Cortina Embarazada

There is nothing like sitting on your couch on a breezy Sunday afternoon and watching your window become pregnant before your eyes. There´s immaculate conception and then there´s curtains gone wild. This is one of my living room windows facing the south side of the city. This particular window likes wearing see-through curtains.... 

Constituyentes Identity Crisis

Constituyentes is a boulevard with a serious identity crisis, if a street can have one. This boulevard becomes a highway when it heads towards the northwest part of the city. But here, on the way that heads towards downtown it slows to a crawl because of the plethora of street lights. These lights are completely unnecessary considering the benefit of continuing the highway into the city. One day though, Constituyentes will figure out whether it wants to be a street with many lights or just an uninterrupted highway to civility. Constituyentes is in the northwest part of Mexico City. 

Civic Instruments

This is the San Jeronimo flag. In Mexico City, there are several key parts of the city that prominently display a giant Mexican flag. Here, motorists on the newly opened second level of the Periferico get to enjoy an elevated view of this patriotic and civic landmark. San Jeronimo is in the south part of the city, north of Pedregal and west of San Angel. 

A Conversation Defined

The concept of "siesta" in Central America takes a whole new meaning when you factor in the element of climate. The tropical weather makes chats like the one here between two old men that much more appealing. But it's not just the climate that makes siestas here pleasant and enviable. In fact, it's the entire attitude behind a conversation that often becomes the key and active ingredient. When I took this picture in Costa Rica last August, I realized that for some people, it's really about taking the time to tell a story, share a thought, and actually listen to the other person. It is then that I realized that I hoped to have many conversations in my lifetime like the one these guys are having.  

My Xanadu

Today I received a very comforting massage at work. I almost fell asleep. It was that good. If you haven´t had a massage this year, definitely make it a priority. This entire week we have been receiving lectures on healthy eating, exercise and meditation. All this made me think about my trip to Costa Rica last August after I took the California Bar Exam. While I was getting my massage, soft music was playing in the background and I was told to think of a place that had brought me joy, tranquility and internal peace. My mind didn´t even hesitate as it ran to the memory of this beach - Playa Moctezuma on the Pacific side of Costa Rica, aka my Xanadu. 

Periferico Relief

This past Sunday, one portion of the Periferico construction project was finally opened. Here, you can see pedestrians walking on the bridge as they enjoy its inauguration. The bridge connects the Periferico in San Jeronimo to the Eje 10 Sur towards Avenida Revolucion. The opening of this overpass has already reduced traffic substantially for motorists of the Zona Sur of the city.  

Elotes Asados con Queso y Mayonesa

In Mexico, elotes asados are a major treat. The corn is first boiled in water, then charcoal broiled to give it some color, and finally smothered in mayo, cheese and red powder chilli. The last time I had one of these elotes, I was in Zacatecas during the annual September ferias (festival) and became extremely ill for about three days. So since then, I refuse to try another, especially those featuring spoonfuls of mayo and cheese. Now, I only take pictures of them!! But don´t let my experience stop you from ordering one...enjoy! 

Elote Delivery Service

For those that get hungry during a long ride, once you are on a trajinera in Xochimilco, vendors in smaller boats will pull alongside to offer elotes, like here, or other food items. In addition to food, flower vendors and musicians will pull alongside hoping for some of your pesos!  

Nuevo Nativitas - Premium Embarcadero

If you are going to Xochimilco, you should board your trajinera at the Nuevo Nativitas embarcadero. Xochimilco has various boarding areas, aka embarcaderos. Of these, Nuevo Nativitas is recommended because of its colorful marketplace, ample parking and many taco stands.  

Tardeada en Xochimilco

In general, the Xochimilco area is extremely tranquil. Although you are still in Mexico City, once you board one of these ¨trajineras¨ you can almost forget about the city traffic. Saturday afternoons are one of the best times to visit, especially because of the live music available and the relaxed ambiance.  

Tiempo de Trajineras

This past Saturday afternoon, I visited the Xochimilco canals of Mexico City. These canals once represented the lush gardens of the Aztec elite before the colonial conquest. Five hundred plus years later, Xochimilco is a popular tourist attraction as well as a place for local families to have lunch, listen to live mariachi music and to enjoy the greenery. After hours, the canals become crowded with ¨trajineras¨ (as the boats are called) carrying a more fiesta oriented sector of the population. A two hour ride for about 20 people comes out to $400 pesos. Make sure to pack your drinks, food and stereo with you.  

