The story behind Mexico City has always fascinated me. I mean it’s as surreal as a Carlos Castañeda peyoté-driven dream. Add some mescal and tequilas to the mix and the mariachis playing in the background...
You may all know the story, but here it is anyway...
The Aztecs from the last great Mesoamerican empire - trekked overland from their northern homeland Aztlán, (wherever that was - this IS stuff of legends). I was told this was a multi-generational migration.
Around 1320, their tribal god Huitzilopochtli (Hweet-zill-o-pockh-tlee) told them to make their camp, pitch their tents - and make their city wherever they saw an eagle perched on a cactus devouring a snake! This omen and symbol (depicted on the Mexican flag) was seen by them on an island in a lake - and that then became the site of the city of Tenochtitlán, now Mexico City!
What are the chances of those series of coincidences? That really knocks my socks off...
This is the reason some parts of the city structures are sinking - building atop marshy stuff is not a good idea, (and for that, you’d have to blame the Spanish Conquistadors and their lust for gold), ironic really, because the Aztecs really prized obsidian! Eagle, snakes, cacti, islands, lakes! Wait till I get to my favourite Mexican god - Quetzalcoatl (Ket-zahl-quah-till), the oh so beautiful feathered serpent...
BCDMX, IS a beauty, that city. And it’s been too long since I’ve been back...
I have a schoolmate Carlos Mora, from my San Francisco Art Institute days who is from there, and I’m looking forward to connecting with him.
Edmond Williams, another SFAI dude and great friend will come from Manzanillo to meet us. Oboy! Maybe we can locate our mutual friend Pepé Ruvinskis who’s dad owned a great Argentinian restaurant - El Rincon Gaucho. His dad would wander around the guests doing clever seight-of-hand tricks. He pulled a silk kerchief from my collar, wouldn’t let me keep it...
I found out that there’s another friend Hiromi Nagata who’s currently the principal of the Japanese School in Mexico City. We will definitely catch up with Hiromi & Sumeya. And we’re trying not to ukeep it too frantic...
Voy mi practicar en español!
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