Museums and Mezcal in Mexico

The Museo Nacional de Antropologia and Castillo de Chapultepec are in the neighborhood called Roma, about a 15 minute cab ride from my hotel in the zocalo. The museum is new- built in the 1960's. In the interior courtyard, a large stone fountain that seems to be raining onto the concrete rises up out of the center. The twelve halls (salas) that surround the courtyard have a wall of glass that faces into the courtyard. It's all very modern looking which creates a striking juxtaposition to the ancient artifacts inside the ground-floor rooms. On display are temples, stone carvings, a replica of Teotihuacan, and the famous sun stone (incorrectly called the "Aztec Calendar"). A surprising aspect of the museum is that when I wandered to the far side of each hall, there are doors that lead to outdoor exhibit spaces containing additional temples and carvings in a "natural" setting. All the spaces, indoors and out, were impeccably maintained- not a smudge on the glass, speck of dust on the floor, or weed in the garden.

Across from the museum is Bosque de Chapultepec, Mexico City's largest park. There are lakes, a zoo, broad avenues for strolling, and many, many vendors. It contains the current presidential residence as well as a former imperial palace called Castillo de Chapultepec. I walked through the avenue of vendors thinking it would lead directly to the castle. It did not. "Donde es el castillo?" I asked several times before I finally headed almost all the way back to the main entrance to find the castle. It's difficult to believe, but you can't easily spot the castle if you're just strolling along! A long uphill road leads to the top. Then, there are magnificent views of the city, as well as lavish furnishings inside the castle. While it's not as large as the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina, it is more ornate. I would be happy to occupy Carlota's bedroom and adjoining bath!

For all of the above touring I was on my own, but by late afternoon my student Jay and his girlfriend arrived by car so we could head out together for Friday drinks and dinner. Our first stop was to a mezcalaria. Mezcal is made from the agave (or maguey) that is abundant in Mexico. It is like tequila, though a bit less refined and smokey to my taste. Often, a bottle of mezcal contains a worm. The mezcal is served in a shot glass along with a plate of orange slices sprinkled with chili powder. The idea is to take a sip of the mezcal and then eat an orange slice. Somehow, the orange with the chili soothes the taste of the mezcal. While Jay is a big fan of mezcal and seems to have a goal of sampling many of the possible varieties, I was happy to have a beer!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezcal

http://www.mezcal.com/

D.F. Mexico, Day 1

During this adventure in Mexico, I was partly on my own and partly in the company of an old student and his girlfriend. The student is part of a family I have known for many years, and after a few conversations and emails, we worked out a plan. I arrived at Terminal Two at the airport in Mexico City midday on July 22. This terminal is modern and efficient, so I had a quick and smooth transition into this new country. From my student, I had detailed instructions on how to correctly arrange a cab so I would select one that was government regulated. All went well and within an hour I was in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Zocalo, in the middle of the historic district, the Plaza de la Constitucion.

Determined to get out before the rain, I walked across the square to see the Catedral Metropolitana with its huge gilded altar. It felt good to be out in the cool air after such hot weather in NJ! But, I was hungry and soon headed to the hotel's sixth floor outdoor terrace for pozole (corn soup) and quesadillas.

At 6:30 my student, Jay, met me for dinner. We walked a few blocks out of the heart of the historic district where traffic is horrendous and picked up a cab to get to the trendy neighborhood of Condessa. There we ate at his favorite restaurant, La Capital. Somewhere between lunch and dinner, my view of Mexican food completely changed. Again and again throughout the week, I would feel that someone had been holding out on me because Mexican food in Mexico is nothing like Mexican food that I have eaten in the United States.

http://www.opentable.com/la-capital

Pre-History/Pre-Mexico

Hola mi amigos!

I'm writing this post a week after returning from Mexico. I didn't blog when I was away, but did send a few emails about my activities. Now, time to "formalize" the writing.

