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September 2, 2010

Mexico Take-Homes: Mexican Folk Art and Handicrafts

[gallery link="file" columns="4"] Calaveras, alebrijes, muñecas… what’s on your shopping list? If my story on the Museum of Popular Art inspired you to shop, here are some of my favourite things to buy and my favourite places to buy them in Mexico City: WHAT TO BUY

Calaveras or skeletons – there’s no better evidence of Mexicans’ celebration of death than in the humorous approach to the after-life depicted in the tiny dioramas of skeletons playing in rock bands or partying or dining together, or the life-size calaveras dressed for weddings – and even funerals!
Alebrijes – fantastic colourful painted wood or paper mache animals; on our first trip to Mexico many years ago we caught a taxi to a tiny village out of Oaxaca to find these whimsical creatures, and paid kids to take us into artisans’ homes to buy them. Now they’re everywhere! Lucky you!
Muñecas – these lovely handmade dolls with long dark hair and vibrant-coloured dresses and aprons are originally from Chihuahua, although these days you’ll see indigenous women selling and making them all over Mexico City.
Huipil – traditional blouses featuring prettily embroidered patterns, worn by Mayan women since pre-Hispanic times; you could once only find them in the Chiapas region, though now you’ll also see them everywhere.
Rebozo – bold-striped hand-woven shawls, inspired by pre-Hispanic costumes and still worn by indigenous women in Mexico; they make wonderful wearing for winter by adventurous fashionistas, or are equally stunning framed on a wall.
Jorongo – a simple, striking, woollen poncho with only a slit for you to slip your head through; they generally feature indigenous motifs and are super-warm.
Masks – you’ll find all kinds of fantastic masks, from rustic, clay, pre-Hispanic masks to more modern and surreal masks, such as the wild ‘kurkuvi’ mask, made in the likeness of the God of Fire.

WHERE TO SHOP

Museo de Arte Popular – the ground floor gift shop of the Museum of Popular Art is excellent with a huge range of fine quality products from all over Mexico at fair prices.
Fonart – the official Mexican government handicraft stores have high quality products, and while prices might be higher than the markets, profits go toward supporting and promoting artisans all over Mexico. I like the shops at Avenida Juárez 89 in Centro and on Paseo de la Reforma 116.
San Angel – head here on a Saturday and you have a choice between the compact open air handicrafts market, the art market on Plaza San Jacinto, and Bazaar Sabado, a rather upmarket indoor market selling expensive textiles, vases, and wood carvings of exquisite quality but at prices you’d expect to see in the USA or Europe.
Mercado Ciudadella – a large handicrafts market on Balderas, near Cuauhtemoc metro that isn’t as good as it once was, but which still offers up a huge selection of arts and handicrafts and (often tacky) souvenirs in Centro.

Posted in Take-Homes | Leave a comment

September 2, 2010

Mexico City’s Marvelous Museum of Popular Art

By Lara Dunston

[gallery link="file"] Those kooky skeletons, colourful tapestries, and crazy masks you see at the markets in Mexico, they all have stories. Mexico's arts and crafts are so much more than simply souvenirs for you to take home. The country's popular art – art created by the people – has always been rooted in the everyday life of its people and had a special place in Mexico's culture and identity. Well, this is how I’m going to justify yet another visit to a museum in Mexico City. We’d already done the Frida and Diego trail, despite declaring that we were avoiding museums this trip in favour of local travel – unless the museum offers real insight into the culture of a place, such as the Tenement Museum on New York’s Lower East Side. And this is why I decided to see the Museum of Popular Art. A qualification and now a confession: I also studied Mexico’s popular art and cultural identity as part of my master’s degree in Latin American studies, so how could I not visit a museum dedicated to the stuff. And you thought I was going to admit that I have crates of Mexican arts and crafts in storage in Sydney. Well, I’m not, as I already disclosed that in a previous post. Aside from the Museo de Arte Popular being situated in one of the city’s most splendid art deco buildings, the stunning displays of pottery, ceramics, glass, metalwork, woodcarving, bark-painting, basketry, weaving, textiles, costumes, and paper maché are reasons enough to visit if you appreciate arts and crafts or just like gawking at gorgeous things. But if you’re also interested in learning where those beautiful things came from, when they were made, and how they were used, and, you like knowing that they had uses other than just hanging on your walls, then a couple of hours here is a must. The museum exhibits are arranged by theme rather than displayed chronologically, so you need to take a look at each label to learn when they were made. The first couple of rooms on the 'Roots of Mexican Art' and the 'Roots of Crafts and Popular Art' include pre-Hispanic pieces – both decorative and practical, including children’s toys – from which many modern pieces are derived, demonstrating the longevity of some of the crafts you see in the markets, and the creative practices more generally. Popular art in Mexico has always been rooted to popular culture, everyday life, daily rituals, and popular celebrations, and that’s what I most love about it. For instance, all those extravagantly decorated skulls and eccentric skeletons are associated with Dia de Muertos or Day of the Dead rituals, such as candy-giving. While it’s encouraging to see the images of Frida Kahlo and Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling) being incorporated into fashion, accessories and art by young Mexican artists, popularising them for a new and younger generation, sadly, many traditional crafts are still being lost to migration, just as many had abandoned at the turn of the last century due to industrialization. Many crafts only continue to be practiced today because they remain popular with affluent Mexicans and tourists. All the more reason for you to do your bit and go shopping, right? After, you’ve visited the museum of course! If you want to find out more about Mexican popular art, check out the following sites: Museo de Arte Popular (official museum site); The Popular Arts Foundation, and MexConnect, which is crammed with many stories on all sorts of arts and crafts from across the country. Do let me know if you know of any other good resources in the Comments below. I’d love to hear about them.

