This will be my last blog from Mexico.

We went to Monte Alban, a ruin site 40 minutes from the city of Oaxaca. It was my second favorite ruin behind Palenque. Three valleys converge around Oaxaca, and the vistas from the temples and castles at Monte Alban were gorgeous. It was pleasant just to get out of the city. Oaxacans really enjoy using their car horns. We returned about 2, and had a great cheap lunch at a vegetarian hamburger place. We spent the early evening checking out art museums and galleries. I am not a fan of contemporary Oaxacan art, but I do like the 20th century stuff. Rudolfo Morales is one of my favorites. Students marched around town, creating havoc on the bus system, as it was reported the next day.

Kathy talked to some of the protestors camping out on the Zocalo. Since teachers have gone back to work, administrators and office staff from Oaxaca state have taken over the campout. There is only one newspaper (Las Noticias) that is giving any coverage to the protests and dissapearances. Outsideof Oaxaca, few Mexicans have any idea of what happened.

We caught a first class 6 hour bus to Mexico City the next morning. It was satisfying to be on the final leg of our trip. The bus ride showed Finding Nemo, Today you Die (con Steven Seagal), and Hitchikers guide to Paradise. The first and last were dubbed, so I read Kavalier and Clay the whole way...great book, historically based.

Mexico City feels like New York to me. It is a mass of cars, department stores, markets, and street hustlers. Someone is always hawking their wares, but after about an hour their calls slip anonymously in to the rest of the city´s noise. Here is an abbreviated list of what they sell: bubbles, children´s music, socks, wrestling masks, hotdogs (3for $1!), umbrellas, gift bags, watches, and wind up mice. I love Mexico City in the same way that I love NewYork. As a gringo, you must be on guard against hustlers, but the bustle is invigorating.

We are staying at Hotel Zamorra for our last 3 nights ($24). We have a balcony that overlooks 5 de Mayo. Brown suited men and women have serenaded us with their crank powered radio contraptions (No se la palabra) that play scratchy nostalgic music. We are pretty much staying in the historic district. After getting our room, we wandered through markets, and as darkness fell, noted how the city feels like NY of the 1940s, or perhaps Gotham City itself. Th marketeers close their markets in a violent swoosh, dumping excess trash into the street, loading carts, and rushing off...to somewhere.

We rested a little bit, and walked to the Opera Bar. It was a fantastic place, that reminded me of Diplomat hangouts in DC. A huge oak bar seated mostly with sharply dressed, lighter skinned, seemingly more well educated Mexican males. They also drank like fish. Kathy and I had a few expensive beers ($3 each) , shared a cheese plate, and retired for the night.

We did the tourist thing on Friday. I saw some of my favorite art in the world. At the presidential palace, I saw Rivera´s masterpiece detailing Mexican history. It´s like the dome of the capital, but more controversial. The catholic priests are depicted as ghouls, Marx is there, and the ostentatiousness of the 1940s (similar to our 1920s) is portrayed with disgust. We saw the parliament room which was very European looking. We saw murals of Rivera, Siqueiros, and Tamayo at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The highlight was Rivera´s portrayal of Socialism and Capitalism. He orignally did the work for Rockefeller Center, but upon its completion, it was promptly destroyed. Although somewhat propagandish, I stared for 20 minutes at the mural, noticing new details. I felt smart, noticing Darwin in the bottom left corner next to a child holding an Ape´s hand (on the capitalist side of the mural).

We took the metro the museum of modern art, both of which I highly reccomend. The metro is 20 cents regardless of where you are going. A man tried selling us vitamins before our first transfer. We saw some Kahlo, Morales, and an exhibition on a guy named Tarizco (?) at the museum. We tried going to the Zona Rosa for lunch, which was a mistake. Lonely Planet promised trendy cafes, but we couldn´t find too much. Exhausted, we settled for a fish and sushi place, which turned out to be surprisingly wonderful. Tired, we decided we wanted to see a movie. We saw Superman, back in the Centro Historico. Neither of us were impressed, but the experience of watching Hollywood fluff in a darkened theater was a nice respite from our trip. It was jarring to walk back out into the the Mexican Gotham City.

We wanted to have a grand last night out, but rain prohibited this. We shared some Sangria, and ate and expensive meal at a trendy place with live music. We had planned to see some jazz, but we ended up sprinting through the rain back to our room. We are going to see Kahlo´s house today, check out the markets, and go to bed early. Kathy has to get up at 4:30 fo her flight tomorrow, and I am going to leave around 11:30. We´re getting authorized cabs to take us to the aeropuerto. I am excited to get home. I will miss the cheap meals, the spanish language, and the colorful buildings, but I am tired of being stared at.

See you all soon. John.