Trip to Mexico City, March 2006
For about 10 days in March, I went to visit my friend José in
Mexico City. I know him from the first time that I went to Germany, back
in 98-99. My brother Paul also came for a lot of the trip. We saw
quite a few things in D.F. (Mexico City's handle, if you're hip), but we also
traveled around the region a bit. Here's a few pictures:
This is my friend and charming host, José. The guy on the left
with the sandwich is Ivan. He's tougher and more hard-core than you.
A picture of a group of us playing poker one night. José lives
in an area of Mexico City called Barranca Del Muerto ("Cliff of the Dead"),
which is likely the coolest neighborhood name ever.
Here's José's friend Fernando in the midst of making animal
sounds, much to the delight of his girlfriend Fernanda, and Ivan.
Looking at this sign on the road towards the pyramids outside
Mexico City, it's perhaps easy to understand why driving in Mexico is scary as
hell. Pittsburgh has traditionally been my favorite city, but D.F. is giving
Pitt a run for its money. D.F. is like Pittsburgh on methamphetamines.
The line going up (right) and down (left) at the Pyramid of
the Sun at Teotihuacán, outside Mexico City.
A very serious-looking guy blessing people by ringing bells
over their heads at the Pyramid of the Sun.
José and Ivan at the pyramid.
Ivan getting shade from Joe, a guy from Denver. On the left is
Ivan's girlfriend Claudia.
Me, José, and Paul in front of the Pyramid of the Moon.
José coming down the Pyramid of the Moon. Even if he didn't
have the awesome red socks, he'd still basically be a rock star.
A light-up Benito Juarez sign what-have-you in D.F.
Sleeping Beauty: Paul was a hell of a trooper. He stayed up
for like six days straight without food or water before he met us in Mexico, so
we finally let him have a half hour nap before the free Manu Chao concert.
I love this picture. It was taken at the free Manu Chao
concert given in the Zocalo. Depending on what you read, up to 200,000
people were in the square. Many--like this girl--were short and bought
homemade periscopes in order to see the stage.
Paul making a cow face. Or else an annoyed face because every
city in the world these days seems to have quirky cows or bears or horses or
something.
The Aztec cow in front of the museum.
The cow-y replica of the angel at the top of a tower in D.F.
Paul and I with our Mexican girlfriends. See, this joke is
funny because they're Japanese. And because we had no idea why they wanted a
picture with us. Maybe they thought we were Mexican. And how come in every
picture with a Japanese tourist, someone's flashing a peace sign?
Paul and I by a Virgen de Guadalupe shrine. In a parking
garage. Qué País!
Our new friend, Dagia. Here she's warning us that the area
we're driving through is "worse than the Bronx." Even though it was the middle
of market day, and kids were playing. And I don't think she's been to the Bronx,
either.
"Child-like Wonder."
Dagia and I at the top of a skyscraper.
This and the next few pictures resulted when we got really
into taking pictures of us in front of the tool on the wall behind us at a
coffee shop.
One of Dagia.
One of me.
Some tasty flan that I ate in Puebla. Although it sort of
looks like brain in brain sauce, I guess.
The cool thing (sometimes) about being a tourist is not
knowing what the hell is going on. Like when you see a building that says
"museum," and when you go inside to use the john, the courtyard has a big-assed
canvas thing over it.
An orange or lemon tree, as seen through the wall of a
building that was getting renovated. Or maybe a building that was just trashy.
I thought this picture of Puebla was cool because of the
various ages of the various things sticking up into the sky.
The angel.
This was taken in a village called Tepoztlan. This picture
shows part of a wall surrounding a church courtyard. The entire facade of the
front wall was made of various seeds and grains.
A close-up of the wall.
Another one.
Paul at a restaurant called Colorines, in Tepoztlan. The
restaurant was sort of like Casa Bonita, only authentic. And without repulsive
food.
One of the cooks at Colorines, doing her thing. That thing
would be cooking.
Another picture of the wall outside of the church.
I included this picture because Paul got hassled for taking it.
We were at a grocery store in D.F., and he wanted a picture of this 3-Liter
bottle of tequila, but after he'd taken it, a store employee came over and said
we weren't allowed to take pictures. Sucker.