Yearly Archives: 2011

Staurday night – steps and the city

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Greetings (again from Cuernavaca.. we had another amazing day.. After breakfast with Miguelito the parrot we took and inter-city bus to the small mountain town of Tepotzlan. In hind site, it might have been a better base for our explore this week.. but all things considered.. things have worked out splendidly. Tepotzlan is a .. as the brochure says.. a ‘magical place’.. all sorts of people come there because the special feel of the place. And it does feel special.. it’s kind of a hippy/alternative getaway.. far enough up in the mountains to avoid being really crowded. It has cobblestone streets and low stucco houses in bright colors.. The main street is full of incense sellers, tarot readers and reiki practitioners.. The place was bustling today because it was a market day.. The interesting thing is.. we saw very few folks from other countries there.. maybe 4 Americans and one very helpful German/Mexican woman (Mira) who helped us find our way.

The first order of business was to climb the 45 minute straight up to the Aztec temple that overlooks the town. Even though we’re both in shape.. we were sweat coated and tired by the time we reached the top.. We started early.. so it wasn’t a crowd on the path.. but by the time we headed back.. everyone and his/her grandmother (literally) were on the steep stairs heading to the top…. And it was really worth it.. though the temple was small.. the view was simply amazing.. it’s incredible to think that folks built this thing hundreds (I believe 600) of years ago with no power tools.. It was a long way back to home depot in those days for anything you forgot at the top.

One cool thing at the top were the aguties.. a central american marsupial a bit like an opposum.. they were all over the plave and friendly-ish.. if there was a prospect for food..

The top was also a very good place to put a few samstones..

We got down the mountain around 12L30 .. hot and tired and happy.. first order of business was lunch.. We foudn a great mexican place (go figure) overlooking the street). .. After lunch we headed out to explore the city.. It was a market day so there were parts of town that were very crowded.. first we explored some of the quiet and beautiful back streets… and the old convent

Then we headed into the market.. what a ZOO !.. people were sellign everything from barbie dolls to pigs heads, shakra stones to fried cow intestines.. smells were everywhere.. gross to delicious.. it was … wonderful.. a little like india.. but different smells..

One thing we noticed again was love.. it was everywhere.. couples loved one another.. parents love their kids.. and babies and pregnant moms are everywhere… we love the love here.. it’s lovely

Around 4:30 our brains were full so we walked up to the bus terminal and caught a bus back to cuernavaca. This one let us off at the market.. so we had a nice and colorful mile walk through the zocolo..

now it’s about 8:30 ad we’re about to hit the streets again looking for food.. More tomorrow..

gnite all, gnite sam
-me

Friday night – Xochicalco

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Grettings from Cuernavaca.. a sleepy little town of only 350,000 people.. which looks tiny compared to the 20 million or so we just shared mexico city with..

We woke early, worked out , packed then took a cab throuh busy mexico city to Taxquena bus depot in Sout west Mexico city.. The terminal is a bustling place .. busses pulled in and out like clockwork. Our packed bus to cuernavaca was a luxurious Volvo with movies , ac and comfy seats.. The hour down to Cuernavaca flew past as we got to take in the very green and rolling countryside..

We got to Curenavaca and a really nice retired guy walked about 8 blocks with us to help us find our hotel.. Everyone here is really nice and helpful.. We found our place.. The Casa Azul without much trouble.. It’s a nice quiet place on a sidestreet.. plenty nice for our travels..

After a quick lunch we called another cab and took the 40 minute ride out to Xochicalco , the fourth most visited antiquity site in all of Mexico (the other Tetihuacan. Chitzenitza, Tulum we’ve seen too) It was SO worth the trip.. we got there around 2 and stayed nearly the three hours until closing.. the site is gorgeous.. and was largely empty.. we had long stretches of time when we couldn’t see another soul.. (enough time to drop a few samstones unnoticed !). The site has some really cool features including 2 complete Pelota courts and tan amazing observatory with carved frescoes.. We took the whole place in.. then took a turn through the nicely done museam abotu a quarter of a mile down the road..

Just before 5 we foudn ou cab driver adolfo and headed bakc to cuernavaca..

After a quick shower we headed down into the zocalo for something to eat.. there was a ton of people doing the standard Friday evening promenade with their mate on their arm. There is SO much love here.. people hugging and kissing each other on every corner.. I like it.. it’s very romantic.. and I have my romance partner here to practice with.. very. very nice.. when in rome…

we tried one of the resturants oru hotel suggested.. but it was too fancy and epensive.. We ended up picking a place on the zocolo that fed us both for less than half of one of the first places entrees.. We then wandered down to the cathedral and stumbled on to a great mariachi singing contest.. we sat and listened foor quite a while. They were all pretty good…!

