Well - here we are - three months down the line. Heading home tomorrow to I know not what. All objectives fulfilled: speaking, writing, reading and understanding (mas o menos) Spanish. All done: studying; travelling alone, and with company; new places; new foods; new friends, new experiences. And today I went alone for the first time on the Metro and spent most of the day wandering about (without incidence I'm glad to report). Quite proud of myself.
So: to bring you up to date: Monday was Dulce's birthday. To start the day Fausto played the birthday song on his piano and then followed it up with the piece of Bach which was played at our wedding, which of course reduced me to tears: Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring. We went to 'L'Opera' restaurant downtown for lunch. It's an old cantina where Pancho Villa is alleged to have discharged his rifle into the ceiling. Lovely old building with old fashioned service.
I've just realised that I haven't told you about our visit earlier in the week to Xochimilco. The Aztecs, when they received the sign of the Eagle with the snake in its beak, built the city of Tenochtitlan on an island in the lake which covered much of the floor of the Valle de Mexico around 1325. They built it on a grid plan with canals as throughfares and causeways to the lakeshore. They created artifical floating meadows, chinampas, which gave 3 or 4 harvests a year. Some of these still survive at Xochimilco, Nahuatl for 'place where flowers grow', and are now used as nurseries. We took a trajinera for an hour or so. It's a Unesco World Heritage site but, to be honest, I found it very dirty and polluted. Maybe some one needs to come back from UNESCO for a follow up visit.
On the other hand, on Tuesday we went to Polanco - what a contrast. There is a huge, huge gulf in Estados Unidos Mexicanos between the rich and the poor. Polanco is a very affluent district, north of Chapultepec and the Castle, with beautiful California Colonial style houses and very modern restaurants, hotels and bars.
Thursday there was a parade of all of the schools in the district which started under Dulce and Fausto's balcony. How handy! Because I'm quite blond (and other colors) now some of the children couldn't help but stare at the 'Guerrita' taking photos. A wave made them smile :)That night we had Chiles en Nogado prepared by Dulce and watched 'el grito' by the President on TV.
Yesterday, Dia de Independencia - 16/9 - we watched the military parade on TV and then Dulce and I took the Metro to Reforma to watch it for real. The day celebrates the success of the movement, 200 years ago last year, which overthrew Spanish rule.
Today I took the Metro to Auditorio and, from there walked down Reforma to visit the Anthropological Museum, saw the Voladores in the buff (not literally but as opposed to the statue of them in Veracruz), went to Chapultepec Park and walked around one of the lakes, visited the Auditorio (where they have all of the big concerts - Tears for Fears on 24/9. What a pity I'll miss them) and then came back on the Metro via Parque Bicentennial, opened for 2010 and very ecology conscious, which is on the previously polluted site of the old Refinery where Dulce's father worked.
So, I think that's us up to date. No plans as yet for tomorrow during the day - I would like to go into the historic centre for a last look around. My plane hopefully takes off at 21.45 arriving in Amsterdam at 15.00 on Monday. Thence to Dublin with Aer Lingus and home by bus.
Thank you all so much for sticking with me - it's been really lovely receiving your emails and comments. And knowing that you were all there for me. Hand on heart I didn't feel lonely or homesick once due mainly to the fact that I had my Blog, Album and emails to work on in the evenings. And my music from home of course.
So - maybe you'll join me again next time?
xx
Saturday, 17 September 2011
Monday, 12 September 2011
What can I say about Acapulco?
I don't know what exactly I was expecting. A bit of high-end Costa, a bit of Las Vegas and a large dollop of Mexico perhaps. Maybe it was like that in its hey day but no longer.
The weather for the first two days was inclement to say the least. There are 2 or 3 tropical storms and the remnants fo a hurricane about at the minute. Think flooded roads, sidewalks, sand bags - even the beach. So we just bought a larger umbrella to shelter the two of us and continued on regardless. Even went swimming in the rain (sin umbrella of course).
We visited the Zocalo, the Cathedral and the pentagonal Fuerte de San Diego: which was very interesting and a great place to be on a very wet, but warm, day.
OK -a question worthy of Trivial Pursuit (I can see your ears pricking up Rocky): Why were the Philipines so called?
Read on:- Magellan accidentally discovered the islands on St Patrick's Day 1521, the Spanish colonised them in 1565, after Friar Andres de Urdante, leaving from Acapulco, discovered Pacific tradewinds which allowed ships to safely and quickly reach the Orient, and they were given their name in honour of the King of Spain - Philip II. Pie!!