Posted in Learning Locally, Under the Skin | Tagged activities, arts, costumes, crafts, Day of the Dead, fantastic art, folk art, handicrafts, metal art, metalwork, Mexico, Mexico City, murals, Museo de Arte Popular, Museum of Popular Art, museums, paper art, paper mache, popular art, sacred art, shopping, souvenirs, surrealism, textiles, things to do, things to see, wall hangings, wood carvings, woodwork | Leave a comment

September 1, 2010

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By Terence Carter

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Being the big music fans that we are, we knew that it would be sacrilegious to stay in New York’s East Village, and not take in some live music. After all, Buy Soma no prescription, some of our favourite bands earned their live music credentials in Lower Manhattan. A few blocks away from our apartment, the Talking Heads, The Ramones and Blondie plied their initially not-so accepted offerings at the long-lamented CBGB club – a fate that nearly awaited Cactus Café in Austin around the time we visited a couple of weeks later, order Soma no prescription.

Given that we were visiting various destinations in Latin America on this year's grand tour, Soma pharmacy, we decided to take the opportunity to see a showcase gig of the Latin Alternative Music Conference, being held nearby at the Bowery Ballroom. The show was interesting, where can i find Soma online, though not exactly sparkling, Buy Soma in canada, and after seeing a handful of bands we were thinking about calling it a night when the Mexican Institute of Sound hit the stage.

Fronted by the energetic, pork pie hat-wearing frontman Camilo Lara, australia, uk, us, usa, canada, mexico, india, craiglist, ebay, and a clearly over-caffeinated Money Mark (who has made significant contributions to the Beastie Boys and Beck) the high energy set was a riot of cut up sounds, Buy Soma without a prescription, big beats, and Money Mark running around on stage like there was a dog chasing him. It was wild, Buy Soma Online Without Prescription. We were hooked, online buy Soma without a prescription.

Lara spoke to Camilo after the gig, Buy Soma online no prescription, told him we loved their performance and that we would soon be in Mexico City. He gave her his email address and offered to give us some tips when we got there.

Four weeks later, buy cheap Soma no rx, Camilo opened the door to his lovely art deco home in the hip neighbourhood of Roma in Mexico City, Buy no prescription Soma online, and showed us up to his studio. Buy Soma Online Without Prescription, Filled with keyboards of mind-blowing vintages and crammed with all kinds of kitschy-cool paraphernalia it reminded us of the home studio I once had.

We laughed about the New York gig – not only at Money Mark's manic performance, but also at the sight of Camilo's brother Marcelo in spandex (he's in the successful Mexican glam rock parody band, Soma price, Moderatto, Where can i order Soma without prescription, who gave a hilarious performance that bewildered most of the audience) – and we chatted about music.

It didn’t take long before Camilo started plying me with questions about my musical tastes and we hit it off as obsessive fans of quirky English band XTC, a band beloved by critics and musicians, buy Soma from mexico.

Like most good musicians, Soma for sale, Camilo is a total music geek. He has some 45,000 vinyl records in his house, rx free Soma, for starters. It doesn't take long to quickly appreciate that he’s a thoughtful guy who soaks up music and culture like a sponge and then recycles it through his own unique filter, creating sound collages that alternatively have your head spinning or nodding to the brilliant beats.The music of Mexican Institute of Sound is both cerebral and fun, Buy Soma Online Without Prescription. Soma over the counter, This would be enough to make any musician happy. Except Camilo has a pretty decent day job as well – he’s the president of EMI Mexico. And despite Camilo having met some of my favourite musicians and knowing the guys in Radiohead and the Beastie Boys, he's still jealous that I once saw XTC live, Soma from canadian pharmacy. If only all record company execs had the passion for music that this guy does. Order Soma, So, given Camilo's huge music geek credentials, who better to ask for a Mexico playlist, buy generic Soma. Here's Camilo Lara's soundtrack to Mexico City:

Buy Soma Online Without Prescription, 1. Café Tacuba – “I had to choose these guys because they really capture what Mexico is all about now in terms of communicating the flavour of the city. Where can i buy cheapest Soma online, They’re actually not from Mexico City, but from the satellite city of Ciudad Satélite, which is typically middle class and is almost part of Mexico City but isn’t, where can i buy Soma online. They’re the most innovative of Mexico City’s bands. Purchase Soma online, Their best album is Re, the second record. It’s a long album, a crazy explosion of Mexican music with punk and rock, Buy Soma Online Without Prescription. These guys just smell of Mexico City, online buying Soma.

2. Buy cheapest Soma, La Sonora Santanera – “This is a band from the 1950s and 60s. They are still played but they used to be HUGE in the 60s and 70s. Buy Soma Online Without Prescription, Now the music is underground and you hear it in the markets. Do you know the term ‘naco’, purchase Soma online no prescription. It means ‘tacky’, Soma samples, something people are ashamed of, and that’s how many people feel about this music but I love it. Most of the music is on compilations and anything is great, order Soma from mexican pharmacy.

