Mexico City and Querétero

Days 17-24

After five years I’m back in Mexico! I’m here to visit some of my oldest friends, who I’ve known since our time together at university in Canada. First stop, Mexico City to spend a few days with Amanda, her husband Gerardo and her lovely children Sebastian (who was tiny last time I saw him) and Irene who I’m meeting for the first time. Irene has given up her bedroom and moved in with her brother to make room for me. I’ve spent a few fun filled days here experiencing local life in Coyocán, building robots with Sebi, playing lego with Irene, lots of home cooked food and trips to the park. It’s been a welcome break from the tourist trail! 

Amanda and I

Sebi and Irene

I visited the Casa de Frida Carlo, the home of one of Mexico’s most famous artists, recently exhibited in London.

Casa de Frida

I’ve sampled lots of Mexican food – Mamey is a delicious orange avocado-like fruit. For breakfast Tlacoyo is a corn dough filled with beans, served with Nopales – cactus. I’ve snacked on the jícama fruit, which looks like a turnip and is served with salt and chilli. Everything comes with a green sauce made with ‘tomatillo’ tomatoes. Not to mention the churros, long thin donuts that I’m addicted to.

Vegan cafe in Coyocán

Mezcal – will blow your head off

Cactus at the market

 

Tlacoyo

Later I took a luxury bus northwest to Querétero to attend my friend Dulce’s wedding. I’ve known Dulce  for over 16 years, from the university years, to us both living in Australia and meeting up over the years in Mexico, Canada and the US. Dulce is marrying an American, Bryan, and his huge entourage of a family have flown in for the Mexican edition of the celebrations. I’ve been staying across the street with Dulce’s aunt Lulu. I was here for Christmas five years ago so it’s lovely to see all of the Mexican family again – her parents Martha and Luis senior, brother Luis and Lulu and her dogs!

More doggy friends

Lulu, Dulce and I

The lovely Ofelia helps out with the cooking and also turns out to be skilled at elaborate wedding hair styling.

Ofelia and Toño

We all took a day trip to San Miguel de Allende, no mean feat when there are 20 of you. It appears that most of the Middle Aged Americans from Hawaii have now retired to San Miguel. It’s a very pretty town – I was disappointed to see a Starbucks on the corner. We also visited the Convent in Querétero, with its thorn trees that have a distinctive cross marking them, which are safely behind protective wire.

The Child Catcher

Sunset over San Miguel de Allende

 

The wedding celebration starts with a Catholic Mass in a beautiful, old church, followed by everyone walking the streets for ice cream, including the bride in her white dress. The priest spoke slowly in the hope that the English speaking audience would understand some of it – no chance.

Then for the party – a merger of a Mexican fiesta and American party – I had no idea Rock Lobster was so popular!! The drinks flowed – it’s never too early for Tequila in Mexico! There’s lots of different kinds and my favourite was the Paloma cocktail. I was introduced to one of the best types of tequila. Herradura, taken with water and a tiny bit of Coke, by Luis’s friend Laura and her husband Carlos. Bizarrely a photographer came around to take photos of each guest and then sold them to us -Laura and Carlos kindly bought mine for me as a memento. Apparently this is a Mexican tradition – I now have a photo of myself on my own, smiling awkwardly – to frame when I get home.

The best part of the night was when the Mariachis arrived. I love Mariachis – traditional Mexican musicians who are hired to sing for your birthday or special occasions and will even go to your house to seranade you in the middle of the night until you wake up. It turns out most of the family can sing and the Mariachi singers have to take a backseat- Dulce started the proceedings followed by her uncle Humberto (or ‘drunkle’ as they affectionately call him), brother Luis and lots more.

Drunkle Humberto

Hasta luego Mexico- it’s been wonderful to see Amanda and Dulce again. But now I’m finally going into Nicaragua to start Spanish School for some much needed solitude and return to nature …