The Fort was built in 1616 to protect the Spanish 'naos' (galleys),which traded between the Philipines and Acapulco for 250 years, from Dutch and English buccaneers. It's home to the Museo Historico de Acapulco, charting the history of the trading between Nueva Espana and Asia. It was very well done - different sections housed in the different rooms of the Fort.
The next day was a bit dryer so we took a local bus - 5 pesos each (6 pesos if the bus was air conditioned!) for a half hour trip all the way to one end of the Bay.
This is the real Acapulco - Caletilla (with its beach packed with local people in the calm waters and boys diving for shells and corals to sell) and Caleta - where well to do Mexicans holidayed after a paved road from DF was built in 1927. By the '50s it was a glitzy jet set resort with American and Mexican film stars building homes there. JFK and Jackie honeymooned in the Hotel Caleta. The Mexican comedian, stage and film star Cantinflas - born 100 years ago this year - had a house (photo in album)at the edge of the sea. John Wayne, Johnny Tarzan Weissmuller and others owned the Hotel Los Flamingos. I think I would have liked to have experienced it in those days.
We then took another bus, or should I say mobile disco without the dancing but with the heart stopping bass speakers, all the way to the other end of the Bay via the centre of the town. Another 5 pesos and one hour later, deafened and with numb bums, we got off at Costa Diamante - the newly developed part of Acapulco. High rise hotels, posh shops, up market restaurants. Such a contrast to the centre of the town which I thought was dirty, run down, uncared for and with crazy traffic and non existent car/pedestrian etiquette.
The local buses were fun though - most decorated and pimped to the hilt,including sound systems and various stuffed toys, balloons and other adornments hanging from the front windows. We even saw one with 'fue nino' painted on both sides. The driver obviously had become a Dad and was broadcasting it to all and sundry.
Our Hotel Emporio was in the middle part of La Costera - the road which runs right around the Bay - with its own private access to the beach, 11 floors, all rooms with an ocean view balcony, 3 swimming pools, 3 restaurants, 1 cockatoo, 1 parakeet, 1 very sad looking toucan and a dozen or so turtles.
On Friday we woke up to the Acapulco in the brochures. The sun had come out. Blue, blue skies and not a cloud in sight.
After our morning stroll along the beach, swim and breakfast in one of two restaurants across the road, we took a bus to the Zocalo and from there walked uphill to la Quebrada and the Clavadistas: the famous cliff divers. One experience I didn't want to miss.
When we got there we saw 6 or 7 boys already in the water of the very narrow cove. The water was so rough and they were trying to hang on to the rocks but the waves kept washing them off. I don't know how they weren't hurt. Then they climbed up onto the rocks on our side to practice their dives. There was one chubby one who stayed on the other side and 'scored' them after they had re surfaced. They were having so much fun.
At 1 o'clock 8 of them climbed the 35 metres of sheer rock. Two separate divers went from maybe 10 metres lower down, 2 jumped together from the same height and then the remaining four did different dives from the top. The last guy came down backwards: into a cove with a really rough sea washing in and out. It was breath taking.
After that we walked back down to the beach and took a glass bottomed launch out for a trip in the bay to an island called Isla de la Roqueta. Saw some Frigate Birds and two different types of pelicans but there weren't that many birds about - same in Huatulco.
We had our own private Clavadista with us who did a dive into the water thrashing aginst the rocks from a sheer cliff face, swam under the boat with food so that we could see the fishes and showed us the la Virgen de las Mares, a submerged bronze statue of the Virgen of Guadalupe.
We also found the Titanic, and there we were thinking it had sunk - another launch which was linked up to one of the kitchen/bar/shop boats servicing the day trippers.
And went we disembarked I actually bought the photograph of me with the Captain's cap on! Must have been the sun.
We enjoyed our wee holiday, and the excellent bus service to and from Mexico DF.
I guess that, if the weather is normal in Acapulco - i.e. warm, hot, hotter - most people don't venture far from their hotels and the beach. We weren't able to go in the sea because the surf and currents are too dangerous at this time of year but it's a beautiful golden beach cleaned every morning.
But, you know what? I'm coming to realise that, as beaches go, nothing I've seen has come close to Culdaff Strand in Donegal on a good sunny day :)
I'm now back in D.F. It was Dulce's birthday today - will tell you how we celebrated in the next post.
xx
PS: I don't know what I would have done on this trip without my birthday present from Peter and Claire - my "bible" : Lonely Planet's "Mexico". Excellent book which has told me everything I could ever have needed to know about everywhere I've gone. Weighs a ton but worth it.
