Mexico City

First of all, sorry we've been so long in posting on our blog. I guess part of the irony of our blogging is that the more we do the more we have to say and the less time we have to write about it.

Anyways.

In a whirlwind 2 day tour that began and ended with overnight bus rides (no it was not as restful as it sounds), we got to know our nation's capitol. We still have a lot of names and dates floating around in our heads from all the museums we visited and it will probably be a while before we can say that we have a good grasp of Mexican History, but we did learn and experience a great deal, much of which has already proved helpful as we relate to our friends here.

One highlight was the Basilica of Guadalupe, pictured above. There are many saints and virgins (mostly with Catholic names) in Mexico, and the Virgin of Guadalupe is probably the most famous and is revered as the Virgin of all of Mexico. There were throngs of people attending (a Monday afternoon), and merchants peddling religious paraphernalia for blocks before the entrance. Many people crawl on their knees from the gate until they reach the church as a way to seek the blessing of the Virgin. The main object is an image of the Virgin that was allegedly left on a peasant's poncho after she appeared to him and requested that he build her a temple where she could dwell as a mother among the people that she loves and show compassion to those who love her and seek after her. We were surrounded by people asking a blessing for their children, or relief from some pain, or probably just about anything else one would ask in prayer. It was pretty eyeopening to see how greatly Mexicans revere this apparition of Mary.

We also visited the National Museum which is housed in a castle that has served as a military academy and the home of various political leaders throughout Mexico's history.

We also saw several of Diego Rivera's murals which are spread out in museums and historical sites around the city. These public pieces of art have a lot to say about Mexico's history, culture, and way of thinking.

We culminated our trip with a stop in Mexico City's "Little Korea". We stopped into one of several authentic Korean restaurants and enjoyed a buffet of meats (which you get to cook right there on your own table), vegetables, and other interesting (and delicious) Korean foods that we weren't sure what they were.