I'll call this wall mural that I found while walking around the Santa Maria de Ribera neighborhood "The Maestro & His Deamons." The late afternoon sun made the mural seem to dance as if its images were trying to escape the two dimensional surface on which they had been painted. Just next to the mural, street vendors were readying themselves for a busy Friday evening selling everything from children's clothing to bootleg DVDs to popular snacks.
Within a stone throw of UNAM (The University of Mexico), one finds the Olympic Stadium home for yet another Diego Rivera creation. In celebration of the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, this extraordinary mosaic adorns the front of the stadium. The lighting of the flame by both male and female competitors signifies both the spirit of the games as well as Mexico's long history, tradition, and the importance of sports in this country.
By bus, the city of Cuernavaca is only about two hours away from DF. Although I had gone there to see the Rivera murals in the Palacio de Cortes (more on the murals later), I was treated as well to the sight of a gazebo designed by Gustave Eiffel (yes, the tower guy) in the middle of Jardin Juárez.
Unlike most Mexican architecture, this fin de siècle French structure at first strikes one as being geographically out of place, but amazingly at home here in downtown Cuernavaca. Located in the middle of the plaza, shops on the lower level sell fruit and sandwiches. Strolling vendors sell balloons and ice cream. Plenty of benches offer the weary traveler a relaxing spot to take a break. Several nights a week, one can come here for a concert in the park. Ah, Mexico and thank you Señor Eiffel!
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| Tortilla Machine Goin' Strong |
What's commonplace to every Mexican boy and girl may appear intriguing to those of us less familiar with it. Yes, the relatively high speed tortilla machine! Of course, some restaurants still make their tortillas by hand, but much more common are the shops that sell warm, freshly made tortillas by the dozens. At particular times of the day, you're likely to see a line of people waiting patiently to get their daily batch of tortillas to take home. Pounds and pounds of masa have been prepared so as to have a nearly non-stop assembly line of this necessary ingredient at every meal. There's nothing better than a warm tortilla hot off the production line.
Just off Plaza Santo Domingo, these ladies are preparing some of the best quesadillas in the city. Although you can find street food nearly everywhere, one indication of its quality can simply be figured out by counting the number of people waiting in line to get it. At this spot, I treated myself to a killer mushroom and cheese quesadilla along with a refresco (a soda). Eating it right there, standing on the sidewalk, is a great way to start up a conversation with locals or other travelers. This particular food stand is always busy. A friendlier group of ladies loving what they do won't be found elsewhere. ¡Buen provecho!
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