Aluminum Rocks!

My parents have a friend who's a big time theater, dance and music producer and for her birthday she had a private showing of the Aluminum Show, an amazing dance, performance and visual arts company from Israel that uses, yes you guessed it, aluminum in practically every form. It was amazing plus going to a free private show definitely feels VIP!!!! If you're in Mexico, don't miss the show, at the Teatro de la Ciudad, next week-end. If you're not in Mexico, check out their bbc video at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7546874.stm.

Week-end in Patzcuaro and Morelia

(To view our trip's album click on either of the pictures above.)

We finally went on our first little Mexican trip! We spent the week-end in the state of Michoacan. First we went to Patzcuaro, a beautiful 474 year old town on the shore of Lake Patzcuaro. Walking down the cobblestone streets and admiring the ancient buildings and churches was nice and relaxing. I was afraid of tourist crowds since I'd heard nightmare anecdotes, but it seems those only happen during Day of the Dead, we had a peaceful time!

On Lake Patzcuaro the main island is Janitzio, known for its festival of the dead (in November) and its fishermen, who use butterfly shaped nets to fish for the traditional White Fish, which is very tasty. A half hour boat ride from Patzcuaro (with band included, see the pictures!) got us on the island and after a quick stop for food staring (we weren't hungry so we stared at the food and had a soda!) we walked up the steep narrow streets to the top of the island, where the 150ft statue of Morelos stands proud. I'm sure Tony will blog about the climb up the statue to Morelos's arm, so I'll just say the view from the top was incredible.

Back on firm land we took the road again, heading for Morelia. On the way we stopped in Tupataro, a tiny town I had read about in the Mexico Desconocido magazine. The Church of Santiago Apostol, though very rustic and simple on the outside, has an incredible interior. It was built in the 18th century and it is unique in that prehispanic techniques were used in its decoration. The church's elaborate gilded retablo (the altarpiece behind the main altar) includes sculpted avocados and corn husks, which are rarely seen in colonial churches. Also, the vividly painted wooden ceiling was done using vegetable and insect pigments, similarly to the ones used in prehispanic temples.

From Tupataro we continued on to Morelia, the capital of the state of Michoacan. The city is situated at an elevation of 1,921 meters above sea level (Tony really wanted to know this). Although the city is quite large (over 600,000 people), the downtown area feels really quaint. The historic area houses more than 1000 colonial buildings and churches and is a Unesco World Heritage Site. We spent Saturday night and Sunday morning walking around admiring the buildings and had a memorable dinner at the Mirasoles restaurant.

On a low note though, a few days before we went on the trip there was a terrorist attack in Morelia. Seven people were killed and more than a hundred injured in the center of the city when two grenades went off during the independence celebrations. (You can read an article about it here.) We walked by several groups of people praying on different street corners and lighting candles, and there were police cars and helicopters all over. Aside from that though, the city was calm.

This was an intense, exciting week-end and I cannot wait to plan the next one...

TRIP IDEA: Copper Canyon

Copper Canyon Itinerary
6-8 days (Spring/Fall)

Four times bigger than the Colorado Canyon, this magnificent Mexican landscape serves as the backdrop of one of the most spectacular journeys in the world. With 408 miles of railroad tracks, 86 tunnels and 37 bridges, the Chihuahua-Pacífico train route is regarded as a must for train enthusiasts: it is one of the most important in the world and one of the masterpieces of Mexican Engineering.

Iti’s take on it: My parents did this trip before they had me and I’ve heard about their experience all my life! I’ve never been to any of the places on the itinerary and have only driven by the state of Chihuahua but never really been there. In Sinaloa I haven’t been that far north the coast.

Trip Highlights:

• Train travel
• Mountains and Canyons
• Hiking
• National Park
• Native culture and people (Tarahumaras)
• Hot Springs
• Beach

Itinerary:
-Day 1: Arrival into Chihuahua
City Visit
-Day 2: Train from Chihuahua to Creel
Visit of the town of Creel
-Day 3: Creel
Hiking excursion to the Recowata Hot Springs
-Day 4 (optional): Train from Creel to Barrancas
Barrancas
-Day 5: Train from Barrancas to Bauichivo
Hiking in Cerocahui and Uriqe
-Day 6: Train from Bauichivo to Los Mochis
-Day 7 (optional): Topolobambo
-Day 8: Return Home

Trip Details

• Chihuahua: Capital city in the State of Chihuahua, and the largest state in Mexico. Colonial city with a big industry and maquila development. Pancho Villa’s House and Museum, baroque style Cathedral, Religious Art Museum, Quinta Gameros Art Museum.
• Creel: Main town in the Sierra Tarahumara. Handcrafts Museum, Indian stores, Danish style church. Starting point for many excursions to beautiful landscapes like the Lake of Arareko, Mushroom and Monks Valley, San Ignacio Mission, Recowata hot springs, Cusarare waterfall and full day excursions to the Canyon of Batopilas and the nearly 1,000-feet Basaseachi waterfall (tallest waterfall in Mexico).
• Recowata Tour: 7 Hour Tour. On this tour, there is a strenuous two or three hour hike along with a short 15 kilometer van ride through woodlands and to the summit of the Tararecua Canyon. From atop this canyon you will be able to see south into the Copper Canyon. The trail down to the hot springs starts here, it is very steep and can be difficult for certain people. It is usually a 45 minute hike down to the springs to the bottom of the canyon but a guide will assist you. At the bottom, there are 5 man-made pools, and some are quite large. There is also a spout pouring from the mountain side which is a wonderful natural warm spa. Among the man-made pools are cooler natural pools and a natural rock slide. The canyon is a natural woodland filled with small wildlife, the perfect environment to be in while resting in the hot springs. You will spend a restful 2 to 2 1/2 hour stay in the canyon, during which lunch will be provided. The hike back up to the canyon top is about a 1 1/2 hour hike, but once at the top, your driver will be waiting to assist you and drive you back to Creel.
• Posada Barrancas: Station right at the rim of the Copper Canyon. Impressive views and starting point for many easy walking trails along the rim and look-out points like Piedra Volada, La Escalera, Tarahumara boarding-house, inhabited caves, etc.
• Bauchivo / Cerocahui: The Bauichivo station is 45 minutes from the small town of Cerocahui, a town with a Jesuit Mission, waterfalls and beautiful valleys. Departure point for the Urique Canyon (the deepest of the system) and the Cerro del Gallego viewing point.
• Los Mochis / Topolobambo: Excellent seafood. Visit the Topolobampo bay and make a boat ride through smaller bays, estuaries and mangroves. Many dolphin families can be seen during the ride.

