Ciudad de Mexico...

Holy sh*t! This place is enormous! So I get off the plane. I get through customs just fine. I go to the baggage claim and they can't find my bag....no wait, it's just sitting over there. Then I get it and walk out to find the taxi stand and am accosted by seven, yes seven men all talking very loudly y mui mui rapido to me in Spanish. "Taxi, senora?" I said yes and then they grabbed my bag and were off. I was supposed to call my hosts to tell them I was comingso that someone would be at the apartment. OK, none of the taxi men spoke English. I called my host and he spoke to them in Spanish. However, the man with my bag knew the word, "tip." I didn't have any pesos yet so he was very happy to get "dollores." My driver was very nice and spoke English a little. He had me speak what little Spanish I know to him and then he would correct me. I didn't burst into tears once, but I wanted to.

My hosts are lovely. They made me dinner. They get home from work about 8:30 or 9p. My host calls taxis for me so that he can chat with them about where he lives. I couldn't do it.

Today I went to the Centero Nacional de las Artes and met with the director (nice man and very handsome) and a woman who wrote a book on carpas. The carpas in Mexico are very different from the carpas in Texas. She did not know much about the Texas carpas and nothing about Toby shows (big surprise). They were very nice. I will go back tomorrow to look at pictures. They are producing a CD with information about carpas, as well as the book the woman wrote. I will get one when it is finished. My cab driver got lost on the way home and I had to call my host and have him explain how to get to his apartment. My Mexican phone bill is going to be big... I didn't burst into tears today either, but I sort of wanted to, but less.

After 104 degrees in Texas, the weather here is lovely! Mid to upper 70s. I have to wear a jacket. I see now why there is no air conditioning. They don't need it. It rains every afternoon and that's OK. Mexico City is very high in altitude. I have had a sort of small nagging headache and my throat is very dry. No, it's not the swine flu. One of my hosts said that is from the smog and altitude. It isn't so bad and I'm sure I'll be better in a day or two.

I will move couchsurfing locations July 2 because that host lives closer to the attractions that I want to see. I can take the subway from his house (God help me) to several things. Then I've decided that I will stay in a hotel in the historic district my last two days here because I can walk to several museums from there. Hotel catedral. $40 per night with breakfast (it's so cheap here).

I can't even think about the bus ride from Chetumal to Belize City because I WILL burst into tears... If I get through this, Burningman will be a breeze... At least I speak "art language." Hasta luego, for now...

Crazy SIUC people in Austin...

Go to my post about Austin and how I met all the alums from my grad school. Here we are.... the girl to my right is the girl I was couchsurfing with.

San Antonio - the fun

This is me in front of the Alamo. I saw the Alamo, the riverwalk, etc. from the back of a recumbent(sp) tandem bike. I stayed with a lovely woman and her husband. They travel Europe by tandem bike. The riverwalk's new section was open and there are various art installations that I got to see from the back of a recumbent bike. Wonderful! Who knew San Antonio was such a cool city?

I also visited the San Antonio Art Museum. Really, it is more of an art/natural history museum as they had mummies, etc. Their Latin American collection is quite good (go figure). They had a great series of installations that related to the new sections of the river walk, that focused on water. Very cool!

The fiesta store. So, in San Antonio, there is an event kind of like Mardi Gras, but it celebrates the independence of Texas. There are queens, etc., and all kinds of decorations and customs centering around this fiesta. The store was wonderful and some of you will be reaping the benefits.

On my way to Houston to fly out to Mexico City, I stopped in Luling, Texas to see an old mill at the San Marcos River. Then I stopped in Schulenburg to have Kolaches (Czech pigs in a blanket). This town is a big Czech community. Weird.

So tomorrow, I'm off to Meh-hee-co...eek. I'm a little scared. You won't be getting texts or calls from me, but I hope I can post to this blog from time to time. Hasta luego. I'll sleep on my back so they won't harvest my kidneys...Oh no! I'm sleeping in a hammock in Belize....ai-yai-yai.....

San Antonio - the work

Wow, when I spoke with the folks at the Benton Latin American collection in Austin, they told me that everything on carpas was in San Antonio. They were right! I found some wonderful stuff in San Antonio:

The Institute of Texan Culture - part of UT and they had wonderful pictures of Carpa Cubana and Carpa Garcia. The librarian there was very nice to me and they had already pulled information. It was sitting out when I got there. Through them I found out about the -

Conservation Society of San Antonio - who had scrapbooks of "La Chata." She is a female Toby or pellado character. She was quite famous in San Antonio and had her own show. They also had some info on carpas in San Antonio. Through them, I found -

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center - They restaged carpas about 20 years ago and are getting me the email of the director. Talking to him and comparing restaging a historic form will be interesting.

Witte Museum - This was THE place. I met a wonderful woman, Michaele Haynes, that is the curator at the museum. They absolutely opened their arms to me. They have the old Hertzberg circus collection. Part of that collection is a carpa collection of Carpa Cubana and Carpa Montsavais. They have costumes, receipts (good for us historians!), etc. Plus I LOVED Michaele, and her husband, and am hoping to come back to the Witte to do more work. Very cool museum if you get a chance to get there.

