Excepting a few weeks in Virginia visiting some friends, Mexico was the last stop on my explorations-of-the-Americas tour. And with vegan taco trucks, amazing street art, nature that left me breathless, night life to write home about and the Day of the Dead, this country really pulled out all the stops to impress. Stop one was Mexico City- with a population of roughly 8 million (about double Melbourne)(and a metropolitan population of 21 million aka actually almost the entirety of Australia), Mexico city is a vibrant metropolis that I pretty much fell in love with at first sight. With the lead up to el Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) in full swing, exploring this marvelous city was often interrupted by costumed revelers and once even a parade that featured a marching band dressed entirely as skeletons playing 'Thriller' on repeat (see photo below). I gushed with enthusiasm about everything- the food, the coffee, the street art, the architecture, the cleanliness of the Uber- to that last one my friend Em, freshly arrived from the States, replied incredulously, 'well yeah... it's kind of their job?'
My appreciation of the interior of the Uber stemmed from my three months in Guatemala- Mexico is considered a second world country, with Guatemala sitting in the third world. While those terms and the statistics that go with them can seem very obtuse, I could really feel and see the difference- especially in the thriving capital. Em was amused and bemused by my running commentary of the city- starting with my amazement at the Uber and followed by my ogling of the far less conservative fashions sported on the streets ('woah, I can see that girl's midriff!'), the upkeep of the buildings and the presence of functioning traffic lights. We had a jolly time roving in search of historical sights (Em), vegan tacos (me), and a hopping dance floor (both of us). All of those things were found in abundance, and at such an affordable price the question of whether to get two or three tacos became not a question at all. I could've spent weeks, months, exploring more of the capital, but in actual fact after four days or so I was on my merry way.
My appreciation of the interior of the Uber stemmed from my three months in Guatemala- Mexico is considered a second world country, with Guatemala sitting in the third world. While those terms and the statistics that go with them can seem very obtuse, I could really feel and see the difference- especially in the thriving capital. Em was amused and bemused by my running commentary of the city- starting with my amazement at the Uber and followed by my ogling of the far less conservative fashions sported on the streets ('woah, I can see that girl's midriff!'), the upkeep of the buildings and the presence of functioning traffic lights. We had a jolly time roving in search of historical sights (Em), vegan tacos (me), and a hopping dance floor (both of us). All of those things were found in abundance, and at such an affordable price the question of whether to get two or three tacos became not a question at all. I could've spent weeks, months, exploring more of the capital, but in actual fact after four days or so I was on my merry way.
From Mexico City I took a bus to San Luis Potosi- another largish city to the north east of the capital, where I was to find a Mexican couple I had volunteered with in Costa Rica, whom I promised I wouldn't come to Mexico without visiting. And what a visit it was! San Luis Potosi is just as gorgeous as the capital, though much, much more peaceful (and with a sad dearth of street art). The weather was warmer, my local tour guides on top of their game, and my heart was happy. We took the weekend to adventure into Huasteca, a region to the far east of the state and much lauded for its nature. San Luis Potosi is very much in the desert, ringed by mountains, and it was a dramatic change to drive over a pass and into the lush, fertile, tropical land of la Huasteca. With good tunes and road snacks we made our way from stunning blue waterfall to waterfall, swimming in the more tranquil pools (though with the hurricane that had just swept in over the coast and the huge amount of rainfall it dumped the flow of the falls was much higher than usual) and just admiring the fury of others. We adventured to Xilxitla, (my Mexican friends mocked me everytime I tried to pronounce it, as it sounded like I was saying 'heil hitler' every dang time) the main attraction of which is Sir Edward James' surreal garden. Sir Edward was a British poet who inherited a great fortune from his father, and decided to use his fortune to build a surrealist paradise in Mexico. Dali described him as 'crazier than all the Surrealists together' and honestly wandering his gardens you can kinda see where Dali's coming from. We had an amazing guide who actually grew up living in the gardens as his father worked there, and his tales of Sir Edward and his guests were amusing and eye-opening. These days the gardens are a wild tangle of sculptures and structures and glorious tropical green, and were a pure delight to spend an afternoon exploring.
The adventure continued- while working in Guatemala I trekked with many a client doing the so-called 'gringo trail', starting north in Mexico and making their way south through Central America. This gave me ample opportunity to pick the brains of these lovely travelers and plan my own time heading in the opposite direction, north. San Miguel de Allende, where I spent Day of the Dead, was always mentioned with great enthusiasm, and so to check it out for myself I went. Let me tell you- everyone knew what they were talking about. San Miguel is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places I've ever found myself. The houses are invariably painted in colours that would befit a sunset, and against a blue sky and cobblestoned streets they are truly breathtaking. The high expat population means a stellar coffee/vegan degustation/arty boutique is always within walking distance (even a café run by a Kiwi girl and her local partner who offer a 'proper flat white') and the decorations for the holiday made everything just that bit more spectacular. The Day of the Dead, brought to prominence recently in the west by both the latest James Bond film and 'Coco', is celebration all about praying for and remembering family and friends who have passed, and supporting their spiritual journey, Families build ofrendas, or altars, in honour of the deceased, and decorate them lavishly with the gorgeous orange marigolds, photos of the deceased and their favourite foods. Graves are tidied for the occasion, and at night it is as if every night is Halloween, with elaborately costumed and made up people of all ages parade the streets. There is music, and dancing, and so many gorgeous renditions of the 'sugar-skull' face painting that I soon realized choosing a favourite would be impossible. I absolutely loved the air of celebration, and it makes me sad we don't have a similar festival in Australia. I lost a lot of sleep but coffee made up for that, and I hope that won't be the last time I get to immerse myself in such festivities.
Mexico was a blast. I am already planning a return involving my kite, some diving gear and a lot more time, but while writing this from Bali (I'm almost home, I promise!) I am currently just appreciating being in the same time zone as my family and the promise of returning to work in a week or so (and replenishing some much pillaged coffers). I've decided to focus on settling at home next year, and just enjoying a few small trips that are already booked up- some snowboarding in Japan in Feb, then kiting in Spain in April, and a return to the US of A for a wedding later in the year. No one really believes I'll be able to stay put in Aus, but I think I'm going to prove everyone wrong... or I'll be seduced by Mongolian horse trekking or Kamchatka's volcanoes and do a runner.
Time will tell.
All my love,
Lucy.
Time will tell.
All my love,
Lucy.