Saturday, July 15, 2023
Thursday, July 13, 2023
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Missed a few trips, but now it's off to MAUI!
Thursday, February 24, 2022
Ow my back!
My friend's daughter has a food and drink instagram and if you want to gasp at the beauty of Mexico City's offerings, check it out
The next day, Tuesday (why is this all being done so long after the fact? You'll see...) I walked 4km over to Ticuchi in the Polanco section of town. I ordered way too much to eat and like a dummy I scarfed it all down. My favorite hands-down the tamal de esquites - stuffed with roasted corn and cheese and other goodies.
From Ticuchi, I walked 4km to the Mezcal tasting, making a few park stops along the way
The mezcal tasting was booked through AirBnB and I didn't care for it for the content of the presentation nor the mezcal itself (it was from one small producer - many styles). The host was giving us a lecture on Mezcal and the history of Mexico. She has traveled extensively it seems and was making lots of references to things around the world...and half of them were just wrong. I have to think that perhaps some of the mezcal facts and stories might not be reliable. The mezcal itself was jarring, with a burnt plastic approach to the palate and gear oil finish. Nobody bought a bottle at the end of the tasting. Nobody even asked about the pricing.
The tasting group consisted of a guy from Youngstown, Ohio, who was on his fifth trip to Mexico City. He looked like Neil Tennant from the Pet Shop Boys in his big glasses phase, but bald and short. The guy was nice and took off 1/2 way through the tasting. He has some pressing matter, probably rinsing his mouth out with ginger ale. There was also Jez - a 30 year old from Daly City. He's an ER nurse and works some crazy schedule where he does super long hours 11 days straight and then gets the rest of the month off. I don't remember the exact numbers but that how he can travel so much. Rounding out the group was a pair of friends from Toronto who were able to work remotely and decided to travel through Mexico. Those ladies were fresh out of college by 6 months or so. We all suffered through the bad liquor and headed out the door. Jez had a reservation at the "Hank Panky Cocktail Bar" - a super cool speakeasy. I was already starting to feel...unwell...and bailed. The Toronto ladies were debating whether to go or not. Jez, who I mentioned was 30, was actually EXACTLY 30 - it was his birthday! I convinced the Toronto crew to jump in on his reservation and celebrate his birthday with him. Off they went, and I Ubered home.
That night, I did not feel well at all. I thought it was maybe the large lunch, or the excessive walking in the heat, or maybe the putrid mezcal, but I just caught a stomach bug.
Now you know why this update is coming all in one chunk, days late. I was completely down on Wednesday, and canceled my trip to the Pyramids for today. Bummer. Today, after a very light breakfast and walk, I was feeling somewhat on the mend. I took an Uber to the National Museum of Acheology and THAT was well worth it!
There's a great park next to the museum and I had a relating stroll
I left the park and crossed a major road via overpass and ended up at the fringe of the Condesa area (very nice place). (S)trolling for food, I happened upon a spot specializing in Wild Boar. Well, come on. I had to, right?
Not wanting to tax my feet/back too much, I took an Uber to get some Gelato.
Let me tell you, Joe is on his grind. This gelato was the best I've had, and, yes, I've been to Rome! I forgot to mention that I came here Tuesday afternoon before the mezcal tasting. This was a repeat visit! Uber back to the hotel, and here I am relaxing. I took my covid test this morning, got the negative results (yay!), and checked in for my flight. The were heavily discounting the upgrade to business class, AND since business class gets 2 free bags instead of just 1, that knocked off another $30, making it an irrestistible propsistion. OK, United, you got me, but I am sure it'll be worth it.Staying in, I think, and watching the Warriors in my hotel room. Great WiFi here at the Le Meridien - can stream without any problems. Trying for a late check-out so I can roam around in the morning.
Monday, February 21, 2022
Aztec Venice, sort of.
Nowadays, save for some vestegial boutique farming done for high-end CDMX restaurants, the canals have become a place for boat rides and relaxation. Vegetables have been replaced with Mexican families and drunken tourists. I booked a boat ride with AirBnB and really did not know what to expect.
The photo above is the information booth, and the meeting point for many groups. When I got there, I could not see any signs with the the name or time of the group but I did see a group of obvious tourists kind of milling about. I thought maybe this could be my group, so I approached the most touristy looking guy in the group and asked him in English if they were waiting for a tour. He look at me really apprehensively and then said, loudly and slowly, "NO THANK YOU. WE ALREADY HAVE A TOUR BOOKED." Haha, some of you will never know this joy, but it happens from time to time, like when I am doing sprinkler work IN MY OWN FRONT YARD, etc. I found my tour guide in short order.
