Puebla is very close to Mexico City, and the largest place we had been to in ages. It is also renowned for its superb food. As it is quite large, it did not seem as intimate as the places we had been to in recent months, but again, if you take the time to walk, probe and explore, the little treasures that can be found are astonishing. Puebla has many colonial pockets, which can again be seen in its various buildings and edifices, many of which are adorned with the ¨azulejos¨(painted ceramic tiles), for which the city is justly famous. We only spent a couple of days here, but as usual, we wandered around, visited markets, and chatted to the locals.

Taxco, or Silver City, was next. I had forgotten how beautiful this little silver mining town really was! Clinging to a steep hillside, its extremely narrow cobblestoned streets twist and turn when you least expect them to, revealing awe-inspiring views at almost every turn. Rather than ¨Oh no, not another colonial city¨, Taxco was literally, a breath of fresh air! Unlike many other colonial Mexican towns, it has not become swallowed up and surrounded by industrial estates. What this means is a view that is truly postcard-esque!

Taxco is reknowned for its silver mines and subsequently its many shops selling quality silver jewellery, both wholesale and retail. It was very easy to wander the winding roads and alleys and pop into several of the plethora of silver shops in town. Subsequently easy, was buying a few
choice pieces. I did not have the advantage of buying wholesale this time, and although considerably more expensive than Asian silver, the quality is far superior. Did I become really excited over all the silver jewellery after 5 years of having had a business selling it? No, not really! Alex and I had some real reflection time here! We had a great 5 years in the jewellery business, but neither of us would consider doing something similar again! That was then, this is now!

Perched up on a hill, on one of the highest points in Taxco, is a Rio de Janeiro-like statue of Christ. The walk up took about an hour, and although steep in places, it was well worth it. What can I say about the views? Just when you think it can´t get any better, it does!

Last, but certainly not least, Mexico City…….that huge sprawling metropolis which is home to some 18 million Mexicans! Consider that it is almost the entire Australian (20 million) poulation! As we entered the outskirts, and the traffic picked up, as well as an the insane amount of cars, we tried to conceptualise its enormity.

Once we arrived at the southern bus terminal, we made our way to my friend Claudia´s house, in San Angel, a picturesque and safe part of town. I met Claudia on my last trip to Mexico in 1999, and we have stayed in touch ever since. That first night the three of us stayed up into the early hours of the morning, chatting about a multitude of things. It´s always lovely to be able to intoduce Alex to the friends I have met whilst travelling.

The next day, along with Claudia, we went into the city centre and did some of the touristy things, like visiting the huge Zocalo (or central square), and various markets, including the quirky Mercado de Sonora, which supposedly has all the ingredients for Mexican spells and healing. All things esoteric are up for grabs here, from potions on how to find your true love to a ¨limpia¨, or spiritual cleansing. Some things were a bit OTT (over the top), but it´s all part of the experience!

We walked a lot that day, and saw a lot of the city. We watched the world go by as people wheeled and dealed anything from fake copies of movies and CDs to 1 dollar sunglasses (and thus I was able to pick myself up another pair, let´s see how long these ones last!). It was a hubbub of activity!The next day we visited Teotihuacan, 50 kilometres from Mexico City. It was once Mexico´s biggest and most ancient city, the culture even preceding the Aztecs. Its enormity was overwhelming, as unlike Palenque, it has no jungle to hide amidst or behind. It was us, the monuments, and the sun! The impressive pyramids of the Sun and Moon are what the site is mostly famous for, as they loom high and large, and appear to dwarf the rest of the city!

Xochimilco is another interesting place in Mexico City. On the outskirts, in the south, it lies on a series of canals and waterways, where you can take a gondola-type boat, and cruise these canals. It was raining when we went, so we did not indulge, but apparently such a trip, includes people in boats selling anything from food to flowers, as well as musicians strumming their tunes. I would immagine that it would be something akin to the floating markets of Bangkok.

The day before we flew out to Egypt, we decided to visit the, also justly famous, National Museum of Anthropology. As far as I am concerned, it is amongst the top 5 museums I have visited in the world! It sits at the top, in my eyes, due to the presentation, and quality of information and artifacts. We spent 4 and a half hours there and were still unable to see it all! The museum is vast, and to do it justice, it truly needs a repeat visit. Easier said than done! Alex and I were astounded by the number of different peoples and cutures of Mexico, and it appeared as if each region was a different country! Oh, to be able to see it all! Hopefully, we will
be back. We left, physically and mentally exhausted! That night, we also spent relaxing and chatting to Claudia. We tried to watch a movie, but too exhausted, we fell asleep!

Finally, it was our last day in Mexico, and thus in the Americas! We took it easy, got ourselves organised, packed our bags, had a great last couple of Mexican meals (thanks to our personal chef, Claudia), and then the three of us made our way to the airport, via public transport, of course. Again, we were forced to say goodbye, and both Claudia and I had tears in our eyes….Claudia we await you in Australia!

