Sunday Strollin'

If I remember correctly, I visited Tepoztlan on my very first trip to Mexico. And ever since then, every time we go, we end up at El Ciruelo for lunch. There is no better way to end the weekend than with an ice cold clamato con cerveza on a lazy Sunday with not a care in the world. And their sopes con queso de cabra* are to die for.

*these sopes are little corn tortillas (a little thicker than a normal tortilla you use for tacos) filled with beans and topped with goat cheese, lettuce, and fresh cream. Add a little salsa verde and you are all set!

In 2001, Mexico's Secretary of Tourism launched a program called Pueblos Magicos in an effort to promote towns across the country that are places with "symbolism, legends, history, important events, day-to-day life, in other words "magic" in its social and cultural manifestations, with great opportunities for tourism." The complete list of pueblos magicos can be found on their website, and I've also posted it here:

You may have noticed that Tepoztlan is currently not part of actual list, but it was one of the first towns to be added in 2002. To be considered a pueblo magico, the town must comply with certain requirements that are upheld every year, and unfortunately, Tepoztlan was not able to. Their prestigious title was removed last year.

Regardless, we still had a good time strolling the streets after our delicious lunch. To be fair though, you should be prepared to share the quaint streets with a million other tourists there to do the same thing as you. The Sunday flea market attracts plenty of attention.

As the sun was setting and the vendors were packing up, I added another 'to-do' on my never ending list:

VISIT TEPOZ DURING THE WEEK

I'm sure there is a completely different vibe without the hoards of people.

Tepoztlan

View Larger Map

El Ciruelo

Zaragoza 17

Barrio la Santisima

Tepoztlan, Morelos

(739)3951203

200 years in the making...

If you happen to live in Mexico or have spent time here recently (or if you are Mexican I should hope you know this) you may have gathered that 2010 is the Bicentenario - 200 years since the Independence of Mexico on September 15th 1810.

Mexican Declaration of Independence

Since we moved here 6 months ago, one of the first things I noticed were these signs that seemingly popped up everywhere:

Ruta 2010 signs are on highways around the country to mark important routes used by the revolutionaries during the fight for freedom from the Spanish Crown. The other stamp is on everything the government declares is part of the celebration; which of course is everything.

As we fast approach September (and if 2010 flies like 2009 did, that will feel like next week!), you get a sense that people are really gearing up for this year's grito celebrations. If on any ordinary year it is already a huge party, I imagine that 2010 is going to be a never ending fiesta.

As part of the preparations, Televisa is producing a number of short clips called the Estrellas del Bicentenario, which feature different states of Mexico. The first one out is of Chihuahua:

Now, doesn't that make you want to take a year off and go visit every place imaginable in Mexico, starting with running through el Desierto de Samalayuca with a flow-y white dress? What a beautiful country, no? I can't wait until the rest of the clips are available.

Lots to celebrate, but also a lot to learn. I remember studying Mexican history back in university for a Latin American Business course, but of course it is only hitting home now. I started at the Castillo de Chapultepec, but there are many incredible museums to visit around the city. If the cold is keeping you in your pantuflas however, check out the website of the Bicentenario for some lessons - and of course there is always Wikipedia.

Brrr!!!

Residents of Mexico City have been warned that tonight's cold front will drop temperatures to 3 degrees Celsius during the early hours of Saturday morning.

Officials are urging the capitalinos to dress warm and take caution. Schools today registered high rates of absentees. The traffic is noticeably less chaotic. People are staying indoors to keep warm.*

*which is almost pointless considering 99.9% of housing in Mexico doesn't have central heating.

As all this happens, I think about my brother, who this morning walked to work through the snow in -4 degree weather...and of my Mom sitting in Finland with my grandparents enjoy the -20 degree freeze.

Everything is relative.

What did you get for Christmas?

Tengo que presumir unos regalitos. I guess the correct translation would be I have to show off a few presents - but somehow it doesn't sound as snooty Spanish!

As I sit here, my feet are all warm and cozy in a pair of fleece slippers that I've lived in since I got them on Christmas Day.

And TA-DAAA! I finally have an amazing, awesome, much needed, new camera thanks to my gordo! Yehay!

Much easier for me to handle around the city than his SLR. Safer too.

Uff - this was another great gift too:

We finally have our very own Girolle! YUM YUM YUM. We promised each other healthier eating in 2010, pero ni modo, tête de moine will be part of my life forever. Now it's just a matter of saving up each time for it - at $650 pesos/kilo, it's a small luxury.

For this last Christmas 2009, my gordo and I decided that to help make our lives easier, we would each come up with a WISH LIST to give the other. Sounds fairly straightforward, right? Right, so we decided on a budget and agreed to get back to each other within a week.

7 days before Christmas in the car driving around Cuernavaca:

Me: Do you have your wish list ready?

Gordo: Yes.

Me: Ok, you go first.

Gordo: I want boxing gloves; I'm going to join the gym in January and I need gloves. But they have to be Cleto Reyes gloves.

Me: (?!?!?!?-Who is Cleto Reyes and where will I find his boxing gloves?) Um, ok.

Gordo: I also want an iPod. I've never had my own iPod. I've always used yours.

Gordo: A PlayStation 3 would be pretty awesome too.

Me: Wait, wait, wait...how am I supposed to stick to our budget and buy all that at the same time?