The weather for the first two days was inclement to say the least. There are 2 or 3 tropical storms and the remnants fo a hurricane about at the minute. Think flooded roads, sidewalks, sand bags - even the beach. So we just bought a larger umbrella to shelter the two of us and continued on regardless. Even went swimming in the rain (sin umbrella of course).
We visited the Zocalo, the Cathedral and the pentagonal Fuerte de San Diego: which was very interesting and a great place to be on a very wet, but warm, day.
OK -a question worthy of Trivial Pursuit (I can see your ears pricking up Rocky): Why were the Philipines so called?
Read on:- Magellan accidentally discovered the islands on St Patrick's Day 1521, the Spanish colonised them in 1565, after Friar Andres de Urdante, leaving from Acapulco, discovered Pacific tradewinds which allowed ships to safely and quickly reach the Orient, and they were given their name in honour of the King of Spain - Philip II. Pie!!
The Fort was built in 1616 to protect the Spanish 'naos' (galleys),which traded between the Philipines and Acapulco for 250 years, from Dutch and English buccaneers. It's home to the Museo Historico de Acapulco, charting the history of the trading between Nueva Espana and Asia. It was very well done - different sections housed in the different rooms of the Fort.
The next day was a bit dryer so we took a local bus - 5 pesos each (6 pesos if the bus was air conditioned!) for a half hour trip all the way to one end of the Bay.
This is the real Acapulco - Caletilla (with its beach packed with local people in the calm waters and boys diving for shells and corals to sell) and Caleta - where well to do Mexicans holidayed after a paved road from DF was built in 1927. By the '50s it was a glitzy jet set resort with American and Mexican film stars building homes there. JFK and Jackie honeymooned in the Hotel Caleta. The Mexican comedian, stage and film star Cantinflas - born 100 years ago this year - had a house (photo in album)at the edge of the sea. John Wayne, Johnny Tarzan Weissmuller and others owned the Hotel Los Flamingos. I think I would have liked to have experienced it in those days.
We then took another bus, or should I say mobile disco without the dancing but with the heart stopping bass speakers, all the way to the other end of the Bay via the centre of the town. Another 5 pesos and one hour later, deafened and with numb bums, we got off at Costa Diamante - the newly developed part of Acapulco. High rise hotels, posh shops, up market restaurants. Such a contrast to the centre of the town which I thought was dirty, run down, uncared for and with crazy traffic and non existent car/pedestrian etiquette.
The local buses were fun though - most decorated and pimped to the hilt,including sound systems and various stuffed toys, balloons and other adornments hanging from the front windows. We even saw one with 'fue nino' painted on both sides. The driver obviously had become a Dad and was broadcasting it to all and sundry.
Our Hotel Emporio was in the middle part of La Costera - the road which runs right around the Bay - with its own private access to the beach, 11 floors, all rooms with an ocean view balcony, 3 swimming pools, 3 restaurants, 1 cockatoo, 1 parakeet, 1 very sad looking toucan and a dozen or so turtles.
On Friday we woke up to the Acapulco in the brochures. The sun had come out. Blue, blue skies and not a cloud in sight.
After our morning stroll along the beach, swim and breakfast in one of two restaurants across the road, we took a bus to the Zocalo and from there walked uphill to la Quebrada and the Clavadistas: the famous cliff divers. One experience I didn't want to miss.
When we got there we saw 6 or 7 boys already in the water of the very narrow cove. The water was so rough and they were trying to hang on to the rocks but the waves kept washing them off. I don't know how they weren't hurt. Then they climbed up onto the rocks on our side to practice their dives. There was one chubby one who stayed on the other side and 'scored' them after they had re surfaced. They were having so much fun.
At 1 o'clock 8 of them climbed the 35 metres of sheer rock. Two separate divers went from maybe 10 metres lower down, 2 jumped together from the same height and then the remaining four did different dives from the top. The last guy came down backwards: into a cove with a really rough sea washing in and out. It was breath taking.
After that we walked back down to the beach and took a glass bottomed launch out for a trip in the bay to an island called Isla de la Roqueta. Saw some Frigate Birds and two different types of pelicans but there weren't that many birds about - same in Huatulco.
We had our own private Clavadista with us who did a dive into the water thrashing aginst the rocks from a sheer cliff face, swam under the boat with food so that we could see the fishes and showed us the la Virgen de las Mares, a submerged bronze statue of the Virgen of Guadalupe.
We also found the Titanic, and there we were thinking it had sunk - another launch which was linked up to one of the kitchen/bar/shop boats servicing the day trippers.
And went we disembarked I actually bought the photograph of me with the Captain's cap on! Must have been the sun.
