the life and times of a gringa in Mexico City
Guess which present at the baby shower was from me?
No, it's not the amazingly-wrapped blue tiered number in the front, but thanks for even thinking that I could wrap something like that (even if you were just being polite).
It’s not the prettiest, people, but it did get a laugh. As I wrote to Tricia on the card, what says “new baby boy in Mexico” more than a box decorated like a lucha mask? Alternatively one might say, “When has one carried a novelty interest too far….?” NEVER!!! 
As seen at Ciudadela in Mexico City this past weekend. We spent a good 5 minutes trying to guess the functionality of this thing before friend Greg gained the courage to inquire directly.
Plastic + water + electricity = what could go wrong???
It was at a jewelry booth, so I was voting for some kind of ionizing jewelry cleaner (no idea what that even means). As it turned out, it was a simple homemade hot water heater, as confirmed by the large heating element we saw inside when the vendor took off the lid for us. To be clear– I am just *assuming* homemade based on its rusty connections & stripped wires… but perhaps it is a store-bought number that just managed to escape the purview of Mexico’s regulatory authorities.
This kind of stuff almost makes me want to use my electrical engineering degree and build something, since surely I could come up with a product as good as this one… Any requests for some electrical goods missing from your life??
(Imagine below conversation in Spanish)
Me: We’re going to this address, which is located just off street x which is near street y. Perhaps we can take street z? Also, I have a map if you want to see it? [I offer, trying to avoid replica of prior experience of driving around indefinitely & asking people on the street to get to this little-known address, despite me knowing EXACTLY where it is & having a map depicting it & taxi driver not believing me but instead random stranger, who confirms my instructions.]
Taxi driver: your Spanish is very good
Me: No, it’s not, but thank you
Taxi Driver: I’ve never learned any English. I was only educated through 6th grade. I didn’t like school.
Me: I understand that feeling.
Taxi Driver: But I can understand you. Sometimes, there will be a group of 3 women on the side of the street & they yell “Taxiiii” [in gringo accent] at me. I slow down, but then I can tell they do not speak any Spanish & I don’t speak any English. So I don’t pick them up, because we won’t be able to communicate. It doesn’t work.
Me: For me, it depends on the person and the topic.
Taxi Driver: See, you said “depends on the topic”, but here we would say “depends on topic”, but I can understand you.
Me: Yes, there are many things I don’t know in Spanish.
Taxi Driver: For instance, what does “mickeyteesone” mean in English?
Me: Huh? Mickeyteesone? Uh, I don’t know…
Taxi Driver: Yes, mickeyteesone. Once, I had someone in my taxi & we were talking about boxing and the boxer mickeyteesone and his problems with women. They had a book about boxing & I said something about mickeyteesone & they told me “No, it’s ‘Mike Tyson‘.” But how was I to know? I have only read his name in newspapers & magazines & that is how we say it here.
Me: Ohhhh…. MIKE TYSON. Yes, that is how we say it. He does have problems with women.
Concrete "flowers" with more flowers growing out of the top!
Ever since we arrived in Mexico, I’ve heard rumblings about Las Pozas. General commentary included things like “crazy place in the jungle”, “this English guy Edward James’s surrealistic garden”, “wild concrete structures”, and perhaps the most intimidating, “8 hours away on windy mountain roads”.
Lots of gothic-y influences in the creations at Las Pozas
With most weekends booked up between MBA class & visitors, it took until February 2010 to find the perfect combination of 1) an open 3-day weekend, and 2) another friend dying to make the trip, to help pressure/offset my husband’s lack of interest. Emily & I set our expectations low (as any good traveler in Mexico has learned to do– then you can only be pleasantly surprised). John’s expectations were already entrenched in this category. 
Emily & I at the base of one of the waterfalls
I began researching up a storm, finding loads of information snippets about Las Pozas, Xilitla (the adjacent town of ~10,000 people), the Huasteca region, etc. The one thing I could not find, however, was any good-ol biased commentary saying “YES it is totally worth the 7-8 hour death march from Mexico City!!” or “NOoooo you fool! Turn back now!!”
