Of Mexican odyssies

So. Last time I was in Mexico, it was for the Morelia International Film Festival. Seems like ages ago, but it was just in October. The violence has escalated in Michoacan, though, and my ex husband implores me not to even consider going there now. I won´t, but not necessarily because of the putative violence.

It isn´t that I don´t believe him, I just don´t plan on being in that part of the country anyway, so I choose to leave unexamined my audaciousness in the face of narco terror. Now, let me recast this previous statement of *last* (and we must forgive me keyboard torpor, but the lent computer that I am using is neither a Mac, nor does it have the English keyboard...I am stabbing in the dark!)

I was in Mexico last week, in Baja California, for just a day, having cruised on a lovely, innocuous boat with my parents and child to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary and my 32nd year of existence. It was not an un=Mexican experience, in fact, the taxi driver that we hired for the day to drive us from one touristy spot to another took us for the best fish and shrimp tacos, at a little stand that he frequents. We watched futbol on a small screen as he carted us from the bufadora to a horseback riding set up, by the side of the road, and then to L.A. Cetto wineries. Later my mom and I escaped while the boo and my father curled up to watch television (a rare treat for her) and perused the Conaculta book store at the new, state of the art cultural center. But that was just a one=day excursion, and the gorgeous extension of the Californian coast felt somehow still like home.

I am, now, however, safely ensconced in my friend Elissa´s work space, while she is off with her daughter at school. I am in Xalapa, Veracruz, though, truth be told I have seen very little in my 4 minute taxi ride from the bus terminal to her home. As I. and I traveled together, after a marathon cleansing and purging of my home (rites of vacating, I stay awake for the entire night before major travel and clean my house obsessively, readying it for the sub=leasers who will promptly inhabit my space). Nate kindly drove us to LAX on his way to the farmers market at Studio City, and I nursed an incipient cold or mysterious allergy in the foggy twilight, hurtling down then 101. At the airport we passed through security without incident. This trip we packed extremely light, and in fact, over half the clothing I. sent in her suitcase was clothing that she wants to give away to children needier than she. I, of course, am happy to divest myself of excess belongings in my quarterly purge, and agree with her that children here, those in need, may be better served by her plethora of unworn t=shirts.

The flight, despite an hour delay, went without incident, and the nervousness that I often feel was limited only to the final pitching descent over the city as we seemed to dangle precariously over the expanding jungle of concrete boxes, brightly colored and haphazardly arranged. From the sky the city looks different, of course, and the assault on one}s senses is other. A purely visual, sterile approach. Nonetheless, it has been a long time since I have approached the city in smog=free summer in the mid=afternoon sun, and despite the plunging stomach, I almost enjoyed drinking in the city with my eyes.

I.´s grandparents and aunt were there to meet us at the airport, and it was a warm and pleasant reunion. Two years. I think about this. What would I do if I couldn´t see my baby for two years. I shudder and chase that thought away. She is happy, and sun=browned. Her eyeball burn from a week of sun and water is healing, and her sore muscles from kayaking and surfing don´t seem to phase her. After a taxi ride, a two=hour bus ride and another short taxi ride, we show off her movie to her eager family. We have an impromptu supper (for which I am eternally grateful. Calabacitas en crema, sincronizadas de queso oaxaca) and living room dance party. Sleep didn´t come easily, but in the morning it came time to say goodbye to my girl for a while.

The handoff was smooth. We had lunch together, and then I was escorted back to the city (another 2 hour bus ride) where I then took the metro across the city from Tasquena to Tapo terminal. There will be more adventures to come, but for now, Elissa and I have a pending conversation.