La Ciudad de Mexico

Today Mexico City resembles London; it is cool and raining. It is raining a lot. I mean, this isn´t Durango weather. We´re ready to go back to the desert.

This morning´s conference was good as far as catching up on sleep goes. Some embassy folk took us to the embassy library so that we could listen to a talk about libraries. I was on the edge of my seat (´cause I kept slipping off). Diplomats...

After the conference the fun hit the fan. Our group, families included, boarded a van and drove to Xochimilco. Xochimilco is the Venice of Mexico. Our whole gang jumped on a colorful gondola and we cruised thrue the ancient canals. Floating Mariachi bands and vendors sailed by us pitching their services or wares. It was a riot. Talea drank apple soda and waved at passing gondolas like royalty. See http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/412 for more information about Xochimilco.

We left late afternoon and headed for La Hacienda, an elegant restaurant housed in an old - you guessed it -hacienda. We ate great Mexican food and played in the patio. Swans, geese, and peacocks ran the grounds.

Tonight we´re crashing at the hotel. Tomorrow we are going to hang out with our friends Elsa and Yanni. They lived in Grand Rapids for awhile and have now returned to their home in Mexico City. We´ll see the pyramids, maybe a few other sites, and then head to the bus depot for the overnight drive back to Durango.

Talea is very pleased tonight because she is having a sleep-over with a friend she met here. The little girl is a daughter of a fellow teacher here and she is six years old, too. She will be spending the night with us in the hotel. We have a happy couple of girls with us.

The rain stopped. I´m going around the block to the Oxxo for a paper and pork rinds. The girls aren´t asleep, yet.

Saludos desde Mexico City,

Peps