¡Viva Mexico!

Natalie at the club

Kiki,

Mexico has been a relaxing yet exhausting break from my travels. Well, I guess Mexico is still traveling, but being with family makes it different. More like living here than traveling. I go swimming every other day at the country club and now I am taking golf lessons two days a week. I spend all the rest of the time playing with Natalie or watching Barbie princess movies. She is super cute but really sassy and learns new words every day. She has fashion melt downs every day. By this I mean that if you try and put a sweater on her (ruins the look of the dress) or pants (not a dress) she cries for about 20 minutes. She picks out her dress and her shoes every morning. When you get here she is going to go crazy. There will be too many people to play with.

The other day John took JM and me to a soccer game. It was an interesting experience. You walk in past riot police to a crowded stadium of screaming fans. They never stop yelling and when someone scores they start throwing beer in the air. I had to wash my jacket because it was soaked. During half time some sad looking dancers came out and then audience members did this dangerous obstacle course. They started by walking across a balance beam ten feet in the air while guys on the ground threw balls at them. Then they got in a cart and were pushed up a giant see-saw and rolled down the other side (if they were lucky). The last one before the goal attempt was to use a trampoline to dive through a hole in a plywood wall. It looked like a lawsuit waiting to happen, but then again this is Mexico and things are different here. I am glad because it was hilarious when a man ran full speed into the plywood wall.

At the soccer match

I have not even mentioned the food. That is just too complicated a topic. Fresh tacos and the best tamale I have ever had and don't forget the hot sauces. The tamale is famous and they only serve it on the weekends at the country club. It is a chicken tamale covered with a green salsa. I know it does not sound special but believe me it is. The flavor is just too hard to describe. For most Americans please discard anything you think you know about Mexican food. It is nothing like that cheese drenched stuff you get at American Mexican restaurants. Think fresh, smokey, and spicy.

Me and the princess

Apart from all the Mexican food that I have been eating, I have also been cooking lots of Cuban food. JM and I are trying to master some of our Cuban favorites. When you get here you have to help us. As of now we have made arroz con pollo, ropa vieja, and rabo encendido. I have to say that our arroz con pollo and ropa vieja are pretty tasty. Next we need to work on black beans and rice. I made it in Ireland and it was just not right.

Swimsuit hat and soap necklace style

Last weekend we went to Coyoacan and ate dinner. After a mediocre meal at a random restaurant we walked around the square. Natalie saw a woman with balloons and started screaming globo! globo! and running toward the woman. Yes we bought her one and she proceeded to swing it around hitting everyone within a two foot radius. Then we got ice cream. I got passion fruit and JM got coconut. Unfortunately or fortunately, Natalie loved my ice cream and practically ate all of it.  This square we went to had a small town vibe with locals strolling through the square and little old ladies going to church. When you get here I think we are going to do a lot more of the touristy things, but I like not being a tourist for a while. I have yet to really feel the size of Mexico City. I guess it is like every big city where every neighborhood is like it's own little city.

Natalie in the sweater I made for her

The one thing I have noticed here that other countries did not have is the super long lunches. I went to a lunch the other day at 2 p.m. and left at 3 a.m. Yeah and this is not out of the norm either. The other times it has been more of a reasonable hour like 11pm or 12 am when we leave the restaurant. I don't know how anything gets done in Mexico when the whole day is spent at lunch. Though I am usually eating good food, a 12 hour lunch is bit too much for me.

JM

Lula
P.S. Sorry for the lack of relevant pictures. I left my camera at a friends house for a big chunk of the trip.