This morning we got up, ate breakfast and walked back to the Zocalo to take a group picture in front of the Cathedral. It was funny, the professional people who took the photo asked us to say TEQUILA! for the photo. On our way to the bus we saw some nude photos for sale
There are so many vendors, they sell everything hoy can imagine.. backpacks, bracelets, socks, jewelry, pencils, post-its.. some even sell their services. Like plummers. Its crazy. I wonder if they even have department stores here because they have so many small shops and vendors.
So we're on our way to the Anthropology Museum, Chapultapec Park and Ninoes heroes. We will hopefully get to the Latin America tower and then tonight we will see a Ballet Folklorico!
The anthropology museum was awesome! there was just way too much to see in one trip though.I saw so many things that I had already seen in various classes with Brother Raish. After that we actually got to see the flight of the voladores.. that was cool.. the mexicans do an ancient ritual of wrapping ropes around the top of a pole, playing a flute, wearing fancy costumes and rotating around the pole.. its hard to explain. We walked through Chapultapec Park to find the Ninos Heroes monument, which is really amazing. These kids didn't want to back down from fighting for their country so they wrapped themselves in a mexican flag and jumped off the top of the Sumidero Canyon.. which is like 9000 feet.
After we changed into concert dress, I went shopping and bought a hand woven backpack for Heidi.. then we went up to the 44th floor of the Latin America tower. We met the guy who's father was the architect. We then went to the ballet folklorico. Lots of traditional dances, all telling the story of Mexico.. amazing talent.
Something that I realized when I was watching the dances that I've been thinking about now is that there are really only two kinds if people in Mexico.. maybe 3. The really really poor people, the poor people, and the really well off. There's no middle class. The first are literally beggars on the street asking for money with cups in their hands, much worse than the homeless we see in the states. The second are selling things. Anything, to make a living. Services, goods, food, whatever they can do. These people have NO choice. And if you are born into this life, you're probably going to be doing it the rest of your life, unless you can, by a miracle, break the mold. The 3rd kind of people are barely the indigenous people, barely of mexican descent. They are soo mestizo, so european that they have been able to come out of poverty. Im not sure why race has so much to do with economic status but it does. There was a rebellion in the Chiapas state against the government to break this mold but it didn't work. People come to the US to do that, to have a better life and seriously, if they can come over and do it legally, I would almost give them my job if it meant they'd have a way of living. Id have to get a new job but at least Im able to get one. I am so humbled by this trip.
There are so many vendors, they sell everything hoy can imagine.. backpacks, bracelets, socks, jewelry, pencils, post-its.. some even sell their services. Like plummers. Its crazy. I wonder if they even have department stores here because they have so many small shops and vendors.
So we're on our way to the Anthropology Museum, Chapultapec Park and Ninoes heroes. We will hopefully get to the Latin America tower and then tonight we will see a Ballet Folklorico!
The anthropology museum was awesome! there was just way too much to see in one trip though.I saw so many things that I had already seen in various classes with Brother Raish. After that we actually got to see the flight of the voladores.. that was cool.. the mexicans do an ancient ritual of wrapping ropes around the top of a pole, playing a flute, wearing fancy costumes and rotating around the pole.. its hard to explain. We walked through Chapultapec Park to find the Ninos Heroes monument, which is really amazing. These kids didn't want to back down from fighting for their country so they wrapped themselves in a mexican flag and jumped off the top of the Sumidero Canyon.. which is like 9000 feet.
After we changed into concert dress, I went shopping and bought a hand woven backpack for Heidi.. then we went up to the 44th floor of the Latin America tower. We met the guy who's father was the architect. We then went to the ballet folklorico. Lots of traditional dances, all telling the story of Mexico.. amazing talent.
Something that I realized when I was watching the dances that I've been thinking about now is that there are really only two kinds if people in Mexico.. maybe 3. The really really poor people, the poor people, and the really well off. There's no middle class. The first are literally beggars on the street asking for money with cups in their hands, much worse than the homeless we see in the states. The second are selling things. Anything, to make a living. Services, goods, food, whatever they can do. These people have NO choice. And if you are born into this life, you're probably going to be doing it the rest of your life, unless you can, by a miracle, break the mold. The 3rd kind of people are barely the indigenous people, barely of mexican descent. They are soo mestizo, so european that they have been able to come out of poverty. Im not sure why race has so much to do with economic status but it does. There was a rebellion in the Chiapas state against the government to break this mold but it didn't work. People come to the US to do that, to have a better life and seriously, if they can come over and do it legally, I would almost give them my job if it meant they'd have a way of living. Id have to get a new job but at least Im able to get one. I am so humbled by this trip.
