The day after Christmas Day we awoke to a very nice morning with lots of sunshine. But, even though there had been much less traffic on Christmas Day, there was still too much smog the following morning to see the mountains around the city. Once in awhile you got a glimpse of them, but most of the time they were shrouded in a brown haze.
Our daughter took a bath in the big, round tub with some of the bubble bath (bubujas - pronounced boo-boo-hahs) provided. It took quite awhile for warm water to get up to our faucet on the 15th floor, so I wondered about water pressure capacities in this huge city. Just think of all the washing and bathing being done by 20,000,000 people! After she finished bathing, David and I took baths, and then we dressed and headed out to buy some more of the tiny bananas and yogurt at the market. We also found the pasteleria (pastry shop) open, and picked up several delicious rolls. The pasteleria was quite an interesting place. You entered the door, picked up a tray and tongs, and went from one counter to another trying to decide which delicious kind of bread or pastry you would try. There were so many things we had never seen before - and we do like to experiment! Most of the time we were not disappointed. We took our rolls, fruit and yogurt to the boulevard between the two sections of Paseo de la Reforma. And, there, under the watchful gaze of El Angel (El An-hel), we ate, seated on a stone bench beneath a huge palm tree. Along the Paseo de la Reforma there are several monuments to illustrious men, including Simon Bolivar, Columbus, Pasteur, and Cuauhtemoc (the successor to Moctezuma after Cortes arrived in 'New Spain'). The Monumento a la Independencia - as El Angel is actually called - is a Corinthian column topped by a golden angel, and beneath the pedestal lie the remains of the principal heroes of the Independence Movement, and an eternal flame burns in their honor. If you would like to see this monument, Wikipedia has a typical photo of it. Just type in El Angel Mexico City to your search engine and you should find a photo of it.
Most building in the Zona Rosa area are two or three stories high. Many of them were originally private homes built in the 1920s for the wealthy. As space became restricted, the families moved elsewhere, and the buildings were converted into business establishments. All the streets are named after European cities, such as Florencia, Londres, Sevilla, Genova, Liverpool, and Roma.
After breakfast we went to the metro station and headed back to Chapultepec Park. We exited at Chapultepec metro station and walked through the park to the Museo Nacional de Antropologia (National Museum of Anthropology). Each person entering the museum purchased a ticket which was in two segments. The smaller end of the ticket was torn off along perforations, and the remaining portion was a souvenir postcard of Coatlicue - goddess of the earth and of death. Neat idea for an admission ticket!
We spent four hours touring the collections of this interesting place. The museum covers nearly 100,000 sq. ft., and as the guide book suggested, four hours was barely enough time to see it, but enough to make us weary anyway. The museum has 12 rooms on the ground floor including pre-classical cultures - Teotihuacan (Tay-oh-tee-wah-con - the earliest inhabitants of the Mexico City area - before the Aztecs conquered these people), the Toltecs, Oaxaca, the Maya, and the areas north and west of Mexico. The 'Aztec Calendar Stone' and profusely feathered Aztec headdresses, reconstructed Maya temples, and reproductions of the Maya paintings from the ruins of Bonampak are some of the highlights. There are displays of statuary, jewelry, weapons, clay figurines, pottery from the unusual and often bloodthirsty civilizations that occupied the area in early times. The upper floor has nine rooms with displays of current indigenous peoples in realistic settings.
After seeing all we had time and patience for, we purchased some souvenirs in the museum shop, and headed back to the metro station.
One interesting thing we found in the metro system as we used it to get around in the city was the recent discovery of a pyramid that had been buried, but was dug out when the subway was constructed.
After seeing all we had time and patience for, we purchased some souvenirs in the museum shop, and headed back to the metro station.
One interesting thing we found in the metro system as we used it to get around in the city was the recent discovery of a pyramid that had been buried, but was dug out when the subway was constructed.
This is part of the pyramid that was discovered when the digging was underway for the metro system. This is located at the Pino Suarez area of the subway.
Another view of the Pino Suarez pyramid.
Still another view of this interesting finding beneath the ground. It is said that cities are built on top of cities, and all around the world, we are finding that this is indeed true.
