The Mexico Experience | PART 1
Well well well look who's finally back, me of course, and I am here to tell y'all all about my Mexico Experience from start to finish!
Boooy, have I been slacking, or what?! First and foremost, I want to put your minds at ease by letting you all know that I have been back in God's Country (just kidding) for a couple of months now. Although I've been meaning to sit down and write this masterpiece, it feels like I've been going through a lot of adjustments while getting back into my routine, you know? Not only that, but also with me slacking so much and taking this time off from writing, I feel like I've been losing creativity over time, and it's hard to regain that creativity back.
Buuuut anyways, lets go down memory lane...
It all started on the night of March 4th when we boarded the plane to head to Guadalajara, MX from SEATAC airport, which I now consider a top-tier airport thanks to Mexico (lol). Waiting to depart and take off was such a strange feeling, but at the same time, it hadn't hit me yet. I hadn't realized that I was going back to Mexico, somewhere I hadn't visited in over 19 years! To be honest, the only thing on my mind was how bad I would need to use the restroom because we decided to eat chillicheese fries, chicken strips, and drink some Red Bull. That was the scary part. Nah, but for real, I didn't know how to feel.
It wasn't until we landed and I was surrounded by my people (a bunch of Mexicans - obviously) that it really hit me, and I felt it, saying to myself, 'Oh boy, we sure aren't in Kansas anymore. Everything was so different in the Guadalajara airport, but at the same time, it was all the same. Like, no one acted differently, you know? People just did normal airport things. The best way I can describe it is by changing the audio in the movie from English to Spanish. Maybe I am just being weird here and didn't know what to expect, but what I have always heard was that 'Everything changes' or 'Everything is so different once you get to Mexico.' I mean, it does, but maybe not right away.
The Beautiful Smell of Mexico:
Literally as soon as we landed, I caught an immediate whiff of what I distinguished as fireworks, and the smell only grew stronger once I stepped outside. I found it funny when my compadre (the person who picked us up) mentioned that it was probably due to the construction going on around the airport (which I believed at first). However, after spending days in other parts of Guadalajara and the rest Mexico, I came to realize that the "firework" smell was more like a rotten odor. These smells are related to sewage and wastewater in the surrounding areas, which is quite common in Mexico - I promise I'm not talking smack I just have a strong sense of smell (ask anybody).
Police or Las Forces Armadas de Mexico:
Enough about the funky smells. Another thing about Mexico that really stood out to me was the police/security presence. La Marina and the military activity in Mexico were so crazy to see in action! From within the airport to the local streets and towns, seeing the army personnel with their big guns just stationed there was a bit intimidating. However, I must say that in some scenarios, it did feel kind of safe, like at banks. I thought that was pretty cool (until the army guy finesses you, huh? lol).
Now that I am on the topic of Mexican cops, I want to share my experience with corruption gasp. When visiting El Gran Sumidero in Chiapas, we were greeted and stopped by a genuinely nice army/police officer who informed us that the park was unfortunately closed. However, he mentioned that once the park maintenance people left, we were free to go up if we gave him 80 pesos. So, we did what every other nice person would do and gave the kind officer of the law the 80 pesos to see the beautiful stunning views of El Gran Sumidero! The funniest part of this whole experience was how this man took the money. First he signaled us to make sure the coast was clear then when we got to the entrance of the park he said his army buddies were watching us from a distance so he told me to pretend like we are talking and shake his hand to give him the money. Funny huh?
Although the views were nice and we had the whole park to ourselves, it was getting dark and smoggy, so maybe coming earlier would have been better. Still, no regrets here. Is corruption good? Maybe... when appropriate, right? Nah, just kidding.
Anyways, getting back to talking about the police here in Mexico, these foos are always on their phones and chopping it up, never paying attention to what's going on. That's what the locals tell me too. I have also heard other reviews, though. Some say that before the widespread presence of La Marina, police, and army, things were even worse!
The Reason for My Visit - My Abuela | First Encounter
Oh maaaan, just looking through these pictures made tear up. Damn even typing that and this damn sentence is making tear up.
Okay Im good now.
I think it's only fair that I start from the beginning with this as well. When my girlfriend and I first arrived to Mexico, we didn't go directly to my grandma's place because of the obvious reason that it was too late. So, we decided to stay at a Airbnb near Guadalajara. The Airbnb was super nice, but oh my goodness, in the morning... there was so much traffic noise and people talking as early as 5-6 am, and it was incredibly hot even with the AC on!
That following morning was go time! My cousins picked us up and we were headed to see my grandma!
On the way there I realized that maybe I should have brought her something or I should at least stop somewhere and buy her flowers (I mean come on, its been like 20 years and I am just going to come and say what's up empty handed?) so I did just that.
When I got there, we all wanted to make it a cool little surprise and see if she would recognize me (she had no idea what time we were arriving). BUT, unfortunately, there was an old family friend who was made aware of my arrival, and of course she ruined the surprise by saying my name out loud, hugging me first, and getting all up on me and whatnot. Smh. Surprised ruined. But anyway, after that, I forcefully gave my grandma a hug. Yes, forcefully, lol. My grandma, like both of my parents, do not like to show affection, and when approached with a hug, they respond with 'aghhh, ya, ya quitate,' which translates to 'stop, get off me,' haha (sad laughs). That's a topic for a different blog post! For now, back to my grandma!
Even though my grandma responded that way, I knew she was happy to see me. This I found out/saw as the days progressed! How did she react to the flowers I got her, you might be wondering? Well, she didn't really react to them at all. She said, 'put them with the rest of them' and pointed to a corner in the room where she had a bunch more flowers and plants that she had bought, and people had given her.