So to cut to the chase, my opinion is: YES! Las Pozas + the beautiful scenery en route is worth the ~7 hour drive north of Mexico City. Let me explain why, as well as add a few caveats for potential visitors. Another post to follow with details on the drive to & from!
Waterfalls and concrete combine with amazing natural rock formations to make the multiple pools after which the site is named
Who built Las Pozas & what is it?
Edward James was born into riches in Edwardian England in 1907, but eschewed uptight British life to travel the world & collect surrealist art. The term “eccentric” might be an understatement to describe this man, who was also a poet. He ended up in Xilitla, Mexico through his quest to get as far away from the UK as possible, finding it the perfect spot for his castle in the jungle & for his beloved orchids . (Or see alternative story about his first visit to Xilitla & butterflies landing all over his naked body in a sign from the heavens here.)
Here I am with the man of the hour, Edward James, accompanied by a tropical bird.
One of James' many flower replicas-- if flowers dying makes you sad, just build your own permanent ones!
My understanding is that a freak freeze/snowfall killed off all of his orchids in 1962 (as well as much of the coffee bean crop that the locals harvested annually). After that incident, James decided to create “permanent” orchids & a garden that would never die. (just makes sense, right?) He basically employed the entire populace of Xilitla until 1984 (when he died) building amazing concrete structures scattered around the jungle just outside of town. Rumor has it he spent around $5M on the project at the time, selling off most of his art collection to finance the efforts.
In total, he & his trusty lead carpenter (Jose Aguilas) built 36 structures, formed by crafting long, thin pieces of wood into molds for the concrete. You can see the old molds at the “museum” (aka restaurant located in El Castillo); they are amazing pieces in and of themselves. James also shaped the river that passes through his property into 9 pools (after which Las Pozas is named). Entrance to Las Pozas is free for local residents, and one of the guides said the pools are abuzz with local residents during the summer.
Just a few of the handmade, wooden molds used to shape the concrete structures.
In the museum & talking to people in Xilitla, it was hard to get a feel for "What did everyone think of this guy-- bat-shit crazy, amazingly generous and giving, or a pompous englishman?" You don't really see any direct negative commentary, though I did find this photo & caption to be an interesting vignette of the boss/worker relationship... "Don Jose tells that when a log rolled & hit James, he was asked to construct this seat in which the englishman was then transported..."
Where is Las Pozas?
Las Pozas is located in Xilitla, a small town of ~10,000 in the gorgeous Huasteca region of southern San Luis Potosi state. As alluded to above, it is a solid 7-8 hour drive from Mexico City. Tampico is the closest airport (in Veracruz state), but that’s still a 3-4 hour drive.
View Larger Map
Our Visit to Xilitla and Las Pozas:
Xilitla map (click to enlarge)
We arrived into Xilitla around 5:30PM on a Saturday in February, after taking our time stopping at a few spots en route in the Sierra Gorda region of Queretaro. The town doesn’t have a lot to keep one busy, so I wouldn’t allot an excess of time for exploring Xilitla itself. That said, you can tell a few enterprising folk are trying to cater towards the tourist crowd with a few cute restaurants/bars/lodging options that veer from standard small-town Mexico.
Las Pozas:
Here's a pic of my Las Pozas map-- but please support them by buying one there!
Las Pozas is located downhill outside of town. While you could certainly walk there, I think it would take a solid 45 minutes down a rocky dirt road, so I might suggest driving/bus/taxi depending on how much energy you want to save for the running about the site. (There’s plenty of car parking near the entrance.) The site opens around 9AM, and I would suggest arriving early to beat any other tourists/rain/fog. You can buy a map at the Refresqueria/gift shop just inside the entrance for ~$15 pesos. The map is good for identifying the names of the structures, but really unnecessary for actually getting around– once inside, you’ll find yourself trying to cover every path that you see regardless of where it goes! Also– don’t be tricked into using the sketchy bathroom at this spot. There are much nicer bathrooms farther inside Las Pozas or just past the main restaurant on the other side of the road.
We wandered along the river first, marveling at all the stairs & formations and trying to imagine what things looked like in their prime, ala 1984. If I was less of a wuss, swimming in these cold-water pools would have been fantastic. It was fascinating to see how James’ additions blended in with the natural rock formations– amazing, giant slabs of rock that bordered the river, slanting downwards at a 45-degree angle. Then we backtracked along the path & began the exploration of the concrete jungle, starting with the most iconic Columna Gigante.
