Inquisitive Spirit

The *New*  *Improved*  Mexico City

Mexico City is a dirty, overcrowded, polluted stinky city, right?    Not so fast….   Maybe it used to be all of those things, but times have changed. New regulations and new attitudes are helping turn this huge metropolis into a greener, calmer and healthier place to be.

When I first visited Mexico City in 1987, I immediately got a ‘cold’, had difficulties breathing, my eyes hurt and it smelled really bad outside.

Since then, the government has committed to finding sustainable solutions to the challenges posed by such a large population. They have made huge industrial technology improvements and imposed regular vehicle emission inspections. They implemented a strictly enforced program where people cannot use their car one day out of the week, hopefully motivating them to use public transport instead.

The subway has been expanded and you can move from one side of the city to the other quickly and easily. In central, you won’t see big diesel spewing buses, instead there are many smaller microbuses going all over the place. They are much more efficient and as long as you don’t suffer from claustrophobia, they are a good way to get around. Something else new are bicycle taxis. They are like rickshaws, but a little more modern. If you don’t have far to go, this is a handy and fun mode of transportation.

Environmental conditions are constantly monitored and reported, making people aware on a daily basis just how things really are. The education system is bringing change as well. Younger generations are now learning about littering, recycling, and the importance of caring for their surroundings. Thin non-biodegradable plastic bags are now banned in stores. There are garbage cans everywhere along with signs encouraging people to use them.

A new program that is having startlingly good success is ‘Ecobici’ bike-sharing.

You register online and you then have the option of using a bike from any of the many locations. You buy credit similar to ‘pay as you go’ options for cell phones. When you reach your destination, you just leave the bike at the nearest ‘bike stop’. Whoever thought you’d see dedicated bike lanes in the heart of busy Mexico City!

Instead of having the entire center of the historical district open to traffic, they have closed off one of the main streets, now allowing only pedestrians. This makes it so much more pleasant to walk around. Although it gets really crowded too!

Something that makes me especially happy is the amount of green space.

For example, along Reforma, which is one of the busiest, most important arteries in the city, there are many parks, with pine trees, park benches and lots of beautiful sculptures… and even a carousel for the kids to play on.

Instead of seeing concrete and skyscrapers everywhere, you notice the swaying palm trees and lavender colored jacarandas.  And you remember that you really are in Mexico!

The environment of the classic government buildings has changed as well. Instead of the usual restored heritage buildings, complete with murals and classic sculptures, we discovered a calming Zen garden full of pyramids with water swirling around in gentle spirals. It’s good psychology, the fountain relaxes you so much that you can bear the long waits that bureaucracy causes….

My visit to Mexico City this year opened my eyes to the changes that can be made, must be made and are being made to care for Mother Earth.

Viva Mexico!!!

You never quite know what you’ll see when you go for a morning walk in San Miguel. And of course, that is enough motivation for this inquisitive spirit….   Instead of a thousand words, here are some pictures…

 A lonely street

 Colourful street sign

Early bird looking for a handout

Street sweeper (look closely at her broom)

Mixed messages…

Entrance to 160 stairs

The view is worth the climb!

You are enchanting, San Miguel de Allende.

Your sounds…. the melodic church bells calling the faithful to mass… the sudden explosion of fireworks in the middle of the night…mariachis crooning soft romantic songs and then the sudden blare of their trumpets… boasting roosters crowing at weird intervals throughout the day… the barking of dueling roof dogs… the deep bass of car stereos blasting out of car windows…the long whistle of the knife sharpener… donkeys braying, swaying under their heavy loads of topsoil…  the loud unintelligible cries of the food vendors passing by…the giggling of children, playing street soccer with an old pop bottle… 

Your colors… flouncy skirts of folkloric dancers – in intense magenta, sunshine yellow, fire engine red, vibrant green and brilliant blue… enormous feather headdresses and shiny sequined costumes of the nearly naked Aztec dancers… the crazy purple and pink houses… brightly patterned ceramic tiles… the abundant plastic stores… older women dressed in serious striped blouses with lively flowered skirts and checkered sweaters… rich wild bougainvilleas cascading over sober gray stone walls…the balloon man with his wide array of toys for the young and young at heart…

Your smells… fresh corn roasting over wood coals, enticing skewers of perfectly seasoned pork, taco stands with their rich mix of tummy-growling aromas, Margarita’s palamita popcorn… copal incense…. the sweet perfume of  flowers wafting in the air…

Your tastes… homemade mango ice cream laced with hot chili… chicken tamales for breakfast along with warm drinks of atole…  tacos made of many different animal parts, delicious but better not to ask… lamb barbacoa – roasted in a pit and served in consome and corn tacos… hot chocolate and churros for dessert…

Your ambiance… the open friendly faces of the Mexican people, laughing and gently correcting foreigner’s Spanglish… sharing coffee and stories with friends, new and old…  hours spent in the jardin, watching the ‘tourists’ go by, mouths wide open in awe, seeing the Parroquia for the first or the hundredth time… the families, hand in hand, children dressed in their finest, their excitement spreading contagiously… 

San Miguel de Allende, you really are a magical place. Every day spent here is a gift straight from heaven.

