Bridging the Gap

 

Come along and ride on a fantastic...

Come along and ride on a fantastic…

“Is this your first time down here?”

“Yes.”

“What do you think?”

“This is a really nice city.”

Sitting in the back of a transport van, this was the exchange I had with a traveler who was fairly well seasoned in visiting Mexico City.  He didn’t know me from Eve, but I sensed his mind making certain presumptions as we jolted through the various delegaciones of the city and I silently stared out the window. My guess is that he imagined I was a wide-eyed ‘Merican who had never seen the likes of corrugated shacks vending amazing street food of questionable sanitation.

Amazing food.

Amazing street food.

 

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Questionable sanitation.

I could be wrong about his estimation of me. But then again, maybe not.

I’m not so big on talking about things. I’d rather sit back and have a good look around before I open my mouth and say stupid stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I still contribute my fair share of idiotic statements, but my style is usually to fill a room with silence until I decide that I’m ready to speak. It’s always been this way, and people have told me that at first blush I come across as “La Petite Blanche”– someone who is probably stuck up and unlikely to have ever done anything outside of her comfort zone.

I’d like to think that’s not the case. I’d like to think that I’m not a total asshole.

But I’m rambling here, and my objective is really to post some photos of what I got to see in five days of Mexico City dalliance.  In no way do I feel qualified to tell you anything of substance about the city– but I do want to talk about how I misjudged this place before I even got to know it.

Although I have lived in Africa and blah blah blah, I’m a bit ashamed to admit that I had preconceived notions about what Mexico City might be like.  Everything I Know About Mexico comes from living in San Diego and reading about border crossings, corruption, and drug cartel activity. Paints a real nice picture in the mind’s eye, doesn’t it?

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Green! Why am I so shocked that there is so much green?

Shame on me. I should have known better than to use headlines as a measuring stick when I only glanced notions of the Distrito Federal from afar. It wasn’t until I was actually dumped in the city center that I found the place to be much greener, more culturally engaging, and even more (gasp) developed than I might have expected. All things told about my own life and experiences abroad, I really should have known better.

So, without further ado, here’s a quick photo essay about a place that I would love to get to know better. Feel free to castigate me for my intransigent, American, preconceived notions. I still have a long way to go:

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Diana, the North Star Shooter. Inaugurated in 1942, she was a little too racy for the times, and for a short period they had the sculptor tack some bronze underwear over her lady parts. True story.

Diana is kind of everywhere now. And naked. Out goes modesty!

Diana is kind of everywhere now. And naked. Out goes modesty!

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The city’s got its own popular version of Vélib’/Capital Bike Share. And if you heard that the city is super polluted, well after putting a few morning runs under my belt, I can say that I’m still breathing just fine.

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A sanctuary in the middle of a buzzing capital, Bosque de Chapultepec. I told you that this was a nice city!

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Green is my favorite color. Maybe that’s why I loved the park so much.

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You continually stumble upon sculptures and functional art work. I think I loved this aspect the most. This place breathes creativity.

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Okay I know that I’m now veering into “Mom and Dad’s family vacation slide show”- but don’t worry! The two best photos are coming right up!

 

Wait for it…

 

See! This is genius! What better way to solve a city pest control problem?

See! This is genius! What better way to solve a city pest problem?

No mom and dad, they are not real.

They not only have great coffee in Mexico, but their coffee shops sell super cool books. Really, what better souvenir could one pick up?

They not only have great coffee in Mexico, but their coffee shops sell super cool books. Really, what better to accompany my chico café frio than a book on He-Man?

Okay, so that’s it from Mexico City.  I was grateful for the opportunity to get out of my own District and experience something new. Not only did I learn a few new things about a new place, but I also learned a bit more about myself. No matter how old I get, I think I’ll always need to be better about scrubbing the preconceived notions from my eyes before deciding how I feel about something.

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