Sunday, October 08, 2006

Tacos and Tlaquepaque

Friday-The day of tacos.

I bet when you hear the word taco, the first image that comes to your mind is like a cruchy shell taco, with ground beef, lettuce, maybe some tomatoes and cheese on top. Well, I haven't seen anything remotely like that here. The real tacos, from the real taco stands (which I ate at twice on Friday), are tiny little corn tortillas, maybe 4-5 inches in diameter, flat on your plate with a spoonfull of carne asada (a beef with seasoning...but not ground beef.. I don't know how to explain it really) on top. Then you add your salsas, onions, and fresh cilantro (they're big about that here).
They're good.

Ok, enough about food.

Saturday- The day of spending my paycheck.

In the morning I went to the market down the street and bought a few bags full of fruits and veggies-delish! I even got some Jicama, which is this really watery root vegetable which I'm looking forward to snacking on.
Then some of us went to breakfast down the street at this cute place with art, but it ended up being disappointing because EvEryOne was smoking so that took the fun (and flavor) out of eating.
Later, Megan and I went to the Mall and shopped a little bit. I was on a hunt for new shoes, but I didn't find anything. I did get a tank top made out of organically grown cotton, though!
But the really exciting event of saturday was after we shopped, we went to the movies at the mall. But not just any theatre-the VIP theatre! It is like a dinner theatre, but with these huge, cushy, reclining chairs. Before the movie, a waiter comes around and takes your order and types it into a little computer which sends it to the kitchen. Our food came out before the movie started--ahhh, what service! I watched a movie, with my feet up, eating sushi and caramel popcorn (yea, the theatres here serve Caramel popcorn!!)
It was amazing.

Oh, and Saturday, another teacher at the school named Rebecca met Megan and I at the theatre, and Megan drove home. You see, our friend Jacque has a friend visiting and wondered if Rebecca would let her use her car on Sunday to see some of the sights. Generously, and bravely, Rebecca said sure. So, after dropping Rebecca off at her house, Megan drove us home late Saturday night! It was her first time driving in Mexico, but she's aggressive and adventurous and lived up to it wonderfully! The only scary moment (besides the insane potholes) was when a cop pulled out behind us with his lights on. But he turned--we were fine. :)

Sunday-

Megan, Jacque, and Jacque's friend DeeDee went to a Baptist church . It was the first church in a real church building that I've been to here..with pews and everything. It was also the earlist sevice I've gone to--it started at 9:30. Most start around 11:30 or so. Anyways, after we drove to Tlaquepaque--the cute artisan pueblo that Jenny and I had gone to before with Quetzal, but it was especially wonderful yesterday! It was a sunny, beautiful day... and strolling through the plaza, around cathedrals, on car-free cobblestone streets with amazing furniture, art, and jewelry stores was just perfect. We ate lunch in a restaurant with a huge, beautiful, shady garden and fountains. I loved it!
Whoever wants to visit me will certainly be going there! It is my current favorite!

When we got back home on Sunday afternoon we were pretty worn out, but after a short rest a few of us went with Rebecca and her amazing daughter to the shoe mall. Yes, it's a whole mall of shoe stores. I was in desperate need of some more shoes for teaching. It's crazy how fast they wear out here, with the water and the walking. Especially the water. Rain + canvas and rope-bottomed shoes= disaster.

Anyway, it was a fun, albeit expensive, weekend. but well worth it.



Megan and I outside of a really fun sculpture gallery and store.



The Tlaquepaque centro area, with a man selling sugar cane-yum!



The beautiful place where we ate lunch.



This is how Jacque feels when Megan is driving. (just kidding, she's really good!)

4 comments:

  1. My shoes are in a pathetic state of disrepair also. I never remember going through them so fast in the states, or getting as many blisters from them.

    Your adventures sound fun though...yesterday Jen and I went to our own little artisan village outside of Tegucigalpa in Valle de Angeles, and it is GORGEOUS out there. I didn't buy a whole lot though, but I got 8 fantastic reproduction photos from the 20's and 30's of various streets and buildings here, and stuck them up on my newly painted terracotta/salmon colored walls. They look fantastic if I say so myself.

    Tomorrow night we are having some people over for a baseball playoff night since I found out what the independent movie is going to be, and it pretty much bites. It should be fun, complete with mac and cheese, hot dogs, and chips & salsa. Probably the most American thing I've done or eaten since I've been here.

    But anyways...I've taken up enough space. Post on my blog though because I just added a ton more stuff. You'll be so proud of my name-dropping of a famous education guru...I know it.

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  2. Anonymous10:00 AM

    so right now im feeling like im going to Mexico to visit you if i have to walk there barefoot in the rain!

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  3. Anonymous5:41 AM

    i second your sister on that thought....

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  4. Anonymous9:25 PM

    i'm ready to try those tacos and see the sites with you!!!

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