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    • Mexiko
      Day 3

      Eine Bootsfahrt, die ist lustig...

      March 1, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

      Im Süden von Mexiko City erstreckt sich das unter der Bevölkerung beliebte Naherholungsgebiet Xochimilco. Die engen Kanalläufe und unzähligen bunte Boote erinnern schon auf den ersten Blick an das deutsche Pendant. Die Ähnlichkeit zum Spreewald ist einfach verblüffend, nur auf mexikanisch. Geschäftig versuchen Bootshändler ihre Grillware an den Mann zu bringen und kleine Orchesterboote spielen für ein kleines Trinkgeld das ersehnte Wunschkonzert. An den Ufern säumen sich grüne Wiesen und blühende Gewächshäuser.
      Bei diesem schönen Wetter einfach ein Traum.      Read more

      See translation
    • 2haralds¡Que viva México!
      Day 4

      A festival on water

      April 13 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

      The first day of the trip with "boots on the ground" was spent floating through the gardens of Xochimil and its some 100 square miles of canals.

      According to Wikipedia, "Xochimilco is best known for its canals, which are left from what was an extensive lake and canal system that connected most of the settlements of the Valley of Mexico. These canals, along with artificial islands called chinampas, attract tourists and other city residents to ride on colorful gondola-like boats called trajineras around the 170 km (110 mi) of canals. This canal and chinampa system, as a vestige of the area's precolonial past, has made Xochimilco a Works Heritage Site in 1950,"

      With long-haul flights and missed connections, it was a great way to start the trip.      Read more

    • NomadinMexico, Guatemala - full stop
      1
      Day 8

      Interesting facts in CDMX

      January 22, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      The Xochimilco https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xochimilco and Coyoacan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyoacán tour was disappointing.
      They took us onto the canals of Xochimilco. We were supposed to first ship around one hour on the canals. It took us 90 minutes to get there because of the heavy traffic. I was lucky enough to sit in front next to the guide.
      What actually happened was that there were floating kitchen, bars, mariachi singer and vendors and we were encouraged to consume. Our guide Sergio was very knowledgeable and funny, but the group was not interested in facts but kept eating, drinking and chatting away.
      Once we got the Coyoacan (historically very wealthy neighborhood) it was dark and we couldn’t see anything. One (not so) not so fun fact; Only Ex-Presidents, politicians and big time drugdealer can live there:, it is so expensive:-).

      More facts;
      - The metro in CDMX transports 7000000 people every day.
      - In 1818 the acting president of Mexicos (and his politician friends, of course all white Spaniards) pushed through a law that land could now be bought and owned. Before that the ones who worked the land were the owner. As soon as they left it, they weren’t any more. The consequence was that the President and his friends bought all the land around CDMX for 300 pesos and then sold it for much more. There was no urban planning and hence the city spread out in all directions. It’s is one of the reasons CDMX is so big.
      - CDMX is in a valley and before the city was build there was water and lagoons. Until today houses are build on platforms. The indigenous had a perfect water cleansing system. The water was perfectly clean. Shortly after the Spanish invaders arrived, there was a cholera breakout...

      Covered 2.1 km      Read more

    • TravelerMexico City, DC, & Family 2024
      Day 30

      Birding with Rafa

      May 12 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

      For my birthday in March, Sheryl got me to most fantastic new pair of binoculars. It is a completely different experience. I can see EVERYTHING! The birds magically appear in my binoculars and the colours are clear and vibrant. It makes birding so much easier and a real pleasure.

      I scheduled a six hour birding trip to see birds of the forest and lakes with this organization IHUITL (pronunciation: EE-weetl) a word of Náhuatl origin meaning "feather." The organization combines science, art and culture - including birding tours. I do love the idea of supporting this kind of group. Here is the link if you are interested - it can be in English or Spanish. https://www.ihuitl.com

      Rafael picked me up at 6am just as Gail’s taxi arrived to take her to the airport for her next adventure in Guatemala. I will miss her. As I was in Spanish mode, I just started talking with Rafa in Spanish and continued for the whole of the tour. With a few vocabulary words, constant mis-gendering, and probably some stumbling verb conjugations, it was easy to communicate. This is why I have spent so much time studying. There is a sense of freedom and connection that I feel I have speaking Spanish here.

      We went south to the Bosque de Tlalpan (Tlalpan Forest). The park was busy with runners and folks out enjoying some exercise to start their Mother’s Day. The parkland, like everything south, is made up of volcanic rock. It makes for some interesting tree and shrub cover as well as nice birding habitat. The altitude and hilly terrain made for some huffing and puffing - but I was able to keep up.

      Next we went to Xochimilco Ecological Park. Here we saw all kinds of water birds, herons, egrets, ducks and even some pelicans. They also had a nice demonstration garden showing how the indigenous peoples farmed the land back in the day. I like water birds - they don’t flit from branch to branch, and they are generally pretty big. IDing them is much easier.

