Mexico City Part 2

On Saturday, we visited the ancient city of Teotihuacan, one of the largest pyramid sites in Latin America. The site is about an hour north of Mexico City, and we rode there in a taxi along with Dan's co-worker Chris. Here they are in action.

They were smart to wear hats, which I cavalierly declined because I have "natural defenses" against the sun. I ended up getting a nasty sunburn around my neck (my first in about 10 years).

We were amazed to learn that this city was pre-Aztec. The Aztecs didn't come across it until around 1200, when it had already been abandoned for almost 5 centuries. Impressed by the scale of the city, the Aztecs named it Teotihuacan, which means "place where gods are born."

After climbing up some steep steps and enjoying the views, we came away with great appreciation for this slice of Mexican history. It probably rivals the Egyptians in terms of scope and sophistication of civilization. Our history lesson continued over the weekend with a visit to the National Museum of Anthropology. We went on a Sunday, and were fortunate enough to fall upon a massive gathering of Aztec dancers--about 200 in total--dancing in the main courtyard, burning incense and playing conch shells. One person in costume is cause enough to get the cameras out, but to see 200 hundred people dressed up made us dizzy with excitement.










I read somewhere that Mexico was once described as "the child of a double violence." It has a rich and bloody history that is fascinating to learn about, and the mixture of Spanish and Aztec cultures has created an amazing combination. Mexico City has definitely cast its spell upon me. I've fallen in love with the people and the culture, the way that folks always say "Buenas Tardes" to you when passing by, the food (I've always been in love with that!), the history and the sounds of music wafting down the streets. Here are some more photos from the past week.

Mexico City

Hola y como estas from Mexico City. Dan had to travel here for work for the entire month of April, and I came out to join him for 2 weeks. I've been here since Easter and have even taken a sneaky trip out to San Diego for a couple of days to see some friends & family, but that's another story....For now we are enjoying the beautiful city that is Mexico D.F.

We highly recommend this as a vacation spot for anyone interested in visiting another urban center. Do NOT let memories of Tijuana become your blanket comparison for all of Mexico! Mexico City is a beautiful, historical city with tons to see and do, and it's a fantastic cross between Europe and the Americas, with even a bit of Manila thrown in. Mexicanos have a lot of soul, a mixture of Hispanic culture with Indigenous peoples. It is a huge city, but it's pretty dense and not so sprawling as one would think. We've been using the subway to zip around town. At 25 cents a ticket, it's much better than getting snarled in the horrendous traffic, though the old Mexican VW Beetles are a sight to behold.

Last night was an adventure; just as we were to drop off to sleep, the hotel building started to sway very gently from side to side. I thought the neighbors upstairs were just being loud and stompy when I realized it was an earthquake. Since we are on the 24th floor, and visions of concrete tumbling down are not my cup of tea, I jumped out of bed and ran to the doorframe in my pajamas. Dan could have probably slept through the whole thing, but I woke him up. Other guests popped their heads out of the doors, and for a while we didn't know what to do. Threw on some clothes, and we decided to go down the emergency exit, all 24 floors (and Dan ran down barefoot!).

When we arrived downstairs, the shaking had stopped, and the bar in the lobby was packed and in full swing as if nothing had happened. Fittingly, the song "Can You Feel the Rhythm" was pumping through the bar. We sat around outside for a bit, and then decided to return back to our room. I suppose our visit to Mexico City wouldn't have been complete without el sismo, but I could always do without.

It's my dream to be here and eat Mexican food every day too. One day I shall open a taco shack in London and call it Carmen's. Any investors? See more pics here.

Nottingham Photo-op

Since we've moved from Nottingham, the city of Lace and Legend, some of you have been asking us what the city looks like. For your viewing pleasure, here are some photos. We've included some pics of the city centre, and the area where we lived by Nottingham castle.







We had a relatively smooth last few weeks in Nottingham, having a scrumptious Mother's Day/Farewell Dinner with the family at the new Dim T restaurant in the city centre. It also snowed that evening!



This was followed by some last minute packing at our apartment in the Park, which Dan clearly enjoyed.

London-town!

Yes, we have moved yet again! After living in Nottingham for the last 18 months, Dan and I have moved to London, just in time for spring. With the help of Dan's parents Chris & Dave, we stuffed all of our belongings into a truck and transported them down to a one-bedroom flat in west London. Here is a photo of our street:

We are also a short walk from the Picadilly Line and District Line. This is one of the tube stations we use frequently, Barons Court.

When we were moving in, the bathroom was getting renovated and was out of service for a week, so we actually stayed with the landlady upstairs as her guests! But the bathroom is finished now (and might I say in many ways, my IDEAL bathroom-I love it!), and we have properly moved into our little garden flat. After moving in Dan had to go to Mexico City for work, and I stayed behind to handle all the moving tasks and finish some music gigs in London.

After surviving the hassles of moving in and shifting furniture, I met up later that week to play tourist with some good ol' Dartmouth friends! My freshman year roommate Katie was in town with her fiance Jarrod, and we also met up with Kate Hitchings '03 who had just moved to London. We took Katie's niece Sophie for a walk in Primrose Hill, offering some fine views of the city.
Taking Sophie to Primrose Hill