Mexico report, days one and two

Wednesday Feb. 5, 25

Annie spent the night. We were wonderfully organized this morning, up at 5 a.m., car arrived at 5.40 to pick us up – sailing to the airport in a nice warm car while it’s minus eighteen outside = priceless. Seamless flight except for giant snafu at the airport, baggage belt stopped moving, no human beings behind the counter to help, long line-ups – but Annie and I were noisy and got through and so did the bags. I watched Conclave which I loved, fabulous film, beautifully made and acted.

Taxi through unbelievable traffic into the city. Casa Gonzales an oasis, lovely courtyards filled with flowers, birds – a lime tree outside my window. We went out for lunch, found a small local place, sat outside, had tacos and beer – divine. A nap, we were woozy after our early rising. Then I suggested we walk to Chapultapec Park, only it was impossible to get to with a giant highway in the way, unbelievable traffic at rush hour, the air thick with smog. We should have planned the route. So we walked back, wandered in the ‘hood including to a Walmart to get Annie’s special oat milk, then had soup, salad and wine at the hotel, quiet, making friends with Maggie from Boston. All wonderful.

Thursday Feb. 6

Breakfast at a communal table with other friendly guests, including Jorge, whose grandfather founded the hotel. Annie and I set off bravely, down streets crowded with people eating breakfast tacos on the street, to wrestle, first, with the machines at the metro that sell bus passes. Got a double-decker bus to the Palacio de Bellas Artes, then to the historic old town, the House of Tiles, visited the ornate, baroque Cathedrale in the Zocalo – the vast public square – and on into the rabbit warren of streets around, all packed with people selling stuff outside, shouting for attention, and/or eating. Got completely lost once again, as we were over and over, all day, asking directions, pondering the GPS on my phone, asking again. The streets are a jumble; I’ve never been so confused in a city, and that includes London.

Walked and walked, interested in it all, but finally got so lost, hot, and tired, we decided to get a taxi back to the hotel. Mistake. We expected to pay about $10; the guy told us we owed over $55! We gave him what we thought was reasonable while arguing; I got out, but he protested so loudly, Annie gave him more. Infuriating. Jorge told us it happens all the time and the police do nothing; we should in future get an Uber. Checked online, and everyone says DO NOT GET A TAXI HERE. Who knew? Now we do.

But that, and getting lost, were brief issues in an otherwise lovely day. We took another long walk to meet Alberto Ruy Sanchez, my editor in Banff in 2001, and his wife Magui, who for 36 years have run Artes de México that publishes a beautiful magazine. Alberto has also published 32 books! He’s as warm and dynamic now as 24 years ago, Magui too, so connected and lively. We met them at their office at 1.30, talked for over an hour, then they took us to lunch, starting at 3 in the Mexican way, and lasting till 5.30. Not the kind of lunch date I’m used to. We went to a new, ornate restaurant serving very good Mexican food, and talked and talked until we couldn’t hear ourselves over the mariachi band.

Another walk home, a brief rest, then back to Walmart for more special milk for Annie, as the stuff this morning was no good. And then unbelievably, after a brief detour to a drugstore, we got completely lost again. We couldn’t stop laughing at how absurd it all was. We bought some buns on the street, and when we finally made it back, we sat outside, ripping hunks off the buns with more laughing. That was dinner.

The street life here is phenomenal, especially coming from snowy Toronto in February! Especially, little booths or tables or even just cloths on the ground selling everything, everywhere, plus stoves making tortillas, people sitting on stools or fences or standing to eat lunch and dinner. So much street life. People working hard, long days – how they survive trying to sell with so much competition, hard to comprehend.

Many armed police, everywhere, all the time. We learned the current president, Sheinbaum, is just a puppet of the previous guy who’s a crook, in bed with the narcos, siphoning money from health care, the arts, museums, and even medicine for children with cancer, to give to his cronies. Horrifying.

Today, the famous, stunning Archeological Museum. Report next time, but some photos here.

Below: 1. flowers, everywhere, birds, butterflies. This is a stunning display of bouquets for sale. 2. One of the courtyards of this oasis of a hotel. 3. With Alberto and Magui. 4. With the goddess of death at the Anthropological Museum, an incredible sculpture, massive. 5. The building itself is spectacular, with a kind of cantilevered roof and a giant fountain. 6. Annie bought us churros. Delicious. 7. A big display in the museum of ancient Mexican life.

Exhausted. Happy.

 

 

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