John & I perch along the edge of the formations along the river
John is the first to test the structural integrity of these floating stairs... (success!!)
While I am sure there are stories that accompany each of the structures in Las Pozas, the photos say it better than I can– though they are a weak substitute for actually being there, let me assure you!! A few more highlights below, and I will get more added to the Photo Gallery shortly so as to not make this post *too* crazy-long.
We offered a prayer to Virgin of Guadalupe in hopes of me not falling & ripping holes in my pants, as I am wont to do.
Here we are on the middle level of the Columna Gigante
Emily tried to figure out how to pilot this concerningly-heavy plane
Loved the concrete snakes with the exposed rebar doubling as a spiky tongue
Here I am in one of my favorite structures, the Palacio del Bambu (I think).
Meanwhile, Emily did some yoga in this hub of zen.
Can you see the stairs zig-zagging up this hillside? We took these on our way up to the treehouse lookout point.
In total, we spent about 3 hours running around Las Pozas and then another hour or so for lunch. I recommend wearing athletic clothing, as the air is plenty humid & you’ll find yourself doing lots of scrambling around– not an ideal combo for a tight pair of jeans + heels. 
I will admit to dripping with sweat as we trotted up to the treehouse look-out point atop one of the hills. (I’ve gotten soft here in the uber-dry climate of Mexico City!)
We came across this maze on the way out of Las Pozas, which we ran through like morons until discovering that it was actually pretty hard. I was super excited until I literally ran into a big puddle of standing water in one of the dead-ends.
For those interested in more of the details of Edwards James and how Las Pozas came to be, there are a number of excellent resources online. A few include…
Lodging in Xilitla:
John heads up the stairs between levels at Hostal del Cafe in Xilitla
The “de-facto” place to stay in Xilitla is El Castillo (built by James’s architect, Plutarco Gastelum), but it was already full our first nite in town, so we had a reservation at Hotel Hostal del Cafe instead. Hostal del Cafe is located on the highway (I use that term loosely) that runs through town, and consists of several levels built into the hillside. The rooms are all quite different, each nestled in dense, jungley vegetation. We got a bit frustrated during our check-in process while trying to explain that no, Emily would not be staying in the room that didn’t lock. Interactions improved when we met the owner Alejandro & his wife later that evening, who were very helpful and friendly. Our rooms were $500 pesos each, plus an additional $70 pesos if you want breakfast. It was pretty chilly there at nite, which was perfect for me– ensconced in a comfy bed with loads of blankets. It was also very quiet for being so close to the main highway.
The breakfast was quite nice with fresh orange or passion fruit juice, good coffee, and part of a zacahuil, “a huge tamal made with corn dough, filled with pork or chicken, soaked in a red chile sauce, wrapped in banana leaves, and baked in a wood-fired oven.” (BTW, check out this sweet zacahuil-making video here!) We were also accompanied by several hummingbirds in the morning while we dined. Overall, Hostal del Cafe was a solid budget lodging option in Xilitla– not super-glamorous but no major complaints.
The iconic footprints at the entrance to El Castillo
For our second nite, we moved to El Castillo (old website here). Rates range from $60USD to $130USD on their website. We stayed in the Vista and Don Eduardo rooms for $1100 pesos each; I think Don Eduardo is the way to go because of the gorgeous mountain views out your window. (FYI, there is a bit more road noise due to El Castillo’s in-town location, but if you are a light sleeper traveling in Mexico, you should have ear plugs with you anyway!) We enjoyed wandering around the El Castillo property (which had a lovely pool) & the rooms were cutely decorated. They did have in-room heaters for which you could pay an extra fee to fill them w/propane. Breakfast cost an additional $100 pesos, if I recall correctly; you could certainly get a cheaper equivalent elsewhere, but the food was decent. Overall, I would say it’s worth staying there for at least one night for the full “all-things-Edward-James” experience & scenic views, but I wouldn’t say that it is necessarily 2x as nice as other options in Xilitla that are 1/2 the price.
