Archaeology at the Transport Hub

On Thursday I took the subway to go to the colonial heart of Mexico City.  I got off at the busy Pino Suárez station.  When construction of the subway system began in the 1960s it proved to be a bonanza for archaeologists because the excavations revealed artefacts from the Aztec capital which once stood here.  One of the most impressive discoveries was of an altar at the site where the Pino Suárez station was being built.  The altar was left in place in an open courtyard, and the subway station was built around it.  

The altar's circular shape... a shape that represented motion to the Aztecs... means that it was dedicated to Ehécatl, the god of wind and one of the manifestations of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent.

This subway station, like a number of others, is undergoing renovation.  The area around the open courtyard has become something of a mini-archaeological museum with descriptions of the altar's significance, and a display of photographs which document the construction of the station and the discovery of the altar.

Work begins on the excavation for the subway station

The altar is uncovered

The station is inaugurated in 1970 with the President of Mexico and his cabinet in attendance.

In the past, every time that I exited the station, the plaza above was a jumble of vendors' stalls.  It was such a maze that it was sometimes difficult to find my bearings and head in the right direction.  So I was very surprised to find that the plaza had been cleared of commerce and transformed into a park like setting.

The vendors, I assume, have been moved to a commercial building to the side of the plaza.

With the vendors now out of the way, I was actually able to look down into the courtyard where the Aztec altar is located.

Also, with the removal of the vendors, I saw a colonial building on the plaza which I had never noticed before.

The Chapel of San Lucas was built in the 1600s.  At that time, this section of Mexico City was the location of the city's slaughterhouses, and this was the chapel of the butchers.

The interior of the small chapel

Lest it sound as if I am waxing poetic about the sprucing up that has occurred here, I should say that the Pino Suárez station, one of the most crowded in the system, is a place where one should be especially cautious of pickpockets.  Also, just a few steps from where I took the pretty picture of the plaza, I found piles of trash and homeless people sleeping on discarded sofas.  I quickly retraced my steps.

Culture at the Transport Hub

On my previous trip I wrote about the "Glorieta de Insurgentes", the circular, below-street-level plaza which is a busy hub with subway and Metrobus stations.  The plaza, which had been looking rather scruffy, had been given a facelift.

All around the circle of the plaza there were little "locales" or storefronts which were filled with rather junky shops.  The "locales" still stand empty.  Perhaps the authorities are seeking a higher level of tenants for their new and improved "Glorieta".  One portion of former shops, however, has been transformed into a neighborhood cultural center.

Cultural centers such as this are found throughout the city, and they offer local residents workshops in arts and crafts, music and dance.  This center had a library, and an area for lectures, as well as space for workshops.  It is open to the public and there were some exhibits.

There were a number of photographs of Frida Kahlo on display...

A photo of Frida in her wheelchair painting of portrait of herself in her wheelchair at her easel.

There was also a display of crafts which had been created by the workshop participants.

The creations included decorative boxes, stained glass and puppets.

Puppets of Sancho Panza, Don Quixote and Tevye from "Fiddler on the Roof"

There were also photographs and paintings done by locals.  There was some genuine talent on display.

If some more places such as this were placed in the plaza, the "Glorieta de Insurgentes" might actually become a spot of tourist interest.

Holiday Breakfast

Alejandro didn't have to work on Tuesday (May Day is a national holiday), so we went out for a late breakfast at "El Bajío", a restaurant chain specializing in traditional Mexican cuisine.  One of their restaurants is a few blocks away from my apartment.

Alejandro ordered their egg specialty, "Huevos Estilo Bajío"

The eggs were atop "picadas", a larger version of "sopes", thick, fried patties of corn dough.  They were served with frijoles, chorizo and squash blossoms, and a sauce made with poblano peppers and "acuyo" (an herb also known as "hoja santa").

I had a "huarache".  A "huarache" is similar to a "picada" or "sope", but it has a large, oblong shape.  It gets its name from the fact that it looks like the sole of a "huarache" or Mexican sandal.  In addition to the usual toppings of beans and salsa, this "huarache" was covered with "carnitas", tender bits of slowly simmered pork.

I had two cups of hot chocolate (you can get a refill as you would with a cup of coffee), and Alejandro had pineapple "atole".  "Atole" is a hot beverage made from corn flour.  I don't particularly care for it, but it is very traditional and very popular in Mexico.  Both of us also had orange juice and sweet rolls.

It was a delicious breakfast, and we didn't need to eat again until we had a light, evening supper.

Chocolate!

Monday I made a quick trip downtown to the Mayordomo Chocolate shop / restaurant.  Mayordomo is a chocolate company in Oaxaca, and they are one of the few Mexican chocolate companies that have not been bought out by foreign companies such as Nestle.  They have a shop in the historic center of Mexico City that I discovered on my last trip.  I wanted to return to buy a couple boxes of the "chocolate para mesa" that is used for making traditional hot chocolate.

