Our Mexico Trip - Day 4

OK folks. It's time for me to catch up with my story!

On Sunday morning, Kev woke up feeling a bit better. This was the day of we had planned to go to a classical music concert. Luis served us all a traditional Mexican breakfast of huevos rancheros and chilaquiles. I had the chilaquiles, and Kev said the huevos rancheros (fried egg on top of a fresh tortilla and then smothered with Mexican hot sauce) were outstanding,

Lety and Luis were concerned that Kevin was sick and also that their whole family was sick. Luis told me that we could either all go to a clinic or perhaps he could get a doctor to pay a house visit. Well, only in Mexico could we arrange this. He had his family doctor come to see us at home. Dr. Valderrama is a no-nonsense doctor. She took her time examining Kev, Lety, Juanma and Luis. They all had different types of respiratory infections.  She left us with a long list of antibiotics, decongestants, and all around pain killers and vitamin C prescriptions to fill. Luis suggested that we stop at the pharmacy so everybody could start to take their medications,

We climbed on the car and stopped at the pharmacy. We all had water bottles, so all of the patients started their antibiotic courses. Luis started the car and headed to UNAM. The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, is the autonomous university founded in 1910 to replace the first university founded in Mexico in 1551.

I've always felt in awe at the grandeur of the wooded area of the UNAM's campus in the south of the city. The parks around it are an ecological reserve. I was astounded to see turtle doves, hummingbirds, and butterflies. The Nezahualcoyotl Concert Hall is part if the Cultural University Centre where different art events are held in the different theatres: dance, music, drama. I was happy to come back to this place where many years ago I attended an international writers' conference. I can close my eyes and remember the exhilarating experience of listening to Octavio Paz, Jorge Luis Borges, Ted Hughes, and Gunter Grass read their poems.

We walked around the grounds for a bit, how there is a new Contemporary Art Museum that we should visit next time we come.

When the time came, we entered the astounding concert hall. I feel so excited attending a live concert, or play or dance show. The orchestra members we're busily tuning their instruments. Lety had told me these concerts sell out pretty quickly, and we indeed had a full house. It is wonderful that such events are quite affordable in Mexico. The concert was a piece by Wagner, Act 1 of the Valkyrie. It was pretty dramatic and operatic. First time I listened to opera! I must say Wagner is not the most accessible or melodic of classical composers, but the orchestra played brilliantly, and the singers were impressive. The story of theValkyrie seemed to me like a King Arthur and Game of Thrones mélange. We came out feeling very happy to have witnessed this spectacle,

As the day was warm and everybody was feeling under the weather, we walked a little more and then decided to go to the neighbourhood of San Angel for a walk around the area and lunch, I had been in this area of Mexico when I was younger. It is known to be a place where many artists and intellectuals have made their homes. I had never walked around the main streets, though, and I had the eerie feeling that I wasn't in Mexico City but in San Miguel de Allende, one of our favourite colonial tourist destinations in Mexico, San Angel has cobblestoned streets, and the buildings are all built in the typical Spanish colonial styles with stone walls and lots of brightly coloured houses. We were amazed by how many lovely shops, galleries and restaurants were available. It is certainly a place we should come back and spend a good day getting to know it. We walked through narrow streets and found a plaza, where there was an outdoor gallery offering art by local artists. In what would have been the San Angel's mini zocalo or alameda (town square), there was a fair with food stalls and craft stalls. There was even a stage with a clown doing his comedy act,
We zeroed in a Mexican taco place where we all ordered delicious huaraches and flautas. After eating to our little hearts' content, we slowly made our way back to the car. It is hard to describe how the pace of the city changes in this microcosm of a little town within the city. One really feels in another place.

We headed back home where we had to pack, as I had asked my Uncle Ricardo to pick us up at 6:30pm. Paula and Mo were arriving this day to join our adventure!

Packing and saying goodbye are not my favourite things. Time flew so fast, and I always feel like the time I spend with my Mexican family is only but a sigh in the rolling winds of time, which doesn't stop moving forward, which doesn't give us extra minutes in a day. 

It was sad pack to get ready to leave, but at least I had a few days with them. I always feel so loved when I visit my Mexican family. Coming here is a great reminder of who I am and where I came from, of why I am the way that I am. I always find I get this special shot of "Mexicaness" to immunize me from despair, as Mexicans are so hopeful and optimistic; to fill my heart with abounding love, as Mexicans do not tire of expressing their love of family and friends; and to remind me that the best things in life cannot be bought with money, but they are given freely: a smile, a sign of comfort and understanding, patience, sharing, and infinite hope and trust, even when times are tough.

Well, we said goodbye to Lety, and my uncle drove us to my parents' home in Balbuena. At the same time, my Dad made his way to the airport to pick up Paula and Mo. There was a little bit of confusion with Delta's arrival and departure information. After a couple of hours nervous waiting, it turned out the flight was early but the airport was so incredibly busy it took poor Paula and Mo quite a while to get past immigration and customs. We were so happy to see them get here safe and sound.

We arrived at my parents' home and got settled for the night. In another great sign of Mexican hospitality, they left us the apartment to ourselves and went to sleep in another little unfurnished apartment that they own. This is not the most comfortable for them, but they wouldn't have it any other way.

My Dad had told us his iPad was not working, but trust my smart Paula to figure out how to unlock and reset it, we went to bed tired but happy as more adventures were to come next day. :)

Posted with Blogsy