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Mexico City
The bus we took from
Taxco to Mexico City was "Pluss" class, which
is even better than the primera class. The seats were like
recliners and they showed a movie --New
York Minute (dubbed into spanish of course).
I wondered what the other passengers
thought of Mary-Kate and Ashley's antics. It was kind of
surreal to me. We arrived in Mexico City at the Tasquena
bus station. If you take one of these busses, you should
use the bathroom on the bus, because the bathroom in the
bus station costs 3 pesos and has no seats on the toilets.
From there we got on the subway
toting the overnight bags we had taken to Taxco.
Shortly after we got on the train
two scruffy-looking, shirtless young men got on. One of
them began addressing everyone with, "Buenos noches,
damas y caballeros." I was thinking "Next he's
going to tell us it's a stick-up and here I am with silver
jewelry in my pockets that I bought in Taxco." But
instead he explained that his companero was going to perform
while he solicited donations. Anyway that was the gist of
it. The other guy took a small rag that he carrying and
dropped it flat on the train floor. It was filled with broken
glass that he proceded to lie down and roll around on his
back on. Meanwhile, the other guy went around with his cap,
but he didn't get any donations. He stared at Lars for a
long time, maybe he looked rich.
It took us a while to find
Michelle's
condo after we left the subway. It had been three years
since Lars had been there. I was impressed he remembered
his way around as well as he did. I used to take the subway
in New York fairly often, and I could never tell which way
was uptown or downtown when I came out.
Michelle's condo (interior)
is located by one of the corners of Chapultepec Park and
was convenient to the subway station. Across from her building
is this tower
that is the tallest building in Mexico City. Here is a view
of a sunset
from the window of the room Lars and I stayed in.
The next day we went to
the mercado San Juan with Michelle and her two servants,
senora Julia and her daughter, Ariana. This was a big market
with vendors selling many different kinds of meats,
fish
and produce.
Here are some chickens.
But we were there to get fish
for the veracruzano
style fish that senora Julia would make for us. Here
is price
list from one of the fish stalls. Here is some of the
meat.
that "Los Coyotes" sell. I also found a vendor
selling armadillo
and rattlesnake
meat. I had a friend in junior high school who killed an
armadillo and tried to clean it because he wanted the shell.
When he started cutting open that armadillo, -well it was
one of the worst odors I have ever smelled in my whole life.
I mean, this odor made me think I was going to puke out
more guts than that 'dillo had. I can't imagine how the
Mexican butchers stand it. But we were not having anything
quite that exotic. I had some yogurt with pineapple, cactus,
and celery in it. I think the celery was the strangest part.
From there we went to a
mole vendor that sold moles
that they made on site. They also sold various kinds of
nuts.
Nearby we saw a street
food vendor making some chalupas with blue corn flour.
After lunch
we went to the Rufino
Tamayo Museum (Web
site) which besides Tamayo features exhibits of contemporary
art. We couldn't take pictures inside, but here is Lars
standing near a sculpture outside.
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