We enjoyed our wee holiday, and the excellent bus service to and from Mexico DF.
I guess that, if the weather is normal in Acapulco - i.e. warm, hot, hotter - most people don't venture far from their hotels and the beach. We weren't able to go in the sea because the surf and currents are too dangerous at this time of year but it's a beautiful golden beach cleaned every morning.
But, you know what? I'm coming to realise that, as beaches go, nothing I've seen has come close to Culdaff Strand in Donegal on a good sunny day :)
I'm now back in D.F. It was Dulce's birthday today - will tell you how we celebrated in the next post.
xx
PS: I don't know what I would have done on this trip without my birthday present from Peter and Claire - my "bible" : Lonely Planet's "Mexico". Excellent book which has told me everything I could ever have needed to know about everywhere I've gone. Weighs a ton but worth it.
Monday, 5 September 2011
Acapulco here we come!!!!!
Hi again. Had a lovely weekend in Xalapa with Betty's sister, husband and two lovely kids. No sightseeing - you'll all be glad to hear - but two delicious meals out, a shopping expedition and plenty of craic. And also plenty of opportunity to speak spanish.
On Saturday we had lunch at a trout farm - I ordered trout wrapped in, and stuffed with, bacon. Yum. On Sunday morning we went for brunch to an Italian restaurant. How's this for value? A half litre carafe of orange juice (per person!), bottomless coffee, Chilequiles (crispy tortilla pieces topped with a salsa suiza (sort of creamy green sauce, slightly picante)melted cheese and strips of Arrachera (very succulent thin flank steak)plus of course the dreaded refried beans and gorgeous warm bread. All for mx$88 - about £4.50. You couldn't beat that with a big stick! I wonder how that translates into spanish :0)
On Saturday night, over a few drinks, the five of us played Dominoes cubana. Anyone heard of that? It was great fun. Set of double 12s (91) dominoes. I didn't even know there was such a thing. Went on for absolutely ages but brilliant game - I went to bed at 2.30am and left the four of them still chatting.
We headed back to Cordoba on Sunday afternoon - 200km maybe - Betty driving and the closer we got the darker it was becoming.
Ran into a cloudburst: not unusual, rains most days heavily in the afternoon: but when we got to the entrance to their street there was a traffic jam. The usually gently flowing stream under the pretty bridge was so full of water that it was pouring over the bridge instead of under it and even the Jeeps couldn't get through. It's also the entrance road to a very upmarket gated development and it was really funny to see all these gorgeous women in their finery and super high heels teetering down to see the torrent.
We turned around and took refuge in a restaurant for an hour and a half by which time the flood had subsided and we were able to get through. The road was littered with foliage and bits of trees and of course yucky mud.
The stream behind the house had also turned into a raging torrent and risen by meters. Fortunately it's quite far below so it still had a fair bit of room before there would be a problem.
I travelled up to D.F. this afternoon by bus and took a taxi here to Nilo. El taxista was really chatty and talked the whole way. I was pleased that I was more or less able to understand him and chatted away with him. He was very interested in knowing all about Ireland. My spanish is good enough now that I can communicate with, and be understood by, people but I'm still struggling to understand what people say to me. It's getting better though. I'll be here with Dulce and Fausto for the next 2 weeks so there'll be plenty of practice as Fausto doesn't (as opposed to can't) speak english :) He's lovely - got a new car today and is so excited - reminds me of my Dad.
Dulce and I are heading to Acapulco tomorrow - Hotel Emporio - looks great. Next post after we come back on Saturday. Hasta luego x
On Saturday we had lunch at a trout farm - I ordered trout wrapped in, and stuffed with, bacon. Yum. On Sunday morning we went for brunch to an Italian restaurant. How's this for value? A half litre carafe of orange juice (per person!), bottomless coffee, Chilequiles (crispy tortilla pieces topped with a salsa suiza (sort of creamy green sauce, slightly picante)melted cheese and strips of Arrachera (very succulent thin flank steak)plus of course the dreaded refried beans and gorgeous warm bread. All for mx$88 - about £4.50. You couldn't beat that with a big stick! I wonder how that translates into spanish :0)
On Saturday night, over a few drinks, the five of us played Dominoes cubana. Anyone heard of that? It was great fun. Set of double 12s (91) dominoes. I didn't even know there was such a thing. Went on for absolutely ages but brilliant game - I went to bed at 2.30am and left the four of them still chatting.
We headed back to Cordoba on Sunday afternoon - 200km maybe - Betty driving and the closer we got the darker it was becoming.
