d.f. is distrito federal: mexico city, but became its own state a few years ago. All the chilangos call it d.f.-along with all the foreigners trying to sound in the know. The city is divided into 260 plus colonias- we live in tabacalera down the street from monumento de revolucion...coyocan is where frieda kahlo & diego rivera live...polonco is a wealthy neighborhood that i work in & santa fe is another place where the very rich live, roma & condesa are the hip beautiful ones ...tepito is where the thieves market is... the zona rosa is a weird business/entertainment neighborhood...centro historico is where the pyramid was & really really old buildings & museums are...i read the other day that there are an estimated 450,000 americans living in mexico city, but i never see any of them.
diccionario
chilango/a - people from mexico city aka chilaquiles
chido - cool...every other word out of the mouth of young chilangos
combis - the short buses and occasionally vw bus that troll the streets, decorated with stickers of la virgen, jesus & pissing calvins. sometimes customized with leather or painted console, colored light bulbs and always accompanied with loud music aka peseros
güero/a - literally mends blondie, but is used like customer or client by all street vendors
güey - dude...the other every other word out of the mouth of young chilangos
monedero - change purse, a must to avoid handing over your big money in robberies
puesto - literally: post, station, base. refers to the small food stands that line the streets. there are puestos for tacos, tortas, juices and smoothies and small puestos that sell gum, cigarettes, candies and cookies
tiangui - the tarp covered markets all over the city. often lining the sidewalk. you can find socks, stockings, g-strings, batteries, cds, dvds, used pornography, demonic looking baby dolls, books, small tvs, electrical cable, hair gel- almost anyhting in the tianguis...
torta - a mexican hero style sandwich served hot on a french roll granished with avocado, tomato, onion & jalapeño. they are cooked on a flat grill with lots of vegetable oil and you can find a cheap torta almost anywhere
Wednesday
Tuesday
tampico report: the funeral
thursday night we took the red-eye to Pueblo Viejo, Veracruz- the geographic location responsible for my lover. (jorge´s father & mother come from the same small town)
Jorge´s fathers mother died in her sleep Wednesday night. She was 93 years old and known for her cooking- both the quality and the quantity. She would load every one up with bags of 20 quesadillas and several packs of gum for the bus trip back to mexico. She would be at her comal, preparing a stack of enchiladas for you before you even had a chance to walk all the way into her home. I am so sorry that i didn't have a chance to met doña chavela, but her cooking lives on! She taught all of the women in her life her recipes & methods & they have taught more young women & they are teaching me!
Tampico is in the state of Tamaulipas divided by the Panuco river from the state of Veracruz. To get to Pueblo Viejo, where all the familiares are, you cross this bridge back into Veracruz or you hop a quick ferry from downtown Tampico that will get you straight across for 1 peso (U$ .10) During our stay, I was impressed at how seamless the public transportation worked. All around the Tampico area the colectivo taxis are big Ford Crown Victorias. The ferries run constantly and on both sides of the river there are collectivos ready to leave when they are full with 7 or 8 passengers!
We arrived late friday morning, delayed by the horrific road conditions in parts of Veracruz. Later we found out that many of the areas we passed through had been declared states of emergency because of the tremendous downpour the previous nights. We changed into funeral clothes in the bus station bathroom (2 pesos) and hopped a taxi to the funeral home.
When the taxi driver stopped and pointed across the street, I said "no that's not a funeral home" Stupid gringa! Death is no big deal here in mexico-coffin stores are abundent & open late and funeral parlors blend into the scenery.
The facade was under construction or renovation and a bunch of guys were working on scaffoldings. The inside was full of people and they spilled out on to the sidewalk, but everyone was wearing casual clothes- pemex shirts, jeans, t-shirts. Actually at all the funeral events jorge and i were the only ones wearing anything black and formal. The funeral parlor was holding 3, umm- not sure what you call them- viewings? The coffin, rung by lightbulbs candles, sits in a little parlor with all the floral arrangements that arrive (4 or 5 florists are outside.) friends and family stop by to pay respects and later go to the funeral mass and then the burial altogether. We were there for a few hours, I drank a nescafe and a few cokes, tried to make small talk with the other ladies present, and started to get very very sleepy...