Wow, we had seen and done so much! Everything from climbing mountains so high that our limbs ached with pain, to seeing children desperately search for food in a tip! But it was all worth it! We lived, we laughed, we cried and we learned!

Time to move on! Another day, another country! Egypt, here we come!

“To aquire knowledge one must study. To aquire wisdom one must observe.” – Jordan Dykes.

Dedication: This one is for you Alex! You are my passion and my joy! You are my truly amazing, compassionate, intelligent, sensitive and extraordinary partner, husband and soul mate. Travelling with you has been the experience of a lifetime, and despite all of my travels, this has been my favourite trip to date! Thank you for your love and acceptance, not only of me, but of the world! I hold you close to my heart and my soul, and that is where I keep and will continue to keep your energy and spirit for every existing second in this lifetime, as well as future ones! I am so incredibly proud of you, and I admire and adore you! You will never walk alone!

(Photos: 1.- Cowboy kid (future Pancho Villa), Puebla. 2.- on the streets of Taxco . 3.- Taxco- beautiful terracotta rooftops and colonial buildings. 4.- The Zocalo, or central square, was alway known as, and continues to be a central meeting point, centre of Mexico DF. 5.- Ombi and Claudia -Dreaming about how life was in Teotihuacan, near Mexico City. 6.- Colourful boats on the canal, Xochimilco. 7.- The infamous and original Aztec Sun Stone, found at Teotihuacan. Anthropology Museum, Mexico DF. 8. Ombi & Claudia, eating some of Claudia’s home- made enchiladas, with some extra hot and spicy sauce. )

Last but not least, these are our final blogs on the Americas, (as we publish this blog, we have already spent over 3 weeks in, and are about to leave Egypt. Although hard to believe, we have already surpassed the nine month mark! This time has been spent in North America, including Canada and Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean). Whilst we have enjoyed ourselves immensely as well as seen and learnt a lot, we also feel ready for a change of pace and culture.

So, here are our Mexican tales:

Our last three weeks here have been exciting and varied, which includes the food! We both agree that Mexico has, without a doubt, the best food in all the Americas! That´s a huge statement to make, but with the variety of ingredients, sauces and variations as well as takes on many recipies, it´s not a hard claim to make or justify! Mexico´s cultural blend, which includes the Maya and the Aztecs, has added not only to their culture but to their cuisine. Once we landed back in Cancun, we underwent a reverse culture shock, as we were thrust back into ¨comercial-landia¨. Everything Cuba had lacked,
Cancun made up for 100 fold, and Alex and I found ourselves in a deep discussion about what is worse, too much or too little! We both have our views, but let’s leave them for when we come home and can catch up face to face.

We spent only a couple more days in Cancun, the intention being to re-stock on
all the bits and pieces that we had either given away or used up in Cuba,
and catching up on our e-mails and blogs. Once those tasks were
accomplished, we checked out of ¨Resort Capital¨ (we saw nothing of this
side, as we had absolutely no interest!), and caught an overnight bus to the famous Palenque ruins. This ancient Mayan site, similar to Tikal in Guatemala, is also situated in the
jungle. Also similarly, it is hot and humid. It is exactly the dense
jungle covering the hills surrounding Palenque which adds to its mysticysm
and splendour.

Our Lonely Planet Guide to Mexico says, ¨As you explore the ruins, try to
picture the gray stone edifices as they would have been at the peak of
Palenque´s power: painted blood-red with elaborate blue and yellow stucco
details.¨ As I walked around and tried to behold this vision, and the howler
monkeys screamed incessantly from the jungle canopy…… I think I saw it! I
truly think I saw that mysterious and ancient Mayan city!

Palenque was a bit of a hit and run, with its main attraction being the ruins. Having said that, a walk around town and the markets always gives a
fabulous insight into the culture. It´s always a brilliant way to find authentic food as well as meet the locals!

San Cristobal is a colonial highland town, with warm days and cool nights. Its cobblestoned streets are a pleasure to explore, and although windy, not quite in the ¨smoothie¨ type of way! We ended up staying at a hotel called Posada Mexico, which was managed by a terrific bi-lingual guy called Omar (posadamexico@hotmail.com). It was right in the heart of town, and had great
ammenities including free breakfast and internet, as well as the use of a kitchen. Veggie, here I come!

The best part of this hostel, however, was the people we met: There were Sam, Ollie, Jack and Zoe from the UK, Nick Gone Walkabout (check out his site, (www.nickgonewalkabout.co.uk) also from the UK, Koen and Willemyn from Holland, Riccardo from Italy, and Pascal from Switzerland. We had some great times talking about everything from politics to religion to throwing cigarette butts on the ground (a reknowned pet peev of mine!) There was lots of debating and discussing, and although the consensus was not always mutual, the vein of thinking made me realise that I was not alone in the world! Thanks guys, it´s always a bonus for Alex and I when we realise thatwe are not the only aliens on this Earth!

