Teotihuacan, right between the Sun and the Moon, the world moves forward

I spent Memorial Day weekend in Mexico City. Three days of driving around the most winding and ridiculous streets from one beautiful, breathtaking location to the next. Navigating chocolate bumps and round-abouts, no lanes and VW beetle cabs (how do you get IN one of those?), high roads, low roads and tráfico, dontcha. It was like the best roller-coaster ride ever. My pilot knows the roads, mostly (even seasoned veterans can get lost on DF roads) but never missed a traffic bump. Yes indeed the city put in speed bumps all over the place because residents completely ignore traffic lights, which is not surprising as there are often traffic lights pointing the wrong way down one-way streets or other such ridiculous locations. Nevermind the fact that there is no grid. Navigation is all by landmark. This is made much easier by the fact that there is an unprecedented amount of public art. Lost? Pull a U-turn at the white Arabesque sculpture and follow your route back to the hairpin turn, then turn Right and take the low road under the Periférico.

When you reach your destination, you will have to pay for parking in a restricted lot. This is normal, the only way to do it. While on your way, you have to be careful not to run over the kids in the streets trying to sell you flowers or watches, nor the Big Butt Clowns, but you may consider clipping the guys who squirt soapy water on your windshield and then charge you for the wash. Supposedly this is now illegal, but the guys are still there and will toss a bucket your direction with towels in it to fake you out. The trick is to leave space between you and the car in front of you so you can pull up as a gesture to let the interesting and industrious pan-handlers know you are not a sucker. Big Butt Clowns? I was entertained.

We did other things besides driving, but in DF (Distrito Federal aka Mexico City) driving is essential. On Monday, when everyone went back to work, I had several dizzy spells. I was afraid that I had contracted something viral or that I was just simply dying of a brain tumor. I couldn't stop yawning and I needed to sit down, now. What was this curious malady? Aha! Pollution! I was suffering from an altitude of 7000ft above sea level and no clean air to breathe. Not a problem on the weekend, but once rush hour traffic commenced, the carbon monoxide levels were not suitable for this flatlander.

Now to the really amazing parts: The historic district with the Cathedral and the government buildings on the Zócalo, and the Aztec ruins and the Grand Hotel. It was beautiful. We toured the Cathedral and I asked my tour guide to translate every name of every chapel and explain to me the structural implications of the sinking of the building (too much water getting sucked out of the foundations). Then he purchased two tickets for the tour of the Campanario to see the naughty bell that tossed a pal one time. We climbed the ancient stairs and I requested translations of the narration by the guide, but the answer was always "tseh, he's talking about the bells..." which invariably led to more PDA. Speaking of that, the city is full of PDAs (which is what my personal kissing assistant now calls the other pals who are standing about kissing after I introduced him to the middle school term). He then mentioned something about how I'd be called a "strawberry" and I just had to accept that at face value despite my tendency to be offended. It didn't matter at all... The whole scene was so beautiful. We dined on the roof terrace at the Grand Hotel watching the clouds change above the government buildings until the afternoon rains came. We talked of many things from our pasts which seemed just right in such an historic place. Afterward we walked along the arcaded jewelry stores and watched the punk rockers hand out flyers while a string quartet played Vivaldi. It was perfect.



Ok, there were more amazing things, the piramides were wonderful, the hacienda was magical, everything was perfect and I am too tired to write about it all now.



I am leaving for Lisbon tomorrow afternoon. I will be there for nearly a week and then to Pittsburgh for my brother's graduation. I'll have more stories when I return.



Bon voyage! Via con Dios...