Teotihuacan

January 21, 2012 by sal in Mexico, Photography

Julia, Suzan, and I drove up to Teotihuacan to check out the pyramids. Teotihuacan, a huge city of the ancient world, was founded before the Christian era and grew to a population of 125,000 people. According to the book "Eyewitness Travel Mexico" "It [Teotihuacan] dominated life in the region for 500 yeas before being destroyed (possibly by its own people) and abandoned, around AD 650. Later, the site was heled sacred by the Aztecs, who believed it had been built by giants. The ceremonial center, with its temples, palaces, and pyramids, bears witness to the city's splendor but has revealed little about its creator and inhabitants. Their origin, way of life, and even demise remain a mystery."

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Christmas Lights in the Zocalo

December 10, 2011 by sal in Photography, Mexico

Julia and I headed over to the zocolo to check out all the Christmas decorations. On the way, we stopped for some freshly fried churros as comfort food before dealing with the packed crowds. Sadly, we didn't see a nativity scene but instead got to see the National Pepsi Tree and lots and lots of people. It wasn't till we returned home that we heard the news of the earthquake. A magnitude 6.5 earthquake hit 103 miles SSW of Mexico City while we were traveling to the zocalo on the metro. The train swayed back and forth for a bit during a stop but nothing big.

Look what you can get for 10 pesos!!!

Christmas Tree sponsored by Pepsi!

Cuernavaca Visiting Tio Fernando

November 28, 2011 by sal in Family, Mexico

Took my parents to Cuernavaca to visit my uncle Fernando. We met up at Las Mañanitas and enjoyed the afternoon by the pool. The next day Fernando took us to Tepotzlan, famous for the remains of a temple built on top of the nearby Tepozteco mountain. Unfortunately rain set in and cut our tour short. We had an "adventure" driving out of the town as we slid up the steep hills on the slick wet stone roads. After we met up with some of my uncles friends for a little Cuban food and dominoes. Definitely will be returning.

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Sangiving in the D.F.

November 24, 2011 by sal in Family, Food, Mexico

Our parents flew down to join us for our first hosted Sangiving. Julia made a fantastic turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, while I.... For dessert we had pumpkin pie and Suzan's famous loco cake! A game winning field goal by the Cowboys was a nice addition to the day and at night my dad and I stepped outside to enjoy some Cohibas. A good day indeed -- thankful for being able to spend time with our wonderful parents.

Where's Waldo?

November 23, 2011 by sal in Family, Mexico

Alebrijes at the Zocalo

November 06, 2011 by sal in Family, Photography, Mexico

Zuzan is in town visiting this massive city. We took Suzan for a leisurely bike ride along Plaza La Reforma. This is a great way to explore the city at a leisurely pace plus there are several areas where one could "rent" a bike for free! When we arrived at the zocalo, we were greeted with giant alebrijes! Washington Post has an interesting article covering these alebrijes.

Happy 236th Birthday Marines!

November 05, 2011 by sal in Photography, Mexico

Julia and I attended the Marine Ball at the St. Regis here in the D.F. It was a great night. Many thanks to those Marines who served and are serving!

Smoking in my e-smoking.

Our Neighborhood Tianguis

October 08, 2011 by sal in Food, Mexico

Saturdays we usually stop by our neighborhood tianguis for some fresh fruit but more importantly tacos al pastor and tlacoyos con frijole. Each taco is 10 pesos which is less then a buck!

Birthday Grill!

October 07, 2011 by sal in Food, Mexico

When we heard we would be living in a 4 story housing complex in the D.F. we figured our bbq'ing in the patio days would be over. The public grill was 4 stories below and far away by my lazy standards so grilling steaks has been non existent since arriving here in the D.F. Luckily I have a fantastic wife who after returning from my birthday weekend celebration in Texas, had one last gift waiting for me. A Weber Grill!! Mexico doesn't seem to have laws against grilling in your outdoor walkway and plus we are on the top floor! Tonight, after the torrential rain and ensuing loss of power, I finally grilled a tenderloin steak purchased at our nearby Costco. We will make it after all.

Huatulco

October 01, 2011 by sal in Photography, Travels, Mexico

We flew to Huatulco Mexico for much needed R&R. We stayed in Villa Sol y Mar in Conejos which had a great pool and patio with a view. We spent a day at Maguey Beach and ate a 2 kilo huachinango fried in garlic! Below are some pictures from our trip. To view the entire album, click here.

Who's Ready For Bed?

September 20, 2011 by sal in Family, Mexico

Oaxaca!

September 05, 2011 by sal in Food, Photography, Travels, Mexico

Jennie, Julia, and I took a road trip south through the country to the state of Oaxaca--known for fabulous food and Day of the Dead festivities in early November. We stayed at a fabulous B&B and spent two days exploring the city and relaxing. We shopped at San Bartolo Coyotepec known for its black pottery and San Martin Tilcajete known for its alebrijes. Oaxaca definitely deserves a second visit--and next time, cooking classes and the ruins at Monte Alban! Click here to view the entire album.

Velazquez Poblanos

August 06, 2011 by sal in Food, Photography, Travels, Mexico

With our car having just arrived, we decided a road trip was in order. Destination: Puebla. On the way to Puebla we stopped in Cholula, a town rumored to have 365 churches one for every day of the year. We only stopped to look at 3 or 4 churches before getting back on the road to Puebla where we had lunch at Meson Sacristia de la Compania and a stroll along the Zocalo.

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Pulque

July 16, 2011 by sal in Drinks, Photography, Mexico

Part of our market tour was to stop at pulqueria bar to drink some pulque. Pulque is made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant, native to Mexico. Pulque was a sacred drink, drunk by Aztec priests and by sacrificial victims to ease their suffering (ay que nice!). After the Spanish conquest and with the introduction of beer, among other things, consumption declined. However, as of late, it has been making a comeback. They flavored the drink to make it more appealing, especially for the young folks who stop by before school for a buzz. The bar we visited, with walls and ceilings appropriately painted for the upcoming buzz, served pulque in all sorts of fruit flavors. Some were tasty....some were not.

Mexico City Market Tour

July 15, 2011 by sal in Food, Photography, Mexico

On our second week here, Julia and I decided to sign up for the Mexico City Market Tour to get a taste of some street food, sample some fresh fruits and vegetables, and familiarize ourselves with our new city. We started the tour visiting a street vendor selling the morning tamale and atole. The difference between tamales here and those from South Texas is that the ones here are made with less manteca and therefore fluffier and most likely healthier. Atole is a traditional masa based hot drink with sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla although you could also get chocolate added.

Then, we stopped at El Mercado De San Juan, a market known for its fresh fruits, vegetables, chiles, moles, fish, and meats. Many of the finest chefs shop there for their restaurants.

After the market, we headed over to another street vendor selling Tlacoyos, oval hand-made tortillas that are stuffed with beans, and quesadillas.

Our next stop was a Pulque Bar but we'll write about that on our next post...

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Ya Llegamos (We've Arrived)

July 06, 2011 by sal in Mexico

After a rough couple of days of packing, planning, and saying goodbyes to our dear friends in DC, we finally arrived to Mexico City July 7th, 2011. Our household effects and car have arrived (plasma is okay!) and we are getting settled in our new neighborhood.

Below are a couple of pics from our move.