By this time, the metro was quite crowded, but we just squeezed in among the natives, and acted like we felt very sure of ourselves. I found that smiling at the little children brought looks of kindness and friendship from many of the people from whom we were so completely separated by our lack of language skills. Children are highly valued in Mexico.
We checked out of the Hotel Century and carried our luggage - much to the chagrin of the many hopeful fellows trying to earn a few pesos out on the street - to the Hotel Geneve, where I had reserved rooms for the rest of our stay in Mexico City. The Geneve is about $30 cheaper per night than the Century, and with a family discount, we ended up paying only about $49 a night there. If I were to return to the Zona Rosa, I would make reservations there. The Century was very nice, and secure-feeling for newcomers - but it's charge of $102 per night was really a bit too high for our budget of that time. We found our rooms at the Geneve to be quite comfortable, and really very unique with lots of carved wooden furniture. The view from the windows in both rooms we used at this hotel looked out onto the roof of 'El Jardin' - the 'garden room' restaurant - which was composed of skylights. But, on the interior side of the hotel, the rooms were quiet (as we had requested), and really quite nice. We felt quite a lot more 'at home' by then, so we even left our windows open at night without much concern. There just did not seem to be much worry about robbery in the Zona Rosa. Mostly it occurs out in the more poor areas of the city and at some of the crowded tourist attractions, but we were never bothered by anyone. Of course, we wore our identification papers, transportation tickets, and traveler's checks inside our jeans in the nylon 'wallets' I had made before the trip. These were attached to an elastic 'belt' that fastened around our waists, and the nylon wallets had Velcro fastenings that made it very hard for anyone to gain access to those special 'pockets.' I did have a regular belt bag around my waist where I carried some of my pesos, and personal items. The only time I noticed anyone looking at my purse was when a couple of little boys were oggling at me at an ice cream parlor to see just where I had my cash hidden. But, I smiled at them, and they just giggled and disappeared into the crowd.
Our daughter, trying to look gruff, in the lobby of Hotel Geneve near their book store.
Oil paintings and beautifully carved furniture was everywhere in the lobby at Hotel Geneve.
This was a seating area in the lobby at the hotel. Notice the plant-filled courtyard outside the window. It was a really beautiful hotel, and I would love to go back there again!
This was the night stand and stool between the two beds in our room at the Hotel Geneve. Notice the hand-made cloth doll on the table. We bought it from one of the street merchants outside the hotel.
Carved Mexican Colonial dresser at the hotel room. Hmmm. The pinata looks quite familiar!
Even the luggage rack table was ornately carved. Absolutely beautiful!
After checking into the Hotel Geneve, we changed some money into pesos, went to our room to get things organized, and then returned to the street to find 'Focolare' Restaurant. It had sounded interesting in the Frommer's Travel Guide.
I was interested to note the difference between the holiday scene in the Zona Rosa when there were no vendors around and few places open, and a regular business day such as that Wednesday was - a whole different scene! Vendors stands were along every street every several yards or so. I wondered if they rented the spaces on a regular basis. Of course, the beggars were back - some just holding a hand out, some with small kids who either helped sew doll clothing or walked up to people with their little plastic animal-shaped containers to beg for a few pesos. We had to avoid looking at them so that we wouldn't get mobbed every time we exited from our hotel. There were lots of men on the street offering taxi service, information, directions, tours to the 'piramides' or to the mercado (market), selling lace table cloths, serapes, and just about anything one can carry around to hawk. We just smiled, and said, "No, gracias," and hurried quickly past them. After awhile they began to recognize us and we were left alone most of the time.
Focolare was an 'experience.' We were ushered to our seats in a plant-filled courtyard with a high ceiling which was strung with row upon row of baskets overhead. There was a pretty fountain in the center of the courtyard, and every-so-often, a rooster crowed from its cage on the mezzanine. The menu had all kinds of Mexican specialties from all over the country. I ordered a 'refresco' made from lime juice and chia seeds. It was a sort of clear color, but thick and kind of slimy with tiny seeds floating in it - a bit sweet and very good. (I can now get chia seeds in my grocery store, and now I will have to see if I can locate a recipe for this drink online...ummmm!) David had a 'horchata' refresco which was a milky-colored drink with a sweet, but not-too-sweet flavor. Both were non-alcoholic. Our daughter had mineral water 'con gas' (with gas, or carbonated). We all had ice in our drinks when they arrived, and when I asked the 'camerero' (waiter) if the ice was made from purified water, he was a bit miffed, and said, "Of course!"