      Rafa got me back to my apartment just after noon. He was off to go to his brother’s house to celebrate Mother’’s Day with his family. Rafa let me know how wonderful it was for him to be able to do the tour in Spanish. Usually he does them in English - being able to speak in his own language, gave him (and me) the opportunity to converse beyond just pointing, identifying and talking “bird” the whole time. It was a wonderful way to enjoy my last day in Mexico City.

      I added 25 new birds to my “life list” - birds that I hadn’t IDed before. Here are the birds we saw (and heard):

      American Coot
      American Robin
      American White Pelican
      Barn Swallow
      Berylline Hummingbird
      Bewick's Wren (mexicanus Group)
      Black-and-white Warbler
      Black-backed Oriole
      Black-crowned Night Heron (American)
      Black-headed Grosbeak
      Blue Grosbeak
      Blue Mockingbird
      Broad-billed Hummingbird
      Bronzed Cowbird
      Bushtit (melanotis Group)
      Canyon Towhee
      Canyon Wren
      Cassin's Kingbird
      Chipping Sparrow
      Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer
      Common Gallinule
      Common Yellowthroat
      Curve-billed Thrasher
      Elegant Euphonia
      Great Egret
      Great-tailed Grackle
      Green Heron
      Hepatic Tanager
      Hooded Yellowthroat
      House Finch
      House Sparrow
      Inca Dove
      Killdeer
      Ladder-backed Woodpecker
      Laughing Gull
      Lesser Goldfinch
      Mexican Duck
      Monk Parakeet
      Mourning Dove
      Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
      Olive Warbler
      Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush
      Pied-billed Grebe
      Red-winged Blackbird
      Rivoli's Hummingbird
      Rose-throated Becard
      Ruddy Duck
      Rufous-backed Robin
      Rufous-capped Warbler
      Rufous-crowned Sparrow
      Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow
      Snowy Egret
      Song Sparrow (mexicana Group)
      Tricolored Heron
      Vermilion Flycatcher
      Violet-crowned Hummingbird
      Warbling Vireo
      Western Flycatcher (Cordilleran)
      Western Wood-Pewee
      White-eared Hummingbird
      White-faced Ibis
      White-winged Dove
      Wilson's Warbler
      Yellow Warbler      Read more

    • TravelerMexico City, DC, & Family 2024
      Day 28

      Cuicuilco, Unam, and Frida Kahlo Park

      May 10 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

      Today we went south to ancient ruins a bus ride away. Called Cuicuilco, https://lugares.inah.gob.mx/es/zonas-arqueologi… it was different than any of the other ruins we have seen. The pyramid was actually round. And it was surrounded by some volcanic tubes and flows and forest. I stupidly didn’t bring my binoculars with me (and I bet Gail was glad as I would have spent way too much time figuring out the birds I was looking at - that will be for my last day.) I believe we were the only people visiting this spot on a Friday morning. They had a little museum (of course) to help us understand what we were looking at.

      The history of the place is that the nearby Xitle volcano erupted in about 250 AD, covering much of the area with lava. Many of the inhabitants made their way over to Teotihuacán to live. It wasn’t very picturesque with tall buildings and busy streets/highways all around the site, but the significance of their resilience was evident.

      Next up was a bus ride up to the National University of Mexico or UNAM. First stop was the Museum of Contemporary Art https://muac.unam.mx/. Gail isn’t much of a fan of contemporary art so I went through on my own while Gail suffered through with a tall, chocolate milk shake. Pobrecita! There were about five or six different artist retrospectives including Beatriz González. Her work was so moving. She had a fairly unique outlook on her work and what she was trying to convey. A really treat.

      We headed up to the area just north of UNAM to get some (delicious) tacos. And then walked down to the main campus. There we spied the newly erected encampment supporting Gaza and just a huge amount of graffiti covering the buildings. The protest/encampment seemed peaceful although pretty small. The graffiti was shameful. It covered some of the art and architectural features.

      We decided to head into the library because there was supposed to be an origami exhibit! I was not disappointed. These were some very intricate and exquisite specimens of paper craft. During my first time in Portland Oregon back in the early 80s, I worked late into the evening canvassing. I was staying at a woman’s home (I’m sorry I can’t remember her name), but she had a normal 9 to 5 job. So by the time I got home, I had a couple/few hours at the end of the day to wind down. Quietly. I took up origami. Mine were complicated but nothing like these. Made me happy to see such artistry from one single, uncut piece of paper.

      After a couple of bus mishaps, we decided to visit the Frida Kahlo Park which was not more than a two minute walk from our apartment. It was small and pretty. We tried to have a conversation with Diego and Frida who were hanging out in the garden. They were congenial if a little stiff.      Read more

    • México
      Day 4

      Religious Street Festival

      November 19, 2023 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

      Opened the front gate to find a Religious Street Festival celebrating the various Saints that are worshipped across the surrounding 'Barrios' (working-class neighbourhood).

      Colourful floats lined with fresh fruit and effigies sprawled the street whilst the sounds of mariachi bands clashed with the beat of parade drums.

