La última cena en la Ciudad de México

Today was our final day in Mexico City.  We wanted to make it memorable - but not too taxing.  We decided to hit a couple of markets, and then stroll through the Condessa and Roma neighborhoods.  We figured we'd top it off with a nice meal.

Well - it was worth it!

Pink Line - Mexico City Metro

First we took the Metro (subway) to the Jamaica market.  First let me tell you about the subway.  It is very clean and very cheap ($5 pesos each - less than one $ to travel as much of the system as you'd like).

Now compare that to the $100 peso taxi ride (five blocks) to the Anthropology museum.  Our fault - because we didn't arrange a price in advance.  HEED THE GUIDEBOOKS on taxis.

Out of the Metro and half a block's walk, we were in a stunning market.  If you want to have a unique experience in Mexico City - go to a market.  It is how average Mexicans buy everything.  And if you go to one market, we had Jamaica suggested numerous times.  We went to it and to Merced (the largest in the City) and Jamaica was the nicer!

Unique arrangements costing less than $30 US

Flowers as far as you can see!

Beautiful fruit

Perfect - each one polished

Seems gross too us - but very clean.  Meat all the way to the end of this picture

 The Merced Market has been in the same location for over FOUR HUNDRED years!  Originally, the people traded there by boat.  Now is is HUNDREDS of acres of stores and food vendors.  And there are thousands of people busting about to get their shopping done.  If you don't like crowds or being bumped - don't go to Merced.  Also, it is easy to get disoriented - so don't hesitate to ask for help finding the subway!

One of HUNDREDS of aisles

Not sure what the green stuff is - but Mexicans buy HUGE quantities

The spice stalls are beautiful

As "hand-made" as it gets

After the markets, we took the subway to the Condessa neighborhood.  It is lovely.  We strolled the tree lined streets without a care in the world.  But we did get a bit tired and hungry, so we headed towards Roma (another quaint neighborhood) and had lunch at the renowned El Fugio Fondera.  What an exceptional experience!  We knew it would be expensive - but didn't care.

The pictures will follow, but let me point out a few things.  First, so beautifully decorated and the service impeccable.  The waiter even rushed over when Marci dropped her phone.

The food, as you will see, amazing.

But even after all of that, the guidebooks suggest you ask to see the kitchen.  The staff Captain, Jose Luis Abadiano Rodriguez took us for a personal tour - explaining each area as we went.  Then he gave us a personal business card with his personal cell number and encouraged us to call if we needed anything while in Mexico City.  WOW!

The bill was $85 US, but one of the best meals I've ever eaten.  Also, the margaritas are SO cool.  They are tiny, but pack a HUGE punch.  It is mostly HIGH QUALITY tequila with fresh lime.  Delicious!

Entrance - on Liverpool St.

Dining area

Carne Asada, Chicken taco, and Chicken Enchilada 

Carne asada, Rice with Plaintain, Beans and MARGARITA!

AMAZING dessert - Dulche Pinon (Carmel cream and pinon nuts) with Mexican Coffee

Tour of the kitchen

Making Tortillas

The entire process (starting with dried corn) is done in the kitchen.  She has worked here over 20 years.

Don't EVER complain about your job!  She picks through TINY chica seeds to sort them for a lemon drink

Staff Captain Jose Luis Abadiano Rodriguez - gave us a tour of the kitchen

finally, if you think that you are UNDAUNTED and could hang with us then take the test with this last picture.  There is a popular snack in Mexico called Chapulines.  They are toasted grasshoppers with lime and chili.  Marci popped one in her mouth without hesitation.  Would you?

Chapulines

Until our next big trip, adios.

We remain - undaunted...

A Day in the Life of Mexico City

As promised, tonight we will blog about the food, street, and daily life here in Mexico City.  Two things must be pointed out:

1. We have not seen a single traffic accident, traffic stop, or fatality.  This seems beyond belief!  The drivers are crazy.  Sometimes they stop at lights, sometimes they don't.  Pedestrians are a nuisance at best and a target at worst.  
2. There are two Mexico City's.  One for the rich (which is VERY nice) and everything else.  Which is like the Mexico many of you have seen in Tijuana or Nogales.  

So - lets get started!

Plays his organ for tips - a few pesos at a time (less than 10c)

The picture says it all

Girl sleeping as her parents sell goods outside the Cathedral

On the main avenue in the banking center

Most Mexicans shop at street markets, this is in a wealthy area

One of many NICE restaurants in a wealthy area - pizza costs about $25

EVERYONE eats tacos (at all meals) this is pork being cooked in the Lebanese style

Family operated fruit stand near the Teotihuacan ruins

Mexicans exit the METRO at the Cathedral.  The city erected an ice rink for the holidays - Hector HATES this!

Marci and I in front of world famous Diego Rivera murals

Mexico City has a HUGE smog problem - they encourage people to use bikes

Jarochos - eggs in tortillas with a black bean sauce and chorizo 

The view from our room ($55 per night)

RICH - watching American football (Broncos) at Hooters

Metropolitan Cathedral - built in the early 1500's using stones from an Aztec ruin

A common sight - small shrine on a street

Tomorrow we are going to two famous street markets and then will tour some nice neighborhoods.  It is our last day here - we fly home early Tuesday.

