Adios, Amigos

On Friday, December 17, 2010, at 6:30PM, Delta Airlines safely delivered me from Mexico City back home to Greensboro. And thus ends the  Extraordinary  Adventure that I have been living these past 6 months. Since early July, I have spent a total of 14 weeks on the road, having visited 12 different cities in 6 countries. And that doesn’t even include our vacation week in Canada in August!! I have had the opportunity to visit and learn about some very interesting and beautiful places, which I have documented in this blog. And have had the opportunity to spend time with many talented people in VF. I hope that the companies that I visited these past 6 months have benefited from my time with them; I know I have learned much from them.

One of the most striking lessons I’ve learned is how rich a culture can be when its roots are measured in the thousands, not hundreds, of years. I have a new appreciation for our many neighbors South of us,  who have variously suffered through much more political instability that we are accustomed to, but who also have a rich heritage of which they are rightly proud.

So thanks to everyone for their generous hospitality during my visits, and thanks to VF for making this all possible. It was, truly, an opportunity of a lifetime.

Xochimilco & University City: Sunday, December 12, 2010

Today Agustin Ruiz, who I'm working with during my time in Mexico City, and his wonderful family (mother, wife and 3 daughters) took me on a trip to visit Xochimilco and University City. Xochimilco is South of Mexico City and is where the last remnants of the lake that used to cover nearly all of what is now Mexico City is located. It is very shallow, as was the entire lake, and has been filled to create islands with canals running between. The canals are serviced by many colorful flat bottom boats which are propelled by a "driver" using a pole to push off the bottom, just as in Venice. We took and hour and a half boat ride through the canals, enjoying the scenery. There are many plant nurseries on the islands, and several restaurants. And there were many boats in the water that would cook a meal for you and serve it right on your boat, and also floating musicians and vendors. Very entertaining. After the boat ride we stopped at a beautiful mall, which is located in a converted old paper mill. The building is beautiful, and the mall is owned by Carlos Slim, richest man in the world and it seems the owner of about half of Mexico. After lunch we stopped by University City, where the National University is located. It was a great day, and many thanks to Agustin and his family for allowing me to be part of it.

The boats at our embarcation point.

Heading into the canal.

A nursery

Starting to see some traffic.

A restaurant on the banks of the canal.

These marimba players did a song or two for us.

There were several places being readied for big parties for the Virgin de Guadalupe celebration.

Mexican Canal Dog. Very happy.

Each of the boats is named.The names used to be done in flowers, but are now painted.

We stopped at this nursery. I am told poinsettias are native to Mexico.

Gringo tourist on the boat. That is Agustin's mom Sylvia to the rear. She is one of Mexico's most prominent microbiologists.

Vendor selling trinkets from a boat.

A shrine to the Virgin de Guadalupe being prepared.

Returning to port.

The town of Xochimilco

Mall where we lunched.

Inside the mall.

Mexican elves.

Train in the mall.

The University

The library to the left

The medical building

1520 was when the University was founded, the first on the Continent.

Agustin and his family

The Olympic Stadium, where the 1968 Olympics were held.

The flag

The entire University area is on a lava flow from several thousand years ago. Here is a lava outcropping.

Polanco: December11, 2010

On Saturday I walked around the Polanco area, which is the area where the hotel I'm staying is is located. It is adjacent to Chapultepec Forest, which I visited on my last visit here, and has some very nice restaurants and shops nearby. Mexico City's version of Rodeo Drive is here in Polanco, called Avenue Presidente Maseryk, named after the President of Poland once upon a time, I think. Many Embassies are located in Polanco, and there is a very nice park called Parque Lincoln just a block from the hotel. There is lots of activity here in Mexico City this weekend, as December 12 is the Virgin de Guadalupe celebration, with many (7 million, I hear) making the pilgrimage to the shrine on foot. Some from close by, some from very far away. The sound of fireworks has been nearly constant all weekend.

Fountain in the circle in front of the hotel.

The view from my 36th floor room, which looks to the North. See the pollution.

Sculpture in the hotel lobby of the eagle and snake, symbol of Mexico.

The hotel entrance with an Indian sculpture.

The store listing on Presidente Maseryk. A virtual who's-who of high end stores.

Statue of Winston Churchill

Church near Maseryk.

Small park in front of the church.

Some beautiful homes in the area.

There are lots of people out selling balloons. I think this says a lot. Happy people buys balloons. Everyone here is very disturbed with the violence in their country, but they do not let it dominate their lives; not here, at least.

Japanese Pagoda in Chapultepec

Reforma Avenue

The median on Reforma, decorated with Poinsettias for Christmas.

Inside Chapultepec Park. Lots of vendors.

Lake in the Park.

A large tree trunk for the kids to play on.