snapshots of mexico, literal and figurative

Somehow the year has gone flying by, and I find myself with only a few weeks left before I head back to my other home, Chicago.  While I haven’t quite left yet, the nostalgia is already kicking in, big-time…

Partial list of things I’m going to miss about living in Mexico City:

1)      My Mexican family (if they don’t kidnap me to make me stay, as they often threaten)

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4)      The weather.  As much as bad weather doesn’t bother me, I’m going to miss knowing that every day the weather will be perfect.

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7)  My neighborhood taco stand, and the sweet, sweet tacos campechanos it serves up.

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15)    Neighborhood fruit stands (and other markets of all types).  The Chicago farmers markets are great, but once or twice a week in summer doesn’t quite match every day all year, and low low prices.  Plus, there’s no mangos or dominicos in Chicago.

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22)    Guanajuato, Acapulco, Jalapa, and countless other cool cities to visit within a 5 hour bus ride.

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37)    Bugambilia, Jacarandas, and all the other flowers that are everywhere in the DF year-round.

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44)    The Metrobus.  Having to wait more than 30 seconds for a bus to come is going to be a rough reminder of US public transportation.

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102)    Boing de Guayaba, the startlingly addictive bright pink guava drink available at taco stands and convenience stores everywhere.

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1,345—1,347) (Tie)  Toss up between mosquito bites, air pollution, and lack of Ethiopian food as what I will miss least

Fun Mexican Word:  Tapaboca – Literally “cover mouth”, the tapabocas craze kicked off several weeks ago when swine flu hit the news.  While their use has dropped since the end of April—perhaps because people calmed down about the “pandemic”, perhaps because pharmacies and hospitals ran out of them—they still are a fairly common site on the street in Mexico City.

Picture:  La Granada waterfall.  I’ve already posted several pictures of this, but as it was one of the coolest things I’ve done in Mexico up to this point (or maybe just the coolest thing I’ve done recently, but whatever) I think it’s earned the right to show up multiple times on the blog.

La Granada

Something I miss (aside from all of you, of course):  Oak Street Beach.  I expect to be playing Frisbee there the evening after I return.  June 2, you know who you are.

Something I like about DF:  The lizards that I see every day scampering away as I walk by their sunning spots.  (If you’re interested, that’s #256 on the list from above)

Saludos,

See you Chicagoans soon,

k