TRIP IDEA: Toluca-Taxco-Acapulco-Tepoztlan

Here's the first in the series of itineraries I've been designing for people to join us on. You can also just pretend you're on it with us!!!!

Klein Special Itinerary
6 nights/ 7 days (December 2008)
Departing from Mexico City

This trip, covering parts of the states of Mexico, Guerrero and Morelos includes visits to Metepec and Taxco, famous for their crafts, Prehispanic ruins at Xochicalco, the beautiful Colonial architecture of Taxco and Tepoztlan, and a nice relaxing stay in the Acapulco Bay.
Iti’s take on it: This is the trip we’ve been talking about doing for years: perfect for the Klein 4 Group. Ideally we could spend a couple of days in Mexico City to show you guys some of what you haven’t seen yet, then hit the road. My parents would probably tag along too!

Itinerary:
-Day 1: Toluca, Stained Glass Greenhouse
Traditional Brunch, best chorizo in the world!
Metepec, traditional pottery crafts (Trees of Life)
(optional) Visit Cacahuamilpa Grottos, the sixteenth chapel of caves!
Taxco, dinner and hotel
-Day 2: Silver shopping in Taxco and visit of the Santa Prisca Cathedral
-Day 3: Visit of the Xochicalco site
Drive to Acapulco
-Day 4: Acapulco
Beach
Cliff Divers show at la Quebrada at night
-Day 5: Acapulco
Beach
Fresh Fish at Puerto Marquez
-Day 6: Acapulco
Day trip to Roqueta Island
-Day 7: Drive to Tepoztlan
Town Visit
Return to DF

Trip Details

• Toluca: capital of Mexico State, is a beautiful contemporary city and the main industrial center in the country. It is guarded by the Nevado de Toluca Volcano, which is over 14,800 feet high and is the highest city in Mexico. Completed in 1910 as part of Mexico's centennial celebrations, the former City of Toluca Market, now turned into the Cosmovitral-Botanical Garden boasts 5,000 square meters of space holding 400 plant species within its walls. And the walls themselves are spectacular, comprised in part of 3,000 square meters of stained glass. The stained glass includes 28 different colors of glass and is considered one of the largest artworks in the world.
• Metepec: For more than one hundred years, Metepec has been known for its ceramic art and artists. At the turn of the century the town was known for its black glazeware. Today its most distinctive product is the Arbol de la Vida, or Tree of Life, a clay sculpture covered with flowers and leaves and biblical figures. The inspiration for the trees has been attributed to Aztec customs and designs plus the teaching of Franciscan monks.
• Taxco: "The Silver City", renowned for its picturesque mountains, cobblestone streets, red tile roofs, and friendly ambience. Taxco earned its nickname for the silver mining and jewelry makers that have, for centuries, been an integral part of Taxco. Bargain shoppers will delight in the silver and other handicrafts that typify Mexico.
• Xochicalco: an exceptionally well-preserved example of a fortified political, religious and commercial centre from the troubled period of 650–900 that followed the break-up of the great Mesoamerican states such as Teotihuacan, Monte Albán, Palenque and Tikal.
• Acapulco: One of the most exciting cities in the world, Acapulco is famous for its explosive nightlife, postcard beaches, unlimited watersports, first-class hotels, gourmet restaurants and the breath-taking physical beauty of Acapulco Bay!
• Tepoztlan: a small town nestled between craggy cliffs located to the south of Mexico City in the State of Morelos. Tepoztlan is a peaceful village where pigs and burros still abound in the street and the sound of cocks’ crows pierces the early morning hours, and the local residents are fiercely proud and protective of their cultural heritage. It is a town of legends and deep cultural roots that has been appreciated by writers, poets, artis ts and musicians over many decades and centuries.

HERE WE ARE!

We have started our Mexican life. As soon as Tony got here, we took our friend Greg, who was in town for a conference, to the ruins of Tula, in the state of Hidalgo. It was nice to get out of the rainy city to the sunny state of Hidalgo. At the site we bought some fresh prickly pears from someone cleaning them on the spot. They were incredible! (You can click on the picture above to see the whole album.)

But all isn't fun and games in our life here. We're both got a nice welcome from the Aztec gods and got pretty sick last week, me with a stomach infection (yes, I know, I'm the Mexican, I should be ok!) and Tony with bronchitis. We're slowly recuping and can't wait to start traveling around some more...