A shot inside our room at El Castillo, with the cool windows looking out towards the mountains
Specifically, a thumb mountain! Apparently Mount Thumb (as I like to call it) is a fan-favorite landmark in Xilitla
One other spot that looked decent (but we didn’t stay at) was Puerta del Cielo, Hotel & Suites. You won’t miss the massive, bright pink-n-yellow structure just off the main road through town. Prices range from $660 pesos to $1350 for the master suite & they also have a pool.
Last but not least, we spotted these cabins that are located just a few meters outside the entrance of Las Pozas. They are very small (i.e. no more than 2 people, I'd say), but have a bathroom/shower & a loft bed (with a very thin "mattress", more like a sleeping pad, to warn you). But they were very cute & conveniently located. No website that we saw, but you can call 045.489.100.3152 or 045.489.104.3224 to ask about pricing/availability
Food/Drink:
For visitors to Mexico who haven’t OD’d on traditional Mexican food, the world is your oyster. For Mexican residents looking for something slightly different, we sussed out four options.
1) The restaurant at El Castillo: the menu skews Italian with several pasta options & amazing garlic bread that accompanies your meal. We enjoyed the food, and it’s located in the museum, so you can check out some of the wooden molds used in the creation of Las Pozas for free!
2) Restaurante Ambar, on Hidalgo: cute spot with a nice covered terrazza that also offers lovely mountain views. Good spot for a snack, as they offer things like meat and cheese platters. We’d been given a recommendation for their pizzas, which were good enough but improved when washed down by bargain-priced red wine.
Having a snack on the terrace at Restaurante Ambar
3) Casa Vieja cafe, corner of Hidalgo & Ocampo: we only had drinks here, but the atmosphere is great & offers good people-watching since it’s right off the main square. Food menu looked promising though, AND the bar had stools made of horse saddles, so it is a must-visit.
Cute decor inside the Casa Vieja Cafe
4) Los Peristilos de James, restaurant at Las Pozas: we assumed that the restaurant located AT the tourist site would be crap. However, the food was actually surprisingly good & I regretted not being more adventurous in my ordering. They had a number of fancy-sounding entrees, but I went with a hamburger. The burger was actually homemade and tasted fantastic, as did the two different kinds of tacos that John & Emily ordered. This place is also a brilliant stop for a michelada after trotting around the grounds for 3 hours. Sidenote: The sign near the restaurant also says “Scottish Pub”, which I was all excited about. We were unable to determine the location of said Scottish Pub, so don’t get your hopes up. Mexican beers only, people!!
A view of the Las Pozas restaurant from overhead!
Caveats regarding your potential trip to Las Pozas:
Let's just say, this might not be a good drive to make if you are hungover. (Luckily, we were not!)
Emily & I return from our visit to the "facilities" in Hidalgo State, which left something to be desired.
Despite those caveats, I am really glad we made the trip to Las Pozas and would certainly recommend it (and possibly even do it again, given a longer timeframe to be able explore more en route & around the Huasteca region of San Luis Potosi). More details to come on the scenic drive there and back! Has anyone else out there made it to Xilitla?? Anything we missed??
I want to take advantage of the ol’ blog today to send out a request on behalf of the US Embassy in Mexico City.
The U
S Embassy is celebrating Earth Day by holding a green bazaar on April 22 in the Embassy compound. They are looking for vendors (food, jewelry, clothing, anything!) who are green or trying very hard to go green. If you’re interested in setting up a table at the bazaar and having your goods perused by several hundred American and Mexicans, please contact mexicocityCAC@state.gov with a short description of why you’re a green vendor (organic materials, no packaging, low carbon impact, etc.) and what you would be selling.
The Embassy is located on Reforma near the Angel monument in Mexico City.
If you have any favorite earth-friendly vendors in Mexico City or nearby who might be interested in joining in this event, please pass this request along to them! Please find my 3rd-grade Spanish translation below.
