Mexico--Por Fin

Back in August of 2006, Kelli and I went to Mexico City, Oaxaca and Puebla. I started writing about the trip and organizing photos in July. I finished tonight. By this rate, I may finish all the trips I've taken the past three or four years in 2010. Yeah. Anyway, here they are if you're interested.

Wordless Wednesday

Did I mention we ate our way through Mexico? I'm not even sure what I'm eating in this shot. I'm sure it was good. I think we're in puebla.

I've got enchiladas suiza and jamaica to drink. Kell's got a tamale on her quest for the best tamale in the world. Puebla.

I guess I didn't really like this shaved ice. I think it was tuna (cactus flower). Actually pretty good.

Kelli trying out some chocolate in Oaxaca.

 

I'm pretty sure this is really a shot of kellis red tamale. However, inexplicably I'm in the shot.
Did I mention before we ate our way through mexico? That green salsa is the avocado salsa. Its the salsa of the gods.

I'm actually contemplating whether or not to buy a bag with a skeleton on it. I didn't end up buying it.


I think this maybe the most famous shot of our mexico trip. Kelli eating the jamaica slice dipped in chile paste and green apple sugar. 

Mexico....

As we were walking from the bus to Teotihuacan, we noticed a group of people watching this dance/music/cirque de soleil/traditional Mexican performance. We walked over to check it out. The guy on top is playing the flute, the four guys swing on a rope held by their ankles doing various things to the music and the rope lets out to the ground. Pretty amazing.


First off, I didn't put Kell in front of the photo so you can see how high it is, but I think you can still see how high the pole/former palm tree is.
The musician does his own little acrobats before the guys start swinging.

There they go!
Close up shot: 

Best of Mexico Part Three

Here's the last of the series.

Weirdest street Food that we ate: That's not a popsicle. That's a huge slice of jicama on a stick, smothered with chili paste and then dipped in green apple sugar. Kelli actually bought it, I took a few bites and that was it. Love jicama, love chili paste, love green apple sugar...but together was too much. Oh, and the weirdest street food that we didn't eat (but I was offered a sample) was grasshoppers.

Nicest Shopkeeper: This lady in Oaxaca at the Women of Oaxaca Crafts building talked to Kelli and I for a while. She helped convince Kell (she didn't need much convincing) to buy one of here skeleton figures (its awesome) and then talked to both of us in spanish for a while. We had a great time with her. 

Best Of Mexico Part II

Best Bill Clinton likeness: No, this isn't circa '96 and was made by a disgusted Republican who decided to give Bill Clinton breasts and upper lip jewelry. Its circa 700 AD and is meso-american indigenous. Weird eh? Maybe they knew something we didn't.

Most intricate ruins: This is Mount Alba, facing the "kamas" side (this "hill" that Mount Alba is on is between too mountain valleys...one looked a lot like Kamas Valley, the other side looked like Ashley Valley. It was weird. I didn't realize Mexico too looked a lot like home.

Most accurate lesbian wiccan ceremony depiction: Kelli and I hopped onto a tour with a 13-15 year old hispanic soccer team from California in spanish. Before this picture was taken, we went into one of the smaller temples-priests quarters and were very surprised to be shuttled through by a group of 10-15 women and one man. We then went back to watch their ceremony and were even more puzzled than before. There was a lot of mummuring of the word "ummm" and then the two women in charge would take one women, hold her up to the place where there was light coming out and she would look up into the light for several minutes and then they would move her to another place, huddle around her...and then she would hug another lady (or make out with her). We got bored watching it, but then a couple of hours later, we found them right in front of the moon pyramid holding hands and chanting. Gringos are weird.

Best Pyramid Mention in Frida. This is the Sun Pyramid. No crazy ceremonies on top. Just your garden variety tourists. The cool thing about the tourists at Teotihuacan that day is that most of them were spanish.

Mexico Top Ten (Part 1)

I've had a few days of rest in my own bed, I don't have quite the urge to speak spanish to people on the street, and I've actually unpacked (but not put away everything). Time to start with the recap. I'll start with the best of Mexico 2006 posts.


Best Mural: Although we didn't get a chance to see the rediculously large amount of murals at the Department of Education building in museum, we did see several murals throughout downtown Mexico City. Although its not a great picture, (and I don't think I have one of my actual favorite-the history of mexico by Diego Rivera) this one will have to do. This is Diego Rivera's "Man controller of the Universe" mural which Rockefeller ordered destroyed since it displays capitalism as evil and communism (complete with Lenin) as good. Heady stuff.



Best Security Guard: I arrived to the airport almost 2 hours early. I made sure there was nothing inside my carry-ons that were liquid, I was nice to the guy in line who was wellmeaning but actually asked me in english if I understood a sign (that was in english and spanish--I'm still confused). However when our gate still wasn't listed 45 minutes before the flight, I started to worry. About 40 minutes before the flight, we were informed our gate was on the other side of the airport (10 minute walk). About 15 minutes before our flight, there were actually people at the gate, and we were informed that everyone would be patted down and then each bag would be combed through. While the guard went through our bags, we were required to turn on all electronics, so this picture was taken. The security guard was nice through it all however, so he defnitely gets the award of best security guard. Oh, our flight was 1 hour 20 minutes late.

Best Volcano. In Cholula (near Puebla) we had the opportunity to check out the church on top of the hill (actually a pyramid which may or may not be the largest pyramid in the americas by volume). We then toured several of the 365 churches in Puebla (Cortez's men killed 6000 Cholulan indigenous in one day after a supposed uprising in the town. After the slaughter, Cortez vowed he'd build 365 churches. they weren't finished until last century but 500 years later, the town has 365 churches.) and I was able to snap this picture of Popocatépetl (17,802). If you look closely you can see a part of the mountain close to the summit.

Best Nacho Libre scenery: Remember this church from your favorite summer flick, Erin? Yes, we found the Nacho Libre church. Kell and I were checking out the church in town when Kelli decided to look over the valley. She then yelled at me and we saw this church. we took a mototaxi over there and the boys who took us up confirmed that it was indeed where the movie was filmed.

Secret Confessions of a Black Nature

I didn't buy any wrestling masks...but Kell and I did see Nacho Libre dubbed in Spanish (the first time was in english, not the same) at a theater (45 pesos) our last full day in Mexico City...and it was better the second time..in Spanish. Cool thing though, Héctor Jiménez and Ana de la Reguera did their own voices....Oh and Forbidden Nectar (the last song at the end of the credits)....still in English and still hillarious....Nachoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

(PS..Sherpa's love Nacho Libre dubbed in Spanish for the holiday season)

The food of the Gods...okay, la comida de los Dioses

Here's my first blog from Mexico. We ate a lot of tacos, and enchiladas and a fair amount of tamales..but this lil' guy is a taco del pastor. i think this is the one we paid gringo tax on. 10 pesos for a taco. Right....... 

Hola de Mexico

Im sitting in an internet cafe on a Sunday afternoon nursing a stomach who either didnt like the two bananas or pomegranate I was given as gifts in the street market or the enchilades de mole poblano(a thick spicy dark chocolate sauce) I had for lunch. Either way, Ive got 4 hours till my flight so Im killing a bit of time. Kelli and I split up a few hours ago as her flight was 3.5 hours earlier than mine. We went to a art market in the street and then I went to a regular mexican market (the produce down here makes me drool just thinking about it). Anyway, Im back with stories and photos to share. Im not sure how ill go about it but yall might be sick of me talking about mexico. Oh and the protests down here that are in the news? totally a family affair. besitos de mexico