A tourist in México

Well...I'm back!  Sorry it has been quite awhile since I posted.  Since I last wrote, Christmas has passed, a new year has begun and I am 2 months older.  My bad on that...hopefully the phrase "absence makes the heart grow fonder" applies here and you will love this blog more than ever after reading this post.  Fingers crossed.

So to catch you up on what has happened...

December- Went back to the states for Christmas.  Split my time between Tennessee and Florida so I could see all my family.  It was great to be back and see everyone after 9 months away from the homeland.  I was sure to gorge myself on all the American food I do not have available to me here.  Papa Johns, Barbecue, and Panera were some of the highlights.  Oh and Christmas cookies as well!

January- My office is pretty slow over the winter months so nothing to note work wise.  However, At the end of January my parents, aunt and brother came down for a visit.  This is where my blog picks back up again as I will fill you in on this adventure.  I played the part of host and tourist on this trip as I showed them around Ciudad Guzmán where I live, while also visiting many places that were new to me as well.

The group at the Pyramids of Teotihuacán (outside México City)

The first few days of the trip were spent in Guadalajara, which is the closest major airport to me and a 2 hour bus ride from Ciudad Guzmán.  After meeting them at the airport and checking into a hotel and we promptly headed for a Mexican cantina where fittingly a live mariachi band was playing. This allowed them to experience in its full glory how loud Mexicans like their music, something I have the pleasure of enjoying daily.  We stayed in the artisan Tlaquepaque area where we enjoyed walking the pedestrian streets while exploring the galleries and artisan shops that it is known for.  We also ventured out to Guadalajara's Centro Historico (Historic Center) where we saw the Guadalajara Cathedral and the murals by the famous Mexican muralist, José Clemente Orozco, who incidentally, is from Ciudad Guzmán. 

Guadalajara Cathedral in the Centro Historico

Sitting outside of Mom's favorite
gallery in Tlaquepaque

On one of our days in Guadalajara we took a day trip to the town of Tequila in the state of Jalisco (which is a big state and the one I live in). This is the birthplace and home of that beverage that maybe has caused you a headache or two, but only after it  provided you with a few good stories first.   In order to be called Tequila the drink has to be made in the state of Jalisco (with Tequila being the epicenter of where the distilleries are located) and the beverage has to be 100% made from the blue agave plants famous to the area.  While in Tequila we took a tour of the distillery Herradura to learn about the process of making Tequila.  If you go on a tour of a distillery this is the one to go to, it is the only distillery still located in its original location.  So while they have the modern-day sophisticated Tequila-making distillery, you can also tour the original factory built in 1870.  We had a great time learning about the agave plant and the entire process of making Tequila, from plant to bottle.

While it is still not my favorite alcohol, I have a much greater appreciation of Tequila.  I also know the kind of Tequila I prefer now thanks to the tasting they give you after your tour of the distillery...I prefer the blancos (white) to the reposados (amber).  Fun fact: the only reason that some tequilas are the amber color is because they were aged in barrels, whereas the blancos were not.  Knowing this, you can kind of taste the slightly smoky flavor the barrel aging process gives this type of Tequila.  So I guess I am one step closer to being a Tequila snob, perhaps a requisite for anyone who has lived in México.

Preparing the blue agave for the ovens

Loading the agave in the ovens where it bakes and
the sweet juices are then used for the drink

Blue Agave juices post baking...it is very sweet!

Barrel aging process for the Reposado variety

Final step- taste testing!  The blue capped bottle is my favorite

After our exploration of Guadalajara and our newfound expertise in Tequila.  It was time to continue on with our trip by heading south to Ciudad Guzmán so the fam could see where I call 'home' these days.  It was great for them to see my apartment, city, and work and get some perspective as to what my daily life/living is like.  Now my family knows has an idea of what it means when I say "I just got home from the market".  Ciudad Guzmán is no longer a mythical place they have to imagine in their heads.

Mike checking out produce at the market.  They were
impressed by the low price of berries here.

I enjoyed showing them around the city, despite it being an extremely hot day.  Family being family, a subject of much concern upon seeing my apartment was that I didn't have any decorations on the wall in the living room.  It seemed as though if I did not fix that soon, the trip may be derailed, so we went out and bought double sided tape so I could put decorations on the wall.  With this problem resolved we could all breath easier.  I will say upon reflection that it is nice to have something on the wall, makes the place seem more homey.