*************************
La Embajada de los Estados Unidos en la Ciudad de México esta celebrando El Día de la Tierra, 22 de abril, con una “bazaar verde” ubicado en el complejo de la Embajada. Está buscando vendedores (de comida, joyas, ropa, lo que quieras!) quienes son “verdes” o estan tratando de ser verde. Si tiene interés en tener un stand y tener una audiencia de cientos de estadounidense y mexicanos, por favor mande un correo electronico a mexicocityCAC@state.gov con una descripcion de la razon por la que es un vendedor verde/ecológico (materiales organicos, no embalaje, impacto de carbono bajo, etc.) y una descripcion de lo que vende. Gracias de antemano por su interés!
Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer any referrals for this event!
Note: image courtesy loftlifemag.com
As seen in the courtyard of the Museo del Queso y Vino (Museum of Cheese and Wine) in Tequisquiapan:
A "Barometer of Bad Weather", whose key functional unit is the cow tail.
I have got to find myself one of these. In case it’s not very clear from the pic, the “measurement” part of this barometer is the cow’s tail, which is a piece of rope. The translation:
This reminds me of home, because this is exactly the kind of thing a Nebraskan farmer’s wife would display outside her house. LOVE IT.
As I have mentioned before, John & I are lucky to have the “inside track” on all-things-lucha here in Mexico due to a) a friend who has been training to be a luchador + b) another friend who is a lucha superfan. So while some of you may be familiar with lucha libre souvenirs for commoners, let me share with you a few of the lesser-known gems… We’ll start with items for “ambitious commoners” and work our way up to “wow, that’s hard core”.
KEYCHAINS:
Lucha mask keychains are a good low-key way to show you are a fan. (no pun intended) I purchased one of these for my mom, to help her seem "hip" when substitute teaching for junior/senior high classes in our hometown of Grand Island, Nebraska.
T-SHIRTS:
I've highlighted this "Lucha vs. Ninjas" t-shirt before; it was actually a gift to me from friend Kim, who purchased it off of best t-shirt website ever, Threadless. Distinctive in Mexico, since you'll have a lucha-oriented shirt that NO ONE else has (once I leave).
Hipster lucha T-shirts purchased in DF outside Arena Mexico. John is sporting one featuring Mil Masacaras (1,000 masks), a luchador with allegedly 1,000 different masks.
THUMB MASKS:
Thumb wrestling lucha masks: these take your thumb wars to a whole new level, and keep things sanitary as you go. (secret confession: purchased in Nebraska)
ANYTHING BLUE DEMON:
Blue Demon is one of the most familiar faces in lucha libre, so it should be no surprise to see how much schlock is available with his mask slapped on it. These souvenirs say "I follow the crowd" or "I like blue & silver".
HATS:
This hat reminds me of those kinds of butterflies/moths who have big eye-looking spots on the backs of their wings to scare off predators. If you are lucky, this hat will acheive the same effect when worn backwards.
Ok, now we’re getting into the more serious fan zone. Prepare yourself.
DRAWING FROM A LUCHA MATCH:
Tony is the artist who "live draws" (kind of like live-blogging, yes?) these pieces during the lucha matches at Arena Mexico. Purchasing one of these definitely shows commitment.
CHESS SET:
Superfan Alan purchased this lucha libre chess set, one piece of which is shown here. Photo courtesy artist's website.
For more detail on the lucha chess set, visit VIVE LUCHA LIBRE’s website here. Also, check out all his other products (i.e. silver luchador jewelry, etc.) here.
BECOME HARDCORE FAN BY CREATING YOUR VERY OWN LUCHADOR:
Step 1: design your own mask. Think of cool name that isn't already taken. El Matador it is!!
Step 2: Design entire costume. Have manufactured by the talented folks at www.mtzwear.com, whose store is located just across from Arena Mexico on Avenida Dr. Rio de la Loza #229.
You can purchase existing luchador costumes at MTZWear as well, custom fitted just for you!
Step 3: Commission the design of El Matador, action figure. Arms & legs move realistically!
Step 4: Purchase display mount for mask when not in use. Commission design of pliable action figure!
Step 5: Commission painting incorporating El Matador into a spoof on hilarious old Lucifer Tequila ad campaign. (You start off as a tough guy, but by the end of the nite...) Note quote at bottom "With Lucifer appears your other self. Drink to resist reality". Love it.
Step 6: Purchase "portrait" of El Matador & display on wall with him being admired by Blue Demon & Santo portraits.
