Visiting the Tropics

It's Spring break! First trip was to the tropics or Cozumel Mexico. It is a small island in the state of Quintana Roo...furthest point south in Mexico. It is known internationally for it's high quality scuba diving on the Palancar reef and others..which are like a whole other world below the ocean. The Caribbean waters are beautiful colors of turquoise, azure and whatever color of blue you can think of. Another claim to fame it has are the non-stop arrivals of cruise ships. Every day at least four were in port except for Sunday....everyone relaxes on that day. We enjoyed unlimited shore diving in front of our hotel, I went on 2 boat dives while Brian, my husband went on a four.

We toured the island in a car one day..this consists of one main road which encircles the island in about 30 miles. The eastern side of the island is the windy side with big waves which attract surfers. The primary mode of transport on this beautiful island is scooters... I think I could live here.

San Angel Tour

A book I highly recommend is Mexico City "An Opinionated Guide For the Curious Traveler" by Jim Johnson. He is an ex-pat who has lived here for about 10 years. In it are all kinds of alternative or creative tour suggestions.

This Sunday I took his walking tour of San Angel, a small colonial town about 6 miles south of the center of Mexico City. The tour is exact in what you are seeing ..with directions and great descriptions. Most of the places are popular but he also includes some more obscure locations as well....I certainly felt off the beaten path at times.

I started with Museo del Carmen, a 17th century convent...well preserved with religious artwork and even mummified nuns. Then the Casa del Risco, with a beautiful courtyard that included a fountain made from talavera plates and mother of pearl shells! Beautiful.

Next, was the Parróquia de San Jacinto, an operating church with a gilded baroque chapel and beautiful courtyard as well. The jacaranda tree (bursting with purple blossoms) were everywhere in the neighhoods....it is their season to bloom.

The next place was Plaza de los Arcángeles, a residential enclave with a small park, cobblestone streets and a plethora of bougainvilleas. Some of the houses had "Venta" or For Sale signs on them.....I thought to myself, how much to live in this paradise?

Finally, I headed over the the San Angel Inn and Restaurant, which sits across from the Diego and Frida Art Studio Museum. The Studio was designed by Juan O'Gorman and feels very personal with relics of everyday life with the artists.

The San Angel Inn and Restaurant was a real treat. It has a history dating back to 1692 as a Hacienda, then to the first Spanish Ambassador's residence, Santa Ana's refuge for planning the Battle of Chapultepec with Pancho Villa and Zapata and then into an elegant inn and restaurant. It has been visited by Princes, Princesses, U.S. presidents and many movie stars. Prices are expensive and you do get what you pay for....incredible ambiance, sustenance and libation. Perfect end to a wonderful visit to San Angel.

Ashes and Snow

We are so fortunate to be in the International Cosmopolitan Capital of Mexico City! The incredible International Nomadic art and theatre exposition of Ashes and Snow is here from 15th December thru 27th April. In a nutshell:
A. sponsored by the Rolex Institute
B. Canadian artist, Gregory Colbert who studied in Paris and traveled around the world for the past 16 years to capture interactions between man and nature thru video and still-photography, resulting in this expo
C. all shots are natural....not digitally altered...done in black, white ...no color
D. 50 large-scale photographic artworks, 60 minute video, and 2 short film
E. 6,000 sq. metre bamboo building it is housed in: built by Columbian architect, Simón Veléz
complete with shallow water canals under the photographs and 3 theatres

It is free of charge for the people of Mexico City and tourists alike. The wait varies depending on the time of day etc. I waited about an hour in a very patient and organized line of mostly Mexican citizens. What can I say.... it was breath-taking and inspirational. The photos I included were posters being sold in a souvenir shop.

The Flight of the Butterfly - Magic

There was music in the air again in Mexico, but in the genre of nature or butterfly wings! Sounds from these otherwise silent creatures you say? Only when you are fortunate enough to attend one of their migration stops. This week-end we visited El Rosario, migrating grounds for the countless Monarchs who make their way from Canada through the U.S. and finally Michoacan Mexico each year at this time. They arrive earlier in the year, but February you will find them mating and very active.