The transportation part of the funeral proceedings was a bit, um, surprising. Some big bellied fellows wearing jeans, boots, and polo shirts opened the door to out parlor and backed a black SUV to the door. After the family moved all the flower arrangements, the coffin was loaded into the black truck. We were instructed to wait for the car out front.
The car wasn't a car but a pesero with afuera de servico sign on the front. We loaded the flowers into the back at rattled off. This wasn't just a pesero, but a stinky rattletrap pesero that had broken windows that didn't open. I tried to think cool clean thoughts while fighting the urge to rip the cowl neck off my black polyester double knit dress.
The church was beautiful. old, big, full of murals- the most impressive directly over the altar of the spanish christians converting the happy natives. i counted 18 virgen marias and stopped. I wanted to have a lock at the temples full of offerings to saints with milagros and written messages, but didn't know if that would be rude. The funeral mass was kind of jumbled. I'm not sure if the priest had a cold or just a bad mike. only 2 people took communion. There was lots of praying, kneeling and some singing.
After we marched out and the coffin was wheeled back to the truck, (the big bellied men sat in the back of the church during the mass) we were told that the pesero had broken down and we would wait for another. I saw an aunt and a cousin going for tortillas. I instictively tagged along (why are stores in small towns and new places so interesting?)
We bought a kilo (2.2 pounds) of fresh tortillas & 2 kilos of fresh masa the corn dropped into the masa machine and mashed before our eyes. The tortillas were wrapped in cloth in a cooler, staying nice and fresh) Tia Elena marveled over how soft and white the masa was. I sampled one of the local fizzy waters. And we went back to the waiting combi.
After driving over the aforementioned bridge under the broiling heat of the sun, we arrived in Pueblo Viejo for the burial. The graveyard was beautiful- all the graves were freshly cleaned & painted (dia de muertos was only 2 weeks past), it was full of tropical foilage and pigs were being killed just over the fence. A woman said a prayer and the coffin was dropped into the grave by some waiting workmen. Everyone intently watched the masons cover the grave with slaps of concrete and seal it with fresh concrete.
When all was finished we walked down the road to Tia Elana & the cousins´ home...
additional reading:
where its at
article about the militarization of the us-mexico border
the weather in Tampico right now It´s hot!
local news
timeline of exploration of the gulf of mexico
Jorge´s fathers mother died in her sleep Wednesday night. She was 93 years old and known for her cooking- both the quality and the quantity. She would load every one up with bags of 20 quesadillas and several packs of gum for the bus trip back to mexico. She would be at her comal, preparing a stack of enchiladas for you before you even had a chance to walk all the way into her home. I am so sorry that i didn't have a chance to met doña chavela, but her cooking lives on! She taught all of the women in her life her recipes & methods & they have taught more young women & they are teaching me!
Tampico is in the state of Tamaulipas divided by the Panuco river from the state of Veracruz. To get to Pueblo Viejo, where all the familiares are, you cross this bridge back into Veracruz or you hop a quick ferry from downtown Tampico that will get you straight across for 1 peso (U$ .10) During our stay, I was impressed at how seamless the public transportation worked. All around the Tampico area the colectivo taxis are big Ford Crown Victorias. The ferries run constantly and on both sides of the river there are collectivos ready to leave when they are full with 7 or 8 passengers!
We arrived late friday morning, delayed by the horrific road conditions in parts of Veracruz. Later we found out that many of the areas we passed through had been declared states of emergency because of the tremendous downpour the previous nights. We changed into funeral clothes in the bus station bathroom (2 pesos) and hopped a taxi to the funeral home.
When the taxi driver stopped and pointed across the street, I said "no that's not a funeral home" Stupid gringa! Death is no big deal here in mexico-coffin stores are abundent & open late and funeral parlors blend into the scenery.