Ran into a cloudburst: not unusual, rains most days heavily in the afternoon: but when we got to the entrance to their street there was a traffic jam. The usually gently flowing stream under the pretty bridge was so full of water that it was pouring over the bridge instead of under it and even the Jeeps couldn't get through. It's also the entrance road to a very upmarket gated development and it was really funny to see all these gorgeous women in their finery and super high heels teetering down to see the torrent.
We turned around and took refuge in a restaurant for an hour and a half by which time the flood had subsided and we were able to get through. The road was littered with foliage and bits of trees and of course yucky mud.
The stream behind the house had also turned into a raging torrent and risen by meters. Fortunately it's quite far below so it still had a fair bit of room before there would be a problem.
I travelled up to D.F. this afternoon by bus and took a taxi here to Nilo. El taxista was really chatty and talked the whole way. I was pleased that I was more or less able to understand him and chatted away with him. He was very interested in knowing all about Ireland. My spanish is good enough now that I can communicate with, and be understood by, people but I'm still struggling to understand what people say to me. It's getting better though. I'll be here with Dulce and Fausto for the next 2 weeks so there'll be plenty of practice as Fausto doesn't (as opposed to can't) speak english :) He's lovely - got a new car today and is so excited - reminds me of my Dad.
Dulce and I are heading to Acapulco tomorrow - Hotel Emporio - looks great. Next post after we come back on Saturday. Hasta luego x
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Triathlon a great success!
We had a great weekend in Veracruz. Betty was very pleased with her result in the Sprint Triathlon: 750 metres swim, 20 K bike and 5 K run - in 35 degrees c! She finished in 1hr 50 mins which was a few minutes faster than in her last event. She was particularly chuffed with her swimming time - 17 mins - because she's had no opportunity to train in the sea. It's a difficult event not least because of the heat and humidity. There have been drownings in the past but the sea part was extremely well monitored. Lots of canoes, boats and divers and they swam in a sort of semi circle so that they were exiting the water in a separate part of the beach. There were 3,000 competitors between the Olympic and Sprint events I think and they started in age groups (different coloured swim caps). I always find the logistics of these things fascinating. They all wore an ankle bracelet with a chip (?) in it which was activated/deactivated by passing over a mat at the beginning/end of each discipline. We saw one guy trying to cheat: there were a few people who had had to drop out of the swim for whatever reason and they were brought back to the beach, just where we were standing, by one of the boats. This chubby guy - about my age: off the boat, turned right towards the finish place, back into the water and the swimmers, swam a few metres and out as though he had done it all! I wonder did their system catch him out? Hmmm.
Anyway, despite lots of people telling us not to go, we saw no trouble apart from a fair bit of police activity outside one of the Casinos, just opposite the hotel, on Saturday night. But you know things are a bit iffy when your son says to you, as you are driving along the Boulevard in Boca del Rio gazing out at the Gulf of Mexico shimmering under a blue, blue sky with pelicans flying overhead: "what would you do if you heard gunfire Mum?"
With my years of training in Norn Ireland I would have been down in the footwell of that Jeep pdq. Thank goodness there was no need.
The Hotel Gran Diligencias was good - great location overlooking the Zocalo with its marimbas and mariachis - with a lovely outdoor pool on the first floor with a great view of the centre of Veracruz. Watched 'El Danzon' on Friday night, but not too close in case I got asked to dance! I think it has Cuban origins and was created at the end of the 19th century. Very slow and intricate: a bygone era still being enacted. The ladies were so elegant with their dresses and fans and the gentlemen all dressed in white wearing hats.
Betty found a lovely restaurant in the brand new Hotel Emporio on the Malecon (seafront). I had fish stuffed with seafood which is a Veracruzana speciality. Very tasty it was too. We breakfasted in Sanbornes (the hotel was looking for US$13 a person for brekkie so we declined) which is a chain of very traditional Mexican restauarants/stores, usually housed in historic buildings (e.g.House of Tiles in D.F.) The waitresses all wear traditional dress and they serve, well, traditional food strangely enough :D
Off to Xalapa on Friday - next post after that x
Anyway, despite lots of people telling us not to go, we saw no trouble apart from a fair bit of police activity outside one of the Casinos, just opposite the hotel, on Saturday night. But you know things are a bit iffy when your son says to you, as you are driving along the Boulevard in Boca del Rio gazing out at the Gulf of Mexico shimmering under a blue, blue sky with pelicans flying overhead: "what would you do if you heard gunfire Mum?"
With my years of training in Norn Ireland I would have been down in the footwell of that Jeep pdq. Thank goodness there was no need.
