The Printers of Mexico City

Both on the Plaza Santo Domingo and just behind it, one can find a brisk business being done by printers still using hand powered printing machines that must be 100 years old. No matter what your printing need is, from business cards to wedding and birthday invitations, you can commission one of dozens of small kiosks for your job large or small.

Due to the unique opportunity presented here, I had my own trajeta personal or card made up for less than it would have cost in the States. Although I shopped around, most of the prices were similar and all of the printers were equally friendly and eager to have my business.

 

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Is Mexico safe or not? Well, the answer really depends on the part of the country you visit and your travel habits. Remember, if you are somewhere where you shouldn't be, trouble can happen regardless of the country you're visiting.

Safety in Mexico

 

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Saturdays in San Angel

After visiting many of the standard sites around the city, spend a Saturday strolling around San Angel. In addition to some fine eateries, most of your entertainment will be had visiting with local artists and craftspersons.

Plaza San Jacinto offers great opportunities to purchase some lovely fine art offered by local artists.

Sculpture, paintings & photographs!

 

Tribute to Diego in Plaza San Jacinto

Not far from the Plaza is the studio museum of Diego Rivera. Take the time to leisurely walk the narrow, cobblestone streets of San Angel.

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As I may prefer wandering from village to village when in Mexico, many of my favorite spots can be found near water. In particular, I have come to love the beaches around Huatulco. Check out a few of these hidden gems in this article.

Mexico's Hidden Beaches

 

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People on the Street 4

Povery has many faces in Mexico. Every pueblo and city has its share of people struggling to survive. This is particularly apparent in the streets of Mexico City and among the indigenous peoples of this country. Seeing men, women and children asking for assistance from passerbys on the sidewalk is a common enough scene throughout the city, but particularly in the downtown Historical District. Often, children, as in this photo, are with a parent playing a tune on an accordian or other instrument in hopes that people will give them just a few pesos from their pocket. It's not uncommon to see the same people on the same corner day after day from early morning until late at night. Poverty is one of those universals that doesn't recognize interntionsl boundaries.

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With nearly 25 million people living in the greater Mexico City area, traffic is a major problem. Perhaps the efforts of a superhero are what is needed to help solve this problem of conjetion in the streets for those living there.

http://www.aljazeera.com/video/americas/2013/06/2013613212053768708.html

 

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A Little Artistic License Interpreting DF

Just this past weekend, I discovered the MobileMonet app. What fun this one is! From the examples that I've posted here, you can see how you can create a drawing-like image from a photograph. The photo below was shot as I was strolling around San Angel one Saturday afternoon. The app allowed me to take the photo and turn it into a colored pen-line drawing.

Flower Pots in San Angel

This next image came from a street just behind the Catedral Metropolitana. Again, applying the app to my photograph, I came up with an image with an entirely different feel to it.

Finally, here's a different "artistic" perspective on the Ex Convento de San Jacinto in the San Angel district.

Ex Convento de San Jacinto

 

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The Doors & Windows Series 3

While wandering around San Angel, I came upon this rather plain entryway framed perfectly by this flowering tree. Light, shadow, and color all seem to capture the stark, simple beauty of what so many of us enjoy about Mexico. I am set wondering about who might emerge from this door and where they will head only later to return to life behind these walls.

 

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Fooling Around in Mexico City

The Blogger At Work!

Walking down Madero Street (the wonderful pedestrian thoroughfare from the Zócalo to the Palacio de Bellas Artes), I stumbled upon this playful piece of modern sculpture just calling out my name. In a moment of whimsy, my creative brother snapped this shot promising me that it was truly a "one of a kind" moment now captured forever digitally. Alright, so how do I now get even with him? Let me think! Oh yes, go back and check out my "Doors and Windows Series" blog posting!

 

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People on the Street 2

Another of Mexico's charms is the music! Whether spontaneous or planned, one can catch musicians on the street (buskers) or in small cafes. But wherever they are, take the time to stop and enjoy their talent. Undoubtedly, someone will be passing the hat or sombrero, in this case, to help them make a living while practicing their art. Mexico City is little different from any other metropolitan area when it comes to street entertainers. Part of the travel experience is the enjoyment of music and art as it takes on the local color of the culture. One need not only go to the museums to enjoy the sights and sounds of Mexico. In fact, boycott the museums and stick to the streets.

 

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People on the Street 1

As I travel, I'm lucky enough from time to time to catch an image that captures why I love Mexico so much. In this series, I hope to show you the flavor of this country by presenting some of the people one encounters moving about the city. In this photo, clearly the señora chose her outfit quite appropriately so as to be color coordinated as she passed this particular location. It was just my good fortune to also be in this spot at the same time. Whether you're a first time visitor to Mexico or a snarly expat living there, the brilliant colors that one is surrounded by are part of the charm of the total Mexican experience.

 

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Street Art (Part 1)

Although there is a great history and tradition of muralist art in Mexico, there is also a contemporary interest and expression in this mode of artistic expression. Throughout the city, strolling down a street in almost any neighborhood, one can come upon wonderful murals created on the side of a building or an empty wall.

