Only in Mexico Monday--Camotes Man

About once a week we hear this noise:



We finally got curious enough to figure out where it was coming from and what he was selling. I was told by a neighbor "he sells camotes and platanos" (sweet potatoes and plantains). The next time I heard him I handed Bronwyn off to Kris and ran downstairs with my cash in hand. I am a sucker for sweet potatoes but I think it's a pain to prepare them so to have someone else cook them for me, I'm all over it. I like plaintains usually but I don't like them roasted.



The whistle is from the release of the pressure building up in the roaster and does double duty as a way to announce his arrival. You can see the whistle part to the left of the plank of wood hanging out of the burner. There have been some nights he "hangs out" so his roaster turns into an aggravating noise contraption, loud enough, we think, to warrant a sweet potato shoved up...well, you get the point.



It's nice to think I have sweet potato service to my door and I try not to think about where he is getting the wood to use in his roaster, he's not exactly carrying around a stash of it in his back pocket. Now all I need is a Chocolate Dude and an Ice Cream Chap and I'll never have to leave the apartment.

Speaking of Sweet Potatoes...

This is my favorite sweet potato. I just started her on oatmeal cereal. Forget that rice cereal crud, oatmeal rocks and I'll tell you why. After her first feeding, which she inhaled, I cleaned her up and leaned in to give her a kiss and smelled oatmeal cookies on her breath! Thinking I must be imagining it I get the boys involved.

Me: Hey Weston come here! Smell Bronwyn's breath and tell me what it smells like.
Weston: Ewww! No way!
Me: Trust me, just take one little sniff.
Weston: Mmmm! She smells like cookies!
Braedon: Let me smell!

So now they line up after she eats her cereal just to smell her breath. How weird are we?


(yes, I am beating myself up for cutting off her chin in this picture)

Only in Mexico Monday--Teotihuacán

After being here for over a year we finally made it to the pyramids at Teotihuacán. It's not that they are far from Mexico City, about a 30 minute drive, the problem has been timing and just trying to have everyone healthy enough to go when we have it on the calendar.

The day was slightly cool, very comfortable and overcast, just how we like it.

Teotihuacán, "The City of the Gods", is one of the largest archaeological sites in Mexico best known for its pyramids. The site is still an active archaeological dig. The construction of the Pyramid of the Sun began in 100 BC by some estimations, the city's history is still shrouded in mystery. No one can agree on who built it or why it was suddenly destroyed around 700 AD. When the Aztecs found the ruins, they believed from the size alone it could only have been built by gods. Because of this belief, the Aztecs used the site for religious rituals.

To say Teotihuacán is impressive is an understatement. Some of my favorite college courses were those covering Mesoamerican and Pre-Columbian periods so to actually stand in the middle of this archaeological site was extremely overwhelming for me. I told Kris and the boys to run ahead just so I could sit with Bronwyn on one of the stone steps along the Avenue of the Dead. I sat for some time looking towards the Pyramid of the Moon and just soaked it all in.



I am not an apologist for the savagery that took place at this site and graphic details from my professors have always stuck with me not to mention disturbing finds uncovered recently. In spite of this, to actually be here rekindled my fascination, it's one of those subjects that just won't ever bore me. I had one of those near surreal realizations; "Wow, I am in Mexico, in one of the largest Classic Mesoamerican ruins I used to dream about visiting". Like I said, it was pretty overwhelming and words just can't capture the moment.

The whole experience was perfect in spite of the overly aggressive vendors who follow you around. Kris would no sooner get rid of one when another would start following us. As you know, it's not like Kris or I are pushovers, but we even had a difficult time with these guys.

Kris and the older boys climbed to the top of each pyramid while I stayed back with the younger ones. I climbed up to the 2nd tier of the Sun Pyramid but couldn't go any higher. For those of you who know about my next fun filled "surgery" you'll understand why I was less than comfortable doing all that climbing. What I did see was amazing which made me all the more frustrated that I wasn't able to get to the top.






Climbing the Moon Pyramid:





Some of the ruins along the Avenue of the Dead (a misnomer by early archaeologists, the difference between these pyramids and Egyptian pyramids is the Egyptian pyramids were used for burials while Mesoamerican pyramids were used for worship so the avenue would not have led one to death):



The remains of the Jaguar Fresco:





Bronwyn channeling the Gods of Teotihuacán: (she does this right before she falls asleep and it just entertains us all. She can go on for quite some time and can get pretty loud especially when she sounds like she's yelling at someone.)




