Wednesday, November 20, 2024

El Quinto Dia — New Hotel, Anthropology, Rivera’s Dream of a Sunday Afternoon at the Alameda Central… and More

Greetings from Mexico City (Polanco)

While you are likely to get this message on the evening of November 21st, I am writing it on the 20th at the new hotel and finishing on the plane on the 21st. It’s late now (after midnight) so I already know I will likely not get it out before I go to bed.

Today was the first day with bad weather: rain. But we persevered and powered on. Before breakfast, we had decided to leave El Patio and head to a hotel in downtown. We had already researched possibilities and costs so we were ready to go. Once we all texted each other about how long it took to get hot water for the shower, we were quick to decide it was time to move. We booked rooms at the Hyatt Regency Mexico City—and off we went. Normally I hate staying in “chain” hotels and large hotels, preferring the unique personalities of local hotels. But we were rushed and figured we needed some kind of assurance we’d have hot showers and super clean rooms. As we entered the lobby of the 30-story Hyatt, we all laughed, and frankly treasured the brightness of the soaring atrium and the hospitable staff—a far cry from our dark, dingy, staffless El Patio with the difficult-to-navigate dimly lit stairwell. We dropped off our bags and headed out to walk about 20 minutes to Mexico’s wonderful Anthropology Museum, which one could spend weeks in…. and not feel they had seen enough. We were pressed for time, so we were only there for a few hours. We split up to go separate ways and meet at the museum’s restaurant. Interestingly we all found ourselves in the same section—the cultural and social exhibits, especially the fiestas section.

The museum was as wonderful as I had remembered. The exhibits are beautifully developed and displayed and their collection is amazing. The building itself is also quite interesting. We had a great lunch at the Sala Gastronomique— including ceviches, tamales, a vegetable salad (and soup for Carol). From there we walked to the Reforma and caught a taxi (in the rain—thank goodness we asked the hotel for our paraguas/umbrellas).

We headed to see the Diego Rivera mural, “Dream of a Sunday Afternoon at Alameda Park”—one of my favorites which includes Diego himself in the center (as an 8-year-old boy—who looks like a miniature Diego) standing in front of Frida and next to the Catarina. The mural is Rivera’s sense of four centuries of Mexican history combined with his own personal history. It all takes place in the Alameda Park in Mexico City, which was located near the hotel whose location witnessed all of the transcendental events of Mexican history which are depicted in the mural. There are more than 100 characters in the mural and about half have been identified. The story in the mural goes from the Conquest and the Holy Inquisition to the first half of the 20th century. The mural depicts various histories of Mexico from diverse political perspectives. It’s about 50 ft long and used to hang in one of Mexico City’s most prestigious hotels. But the mural was too heavy for the walls and the hotel needed some repairs, so it was relocated, just before the earthquake which would most likely have crushed the mural. Now it hangs in its own little building—perhaps a bit more precious than in the “public” lobby of a hotel, but preserved, nevertheless.

We had asked the taxi driver to return to pick us up in an hour and had high hopes he would appear, but alas we stood in the rain for about 15 minutes and then decided to find another taxi (no easy task on a rainy day during rush hour). We finally got a pretty rickety taxi with a cracked windshield, but driven by a really nice older Mexican who didn’t know where we were going but followed our GPS instructions to a T!.. We headed to FONArt… one of those government run craft stores that exist throughout Mexico. And where you can generally find the highest quality craft from throughout the country. It was located at the edge of the Condessa neighborhood. Because of the rain and the time, we asked this taxi driver to wait for us and said we’d pay for the time he’d be sitting there.

We found some unbelievable pieces at FONArt, but most were too large and/or too expensive for any of us. We did purchase a few small items, which we all hope will make it back in one piece. The taxi driver was waiting down the street and then we joined millions of Mexicans in the famous Mexico City traffic—taking about an hour to go 3 or 4 miles. “Atasco de trafico en la Ciudad de Mexico!” If it wasn’t raining we might have walked or at least figured out the bus or metro route. But we were happy to be in an enclosed car and not to face the rain (fortunately the taxi had one working windshield wiper, so we were in good shape)! By the time we reached our new little home at the Hyatt, we were almost ready to call it a night and just have dinner at the hotel. But we realized it would be a bummer to spend our last night eating in a restaurant that felt like we weren’t really in Mexico. So, we pushed our reservation at Fonico for an hour later and headed out at about 8 pm for a 8:30 reservation.