The Hotel Gran Diligencias was good - great location overlooking the Zocalo with its marimbas and mariachis - with a lovely outdoor pool on the first floor with a great view of the centre of Veracruz. Watched 'El Danzon' on Friday night, but not too close in case I got asked to dance! I think it has Cuban origins and was created at the end of the 19th century. Very slow and intricate: a bygone era still being enacted. The ladies were so elegant with their dresses and fans and the gentlemen all dressed in white wearing hats.
Betty found a lovely restaurant in the brand new Hotel Emporio on the Malecon (seafront). I had fish stuffed with seafood which is a Veracruzana speciality. Very tasty it was too. We breakfasted in Sanbornes (the hotel was looking for US$13 a person for brekkie so we declined) which is a chain of very traditional Mexican restauarants/stores, usually housed in historic buildings (e.g.House of Tiles in D.F.) The waitresses all wear traditional dress and they serve, well, traditional food strangely enough :D
Off to Xalapa on Friday - next post after that x
Friday, 26 August 2011
New plans - horray!
Hi everyone. Had a pretty uneventful week so not much to report. Betty tried, without success ufortunately, to find a dressmaker here for me as I have found some beautiful dress fabric. Anybody know anyone in Norn Ireland who can make up dresses?
That was the bad news . The good news is that I have lots of plans made:D
This afternoon we are off to Veracruz Puerto and Gran Hotel Diligencias for the weekend and Betty's Tri-athlon on Sunday.
If we survive that: the next weekend we are staying with Betty's sister and her family in Xalapa which is the Capital city of Veracruz state - about an hour and a half from Cordoba.
I will leave Cordoba on Monday 5/9, go to D.F. and then,on Tuesday 6/9, Dulce and I are going to Acapulco! How exciting is that?
It's about a 5 hour journey by bus. I've booked us into Emporio Acapulco Hotel which is right on the beach in the middle of the strip - and the one thing I really want to do when we're there is to see the cliff divers. Dulce's been there before so she'll be a great guide, as always.
Then it'll be back to Mexico City for Dulce's birthday and, as it's Independence Day on 16/9, DD, BB and I are spending 2 nights, my treat, in Gran Melia Hotel on Reforma. There are 2 main Avenues in D.F.which intersect the city: Insurgentes and Reforma. We'll be close to the Zocalo where, on 15th September, from a balcony in Palacio Nacional, the President delivers 'el grito' - Hidalgo's call to arms 201 years ago made from the steps of a church in Dolores Hidalgo in Guanajuato state.
I leave Mexico for home on the 18th and hope to be back in " the oul' sod" on the 19th, all being well, via Amsterdam and Dublin.
However - more posts and pics to come - 3 more weeks left - and 3 more hotels. How I love hotels!
Watch this space.....x
That was the bad news . The good news is that I have lots of plans made:D
This afternoon we are off to Veracruz Puerto and Gran Hotel Diligencias for the weekend and Betty's Tri-athlon on Sunday.
If we survive that: the next weekend we are staying with Betty's sister and her family in Xalapa which is the Capital city of Veracruz state - about an hour and a half from Cordoba.
I will leave Cordoba on Monday 5/9, go to D.F. and then,on Tuesday 6/9, Dulce and I are going to Acapulco! How exciting is that?
It's about a 5 hour journey by bus. I've booked us into Emporio Acapulco Hotel which is right on the beach in the middle of the strip - and the one thing I really want to do when we're there is to see the cliff divers. Dulce's been there before so she'll be a great guide, as always.
Then it'll be back to Mexico City for Dulce's birthday and, as it's Independence Day on 16/9, DD, BB and I are spending 2 nights, my treat, in Gran Melia Hotel on Reforma. There are 2 main Avenues in D.F.which intersect the city: Insurgentes and Reforma. We'll be close to the Zocalo where, on 15th September, from a balcony in Palacio Nacional, the President delivers 'el grito' - Hidalgo's call to arms 201 years ago made from the steps of a church in Dolores Hidalgo in Guanajuato state.
I leave Mexico for home on the 18th and hope to be back in " the oul' sod" on the 19th, all being well, via Amsterdam and Dublin.
However - more posts and pics to come - 3 more weeks left - and 3 more hotels. How I love hotels!
Watch this space.....x
Thursday, 18 August 2011
Change of plan.