The Pyramid of the Sun is the 3rd largest pyramid in the world. It is also a possible misnomer, further research shows evidence it could be a pyramid to the Rain god Tlaloc who was the patron god of the city. References to rain and water are all over the frescos that survived throughout the city. Burials found at the pyramid's corners also suggest sacrifices to the rain god.



The view from the 2nd tier of the Sun Pyramid. I can't even imagine what I missed up on top, I'd rather not think about it.



The boys on the 3rd tier (there are 5 tiers)







It was a fantastic little getaway and the boys were really entertained by the whole experience. When they got down from the Sun Pyramid, the conversation went like this:

Braedon: "Mom, did you know the Aztecs would chop the heads off of their prisoners and roll them down the stairs?".
Me: "Who the heck told you that?"
Weston and Braedon pointing fingers at Kris
Kris: "What!? It's true!"
I shot daggers out of my eyes and replied: "you get nightmare duty for a month if this becomes an issue"

At least he didn't tell them what was found buried at the corners of the pyramid...

I'd love to go back (minus the kids) and explore quite a bit more.

Only in Mexico Monday-- Little Bunny Foo Foo Attacks

On Saturday we took Kris' boss and his family to our favorite furniture store in Metepec, a small town next to Toluca.





Kris and I were introduced to Muebles (furniture in Spanish) de Metepec by friends here. We had our dining room table made which I wrote about in the post titled "800 Pounds of Wood" (click to go to that post)

Unfortunately, that gorgeous table is not in our new apartment. While it would fit perfectly in the dining room, the stairwell was too narrow to bring it up. The flood damaged the legs quite a bit so we will have the legs repaired or replaced before we leave. We did get several more pieces this last visit. I am at my limit though, I don't want a house full of rustic stuff, just one or 2 rooms. It has been hard to put the breaks on when a small china hutch like the one in this picture behind the boys is $200. These pieces are solid wood and very well made.



That is the owner in the doorway. I really like him and I'm pretty sure he likes us too. He told Kris he was going to start giving him commissions with the number of families we have brought to him. Kris and I are all about supporting good, honest hard workers and his furniture is the kind of quality we can easily stand behind. Of course, there will be no commissions but we actually have a better deal. We are now on the honor system with the owner which means no down payment, just pay when they deliver.

Kris was trying to convince me to get a carved Don Quixote...uhhh, no.



I am pretty eclectic when it comes to my taste in furniture and home decor in general. If I had to pick catalogs to describe me (or my vision for my home post-sippy cup and cheerios stage) that would be easy: a cross between Pottery Barn and Bombay Company without a doubt. I like rustic furniture dressed up with rich Asian or Palampore textiles and Oriental rugs. Our bedroom is dark cherry and mahogany, US Colonial style. I give feng shui a headache.

After we made our furniture order (large china hutch, bookshelf, small hallway bench, 2 sofa end tables and coffee table) we headed back to El D.F.

There is always entertainment at the traffic lights:



On the way to and back from Toluca/Metepec you drive through La Marquesa. Rows of roadside restaurants specializing in mountain fare like trucha (trout), conejo (rabbit) and codorniz (quail), while also offering the familiar like taco sesos (beef brain). The restaurants are decorated with fluorescent signs calling attention to all they offer. There are also roadside stands with more handmade furniture, pottery, wrought iron and the like.



That bag of water hanging down over the dishes is how she keeps the flies off. As the pendulum slows down she gives it another push sending it flying. Jamison of course, was highly entertained.


I love how they put pottery and other things into the mortar. I've seen it done with bits of talavera pottery as well. I have started a collection of things to do the same in our home back in the US.



The boss, his wife and 2 of their 3 kids. He has been Kris' favorite boss without a doubt. They are cutting their tour short (by about a year and have been here less than a year, can't say I blame them) and will be leaving in a few weeks. We will probably be close behind. More on that to follow, juicy stuff my friends, juicy stuff.



Ever since I first tried rabbit at a Moroccan restaurant in Denver I have been hooked. This is the rabbit in adobo sauce. Amazingly delish.



Kris had the trout, also very tasty.



The boys had chicken sopes, wild and brave young boys when it comes to food they are not. Kris' boss had the brain tacos...I was more than a little grossed out if you can believe it. He said it's the same consistency as scrambled eggs...I told him "thanks for ruining my favorite breakfast"

The problem with these roadside restaurants is the consequences of eating at them. Your taste buds will be singing and rejoicing but give it a few hours and your insides start screaming. Needless to say, on Sunday the trout was swimming upstream and little bunny foo foo was thumping mad. No we still haven't learned our lesson.