Fonico is a pretty special place and by the time we ended our meal we were clear we had made the right decision—about the restaurant and about not just staying at the hotel. I don’t know the whole history of Fonico but it is a narrow, somewhat non-descript, mid-block building on the outside (located on a street with several old buildings). Once you enter the space you are confronted with an overly elaborate, ornate, and unbelievably exquisite spiral staircase -–metal and wood with all sorts of decorative elements. Apparently, the staircase leads to a disco on the second floor (Rayo) which seems quite popular. But Fonico’s specialness goes beyond the staircase and into the food. It’s truly a special place for dinner. If I can remember all the dishes, it will be a stroke of genius.

We started with a series of raw oysters from Japan and a set of roasted oysters. Both were presented on wooden boxes with a layer of stones under the oysters (the raw ones sat on cold stones; the roasted or grilled oysters sat on hot stones). All of the oysters had some kind of mignonette vinegar with spices and hints of chili. We also had a ceviche (mahi mahi, I think) served with a spicy lemon foam, and we had a roasted vegetable salad. Then we had a risotto with shrimp and herbs and some kind of salsa that just melted in your mouth. I think there was another dish but cannot remember. And then we had one main course—the mahi mahi which was perfectly poached or roasted served with some vegetables and spices. Naturally we needed to end the meal with something sweet so we opted for a chocolate thing and a sort of decomposed tres leches cake. Good wine throughout.. and we were happy campers.

We got back to the hotel at around 11:30 and agreed to meet up at the hotel restaurant for breakfast at 8:30 am.

Thursday, November 21, 2024:

Following a nice breakfast including wonderful fruit platters, we headed to the airport in a taxi called by the airport. We really just wanted to go out onto the street to hail a taxi but it was difficult with the luggage. Naturally, Hyatt uses what they call “tourist taxis”—costing about the same as regular taxis but more “luxurious” and driven by those who speak the language of the passengers. Since language was not much of a problem, we chatted for a while. While he didn’t say it, I’m pretty sure he was a Mexican Trumper. He was also normally a tour guide so he regaled us with what he would have shown us had we hired him to be our guide over these past few days. I’m ever more convinced that traveling independently and seeing things the way and when you want to see them is perfect for me. He was rather shocked to learn we didn’t have any guides for our trip and assured us that next time we should contact him to show us around. His list of places read like a tour book with museum after museum and monument after monument. No thanks. I did manage to ask him how he felt about Mexico’s new Jewish female president. He said something to the effect of “the verdict’s out.”

So now I am sitting on my flight back to San Francisco on United Airlines and my seatmate is an extremely nice guy (who was in a wheelchair on boarding and who was stopped for a secondary check at the gate boarding). He was a bit frazzled by this additional review of his bags (as I would be). We joked that he must have a terrorist profile. Turns out he is the manager/executive director (?) of the Oakland Gay Men’s Choir. So we chatted a bit, before our food arrived about the organization and its efforts to raise funds and to plan for the future. His background has nothing to do with nonprofit leadership but it sounds like he’s doing a good job. I’ll have to get tickets for their holiday or spring performances.

And several good conversations with the purser about the airlines, and United in particular… and the industry as a whole. Mmmmmm……

So now it’s time for me to end this rather long note to all of you, as the plane is beginning its descent and the weather in the Bay Area is wet and windy so they are expecting a possibly rocky landing.

It’s been another great girls trip; we are already talking about next year (Copenhagen? Brooklyn? Someplace in Georgia that is famous for its quilts? Guatemala?) We shall see.

Hasta Luego-
Fern

PS Hope to see many of you on December 4 at the Book Launch Party.