3. Esquivel! – “This guy, Juan García Esquivel (generally just known as Esquivel!) was a pioneer of electronic music and had a huge career in the 1950s in big bands, Buy Soma Online Without Prescription. Buy Soma online cod, Then he started experimenting with strange music. He left Mexico and went to Vegas, he was on Johnny Carson in the 1950s and 1960s, order Soma online c.o.d. He had a huge orchestra so they stopped hiring him. In the 1980s he did a children’s album and it was very surreal, about a big frog and tree. Buy Soma Online Without Prescription, It was very futuristic – the music was insane. It was my inspiration. In the 1980s people started discovering him again. Tarantino used him on the Four Rooms soundtrack. I loved the album Infinity in Sound, Vol 1. He recorded two orchestras to get these crazy sounds, Buy Soma Online Without Prescription. I met him. He was like the grandfather I wished I had. He was a punk rocker trapped in an old man’s body!”

4. Maldita Vecindad “The rock en Espanol explosion of the 1980s was influenced by ska, punk, the Clash, Violent Femmes etc and it really created the identity of Mexican Rock. Il Circo Buy Soma Online Without Prescription, is their best album. They’re still around. In fact, they’re huge. They played to 100,000 people recently in the Zocalo. That generation listened to The Ramones etc so they’re a bit more punk than ska – it was a different generation to us – my generation is more into electronica and the Happy Mondays etc – but I still appreciate those guys.”

5. Silverio or ‘Silver’, Buy Soma Online Without Prescription. “Julián Lede (who goes under the moniker ‘Silverio’) was a pioneer of electronic music but this guy is an insane character. He undresses on stage, he curses at the audience. He has made two albums, and has a MySpace page and his own label called Nuevos Ricos (‘New Riches’). He’s ironic. His partner, Carlos Amorales is a successful artist so he designed their crazy record covers. I really like this guy.

Posted in Playlist | Tagged Café Tacuba, Camilo Lara, Maldita Vecindad, Mexican Institute of Sound, Mexico, Mexico City, music, music that defines a place, Playlist, Silverio, soundtrack, soundtrack to a city | Leave a comment

August 31, 2010

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By Lara Dunston

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I’m obsessed with stationery. Buy cheapest Prozac, I seek it out and buy it wherever I go. Take a look at my purchases so far this year from New York, Prozac price, Buy Prozac from mexico, Tokyo, Venice, buy Prozac no prescription, Where can i buy Prozac online, and Paris.

Why, buy Prozac online cod. Order Prozac from mexican pharmacy, It’s a light souvenir (not as heavy as books for instance) and it’s practical. Yes, I actually use it, Buy Prozac Online Without Prescription. Sure, buy cheap Prozac no rx, Purchase Prozac online no prescription, I do the bulk of my writing on my laptop but all day every day I’m also jotting down stuff in a good old-fashioned lined notebook, whether it’s descriptions of meals or notes from interviews (which I also record on an iPod Touch), purchase Prozac online. Australia, uk, us, usa, canada, mexico, india, craiglist, ebay, I never go anywhere without a notebook.

I always carry a stock of cards – postcards and greeting cards, order Prozac no prescription. Online buy Prozac without a prescription, Again, while the bulk of my communications is via email, buy Prozac online no prescription, Buy Prozac in canada, I occasionally like to send a postcard, particularly if I’m in the mood to write to my Mum or an old friend from an atmospheric bar or café, Prozac samples, Rx free Prozac, and I always like to have personal thank you cards on hand.

Mexico City has some fantastic stationery, where can i buy cheapest Prozac online, Order Prozac, including very cool cards and notebooks (such as the tile-patterned Hecho en Mexico notebook above), and fun stuff like the cardboard Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera cut-out dress-up doll booklet, buy generic Prozac, Order Prozac online c.o.d, above.

There has been a resurgence in kitschy-cool cards and calendars inspired by Mexican folk art (everything from the Day of the Dead to Virgin Guadelupe) and popular culture (think icons like Friday Kahlo, where can i find Prozac online, Where can i order Prozac without prescription, Lucha Libre wrestlers, vintage serenading ranchero cowboys and mariachis, buy no prescription Prozac online, Online buying Prozac, and stars of Mexican Cinema’s Golden Age.)

Here’s where to find the most fantastic stuff:

Museo Frida Kahlo Gift Shop
Londres 247, Coyoacan
www.museofridakahlo.org.mx

Palacio de Bellas Artes Bookshop
Ave Juarez & Eje Central, Prozac for sale, Prozac pharmacy, Centro
www.bellasartes.gob.mx

Museo de Arte Popular Gift Shop
Revillagigedo 11, Centro
www.map.df.gob.mx

El Pendulo Cafebreria
5 stores, Prozac over the counter, Buy Prozac without a prescription, but I like the following shops:
Condesa (Nuevo Leon 115)
Polanco (Alejandro Dumas 81)
Zone Rosa (Hamburgo 126)
www.pendulo.com

Kiosks/news stands in el Centro on Cinco de Mayo and Tacuba sell wonderful vintage Ranchero-themed calendars. Prozac from canadian pharmacy.