Now it’s after 1 and I need to sleep.. hope this slide show format works for folks.. I’m taking too many pictures to annotate each one..

So far a really great trip.. more from the road tomorrow..
nite all, nite sam
-me

Thursday night – zocalo

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Diane and I had a totally restful day here in Mexico city.. i took the day off and only spent the first half of the day feeling guilty about it.. We worked out in the gym.. then walked over to the Museum of anthropology. It is a spectacular place.. and to be honest.. a bit overwhelming.. we strolled through centuries of olmec , toltec,, aztec, mayan and inca relics.. too many to take in.. but all amazing.. it was very cool .. and exhausting at the same time. It’s an amazing place.. see it if you can..

here are some pics from our visit..

we got back to the hotel mid afternoon then spent the rest of the day vegging and sleeping by the pool.. We’d had enough adventure and just wanted to chill. I’s so nice having diane here to chill with..

Around 5 we headed down to the subway to go visit the center of town, the Zocalo.. We got on the subway at Sevilla.. I love going on subways in different parts of the world.. This one was clean, quiet and fast.. and very, very crowded. very nice for a big city.. One interesting thing they had was a separate waiting area for kids and unaccompanied ladies.. nice idea..

We changed trains then got of at Zocolo and strolled around there.. the square was full of political encampments.. I think folks were permanently camping there in protest of one thing or another.> There were speeches going on and folks crowded around to hear them.. it was so surreal. Then we walked into the beautiful cathedral at the end of the square.. what a magnificent place !..

We then walked down in the old quarter in search of something to eat.. we settled on Tacuba on the recommendation of Esteben our hotel concierge.. it was GREAT.. we had cheeses stuffed poblanos, red snapper veracruz and an excellent sopa do ajo )(garlic soup)

After dinner we continued to walk ..until we came to the Palace de Belle Arts.. a beautiful building in a square packed with peopa;e at 9 at night.

Abotu that time we were getting pretty sleepy.. so we hopped on the subway and headed back to out hotel.

Tomorrow we’re off to Cuernavaca and Tepotzlan..

More then..

fore now.. buenas noches a todos. buenas noches sam
-me

Wednesday night – fua**2

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first of all.. we heard from gabe.. and he’s having a blast in Buenas Aires.. he told me he’s learning the tango ! It’s so cool he’s down there.. Here he is with the other two kids in his class..

Further north, it was another great day in mexico city.. two university visits and one work lunch.. then dinner with javier and diane.. a very full day.. about 3 hours of it spent driving across this very huge and wonderful city.. The driving time gave me an opportunity to learn more about my hosts javier and selene which was really great…
I really love this town, this country and the people.. The three universities I’ve visited have all impressed me too !.. Today we started with Monterrey Tech.. My talk wasn’t the smoothest.. but the audience had fun.. many of them were first year engineering students on only their second day of class.. It was so much fun hanging out and taking pictures with the students after my talk. I was so impressed with the students and the profs…
My hosts then treated me to a tour of some of the very cool labs that the students get to use.. they had advances fabrication labs like the one I’m trying to help get started at U of Vermont.. so it was well worthwhile seeing.. We also got a great demo of a scanning electron microscope/xray spectrography setup.. they showed me a microscopic MEMS (micromechanical) rack and pinion that blew my mind..

this afternoon I went to ITAM.. another great university.. it was packed.. many of the folks in the audience were business majors .. why they would want to hear a geek speak I have no idea. This talk went pretty well too.. Again.. it was so awesome hanging out with the students.. we were there about 30 minutes talking , laughing and taking a ton of pictures . Again the students were so great.. they asked wodnerful questions .. and i was very,very impressed.. !

I took so many pictures of us taking pictures that I decided it was better to squish them all in a single slide show.. hope that’s ok.. Here’s my day in a slide show.

Javier and I got back to the hotel around 7PM.. grabbed diane and headed back to the zona rosa for dinner.. the three of us had a great light meal at a mexican style sushi place.. (smoked salmon and cream cheese sushi wrapped in spinach and covered with chipotle sauce)

tomorrow I’m taking vacation and we’re going to go explore the city a bit.. more on that then

for now

buenas noches todos, buenas noches sam
-me