Big Thrill---No León!(Lion)

On the news today, I heard how well Sec. of State Hilary Clinton is doing in Mexico City in smoothing US relations with our southern neighbor, and that it was a huge plus that she went to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe today on one of the hills above that amazing city. Considered to be the most sacred site in the Western Hemisphere in the eyes of the Catholic Church, I remembered my eyes taking it all in last Easter Sunday, which was March 23--a year ago this week.


So this time a year ago, thanks to the generosity of some of my children, I was having the time of my life in Mexico City, Queretaro, Hidalgo, Cruz Azul, among other places. The sheer joy of being there with my youngest son, Wayne, who had come home only a week before, after having lived there for two years, was out of this world. Meeting the humble people he had known and loved was simply without parallel! To witness the love and tremendous respect that the people had for him, and he for them, just pierced my heart. What else on earth could possibly even come close to that? I was deeply honored by the way they treated him/us.


Still, I have to admit each day was full of surprises and delights. Like a buffet of the most incredible desserts. Contrasts and juxtapositions of raw beauty/consummate impoverishment. Or is that consummate beauty/raw poverty? Ironically, sometimes the most dramatic beauty is all the more revealed in the midst of stark poverty/absolute barreness. Uncompromising reality.

Forever I'll remember the funky beauty of Xochimilco---cruising on the wooden boats on the crowded "floating garden" canals, the kayaking in the middle of the city at Chapulpectec Park surrounded by massive Jacarandas,the unique and ethereal waterfalls at Prismas Basalticos, the insanity of the traffic in Mexico City.


Did I mention the time this family who was trying to help us told us about a brand new hotel that had just opened up on the main street, and was supposed to be very reasonable? So we drove there, and it looked pretty nice for the area we were in. We parked in the underground lot, and Wayne went in to register. Pretty soon he came out with the guy who was showing him the room first, while I continued to wait in the car. They walked up the steps to the private entrance to our room. Impressive, huh? He came out a couple of minutes later, totally dazed. "I don't even know what all that was in there," he coughed. "This is a place that charges by the hour." We tore out of there. Who takes their MOM to a place like that? WHO does that?? Guess even Wayne doesn't know his way around all of Mexico!

Oh, and not to make him look bad or anything, but there was the night we needed cash, and so against all common sense in one of the most totally dangerous cities in the entire world, we find a strip mall in a seedy area(boy, was that hard---finding seedy areas), and find an ATM in a little obscure bank branch, and enter the tiny vestibule. Promptly, Wayne pulls the door tightly closed and locks us in for the night! Way to go, Superman! So we're banging and banging on the glass door to a)get someone to open the door and let us out, or b)attract the attention of a single bandito and get robbed, or c)alert the local gangs to the whereabouts of the most stupid gringoes in all of Mexico and get robbed AND killed. It took quite a while, and we were sweaty being caged up in there, but finally a) trumped. The stupid gringoes were back on the streets. Olé!

(I am definitely not going to mention the time I locked the keys in the trunk of the car and he was beyond ticked at me. He had to go be the hero and figure out how to get help, and it was beyond complicated for several reasons and took a couple of hours. I'm pretty sure he still hasn't forgiven me. In fact, that may well be why he moved all the way to Seattle. But this is MY blog, and I don't have to share all my blond moments.)

The most compelling highlight for me was the day we spent at Teotichuan, the unbelievable site of massive archaeological ruins on the outskirts of Mexico City. I had dreamed of going there for years and years, as I have all my life been fascinated by all things to do with Native Americans of any kind. Because Wayne(who had arranged our entire schedule)had planned this for Friday, not knowing it was Spring Solstice, it turned out to be the one day of the year which was the most heavily visited. God bless the happy accidents of life!

At first we didn't think we could make it through the crowds to even get our tickets. Then we just happened to be without enough pesos, and somehow some young friendly police officers came to our aid as we were leaving, and exchanged our dollars for us out of their own pockets. Entirely changed my attitude, as at first I was totally turned off to see busload after busload of armed police coming to the site, and I was distinctly underthrilled. Despite the throngs and throngs and throngs of people there, it is such a huge place, that such amassing was never oppressive.

To be there, at the Temple of the Sun, and to walk the immense plazas in the footsteps of generations and generations and generations so long gone, seemed to be a timeless journey. To climb the Temple of the Moon, and be there at its apex with all arms raised towards the sun at the moment of sunset was surreal...as if literally joined with the ancients. Take my breath away!

Beyond that, to my extreme delight, when we first started hiking in, we heard the hypnotic throbbing of drums. I was consumed with finding the source as it gave me goosebumps all the way to my very bones, and we followed the sound until we came upon a huge plaza, where the native dancing was electrifying, the costumes and drumming surely authentic. There were different groups, all of them seemingly oblivious to the crowds, just intent on their performance for the sake of that alone. It was hauntingly beautiful, not to mention exciting, exhilarating, enthralling... intoxicating!


I wish I'd not lost my camera and memory cards, but I stole some of Wayne's pix to compensate. We found out that afternoon that dancers only come to Teotichuan once or twice a year, and I'm just so grateful that the Universe conspired with Wayne and my kind sponsors(you great kids who made it all possible!)to allow me to experience this thrill of a lifetime. The whole trip was overwhelming, and the greatest gift ever. Mucho gracias! Mucho, mucho gracias...and then some!!!

Happy Birthday, Shane, you couldn't come last year on your birthday, so this year you have to settle for the virtual tour!!!