Gordo: Bueno, that is why it's called a wish list, it's supposed to be items you wish for. A stretch.

Me: I know, but I thought we were going to be realistic so the other could actually buy what is on the list.

Gordo: Ay, dream a little. Your turn.

Me: Um, ok.

Gordo: What's on your list?

Me: I want pantuflas.

Gordo: Pantuflas.

Me: Si.

Gordo: Your number one wish, longing, and desire this Christmas is a pair of house slippers?

Me: Um. Yes.

Me: But since we are wishing, I'd also like a designer handbag.

Gordo: Aha!

And thus, my feet are warm...

...and I hope my gordo doesn't come home with a broken nose!

3 Kings and a New Year....here we go!

Today is the feast day of the Epiphany. The Three Kings. Los Reyes Magos. When the 3 old wise men visit and pay their respects to Jesus in Bethlehem, bringing with them gold, myrrh, and frankincense.

Of all the holiday festivities over the Christmas season, I would dare to say that January 6th is probably the most anticipated and the most celebrated by Mexicans.

Christmas Day does bring gifts from Santa Claus, but the majority of presents for chamacos and chamacas (kids) come from the 3 Kings. Instead of leaving milk and cookies for Ole' Saint Nick (I personally used to leave him whiskey - according to my Pappi: last thing Santa wanted after trekking around the globe was milk*) - children leave grass and hay for the camels the Reyes Magos rode in on. Come to think of it, they should leave that for the reindeer on the 24th too...how come only Santa gets refreshments? And...they also leave their shoes out in the hopes that they will be filled with goodies.

*you can imagine how long my fantasy of Santa lasted...deprived child here.

Growing up, I remember all the beautifully decorated mangers at churches and in front of people's homes over the holidays...so it's not like this feast is foreign to me. However, Christmas Day was really more of the celebration during my childhood. On Three Kings, we would go to mass and then come home and finally take down the tree and all the decor. But no more gifts!

So in 2005, during my first trip to Mexico, I also got to experience my first Dia de Reyes - with the Rosca de Reyes and the hot chocolate and all the warmth of family and friends.

The Rosca de Reyes is a sweet bread baked in the form of a ring with a little doll (representing baby Jesus) hidden inside.

Tradition is that whoever finds it has to host a party at their house a month later for Dia de la Candelaria.

As we get older (I say we, 'cause I'm not the only one getting old dear reader!), January 6th has also come to represent something of equal importance: el fin de Guadalupe-Reyes!!! December 12th is Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe; and the start of all the holiday festivities in Mexico.

Thus, for the next 25 days, everyone is engaged in a marathon of family comidas, end-of-the-year office parties, get-togethers with friends, and new year celebrations. It literally does not STOP.

So today - the Three Kings have finally brought an end to the non-stop socializing and holiday rush, some time to detox (at least a little!), and to once again start anew on all those resolutions we make, but never seem to keep.

Maybe this year...

City Touring

WOW. If I thought time flew by fast leading up to the wedding - the three weeks post-wedding have just disappeared into thin air. Any R&R I thought I was going to get after tying the knot was really just wishful thinking on my part...I'll start with week one:

When we lived in China, we had lots of friends and family from around the world come to visit. Seriously, every other month we had someone looking to discover Shanghai - this of course meant us putting on our tour guide caps. There were occasions where we needed a little more motivation to get off the couch to go see something we had seen before, but at the end of the day, we were always surprised. There was always something waiting to be discovered in Shanghai - seeing a new art exhibit, eating at a fantastic restaurant, walking down a charming street...

One of our metas (goals) was to see something new about Mexico City every month. We didn't count on the fact that moving here, creating a home, a new job, and wedding plans would consume every waking moment of our existence. So when I had the chance to play amateur tour guide for my Mom, we decided to hop on the Mexico City Turibus. I may be biased because this is my second time on board, but - it does happen to be a pretty decent way to get a feel for the city. Especially when you get lucky with beautiful weather.

Remember how I was saying that there is always something waiting to be discovered in each city? This time for me it was another reminder of how close Mexico and the Philippines are intertwined.

We capped up the day at the Castillo de Chapultepec, right in the heart of Bosque de Chapultepec - kind of like Mexico City's version of Central Park. Not many people know that there is an actual castle in Mexico City - but yup - and it was the humble home (ahem! imperial palace) of Hapsburg Archduke Maximilian in 1864 - Emperor of Mexico. That's just a little tidbit from its vast history. Appropriately, the castle is now home to the Museo Nacional de Historia.

Of the many exhibitions throughout the museum, I spent most of my time admiring all the remaining artifacts from the Manila-Acapulco Galleons.

The trade between Mexico and the Philippines started in 1565 and continued until 1815, thus explaining so much of the similarity seen within both cultures. If you didn't get a chance to read one of my first posts, check out some of what I'm talking about here.

To really immerse yourself and get the best experience possible out of any place, whether you live there or are just visiting, you must learn its history. I've had so many Aha! moments since visiting the castillo. This is definitely one part of the city I would mind being a tour guide to again and again.

Castillo de Chapultepec

Primera Sección del Bosque de Chapultepec

Tuesday - Sunday, 9:00-17;00

$51 pesos, Sunday free

Metro: Auditorio y Chapultepec