We hiked up the mountain at the altitude of 9,000 feet to experience the full effect of this miracle of nature. It was worth the long trek from Mexico City by car and then the hike of about an hour and 30 minutes. For the effort we witnessed millions of Monarchs gracefully flying through the air and millions more perched together on the tall evergreen trees branches, weighing them down. This is the spot where my colleague and friend, Brenda noticed the sounds of the butterflies. It was a very gentle sound..comparable to a light breeze. As they flew around together the sound was only noticeable if you stopped and listened carefully....this was truly a place where you felt at one with nature and very blessed to be there, and also one very hard to leave. After many photos and meditation, we worked our way down the trail and purchased some butterfly souvenirs. Later that day I discovered that I could close my eyes and envision this beautiful scene of the peace and gentleness of nature and it will be a treasure to me always. As a final note, the Spanish word for butterfly has always been one of my favorite:MARIPOSA.

Sweet Sounds of Music

Spring is in the air, 80 degrees on both Saturday and Sunday... including a variety of outdoor concerts. This week-end , I attended an opera concert at the Casa del Lago/Chapultepec Park. It was a free event put on in collaboration with the UNAM/another public university.










Next, was a concert/dance at the Bellas Artes/Fine Arts Theatre representing dance from the north of Spain/including non-stop bagpipes!
On Sunday, there was a free outdoor concert with a charming group from Argentina, called Paté de Fuá. It felt like an outdoor summer concert in Colorado. People of all ages were in the audience enjoying the music and day.

I'm sorry I missed a Maná concert (one of the most popular rock groups/from Guadalajara) on Saturday. They played 4 different concerts/on 4 days and filled the Auditorio Nacional, which holds approximately 10,000 people for all four concerts! I thought I could walk up and buy a ticket that day, wrong! Fortunately, I saw them in the U.S. a few years ago and have fond memories.

Mexico City cultural society publishes a magazine every week called Tiempo Libre...this helps organize whats happening in the city so you can make your plans based on your individual interests. Many, many events are free! They are always well attended by the local people, who appreciate their culture in every genre imaginable. You can be well entertained on a shoe string budget if you plan it right.

Sharing My Experience

Family from California, Karin and Steve and Brian, my husband all came for a 6 day whirlwind visit and tour of Mexico. They loved the museums and wonderfully inexpensive food (they were here during the Candelaria and we ate tamales for breakfast each morning!). It is so fun to show others the "real" Mexico and perhaps change wrong impressions of this beautiful country.

We toured one day on the Turibus...a double decker bus that gives you an informative and comfortable tour of the centro historico and lots of the more quaint areas around the main city. It costs 10.00/a day with a headset to hear about all the sites and you are able to get off and on wherever you desire. They were also impressed with Teotihuacan's pyramids and La Gruta Restaurant, which is on the site but in a cave! Great ambiance. Two other must sees were the Basilica of the Virgen Guadalupe and the Ballet Folklorico at Bellas Artes Theatre.







My coordinator, Edith was also kind enough to take us to Taxco for a beautiful visit to this colonial town known for it silver. Long story short, 6 days isn't really enough to see this city. I've been here almost 7 months and haven't even put a dent in seeing all the museums!

Tamaliza

February 2 is the Candelaria celebration in Mexico. This is the time that officially marks the end of the Christmas celebration. The nacimientos or nativity scenes will all come down now and the lenten season started on Wednesday February 6th.

My favorite thing about the Candelaria is the tamaliza. This is a breakfast style party that includes tamales of all flavors.....mole, green chile, plum, rebanada(sliced chile and cheese), these are just the ones I was fortunate enough to try. I am told that they put just about anything else you could imagine in them as well! To drink there is a rice or corn based drink called atole. It too comes in different flavors....I had chocolate and vanilla. Another wonderful time to be together with friends and family in Mexico!