acapulco

what's a standard response when you tell someone that you are going to spend some time in acapulco? a selection of samples that i've heard includes: "tough life", "sounds great", "i'm jealous", or some variant thereof.

well, i am here (in acapulco) to tell you that it's not all it's cracked up to be. i have been to much nicer resort towns in mexico, and i would recommend to any of you out there who are considering traveling mexico for a beach experience to head elsewhere in the country. i will suggest an old favorite, puerto escondido.

perhaps it's more fun when the area is packed with tourists (i cannot believe that is possible, but i figured it was worth mentioning). my impression of the town is that it is over-developed, the hotels are too damn tall, the traffic on the main road (~200 m from the beach) is treacherous for pedestrians and cars alike, it's loud, the food is average for mexico, there are a ton of fast-food chains (see top picture for a representative collage - all pics taken within 3/4 mile of my hotel), and there isn't much to do besides the beach. obviously, no ringing endorsement from the sage 'stache for acapulco. i have heard that heading just north to pie de la cuesta (~20 min drive) is well worth it, as it is much smaller, more remote, and more relaxing. i don't hate acapulco, but i won't be back next time i'm in mexico.

the one thing that acapulco has delivered is an excellent stache pic. it includes me and an affable character named Dr. Simi. i ran into him on the walk back from the conference yesterday afternoon ... apparently he is named after the pharmacy chain Farmacia Similares. anyhow, my 15-second encounter with Dr. Simi just about made my trip to acapulco worth it.

i'm headed back to mexico city tomorrow morning to spend another 36 hrs there before returning stateside. in other news, i'm happy to report that i gave the eviction notice to the aforementioned microbes residing in my stomach.

** newsflash** literally, as i am writing this post from my hotel room, i am happy to report another street protest here in acapulco. which brings me to my words of wisdom for the day.

** where goes the 'stache, goes social justice and civil unrest **

misplaced revenge

a quick review of this space will reveal my fondness for mexico; however, the relationship is currently being tested by some microbes that have taken up residence in my stomach. i will not go into any greater detail than that, but let's just say that el bigote is a bit fatigued and spending a bit too much time on the toilet. fortunately, i think i'm turning the corner towards restored health and well-being, and that my problems fall short of the dreaded moctezuma's revenge. regardless, i am getting better just in time for a 5.5 hr bus ride over to acapulco for the second round of meetings down here (although the meeting/conference doesn't start until next tuesday). as excited as i am about a couple of relaxing days on the coast with no plans, i am a bit sad to be leaving mexico city so soon. fortunately, i will have a couple of days at the end of the trip to spend here.

because i haven't been feeling 100% the last 24 hrs, i haven't had as much time to walk about and get any good 'stache pics. with that said, today's pics are going to be the first on this space that are non-stache related. my apologies. they are some good shots from a nearby restaurant/diner that i ate breakfast at earlier in the week (and the food has not been implicated in the investigation surrounding my current condition). it's pretty much the classiest decor ever. the funniest thing is that the restaurant was 100% dedicated to the motif and had covered the place from wall to wall with the mexican wrestling memorabilia. i like the dedication.

words of wisdom for today:

**a man with a stache does not fear street food, illness, nor moctezuma's revenge**

el regreso del bigote

my work on the mexico city project - more specifically the MILAGRO field campaign - has brought me back to my beloved mexico city. what does one do when returning to mexico? well, the first thing one should do is appropriately prepare for the journey by growing a mustache. naturally, i was prepared. i was ready for the work part too, but not quite as excited as the return of the vaunted stache. afterall, el bigote carried me through many long and dark nights during the field campaign during march 2006. when work gets you down, it's easier to snap out of that funk when you realize that you have a 'stache on your face. a 'stache commands respect and demands hard work. anything less requires a goatee or a beard or no facial hair at all.

enough about the 'stache though - i'm just happy to be back in mexico city, as this place is one of my favorite on earth. i heart mexico city. even beyond my stache-o-philia, this city never ceases to amaze me. just today, during our lunch break, we witnessed 'veracruznos' (people from the state of veracruz) protesting in the central historic district, urging for an investigation (and punishment) for a senator in the mexican assembly, who is also the ex-governor of veracruz (dante delgado). this, however, wasn't like a lame MoveOn protest, or something akin to the protests in the united states. this protest had men lined up along the sidewalk, stripped down to their underwear. with just their boots, underwear, and hats in the appropriate places, they were a unifed chorus of chants and slogans. to top it off, a small group of women (who were, coincidentally not small women) were dancing around in a fountain in front of el palacio del bellas artes; for you non-spanish speakers, that means palace of fine arts. that's right, 6 naked women from veracruz were co-chillin in the fountain out in front of the palace of fine arts, while just across the streets tens (maybe 100+) men danced around and sang in their underwear. this is downtown mexico city!! try to imagine this in front of the guggenheim in NYC or the MFA in boston ... not going to happen. the best part was that people would stop, check out the scene, and just keep on moving. same old day, same great city.

what a way to welcome back El Bigote!! i was tempted to strip down and lend my support to the protesters, but i figured that it would be bad publicity for the MILAGRO campaign. to make up for the time between my posts, i've decided to post a record 4 pics today. the first one is of me and i call it the poster 'stache (that's me in front of the poster i'm presenting at the meeting); the other three are self-explanatory after the anecdote above, giving you a feel for the setting, and an actual visual (all G-rated though).