      Some locals were also dressed in traditional outfits donning incredible head pieces as others performed machette sword fighting routines.      Read more

    • TravelerMexico City, DC, & Family 2024
      1
      Day 25

      Anahuacalli Museo in Coyoacán

      May 7 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

      Gail wanted to connect with some folks who she knew in Mexico City, so I was on my own for the day. After my cranky morning dealing with the AirBnB host, I walked over to the Anahuacalli Museum. It was a lovely 50 minute walk through a working neighbourhood. Lots of busy people getting on with their day. It was fun to be so completely out of a touristed area for a bit.

      The museum itself is quite amazing. It is constructed from volcanic rock to mirror the construction of the pyramids and architecture of the indigenous peoples. It also had some more “modern” art deco elements. It was designed by Diego Rivera and a famous architect at the time to house the enormous collection of antiquities that Rivera had amassed over the years. They were exquisite pieces that I’m not quite sure how they could have survived undamaged over the hundreds if not thousands of years.

      I got a chance to talk with a couple of the museum guards/staff who were very knowledgeable and solicitous - wanting to share what they knew about the art, architecture and history of the place. I was delighted. There is a deep sense of pride and joy that they shared. It was another opportunity for me to use my Spanish.

      That evening, Gail and I walked the square and discovered a group of folks engaged in a public ceremony/celebration/worship of dancing and drumming. It was not for money or for tourists. It looked like they were having fun. What a great way to end the day.      Read more

    • TravelerTacos and Tequila
      2
      Day 3–4

      Coyoacan and Xochimilco

      February 12 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

      Never skip Crossfit Training 😆

      3. Video: they do not drink their tequila with Salt and Lemon but their Beer. Not approved 🤢👎🏻

      3. Video: sie trinken nicht ihren Tequila mit Salz und Zitrone sondern ihr Bier. Für nicht gut empfunden 🤢👎🏻Read more

    • TravelerMexit Part 2
      Day 29

      Mexico City: Sales & Marketing

      March 4, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

      After another overnight bus, early morning finds me back at the Terminal Norte in Mexico City. The long-distance buses, while not always being punctual, are generally comfortable and efficiently run. They are classified (this one is first class) and by checking in at the Manzanillo ticket office, I get notification of the vehicle number. Always useful to ensure one gets on the right one. They tend to take breaks only to swap drivers which leaves no time to get food en route but most services provide sandwiches and water as sustenance. At Terminal Norte I deliberately avoid the fast food chains and find a downmarket but perfectly adequate place for the morning fix of huevos rancheros. when they ask for my name to call out when they're ready, I say Alan---quite a common name in Mexico and easier to pronounce than James!

      Back in Roma it's like coming home. Hard to believe I've been away less than a month. I get there via 2 changes of Metro, one of which involves a 5+ minute underground walk. But a bargain for 5 pesos (20p). The empty lot next door to Oaxaca 21 where there was such a commotion on my last stay has been tinned up. Otherwise no changes.

      A siesta to recover from the journey charges me up for the markets. The nearest one is Mercado Medellin, where stalls specialise in products from around the continent. By a coincidence I find Chile and Cuba next to each other both here and on street names in the city centre. The biggest one in the centre is Mercado Merced, at least 10 times the size of a football pitch and every conceivable item is sold, all assembled with microscopic precision. But how will they---both stallholders and customers---manage when the virus strikes?      Read more

    • TravelerMexico City, DC, & Family 2024
      Day 20

      Day Seven - Coyoacán

      May 2 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

      We bussed down to a new neighbourhood today, Coyoacán. Gail and I will be staying here for six nights later in our trip. What a pretty town square and shops. First stop was the Leo Trotsky home. While he was briefly Frida Kahlo’s lover, his history is brutal. His troops were stationed away from the front lines to capture and kill any Russian soldier who tried to escape. His home displays his personal life, office and a good history of his involvement and then escape from Stalin’s wrath (although not successfully as he was killed in Mexico City by Stalin’s henchmen). In any case, it was a great spot to visit.

      Next we visited a Mexican cultural arts museum. The items were considered “craft” which is usually reserved for women’s art. Ceramics, textiles, beadwork demonstrated incredible artistry and skill - and a bit of whimsy too. I loved the giant elephant covered with seed-beads. This was an homage to the Africans living in Mexico. It was unclear if this was about slavery or just diaspora. It seems like there is a concerted effort to celebrate the rich indigenous heritage here.

      We found a taco place to die for. All over Mexico City tacos are the main show. The trick is to only eat at the ones that are busy with customers - they know what is good. Since all the tortillas are made just with corn, Sheryl can eat them all and she has.

      Next stop were the lines for the Frida Kahlo family home. There were scant examples of her artwork except drawings on her body casts and prosthetic legs. They had her bed with the mirror above so she could paint/draw her self-portraits. I didn’t realize that in addition to her catastrophic trolley crash that impaled her body, she also had polio as a child. It is a miracle she lived. Like many homes, she and her family had a beautiful central garden allowing airflow and privacy from the street. It was pretty packed as museums go. It’s not a very large house and the narratives were detailed. If you were patient enough, it was super fun and informative.

      Tomorrow we head over to the historic center of Mexico City where we will spend three nights with Gail Gabler. Can’t wait!      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Tlalpan, Delegación Tlalpan, MXTJT

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