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

El Cuarto Dia: Frida, Diego, Carol, Adrienne, and Me

Feliz Martes!

Today we set out for an early breakfast at the market in Coyoacán. We ate at a stand called Lucha. How anyone decides which stall is better than the next is a mystery. But we did fine at Lucha sharing chili relleno heaped with panela (a very mild cheese) inside—something Lucha calls “the breakfast dish” (tortilla with spicy salsa and shredded cheese), and potatoes, along with rice and beans and lots of salsas and crema. From there we walked to Casa Azul – Frida Kahlo’s house and studio with its beautiful gardens surrounded by those unmistakable bright cobalt blue walls of the house. We had a minor glitch in that our tickets were time-specific which we didn’t notice. We arrived around 11:00 and the tickets were for 10. Took about 15 minutes to both apologize and beg for entry. But alas, we got in at around 11:30. I had been to Casa Azul about 15 years ago and my recollection was that it was much less of a tourist destination with no lines and no appointments. I also didn’t remember the exhibit on the first floor. Mostly I remember the house and the reality of Frida’s life and her belongings and the accommodations for her frailty and difficult mobility. Anyway, we strolled leisurely through the house and the gardens and then headed to Diego’s house and studio (where Frida also had another studio).

There are three buildings on the property and unfortunately we could only get into one (Diego’s house and studio) because a new exhibit was being installed and some work was being done on the other two buildings, Like Frida’s Casa Azul, Diego’s house includes parts of his many collections as well as a look at the artistic work of their generation and their politics. The architect Juan O’Gorman designed all three buildings, and they are considered the first “functionalist” buildings in Latin America. Initially there was a house for Diego, a house for Frida, and separate studios for each of them. These independent buildings were joined together by a small bridge on the top floor. Over time, this changed and there are the two house/studios and a photographic laboratory, also designed by O’Gorman.

We lingered a while in the outdoor courtyard, and then grabbed a bite in a nearby restaurant. Then we needed to get back to our Coyoacán hotel so that we could get a taxi to our next hotel (in polanco area, where we’d stay for the remaining two nights)—closer to the center of the city. We tried to hail a cab but none seemed available. A few busses passed and finally we decided to just get on the next bus (it said it was going to Coyoacán). We hopped on, since it was going in the right direction, so it seemed like a good idea. But, the Mexico City busses don’t take cash or credit cards. You need to pay with an app or with Apple Pay. Adrienne was trying to get her Apple Pay to work but it just didn’t connect. The driver didn’t know what to do with us… and then a woman who was sitting up front got out of her seat and used her phone app. We tried to repay her with cash, but she wouldn’t hear of it. So off we went on the bus (and I tried to download that app, but couldn’t get a strong enough signal). The bus got us pretty close to the hotel; we hopped off once we saw a familiar street.

We got our bags and bid adios to the wonderful folks at H21 Hospedaje and took a taxi to our next destination: El Patio 77 which is located in the San Rafael neighborhood. En route to the next hotel, we asked the taxi driver to take a particular street because I had seen this amazing bird cage inside a shrub. We didn’t have the exact location, so the poor guy had to drift around with us for a bit until we found it. But alas– there it was.

We arrived at El Patio around 5:30. El Patio is like the exact opposite of H21. It’s an old house, two stories with very high ceilings.. so each floor is probably at least 15’ tall. Whereas everything at H21 seemed to be carefully thought through, El Patio is more like being in your great grandmother’s house with mismatched everything. Frankly, it feels sort of creepy. We settled in (a bit reluctantly) and headed for a fantastic dinner at Ticuchi which is located in the Polanco area off the main drag.

I’d describe the food as nouvelle Mexican where each dish is a bit of a work of art. The place is extremely dark and we found ourselves using our phone flashlights to not only read the menu, but to see the food, at times. But it was great. Started with margaritas with guacamole which came with paper thin chips and a dish of shredded panamar cheese. We moved on to an assortment of small dishes including the standout hongo tamale (mushroom) and carrots in mole, and a wonderful ceviche, and pulpo (octopus) tacos.. and more. Ended with two desserts including a corncake topped with a cinnamon (?) ice cream.