Posted in Take-Homes | Tagged cards, Frida Kahlo, gifts, greeting cards, kitsch, mementoes, Mexico, Mexico City, paper, Pendulo, presents, souvenirs, stationery, Take-Homes | Leave a comment

August 31, 2010

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By Lara Dunston

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It was the self-portrait of the artist Frida Kahlo with a monkey on one shoulder, a black cat on the other, and lush jungle-like vegetation in the background that first captivated me and motivated me to go to Mexico. Buy generic Amoxicillin, Yes, it was a painting that inspired a trip halfway across the planet, where can i order Amoxicillin without prescription. Buy Amoxicillin online no prescription, Naturally, Museo Frida Kahlo in the artist’s family home Casa Azul (the Blue House) in Coyoacan was one of the first stops on our first trip to Mexico City, order Amoxicillin from mexican pharmacy. Purchase Amoxicillin online, Strolls through the studios and homes of Frida and her more famous artist husband, muralist Diego Rivera, where can i find Amoxicillin online, Online buy Amoxicillin without a prescription, followed, along with visits to the house of Leon Trotsky (with whom Frida had an affair) and as many of Diego’s colossal murals as we could see in a few days, Amoxicillin for sale. Buy Amoxicillin from mexico, I returned to Australia from that trip with a backpack crammed with prints of Frida’s paintings and all sorts of handicrafts of the kind she had herself collected, from Day of the Dead dioramas with miniature skeletal figures to wooden crosses covered with milagros, buy no prescription Amoxicillin online.

Strewn with vibrant striped serapes and woven textiles, our Sydney apartment would come to resemble some kind of Museum to Mexican Folk Art, Buy Amoxicillin Online Without Prescription. Online buying Amoxicillin, I read every biography on Frida and Diego that I could (the Hayden Herrera book is my favourite), and amassed a collection of books on their work, order Amoxicillin online c.o.d, Buy Amoxicillin online cod, and that of their contemporaries like Tina Modotti and Edward Weston.

So this trip I was eager to do another round of visits to their homes and studios, purchase Amoxicillin online no prescription. Amoxicillin pharmacy, Knowing more now than I did then, I wanted to see how I might be affected, Amoxicillin over the counter. Amoxicillin from canadian pharmacy, What I hadn’t taken into account was the success of Salma Hayek’s film Frida in those intervening years and the fact that every other visitor to Mexico City is making the same pilgrimage. Buy Amoxicillin Online Without Prescription, Gone is the intimacy of the empty, laidback museum we first visited where photography was once permitted. Now, australia, uk, us, usa, canada, mexico, india, craiglist, ebay, Order Amoxicillin no prescription, teeming with tourists, the tranquil garden boasts a café and gift shop, Amoxicillin samples, Buy Amoxicillin without a prescription, and Frida’s rooms seem a little more sparse and sterile.

Was I disappointed, where can i buy Amoxicillin online. Rx free Amoxicillin, A little. But regardless, order Amoxicillin, Buy Amoxicillin in canada, Frida and Diego’s museums still warrant a visit. Even if you know very little about Frida – a complex, creative woman in physical pain all her life following a horrific accident as a teen, and a long-suffering wife due to her womanizing husband who continually flaunted his affairs in her face (she also had her fair share!) – there’s still much to learn from their work (and places of work) about Mexican history, politics, society, and culture, and about Mexico at the time in which they were made, Buy Amoxicillin Online Without Prescription.

Museo Frida Kahlo
This cobalt-painted concrete space was Frida’s family home, Amoxicillin price. Buy cheapest Amoxicillin, She grew up here, died here, where can i buy cheapest Amoxicillin online, Buy Amoxicillin no prescription, and retreated here during periods of separation from Diego. There’s a collection of some of her work in the first rooms, buy cheap Amoxicillin no rx, as well as photographs of her and her contemporaries in the main house. A highlight is the collection of recently released photos in a dedicated gallery at the back. While some of the rooms remain in the state they were when Frida was alive, they aren’t as cluttered with Frida’s paraphernalia as they once were. Londres 247, Coyoacan

Museo Estudio Diego Rivera
Two separate modernist houses joined by a walkway, built in 1931 by Mexican architect and artist Juan O'Gorman, were the homes and studios of Frida and Diego from 1934 to 1940, and again of Diego after Frida died in 1954. While Casa Azul is more a monument to Frida, this is really Diego’s museum, boasting many of his personal mementoes as well as some of his paintings. Diego Rivera 2, San Ángel

Palacio Nacional
If you only see one set of murals by Diego, make it these, pictured above, at the Palacio Nacional on the Zocalo, where myriad murals depicting Mexico’s two thousand years of history decorate the stairwell and walls. They’re called The Epic of the Mexican People in their Struggle for Freedom and Independence, and read together the monumental paintings comprise a history course in themselves. The Zocalo; use side entrance on Calle Moneda

Museo Mural Diego Rivera
If you’re keen for another taste of Diego’s work and more of a social studies lesson, see Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park in the small museum opposite the park. Balderas and Colón

Museo Dolores Olmedo Patiño
This museum in the sprawling hacienda that belonged to Diego’s former mistress, the art patron Dolores Olmedo Patiño, holds one of the most significant collections of Frida and Diego’s work in Mexico, along with other treasures, including colonial art and folk art. México 5843, Xochimilco (free on Tuesdays).

Posted in Trip Essentials, Under the Skin | Tagged art, artists, Diego Rivera, folk art, Frida Kahlo, Mexico, Mexico City, murals, painting, popular art, surrealism | 4 Comments

August 30, 2010

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By Terence Carter

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“Whatever you do, don’t go to Plaza Garibaldi, you’ll be robbed!” is the stock answer you'll get if you mention a desire to visit the square, the home of mariachi music in the capital. But for us, a night on Plaza Garibaldi is a must and is one of the best things to do in Mexico City. Buy generic Wellbutrin SR, The cacophony of trumpets, violins, buy Wellbutrin SR in canada, Wellbutrin SR samples, and different forms of guitar and bass of the genre that you'll hear on the square is the definable sound of Mexico, along with the cowboy-style scream of the grito, order Wellbutrin SR no prescription, Buy Wellbutrin SR from mexico, the sound that the band and the audience make as part of celebrating this music.