When we got there, my grandma had food ready for us as well. She had made her world-famous beans con birote and fresh-squeezed orange juice. I had only heard of my grandma's beans through stories and had only tasted them through memory, and here I was, after 20 years, finally eating them again. And, boy oh boy, were they as delicious as the tales had told.
After quickly eating we hurried and got ready to go to Talpa! A staple memory of this entire Mexico trip!
Oh my gosh, how could I forget… the day we arrived with my grandma (this entire day I have been talking about now) was my grandmas birthday and THAT’S why we went to Talpa - to celebrate her! Because let me tell y’all a secret… my grandma loooves going to Talpa! Before I get into talking about my experience visiting Talpa and our trip there let me tell you a little more about my grandma. She hates leaving town and under no circumstance, no matter how much you beg her she will not leave her home to go visit another neighboring city not even for a day! Except if its to go visit Talpa! My cousins, other family, and friends have asked her get out more and explore and visit new places. Pero no quiere! Es muy necia! She comes up with the most basic excuses too, for example she says she has to stay home because people may come by and buy Cokes from her (she sells Cokes lol) and she also says she has to take care of her birds but that is some BS because she does a horrible job at taking care of those poor birds. When I was there I wanted to free them so bad, smh. But anyways, I don’t understand how she rather go to Talpa and not Tequila or just refuses to go there when Tequila is like 40min-1 hour closer than Talpa. When I asked her why she likes going to Talpa so much she responded by saying “Me gusts ir a ver a la virgen de Talpa” so I guess that makes sense.
Talpa De Allende & My Grandmas Birthday!
After 2 hours of driving in a crowded van with no AC with more turns than you can possibly imagine, we finally made it to Talpa!
My gosh, I hate writing this blog because every time I come back to this (I also got the mellow lofi music in the background playing) I get hard in my feelings and I think to myself, damn what the f am I doing here? Why can't I be there instead?
Anyways, back to the story...
Let me paint the picture for y'all back at home. We arrived in Talpa during a special time of the year, and we got pretty lucky with that! It was the time when people come WALKING from all over to pay tribute to La Virgen, so it was pretty dang packed but incredibly cool to see! The vibes were immaculate, with people, live music, and vendors everywhere!
After a nice little stroll through the beautiful streets of Talpa, my grandma's craving for birria led our us on a quest to find the perfect spot to satisfy her appetite and craving - (Spoiler) it ended up being not so perfect. We had originally wanted to get some birria from el mercado (Another spoiler, we come back to this mercado on a later episode. Stay tuned!) but we ended up showing up too late and they were already closing up shop so we had to settle for a legit sit-down restaurant, unfortunately.
As we settled into our seats of what seemed like a decently nice restaurant, it became apparent that this birria joint had a reputation for its hearty, yet greasy dishes. The moment our plates arrived, the glistening sheen of oil on the birria was impossible to ignore! There was more oil and fat on that mother f'n bowl of meat than actual meat itself. Big disappointment for real, I know some of y'all probably like that stuff huh? But, I just ordered some rice and ate that instead. smh.
There was one positive thing that truly stood out amidst this culinary disaster, however, and that was the waiter's awesome service. Despite all this greasy nonsense, the waiter was on some next level enthusiasm! If he was in the US I would actually tip him, my man would be a top 10 server in WA without a doubt. His genuine kindness transformed what would have otherwise been a forgettable dining experience into a memorable one.
Anyways, that was that! After we ate we headed to the car and on the way there we took some pictures in this little alleyway thing...
Pretty cool, right? As we drove back home, I took a moment to check in with my grandma and asked her if she had enjoyed her day. She replied with a resounding 'yes.' That, in my book, marked a successful day one.
The Best Days (Believe it or not)
That same week, my girlfriend and I had the incredible opportunity to stay and live with my grandma, and it turned out to be one of the most memorable and beautiful weeks we've (well at leats I've) ever spent. It was a week filled with tranquility, ease, and relaxation. From easy hot walks to the flea market on Tuesday and the ride back on the 3 wheeled motor bikes that sounded like they were going to brake, to our frequent visits to the mercado to stock up on daily essentials, every day had its own charm.
What made this time truly special were the home-cooked meals prepared by my grandma. Each dish she lovingly crafted carried the essence of tradition and family that I am sure was passed down to her and she passed on to my mom. Because let me tell y'all my mom and her cook almost identical my beautiful girlfriend can attest to that!
We indulged in these flavorsome feasts, savoring every bite as we immersed ourselves in the authentic taste of my grandmas cooking. Additionally, we couldn't resist sampling the maaany choices of junk food available to us here in Mexico. I swear throughout our stay with my grandma my girlfriend and I would eat like 2-3 bags of chips in one sitting and 2-3 paletas as well, it also didn’t help that my grandma had an unlimited supply of Coke products.
Even the most mundane and tedious tasks took on a unique significance during our stay. Showering with buckets and heating water became such humbling experiences, reminding us of the simplicity and resourcefulness of everyday life here and also reminding us of how good we have it back home. Doing laundry by hand, although time-consuming, was also a very humbling experience.
Looking back, I find myself already missing those small yet significant aspects of our time with my grandma. The calm and tranquility, the vibrant, colorful, and loud markets, the flavors of home-cooked meals, and even the seemingly tedious tasks—all these experiences combined to create such beautiful cherished memories that will forever hold a special place in my heart.
This was the last picture I captured with my grandma before Chiapas. A part of me regrets not prolonging my stay and savoring more precious moments with her. However, I pray and hope for the opportunity to reunite once again. On a Tuesday, I hope to see you, you holding me by the arm all mad like always walking to the flea market.
Mama Sara, la quiero mucho.
Jesus