H-town!

The Houston crew rolled in for Labor Day weekend, bringing major heat from the Third Coast. Anson and Derek, aka the PJ's, are serious world travelers and two of my oldest friends. They (along with the lovely Ms. Rhia Pascua) set the agenda for their 4-day trek and we happily obliged.

First, it was Lucha Libre time. I had been meaning to do this myself basically from the moment I arrived here but had yet to find the right companions. I think you can count Lucha Libre as one of the few Mexican stereotypes that is actually firmly rooted in reality. They really do wear those masks, and it really is maybe the most popular form of entertainment in the country -- even rivaling soccer. Luchadores are not only entertainers but often become cultural icons in their own right: starring in films, serving as role models, and even advocating for social justice. The featured match on our bill was between El Hijo del Perro Aguayo and Universo 2000 but honestly I can't tell you for sure if we even saw that match because the whole thing was so chaotic. Most matches were 4-on-4 affairs featuring a variety of acrobatic and painful-looking leaps in and out of the ring and hapless referees seemingly unable to stop the blatant disregard of whatever rules happen to govern this "sport." After about 90 minutes we were entertained but pretty exhausted and ready to split. Believe it or not, there are only so many times you can see a 6'5" man in tights and a colored wrestling mask use a bullwhip on a midget in a turquoise gorilla suit before the whole thing starts to seem a little ridiculous.

One overpriced cab ride later, we were back at the crib.
The next day, we were off to the Pyramids. Now the old joke amongst ex-pats down here is to say "I had some friends in town this weekend so we went to the Pyramids. Again." And although we wouldn't go again on our own, it is fun to see other people's take on Teotihuacan, and they are always an awe-inspiring sight. So we were happy to go again, and the crew seemed to enjoy it greatly. And really, where else could you get potential album-cover images like this?
And for perspective:

And just for the hell of it, this woman there had a sweet JJ Evans-style Mexico hat that I had to respect.

For lunch we hit this Yucatecan place. Derek was the first to try the shark-meat empanadas.

"Mmm, that's good shark! "

A quick stop by the Zocalo, where there was an ongoing Communist Party rally, and preparations for the upcoming Independence Day celebration (note the flag doesn't even fit in the frame).

On a rooftop Condesa bar. Anson's feeling the absinthe. Derek and I, we always look like that.








A couple of hotties who went home with us.





The next day we did another DF institution that we had been meaning to try -- the floating gardens of Xochimilco. It's a neighborhood on the far southern part of the city that was the agricultural hub of the original Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. It's actually designated as a UNESCO World heritage site, and it is quite pretty in parts, but people mainly come to rent out pole-barges called trajineras and cruise around the lake drinking and watching other people do the same. We had a few kinks getting started -- such as when a large wooden piece of the boat fell on Rhia's head -- but overall with the flowers, the music, and the cold beer, we had a tranquil good time.




When you're hungry, food rolls up to your boat.

Or if you'd prefer, mariachis.

Rhia was a good sport about the whole head-trauma thing.

Also, there was this guy.

One final train ride home before sending the crew off the next morning.

Anson Lang, ladies. Get to know him.

Anyway, it was great to see the folks from back home and hopefully we'll see them back here soon. Hasta luego.