Mural in the Neighborhood of Santa Maria de Ribare

As one never knows what to expect, every excursion onto the streets of DF can be an adventure into the world of Mexican art that is found well beyond the museums and art galleries.

Being Playful on the Playground

 

 

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A Day At The Office

Hungry?

On a typical Saturday on Plaza San Jacinto, this vendor of chips expects a busy day. One can get a nice size bag of chips for about $10MX or less than $1US. As you can see from the top of the cart, most Chilangos (what Mexico City residents call themselves) doctor up their snack with lime and salsa picante. My preference? Just plain old chips.

 

 

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Street Food Worth The Wait

Walking about the city today around lunchtime, I was wondering what I should have to eat. Well, my answer came to me when I saw a long line of people waiting for hauraches. An even larger number of people were sitting on a nearby wall eating them. Rule #1 regarding street food: if the stand is busy, it's probably a good, safe choice. Rule #2: if it looks good, eat there!

As you can see from the photos, a haurache is an oblong shaped, 2-layered corn tortilla with refried beans between the layers. I ordered one with steak that was also topped with a cilantro infused salsa verde, fresh onions, and queso fresco.

For just $2US, I'll be more than stuffed until sometime this evening. ¡Buen provecho!

 

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A Visit To The Market

Whether it's the city or a small town, one of the truly unique experiences in Mexico is a visit to the local market. In Mexico City, there are any number of markets to choose from, large to small, general to specialized. Stomping about the Alameda neighborhood this morning, I stumbled upon a relatively small market near the larger Mercado San Juan.

A Real Seafood Lover's Delight

The selection of fish and seafood was truly amazing. Why wouldn't one come here daily to buy fresh fish, fruit and vegetables?

How About A Lobster Tonight, Gringo?

Of course, no market would be complete without a little butchering going on. Cabrito (young goat) is one of my favorite taco ingredients when I can find it. Or, you can take a whole one home for a backyard barbeque.

Oh mama, get the BBQ going. We're having something special tonight!

Of course, for the less adventurous, there is much more offered such as a tremendous selection of fresh fruits and veggies.

One sees row after row of fresh fruit just like this in every market.

Or, as an appetizer, we could begin with a selection of sausages (some of these happen to be from Spain).

Chorizo and much, much more!

All in all, one can spend hours walking around any of the local markets. In this one, I was also treated to some cheese and wine samples. Mexico is really a very civilized place!

 

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Tacos, Tacos and More Tacos (Part 2)

Never judge a book by its cover! I've become a real believer in those hole-in-the-wall joints that offer some of the tastiest treats to be found anywhere.

Tacos de Cabeza Los Gueros

So, let me help you out and teach you some Spanish. Cabeza means head. And in this case, it was the taco filling of choice at this tacqueria. When I asked about their specialty, all he said was "cabeza". I was sold immediately! What kind of head you ask (not that it really matters), but tonight it was beef. On other occasions, it's likely to be sheep.

Grillin' Up The Goodies!

All the taco joints do it roughly the same way. Meat is both slow cooked and grilled on the same skillet that one sees where ever tacos are sold. However, not all tacos are created even. At Los Gueros, they have perfected the head taco all for under $1.

Doesn't It Make You Want to Order A Second One?

If you didn't know this came out of the cow's head, you'd swear you were just eating pot roast. So, as Andrew Zimmeren loves to say, "If it looks good, eat it!"

 

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The Organ Grinders of Mexico City

One of the long standing traditions and sights of the city are the organ grinders. Although today there are fewer and fewer of them, they can still be found throughout the central part of the city and where ever there might be large sympathetic crowds.

Working in pairs and sometimes in trios, one grinds away on the organ while the others solicit donations using their hats. Khaki uniforms and all, this is not the Salvation Army asking for contributions to help the poor. These are all independent novelty performers trying to just make a living.

 

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Tacos, Tacos, and More Tacos (Part I)

One of my true delights in DF has been my search for the perfect taco. My Thursday night taco crawl took me over to Lopez Street, just a few blocks from my hotel. In addition to being the neighborhood of the excellent San Juan Market, it also supports more taco joints per block than maybe any other single street in the city. Thanks to my trusted guidebook Good Eats in Mexico City, I was able to identify a half dozen tacquerias that made it to my must visit/eat there list.

Chorizo Verde

Heading off, I knew my first stop was to be Ricos Tacos Toluca to try their green chorizo taco. The green is due to the use of pignole nuts. As some chorizo can be quite spicy, this wasn't at all. The raw sausage is chopped, grilled, and served with grilled onions and french fries. To top an almost perfect taco off, one can add fresh home-made guacamole and a killer salsa that even a gringo can eat (in moderation).

Grilling the Chorizo to Perfection

Of course, the taste of the pudding is in its eating. So, I decided to eat two since the first one was so good. Sitting on a stool on the sidewalk with half a dozen others, we all enjoyed one of the best and more unique tacos to be found in the city.

 

They Were So Good That This Is My Second One

Don't let looks fool you. This was delicious. ¡Buen provecho!

 

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