city at night

city at night

Monday, February 27, 2023

A Family Gathering

I have mentioned on previous trips Alejandro's Aunt Araceli and Uncle Salvador.  One of their grandchildren, Eric, lives in Guadalajara with his wife and children.  This weekend they were back in Mexico City for a visit, so that, of course, called for a family gathering.  The group included not just Araceli and Salvador's family, but the in-laws from Eric's wife's family.  So, I did not know half of the group.  Even Alejandro didn't know many of them.


The setting for our get together was Cuemanco Park which is in Xochimilco on the south side of the city.  


With more than 1000 people in the park enjoying a Sunday afternoon outing, it could hardly be called an idyllic location.  However, it is a nice place for family gatherings.  A spot had been reserved for us.  A canopy, tables and chairs were provided. 



In addition to the pop, beer and snacks which everyone brought, Eric had ordered "tacos de canasta" (basket tacos).



"Tacos de canasta" have that name because they are transported and sold from baskets.  They are tightly packed into the basket to keep them warm.  It is amazing how many tacos are in one medium-sized basket, up to 150.  There were enough to feed us all, and each of us probably had at least four tacos.


The fillings for the "tacos de canasta" were the traditional frijoles, potato, "chicharrón" (pork rind) and "adobo" (a kind of sauce).  The tacos are bathed in oil, so they are very greasy... but very tasty.  I've always considered the "tacos de canasta" that are sold on the street, to be a good way to get "Montezuma's revenge", but (fingers crossed) I have not had any ill-effects.

At these large social gatherings, I always feel a bit like a wallflower.  My mind can't keep up with all the rapid-fire conversations going on in Spanish all around me, and I feel ashamed that I can't remember the names of all of Alejandro's relatives.  Nevertheless, it was a pleasant afternoon.  And hopefully, someday I will be able to keep track of the names of all the members of Alejandro's large family.  

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