More Mexican Adventure

Culture Fair

Today we had a culture fair for around 1500 high school students. Our cast setup booths for each country represented – around 20 in all. It was a great success – except for the fact that I got sunburned (again!). The kids would go to each booth, hear a little spiel about that place and then get their UWP passports stamped. At the end, we performed yet another BTS for the kids. The afternoon was easy – internal time with the cast. We read our letters to ourselves from the very first week of staging. And then wrote another to ourselves for the end of the tour. I should do this more often – when I’m out of UWP! We all had “thank you” time with each other and hugs were the most common way of showing your gratitude.

Later that night our family took us out to a restaurant at a mall and we watched the Mexico vs. Columbia soccer game – and man let me tell you that was an intense game! Soccer (or futbol) outside of the US is way better! Our family also hooked Phil and me up with a Mexico t-shirt so we could show our team spirit. Unfortunately we lost 1-2 but it was fun anyway.

City Tour

Yeah! We got to sleep in a little. We drove down to Mexico City – Distrito Federal. There we toured around the downtown area and saw the theater, art museum, walked around the streets, El Zocalo (center square), and the big church that is sinking. Mexico City is unique because it was built on a lake (a long, long time ago). The Native Indians, the Aztecs, moved to the location after a vision from one of the leaders. There they settled in an area which had the classic Mexican symbol of the eagle with the snake in its beak sitting atop of a cactus. Well unfortunately for them, the cactus was in the middle of a lake. The Indians built their city over it anyways. And after the Aztecs were conquered, the Spanish built their city on top of the Indian structures. That means Mexico is sitting on top of a lake and shifting sand – which explains why the city has so many problems with its buildings and infrastructure.

Teotihuacan Pyramids

Lunch was AMAZING! We went to a place called Fisher’s. Yes it was a seafood joint and they prepared us shrimp, fish and chips and chips and guacamole. Yum. A bus-ride nap later, we arrived to the famous pyramids of Teotihuacán. This is the home of the Pyramide del Sol (the third largest in the world) and its sister Pyramide de La Luna. After our cliché cast phot with the pyramid in the background, we decided to conquer the beast! Arrrrg. Many photos were taken at the top – some candid, some serious, but mostly were goofy. Then we walked down to the base of Luna breifely before we toured the labrinth and visited the shops. Meawhile, every step you took, a peddler would ask if you wanted to buy an obsidian turtle or mask or a jaguar whistle or a necklace. The only place you weren’t haggled was at the top of the pyramid.