Y Mucho Mas for a Belated Wordless Wednesday Send Off: Mexican Extras Part 2: Skulls and Bat Gods and Wrestling and Things I Forgot!

We leave for a short-ish trip to Reykjavik today, so I thought this was the perfect time to share some last images of Mexico City from my trip last March. Also, I have no time to write very much so we'll call it a belated Wordless Wednesday post, shall we?

And these skulls (above and below) are the perfect image for the Day of the Dead, or Dios des los Muertos.

Y Mucho Mas, Part 1: More Mexico City Adventures for a Rather Warbly Wendesday

Believe it or not,  I actually do more than eat on my trips.  I sightsee. I wander around. I walk - a lot. I go to museums and historical sites. Sometimes I even sleep!

Here I am at Teotihuacan, a pre-hispanic city 30 miles outside of Mexico City. Climbing the narrow, uneven steps to the tops of the pyramids was an exercise in overcoming fear and vertigo, but I did it, and so naturally I wanted to take few moments to savor the accomplishment and contemplate the incredible view from the top.

I'm a huge dog lover, and I was  on the lookout for the wild dogs I heard live in and around the ancient archeological site. You're supposed to leave them alone, but I couldn't resist making a little "smooch" sound when I saw this beauty. She was very intrigued!

You can take the tourist bus to Teotihuacan if you're so inclined, but  I never join tour groups. Why would you want to have a pre-packaged experience? I prefer to find my own way and seek out adventure. So instead I took a regular city bus - and we certainly found adventure. In one tense moment, armed guards boarded the bus and made all of the men get out to be searched.

All's well that ends well, however, and this small scare was well worth the rest of the ride. (Not to mention not having to be around a bunch of tourists.) At various stops along the way, musicians boarded the bus and serenaded the passengers for tips - these are the guys who put the "warble" in warbly Wednesday. One of them even took a stab at John Lennon's Imagine!:

Autobus to Teotihiuacan, Mexico City from Tasty Trix on Vimeo.

Speaking of dogs ...  I was keen to visit the zoo in Chapultepec, primarily because of the Xoloitzcuintle, or Mexican hairless dogs. So cute!!

Next I  climbed the steep hill to the Castillo de Chapultepec, where Mexican emperor Maximilian I (of the Austrian Habsburgs - man, they got around!) lived ... until his execution, that is.

 Incredible painting on the Castillo's ceiling:

On my first full day in Mexico City, I was walking back from my meal at Fonda El Refugio in Zona Rosa when I happened upon this evening dancing event at Plaza del Danzon - people of all ages were participating, and I think it was in this moment that I first fell completely in love with the city:

Two girls for every guy!

Indeed,  sometimes the most memorable things happen when you simply let yourself wander. I strolled through Viveros Park and became obsessed with the friendly squirrels there:

And after visiting Frieda Kahlo's house (that is a post all its own!), as I walked around admiring the beautiful Coyoacan neighborhood, we met high school student Carlos.  He asked if he could interview me for his English class. I hope you got an A, Carlos! (I am sure he did, his English was fabulous):

This is not to say that I abjure planning. Seeing the Diego Rivera mural "Exploitation of Mexico by the Spanish Conquistadors" for example, was the high point of my (planned) visit to the Palacio National. It's hard to give a sense of the scale in photographs, it's really awe inspiring:

The courtyard had a very European feel:

But walking around for hours and hours on a hot day is truly exhausting, isn't it?

And so I will leave you on this dramatic note until next time - there's plenty more Mexico City adventure that I want to share!

To Poland, Mexico, & Austria ... in Just Two Days: Getting International at the Summer Fancy Foods Show

Meat!!!

As soon as you're granted press credentials for the Fancy Food Show, the offers start rolling in: Come visit booth X! Please make sure to sample [insert cracker company here] when you are at the show! Whatever you do, don't miss the [newest, hottest, trendiest] chocolate innovation! And then there are the invitations to the after show events: dinners, cocktail parties, tastings. It's a bit overwhelming.

I am not complaining, mind you, but there is a strategy to the whole thing. You don't want to say "yes" too soon, because what if something better comes along and you're already committed to something else? I know - such problems to have. Fortunately, my decision this year was pretty easy: I was invited to events pertinent to three countries I have recently visited, and loved: Poland, Mexico, and Austria. Done, done, and done.