We got back to El Patio and tried to decide if we should spend two nights (including our very last night in Mexico City here at El Patio or change hotels in the morning. We will meet on this first thing in the morning. Tomorrow will be our last jam-packed day in Mexico City.

Take care.
Fern

Monday, November 18, 2024

Greetings from Coyoacán!

Following breakfast at the little vegetarian place near the hotel, we set out for Xochimilko—a section of Mexico City that I had never really been to. Like Coyoacán, Xochimilko was once an independent municipality on the shores of Lake Xochimilko. It’s in the southern part of the city and has its own distinct history and identity. Many consider it a gritty part of the city and indeed there is a lot of small industry and the area is definitely on the lower end of the economic scale from Coyoacán. It is well known for its canals. Historically, what is now Mexico City had a complex lake and canal system. Today the canal system in Xochimilko is filled with colorful gondola-like boats called “trajineras.” The canal system prompted Xochimilko to become a UN World Heritage site. It’s a bit touristy, but we had lots of fun. We rented our own boat with its own “el capitan”…. And trolled the canals for about an hour. Along the way, even smaller boats come close to our boat; they offered tequila, beer, flowers, and snacks for purchase. Along the way, we got off the boat to sit in a little outdoor patio where we had quesadillas and beer… and then got back into the boat.

We hadn’t planned to go to Xochimilko, so we didn’t fully figure out what was possible. As we approached, we remembered that this was where the Island of the Dead Dolls is located, and asked to get a boat to take us there. But alas the time needed to get there and back was too long, so we just travelled through one section of the canals. Next time, Island of the Dead Dolls! We also tried to get pesos at a bank near the boat area, but the ATM was out of money.

We then headed to the main market in Xochimilko which again reflects the working class nature of the area as compared to Coyoacán and other more upscale parts of the city. We strolled the market and at one point noticed an Israeli flag hanging above one of the fish stalls. So, we approached and suddenly a woman at the stall started talking to us in a combination of Hebrew and Yiddish, mixed with Spanish. Of the three languages, Spanish was my strongest…. Anyway, we asked a few questions and said “Shalom!” and went on our way.

We taxied back to Coyoacán (would have taken the metro but it turned out to take more than twice as much time and required both metro and bus) but told the driver to take us to Viveros Park instead of going back to the hotel. Viveros Park is a combination tree nursery and beautifully maintained park that is about 100 acres. It’s really popular for joggers and those who just like to stroll. It was a delightful walk in the park. From there we walked back to the hotel and also to find an ATM with cash!

And then we were off to dinner at Hiyoko. While flying to Mexico City, I watched the Eva Longoria film on her favorite eating places in Mexico City. She had a lot of interesting places but many were either extremely high-end or too far away. This one stuck out. It is located in the Little Tokyo section of the city, and is absolutely beautifully appointed with just one very long wooden counter that seats about 25 people. Carol, Adrienne, and I studied the menu which was one of those menus that had some words that are not possible to translate and was a combination of Japanese food terms mixed with Spanish words. Eventually, the waitress found an English version.

Every dish was perfect ….and a little work of art. In addition to mouth-watering sashimi, the restaurant serves little mini-yakitori style items. We had a huge variety of these very small plates including (each skewer has about three little morsels) edamame with a wonderful dressing; little one-item skewers with duck, shishito peppers, zucchini (which they called pumpkin on the English menu), mushrooms, chicken, cherry tomatoes wrapped in pancetta, pancetta rolls with amazing spices and tidbits of fruit inside, and a few other items I don’t remember. And we had wonderful sake, so smooth you could hardly sense the alcohol content. Of course we needed to end the dinner with dessert so we ordered three of the four options: matcha tiramusu served in a perfect wooden cube, something called fawa fawa (a pudding made with lychee and matcha and some other ingredients and served in a little jar, and a scoop of lychee ice cream sitting atop a strawberry puree.

