Cuando estes en México, sé Mexicano

I keep putting off a long, detailed post of my first week in Mexico, but to save you the headache of having to read a lot, I´ll instead give you a picture post because each one is worth 1,000 words. That means that this post´ll be like a novella. (oh, sorry for the italics. I know they´re hard to read, but I have yet to master the Mexican computer)


22 August 2006 * Day 1


This is the airplane I rode. Originally, I had an aisle seat, but before the Chicago to Mexico City flight I asked for a window seat. That way, in case their were any snakes on board (in Mexico it´s called Serpientos a Bordo) it would be easier for me to escape. Plus, no one sat next to me and I saw Inside Man (though I disagree that it´s a good movie to play on an airplane).





When I was flying over Mexico City, the first thing I noticed was the color of the houses. They´re mostly primary colors. I also noticed that there is little buffer space between the airport and the city. My friend Ahmed was to meet me in the airport, but I had never seen nor talked to him (except on the internet). But it was my first time in an international airport, outside of US, and I was n´t sure how immigration or customs or any of that stuff worked. And, of course, I forgot all my Spanish when I arrived. And I wasn´t sur e where Ahmed would be, so I started getting a little worried. But eventually we met and I tried to withdraw money from an ATM. It didn´t work. We took the metro (subway) to his buddy´s apartment within the city. And lemme tell you: Mexico is frigging huge. Imagine Minnesota´s population, multiply by 5 and condense it into a sprawling megalopolis and you get MXC. Above is a cathedral in the Zocalo, Mexico City´s lively, smelly, beating heart. Right now, Mexico is experiencing Florida 2000: a recount is happening (voto por voto, casella por casella) after the conservative (or should I say Wrongpublican?) presidential candidate was suspected of fraud. Look for the photo below.


23 August 2006 * Day 2



This is Ahmed and I in Chapultepec, a massive park in Mexico City. In the background is a castle occupied at different points by Hernán Cortes, presidents and various other important people. Now, the castle is the Naitonal History Museum of Mexico.







Here´s the castle. I paid it $50 to give me this sexy pose.





I told you, Ancient Mexican Artifact: don´t drink the water!




Gringo wannabe.




(above, below) We also hung out with famous Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. She doesn´t say much anymore, since she´s been dead for about 50 years. But she was an amazing painter and lived a tragic life.








In Chapultepec´s Zoo, even the monkey´s knew I was a Gringo.




Taken from the castle, this is Mexico City´s Paseo de La Reformas. See the yellow things in the middle? Those are tents where people have been camping since at least mid-July to show their support for Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the leftist presidential candidate. Honestly, if Al Gore in 2000 would´ve had a backbone like Obrador´s, our country wouldn´t be as f#cked right now. A winner has yet to be declared but they´re almost dead even.




This clown thinks he owns the place. (Speaking of clowns, we went to a McDonald´s earlier that day (the prices are higher here than in the US, but they serve jalapeños) and Ahmed says: McDonald´s sucks. I like Burger King the best. Why eat with the clowns when you can eat with the king?). In the photo, notice how they´re little spots? That was from the rain, when all of a sudden it started to downpour when we were at a Starbucks (no, seriously, I´m in Mexico). Right now it´s the rainy season here.

24 August 2006




Our last day in Mexico City, we went to Teotihuacan, site of the world´s third largest pyramaid. We climbed it, but each step is about a foot high and it´s insanely steep. By the time we reached the top we were exhausted, but the view was fantastic. That day, however, I forgot to recharge my camera, so I had a gringo from Tenn. take our photo, and I´m still waiting for another photot a Spaniard took of us at the top of the pyramaid. Notice that many of the photos in this blog are with Ahmed. We have decided that he is my tourist guide / life coach (like an overpriced shrink who takes you places and gives you advice) / pimp (that´s right, I´m a cheap Gringo, and I cost only 50 pesos ). But seriously, if it weren´t for him or people like him, I´d be lost or dead on the Mexico City streets, stray dogs chewing on my rotting corpse, asking themselves, Why are gringos so fatty?

25 August 2006







After a five-hour bus ride from Mexico City and two mediocre movies in Spanish, we finally arrived in Xalapa, the prettiest city I´ve ever seen. It´s said to be cultured, sophisticated, fresh, laid'back, hilly, tropical and styled. It´s true. Above and below are photos of Los Lagos, a pedestrian walkway (think Mill Pond minus the ugliness) taken from Ahmed´s house. That´s right, this is my view, beyotches. But, sadly, we have to move next week because the owner wants to sell the house.





A walkway to the University of Veracruz´library, sans fake/imported flora.



Who says libraries aren´t sexy? MSU, take note.



Downtown Xalapa. Busy, bustling, traffic'laden. Ahh, capitol cities.