Step 7: Purchase portraits of all the cool luchadores (or at least, all the cool ones who wear masks). Purchase so many that the artist can't even keep up with frames for you! These will look pretty sweet all on a big wall.
Here's a close-up of some of the yet-to-be-framed dudes. Love the glittery paint!
So readers, what am I missing?? You folks got any lucha gear that can top what I’ve seen so far?
I constantly rave about Queretaro State’s Secretaria de Turismo (tourism board). They really have their stuff together, with amazing maps, good websites, great brochures, all of which serve to seduce people to a Mexican state that (to be honest) I initially thought didn’t really have that much going for it. (I have since reconsidered this stance– marketing helps me decide.)
Just a smattering of Queretaro's trendy tourism brochures taken off their Flicker site! (look at you, Queretaro, hip to the photo sharing services; bien hecho)
To be fair, I think they might still be over-hyping a few things. For example, check out page 7 of this brochure (courtesy Burro Hall), which outlines a 5 day, action-packed itinerary around Queretaro… except most of the days’ schedules seem to end after lunch. But their main travel website http://queretaro.travel/english (available also in Spanish & French!) is solid, highlighting Queretaro’s wineries and cheeseries (a.k.a. “dairies” to you lesser fans of cheese) and the illustrious Ruta de Vino y Queso near Tequisquiapan. They’re also quite proud of their Franciscan Missions located in the middle of nowhere in the beautiful Sierra Gorda.
The well-executed map of Queretaro's Wine & Cheese Route (note to self: stick with the sparkling wines & cheese...other wines=a bit iffy)
Anyway, my point being: Queretaro’s tourism board is on it, promoting Queretaran tourism in a classy, effective manner.
Now, contrast this with Hidalgo. We drove through a large portion of Hidalgo on our way back from Las Pozas, and stopped randomly in Ixmiquilpan because we were starving. (This town is also known as Iximikkimikkipan…because that’s easier to remember.) We were excited when we spotted the tourism office, and quickly crossed the main plaza to see what wondrous information lay in store for us.
What we discovered was that Hidalgo is going for more of a “Sex Sells” tourism campaign. They had several small brochures, at least half of which were adorned with this chicky:
Come to Hidalgo and find me prancing through the woods!
Or frolicking among waterfalls!
Or using my chameleon skin to blend in with mosaic floors!
Hidalgo has a website too, but it seems a bit more heavy on downloadable photos than insightful tourism suggestions. Also, their tourism slogan “Hidalgo en la piel” seems to best translate as “Hidalgo on the skin”. And while I can understand some kind of figurative translation about feeling Hidalgo on your skin, I don’t know if that’s really what I want in a Mexican state. That said, it’s not all bad– the one thing that might get me back to Hidalgo is this huge map of all the spas across the state:
Holy crap! That's a lot of spas!!
Outside of that, though, Hidalgo may want to take some tips from their Queretaran neighbors on how to truly sex up an oft-forgotten state. Because I just don’t know if this woman’s blue air-brushed breast is going to do it for me:
Just because hot girls in body paint like Hidalgo, doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to.
Sometimes one comes across something in Spanish that makes me feel better about my language abilities, because it reminds me that on occasion, Mexicans have trouble with Spanish too. And maybe also trouble with colors.
Reference the below photo snapped by one of my eagle-eyed MBA classmates this weekend, as seen on the table of food we have catered during our 9AM-8PM classes on Saturday:
Mmmm.... capsu....
The Spanish translation for ketchup (when it’s not simply ketchup) is either salsa de tomate or catsup. For some reason, the word catsup is inherently funny to me. But not as funny as when it is spelled “capsu“. OR better yet, when it’s spelled capsu and it’s served in a yellow mustard bottle. Hmm…
I hope the catering guy isn’t a graduate of our MBA program…
If these images don’t at least pique your interest regarding a trip to Las Pozas in middle-of-nowhere, Mexico (a.k.a. Xilitla in southern San Luis Potosi state), then I don’t know what will. More details to follow of our amazing weekend trip, a mere 7 hours north of Mexico City!!
Emily & I cautiously made our way up the crazy stairs...
Here I am, dominating one of the many crazy structures at Las Pozas
