Our Mexico Trip - Day 2

This morning we woke up to find the Cardinals had kept their lead in yesterday's second game of the 2013 World Series. Well, the more baseball the better. Baseball is one of the sports I learned about from my dad. He passed his enthusiasm of sports to me. I learned about the rules, the superstitions, the numbers, the probabilities, the importance of pitching, what the body language of players meant. Obviously, it's a thrill to watch sports with him again. So, yes, indeed, we were happy to know that even though we dozed off before the end (aren't we all a little bit older to stay up all night?), the series is tied, so that means more baseball games.

Today's plan was to meet Lety and go to the Mole Fair in the town of Atocpan. Mole is a traditional Mexican sauce made up of several types of ground dried hot peppers and a combination of several spices. Atocpan is a little town close to Tepepan, where my sister, Lety, lives.

Today was a mixture of strange things happening and of our magical visit to Atocpan. I won't dwell on the strange happenings, but I will mention them for the sake of remembering the intense emotions of the day.

Strange happening number one: My mom wanted to watch the morning news. Cable was out! Who turned off the cable? 

We had a lovely breakfast at home. My parents tried one of my smoothies and liked them. My dad had made some lovely tangerine juice which I mixed in with my peach smoothie. Delicious!

Strange happening number two: my mom could not access her Facebook account, and we spent a long time on the phone trying to reset the email password with the local phone company (since that's the email account she used). Hopefully we did. It is not known at the time of this post.

Once we were all packed, my Dad drove us. Traffic was not bad at all! We arrived in Tepepan in an hour. I think my memories of awful traffic have to do with the fact that last time I came it was Easter. It pays to plan what days and what time you decide to go from point A to point B. :-)

The town of Tepepan is in the south of the city in the general area of Xochimilco. Xochimilco is named after a native tribe called the Xochimilcas. My sister and her husband were attracted to buying a home here because of Tepepan's rich history and "little-town" feeling, The houses here are built in the Spanish colonial style with stone and brick walls, bright yellow, orange or blue walls. The cobblestone roads are narrow. When we arrived, we noticed everybody greeting my sister out in the street. She said that's how people roll in a little town, in a "pueblo."

We brought our stuff to the guest bedroom. Let me tell you that both at my parents' and at my sister's we we're welcomed very warmly with guest baskets with every necessity: shampoos, deodorants, chocolates -- today even a couple of Mexican flags. They've been so good to us!

Well, after we dropped our bags, we got on my sister's blue jeep and drove to Atocpan. She took winding little streets until we ended up leaving Tepepan and going on another rural road. Kevin and I could not believe how beautifully green everything looks. This road was flanked by gorgeous rolling hills covered with yellow Black-eyed Susans. We noticed small business are all over the place in these little neighbourhoods. Sure, there are the big grocery stores. However, the neighbourhood butcher, fruit store, haberdashery, ice cream parlours and little restaurants are still alive and well.

The way to the Mole Fair was well marked by posters. Up and up, we kept climbing until we got to the fair grounds nestled at the foot of a lovely hill; we could have almost gone climbing! The guy in the parking lot explained that the fair was divided into thirds: the first part was crafts and snacks; then the mole stalls and finally restaurants where you could eat any mole recipe your little heart desired.

Well, I hope to attach photos soon, but all I can say is that the variety of crafts and the numerous types of mole sauces was such, that it was extremely difficult to make up your mind as to what to get. Kev has a great eye for quality crafts, so after passing several he zeroed in some spooky Halloween masks and some bewitchingly colourful Day of the Dead..... You'll have to find out when we bring you these souvenirs! ;-)

It was all such an overload for the senses: bright colours, music (even from some Rasta Jamaican booths - ???), people talking and laughing, the fragrance of spices, fresh tortillas being flipped over charcoal grills.
We found ourselves at the mole stands. Wow. Mounds upon mounds of all different type of mole: traditional, almond flavoured, chocolate flavoured, special (made with almonds, hazelnuts and pecans). The mole from this region of the country is the almond mole, but they had red mole from the coast, dark mole from Puebla. As we walked by the stalls, vendors pushed little tiny (one 8th of a teaspoon) plastic spoons tantalizing your nose. Gosh, I must have eaten a cupful just like that....

(To be continued)

Posted with Blogsy