Exploring small towns in Oaxaca is quite the adventure. Driving through them, they all kind of look the same. Dusty and deserted, they make you wonder what the people are up to. Then you stop and enter the dark, unobtrusive buildings. They suddenly spring to life with marvellous creations hidden inside, and you are hooked.  You want to see more…

Teotitlan del Valle

First, squish a dead dried up bug, then sprinkle water on it. It will turn bright red! Then add lime juice and it will turn a shocking orange. Put on a little baking soda and you’ll have purple.

For blue, it isn’t quite as exciting. You just dry an indigo plant and use it like chalk.

This is the process still used by traditional Oaxacan carpet weavers to make their natural tints.

Here in Teotitlan, the entire population of the town works together as a coop. Every member of the community participates preparing the wool, whether hand carding, cleaning, spinning, or dying it.

Then on big wooden looms, they weave this wool into beautiful traditional carpets. Some of the younger generation are now making newer modern designs, but they still incorporate the age-old methods to create them.

Mexcal factory

Mexcal, hmmm, very interesting! It is actuallypretty good, who knew?  In many of the ‘home breweries’ they demonstrate how they make this smoky liquor. The procedure hasn’t changed since they first discovered that the agave cactus had ‘magic properties’. Mexcal is made using the heart of the plant, which looks like a giant pineapple. A horse does most of the work, going around and around in circles, pulling an enormous stone wheel, which mashes the plant and extracts the juice. The mash is then cooked in wood ovens giving it a musky, smoky flavour. Finally it is put into big vats and left to ferment.  For extra flair – they add a worm to every bottle!

San Bartolo Coyotepec

Entering the workshop, pictures and news clippings immediately grab your attention. Images fill the back wall like a page in a giant scrapbook. The focus of this homage is captured in a brilliant ebony clay sculpture.

Doña Rosa was a small Mexican woman who made a humble living making simple items in clay. But in the 1950s, it occurred to her to try something different. What would happen if she polished the clay before firing it? Experimenting with this, she found that instead of the usual dull gray colour, it turned a shiny black.

With this discovery, she changed the life and economy of her friends and neighbours.

Now her community of Coyotepec is known throughout the world for the ‘Oaxacan black pottery’ they produce.

San Antonio Arrazola

A tiny little town with grand ideas!

Carvers create wild fantasy figures from wood. They can be disassembled and reassembled easily, like a puzzle. They are painted in very colourful intricate designs.

These extraordinary figures are known as alebrijes. They can be very small simple figures or huge complicated creations.

As in many of the small towns in Oaxaca, the members of the community get together in workshops and produce and sell the items in a coop. The men generally carve the figures and the women paint them.

These wooden treasures are just plain fun!

The skilled artisans of Oaxaca are known and respected worldwide. It is easy to see why…

Oaxaca is a state full of history – and the cool thing is that a lot of the archeological sites are very close to Oaxaca City, making it very easy to explore…..

Monte Albán

An important Zapateca site, Monte Albán is is very impressive, both visually and energetically.

There are several large pyramids and altars with a big empty field lying between the well-preserved ruins. While walking over the seemingly bare stretch of land, I got the feeling that there was movement all around me – and below me. I realized that Monte Albán is like a giant ant hill. We were walking on the surface enjoying the sights around us, but underneath lies a labyrinth of tunnels. I had the sensation that there were still some Zapateca guys running around down there… This feeling was reinforced when I came upon an entrance – to nowhere – or maybe to the underworld… There are old worn stone steps leading down into the ground…. I am sure they are still being used, albeit by spirits.

The ruins are situated on top of a dry grass covered mountain close to Oaxaca City.

Several tombs were discovered there, and the treasures of the richest one are displayed in the downtown museum. Gold, gold and more gold!

Intricate jewelry with jade and turquoise – and hand carved crystal goblets! Imagine the excitement of the archaeologist when he unearthed this find!

On an adjoining mountain, excavation is underway and this site will soon be ready for visitors as well! New wonders to behold…

Cuilapan de Guerrero

Cuilapan is the site of a 500 year old church and monastery.

It is like a fortress – very old – very interesting. The color of the stones, the strength of the huge pillars, the ornate facades speak of the appreciation the Spaniards had for beauty.

The afternoon that we visited this ancient church, they were holding a mass in the chapel. I wondered how similar it was to the ones they held 5 centuries ago…

Mitla

Mitla is an ancient ceremonial site unique for its GREEK designs.

It was pretty strange being in the heart of Mexico looking at the Greek geometric designs on the ruins.

This site was apparently for the rich people – there were several palaces and everything was very ornate.

The town of Mitla is built around the ruins, so much so in fact that one of the courtyards is wide open for kids to play soccer, drunks can pee, etc.

The Spaniards built a church right on top of some of the ancient buildings.

There are signs explaining this (negatively of course) but the town is now allowing houses to be built over the courtyard of the church…

You can really see the history in the different levels – and the destruction of one culture making room for another.

The more places I visit in Mexico, the more questions I have.

Who were the people that lived here? Where did they come from? Why the links with Greece & Turkey? How? When? Why? Where? What? It is all so confusing. The mystery whets the appetite…. Travelling does not answer questions, it gives you new things to ponder…