June 18, 2021

Greetings from day 4 in Mexico! We spent a whirlwind few days in Mexico City, and are now relaxing for a short time in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico. We can’t wait to share more with you, but for now here’s a quick recap of some of our highlights and takeaways from the past few days of our stay in beautiful Ciudad de México:

• El Museo de Bellas Artes: although much of the museum was closed due to Covid, we were able to view a few halls of murals by notable artists like Diego Rivera. The building itself is certainly a work of art, and we got to meet some lovely police horses in the zócalo right outside. 

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• Basílica de la Virgen de Guadalupe: This basilica is the most-visited Catholic shrine in the world, and the world’s third most-visited sacred site. We were overwhelmed by the beauty and splendor of the iglesias and history here. We climbed hundreds of stairs to the top of a hill for a breathtaking view of the city, including the basilica. The climb back down was even more beautiful, and covered with all different colors of roses to represent the roses that appeared as proof of the apparition of Virgen de Guadalupe to Juan Diego in 1531.  

“¿No estoy yo aquí que soy tu madre?” (“Am I not here, I who am your mother?”)

• Plaza de Garibaldi: we sought out what was known to be a bustling plaza full of vendors and food stands, but found instead a very empty lot. We did however find a fruit cart and we had our first taste of fresh mango with tajin and chamoy, which was just as juicy and delicious as we had dreamed it would be! While enjoying our fresh fruits, a man with a snack cart rolled through the plaza and dropped a basket full of water bottles off this cart. I (Morgen) ran up to help him put them back on his cart, and he thanked me by offering me a bag of chips, grabbing my hand and kissing me on the cheek! We’ve certainly noticed that romance is not in short supply in Mexico! 
  • It was striking and saddening to see how empty the zocalo was, as opposed to what we’d seen and heard about it in pre-pandemic times. We found out from our tour guide at Teotihuacan that in Mexico, the Covid vaccine has only been rolled out to adults ages 40 and older, and even when it is available, the system for getting inoculated is generally chaotic and difficult, and based on last name. We were soberly reminded to check our privilege and demonstrate respect for those who are unvaccinated and/or don’t have access to the vaccine here in Mexico, so we remained masked up in public at all times in the city. We hope and pray that vaccines are rolled out quickly and effectively here so that areas of business, like Plaza de Garibaldi, can return to capacity.

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One last thing: shoutout of the day to Taqueria Cinco de Mayo for introducing us to tepache, tacos de costra, and the best lunch al fresco we’ve ever had!

https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/menu/que-es-el-tepache-y-como-prepararlo-en-casa

We can’t wait to tell you about our quick stay in Cholula soon. Hasta la próxima vez!