coldhearted scientist وداد

Starting on day 7, or the sixth full day, but with a division, as I’m counting the weekend on its own.

16- January 1, Monday. I could try for the pharmacy, item #2, today. I’m interested in the Bosque, going up on the mirador and into the castle if possible, and in a stroll to Parque España. I’ll go to the Péndulo after Gruzinski if any of them are open. Or another bookstore. In the afternoon and evening the Cineteca Nacional is open, and now that I have a metro route I like, I could go there.

15- December 31, Sunday. Soumaya and it is arguably the worst museum I’ve ever been to, Trumpian. I should find out if anyone has written an article about this, and if not, I should. Polanco, walking through it, an interesting experience. Long lunch and then shopping with D and C, then home by metro to rest up for the Ruben Blades party on Reforma. We will see how that is.

Spent: Pharmacy 410 (Tamiflu, over the counter, for my next flu attack), 50 metro recharge, for the future.
Walked: 11.5K during the day, which is 7 miles. During the night there will be more.

14- December 30, Saturday. Out for breakfast in the cute neighborhood place, and this made a difference in the day. Then back home to regroup, then stroll to Templo Mayor (tried to take the Metrobus, got on a wrong one, got off, walked). Saw it and then very intereting art exhibits in the old Arzobispado (Leonor Carrington statue, German artist, Zacatecas artist, patrimonio with Rivera, Beloff, more), museo de las culturas in the old mint (interesting to see old Turkish and Chinese things right after old Aztec things). Walk down by la Merced and up toward Lagunilla, then circling back to Zócalo, really interesting conceptual exhibit at Centro Cultural de España. Stroll across Alameda to Metro Hidalgo, metro to San Cosme, shop in little stalls and shops, to bring things home for dinner.

A lovely day and I escaped the hipsters entirely. It’s as though yesterday’s walk got me baptized at last, even the cavernous Air BnB doesn’t bother me as much. I wish I had more time.

Spent: 250 breakfast, 30 metro recharge, 90 museum ticket, 250 groceries, 620 total (~37 USD).
Walked: Over 15K, according to the app. It’s shocking, because I’ve walked more before I downloaded the app, and I was underestimating it.

——————————————————————————————————–

13- December 29, Friday. In the morning, a gorgeous walk up to the museum, which was closed, but then fascinating walk in the barrio, forgot to go to Biblioteca Vasconcelos which is nearby, but the barrio was great and it was a full-on morning of wonder and joy, of which I’ve had few this trip. Saw the church of Cosme and Damião, too, lovely, and of course the Moorish pavilion. I managed to mail one post card, but not the Russian one, and I tried for a pharmacy.

Then I felt sick again and went home to sleep, and later eat. Then I tried to get pharmacy delivery but they did not take my form of payment, and then I was cold and tired in this Air BnB. No movies are at good hours. I would stroll to Péndulo Roma but it is a long walk and it’s Friday night, it will be packed. My malaise is a combination of: the air bnb, the WINTER, the illness, the distances/traffic/crowds, and the anxiety of feeling the city is being sold off for parts to globalized hipsters.

I decided to try to take a walk at least but it was colder out and utterly desolate. I bought excellent pannetone at the Alcázar and came home for tea, and read a small amount, and I am going to sleep. I really hope I feel better tomorrow.

Spent: 95 coffee and muffin de elote in that cute cafe, 11 postage, 77 pannetone, 182, total for the week $3412 which is only 200 USD, amazing!
Walked: 9.5 km … it didn’t seem like that much but I measured it.

12- December 28, Thursday. Late start but nice day and walk up to the Anthropology Museum. Touristy but beautiful, I did not see it all, their restaurant is crowded, want to use it for study abroad but is it worth the lines? Maybe just eat a lot before going in, I don’t know. This visit did help with my course concept. Bus down to my house to charge phone, have something more to eat, study public transit. I could take the Metrobus to the Cineteca Nacional and I can get it back from Péndulo Roma, too. (Uber just seems so excessive, and so not anonymous, although it would get one to one’s door; I’ll have to try it at some point soon.) Hey but yay, I forgot, the Péndulo HAMBURGO is only a shortish walk from here!

(Is it stage of life? I kind of want to work tonight and I’d like to be in a cozy hotel bar of some kind so I could have book and laptop without carting the latter somewhere. And take a stroll later. I don’t want to stay in the air bnb. Instead though, I have to take a fairly long walk to a bookstore-café, and then walk or Metrobus back. If I lived here longer, I’d surely learn to Uber, but still. And the washing machine seems great to have, but is that in part because I’m washing towels, sheets, dishtowels?)