 Kitchen tour, they brought me
spices and Reese's cups from the U.S.!

After our tour of Guzmán the next leg our trip took us to México City or D.F. as they call it here. México is home to between 23 and 26 million people depending on who you ask, making it one of the biggest cities in the world.  I had only ever been to the airport before so I was excited to explore the big city.  We went to museums where we learned about the history of the Mayans, Aztecs, and other indigenous groups who at one point called México home.  We also visited México's national history museum...of note there was that México considers the annexation of Texas to the U.S. one of its greatest losses/national tragedies in its history, so be sensitive if the topic ever comes up in conversation with a Mexican national.   We toured the city's historical center and Zócalo plaza (this is the main city square in México City, one of the largest in the world), wandered around the Bosque de Chapultepec which reminded me of Central Park in terms of size and its location in the middle of the city, visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Pyramids of Teotihuacán, walked around the Polanco neighborhood, saw some of Diego Rivera's famous murals and enjoyed some fine dining.

The tilma, or cloak, with the image of
the Virgin Mary

The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most visited Catholic pilgrimage destination in the world.  Six million people visit the church on Our Lady of Guadalupe Day on December 12.  On a normal day, thousands are there and Mass is celebrated on the hour from 6am to 8pm.  It is an impressive amount of people to see visiting the site.  Having attended Catholic school, I have heard the story behind the significance of this place many times, so seeing this landmark was a big deal.  The jist of the story is the Virgin Mary appeared to a peasant named Juan Diego on top of a hill and told him to build a church in her honor on the same hill.  The church elders were skeptical of Juan Diego's story so in order for Juan Diego to prove to them he had really seen the Virgin Mary, she provided him an assist by making an image of the herself (the famous painting of the Virgin Mary you now see everywhere) appear on his cloak, or tilma. To this day, the image has not faded even though it should have given that this ever occurred in 1531.  I believe this is what they call a miracle.

Avenue of the Dead at the Pyramids of Teotihuacán

We also were able to visit the pyramids of Teotihuacan. Located 30 miles outside of México City they were built in the Pre-Columbian period.  The city was established in 100 BC and fell in 550 AD.  At its zenith, Teotihuacán was the largest city in Pre-Columbian America with a population of 125,000 people.  They are still excavating new sites, only a fraction of the city has been discovered, while also restoring the pyramids you see today.  The pyramids don't look particular steep from afar, but when you are standing close you can see how steep they are.  I am happy to report that we all made it to the top where we enjoyed a bird's eye view of the ancient city.

Pyramid of the Sun: The biggest of the pyramids

Park in the Polanco neighborhood of México City

On Sundays in México City they shut down one of the city's main streets and allow bicycles and pedestrians to walk around care free that day.  This is quite a big deal considering México City has some of the worst traffic in the world.   This was our meandering around the city day so it made for a very pleasant walk as thousands of bikers took advantage of the car-free street.  We walked around Polanco, which is a nice neighborhood with great restaurants and enjoyed the leisurely atmosphere that only a Sunday can bring.  México City has a great cosmopolitan vibe, which inevitably is a result of its size.  Maybe it is because I live in a place so opposite of it right now, but I really enjoyed exploring this big city.

Guacomole with chapulines (crickets) on top

Crickets are a popular appetizer in México so I made sure we tried them on our trip.  We had them on top of our Guacamole.  They don't taste like much, just crunchy and slightly salty.  The main thing they add to your Guacamole is a crunch.  Maybe this could on the menu for next year's Super Bowl Party!

Evening view of the Zócalo in the city's Centro Historico.
To the left is México's Parliament building

"Sueño de una Tarde Dominical en la Alameda Central"
by Diego Rivera

We were able to see a couple of Diego Rivera's murals including his famous "Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central".  Fittingly, we saw this mural after walking through the same Alameda (a park) on a Sunday afternoon.  It is quite amazing how much historical significance is behind all the images in the mural.  I loved the bright colors in this particular mural.

An Evening in México City

I think that covers most of the highlights from our trip.  In true Soike fashion we made it a busy one, but we were able to experience a lot in just 8 days!  I joke that I consider a vacation unsuccessful if you don't feel like you need another vacation to recover from your vacation as we really try to see all that we can when visiting a new place.  We all had a great time and I enjoyed showing my family around México and also exploring places that were new to me as well! 

If anyone is feeling a trip to México is in order I'd be happy to show you around!