The boats are called "Trajineras" and there are hundreds of them. 95% are human-powered by a gondolier, the others have a small outboard motor. The canals are in Lake Xochimilco, the only native habitat of the Axlotl.
We loaded up and pushed off. There was a group of 4 in for a wedding from Chicago, a couple from Toronto, and three women from Dallas. Everyone was in their 30s. Turns out, each and every one of them was in finance. How random. And how potentially unintersting. Thankfully, there was a cure for that!
What followed was a boat ride, with drinking and two features. First, a boatload of Mariachi sidled up to us like a coast guard inspection and we paid them for a couple of songs.
We stopped and had two things to see. The first was the Axolotl, in a too-small tank. There are fewer than 5,000 in the wild (all in this lake) and could be as few as 50. Extinction in the wild is almost guaranteed. They are kept as pets all over the world but that has been weakening their genetics. Cute little things, wish they could make it.
There is a legend that there was a local woman who fell in love with a Spaniard and had three children with him. The Spaniard ditched her and his family to marry a Spanish woman and have kids and a life with her. Despondant, she went to this lake and drowned her children. Realizing what she had done she screamed out for them and then killed herself. Now, sometimes, you can hear her screaming across the lake at night. Someone erected a monument of sorts to her
After that stop, it was time to go back to the marina/pier. Our trusty gondolier (sorry I forgot the word, it's something like Trajinero) powered us back. Notice the spent Michelada - I did not partake. I am not a fan.
If I do this again - and I would if time allowed on another trip - I would either bring a group of my own friend and/or family, or just bring some food and drinks and music and go by myself. I enjoyed being out on the water - it was relaxing.
Wrapping up Sunday, I went to this new and trendy tapas place but the seat they offered me was insane so I walked. My second choice was closed due to a water pipe being replaced, but the owner walked me around the corner to a taquieria he said was simple but delicious. He was right, best tacos so far. So the tabletop is chipped, if the plastic plate were 1mm thinner it would be disposable, and it was my third choice of a place to eat. Despite all that, this was some good Alambre de Pastor and I made myself tacos that did not disappoint! Imagine freshly sliced al pastor meat, mixed with bacon, onions, pineapple, green peppers, all chopped up and fried up. I have to look for this back home.
Sunday, February 20, 2022
Kilometro Zero - My tour of Mexico City's Centro
I'm going to share some pictures
Palacio de Bellas Artes - Italian marble, Italian architect, Neoclassical facade. Art museum now, will go in later to see the Diego Rivera murals (and other things). The president at the time, Porfirio Diaz, wanted to have something opulent and European. Although Art Nouveau was considered passé by Mexican tastes (haven given way to art deco), Porfirio insisted "The heart wants what it wants" and built it his way.
This is the post office - still in operation, although only a part of it is used for that purpose. The marble is Mexican, but the metalwork is from Italy. Construction was around 1907 and it bears some resemblence to the federal courthouse (and post office) I worked in SF.
Here's an interesting building that was once a private residence of someone very wealthy. After a time it was purchased by the Sanborn family, prominent transplants. and now bears the name of the company they once owned. There is a reasonable and pedestrian restaurant on the first two floors, and other nooks have a bar, a pharmacy, a gift shop etc. There are a few of these types of demi-palaces that have been preserved and repurposed. This one reminds me of a Moroccan lesser palace - once that might serve as a restaurant today.
I apologize for not remembering the name of this cathedral. What I do remember is that the original complex was much larger and after the aformentioned president enacted some reforms, much of the complex was apportined and sold. What remains, however, is worth a look!
Touring is hard work. Stopped for tacos.
The historic center has a plaza which reminds me of the same in any European capital, except that it is much larger! Too large, if you ask me, but clearly they did not! Here's a look around:
So it seems that nobody knows exactly from where the Aztecs came from..or so says my guide. When they arrived at what is now Mexico City, the locals at first denied them permission to move there. After some promises to labor in agriculture for them, they were given a plot of seemingly unusable marshland. Those Aztecs were smart, though, and were able to build a temple there, later aligning with some neighboring powers and overthrowing their one-time hosts. As such, so was born Mexico City and perhaps Mexico itself. The Spanish demoloshed the temple, but some remnants were discovered and, after some excavation, we have some history to take in. Look for the snakes!
Long day, headed back to the hotel, had a great time looking around the historic center.