Ok....come on...we already have the start of a pandemic in Mexico City...and just today, at 11:46 am we had an earthquake...I was talking with Patrick in Taiwan over Skype and had to leave the computer and find a safe place in case it got bigger...the movement didn't stop, and I heard neighbours opening their doors...leaving their apartments....so I left too...but then it luckily stopped. My upstairs neighbour reassured me : This building is safe, very resistant. Well, even if I don't believe her 100% , it was somewhat reassuring.
The epicentre was near Chilpancingo, Guerrero at a magnitude of 6.0. I don't know what the damage was, if any...the news hasn't covered it yet.
Here is a map of the world showing all the earthquakes:
http://www.iris.edu/seismon/
Regarding the swine virus...it's taking over the city, taking over our daily routines...
most people are trying to stay at home, working from home, avoiding crowded areas. Schools are closed until May 6th, church mass is cancelled, my massage classes at the school are cancelled this week, yoga class is cancelled,...the whole city is freezing up.
It is a little unsettling, scary, but at the same time, the Mexicans are taking this well. They are calm and not freaking out. They are taking precautions and wearing the masks, bulking up on vitamin C. My nutritionist friend told me today, that the medical doctors are now saying it might not be a good idea to take antiviral drugs if you are infected as the virus could become immune to it. I, being pregnant, am staying away from heavy duty drugs...just drinking orange and lemon juice and taking my vitamins. I am staying at home mostly avoiding contact with people. Luckily I have lots of projects on the go to keep me busy and not bored...but it feels strange all the same.
I can't describe much to you of what it looks like outside, because all I 've seen was the park yesterday with people walking around with and without masks...walking their dogs, running, etc. In the supermarket, almost everyone was wearing their mask. Other than that, I haven't been out...I have heard that it's a lot quieter than usual. This is a good sign. People are taking this seriously and being very careful.
Just want to reassure you all that Manu and I are doing fine. We are healthy, eating well, and wearing our masks when we need to leave the house and be in closed crowded places. We'll keep you posted!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Ultrasound Part 2
The ultrasound on the 27th of March was really exciting, because you could see a huge difference in the baby. It now looks like a real baby with a bone structure, a beautiful spine, hands, feet, legs a face...and a beating heart at 158bpm. The most amazing part was how much it was moving...and I couldn't feel a single thing. It measures about 10 cm...so it's basically swimming in there with lots of room to move. I am reassured that the baby isn't hyperactive, it's apparently normal for a baby of 16 weeks to move like this.
I've been feeling good...overall...except for being tired and dizzy at times...and I was sick the day of the ultrasound..probably because I had to drink 1lt of water before it.
I've been feeling good...overall...except for being tired and dizzy at times...and I was sick the day of the ultrasound..probably because I had to drink 1lt of water before it.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Canyon de Cobre (Copper Canyon/Canyon de Cuivre)
Saturday, March 28:
We flew with Interjet to Chihuahua with our friends from France, Estelle and Cédric. By the way, Chihuahua is the name of a real city, which is where the smallest dog in the world comes from too. We arrived later in the day, so not much time to visit...except for the Palacio de Gobierno. Inside the court yard is an impressive mural of the local history. The leader of the Mexican War of Independence, Miguel Hidalgo, was betrayed, captured and executed here in 1811.
Sunday, March 29:
From Chihuahu you can take the Chepe train which follows the Copper Canyon until Los Mochis. We took a bus to Creel instead of the train as the view is the same from the road. In Creel, a small village, with a coolish climate, we stayed at Casa Las Margaritas. A very good deal, 350 pesos per couple, plus breakfast and dinner!! We took a little tour with a local in his van to see the rock formations, a Tarahumara village and a lake.
Hanging the snake skin out to dry for medicinal use.
We actually felt the rock move a little!!!
Monday March 30:
We rode bikes to hot springs called Rekowata. The pools were somewhat out of place, reminding me of a fancy spa. We deserved our relaxing soak in the pools after a 45 min bike ride and over an hour's hike down. The worse was going home...an uphill hike and the the bike ride home....too bad the hot springs weren't at the end of the circuit!
Tuesday, March 31:
We woke up super early to catch the van to Batopilas. We were the only tourists among Tarahumaras. I hate to say this, but it was a very stinky 5 hour ride to Batopilas. I don't think they shower often...B.O. doesn't seem to bother them, neither does hoarking. Although it was cold, we kept opening our windows to freshen up the van.
The best part was stopping along the winding dirt road to pick up three more Tarahumarans becaue their truck broke down. Alcohol emmanated from the two guys. The woman was calm. One guy had a furry animal (a cholugo) in his arm which we found out he killed with his hands to have as a meal. (His shirt was covered in blood!) Cholugo apparently tastes like chicken.
Batopilas is a tiny town that was made famous by an American who developped the mines. It was the second city in all of Mexico to have electricity first! The old mines are empty today, and can be visited with Arturo Aguilar. He's the man if you want the grand authentic tour of Batopilas. He took us all over in his comfortable pick up truck! A real nice guy. Outside of Batopilas are mining areas exploited by the Canadian company, MAG Silver.
The cholugo in the arms of the alcohol man...who took a seat on the roof of the van!