The Garcia Family - (see picture). They are the grandchildren and grand nieces/nephews of the Carpa Garcia. The older woman on the right was a contortionist, singer and dancer for the carpa...Virginia Garcia. They made me mole and sang songs in Spanish and told jokes in Spanish. It was one of the most lovely afternoons, I have ever had. Thank you Pancho and Evelyn.

Ahhhhhhaustin....

What a great time. I'm not so sure that I really "needed" to come to Austin, even though I did find some interesting information on Cantinflas (Mexican Toby in film - see him in Around the World in 80 Days) and the folks at UT Austin were very nice, but I am SO glad I came here. I met the nicest people (that I will see again) and ate the best tacos, and did the greatest things...

So in Austin there is a 3 acre pool that is made of underground springs: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/bartonsprings.htm 102 degrees in the air, 68 degrees in the water.... Heard some great and not so great music. Saw the largest urban bat coloney in the world: http://www.austincityguide.com/content/congress-bridge-bats-austin.asp Went to the Austin Museum of Art where there was a great show about art and memory: http://www.amoa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ex_exhibitions Today am headed to the Mexican/American Cultural Center before I head out to San Antonio: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/macc/

And let me just say (after my weird experience in College Station) how great couchsurfing is... Why haven't I been doing this before now?!

Austin - women's restroom at Beerland...

Woweee what a town! Cross stitch and cocaine: "Please don't do cocaine in the bathroom."

Just like Nashville, only without all my baggage. It also really reminds me of Asheville, but a whole lot freakier - in a good way.

So, here is Austin weirdness: I couchsurfed with a great woman who was hosting other couchsurfers that were artists. So we go to their opening before Beerland (and other establishments). We meet their friends (5 of them) that either live here or have come to see the art show. Guess where they all went to grad school? Yep, SIUC, just like me. THEN as we're walking down the street at 2am, they see 3 other RANDOM people from Carbondale, IL. Weird Weird Weird!!! Talk about the universe throwing some folks together.... More later. It's on to San Antonio tomorrow for more fun and study...

Day 2 - A & M

Freakin hippies....

So, A & M had nothing and I hope this was the worst couch surfing experience that I'll have on this trip.

Day 1: Houston

So if you ever get a chance, you should fly out of Branson, MO on AirTran or SunCountry. Now, I'm biased because my sister is in charge of marketing, BUT they actually come out on the tarmac and wave good-bye to you as you are taking off. When you fly into Branson, they come out on the tarmac and say "Hi, welcome to Branson..." This, compared with the Atlanta AirTran staff who basically looks at you mean, if they look at you at all. Also, the inside of the Branson airport is gorgeous.

I got to Houston - 94 degrees and rented a Prius. It was only $5 more a day than their cheapest car. I'll be driving all over this big state, so maybe the savings in gas money will pay for it. It's very weird, pushing buttons to start a car, but drives great! I'm not sure navigating a new city and learning how to drive a hybrid was a great idea, but I lived through it.

I stayed with a lovely couple in Houston, Brad and Lynn last night. They decided one day that Wisconsin was too cold and just up and moved to Houston to work with a theatre company. They are world travelers that told me they loved Mexico City. That was good to hear, as most everyone else are bearers of doom and paranoia... They really helped to alleviate some of my nervousness. They also said there is a small place on the Pacific coast of Mexico that I "HAVE to go to" because it is "absolutely you." After they showed me pictures of this out of the way meditation/hippie/clothing optional beach, I'm almost sorry that I had already gotten reservations in Belize. What is it with my friends insinuating that I am a nudist??? :-) Oh well, another trip for the future. I may never stay home now.

Stay tuned for Day 2 in College Station...

Hasta luego, babies....

I'm off tomorrow, flying to Houston. I'll stay with a couchsurfer host that is a playwright. Cool, huh? Then the 18th, I'm off to Texas A&M to study at the Cushing Library. I'll be staying with a grad student for a day or two. More later...

Frankly, I'm a little scared, but it should be an adventure.

My first aid kit for Central America

This is my first aid kit for Mexico and Belize. After much research (Drs', websites, books, friends), I am including the following (left to right beginning with the first row):
Moleskin for blisters
earplugs
acidophilus pearls - don't need the fridge. take a week before I go to help my stomach get ready for Mexico and it's water.
ibuprophen - I get migraines
Rx malaria meds - I have to take these 1 week before, during and 4 weeks after
Rx dysentary meds
hunters bug stuff with at least 25% deet
first aid kit with: bandaids, pepto-bismol tablets, neosporin, benedryl
Sting-Eze (that stuff really works) for wasp, bee, scorpion stings
peppermint oil (stomach upset)
sunscreen (this is 4, but I also have 15 and 8, 30 for face)
Rx Tamiflu - swine flu anti-viral
Back row - the rest of the Rx malaria stuff
Hand sanitizer
Vitamin C - immune help
ace bandage - last time I hiked I twisted my ankle
toilet paper
Ginger pills for air/sea/bus sickness
Airborne - for immune help
Charcoal - for Montezuma's revenge
Food enzymes - for stomach health
Grapefruitseed Extract pills - for stomach health
Garlic pills - nature's antibiotic
Not shown - multi-vitamens, steri-pen (ultraviolet water purifier)

After all this I may have to go naked since I can't fit anything else in my backpack.