Our memories of Plaza Garibaldi from previous trips were of mariachis at the side of the road near the Plaza, buy cheapest Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin SR for sale, in their snug-fitting, silver-studded charro outfits, order Wellbutrin SR online c.o.d, Where can i find Wellbutrin SR online, trying to flag down cars to score gigs at a party.

But on the plaza itself, buy Wellbutrin SR online no prescription, Online buying Wellbutrin SR, it’s nearly always a party, particularly on weekend nights which are the best time to visit, where can i buy Wellbutrin SR online, Buy cheap Wellbutrin SR no rx, when the square is crowded with locals out to have a good time.

This time, where can i buy cheapest Wellbutrin SR online, Rx free Wellbutrin SR, we headed to the Plaza with our friend Fernando to mix it with the mariachis, eating beef head tacos at their favourite spot, purchase Wellbutrin SR online no prescription, Purchase Wellbutrin SR online, drinking cervezas on the square, and even joining in on a singalong with an especially cheery lot, buy Wellbutrin SR without a prescription.

But is Plaza Garibaldi dangerous, Buy Wellbutrin SR Online Without Prescription. Wellbutrin SR pharmacy, Absolutely not, if you stay on the square, buy Wellbutrin SR online cod. Wellbutrin SR from canadian pharmacy, Everybody is so focused on having fun singing, drinking and eating, online buy Wellbutrin SR without a prescription, Wellbutrin SR price, to bother with you. In fact, buy Wellbutrin SR no prescription, Buy no prescription Wellbutrin SR online, you’re far more likely to be robbed by the police, in the form of a bribe, order Wellbutrin SR from mexican pharmacy, Australia, uk, us, usa, canada, mexico, india, craiglist, ebay, than you are to be pick-pocketed, but that’s another story for another time…

For more on the Plaza, where can i order Wellbutrin SR without prescription, Order Wellbutrin SR, the mariachis, and some tips as to how to spend your night here, Wellbutrin SR over the counter, see the detailed captions to the photos. Just click on the first photo to get started.

Posted in Living like Locals, The ‘Hood | Tagged activities, bars, culture, drinking, living like locals, mariachi music, mariachis, Mexico, Mexico City, music, Plaza Garibaldi, singalong, things to do, tips to visiting Plaza Garibaldi, travel tips | 2 Comments

August 30, 2010

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By Lara Dunston

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It was on the Zócalo, the main square of Mexico City, Tramadol over the counter, that we met Fernando Revilla on our first trip to Mexico City (gulp) some years ago.

We’d been watching, and Terence was photographing, a riotous demonstration by university students on the square, buy Tramadol no prescription. Terence had been getting a little too close for (my) comfort to the burning public buses the students had commandeered and set alight. It was definitely one of the more dramatic events we’d witness on the square over the years.

Hearing our foreign accents (me pleading with Terence to please step back from the bus before it blew up), Fernando, a student of economics at the time, approached us and warned us not to get too close, Buy Tramadol Online Without Prescription. Australia, uk, us, usa, canada, mexico, india, craiglist, ebay, “These kinds of things can get out of control in Mexico,” I remember him saying. Really? I asked. Just as a group of students upturned another bus and set it on fire, buy cheap Tramadol no rx. “It’s not the students you have to worry about,” Fernando said, Order Tramadol no prescription, glancing nervously in the direction of the police, kitted out in full riot gear and looking a bit antsy. Buy Tramadol Online Without Prescription, Sensing it might be time to leave, we let Fernando steer us to safety and ended up strolling Cinco de Mayo with him for a while, chatting about the city, life in Mexico, and life as a student in Mexico. A day later, Terence and I left to backpack around Mexico and didn’t see Fernando again that trip, Tramadol pharmacy.

A few years later, when I returned to Mexico on my own at the end of a yearlong period of postgraduate research in Latin America, Online buy Tramadol without a prescription, I looked Fernando up. We met, we clicked, and we hung out together, where can i buy cheapest Tramadol online. He took me to Lagunilla markets, to his university campus, Where can i order Tramadol without prescription, to bars and clubs only locals would know, and to a family gathering way out in the suburbs.

We lost touch for a while during our years in Dubai, but thanks to Facebook we recently reconnected, Buy Tramadol Online Without Prescription. Naturally, when we returned to Mexico City for Grantourismo, buy Tramadol in canada, Fernando was the first person we looked up.

In the interim years it turned out, Tramadol for sale, Fernando had abandoned economics, gone off to do some travelling – around Mexico, to Paris, and to Canada – and pursued philosophy, purchase Tramadol online no prescription, literature and languages instead. He worked in the Mexico City bureau for a prominent US newspaper journalist for over a decade, Buy cheapest Tramadol, until the crisis hit, the bureau was downsized, and he lost his job.

Now, online buying Tramadol, Fernando works as an interpreter, acting as a go-between to assist Latin Americans living in the USA whose English language skills aren’t sufficient enough to understand legal jargon, Buy Tramadol online no prescription, government documents, and insurance claims. Buy Tramadol Online Without Prescription, It’s a job that frequently breaks his heart.