Fuente de Inspiracion

Plaza San Jacinto also features a fountain of inspiration for any future artists looking for a place to pick up a paintbrush and start painting away individual versions of life. With this plaza, Mexico City provides the perfect balance to a hectic and frustrated existence, giving harmony in the form of serenity and reflection. In the Distrito Federal, residents must be creative to prevent the city's traffic and crime problems from wearing them down.  

Strolling for Arte

In San Jacinto, one can stroll around for decently prized artwork from local artists. The large square allows for ample displays of art with local artists on hand to answer questions and explain conceptual themes, etc.  

The Haven

Despite the Periferico traffic issues, Mexico City rewards those persistent enough to find places like this plaza in San Jacinto. Here, local artists share their colors with the rest of the city on Saturday afternoons. 

A Life of Constant Merging

Merging traffic is one of the key factors contributing to gridlock on Mexico City freeways. Here, the motorists merging on to the three-lane Periferico before San Jeronimo represent an additional burden to the already crowded highway.  

Lord of the Periferico Ring

The Periferico is the key transportation ring that surrounds a major part of the metropolitan center of Mexico City. The Periferico is currently undergoing major construction to accomodate the increase in automobiles on Mexico City roads. As a result, the local city government has invested millions of dollars in the construction of a second-level highway that will hopefully alleviate the current congestion issues faced by motorists throughout Mexico City. As the construction continues, current motorists on the Periferico must tolerate long delays on their daily commutes. And street vendors take advantage of the slow traffic by entering the Periferico to sell gum, pastries and other snacks. 

Regatear - Defined

If you forget your swimsuit, there are many places in Tequesquitengo where you can purchase any last minute additions to your wardrobe. I needed a towel and found a yellow one for 30 pesos, after some bargaining of course. ¨Regatear¨ is a popular and expected form of bargaining in many Mexican marketplaces. The style is never directly aggressive, but rather sprinkled with humor and social interaction. So next time you ask for a price quote in Mexico, be prepared to converse and to hopefully bring the price down a couple pesos... 

Miles Away from Ordinary

This last weekend, I drove to Tequesquitengo, which is only about an hour and a half from Mexico City, with fellow Fulbrighters. This lake is awesome because the weather is warmer when compared to the city, and the ambiance is expectedly relaxing. For anyone looking for a great place to get away on a budget, this place meets the criteria. 

Tequesqui(Tengo) Que Ir

The locals of Tequesquitengo, a small lakefront village south of Cuernavaca, have discovered how to make the best of a Sunday afternoon. Here, this swimming pool is part of the lakefront club where 20 pesos (roughly $1.75 dollars) gets you access to nice green space overlooking the Lago de Tequesquitengo. 

Domingiar - Tiempo Familiar

Many Mexican families use Sundays to congregate with extended family, potluck and spend some quality time enjoying the natural richness of their country. Here, this extended Mexican familia, presumably locals from the state of Morelos, has found a prime spot to socialize. 

Trafico on the Periferico

Arriving in Mexico City traffic is challenging. New drivers to MC need to adapt to narrow lanes, no signals and plenty of cars jumping in front of you. This ambulance had enough trouble getting through the three-lane Periferico. The city government is working on building a second story to the Periferico as evidenced by this pic.  

Tacos in the Desert

On the way to Torreon, Coahuila, it´s always worth stopping for some grub before or for the road. This taco place wasn´t the best taco stand, but it delivered the basics...tortillas, beef, and green salsa. 

Dusty Northern Towns

Driving through dusty Mexican towns proved to be an integral part of the odyssey. Drivers should be especially vigilant of the many speedbumps that stand in the way of an otherwise smooth ride. 

Objects Are Closer...

As I drove East from California through the Arizona and New Mexico deserts, the weather improved dramatically. But the dark clouds in the background were always closer than they appeared. 

Big Bear - Calm Before the Storm

The first day at Big Bear was the calm before the storm...24 hours after this picture was taken the real snowstorm hit.