My plan was to make my purchase and then head right back on the subway which is located just a couple blocks away.  But when I got there it was hard to resist having lunch in their restaurant.  I ordered a cup of hot chocolate and Oaxacan tamales.  The tamales must be very popular for breakfast since the waiter had to go ask the kitchen if there were any left.  Fortunately there were.  

The tamales are made of corn "masa", stuffed with chicken, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.  Before serving, they opened the banana leaves and ladled Oaxacan "mole" over the tamales.  It may look like a mess in the photo, but it was yummy.  Chocolate is one of the ingredients in the "mole", but only one of many ingredients.  Don't think that it tastes as if Hershey's syrup had been poured over the tamales!

The total price for my tasty lunch?  Only 70 pesos, or less than $4 US.

Everybody into the Pool!

Last weekend, I was invited to join Alejandro, his sister Sandra, his seven-year old nephew Ezra, and a little cousin of Ezra's on a family excursion to a rustic resort.  Club Santa María is located a couple hours from Mexico City in the hills above Cuernavaca.  Half of the travel time was spent crossing the city.  At the city's southern edge we got onto the four lane toll highway that climbs over the mountains and then descends into the valley of Cuernavaca.  Long before reaching Cuernavaca however, we exited the highway and took back roads to reach the resort.

We rented a cabin which has two bedrooms, two baths, a living room and a kitchen.  There is nothing fancy about the place, but it was comfortable.

The resort has tennis courts, a volleyball and a basketball courts.  But what Ezra and his cousin wanted as soon as we were settled into our cabin was to hit the swimming pool.

Actually, I should say pools since there are three of them.  We spent the entire afternoon there.  

Alejandro grilled dinner for us.  In the town we had earlier picked up beefsteaks and "longaniza" (a type of sausage) as well as onions and "nopales" (cactus paddles... thorns removed, of course).  The grill was a bit primitive... no charcoal briquettes or charcoal starter fluid.  We were provided with chunks of charred wood... what people used back in the days before you went to the store and bought a bag of charcoal.

One thing that was lacking was picnic tables.  So we carried the table and chairs from the kitchen outside so that we could dine "al fresco".

In the evening we roasted marshmallows over the fire in the fireplace.

I have since read reviews of the resort, and many who have been frequent visitors over the years criticized the lack of maintenance of the facilities.  In retrospect I can agree with their complaints.  But still, I thoroughly enjoyed my get-away from the city.

Days of Celebration

Today is "Día del Niño"... Children's Day... in Mexico.  It has been observed every year on April 30th since 1924 when a proclamation was made by President Alvaro Obregón and Education Minister José Vasconcelos.  Alejandro´s nephew has school today, but it will be a day long "fiesta" for him and his classmates.  Alejandro was somewhat surprised that we do not have something similar in the United States.

Tomorrow, May 1st, is Mexico's equivalent to our Labor Day in the United States.  It is one of the few legal holidays in which the date does not change in order to create a three-day weekend.  Schools, banks, federal offices, and many businesses are closed, and parades organized by labor unions are held.

Saturday, May 5th... "Cinco de Mayo"... commemorates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.  (Hopefully, by this time, enough articles have been written about the day's significance that "gringos" no longer think that it is Mexican Independence Day!)  Outside of the state of Puebla, "Cinco de Mayo" is not a legal holiday.  However, in the Mexico City neighborhood of San Juan de Aragón (where Alejandro lives) a reenactment of the battle between the Mexicans and the French is staged, and the sound of rifles and fireworks is already a noisy annoyance to Alejandro and his family.

May 10th is Mexico's Mother's Day.  The celebration is a fixed date unlike Mother's Day in the United States which is always on a Sunday.  It will most surely be a sad occasion for Alejandro and his family since he lost his mother three months ago.   

My Words Come Back to Bite Me

Whenever I take friends or relatives to Mexico I tell them to ignore sensationalistic news reports about how dangerous Mexico is.  The greatest danger facing tourists are the terrible sidewalks.  A couple years ago I even wrote a post with pictures of the uneven and broken sidewalks and the gaping holes in the concrete utility covers.  

Last Thursday, in spite of the warnings that I always give others, I fell victim to that great danger.  I was walking to the supermarket.  As I stepped off the curb, the pavement had a depression that I didn't notice.  I twisted my left ankle and fell to my knees.  I got up, and, after the initial pain, I thought that no damage was done.  I walked to Superama, did my shopping, and returned to the apartment with no discomfort.  Obviously, no bones were broken.  However, after sitting for a while, the ankle started to ache.  I was hobbling around the apartment like an old cripple.  By the next day, walking was easier, but my ankle and foot were swollen and there were black and blue marks all over.

Each day it gets a little better.  I only suffer an occasional twinge of pain.  The swelling is starting to go down, and the black and blue marks have faded a bit.

Obviously, I am now being cautious to the point of paranoia as I walk down the dangerous streets of Mexico City!