As you know I had intended to travel to Veracruz at the beginning of next week. However, there was some more trouble in Boca del Rio last weekend. It would seem that Marines were in pursuit of some gunmen, one of whom threw a grenade outside the Aquarium which killed one person and injured 3 others, including 2 children. There have been violent incidents in Veracruz City/Boca del Rio over the past months which are being blamed on the war between the Los Zetos, Gulf and La Familia Michoacana drug Cartels. Whilst my hotel was right in the centre, on the Zocalo, and I probably would have been safe enough, David advised me to change my booking. I'm now going to travel with Betty and him in the car next Friday night instead and back with them on Sunday night after the Triathlon.
Betty and I had a lovely lunch yesterday at Frank and Ania's new house in Cosco with some very interesting people. There were 8 of us adults and a 4 year old very lively boy. At least 4 languages were being spoken: Polish (Ania and Martha) Spanish (everyone) English (for sure)and possibly Italian - the older gentleman, an anthropologist still lecturing at the age of 85, was born in Florence. His wife was American but they spoke together in Spanish. Their son spoke Spanish and English, his wife is Polish and they were talking to the little boy in 3 languages at the same time (but not the usual bi-lingual thing of each parent speaking in their own native tongue to the child). I get the feeling it was a tad confusing for him - he wasn't as talkative as you would have expected a child of that age to be.
Anyway, Ania had cooked everything from scratch. We had the most delicious hummous and flatbread along with a dry yoghurt dip with sun dried tomatoes and olive oil.
Main course was chicken curry with rice cooked with raisins, a clove and cardoman.
Fab food with good conversation and quite acceptable mexican red wine.
And all of this half-way up another mountain with the most perfect view of El Pico. Frank's hobby is building houses and experimenting with solar power and other engineering type things - he's a fascinating man.
So - I've got the trusty Lonely Planet Guide to Mexico out again checking where else the buses from Cordoba go ...........
Betty and I had a lovely lunch yesterday at Frank and Ania's new house in Cosco with some very interesting people. There were 8 of us adults and a 4 year old very lively boy. At least 4 languages were being spoken: Polish (Ania and Martha) Spanish (everyone) English (for sure)and possibly Italian - the older gentleman, an anthropologist still lecturing at the age of 85, was born in Florence. His wife was American but they spoke together in Spanish. Their son spoke Spanish and English, his wife is Polish and they were talking to the little boy in 3 languages at the same time (but not the usual bi-lingual thing of each parent speaking in their own native tongue to the child). I get the feeling it was a tad confusing for him - he wasn't as talkative as you would have expected a child of that age to be.
Anyway, Ania had cooked everything from scratch. We had the most delicious hummous and flatbread along with a dry yoghurt dip with sun dried tomatoes and olive oil.
Main course was chicken curry with rice cooked with raisins, a clove and cardoman.
Fab food with good conversation and quite acceptable mexican red wine.
And all of this half-way up another mountain with the most perfect view of El Pico. Frank's hobby is building houses and experimenting with solar power and other engineering type things - he's a fascinating man.
So - I've got the trusty Lonely Planet Guide to Mexico out again checking where else the buses from Cordoba go ...........
Sunday, 14 August 2011
All cultured out...
I loved Queretaro - not many tours but fabulous historic buildings, exquisitely decorated churches, great shops and craft markets and a safe, clean and friendly environment with a lovely climate and NO MOSQUITOES and NO SISMOS.
Said goodbye on Friday and travelled by bus to Puebla - founded by Spanish settlers in 1531 as Ciudad de los Angeles.
I stayed at Hotel Provincia Express, five minutes from the Zocalo, which is a chain, but this one housed in a remarkable building, for mx$400 (£20) a night, incl. breakfast. My room was like a nun's cell with the most amazingly decorated vaulted ceiling. The receptionist told me this morning that the house was bought by an Arab 300 years ago and it was he who decorated all of the rooms; and they have subsequently been subdivided when it became a hotel. All of the corridors, stairs, ceilings - everything - were decorated with tiles or painted patterns.
Where Queretaro had its amazing craftsmanship mainly on the inside of the buldings, Puebla has its on the outside: talavera de Puebla - glazed tiles.
After being there for only an hour I was taking a city tour on a Tranvia Tram and had another one booked for Saturday morning to Cholula, home to the widest pyramid ever built: Piramide Tepanapapa. It's also on the other side of Popocatepetl & Iztaccihuatl (D.F.'s 2 volcanoes) plus an extra one: La Malinche, named for the very smart indigenous woman who was interpreter (and most probably more) to Hernan Cortes. The last 2 are dormant but el Popo is very much still active. If it blows 30 million people will be in jeopardy.
We visited Sanctuario de Nuestra Senora de los Remedios - a classic symbol of the Spanish building churches on the top of Aztec, or pagan, sites as a msrk of conquest.
