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In April 2003, I went on my first international trip....without my parents. Big deal to you? Probably not, but it was huge to me. Anyway, I went down to Mexico City for two weeks with my coworker Karen to audit a subsidiary. I had a great time (though I was pretty tired of Mexican TV by the 2nd week), loved the culture, the cuisine, and of course, the people.

We stayed at the gorgeous (but expensive) Four Seasons Hotel Mexico D.F.

My 1st week in Mexico

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Bathroom
Shower and tub
The room!
The other side!
What a closet!
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Ah, America, everywhere you want to be
Is it safe to put all the auditors in one room?
Erica and Rocio
Raul and Adriana
Martin, me, Leonardo
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Karen and Martin
Even in Mexico do they haunt me
That is the biggest flag I have ever seen. It's HUGE!
The typical Mexican taxicab
The tallest building in all of Mexico

The Weekend: Saturday, April 26th 2003

The tour starts at the Dolores Olmedo Museum, located on the grounds of her old hacienda. It's one of the best private collections of works by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, as well as an extraordinary array of pre-Hispanic artifacts. No pictures inside, but I took what I could outside.

Afterwards, we all enjoyed a short trip through the ancient canals of Xochimilco, a peaceful site in the middle of the most populated city on the planet (20 million people.) Lunch was provided by the Four Seasons hotel. The whole 5-hour tour of both sites, plus lunch, cost $15. Awesome!

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Delores Olmedo Patino's house-now-art museum.
Check out the cactus with the flowering action!
Same type of cactus. Do you see how big this thing is?
Delores Olmedo Patino. I want my own statue now.
There are peacocks and animals running all over the place.
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These are the grounds. Very nice
The original Mexican dog, hairless, very delicate, very endangered
Karen sees the peacock. Do you? Didn't think they could fly, did ya?
Guess which one is Karen, Diego Rivera, and the peacock
A male trying to get some action. Good for him!
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Getting on the boats @ Xochimilco
Traffic jams everywhere
Mexican gondoliers?
Lunch was included on the tour
Mariachi music at a price
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Toot that horn!
Yes, you can even pay for xylaphone music
Another view of the canal
Who can resist a duck?
Xochimilco!
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Plenty of people along the river trying to sell you food and crap
The most handsome Indian in Xochimilco
The tour group
The Mexican Liberation Memorial... thing
Pizza Hut delivers via motocycle
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Yes, I found Little Korea
Diana, the huntress. Nice butt, btw
View out my hotel window
Same hotel window, but on the left side!

The Weekend: Sunday, April 27th 2003

We learned more about the three great Mexican muralists: Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Oruzco, and Siqueiros. We checked out some amazing murals of Diego Garcia at the National Palace. Next, the murals at the Museum of San Ildefonso, the National Ministry of Educations, and finally at the jewel-like Palace of Fine Arts

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National Palace - Diego Rivera's big mural - right side
Our tour guides conferring
National Palace - Diego River's big mural - left side
A better view of the big mural on the 2nd floor
The middle of the big mural, from the 2nd floor
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The ancient Aztec marketplace
Checking out the other Diego Rivera murals
The life of the Aztecs, according to Diego Rivera
A tattooed Aztec prostitute receiving offers, including a severed arm
How the Aztecs made clothes
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Festivities in Veracruz. See the little grey dog? That's what I have real-life pictures of on Saturday
The Aztecs making chocolate
The Spaniards subjugating the Aztecs
Best I could do to show the middle of the big Diego Rivera mural
The great Cathedral of Mexico City
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How Technochtitlan originally looked from above.
At the nearby University Art museum, a great use of paper mache.
The YOUNGEST tour guide I have ever seen. He had to be around 12 years old.
The museum courtyard, which used to be a high school where Frida attended.
Checking out the Oruzco murals adorning the former school.
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First art I ever "got." The monks evangelizing the Indians, yet suffocating them.
These women worked for the Red Cross, and insulted Oruzco on his work. This was his revenge.
See the foot? It's a worker taking a siesta!
El Templo Mayor - what's left of the orginal great Aztec temple, paved over by the Spanish. They're recovering it now.
More of the old Aztec temple. Check out the snake sculpture
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Close-up of the big cathedral.
Check out the cathedral's ornate design.
Mexico City Square, left is the National Palace
Front of the cathedral
An ornate subway entrance, a gift from France
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Almeda park. Pretty, but dangerous
National Arts Building lobby
View from the 3rd floor, totally an art deco style
The Sunday tour group, viewing a Siqueiros mural
A Siqueiros mural, depicting Cortez burning the feet of the last Aztec emperor. He wants to know where the gold is.
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Look at how big this place is!
A view of all three floors
A Siqueiros mural, a really 3-D mural, depicting the pains of moving towards the future
The Palace of Fine Arts. Nueve style on the outside, then the 1910 Mexican Revolution, then finished with an art-deco interior
[l-r] The tour guides Annie, Carmen, Molly, a tour guest who jumped when not wanted, myself, Karen
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Mariachi band performance at Don Carlos, having dinner with Raul and Patrica
I'm so strong now, I broke my mug. Damn, if you're a mug, I'll kick your ass!
Mariachi band singer
Raul and his wife Patricia. They're cute.
Another singer
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Notice that Patricia likes Corona, and drinks straight from the bottle.
A caballero twirling his lasso
Big blurry statue in Chapultepec park
   

My Last Week in Mexico

We took the Mexican auditors out for lunch one last time, especially since Lucinda was in town. I only took a few pictures (wasn't in the mood), but Karen took a bunch more, and it's basically the same people from last time. I'll try to get some more from Karen. Some other miscellaneous pictures for you voyeurs.

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Rocio and Lucinda
Miguel and Leonardo
Raul and Karen
Karen in the conference room we've been in
Lucinda, happy the day is finally over!