical insurance. I will be teaching Language Arts and Literature to sixth graders and in January my responsibilities will expand to include some high school elective classes. The school is Escuela de Sierra Nevada. Here’s their website www.esn.edu.mx/
The school is actually just to the west of Mexico City in the State of Mexico. I am not sure how to pronounce the city name yet but its Huixquilucan. Set up high on a mountain, the view from the school is great.
This past month has been hard on us as I was searching for a job. The language schools mostly stop hiring until January. I had one job offer from a language school, but they required 3 ½ weeks of training before I would actually work. I went to the training but accidentally scheduled a meeting with another school the same day. I was told that if I missed any part of the training I would not be able to get the job. This was a hard decision but I am sure, now, that I made the right choice.
Five minutes after I walked out of the training, Sierra Nevada called me. That was this past Monday and today I am working for them. I am excited about starting work, and maybe more excited about not going on another interview. That whole process has been tasking. First finding the school was always a challenge. This city is crazy when it comes to locating anything. Then I had all the questions I needed to answer. Every time they asked my age then said "Wow, you look alot younger." Becoming tried of hearing that, I have since started to grow a beard.
The students down here refer to me, as Professor Lucas, and I will not longer respond to another name. No, that’s not true, but the name is growing on me. The school actually is providing transportation for me as well. I get to ride the “school bus” to work. The school bus is actually a white coach van, with seats like a greyhound bus. Its much more comfortable than Mexico’s public buses, and not as crowded.
More than anything, I am thrilled that I am a teacher, not just a sub. I have my own class of which I am in charge. It's after Thanksgiving but I am truly thankful right now.

Day 40: National Museum of Anthropology

It was a beautiful day today but we've been wanting to go to the National Museum of Anthropology since we arrived in Mexico. Sundays are free for Mexican residents so there were swarms of people inside. The guard told me I could get in for free but I felt guilty since I wasn't an "official" citizen. So we waited in line, got our tickets and had a full day of museum-ing. There's so much in this museum, you could go for a straight week and still not be done! After we were done there was a traditional Danza de los Voladores de Papantla (Dance of Papantla's flyers). It's a ritual dance from Veracruz performed by the Totonac Indians. 5 men, each representing the 5 elements of the indigenous world climb up a pole, one of them stays on the pole playing a flute and dancing while the remaining 4 descend the pole w/a rope tied by one of their feet. The rope unwraps itself 13 times for each of the 4 flyers, symbolizing the 52 weeks of the year. This dance is thought to be the vestige of a pre-Hispanic volador ritual common not only in ancient Veracruz but in western Mexico as well.

About the museum:

• It's the largest collection of ancient Mexican pieces in the world
• It houses 23 permanent exhibit halls
• Several rooms have recreations of archaelogical scenes
• Is centered around a courtyard with an enormous fountain.

Day 39: Malkovich, Malkovich

Today we decided to see a play.

John Malkovich was directing a show called El Buen Canario (The Good Canary) at the Insurgentes Theater. It was written by American, Zach Helm and has gained notariety in Paris. Unfortunately, Ticketmaster rules in Mexico as well, but we bought tickets through them anyway. Cha-ching! We scored 2nd row seats just hours before the show. And we headed off in a cab to the theater.

1st celeb citing in Mexico....Malkovitch. Believe it or not we had better seats than he did. He was sitting in the row behind us, but on the opposite side. The first 4 rows of the theater had comfy couch-like seats with a small table for drinks. Boy, do the Mexicans know how to do comfy culture, or what?!?

Afterwards we stumbled into "Ra", a BINGO parlor. It was like a bizarro Vegas scene. One of the workers gave me a $100 credit for a machine. Once I lost it, I was hooked and we stayed for 2 hrs or until we lost a chunk of change. A plus was that they served free drinks...oh...until we decided to leave and the waitress chased after us to pay the bill.

All the gambling made us hungry and we headed to an Argentinian Restaurant called Cambalache. To date, it's our fave meal so far. We ordered the house specialty beef cut for 2. It was cooked to perfection! As we rolled ourselves into the cab, we ended up having a hilarious cab driver. He was a cross b/w Paul and Slowpoke Rodriguez. Quote of the night (cabbie to Luc): "if you eat black beans & mole your hair will turn black like a real Mexican...so eat!"

A great night indeed!

Day 34: Mexico City Airfare Sale

I rec'd an e-mail from Airfare Watchdog today.
New York LGA, NY (LGA) to Mexico City, Mexico (MEX) $316 RT
Last Updated: Mon 17 Nov 2008 6:19 AM ET
Plus: Includes all taxes
Airline(s): Northwest
Hurray for low fares!

Day 33: Hope my Mom doesn't read this article

Disturbing article published in the NY Times today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/world/americas/17mexico.html?hp
Not to worry...our Ferrari is in the shop.

It's also peculiar to note that on the same e-version of the paper, there's a Frugal Traveler Video covering the Mexican region of Chiapas. Are the editors insane? It's a bit Jeckyl & Hyde to say that Mexico is a crime ridden den of violence, then to promote vacationing about a 1/2 page later. What they have left out is how Mexico City is a financial and cultural hub of the Americas. And to say there is no crime in the Zapatista ridden region of Chiapas? A tad hipocritical, I think. Drug cartels vs. rebel forces....kinda like apples and oranges. Who was the genius that sent this one to the e-press?

