WEDNESDAY
We arrived at the Mexico City airport early in the afternoon. The cab ride was a little wild – sort of a cross between the Gran Prix and NASCAR, and the driver stopped for directions about five times. We arrived and Lisa took us walking to Santa Fe Commercial Zone. A lot of walking-we ended up at the mall, then came back by bus-after I hurt my leg trying to step over a guard rail on a shortcut to the bus. After that, we walked with our luggage to the parish and settled in.
THURS
The room at the Parish was comfortable, but cold - with lots of covers, we were fine until morning. When we got up and dressed, we met the Padre, who showed us around and played recorded Gregorian chants in the Sanctuary. Lisa took us to a street stand with fresh-squeezed mandarin juice and then a bakery-we ate at her place. We walked with her and Melissa to La Guarderia. The director, Pacquita, seemed really excited and enthusiastically showed us the various classrooms, lunch and play area. The two-year olds cried (a couple) when we walked in-someone said we were so big it scared them. We spent the a.m. with Lisa's class. The cutest kids you ever saw-mostly dressed in navy blue with red trim, a couple had names embroidered. Four years old and lots of energy and enthusiasm. We saw the mass hug and heard the chant: "Lisa, Lisa!" Lisa led singing a couple English songs-Itsy Bitsy Spider and Head & Shoulders, etc. They counted bottle caps and worked on the days of the week. Also, they had handwriting exercises and a computer class. While we were there, one little girl wandered in from another class, I understand she was developmentally disabled.
When the kids broke for lunch, we took off. Lunch for us was a place on the main drag-open front. Right over the sidewalk was a big chunk of pork cooking, hanging from a hook and rotating-the cook took a knife and sliced meat and caught it on a tortilla, then chopped a piece of pineapple to top it off. We stopped at a Bodega run by Walmart-everything was Spanish, but you could tell. Then we took a bus to catch a train to go downtown to the Zocolo.
Some kind of partitions were in place obstructing a good part of the plaza, but the church was as impressive as any we saw in Europe, very big, very ornate.
That night we went to Mass-designed for American visitors-both Spanish and English. After Mass, there was big dinner at the Parish to celebrate the American parents' visit. (Jess' parents were also there and spent the night, as well.) There were at least ten courses and maybe thirty people present. There was lasagna with and without meat, a dish made of pork skins that was very spicy, a local chicken dish that I liked a lot, a dish with peppers stuffed with cheese and tuna, one with pasta and sliced hot dogs, one with sausage and vegetables, bread and tortillas. When everyone was stuffed and the table cleared, Padre passed out candles to everyone around the table and then walked around lighting each candle with a hospitality candle we had brought as a gift to thank the Parish for hosting us. As the table glowed, with soft light, the Padre announced we were celebrating our unity. Then he got out his guitar and led us in a few songs. "LaBamba" , “Cielito Lindo”, and a song about two snow-capped volcanoes. It was a very fun-filled evening with warm and friendly people.
FRIDAY
Lisa met us again and took us to the bakery again and a streetside stand with tamales. We ate at her place again, but this time watched as she and Melissa left to go to work. We went instead with Carolyn - "Caro", to the place she spends a lot of time, when she's not giving English lessons. It was a facility run by the Missionaries of Charity, Sister Teresa's order, for disabled persons, elderly and infant orphans. We spoke with the Mother Superior, who gave a very moving testimony of Sister Teresa's work and her own part in those efforts. Caro then took us from place to place and we met with some elderly residents, including a 92-year old nun who was a very dear soul. There were the babies, where we spent a little while just playing, before it was lunchtime. A bunch of high school kids showed up to help. So we went to the disabled adults, who were also being fed. It was really challenging. Caro was just wading into every group and making them feel loved, touching, talking, smiling and laughing. Another person who really made an impression was a volunteer named Sophie, who spoke very good English (we were kind of getting to the point where that impressed us) and had an interesting life. After lunch, the residents made their way out into the courtyard in the sunshine. (The weather has really been ideal all week. Although the nights got chilly, the days were sunny and warm.) After that, we departed, thoroughly impressed and touched. After our visit to the Guarderia, Pacquita, the director, sent us a basket of Mexican treats. It was amazing. Thank you, Pacquita!
We sat and sampled some in the sunshine at the Parish while a group of drummers practiced with a bugler for the Passion play for Easter.
We hear there's a lot of excitement about February Second as the children bring their baby Jesus dolls to church to celebrate the presentation of Jesus in the Temple.
SATURDAY
The whole week has been an adventure, but Saturday was the tops. We planned a trip to see the pyramids at Teotihuacan, 31 miles from Mexico City. Isaac drove us to the bus station, despite the fact that he had been up very early, taking his nephew to draft registration. The bus was very comfortable until the lady behind me tapped me on the shoulder and talked to me - as usual I had no idea what she said and drew Lisa into the conversation. We missed our stop and the very helpful lady suggested we get off right away - as she was. She told us to take a cab to the site, but none were in sight. Lisa went across the road to see about calling a cab and emerged with a tall young man who offered to walk with us. He led us into the nearby town and we stopped at a nice house. It was his house, and he insisted we come in and meet his family. We learned his name was Jonathan and his parents were Lulu and Diego. He had two younger brothers who he brought in to help translate. The town, which I believe also is called Teotihuacan, was preparing for a big fiesta the next day. After some friendly conversation, Jonathan led us down the road. After a while, a guy in a Ford pickup stopped and gave us a ride and that is how we arrived at Teotihuacan. Jonathan spent the whole day with us, explaining and describing the amazing historical site. The challenge of the day was climbing the pyramids. The tallest, the pyramid of the Sun, was our first objective, the assumption being it would be the most difficult. We took our time and made it to the top, stopping there to take in the amazing views all around us. Where we sat, I asked Jonathan about the town we saw. He said it was San Martin and then pointed around the horizon to San Sebastian and San Juan, as well as his own town. We then took on the pyramid of the Moon and found that although it was not as tall, it was really difficult as well. The steps were very steep, and we were pretty worn out from climbing the pyramid of the Sun. But we made it. We spent more time wandering among some very impressive remains of stone structures, reinforcing my amazement at the time and effort invested in constructing these enormous structures by people without the knowledge and equipment we are accustomed to today. (I worked a few summers as a masonry laborer, so the concept of mixing the mortar and moving those stones was pretty impressive to me - oh, I was a LOT younger, too.) I read that, at its peak, there were 100,000 people living at this community at or before the birth of Christ.
SUNDAY
- was "funday". Isaac and his buddy Juan took us up to the Marquesa, which was kind of a local tourism and amusement area. Mostly, the kids were the ones getting involved. It was another beautiful day and I just enjoyed being there and taking in the spirit of fun. There were ATVs to rent and a climbing tower with a two-way zipline. Then we had lunch and Charlene and the kids went for a horseback ride.
After we got back, we went to Mass at the Parish. It was special even though we couldn't understand much. Of course, once you are accustomed to the pattern of the Mass, you mostly know what's going on. Lisa had a hankering for a veggieburger, so we found a place near where we stayed that served burgers, including the veggie variety.
HEADING HOME
Monday we will catch our plane and take off for the USA. We will never forget the terrific people we have met and gotten to spend time with. Many have not been mentioned here, but not a one ever showed us anything but a positive, friendly spirit that was sincere as could be. We leave with a greater appreciation and understanding of what Lisa is doing and why she is doing it.
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