Monday, Dec. 15, 2003 - 9:35 a.m.
Woke up feeling really tired. I hate sleep deprivation...
I shower, check out and grab a cab...the sun is rising behind me...It's my last 'sunrise over the ocean' of 2003 me thinks...
Get on the plane and try to sleep....
As we near Mexico City I'm awestruck by the sprawling size of this city...and the smog.
We touch down I grab an 'official' cab (cheaper and safer) and we dive into the traffic.
"es traffico typical? I ask the cabbie.
"si." the driver abruptly says as he's busy trying to keep the mandatory, maximum, 5cm clearance that Mexico city drivers live by.
Nice hotel...top notch. Same place Presidente Fox stayed once. I take an hour nap. Get up, shower and get a private taxi from the hotel to take me to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He's $15 bucks an hour and worth every penny. His name is Marko. He fills me in on all the places to go at the Shrine.
He parks the car four blocks away and walks me to the entrance. I'll meet you back at the car when you're done.
I go into the complex and the sounds of drums of various indigenous peoples fills the air as does copious amounts of incense. Inside I step in to see the miraculous tilma that has an image of the Virgin Mary that’s over 400 years old (and the fiber usually rots in less than 20) It's not painted or preserved in any way. Some of the best scientists of the world have analyzed it...it baffles them all...
I pray there and take pictures of a few places. I'm overwhelmed by the feelings of faith present here where thousands, if not millions of people converge.
Get back to the hotel for dinner..an amazing baguette of roasted small wieners, chorizo, chicken breast and ham with lettuce, avocado and onion, fries on the side where I can taste the corn oil. Dessert is cheeses cake with raspberry orange sauce and a cup of hot tea.
Check out some musicians playing in the lobby with a six string requinto (tuning of la, re, sol, do, mi, la), a guitar and accordion. Make some new friends. They let me play around with the requinto before they start. I listen to them play. They're good, but not as good as the Cancun guys..different style-more formal.
Come back to my room and the bed is turned down and a small chocolate on the nightstand with a card that says "Sweet Dreams"...indeed....