This trip, we got to hang out again, buy Tramadol online cod, experiencing a few adventures in a short space of time, from kicking back with the mariachis on Plaza Garibaldi to meeting one of Mexico City's famous transvestite performers. Tramadol samples, We also got to put our friend’s interpreting and fixing skills to the test when we had him help us gain access to some major Mexican sports figures… but more on that adventure in another post.

So what do you most love about your work as an interpreter.
I get to help Spanish-speaking people communicate what they want to say in an all-American environment and also that I get to work from home.

Why should people come to Mexico City, Buy Tramadol Online Without Prescription.
For the fun, where can i buy Tramadol online, for the history, for the food, Rx free Tramadol, but most importantly for the warm, friendly people.

3 words to describe Mexico City.
Overwhelming, buy no prescription Tramadol online, contradictory, and horribly beautiful. Order Tramadol, And the people. Buy Tramadol Online Without Prescription, Warm, joyful, and kind.

Your top recommendations for visitors.
1.Explore the downtown area or Centro Histórico, which is basically the old city, buy Tramadol from mexico, built pretty much up until the early 20th century. Mexico City has an abundance of museums and most of them are in the downtown area. Tramadol from canadian pharmacy, Visit the Opera house, the National Museum of Art, and the Cathedral.
2.Take it easy at Chapultepec Park, which is twice as large as Manhattan's Central Park, a whole forest inside the city, with a zoo, lakes and a mountain with a castle on the top, Buy Tramadol Online Without Prescription. There are several museums there, Tramadol price, like the Anthropology Museum. From downtown you can take the Mexican version of the Champs Elysées, Order Tramadol online c.o.d, the Paseo de la Reforma, to reach the park.
3. Visit University City in the south of the city, where can i find Tramadol online, a whole city-within-a-city campus, with its own electric transportation system, Buy Tramadol without a prescription, Olympic stadium and swimming pools, institutes and schools, and a forest reserve. Buy Tramadol Online Without Prescription, The main complex was built in the 50's in a modern, functionalist, Mexican-international style. It’s fantastic, buy generic Tramadol.

Best souvenir.
There are these handmade papier maché devils. Purchase Tramadol online, They are anatomically correct and are put in the most obscene positions. Remember, this is a country that celebrates death, Buy Tramadol Online Without Prescription. I think they express much about how we see life in a way: we can be devilishly free, a little careless, and we like to play with fire, order Tramadol from mexican pharmacy. Something less risquée would be a handmade silk shawl from Santa María. I got one from my granny and they are wonderful.

Must-do eating experiences?
Beef head tacos – they're the best. Buy Tramadol Online Without Prescription, Eat fresh, simple Mexican food at any market. And anything with corn – we ‘invented’ it.

Essential thing to know before coming to Mexico City.
Keep in mind that this city is not as warm as you might expect. It is located high in the mountains, up to 2 kilometres above sea level and it can rain a whole lot during summer, our rainy season. Mexicans don't like to get wet in the rain – we hide, Buy Tramadol Online Without Prescription.

Most important phrase to learn.
I don't want to say the obvious that you can learn in any Spanish speaking country like "gracias" (thank you) or "por favor" (please), but instead I will suggest "chido", which in Mexican-Spanish means "cool", and "órale" which means "all right" or "ok". Everybody will smile when you say it.

Any other advice.
It doesn't matter if you have a green light, always look both ways when you want to cross any street in Mexico City.

Posted in Local Knowledge | Tagged Fernando Revilla, hidden gems, insider advice, insider secrets, local advice, Local Knowledge, local tips, Local Travel, Mexico, Mexico City, travel tips | Leave a comment

August 29, 2010

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By Terence Carter

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The Zócalo is in many ways the true pulsating heart of Mexico City. Where can i buy cheapest Clomid online, Established on what was the Nahua city of Tenochtitlan, it’s been the modern city's main square since 1813 when it became the Plaza de la Constitución, buy generic Clomid, Online buy Clomid without a prescription, although it's more commonly known as the Zócalo, meaning 'base', where can i order Clomid without prescription. Online buying Clomid, It was the first place we headed after checking into our Mexico City digs and it's the first stop for many visitors to the city and it's pull is so magnetic that you'll find yourself returning again and again to soak up the action. Go there any time of the day or night and you’re guaranteed to be entertained, Clomid from canadian pharmacy. Where can i find Clomid online, The other day we decided to check out one of our once-favourite places for a drink, the rooftop bar of the Majestic Hotel (now a Best Western), buy cheap Clomid no rx, Purchase Clomid online, which boasts spectacular vistas of the Zócalo. We'd chosen to block out negative reviews from family and friends who had more recently been there and go up anyway, just for the birds-eye-view of the square, Buy Clomid Online Without Prescription.

The food was bland (always the way with gringo-friendly establishments) and the margaritas tasted like watery lime cordial with little kick, buy cheapest Clomid, Buy Clomid from mexico, but what didn’t disappoint were the jaw-dropping views of the Zócalo. (If you do go, Clomid price, Clomid over the counter, and you should for the views, simply order a cerveza and queso fundido.)

On the colossal stage in front of the cathedral, buy Clomid in canada, Buy Clomid online cod, a local heavy metal band was throwing shapes so clichéd of the genre that you could probably tell what kind of music it was even with the massive speakers unplugged. A small crowd threw the devil’s horns while the singer growled Cookie Monster-style in Spanish, order Clomid no prescription. Clomid for sale, Unplugging the speakers might have been a good idea. Buy Clomid Online Without Prescription, On Monte de Piadad, the street immediately below the hotel, a sprawling demonstration by the International Transport Workers’ Federation was making its way towards the south-eastern side of the square where a temporary stage had been constructed for them. As they marched, buy no prescription Clomid online, Purchase Clomid online no prescription, the sounds of their Socialist slogans mixed with an official’s dry delivery of a speech celebrating International Youth Day from another area of the square.