We began a conversation with a couple at a nearby table. They were in their 60s, I guessed, and were from New York, traveling together on a trip until Jan. 15. Apparently, they had been in Mexico before. They asked if we had found Focolare's in the recommendations from our Frommer's guide book which I had on the table. They then held up their copy! We told them that we would be traveling by train to Oaxaca, and they decided maybe they would try a trip to Guadalahara by train. They'd been to Oaxaca by bus - a nine-hour trip. They said the train ride is about 14 hours, the tracks are narrow, and the train is slow as it goes through the mountains, with a lot of twisting and turning. I thought it sounded like fun...
Our daughter had to trade addresses with the woman, but we'll see if she ever writes. She is very good at asking for addresses, but not so good about writing the letters.
Our dinner was very good. Our daughter had a chicken and masa harina (corn flour) combination with tomatoes and sauce served on a banana leaf 'dish.' David had a grilled pork dish called 'poc chok,' served with some very hot peppers. He also had a soup consisting of broth with chicken and tortilla pieces (probably the now familiar chicken tortilla soup!) I had some pork ribs served in a green hot sauce with white rice. I squeeze lime juice over it all and it was delicious. David and I each had one of the wonderful Mexican beers with our meal. The butter came wrapped in a corn husk on a plate with the limes cut up just right for squeezing over your food. Also served were 'salsa verde' (green sauce) and 'salsa roja' (red sauce - very hot!) I had flan for dessert.
While we were eating, three mariachis came out onto the stairway leading to the balcony or mezzanine, and they began to sing. Some people had their pictures taken with them while they were singing (for a price, of course). Later they walked over to one table and serenaded the couple sitting there. This service can be arranged, if you wish to be serenaded. While we finished eating, our daughter smiled coyly at one of the mariachis, and he carried on a regular flirtation with her across the room. He even waved when she left. She ate it up, but was embarrassed, too.
Focolare's serves a different 'mole' sauce for every day of the week. Mole (mo-lay - long vowel sounds) sauce is a hot and spicy sauce made with many different spices and with chocolate and sometimes cinnamon in it. It can also have ground nuts, and is usually served over chicken or turkey. You can now find it in glass jars in some grocery stores in Iowa, and we quite often get a jar and heat it up, put in cooked chicken and serve it over cooked rice. Yum! Focolare had a wonderful menu with so many different and unusual offerings that we'll never get to try...oh, the agony of choices!
After returning to our room, I checked on tours to the pyramids and to the Ballet Folklorico, as we wanted to be sure to see both of those attractions. David washed our undies in the bathroom sink while I looked into the possibility of the tours. Later we hung the clothes on our nylon clothesline that we brought with us in the bathroom, using large safety pins to attach them. Socks and underpants everywhere in the bathroom!
David decided that he wanted to check out the Zocalo (plaza), so he left to take the metro there, while our daughter and I rested and read. By this time, she had another of her 'pollution' headaches, so welcomed the chance to relax. Later we left at about 6 p.m. to go buy pastries for breakfast. We also looked at some interesting craft shops, ate some ice cream cones at Helado's Bing - a popular ice cream shop located near our hotel in the Zona Rosa. We also found this same chain of ice cream shops in Puerto Vallarta. Our daughter got a pistachio cone and I had a coffee ice cream cone. When we returned to the hotel, David was back. The Zocalo sounded interesting, so we decided we might all go together after returning from Oaxaca.