The facade was under construction or renovation and a bunch of guys were working on scaffoldings. The inside was full of people and they spilled out on to the sidewalk, but everyone was wearing casual clothes- pemex shirts, jeans, t-shirts. Actually at all the funeral events jorge and i were the only ones wearing anything black and formal. The funeral parlor was holding 3, umm- not sure what you call them- viewings? The coffin, rung by lightbulbs candles, sits in a little parlor with all the floral arrangements that arrive (4 or 5 florists are outside.) friends and family stop by to pay respects and later go to the funeral mass and then the burial altogether. We were there for a few hours, I drank a nescafe and a few cokes, tried to make small talk with the other ladies present, and started to get very very sleepy...
The transportation part of the funeral proceedings was a bit, um, surprising. Some big bellied fellows wearing jeans, boots, and polo shirts opened the door to out parlor and backed a black SUV to the door. After the family moved all the flower arrangements, the coffin was loaded into the black truck. We were instructed to wait for the car out front.
The car wasn't a car but a pesero with a
The church was beautiful. old, big, full of murals- the most impressive directly over the altar of the spanish christians converting the happy natives. i counted 18 virgen marias and stopped. I wanted to have a lock at the temples full of offerings to saints with milagros and written messages, but didn't know if that would be rude. The funeral mass was kind of jumbled. I'm not sure if the priest had a cold or just a bad mike. only 2 people took communion. There was lots of praying, kneeling and some singing.
After we marched out and the coffin was wheeled back to the truck, (the big bellied men sat in the back of the church during the mass) we were told that the pesero had broken down and we would wait for another. I saw an aunt and a cousin going for tortillas. I instictively tagged along (why are stores in small towns and new places so interesting?)
We bought a kilo (2.2 pounds) of fresh tortillas & 2 kilos of fresh masa the corn dropped into the masa machine and mashed before our eyes. The tortillas were wrapped in cloth in a cooler, staying nice and fresh) Tia Elena marveled over how soft and white the masa was. I sampled one of the local fizzy waters. And we went back to the waiting combi.
After driving over the aforementioned bridge under the broiling heat of the sun, we arrived in Pueblo Viejo for the burial. The graveyard was beautiful- all the graves were freshly cleaned & painted (dia de muertos was only 2 weeks past), it was full of tropical foilage and pigs were being killed just over the fence. A woman said a prayer and the coffin was dropped into the grave by some waiting workmen. Everyone intently watched the masons cover the grave with slaps of concrete and seal it with fresh concrete.
When all was finished we walked down the road to Tia Elana & the cousins´ home...
additional reading:
where its at
article about the militarization of the us-mexico border
the weather in Tampico right now It´s hot!
local news
timeline of exploration of the gulf of mexico
my trip to metepec
in the beginning of october, I dragged my boyfriend (kicking & screaming b/c chilangos think Toluca is ugly and boring) to Metepec, formerly a village, presently a suburb of Toluca for a weekend. I had seen a beautiful arbol de la muerte (tree of death) in a book that was made in Metepec and wanted one for my dia de muertos. It took us a little over an hour to get there (heavy saturday traffic leaving d.f. & we had to truck all the way over to observatorio. From Toluca we took a local pesero out to Metepec passing many shopping malls and movie theatres-gallerias Metepec. I was really scared. but the bus dropped us off by a highway over pass and we walked down a hill to a charming old town.
yes, chill out in Metepec during your week in Toluca. There are lots of interesting old buildings, many have been made into bars, cafes & nightclubs. Its famous for its clay workshops and the town is full of workshops (alfarerias) some more interesting than others. If you are into that kind of thing you could look for the real deal. Some of these shops are really run by artesians and others just and selling factory made items painted on the premises. The mercado de artesanias is interesting, too. Each shop is located in its on little round hut. That´s where i bought my miniature tree of death
When we arrived Saturday night (yes its cold there!) all the action seemed to be in the plaza below the church. There were half a dozen comedores selling tamales, tortas, tacos, flautas, pozole, you know street food. Delicious street food! i had the best pambazo i have ever had in my life. Pambazos are round bread rolls that are fried in adobo spices sliced open and filled- in d.f. they are always filled with potatoes & chorizo- at the puesto we ate at in Metepec- they were filled with any of the taco fillings, topped with lettuce, salsa, crema & a crumble of cheese. i highly recommend you eat at this plaza. Also good tostadas, excellent hot chocolate atole and free entertainment by the 4 color TV's..Oh and the corn in these parts is great too.
further down the street is a 16th century church (cleverly marked with a blue and white church picture sign) and a row of 3 or 4 cafes. We hung out a bit at the La Tlanchana (la sirena de Metepec). They have drinks, snacks and board games & will walk you to their other location across the zocalo when the cafe closes. I played my first ever game of scrabble in spanish! please try the local liquors- there´s a neon green one locally called garañona aka 2 de abril called - made of 12 mysterious herbs.