From there we set out to find a taxi which required walking to a very large Sheraton Hotel… and with that we headed back to the hotel. We leave the delightful Coyoacán and the charming H21 Hospedaje tomorrow and head for another hotel in the Polanco neighborhood, But before we leave Coyoacán, we will walk to Casa Azul (Frida Kahlo’s house and museum) and Diego Rivera’s house/museum…. I’ve seen them both before but happy to go again. Once settled in Polanco, we’ll go to the Museum of Anthropology and then head to see the very large Diego Rivera mural “Dreams of Alameda Park” and stroll the historic district… And just like that Thursday will come and we will be heading back to the states.

More tomorrow,
Fern

Sunday, November 17, 2024

Buenas Noches –

It was a very full day in Coyoacán today. We had a light breakfast at the hotel. By the way, I’d highly recommend H21 Hospedaje Hotel… it’s really great and very well located. Nine rooms; staff is young and very helpful. The hotel was renovated beautifully, rooms are spacious and very well appointed, and the landscaping (all interior courtyards) are delightful and well-tended.

After breakfast we walked around Coyoacán and stopped at the wonderful mercado which measures about two blocks by one block—chock full of taco stands and juice places and quesadilla stands and every kind of food imaginable—all surrounded by stands that sell spices, and fruits, vegetables, household goods (from washing bins to toilet paper), wonderful stalls with all sorts of skeletons and handmade trinkets. We strolled to every corner of the market, eventually leaving and walking around the main square and a brief look inside the big cathedral on the square— San Juan Bautista Church—which dates to about 1525.

Then we hopped into a taxi to get to our 2:00 (brunch) reservation at San Angel Inn. We sat outside in the fabulous courtyard. The hacienda dates back to the 1600s and changed hands many times and today this wonderful restaurant is housed at the Inn. We decided to focus on the starters and shared plates and skip the “main meals.” So we started with two different ceviches (one with scallops and shrimp and a vinegar-y salsa with mangoes; the other a fish ceviche in an Acapulco style). Both were wonderful and larger than we anticipated. Then we shared the duck tacos and the cochinita pibil, and the assorted quesadillas. Oh, all of this was preceded by wonderfully pure and classic margaritas (heavy on the tequila!). While the postres looked great, we opted to pass as we were totally stuffed. I would be remiss not to mention the high fashion sported by the women coming in and out of the Inn—all dressed to the nines; we were definitely under-dressed!

We then took a taxi to the Museo Trotsky, which is back in Coyoacán. It includes a museum, and the house Trotsky lived in when he was in exile in Mexico City. Apparently, the museum is administered by an organization that works to promote and protect political asylum. Trotsky lived in the house with his second wife for about a year and this is where he was murdered in 1940. It’s been kept intact since that day. The house is surrounded by lovely gardens and high walls which include a set of watchtowers. Trotsky left the Soviet Union in 1929 because of his criticism of Stalin. He and his wife moved to many countries and eventually wound up in Mexico. Visiting the Trotsky House ties into our Frida Kahlo theme since it was Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo who convinced the Mexican government under Cardenas to give Trotsky asylum. Upon coming to Mexico in 1937, Trotsky and his wife lived at Frida Kahlo’s house (La Casa Azul), located nearby. But there was a falling out between Trotsky and Rivera—some say it was ideological, and others say it was because Trotsky had an affair with Kahlo (or perhaps a combination of both). After this falling out, Trotsky moved to the house we visited. The Trotsky story of his time in Mexico and the assassination are complicated and interesting, but no time to discuss in this note. I will, however say, that the exhibit points to the importance of good preservation of photographs, which was definitely not done for preserving this part of history. And the exhibit only has intermittent English, so it was difficult to follow. My Spanish is definitely not good enough to read the various explanations of politics and political history that hung on the walls.

From there we decided to walk back to our hotel – a 30+ minute walk through Coyoacán’s lovely tree-lined streets. It was Sunday and very quiet.

We were supposed to go to an upscale restaurant for dinner, but we were all still full from lunch and opted to go to a nearby vegetarian-forward café where we just had homemade vegetable soup and shared a “small’ pizza.

That’s it for now for me
More tomorrow.
Fern