This first entry is called "pre-history" and essentially refers to me because before I went to Mexico, I knew very little about the history of this country: there was a revolution; there are ruins; many people travel to the beach resorts on the coasts; there are drug cartels and killings; it's the homeland of Rivera and Kahlo, two artists of which I knew some biographical information. I don't speak Spanish and before I went to Mexico, I didn't love Mexican food. You might wonder why I went? Simple: it's long been on my list of travel destinations and a perfect opportunity arose.

To start: Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world, with a population close to 22 million people. In Mexico, there are 31 states and one federal district (Mexico City). Often in writing the city is referred to as D.F. (Distrito Federal). I read that the city itself is 30 times the size of Manhattan and the country three times the size of Texas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35749.htm

San Miguel de Allende

After four days in Mexico City, I boarded a first class bus (Primera Plus) to head to San Miguel de Allende, a small, colonial silver city and artist colony approximately 3 1/2 hours from D.F. The bus service is inexpensive ($44 round trip), punctual, and very comfortable. Included in the price are large seats that recline, a small lunch, and movies. On the way out I saw "El Estudiante", a tear jerker, and on the way back I watched "A Time-Traveler's Wife".

The bus terminal is in a newer part of town. When I first saw the modern surroundings I was a bit nervous, but in the distance I could see the grand "pink church". I got into one of the three waiting cabs and within minutes arrived at my hotel, Casa Quetzal. Like all of the entrance ways in the city, Casa Quetzal is marked by only a small plaque on the exterior wall. But inside it was a tiny paradise: plants, flowers, terraces for eating and sunbathing, and a wonderful friendly staff. The hotel was in both Frommer's and Lonely Planet and it had rave reviews on TripAdvisor. I also got a great discount on my room, aptly named after Diego Rivera. 

How did I spend my days? I started with a luxurious, leisurely breakfast either on the terrace or delivered to my room. (Vacation, right?) Then, I would set out to explore. My first day I signed up for a cooking class that included a market tour and demonstration. The chef guided us through the market area, purchased ingredients for the snacks and appetizers he was going to prepare, and brought it all back to a Williams-Sonoma style kitchen to cook for the ten participants. Cheese, carnitas, gorditas, red and green salsa, avocados, hibiscus iced tea in Mexican blue glassware, frozen sliced cactus for dessert. Afterward, I walked with the chef to the pastry shop that he owns (Petit Four) and enjoyed a buttery assortment of cookies and biscotti.

San Miguel is a perfect city in which to lose oneself. It is completely walkable, safe, inviting. Many shop owners speak English, and are patient if you want to practice your stumbling Spanish. Some reviewers in guide books claim that the city has become too touristy, too much of a "playground" for Americans, and there is some truth to that.

Frida Kahlo

This morning when I opened Google, I saw an unmistakable face surrounded by vines embedded within the logo. I clicked on it to find that today, July 6, is the birthday of the famous Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo (July 6, 1907-July 13, 1954). I'm sure many of us became familiar with her with the release of the movie "Frida" starring Salma Hayek, or through her relationship with the Mexican muralist, Diego Rivera. Kahlo seemed to be a formidable woman, surviving for a short time a life of much pain, heartache, and beauty. A couple of years ago, I attended the exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and was surprised to see that her oeuvre contained many still lifes in addition to the self-portraits. A small, colorful print hangs in my kitchen!

In a couple of weeks, I will travel to Mexico. One of the destinations on my itinerary is the Frida Kahlo exhibit and La Casa Azul. I'll take along the book The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, which is set in Mexico and features Kahlo, Rivera, and Trotsky as fictionalized main characters. I also plan to visit San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuoto, which coincidentally is the birthplace of Diego Rivera.

http://www.fridakahlo.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida_Kahlo

PS- On July 7, 2010, Ringo Starr turns 70! He wants everyone to show two fingers in a "peace" sign at 12 noon and say aloud, "Peace and Love." Happy Birthday, Ringo.