The town is indeed surprisingly attractive, especially the various facades of different churches and buildings. It´s a terrific place to just cruise, wander and take it all in. There are many men and women wearing traditional dress and selling their wares. We also visited the Museum of Mayan Medicine, which was very interesting and informative. The alternatives to modern medicine are many, and these people have been safely and effectively practising this way of
healing for centuries. (www.medicinamaya.org)

An insightful day trip from San Cristobal was to San Juan Chamula, 10 kilometres away. It has a very stong, traditional and tightknit Mayan community who are from the Tzotzil group. Both the women and men dress as they did centuries ago. It was especially intriguing to see the men in
their traditional dress. As we went on a Sunday, we were able to see both the weekly market, which is held on this day, as well as the Sunday celebrations outside the central Catholic cathedral. Like many other indigenous groups, their religion is a fusion of Catholicism and their own traditional religion, making way for some very unique religious practices. Sitting back and watching the men partake in a ritual in the central plaza was a real eye-opener.

From Oaxaca, we also did a day trip to the Sumidero Canyon, with Otisa Travel (www.otisatravel.com). The Grijalva river runs through the canyon creating a 25 kilometre reservoir. The trip culminates when you reach the hydroelectric dam, and then of course you must turn around and return to the point of origin. It is a truly spectacular fissure in the earth, and the views afforded from the boat which we took to view it were impressive! The towering rock walls, interesting rock formations, wildlife and crocodiles kept us more then entertained for a couple of hours. Before heading back to Oaxaca, we spent an hour or so in a little town called Chiapa de Corzo. Whilst the others in our group went and got some lunch, we rushed off to to the ruins of an old church on top of a hill, which provided us with some more dramatic views.

Next, and another overnight bus trip away, was the town of Oaxaca, also in Oaxaca state. Unlike Central America, we would undertake many overnight trips in Mexico. The country is huge and the distances great, just take a look at the map! Oaxaca is yet another colonial and cobblestoned town, but with an energy quite different from San Cristobal´s.

We were exhausted upon arrival, and were dreading the search for a place to stay. I was in no mood to walk around with a heavy backpack, but a girl´s gotta do what a girl´s gotta do! The search came to a fruitful end, and we ended up staying right in the city centre at a place called El Atrio (www.mexonline.com/elatrio.htm). Run and owned by a delightful Mexican/French couple, Luz Maria and Jean-Marc, it was clean, safe and comfortable. We had some very absorbing and thought-provoking conversations with Jean–Marc about the protests that occurred here just on a year ago (Oaxaca protests). Again, they were socially motivated. I think that it is simply human nature to want and aspire for some poitive type of quality of life!

The food in Oaxaca was amazing! I may have already mentioned that Mexican cuisine is exquisite! Mole (pronounced mo-lay) is a sauce that is included in many dishes, and sometimes contains chocolate. ¨Gorditas¨(or fat ones) are thick tortillas filled with various ingredients, including broad beans, cheese, mushrooms and meat, and topped with, amongst other things, nopales (sliced cactus paddle!) They are then dressed in one of a variety of piquant sauces. Lush! They certainly had me licking my chops! The “real” Mexican food makes our western version (which the Mexicans call tex-mex) appear very lame! Nachos, burritos and cheap & nasty cheese, please move over!

Visiting the ancient Zapotec capital of Monte Alban was definitely another highlight. Only kilometres away from Oaxaca, it sits on a flattened hilltop a little under half a kilometre above the valley floor. As far as I am concerned, it is one of the most impressive ancient sites in all of Central America and Mexico, and its 360 degree views, without a doubt, adds to its grandeur. Alex and I spent hours here, looking around, feeling the energy, and wondering what life must have been like for these ancient peoples!

That night, Alex and I sat down to discuss what and where we would go to next. As our around-the-world ticket expires on the 18th of August, we decided that we would have to pick up the pace in Mexico, or we would get to Europe with very little time left on our ticket. If Mexico is big, the world is even bigger!

¨ The only way to make sure people you agree with can speak, is to support the rights of people you don’t agree with.¨
– Eleanor Holmes Norton ………..(How is that for food for thought!)

Ombi

Next: Puebla, Taxco and DF (Mexico City).

(Photos: 1.- Lunch – Preparing traditional Mexican tacos, Ombi style, in San Juan Chamula.
2.- The ancient Mayan site of Palenque, Chiapas state. 3.- Mayan paintings. 4.- San Cristobal de las Casas at sunset, central plaza church. 5.- With our new friends from Hostal Mexico in San Cristobal. From left to right: Alex, Pascal, Jack, Zoe, Nick, Ombi. In front, Ollie and Sam. 6.-Men wearing traditional dress, San Juan Chamula. This is a Mayan community from the Tzotzil group, Chiapas. 7.- Sumidero Canyon. 8.- Early delivery of Corona beer, Oaxaca. 8.- On top of the Mayan world, Oaxaca. Monte Alban was the capital of the ancient Zapotec kingdom.)