Day 33: Plaza Mexico Bullfight

We can't believe we had gone 32 days without seeing a bullfight, so we ended the streak and bought 2 tickets to the 7th running of the season at Plaza Mexico. We can't explain the energy we felt around the stadium as we were walking outside the plaza. Vendors lined the streets w/food, bullfighting bibelots, cigars, cigarettes, and snacks. We bought seat cushions for $1 each because everyone else seemed to have one. When we got close to the gate, I noticed a huge sign that you can't bring in cameras. Damn...I went to alot of trouble hiding my camera in my bag. With 45 minutes left to go we entered the stadium and were escorted to our seats. The setup was much like a baseball game--gates that led into the stadium, metal seats, concrete structures, etc. Although, to get to our seats, we had to walk down a long corridor that was cave-like. Hmmm...bathroom breaks would be problematic. (And they were. Bring 2 pesos w/you if you want TP or you'll have to face a not-so-nice-little-girl in the little girls room) So we ended up with 2 seats that were in the second row. No one sat directly in front of us (Bizarro Mexican Jeff Goldblum was off to the side) so we basically had front row seats. We promptly requested 2 Coronas, sat back, and waiting till the bloodbath began. There is definitely a ceremonial aspect to bullfighting. Each torreador comes out and is welcomed by the crowd and judges. Then the first fight begins. We learned that there are 3 parts to an actual match, all which culminate in the killing of the bull. It's not heathen-istic and there is a huge amount of respect for these animals. In a sense, it's an art. There were 6 matches in all which meant the 3 matadors must face 2 bulls each. Watching these matches was surreal. One matador was hit by the bull twice. That's like watching a great hit from a lineman in the NFL times ONE HUNDRED! It never got dull....another matador was so quick with the kill the crowd started throwing flowers, hats, and jackets for him. I just followed suit and threw my jacket in. It's not like Hogs and Heifers...they actually throw it back!!! The crowd loved him and he won that day. He was lifted on people's shoulders at the end of the matches and received 2 ears as a prize.

When all the matches were over, some people started jumping onto the field. So Luc and I followed suit and took some great pics. We went out of the same doors the matadors exited and saw the great Manolo Mejia leaving. People were shoving and pushing to get a picture with him. So I threw a few elbows and ended up in a great photo op with him! A picture-perfect way to end the day!

Day o'Pyramids

We climbed a small pyramid which actually had less stairs then 1060 Beacon St, with our guide. She explained the history once in Spanish then in English, impressive feat really, then let us in on our own to explore the ruins. It was a long walk just to get to the large pyramid. The road of the dead as it is called is not a flat one; it has steps that go up and down the whole way. Vendors also patrolled the way trying to sell use jewelry and nick-nacks.

Finally we made it to the Pyramid of the Sun, the one you are allowed to climb to the top (you can only go half way up the Pyramid of the Moon). We assend the pyramid and after eleven minutes we were at the top looking out at mountain and the entire archological site. It was amazing to be sitting atop a 3000 year old place of worship. Going down was more trying on our legs some of the stairs were quite narrow. We were meeting the rest of the group at the base of the Pyramind of the Moon so we headed that way. We meet up with our group and continued the tour.

As we got back on the bus we realized something, the British woman that sat next to us was not there. We quickly point this fact out to the guide and the bus took off searching for her. Drive on the road along the site everyone on the bus had there eyes pealed to spot her. She had made her way back to the main enterence and that is where we found her. The bus then took us to a local restaurant. After a couple trips to the buffet and share stories with our tour friends. We were kind of excited to talk to people. Being in the house all day doesn’t give us much social time with anyone but each other. This provide alittle social interaction and culture (and a Irish tan for me).

Day 32: Arts n' Crafts

After that we pick up some water and hopped back on the bus. Bex was first to see the colossial pyramids on the horizon. Once off the highway the bus took us on a journey all around the pyramids. At points we began to wonder if they were going to stop and let us off. The bus did stop and our guide explained that we were going to learn how some of the artifacts were made before getting to the pyramids. She said this and Spanish and Bex had to translate which lead to us making a friend. The woman sitting next to us was British and overheard us. She thanked Bex for translating.

Once of the bus we were given to another guide that showed us some recreations of indigenous art and jewelry. The primarily used silver and obsenian. Then the guide brought us to an agave plant. She explained how this plant was so valuable. How the indigenious use the plant to make paper, fabric, and even a sewing needle. They she had use try some of the other plants uses, Tequila! And another drink made from agave nectar. It was sweet and less alcohol, more like beer or mead. We returned to the bus and headed to the main attraction.