There was an interesting looking cantina called 2 de abril-about a block from the zocalo. It closes early...
there were also an abundance of outside barbacoa stands (goat slow cooked in a pit lined with banana tree leaves) unfortunately i was too busy shopping to eat at any. Also try the local candies!!! There was a dulceria on the main street of the alfarerias that had free samples & excellent dulce de leche and traditional sweets.
oh and for any one else who happens to visit metepec. there are a couple of hourly motels and one hotel $350 pesos/night by the highway. It would be a great place to open a hostel or guesthouse
links:
carnival of huesitos
article about Toluca
the lonelyplanet thread
yes, chill out in Metepec during your week in Toluca. There are lots of interesting old buildings, many have been made into bars, cafes & nightclubs. Its famous for its clay workshops and the town is full of workshops (alfarerias) some more interesting than others. If you are into that kind of thing you could look for the real deal. Some of these shops are really run by artesians and others just and selling factory made items painted on the premises. The mercado de artesanias is interesting, too. Each shop is located in its on little round hut. That´s where i bought my miniature tree of death
When we arrived Saturday night (yes its cold there!) all the action seemed to be in the plaza below the church. There were half a dozen comedores selling tamales, tortas, tacos, flautas, pozole, you know street food. Delicious street food! i had the best pambazo i have ever had in my life. Pambazos are round bread rolls that are fried in adobo spices sliced open and filled- in d.f. they are always filled with potatoes & chorizo- at the puesto we ate at in Metepec- they were filled with any of the taco fillings, topped with lettuce, salsa, crema & a crumble of cheese. i highly recommend you eat at this plaza. Also good tostadas, excellent hot chocolate atole and free entertainment by the 4 color TV's..Oh and the corn in these parts is great too.
further down the street is a 16th century church (cleverly marked with a blue and white church picture sign) and a row of 3 or 4 cafes. We hung out a bit at the La Tlanchana (la sirena de Metepec). They have drinks, snacks and board games & will walk you to their other location across the zocalo when the cafe closes. I played my first ever game of scrabble in spanish! please try the local liquors- there´s a neon green one locally called garañona aka 2 de abril called - made of 12 mysterious herbs.
There was an interesting looking cantina called 2 de abril-about a block from the zocalo. It closes early...
there were also an abundance of outside barbacoa stands (goat slow cooked in a pit lined with banana tree leaves) unfortunately i was too busy shopping to eat at any. Also try the local candies!!! There was a dulceria on the main street of the alfarerias that had free samples & excellent dulce de leche and traditional sweets.
oh and for any one else who happens to visit metepec. there are a couple of hourly motels and one hotel $350 pesos/night by the highway. It would be a great place to open a hostel or guesthouse
links:
carnival of huesitos
article about Toluca
the lonelyplanet thread
Monday
cheese smuggling*
just came back from Pueblo Viejo, Veracruz- just across the river from Tampico, Tamaulipas loaded down with 6 huge rounds of fresh cheese and 2 grocery bags full of shrimp & pumpkin filled tamales.
over the course of the weekend, we gorged on such gulf coastal delicacies as shrimp in scrambled eggs, tortas de cecina, bocoles filled with homemade cheese, fresh tortillas, and the most kick ass mole i have had to date...
more details manana!
* apparently it's illegal to transport cheeses across state lines
over the course of the weekend, we gorged on such gulf coastal delicacies as shrimp in scrambled eggs, tortas de cecina, bocoles filled with homemade cheese, fresh tortillas, and the most kick ass mole i have had to date...
more details manana!
* apparently it's illegal to transport cheeses across state lines
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