This venture is the substitution for the Greek trip canceled as that country started to shut down. While the country count is frozen at 33, at least this is getting to my element of exploring off the beaten path.
MKE to Houston to Mexico City.
Taxi to hotel.
Nearby is Plaza Juarez.
Palacio de Bellas Artes providing a backdrop for street performers.
It is now a restaurant.
Had to go with Mole; always appreciate the intricacy of this sauces numerous ingredients and long time to prepare.
Zocalo is the 3rd largest square in the world; following Tiananmen (been there) and Red Square (not yet).
Morning run, seeing folks start their day.
El Ángel de la Independencia
Museo Nacional de Antropología
It's a very well put together museum.
Thing is,
,turns out I have no interest in this stuff.
Flan...when in Rome.
And back into the glorious Palacio Postal.
Walk along Avenido Madero.
And be sure to look right.
And left.
And up.
Zocalo during the day. The helicopter scene from SPECTRE was filmed above it.
Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México
Checking out the fair.
The Catedral is the largest and oldest in Latin America.
Glorious.
Have seen a lot of cathedrals, catedrals, duomos around the world. Never fail to impress.
The workmanship exhibited centuries ago. Amazing.
Glory.
Friday, November 12th, 2021
One more run in CDMX before getting on the road.
Next door is a new one. From 1750.
With 2 acres of gardens.
Heading to lunch.
Rolling into Puebla at dusk.
The hotel was a convent from the 1500s.
It was pretty neat.
But,
the road noise required ear plugs at night.
Dinner at El Mural de los Poblanos (red canopy).
A highly regarded restaurant. Not sure how it gets its name.
Again with the Mole.
Actually GOL (gasped out loud) first time seeing Catedral de Puebla.
Puebla's Zocala was a delight. Colonial architecture ringing,
the square.
Locals enjoying the night.
Then hoofed it to.
Get Queso Ice Cream.
Plastic seats, a lady deftly working the griddle, open air...
Saturday, November 13th, 2021
Looks like I have the place to myself.
Even the Zocalo.
Huitlacoche for breakfast, corn fungus. Since I'm a fun guy.
Back at Zocalo.
Templo de San Joaquín y Santa Ana
San Juan de Letran - The Hospitalito
Biblioteca Palafoxiana, Latin America's first library was founded in 1646.
Palacio Municipal de Puebla
This view reminded me of Cartagena.
Templo de la Compañía de Jesús
Having seen lines at this churro place.
"Patio or inside?", in hesitant English. I reply, "It could be snowing at home." *Blank look* "Patio."
Chiles en Nagado
What is it: Poblano (which is from Puebla), stuffed with a pork mixture and covered in a cream sauce.
Why: Represents the colors of the Mexican flag.
Love me a local market. This is Mercado Victoria.
Capilla del Rosario, Templo de Santo Domingo
May not look like much. Just wait.
Closer look at the alter.
Then turn left, wow.
Then step into this other chapel.
Mic drop.
Some dude cooking away in a narrow alley.
Elote.
Pig skin being fried.
Templo de Nuestra Señora del Carmen
Flan
Talking about something...
Got in line.
And then watched the kitchen. 70% for the theatre of it. 30% to watch hygiene.
Tacos Arabe. Absolutely fantastic.
But...as soon as I finished realized the guy at the pork spit was adding raw meat onto it with the same bare hand used to handle tortillas.
During the morning run, figured out how to get on the hotel's roof.
Leaving Puebla.
Went from farmland to gorgeous mountains.
Shrine at a gas station.
Big organ cactus.
This bridge bridges the states of Puebla and Oaxaca.
Stopping in Santiago for lunch.
Tried all sorts of things.
Outskirts of Oaxaca.
Over Centro Oaxaca.
Ancient aqueducts.
Pedestrian Macedonio Alcala is really the only nice area.
Santo Domingo
There were dozens of policia with full riot gear.
Zocalo
Their is a little, um, seedier.
Templo de la Compania de Jesus Oaxaca
More po po. They are in force because of the migrant caravan. All over the city I saw them with riot gear and tear gas.