Undaunted.

Mexico City's Museo de Antropologica - Best museum we've ever seen hands down

So we are a day late posting this blog.  That's because we are just plumb tired!  We have been walking 6+ miles per day for the last three days and we both have head colds.  So last night we grabbed some tacos at a street vendor, ate and collapsed in bed.

This morning we slept in.  I went out to get us some tamales (a standard breakfast food here - but like no tamal you ever ate!).  Today's were Mole and with two liters of fresh fruit juice the bill came to $6 US.

Now, I am rested and fed so let me take you to the most amazing museum I've ever seen.  And 2nd place isn't even close.

The museum of anthropology is the number one rated attraction in Mexico City.  And for good reason.  First, it is just beautiful.  Marble floors, stunning lighting, and at a scale you just can't imagine.  Marci and I spent almost four hours there and didn't even get to the second floor.

The museum is divided by major Mexican culture.  So we started with the Teotihuacan Indians and then went on to Maya, Oaxaca, and of course Aztec.

I won't bore you with a step by step of the museum, but there are some things worth pointing out:

1. The Aztecs were just brutal.  Their art is absolutely filled with death.  The museum also chooses to take it head on - you will see a human skull with arrowheads in it.
2. The Meso-Americans were artistic genius'.  They carve rocks and make clay figures like none I've ever seen.
3. The people of Mexico are proud of this heritage and they should be.  They are to be commended for the attention to detail and "no expense spared" attitude of this place.
4. I was REALLY happy when I got to two small Anasazi panels.  They even had Mesa-Verde Black on White!

So - here are some pics.  Enjoy!

In the Teotihuacan wing

Small clay effigy showing twins

Human skull with Aztec spear heads

This photo helps demonstrate the size of the exhibits

Marci stands under the most famous artifacts - the Aztec Calendar

Aztec sculptures

Teotihuacan playing with dog - people are people everywhere

Tonight we will blog about daily life and food.

Hasta Luego~

Teotihuacan - going back another 1300 years!

Teotihuacan (pronounced TEE-OH-TEE-WAH-KAHM) was established about 100 B.C.  It was never actually inhabited by the Aztecs, but most of what we know about it came from them.  At its height, Teotihuacan had a population of about 200,000 people (making it perhaps the largest metropolis in the world at that time).

Temple of the Moon at Teotihuacan

Marci and I met Hector at our hotel at about 7:50 (very early for Mexico!).  He was wearing a sweater, scarf, and Yankees jacket - I was in shorts.  We had our own driver (Jaime) and a large passenger van (which was very clean).  We set off immediately as the ruins are forty miles northwest of Mexico City and it is good to beat the traffic AND the huge crowds from tour buses which arrive about 10:30 am.

The drive was...interesting. The outskirts of Mexico City are much more like the Mexico most Americans are familiar with from the border towns.  Hector told us that they are built primarily by the people who live in them.  The construction, although not very atheistic, is very sound and functional.  They are built from cinder blocks and concrete.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of homes, stretching for miles. 

As we got close to the ruins, the area was much more agricultural.  However, not what we in the US are used to.  Here is a cactus farm (cactus is common on salads in Mexico).

We arrived at the ruins before 9:00 am, which was fantastic.  There were almost no visitors and the vendors (who saturate this site beyond belief) were not yet about for the day.  We had the ruins mostly to ourselves for the first hour.

                                                                                

Vendor playing a flute

Marci climbing and climbing!

Marci resting - Temple of the Moon in background

Very cool!

And the view from the top was incredible.  There are visible ruins all around the pyramids.  Keep in mind, these were built before Christ and the primary ruin (the temple of the sun) is the third tallest pyramid in the world!

A balloon went by as we sat up on the top of the ancient world.

After visiting the Sun and Moon pyramid, we drove to the pyramid of Quetzalcoatl a God appearing as a feathered serpent.  Behind the first pyramid, is a second which has many INCREDIBLE stone carvings.  Here is just one:  

I mean, these are no Anasazi, and Chaco is clearly more impressive (hmmm, perhaps I am a bit biased???).  But, I can tell you exactly why this is a world heritage site.  Anyone who loves history and Archeology HAS to make this a stop before they die.

We headed back towards Mexico City, but stopped at an important Catholic Convent, namely Acolman, on the way.  Construction on this beautiful gem (in a far flung little known town) began about 1539.  Think about that.

 It was operated by Franciscan monks who were eager to convert the indigenous people.  And it is impressive how they went about  changing their standard practices - to more closely mirror those of the native population - so that they might accomplish thier goal.

The church has a pulpit that sits far above the outside seating area (similar to what the Indians would have sat upon for their own ceremonies) and is walled, similar to the holy areas of Meso America.  Considering the spread of Catholicism throughout the Americas, these early evangelists get a bad rap!

After finishing there, we drove back to Mexico City and meandered through the  Roma and Contessa neighborhoods.  We will definitely make it back on our own Monday.

Thanks so much to Hector Baraza for the amazing gift he shared: knowledge - and himself!

At the Quetzalcoatl pyramid

Above the convent door

Inside the convent

Carvings at Teotihucan