Sorry for the long silence. We´ve been exploring Mexico City and beyond for the last few weeks. I have many more thoughtful posts about what I see in Mexico, culture, etc but I´m a bti wiped and a little bit sick so they´ll likely have to wait until we return. And when we return there will be lots and lots of pictures to add.
I´ve been able to get out a couple of times for drinks. We went first to a bar where I discovered I possessed the wrong accent. Our friend Gabriel has a new haunt based on an old haunt. H and Gabriel use to frequent a bar called Milan in the Colonia Juarez. A former customer of Milan, a British lad, inspired by Milan created a bar called the Black Horse in Condesa. There many, many Brits and a few Scots so I felt even more outplace with my accent. But it was a good time, loud, good beer, and good company. A few nights later we went out with the kids and found a neat little bar called Mestizo in Colonia Rosa. We ended up there the next with Horacio´s brother and sister. Again, a nice bar but unforuntely H´s dad´s car was vandalized.
Even more exciting is that while at a cafe called Gaby´s in the Zona Rosa, a woman approached us. She knew our names, and for a moment we were puzzled until she introduced herself as the famous Rebeka. We were very excited at this unexpected suprise, and a bit amazed at such a chance encounter in so big a city. We do plan to meet up with her again before we leave the city on Tuesday.
Last weekend was spent in Cuernavaca in an amazing private home that was more like a hotel. H´s parents´friends graciously offered us the use of their famlies summer residence for the weekend. We had a great time swimming, drinking with H´s siblings and Gabriel (who really is like another brother). Camille was thrilled as she has a bit of crush on Gabriel who I think would adobt her if he could. We also got to explore the little plaza in the center of the town. On Monday we went to the town of Tetoztlan hoping to see some of its famous aliens. We didn´t find any much to Umberto´s disappointment.
Today we went to Teotihuacan to see the pyramids. The kids were total awe for only about a few mintues and then they wanted to climb. And climb they did. All of them made it to the top although Piper had some help from H. I´m always in total awe as we walk around this vast city abandoned thousands of years ago. I started to read Jared Diamond´s ¨Collaspe¨(I¨ve resisted his books for awhile) and was struck by the stories he tells of the ¨lost cities¨ as I walked around. What happened to the people who built such vast temples?
Tomorrow it´s back to the market to buy gifts for our loved ones, and maybe a witches´market if I can persudae H to bring me!
5 comments:
I sent Ernesto an email telling him about our encounter.:D
Curiously, I was trying to look out the window to see if my car was safe. When I saw Horacio sitting next to you I was just like "Hey, I know them! I have seen them before!" I am, however, still ashamed that I forgot Horacio's name.
What happened to the people who built them?
Why, they were massacred, raped, robbed, forced to change their beliefs and culture, enslaved and segregated...
Well not necessiarly E. There is very little known about who built the larger pyramids. Most evidence does not support the Aztecs as the founders and builders. They did use the site as did many other tribes...who very well may have that happen to them by other tribes. The Aztecs were know for doing all the above to other tribes...
... I didn't say by whom... though some scholars say that it was a drought and climate change what caused its collapse.
But the Otomí, Zapotec, Maya, Mixtec, Nahua and Totonacs that lived there all faced the Spaniards...
Yes they did in thier own homes but no one actually lived in the pyarmids by the time the Spanish came through. I was refering more to what happened to the orignial builders as opposed to the many who used the site. That is the mystery I had in mind. Sorry I wasn´t clear in the post.
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