Day 32: Basilica of Guadalupe

Saturday again and we are on yet another bus. This bus tour is taking us to Teotihuacan. The name is pronounced (teo ti’ wa kan) and is most often translated to “Birthplace of the Gods”. Although new interpetations lean towards “place of those who have the road of the Gods” i.e. the dead. The name was given to the site by the Aztecs, eventhough they did not build the pyramids or live there. The pyramids were built before their time. The people that did, however, is a matter of debate. There is proof the the people of this site had contact with the Mayans. This leads historians to think that they either had good trade relations with or political controlled by the Mayan. By any means, they are long gone, but their spectacular pyramids remain.

On the way our bus took an unexpected detour to the Basilica of Guadalupe. Here there were several religious buildings and monuments. There was a metal statue of John Paul II that was made entirely of keys that were donated the faithful. The buildings at the Basilica here showed the various styles of architecture that were popular in different periods. My guess is the one that looks more like a masque was builded while Spain was conquer by the Moors. In the modern church they were already prepare for December 12th, Virgin of Guadalupe Day.

Day 26: Grocery Shopping

Some peeps have asked what we eat/and where we go to eat. This post will solve the mystery!

Today we had a late breakfast and headed to the grocery store called Superama. We can walk there but when we're done shopping we hop in a cab and take a short ride home. Superama is pretty well stocked and has a good variety of food brands. I thought I wouldn't be able to find alot of items here. But this isn't the case! The only things I could't find was chocolate and brown sugar. Well I eventually found a Splenda version of brown sugar but bars of raw chocolate were nowhere to be found. Go figure! Strange that I had no problem finding "I can't believe it's not butter"! The produce, fruit juices and meat products are ridiculously cheap. Pantry items like cereal, and bread are the same price in the US. This trip, we found a grocery cart filled w/fresh corn tortillas made in-store. I would say there were 50 in a pack and it only came to about $1.50. Anyhu, we stocked up on our necessary items and hit the road. For dinner we had steak tips, salad, and fresh tortillas. A mix of Mexico and America! Our kitchen is pretty small but I love cooking on a gas stove. Yummy!

Day 25: Zoologica & Reforma 222

TGI...V! Since the painter had to leave at 2pm it gave us the afternoon to explore the citay. We decided to go where the wild things are (and this doesn't mean a visit to my sketchy studio sublet in NYC), the Chapultepec Zoo. Chapultepec Park is Mexico City's equivalent to Central Park in NY; complete with 1,600 acres of green land. We're lucky to live basically across the street from the park. So we took a 10 minute stroll and were at the zoo's gates. Free admission is a plus too. When they checked our bags they asked me to throw my newspaper away. Bizarre--we have no idea why. It was pretty empty but I guess it was a Friday afternoon after all. Nothing too exciting happened there except that a monkey jumped on Luc's head. Hilarious!

Afterwards we headed to Reforma 222, a new outdoor/indoor mall--very modern California-esque. I was in mid picture when someone politely asked me to stop. I showed her---the pic came out anyway. We felt like seeing a movie and got tix for a Mexican flick called "Familia Tortuga", or Family Turtle. Luc was a trooper since it was in Spanish and had no subtitles. It had a great eccentric storyline but the best part was checking out all the Mexico City scenery. We were digging the reclining rocking seats and adjustable armrests in the theater. Did we mention that movie tickets were $5 US in Mexico?

Seems like a pretty low-key day, right? OK, except til we pulled up to the house. We turned the key for the bottom lock on the gate and it snapped! Crikey! Luc went to the Camino Real Hotel across the street and asked for the number of a local locksmith. 20 mins later he came and opened the door. Phew. We got in OK and we'll have to figure out what to do tomorrow. We're tired!

PS : the monkey thing never happened. i had to make the trip to the zoo exciting.

Day 18/19: November 1/2 Acapulco Mini-break

Saturday: All the work on the house made us craving some rest and strong beverages. We booked a trip to Acapulco through a travel agency around the corner. Does the US still have travel agencies? I swear they were extinct in the 80s. Well, good thing they're still around in Mexico, b/c without the internet we were vacationally challenged. We booked everything on Friday and were all set.

Our bus was leaving at 10:30 am and we barely made it. We got on with 10 minutes to spare. "Pluss" service means that there are about 48 seats on the bus, we have foot rests, there are male/female bathrooms, 2 movies, and we get a bottle of water for free. It was no Limoliner but still really nice and comfy. And tickets are only $40 US!

Five hours later we were in Acapulco. It was about 85 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Our cab to "La Palapa" Hotel was free w/our mini-vacay package. Our room was on the 17th floor and we had a view of the water. The beach looked amazing and we hit the pool bar ASAP. 2 margs later we were happy as clams. Having an in-pool bar was clutch as we ate nachos and wings while we watched the picturesque sunset.

Sunday: After realizing that our hotel was more like 3 1/3 stars instead of 4 we decided a field trip down the beach was in order. So we had breakfast at the Fiesta Americana and crashed their pool. We made our way down to the beach where we knew we'd get beach-side service. 5 minutes later we had lounge chairs and a bucket of Sol beers. Too perfect! The only down side of Acapulco beaches is the barrage of vendors that try to sell (harass) you things. Even if you say no they still swarm around you. This is where Luc has perfected saying "no thank you". All in all it was a success. Bought a straw bag for 8 bucks and a mexican blanket for 20. Haggling gets you everywhere...let me tell you that for free!