A Stitch in Haste

"Everything's legal in Mexico — that's the American Way!"
--South Park's Uncle Jimbo

I'm leaving tonight to spend an extended Labor Day weekend in Mexico City, the third largest city in the world (i.e., a rural hamlet).

Other than trips to my parents in Las Vegas or weekends with friends, this is my first real vacation since after I took the bar exam in February 2004. The reason, of course, was Diamond, whom I adopted right after that. I've been reluctant to kennel board her for extended periods given her timid personality, but after 18 months or so of doggy day care and short stays in the kennel doggy resort, I think she's ready for longer stays.

Diamond and I were thrown a curve ball, however, when her kennel doggy hotel went out of business just two weeks ago. So we're starting from scratch with a new kennel doggy gym. This place looks very nice. I took Diamond there for a sniff around last week. I hope five days doesn't traumatize her.

I booked this trip to Mexico a long time ago, I think because of the poor dollar/euro exchange rate at the time. I'm very eager to see the pyramids, although I'm sure I'll have to endure some lectures about how the Aztecs weren't really bloodthirsty savages who engaged in ritual human sacrifice and cannibalism.


Click to enlarge.

I got to see the magnificent Ballet Folklórico de México about 20 years ago. I just learned that they perform regularly at the Fine Arts Palace just a few blocks from my hotel. I can't wait to see them again.

Anyway, blogging will be light, except for photoblogging. I have a few prepackaged posts that I will run, but that will likely be it.

Regular blogging will resume Wednesday.

Happy Labor Day everyone.!

Mexico is the largest foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine to the U.S. market.

Although not all of it originates there, roughly 70% of all cocaine entering the United States comes through Mexico.

Bottom Line: If you're going to fight a "war on drugs" (and I'm not saying you should), then Mexico is where it should be fought, not Colombia or Asia, and certainly not in pharmacies.

Source: CIA World Factbook.

Some pictures from the "Centro Historico," which is Spanish for "Tourist Trap." Click on individual pictures to enlarge.



The Palace of Fine Arts. Made of (lots of) marble, which is heavy, hence the building has sunk significantly faster than the surrounding parkland. Notice also the wonderful symmetry of the building. No need for "twizzling" here.



Mexico's Independence Day, which is actually 16 September, technically commences at 11PM the night before. Buildings in Constitutional Plaza adorn for the festivities.



The President rings this bell atop the National Palace on Independence Eve to launch the celebrations.



Inside the National Palace. Once the headquarters of the national government, it is now mostly museum space.



A (blurry) picture of part of the huge Diego Rivera mural at the National Palace. Hint: That's not Moses with the Ten Commandments at the top. Rivera was an unapologetic and unrepentant Communist. Perhaps you know the story (I didn't) of Diego Rivera and Rockefeller Center? Are you surprised that I think Rockefeller was absolutely right to destroy the mural?

"As part of his final assault on Tenochtitlan in 1521, Cortes ordered the breaching of the dike to flood the Aztec city. The water level was not high enough at that point to cause the damage he'd hoped for, but in the long run Cortes may have been more successful than he had planned. The Spaniards, not understanding the complexities of the ecosystem, left the dike in ruins when they rebuilt the city, and as a result saw their new colonial capital flooded repeatedly over the next few centuries."
--Moon Handbooks' "Mexico City"

The more things change...

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To this day, Mexico City is sinking into the lake upon which it was built. This has at least two quite remarkable implications:

1. Heavier structures sink more rapidly, with the result that even on the city's flat streets, the sidewalks have become almost sinusoidal, as larger building take their part of the sidewalk down with them as they sink.

2. Archeological sites can actually be above ground. If, say, a 17th Century building was constructed on the site on an ancient Aztec ruin, and then a 19th Century building is raised next to it, then when the 21st Century rolls around and the 17th Century building is demolished, the Aztec ruins underneath can actually be above the more modern buildings. This occurred right next door to the Constitutional Palace, where the remains of a small pyramid were discovered (and a museum is now located).

I have only today realized that my digital camera was stolen out of my checked bag.

Bummer.

I'm glad I moved all the pictures onto my laptop before I left Mexico City. Just goes to show what a greedy capitalist bastard I am (not!) -- I care more about the (no monetary value) pictures than the (high monetary value) camera.

Am I being too ethnocentric in assuming it was the Mexican security staff rather than the American TSA who stole it? You have no idea (mainly because I didn't want to blog about it) how much scamming and fraud I saw while I was there, from taxi rides to buying chewing gum. And the arriving airport staff have no reason to open bags anyway other than customs (and I wasn't searched by them anyway).

As the song goes: "Chapter read and lesson learned..."

POST SCRIPT: What song is that? NO GOOGLING! I would hope the law school students among my readership know it, because it's a great law school student song.