But the one place which really touched me was Santa Maria Tonantzintla - the most beautiful church built by Franciscan monks in the churrigueresque style. Thousands of caras and caritas (faces)on the inside walls and ceilings supposed to represent all of the peoples of Puebla It has no crosses inside it, only outside, because (I think - the tour was in Spanish only) the indigenous people were afraid of that symbolism. While we were there some young people were being confirmed and, at 12 noon, the bells pealed 'Ave Maria' in its entirety - a totally memorable few minutes for me.
Puebla city, while historic, lacked the empathy of other cities I've visited. Maybe I'm overloaded. But, on the Friday night, in el centro, I started to notice armed police (nothing unusual in that) but with paddy wagons and riot shields stacked on riot helmets (like millefeuille supported by raspberries) and I thought - hold on: what's happening here? My taxi driver this morning said maybe it was a precaution. But against what I wonder. Anyway - nothing seemed to have happened. A football derby somewhere perhaps?
The most positive thing about my three days in Puebla was thst I was totally immersed in Spanish: talking, listening, understanding more and more: cos not a single person that I met spoke english.
I'm back in Cordoba now. Travelled back 2 hrs 45 mins (200+ km?) this afternoon first class: mx$180 - £9. Buses here are remarkably cheap, but sophisticated. In the top echalon you have First Class, Deluxe, GL and Platinum. The best ones are like business class - reclining seats, foot stools, individual video/music thingies, free snack and drink, toilets etc. And most non stop, or maybe one stop, to your destination.
Will post more photos tomorrow.
Thanks for keeping reading my ramblings xxx
Said goodbye on Friday and travelled by bus to Puebla - founded by Spanish settlers in 1531 as Ciudad de los Angeles.
I stayed at Hotel Provincia Express, five minutes from the Zocalo, which is a chain, but this one housed in a remarkable building, for mx$400 (£20) a night, incl. breakfast. My room was like a nun's cell with the most amazingly decorated vaulted ceiling. The receptionist told me this morning that the house was bought by an Arab 300 years ago and it was he who decorated all of the rooms; and they have subsequently been subdivided when it became a hotel. All of the corridors, stairs, ceilings - everything - were decorated with tiles or painted patterns.
Where Queretaro had its amazing craftsmanship mainly on the inside of the buldings, Puebla has its on the outside: talavera de Puebla - glazed tiles.
After being there for only an hour I was taking a city tour on a Tranvia Tram and had another one booked for Saturday morning to Cholula, home to the widest pyramid ever built: Piramide Tepanapapa. It's also on the other side of Popocatepetl & Iztaccihuatl (D.F.'s 2 volcanoes) plus an extra one: La Malinche, named for the very smart indigenous woman who was interpreter (and most probably more) to Hernan Cortes. The last 2 are dormant but el Popo is very much still active. If it blows 30 million people will be in jeopardy.
We visited Sanctuario de Nuestra Senora de los Remedios - a classic symbol of the Spanish building churches on the top of Aztec, or pagan, sites as a msrk of conquest.
But the one place which really touched me was Santa Maria Tonantzintla - the most beautiful church built by Franciscan monks in the churrigueresque style. Thousands of caras and caritas (faces)on the inside walls and ceilings supposed to represent all of the peoples of Puebla It has no crosses inside it, only outside, because (I think - the tour was in Spanish only) the indigenous people were afraid of that symbolism. While we were there some young people were being confirmed and, at 12 noon, the bells pealed 'Ave Maria' in its entirety - a totally memorable few minutes for me.
Puebla city, while historic, lacked the empathy of other cities I've visited. Maybe I'm overloaded. But, on the Friday night, in el centro, I started to notice armed police (nothing unusual in that) but with paddy wagons and riot shields stacked on riot helmets (like millefeuille supported by raspberries) and I thought - hold on: what's happening here? My taxi driver this morning said maybe it was a precaution. But against what I wonder. Anyway - nothing seemed to have happened. A football derby somewhere perhaps?
The most positive thing about my three days in Puebla was thst I was totally immersed in Spanish: talking, listening, understanding more and more: cos not a single person that I met spoke english.
I'm back in Cordoba now. Travelled back 2 hrs 45 mins (200+ km?) this afternoon first class: mx$180 - £9. Buses here are remarkably cheap, but sophisticated. In the top echalon you have First Class, Deluxe, GL and Platinum. The best ones are like business class - reclining seats, foot stools, individual video/music thingies, free snack and drink, toilets etc. And most non stop, or maybe one stop, to your destination.
Will post more photos tomorrow.
Thanks for keeping reading my ramblings xxx
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