Arturo Aguilar
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009
Got up super early to be at the corner at 4:30am to catch the 5:00am van back to Creel. To our surprise and disappointment, there were tons of people wanting to get to Creel and no more seats were left for us. We were devastated, it's the only van service available. We ran up and down the streets looking for someone who was leaving town...finally we found a huge truck going back towards Creel, but only to the paved highway...and free of charge...the only catch was to hop in the back like the animals do. No seats, no windows, just fresh cold dusty air! And not to mention, the bumps in the dirt road and the rattling sound of metal pieces clanking together were going to be felt and heard in an amplified manner...for about 2.5 hours of windy road along the steep canyon!!!!!
THIS IS THE BIGGEST ADVENTURE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED in MEXICO.
We made it after almost 3 hours of hanging on to dear life!
Finally we arrived at Divisadero (had a guy drive us from Creel to here). Savoured the best gorditas in all of Mexico. Vegetarian options too!
We arrived in El Fuerte, which is a quiet colonial town. It used to be the capital of the State of Sinaloa and of Sonora.
Friday, April 3rd, 2009
We took a bus and a small local bus to Topolobompo. There we enjoyed an afternoon on the beach and had lunch, accompanied by very loud ranchero music, blasting from truck speakers. The Mexican who owned the truck, of course, was seated at the other end of the restaurant, but our table right next to the parking lot...with the door wide open for EVERYONE to enjoy the music...I think we were the only ones who didn't appreciate it!
We flew with Interjet to Chihuahua with our friends from France, Estelle and Cédric. By the way, Chihuahua is the name of a real city, which is where the smallest dog in the world comes from too. We arrived later in the day, so not much time to visit...except for the Palacio de Gobierno. Inside the court yard is an impressive mural of the local history. The leader of the Mexican War of Independence, Miguel Hidalgo, was betrayed, captured and executed here in 1811.
Sunday, March 29:
From Chihuahu you can take the Chepe train which follows the Copper Canyon until Los Mochis. We took a bus to Creel instead of the train as the view is the same from the road. In Creel, a small village, with a coolish climate, we stayed at Casa Las Margaritas. A very good deal, 350 pesos per couple, plus breakfast and dinner!! We took a little tour with a local in his van to see the rock formations, a Tarahumara village and a lake.
Hanging the snake skin out to dry for medicinal use.
We actually felt the rock move a little!!!Monday March 30:
We rode bikes to hot springs called Rekowata. The pools were somewhat out of place, reminding me of a fancy spa. We deserved our relaxing soak in the pools after a 45 min bike ride and over an hour's hike down. The worse was going home...an uphill hike and the the bike ride home....too bad the hot springs weren't at the end of the circuit!
Tuesday, March 31:
We woke up super early to catch the van to Batopilas. We were the only tourists among Tarahumaras. I hate to say this, but it was a very stinky 5 hour ride to Batopilas. I don't think they shower often...B.O. doesn't seem to bother them, neither does hoarking. Although it was cold, we kept opening our windows to freshen up the van.
The best part was stopping along the winding dirt road to pick up three more Tarahumarans becaue their truck broke down. Alcohol emmanated from the two guys. The woman was calm. One guy had a furry animal (a cholugo) in his arm which we found out he killed with his hands to have as a meal. (His shirt was covered in blood!) Cholugo apparently tastes like chicken.
Batopilas is a tiny town that was made famous by an American who developped the mines. It was the second city in all of Mexico to have electricity first! The old mines are empty today, and can be visited with Arturo Aguilar. He's the man if you want the grand authentic tour of Batopilas. He took us all over in his comfortable pick up truck! A real nice guy. Outside of Batopilas are mining areas exploited by the Canadian company, MAG Silver.
The cholugo in the arms of the alcohol man...who took a seat on the roof of the van!
Arturo Aguilar
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009
Got up super early to be at the corner at 4:30am to catch the 5:00am van back to Creel. To our surprise and disappointment, there were tons of people wanting to get to Creel and no more seats were left for us. We were devastated, it's the only van service available. We ran up and down the streets looking for someone who was leaving town...finally we found a huge truck going back towards Creel, but only to the paved highway...and free of charge...the only catch was to hop in the back like the animals do. No seats, no windows, just fresh cold dusty air! And not to mention, the bumps in the dirt road and the rattling sound of metal pieces clanking together were going to be felt and heard in an amplified manner...for about 2.5 hours of windy road along the steep canyon!!!!!
THIS IS THE BIGGEST ADVENTURE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED in MEXICO.
We made it after almost 3 hours of hanging on to dear life!
Finally we arrived at Divisadero (had a guy drive us from Creel to here). Savoured the best gorditas in all of Mexico. Vegetarian options too!
We arrived in El Fuerte, which is a quiet colonial town. It used to be the capital of the State of Sinaloa and of Sonora.
Friday, April 3rd, 2009We took a bus and a small local bus to Topolobompo. There we enjoyed an afternoon on the beach and had lunch, accompanied by very loud ranchero music, blasting from truck speakers. The Mexican who owned the truck, of course, was seated at the other end of the restaurant, but our table right next to the parking lot...with the door wide open for EVERYONE to enjoy the music...I think we were the only ones who didn't appreciate it!
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