We gave up our ringside seats to go down to the plaza and get amongst the action, buy Clomid no prescription. Clomid samples, At the centre of the square, guys dressed up in medieval-like costumes play-fought while in a boxing ring a display of Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing) was underway, order Clomid from mexican pharmacy. Buy Clomid without a prescription, Elsewhere there was a basketball game, skateboarding, Clomid pharmacy, Order Clomid online c.o.d, juggling, and the obligatory costumed-people on stilts with painted faces, where can i buy Clomid online.

Indigenous Mexicans dressed up as the Aztecs warriors who used to reside in the city that was once beneath the square, performed ritualistic ceremonies and dances in between posing for photographs, while Mexican tourists walked around eating blue corn tostadas and being ‘cleansed’ by the Aztecs as part of traditional healing ceremonies, Buy Clomid Online Without Prescription. Australia, uk, us, usa, canada, mexico, india, craiglist, ebay, Local punks, not so keen on being cleansed, order Clomid, Buy Clomid online no prescription, slam-danced to the heavy metal sounds.

This being the Zócalo, rx free Clomid, there is always something unexpected happening here. It wasn’t just the strident Aussie accent, extolling the virtues of unions, that reverberated around the square. Perhaps the most bizarre sight of the afternoon was a semi-naked girl adorned only in blue paint, a tiny g-string and high heels, accompanied by a rather reluctant beefy young man in a pair of spandex shorts, sporting a similar paint job.

They posed for a few photographs before the girl realized that the young men gripping their camera-phones with sweaty palms were getting a little too excited at the sight of her painted breasts. She wobbled off the square on her heels leaving us to ponder the point of the exercise.

As befuddled as we may have been by the naked blue girl, there was no doubt in our minds as to which is the world’s liveliest, and our favourite, square.

Posted in Festivals and Events | Tagged Aztecs, bands, Best Western, cathedral, city centre, El Centro, healing rituals, historic centre, indigenous people, live music, main square, Majestic Hotel, Mexico, Mexico City, music, Nahua city, old city, plaza, Plaza de la Constitución, protestors, punks, Tenochtitlan | 2 Comments

August 29, 2010

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The smell of freshly cooked corn tortillas mingled with traffic fumes, the sounds of organ grinders and street criers, and the myriad sights out our window, from indigenous women in bold-striped skirts selling handmade dolls to limbless beggars in tattered clothes looking for handouts…

These were the reasons we used to stay at a hotel a block from the Zocalo, the main square of Mexico City, the first few times we visited many years ago. Popular with backpackers and Mexican tourists, the budget place was in an old colonial building on Cinco de Mayo. Rooms were Spartan and mattresses lumpy, Cipro samples, but, aside from the $11 a night rate, Australia, uk, us, usa, canada, mexico, india, craiglist, ebay, what we really cared about was the location. Slap bang in the centre of the old city, at the heart of the action, we could swing open the balcony doors and Mexico would assault our senses, buy cheap Cipro no rx.

This time we’ve moved up in the world, literally and metaphorically. Our ‘home away from home’ in Mexico City is an elegant penthouse apartment on the sixth floor of one of the most architecturally important buildings in the historic centre or El Centro, Buy Cipro Online Without Prescription. Buy no prescription Cipro online, We can no longer smell the corn tortillas or traffic fumes – indeed pavement sellers have since been banned from the city centre and the air quality is significantly better than it was back then – but we can still see, hear and breathe the buzzy city down below.

A plant-filled terrace wraps around our living room, lush with lime trees, rx free Cipro, cacti and palms, and frequently visited by chirping birds, Purchase Cipro online no prescription, while beyond are stunning views over the city rooftops to the illuminated domes of the white-marble Palacio Bellas Artes and striking Torre Latinoamericana (Latin American Tower). On a clear day we can see the green hills that surround the city.

Even with our heads in the clouds (well, almost), purchase Cipro online, we can still hear honking car horns, DJs spinning records at ritzy rooftop parties, Order Cipro from mexican pharmacy, and chants from the demonstrations that march daily along Calle Tacuba and Cinco de Mayo. Buy Cipro Online Without Prescription, (Yes, we’re just a couple of blocks from our old pad!) On Sundays, when they close the city streets to traffic, we can see bicycle riders and rollerbladers whizzing by on Tacuba.

We walk out the door and we’re right in the thick of things, in the middle of the downtown shopping area with its endless choices for eating and drinking. We’re a few blocks from the Zocalo and colossal cathedral in one direction, Cipro for sale, and two blocks from Palacio Bellas Artes and lively Alameda park in the other. A ten-minute stroll north takes us to Plaza Garibaldi and its mariachis and Lagunilla markets with its superb micheladas. Cipro pharmacy, Fifteen minutes and we’re on Paseo de Reforma, Mexico City’s main boulevard.

While it may be a penthouse, the place is far from ostentatious, Buy Cipro Online Without Prescription. Instead, it has a lovely, Cipro over the counter, laidback elegance about it. Its luxury lies in its ample space – in the big country-style kitchen, Buy Cipro online no prescription, the three spacious bedrooms, three bathrooms, and the large open-plan living and dining area, so big that even with a six seat dining setting (chrome and glass and very stylish) and two huge sofas, buy generic Cipro, you could still hold a salsa class on the polished wooden parquet floors.

