Last Few Weeks in Mexico---Part 2 (finally)

Every time I sit down to blog or otherwise get on the computer I have a huge amount of guilt wash over me.  You may think that I deserve a break from the painting and unpacking but I've already taken that break with my nose in a book.  I ask myself when it's time to put my feet up "book or catch up on blog?" and book wins every time.  I just finished the second Stieg Larsson book "The Girl Who Played with Fire" (OMGness!) and haven't purchased the 3rd one yet and the 3rd in the "Hunger Games" series I won't get for another few days so I again have had some free time for the 'puter this week. 

This was our last week in Mexico City.  We stuffed quite a bit into it! 

We took the kids to the Mexico City Temple.  Amazing that such a peaceful location can be found in the middle of this city.

After the temple we went to our most favorite Argentinian restaurant one last time.  It's called Quebracho and I'd go back just to eat here...maybe in a few years. 

These potato puffs are just plain sinful.  Super thin, light and chewy.  Yes, that is a bowl made out of homemade potato chips.

Alameda Park, located next to the Palacio de Bellas Artes, to pick up last minute gifts and let the boys have their fill of BB gun target shooting. 

Some of Mexico City's finest, patrolling Alameda Park.

THE DAY the movers were loading up the truck with our stuff, my girlfriend and I decided to make one last trip to THE pewter store.  I put together one of the moving boxes and set aside some packing paper with instructions to the movers that I would be back before the last box was put on the truck with stuff to pack into the box I set aside. 

BMT Regalos...This place was introduced to me by my friend Amanda.  I think several husbands in our group of friends can "thank" her for the introduction.  It's located in a converted home downtown which is charming on it's own.  When I started snapping pictures I was immediately accosted and informed that I could not take photos.  My first thought was "are you kidding me?  Do you know how much money I've spent here?  How many people my friends have introduced to this place?  How many people I've introduced to this place?"  Instead I apologized and said I was just taking a few pictures for my own memories and to do a blurb in a newsletter."  A blog counts as a newsletter right?  She still wasn't swayed but of course I continued to take pictures anyway even though she was miffed.

These pictures are a small fraction of what is there.

Braedon and Jamison in front of the door to the store (don't ask, I just snap the pictures and consider myself lucky when they aren't making faces).  You'd never know there was a treasure trove of pewter on the other side if you just drove down the residential street. 

I made it back by the skin of my teeth, packed up the last of my pewter treasures and handed the box to the movers.  We made sure the apartment was clean, hopped into the van and said farewell.  We checked into our hotel, the Presidente Intercontinental, (ooh la la) and started counting down the hours till we left.  Friday would be our last full day so we spent it at the Anthropology museum.  I love this place and so do the kids.  I grew up going to the Smithsonian museums and this place is easily on par with the Smithsonian (if not better).

Watching the Voladores outside of the Anthropology Museum.  Here is a link if you would like more information about the Voladores. 

Wrapping the rope around the nearly 100 ft pole

OUR LAST EXPERIENCE WITH MEXICO CITY TRAFFIC EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  WHOOT WHOOT! 

Lanes?  What lanes?

Saturday morning, we said goodbye to Mexico City and the only tears were tears of joy, especially from Kris.  We were eager to get away from Mexico City and life as Diplomats to start anew back in the USA. 

A quick blurb about the Diplomat lifestyle...Kris and I did not belong.  We are so glad that we have the choice to work overseas or stateside.  Kris and I are too independent to live as diplomats (and I'm anything BUT diplomatic) and we have accepted that.  Kris did amazing things during his time in the embassy and established a fantastic reputation as someone with integrity who could get things done.  His relationship with the Ambassador and DCM has already proven to be a huge plus in his career and I am so grateful he has the ability to make a good impression.  It's hard to live in a system like the State Department, if you tick off the wrong person it can damage an entire career so I'm even more grateful that we left in good standing especially with those two men.  We also learned that our interests do not coincide with the lifestyle either.  We have such an appreciation for the freedoms we have here in the US and will never take them for granted.  That being said, those who enjoy it, more power to you, we are grateful for the work you do on behalf of our nation.

This chapter is officially closed. 

Last Few Weeks in Mexico- Part I

This will be one of my last posts of our time in Mexico.  I may stumble across pictures I forgot about and post them at a later time.  I have already done posts about some of this but sometimes it's nice to revisit.

Our last month in Mexico was a whirlwind.  We were able to have a friend, Jennifer Jarrett and her mom, Lisa, come for a visit from Utah.  This gave us the perfect excuse to visit the Monarch butterflies again and I'm so glad we did! Here is the link to our first trip out to the Monarch Sanctuary.   It has a lot more information on the monarchs and their migration not to mention a fun little rustic hotel.

Last year we went to the state of Michoacan but since that state is off limits to us right now (drug cartel activity) we decided to go to a sanctuary in Estado de Mexico near the town of Valle de Bravo.  The sanctuary is called El Capulin in case you want to look it up for your own trip.  I liked this sanctuary much better than last year's.  You can get right up close to them at El Capulin, not the case at Michoacan's Sierra Chincua Sanctuary where you can only look down at them from a viewing point.

For the record, I can't stand the fad of putting dinner-plate dahlia sized bows and flowers in babies' hair.  I think it looks ridiculous (dinner plate dahlias are obscene enough in the garden!).  Thankfully, my mom never traumatized me as a baby or young girl with stupid fads that she documented in photos to later torment me.  I hope to respect Bronwyn's dignity the same way.  That being said, I don't have the same standard when it comes to Monarchs.      

You can tell from her expression that the feeling of butterflies walking around on the skin is something to experience.

Braedon got creative and fashioned a pine cone dude during the hike.

We also made one last trip to the pyramids at Teotihuacan. 

Jen and Lisa!
(These are 5 pictures that Jen took but I had to add them)

This is the view from the second level from the top of the Sun pyramid.  Notice the slope, what would you think about doing if you saw this?  How close would you get to the edge for a picture?

Ummm, yes I do believe she is borderline CRA-ZY and I was no where near this when it happened otherwise I would have been freaking out.  I'm glad she took it though because it's one of my all time favorites.

And we are climbing, climbing, climbing....
Jamison didn't stop once and made it to the top, I'm glad he has small legs otherwise I would have never been able to keep up.

Ok, back to my photos:
Bronwyn had the best seat for the tour. 

(Another Blackberry portrait.  So happy he was finally able to turn that thing back in but he wouldn't let me smash it with a hammer first.)

To be continued....