Tepotzlan, via the Segundo Piso

So this Saturday, I went with some friends/coworkers to a little town called Tepotzlan (more about that in a minute). To get out of Mexico City, which took 2 hours by the way, we got to drive on the "Segundo Piso" of the Periferico. What happened was that there was so much traffic, they built a 'second floor' to the highway. It was fun! You can see some great views. This picture is near the end, and that flag is Huge. Anyway, the Segundo Piso was a huge project, and they even made a movie about it. En el Hoyo / In the Pit mainly told the stories of the workers in one small section, but it also gives an idea of how huge an undertaking it was. The very end of the movie is a long single shot of the whole Segundo Piso, ending at the huge flag.

So after leaving the city, Mike 'Costanza' in the lead car (the little red one on the left), was making great time. But we made it anyway. What can I say about Tepotzlan? It is a cute town with a huge craggy mountain/hill at its edge. At the top of the hill is a pyramid offering great views of the surrounding valley. It is supposedly a center of positive energy, maybe because the plumed serpent god, Quetzalcoatl, was 'born' nearby. Lots of people come to get their aura cleansed, or whatever it is they do, and there are lots of newageish spiritual events, shops, visitors, and other such skulduggery.

I looked at the Frommer's guide and it said this: "Most Tepoztlán residents, whether foreigners or Mexicans, tend to be mystically or artistically oriented -- although some also appear to be just plain disoriented." I agree. And may I add that many of the foreigners need long baths with very hot water and well-paid professional scrubby-maids. With shears.

But the town itself was really neat. Neat-o, even. It was raining, so we didn't get to spend two hours climbing to the top. Drat! I was aching to do that, for sure. But we did get to shop around at the artists market, and see the sights. This picture on the left is a mural at the entrance gate to some convent or other, but the point is that it is made entirely of beans. Well, beans and seeds. And some legumes, I guess. But things you can eat! Pretty fancy, huh?

This picture, I love. Love! It's a Pulqueria, where they sell pulque, the drink the Aztecs made, sort of a forerunner to tequila. (defined as: a thick, milky-white, mildly alcoholic beverage fermented from the juice of various species of agave.) But the men hanging out playing guitar, the dog on the roof, even the plastic chairs says nothing but "Mexico" to me.

The best part is the sign on the white poster paper just above the men. Roughly translated it says: Pulque: Healthy, Nutritional, and Medicinal. The champagne of the Mexica." (also known as Aztecs)

Notice, the taste isn't mentioned.


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Now playing: Lila Downs - Un Poco Mas
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We love you Mr Havisham!!

So I took my school club back to the orphanage today, and once again found a couple that I want to take home. We sort of taught them about Halloween, and colored pumpkins and made spiders, and got costumed up in crepe paper. This is my favorite vampire (there were a couple of others as well).








Over here on the right is my other favorite vampire, and below is my favorite clown (He looks like a sad clown in this photo). Any of which I'd gladly adopt. I found out today that most of them are not really orphans (of the dead parents type). Instead, most of them have families, and for one reason or another (economic difficulty, court order), have been taken away from their parents--some of them temporarily, some of them only part of the time. My favorite vampire, for example, goes home on the weekends. So maybe I won't be taking them home. Plus, they make me really tired! Maybe I'm too old to be a mother.

Eventless weekend at the beach...

This past weekend was a 3-day weekend, so a friend/co-worker and I went to sunny Puerto Vallarta! It was a package, and a deal, so we just went. And you know, I needed it. I was so tired of the cold (okay, cool) weather here in the DF, and sick of working. So we went. And did absolutely nothing. I read several books. I read more than several magazines. I drank fruity beverages all day. I took mid-morning naps. I took mid-afternoon naps. I sunned myself. I went to bed early. I rested, sunned, drank, and ate. And then on Sunday, I realized I ought to take a couple of pictures, since I'd been dragging the camera around the whole time. So I took the one above, of the palapa over my head. It was the view I spent the most time seeing. Also, my second most frequent sight:

And so that's about all I can say about my mini-vacation to Puerto Vallarta.

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Now playing: Badly Drawn Boy - Once Around The Block
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Daily life with special guest stars....

I'm feeling a little lazy for writing, and have a lot of pictures. SO,this post is going to be mostly photos. Good enough! On the left is my school, the part not under construction. On the right is Rocio, the lady who works in the food stand just outside the front gates. The food is really good! Most days I have a torta (sandwich) or a burrito, or sometimes sopes. Mm-mm good!





MPM, Jose and Pancho came for a visit last weekend, and we did some fun stuff: walked around the parks, bought plants, walked around some more. There was a tango demo going on at one of the parks. Really great. Tango is really kinda slow, but also quite sexy. Well, these dancers weren't that sexy, but the dancing was.




















And then the surreal: we found ourselves at a teen club (sort of), where the big deal is dancing teams who compete for ...what? bragging rights? I don't know. But it was obvious that they rehearse that shit. a lot! Let's see if this video works:

Now playing: La 5a Estación - Perdición
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I want that baby! I think I got the best one!

Besides, they've got more than they can handle, right? So these were the words running through my brain when I went to visit the orphanage at which my school club (that I sponsor) visits twice a month. The main purpose of the project is to teach the big kids how to be caring and aware of those less fortunate. But I've got Holly Hunter's voice telling me to go back in there and get me one of them babies!

Yeah, I got all that 'help the poor' cred already. No one can say I haven't helped out with some of the poorest folks around. But did you see how cute they are? Isn't it time they started giving back? The little guy in the white shirt didn't leave my side the whole visit. And I like to imagine that some time down the road, people will stop me and say 'aw, he has your eyes!'

Yeah, and I could raise him in Arizona. I do like Scottsdale, mind you.

No, I'm not totally off my rocker, but it was fun for a day, and will be fun to go back in a couple of weeks. And get to know all of them better, spread a little knowledge and some treats. Try to make the bigger kids learn a little something, open their eyes and all.