Familiar territory, mercados are the same the world over.
There are sections for all needs.
Produce.
Peppers.
Meat. And who needs refrigeration.
Everyone is wearing masks. And touching raw meat, handling money and food.
Mercado 20 de Noviembre is more of a food hall.
Hmm
Catedral Metropolitana de Oaxaca
Tad of a garage pick-up problem in Oaxaca.
Off to dinner.
At Restaurante Catedral.
Pork with mole and mustard mashed potatoes.
Cream cheese and quince.
Monday, November 15th, 2021
Today's picture were lost, for reasons to soon be learned, so this is a recreation using images from online.
Nothing refined about this town at all.
Saw people trying to make a peso all kinds of ways.
The destination was Mercado Abastos.
This sprawling complex covers may 10 by 5 blocks.
Countless panaderia.
Meat. No refrigeration.
Had picture of them carving up sides of cows.
Had picture also of a section of live chickens.
On the other side of the 'covered' mercado,
are blocks of produce.
Now, keep in mind I am 5'6", 135, 12% body fat (yeah, up 2%) and 45% muscle mass.
Left the mercado, crossed the dusty to this side street. Was just about to tuck my phone into the Duluth Trading Company Flexpidition's discrete zippered pocket when I suddenly had a strong grab of my right elbow. A peripheral glance to my right saw a large heavily made up woman, maybe 6 foot. Thinking it was a soliciting hooker I vigorously pulled away when she clamped down more and moved toward me. Realizing it was an attempted phone grab I struggled to break free knowing I could outrun most.
A strenuous struggle ensued moving down part of the block with me getting close to getting free when 2 other large women joined in. As I was being pummeled, a death grip was kept on the Galaxy S10e as I searched for an angle to break free. Polo shirt was stretched and ripped, eventually coming off, one was pulling on my pants in an effort to bring me down. Looked around to see shopkeepers and pedestrians impassively watching. "Is anyone going to help?" A small city busy even went by with everyone watching.
The largest woman punched me in the face and I thought, "A woman just punched me in the face." When I realized I was abiding by don't hit a woman, and wondered if a punch or foot strike to a knee would change the balance. Maybe tae kwon do moves. They suddenly all stopped gasping for breath me realizing, "I am fit with core strength, here is the chance." Then noticed a guy walking up with an impassive look. "Is he here to help?"
Nope, he joined in, soon the 3 of them piled on more with him prying my fingers off the phone. Everyone let go and stepped back. I picked up my tattered shirt and put it on. Looking at the guy with my phone pondered if I should go after him. Glanced away for a sec, back to him, and phone was gone.
Walked about a block and found a cop directing traffic. Though I knew it was a waste, tried to communicate. She was at least making an attempt giving me her phone that had the Google translate site up. She radioed someone. Two male officers came, who in addition to not speaking English, had body language radiating that they didn't care.
Walking back to the hotel, split lip aching, bruised, skinned up knee, broken belt, filthy pants and torn shirt. First thing I did in hotel lobby was go to the sanitizer gel dispenser feeling stings from dozens of cuts. Then got to the room to take 3 consecutive showers. Then spent 8 hours changing passwords.
Tuesday, November 16th, 2021
First time out of the room since the prior morning.
Headed to about an hour west of Oaxaca.
Need a steering wheel cover?
Yagul is a archeological site in the foothills.
It dates back to 500-100 BC.
And was part of the Zapotec civilization.
Not winking, bright sun.
Residences had a hierarchy.
Off to lunch.
In Teotitlan del Valle.
Squash blossom soup, quesadilla, mole and cactus sorbet.
Not my first time having crickets.
Roadside dining.
Stopped in El Tule.
To see a big tree. It's their thing....
Back in Oaxaca stumbled upon a parade.
Santo Domingo
Dazzling interior.
Dinner over the Zocalo.
Took a seat with a view.
Tuna, guava mousse and even risked a salad.
Wednesday, November 17th, 2021
Good by Mexico. No plans to return.
Thursday, November 18th, 2021
Friday, November 19th, 2021
The bad week continues getting hit with what may have been food poisoning. Among the sickest I've been.
