Summer-Mexico
A long time ago we decided we would return to our beloved neighborhood of La Condesa in Mexico City. We so enjoyed our time there, as well as the rest of Mexico, that it seemed like a must-do. Then we read that for adopted children it is a good idea to take them back to the country of their birth at around the age of five so that they can see and experience their native culture through the ever-positive eyes of youth. So there you have it, we had to go back! And back we went.
Along with Grandma and Grandpa Braden (thanks for going with us!) we got ourselves down to Mexico City via Mexicana Airlines…not to be flown again should there be a choice! Not only did they switch the date of our return with out telling us (they moved it up a day) they had all of us, including the kids, scattered all over the plane in individual seats. Hmmm…three and five year old kids sitting alone?!?! Eventually Char and Mom had to make two trips to two different offices in the city to get them to change the tickets to two days after our original return date, at no fee…good job ladies! In addition to our flight snafu, after we landed we waited in a very hot, low and dirty room for almost three hours to be processed through immigration…I gues
s it takes a long time when you have on
ly two workers for four airplanes worth of visitors… Anyway, despite a rocky beginning we got a legit taxi and made our way to the Red Tree House, our home away from home. And it truly was a home away from home. We could give you a hundred examples of how well we were treated, the care they used to look after their guests and the kindness shown by all of the staff. It is, by far, the best place we have ever stayed in all the travels we have ever taken. If you are ever going to Mexico City, we whole-heartedly recommend staying here. Our first room (we had to change for the last couple days because of our extended stay) was in the Penthouse where we had a kitchenette and fridge. The room was accessed by a very tight series of steps, very tight indeed! All of the rooms were really nice, clean and very well decorated. And despite having the kitchen we still ate breakfast downstairs because the ladies had a different traditional breakfast every day…and man do we miss good, home-cooked Mexican food, it was great! The Red Tree House was, simply put, just a pleasurable place to stay. We felt at home, like we were staying with friends.
After getting situated we did the following:
FRIDAY: we walked around the old neighborhood, saw our old parks and had lunch at El Pendulo - a great cafe and book store/hang out place. It was so nice to see all the changes that have happened while we have been away. Streets seemed cleaner, some sidewalks fixed, a few more restaurants, but I think fewer clubs and a fantastic, new, very modern playground in Parque Espana next to our old apartment. It was really great to see our neighborhood transformed in such a positive way.
SATURDAY: We went down to Bizarre Sabado - an art and handi-craft market that we used to frequent. Though we did miss one of our artist friends, we found two others who were still there. One in particular, Enrique, spotted us coming even before we saw him and as soon as he saw us, he was up and running over to say hello. It was so nice to see him again and have a wonderful reunion with a truly nice person. We had a nice lunch in the area and enjoyed ourselves immensely.
SUNDAY: Sara’s house: Sara was our part time maid in Mexico when we lived there. She would come on Sundays and was with us the whole three years we worked in Mexico. We had lost touch with her over time, 
but thanks to a letter from Mom managed to get back in touch. She came to visit us on Friday and invited us to a breakfast on Sunday. We did not know what to expect, but got way more than we could have ever imagined. Her son came and picked us up in the morning and drove us to their home. They are in the two year process of remodeling and expanding their home which stands wedged between two other homes in a long row of brick and morter houses. Though the inside was being redone, they had one of the “homiest” homes we have ever been in. You could feel the love of their home the minute you walked in the door. The kids and grandkids had prepared a collection of signs welcoming us to their home and thanking us for visiting them! It should have been the other way around, no doubt. Sara prepared many dishes, fruit (of which Dante ate two plates) and refreshments. Isabel was immediately whisked off to play with the three granddaughters and a grandson, and despite a language barrier they got along famously. Other than coming in to grab a bite to eat, she was off p
laying with the kids, as one of the family, the entire morning. Dante, on the other hand, spent much more time at the breakfast table, than his sister, and after countless pieces of toast, he was finally satiated. At the end of the visit they presented each of us with a gift to remember them by; as if we could ever forget such a wonderful visit. It would be hard to overstate how touched and thankful we felt. This was the highlight of the trip for all of us and we are so grateful to have had this opportunity.
MONDAY: As most museums and tourist sights are closed on Mondays we decided to go to the Venice of Mexico City, Xochimilco. This is a series of canals that go around the old growing beds originally built by the Texcoco people and expanded by the Aztecs. Now it is mostly homes and nurseries and a lot of garish boats that take the tourists around through the canals. We had a lot of fun, and Grandma paid for a floating mariachi band to serenade Isabel with a song. Aside from that we bought roasted corn, drinks and touristy trinkets from other floating vendors. Though the trip was a bit drawn out (our guide seemed new and not sure how far to go for two hours of boating) we had a nice time in a traditional Mexican day vacation spot.
TUESDAY: We hopped aboard the TouriBus. This is a double decker bus that takes you around the city. You are free to get on or off at any of the stops. We had a nice drive and got off at the anthropology museum. In all of his previous visits, grandpa had missed the room with the Olmec heads as it was always under construction. Thankfully, after five years, the room was open and we had a nice visit. One of the highlights was the pond with turtles and fish. Isabel was also fascinated with the more modern displays showing Mexican culture and heritage. Needless to say this made us very proud. We also watched some dancers who recreate an Aztec ritual whereby five guys climb a tall pole and while one makes the pole rotate four others tie themselves to ropes and use the outward rotational momentum to slowly lower themselves to the ground. It is an interesting ritual (I don’t remember the original purpose) and I am quite glad it is not me doing it!
WEDNESDAY: Our last full day in town. We spent this day going down to see the one thing Isabel was really keen on seeing, Frida Kahlo’s House in Coyoacan. The Blue house, made famous by Frida Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera, was a great stop and though a bit over the head of a five year old, Isabel was still able to identify many of the things she has learned about Frida from her books…in fact she made me take her through the house twice! After visiting the house we went down to the center of Coyoacan and walked around and had lunch. Isabel and Char had to return early so Dante, Grandma, Grandpa and I went on a hunt for an elusive store that supposedly had traditional Mexican clothing for the kids…no luck, but I must say I was very proud of Dante who did not complain once on what turned into a very long walk over some very uneven ground. When we got back Char and Grandma went down to a different market area and were able to find some clothing and gifts. I am really glad she did so as it will be nice to have traditional clothes for the kids when the school celebrates International Day.
That was our trip to Mexico. It was a whirlwind of activity, sights, friends and food. It was truely a great trip and we are so glad we did. Hopefully Isabel will have as fond a memory of the trip, and her herritage, as we do.
If you would like to see all of our photos from the trip please click here.