We all went back out onto the street, bought some yogurt drink (strawberry) which we thought might be easier to consume from a bottle than from a cup like regular yogurt, since we didn't have any spoons. When we ate yogurt before, we just sort of 'spilled' the yogurt into our mouths, and tried to lick out the remnants from the cups. On this shopping trip, we also bought some cheese which we thought might be something like cream cheese, but which was sliced off of a big wheel. The man standing near us at the market told us how to order 'cien gramas' (100 grams), which turned out to be just a nice-sized slice. We bought some string cheese for our daughter, some V8 juice for me, and a couple of bottles of fruit punch. Then we went to Muller's (a very nice onyx shop) to look at a table that David said he 'wants.' The table turned out to be a huge square coffee table of beige marbled onyx with an Aztec calendar carved into the top. The base was carved to represent Aztec designs such as seen on the ruin walls. The table was beautiful...and probably weighed at least a ton! It was priced at about $3,100.00 pesos, or about $1,000.00. (Later when we could get into the store, we saw the price-tag which said it cost about $700.00 - but we were sure it would cost at least that much to ship it.) Anyway, it was beautiful!
We then went to a coffee shop called 'Duca de Este,' where we had our evening snack. Our daughter had a fruit tart consisting of a crust with custard filling covered with pineapple in glace on the top (oh, for more choices in punctuation on this blog site...hard to write in Spanish without those accent marks!) She also had hot chocolate. David had date cake and 'te de negro' (black tea), and I had anise tea. Then we went to the hotel to get some shuteye!
Focolare's serves a different 'mole' sauce for every day of the week. Mole (mo-lay - long vowel sounds) sauce is a hot and spicy sauce made with many different spices and with chocolate and sometimes cinnamon in it. It can also have ground nuts, and is usually served over chicken or turkey. You can now find it in glass jars in some grocery stores in Iowa, and we quite often get a jar and heat it up, put in cooked chicken and serve it over cooked rice. Yum! Focolare had a wonderful menu with so many different and unusual offerings that we'll never get to try...oh, the agony of choices!
After returning to our room, I checked on tours to the pyramids and to the Ballet Folklorico, as we wanted to be sure to see both of those attractions. David washed our undies in the bathroom sink while I looked into the possibility of the tours. Later we hung the clothes on our nylon clothesline that we brought with us in the bathroom, using large safety pins to attach them. Socks and underpants everywhere in the bathroom!
David decided that he wanted to check out the Zocalo (plaza), so he left to take the metro there, while our daughter and I rested and read. By this time, she had another of her 'pollution' headaches, so welcomed the chance to relax. Later we left at about 6 p.m. to go buy pastries for breakfast. We also looked at some interesting craft shops, ate some ice cream cones at Helado's Bing - a popular ice cream shop located near our hotel in the Zona Rosa. We also found this same chain of ice cream shops in Puerto Vallarta. Our daughter got a pistachio cone and I had a coffee ice cream cone. When we returned to the hotel, David was back. The Zocalo sounded interesting, so we decided we might all go together after returning from Oaxaca.
We all went back out onto the street, bought some yogurt drink (strawberry) which we thought might be easier to consume from a bottle than from a cup like regular yogurt, since we didn't have any spoons. When we ate yogurt before, we just sort of 'spilled' the yogurt into our mouths, and tried to lick out the remnants from the cups. On this shopping trip, we also bought some cheese which we thought might be something like cream cheese, but which was sliced off of a big wheel. The man standing near us at the market told us how to order 'cien gramas' (100 grams), which turned out to be just a nice-sized slice. We bought some string cheese for our daughter, some V8 juice for me, and a couple of bottles of fruit punch. Then we went to Muller's (a very nice onyx shop) to look at a table that David said he 'wants.' The table turned out to be a huge square coffee table of beige marbled onyx with an Aztec calendar carved into the top. The base was carved to represent Aztec designs such as seen on the ruin walls. The table was beautiful...and probably weighed at least a ton! It was priced at about $3,100.00 pesos, or about $1,000.00. (Later when we could get into the store, we saw the price-tag which said it cost about $700.00 - but we were sure it would cost at least that much to ship it.) Anyway, it was beautiful!
We then went to a coffee shop called 'Duca de Este,' where we had our evening snack. Our daughter had a fruit tart consisting of a crust with custard filling covered with pineapple in glace on the top (oh, for more choices in punctuation on this blog site...hard to write in Spanish without those accent marks!) She also had hot chocolate. David had date cake and 'te de negro' (black tea), and I had anise tea. Then we went to the hotel to get some shuteye!
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