The apartment is wonderfully and bright. Order Cipro no prescription, There are white walls, cream sofas, and the four bedrooms are bathed in light. Buy Cipro Online Without Prescription, Each room is brought to life with handsome wooden furniture – a couple of rustic chairs here, a wooden desk there – and splashes of colour, such as vibrant striped ponchos framed and hung on the wall like works of art. And of course there is Mexican folk art too, buy cheapest Cipro, fantastic carved wooden animals, hand-painted candelabra, Buy Cipro no prescription, bold-coloured textiles, and beautiful pottery and ceramics (some of it actually for sale if you become smitten with it by the end of your stay).

The kitchen is a highlight and will be appreciated by foodies, with plenty of pots and pans, order Cipro online c.o.d, loads of big dinner plates, and an array of different kinds of glasses, Buy Cipro without a prescription, making the place perfect for entertaining. There are clay pots full of spoons and spatulas, a good set of knives, cupboards crammed with appliances, Cipro from canadian pharmacy, and several different kinds of coffeemakers.

Petra, Buy Cipro in canada, the owner, and Ceci, the housekeeper, also offer a variety of cooking classes, where can i order Cipro without prescription, from learning a few simple dishes to a class that begins with a market tour and teaches you a whole menu that can then be served up as a dinner party. Petra can even organize a waiter, Buy Cipro Online Without Prescription.

A convenience for those who don’t like to cook is a mini-bar of sorts that occupies much of the fridge and bench space with plenty of beer, Online buying Cipro, wine, spirits, soft drinks, snacks, where can i buy cheapest Cipro online, and even cigarettes. We tend to fill the fridges in our holiday rentals with local produce we’ve bought at the markets, Online buy Cipro without a prescription, so it got a bit cramped for our liking but we pulled things out and moved the baskets of goodies out of the way so Terence had lots of bench space for food prep.

Thoughtful touches include a welcome bowl of fruit, breakfast to get you started, including homemade jam which Petra and Ceci make, Cipro price, butter, yoghurt, Order Cipro, fresh bread, croissants, and juices, and fresh flowers, buy Cipro from mexico.

Petra herself is a long-term expat, a television producer and researcher, Buy Cipro online cod, and has contributed to travel guidebooks, so she is a font of knowledge, something you’ll especially appreciate if it’s your first visit. Buy Cipro Online Without Prescription, She has compiled binders of information, crammed the bookshelves with guidebooks, and can happily organize a driver, day trips, and tours.

There is a weekly cleaning service though Ceci appears every now and again to empty the garbage, where can i find Cipro online, replenish the mini bar, and water the plants on the balcony. Where can i buy Cipro online, Her surprise appearances might not suit everyone, honeymooners for instance, so if you value your privacy, it’s best to let Petra know and arrange for her to come at specific times. Petra is just across the balcony, in the opposite apartment, if you need her – and of course you should pay her a visit to see her own beautiful home.

While the location may be one of the best things about the place for us, Mexico City can be overwhelming. So when you want to hide away and relax, there are shelves full of novels and coffee table books, a basket brimming with magazines, a television in each bedroom with satellite movie channels, a stereo you can plug your iPod into, fast free Internet access, and in case you didn’t bring your own, a computer. Rested and rejuvenated, you can then leap back into the chaos of this crazy, magical city.

Posted in The Digs | Tagged apartment, cooking lessons, downtown, El Centro, folk art, good kitchen, historic centre, holiday rentals, living like locals, Local Travel, luxury, Mexico, Mexico City, Our Home Away from Home, penthouse apartment, Petra Fischer | 4 Comments

August 26, 2010

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2, buy Nasonex no prescription. Order Nasonex from mexican pharmacy, The guidebooks told us that Mexico was dangerous and to wear money belts under our clothes. Being the naïve travellers we were then, Nasonex pharmacy, Buy Nasonex from mexico, we did. They smelled like a wet dog after a couple of days and our money, where can i buy cheapest Nasonex online, Order Nasonex, travellers cheques – yes, travellers cheques, rx free Nasonex. Buy Nasonex Online Without Prescription, – and passports were soggy. Nasonex samples, That was the first and last time we followed such advice.

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4, Nasonex for sale. Australia, uk, us, usa, canada, mexico, india, craiglist, ebay, We became so ill with Moctezuma’s Revenge on the way to the surfing town of Puerto Escondido that the only raging currents I faced there were the ones that occurred every time I flushed the toilet. Buy Nasonex Online Without Prescription, Which was often. It was our first bout of traveller’s belly, buy no prescription Nasonex online. Nasonex over the counter, It’s funny now. It wasn't so funny on the 12 hour bus ride when it occurred, buy Nasonex online no prescription. Purchase Nasonex online, 5. Despite this, we were so inspired by the food, I bought my first cookbook, The Art of Mexican Cooking by Diana Kennedy, as soon as we arrived back home in Sydney, Australia, Buy Nasonex Online Without Prescription. I can still make a couple of recipes from it from memory to this day, Nasonex from canadian pharmacy. Buy Nasonex without a prescription, * We actually visited Tokyo first on a 24 hour stopover on our way to Mexico. Don’t ask why we took a flight to Mexico via Japan, where can i order Nasonex without prescription. The authorities when we landed at Vancouver airport (no, really, we also stopped in Vancouver!) already did. Over and over again. Our first bout of nasty immigration officials.