10,000

Well, I would never have guessed it when I started, but mikesnotes just had it’s 10,000th pageview.  It’s not quite 1,000 tacos, but, still… it’s pretty cool.

México, D.F.

In Pictures: Coyoacan

During the city-wide shut down for piggy flu, I had taken a few long walks, including this one to Coyoacan.  These pictures were taken along Calle Sosa, on the way from Plaza San Jacinto to the center of Coyoacan.

The streets of Mexico City were quiet... a unique experience.

A church marks the boundary of Coyoacan.

A street-side altar…

a basin in a garden…

a quiet, leaf-strewn plaza…

and one road…

that leads to another.

México, D.F.

Desert Life

Outside Oaxaca, the desert has more than just cacti….

Precipitated mineral salts cascade over a cliff face.

Most of these pictures are from Hierve el Agua, a bubbling (but cold) mineral spring in the hills outside of the city.

Early flowers await the end of the dry season.

The few trees that grow…

support legions of leaf-cutting ants.

Precipitated mineral salts cascade over a cliff face.

I wouldn’t get too close to this guy…

them, too, but for a different reason.

México, D.F.

Another Random Picture

From the gardens at the Castillo de Bosque Chapultepec….

Can anyone identify this species of butterfly?

México, D.F.

Spaghetti Taco?

On a corner near my house, a couple sells tacos de guisado out of the back of a pickup truck.  Normally, each guisado is prepared in a tortilla with a small portion of rice.  Yesterday, however, they added spaghetti alfredo (?!?) to my chile relleno before smothering both in a light tomato sauce.  Oh my!  If I only had a camera with me….

México, D.F.

Driving the High Mexican Desert

The trip down to Oaxaca brought us through the high southern Mexican desert, a land of arid, thin soils and spectacular color contrasts.  Despite the desolation, one is never alone when there are so many cacti….

The tall cacti keep silent in the late afternoon sun.

These pictures are all taken from the toll road, highway 150, which leads from Tehuacán to Oaxaca… definitely worth a peek if you’re into desert pictures.

The road descends through the hills

…and vistas of cacti-laden valleys

…and the vast expanse.

The cacti stand in the afternoon sun.

Modern engineering crosses

…God’s Country?

México, D.F.

Taco 1000

Saturday marked the end of the great taco challenge.  Pictured below is #1000, a “Gaona con queso” from El Califa.  This spectacular steak and cheese bomb, later smothered in salsa, lime, and slices of avocado, is easily one of the best tacos to be had in the D.F. and Mexico.

Taco #1000. Although it came with a knife and fork, I assure you such implements were not necessary.

It’s always nice to accomplish something, though counting one’s way to a 1000 tacos is more of an accomplishment-in-jest (or a disgusting exercise in consumption).  Sometimes, fake goals, set in the irony of a faux-celebration, can take on a life of themselves and, often, spoil the enjoyment of an experience.  Not having to count is something to look forward to… but, in this case, the most disgusting part may be that I haven’t lost my appetite for tacos… in fact….

…nah, this morning will be oatmeal and a run.

 

México, D.F.

In Pictures: Oaxaca

A month ago, mikesnotes took a trip to Oaxaca.  Closing in on a final month in Mexico, I wanted to post a few pictures from the archives….

A view over the roofs of Oaxaca

The view from Monte Alban

Streets in the town center…

A rising moon

View over the roofs of Oaxaca

The (spectacular) cathedral dome

Parades on Ash Wednesday

 

México, D.F.

Taco Count Update: 995

Playing tour guide yesterday brought the opportunity to hop around the various taco haunts in my neighborhood.

• 3 tacos de guisado from the Chilpancingo food stalls.  The quality here can vary a bit and, on this day, none of these blew me away… though the chicken taco with french fries and grilled onions had its moment.
• 4 tacos at El Mirador, a cantina by Bosque Chapultepec… Argentine sausage, guacamole, and refried black beans on handmade tortillas.  Oh yeah!
• Lastly, 3 late-night gringas (similar to al pastor tacos with cheese) from El Tizoncito, a popular spot for high-end taco consumption in La Condesa.

The count so far: 995.

 

México, D.F.

(Yet Another) Creepy Clown

I’m not sure why, but clowns are really popular in Mexico.  (And on this blog, too, given how many people seem to search for pictures of clowns on the internet.)  On a Sunday afternoon in Xalapa, Veracruz, this one had attracted quite an audience.  

What would Octavio Paz have to say about Mexico's love of clowns?

 

México, D.F.