Later, having walked to and back from Péndulo Hamburgo: yes, call it stage of life or whatever, but I want to come to A.L. now in the circumstances I go to 1st world places … to stop thinking so spartan-ly. Reimagine this trip slightly shorter but then stay in the [Red Tree House], and somewhere in Taxco, and back to the [Red Tree House] … for instance. Stay cozy places and not in far-flung barrios alone (and this one feels far-flung if alone, even though it really is very well-located). ALSO: it’s that it’s winter, with two holiday weekends, and short days. Those gorgeous months I spent here in modest circumstances ten years ago were in summer, with its longer, warmer days that didn’t call forth the need for cozy evenings in I feel (I’d really like a good hotel bar, at my hotel). AND: María Cristina is one I like better than RTH, its site is not all in English and it’s in Cuauhtémoc, not all the way gone to Condesa (on this new trip I could stay in both).

Spent: 205 lunch, 90 museum, 50 snack, 100 book. Total 445, 6-day total 3230, average 546 ($33).
Walked: 11 km., and I measured it, and it was less than I had walked on my HUGE walking days, I think (total walking TIME was only a little over two hours and I’ve done four and five).

11- December 27, Wednesday. The Rahon exhibit, Museo Kaluz, and Elvira Gascón and more Spanish exiles. Lizárraga (I think), others. It’s a great museum in the permanent collection, too! And I went to the Spanish-inflected restaurant next door, Cantina Doña Julita. Walked up to my neighborhood and had coffee, read the paper, came home, read more news and actually started working on next semester and things. (When you don’t want to relax or can’t, work. I read theory because I was bored with my novel. And it’s good to have started working on the class.)

ALSO: The garbage collector came! About 11 AM. I still do not understand the system, he seemed to have come by chance. But it was great, I got the garbage picked up! (Note the problems: shopping, commuting, garbage collection. Yes, it is saving me money, teaching me things, and giving me a non-touristy space.)

Spent: 370 lunch, 10 news, 20 garbage, 55 coffee, total 455, 5 day total 2785, average 557.
Walked: 8.5 km and I measured it, and this was less walking than many days. I might have done nearly twice that on Christmas (I certainly walked twice as long).

10- December 26, Tuesday. I saw Perdidos en la noche Monday night and it is a stressful film … and less good than it looks. I was race walking because it was so late and by the time I got home I was sick. Slept all day Tuesday and ate nothing.

Spent: 0 (Total 4 days still 2330, so average is now under 600, e.g. under 36USD.)
Walked: 0

9- December 25, Christmas. Had stayed up relatively late and it was almost 10 when I got up and almost 1 when I finally got out, after correspondence and different things. Interesting, increasingly interesting exploration walk downtown, finding among other things the offices of Mexican Sinarquist Committee, the Biblioteca de México, and this interesting cinéclub that shares a building with a spa. It kept getting sunnier and sunnier and I didn’t realize I was reaching Garibaldi until I heard huapangos. Hardly anyone was there but it was still great and the mariachis serenaded a boy whose birthday was also today. Strolled to Reforma, rode part of the way home on the Metrobus, and the city is waking up. What else? I made this very Spanish potato and olive salad and té de limón, and the goal is to see Perdidos en la noche.

Spent: ice cream 25, movie 90, total 115. (Total last 3 days 2330, so the average is down to 777.)

8- December 24, my birthday. The first one I remember was 65 years ago, Facebook informa. This is shocking, it feels so recent. Jackie Lawson e-card from John Lindgren, a touch of family. Quesadillas with squash flower and Mexican camembert, successful. (Note: there’s Perdidos en la noche at Cinépolis Diana, 4:40 and 7:15 AND in Centro Histórico at 8:00 [I just discovered the Casa del Cine]). So I guess this is what I will do: insist on going down to Coyoacán even though this involves the metro, and go to the Zócalo, and go to this. When I will cook food, I do not know, perhaps tomorrow, then.

So really: interesting-boring walk to Metro Hidalgo, actually got on it, ride to Víveros, check out Víveros, check out market at Coyoacán, great fish lunch at my restaurant there, walk back to metro Coyoacán, see crazy Centro Coyoacán mall, metro to San Cosme, nice walk home. Then cooked chicken with calabacita, cebollita, ajo, lots of epazote, tomate, salt, pepper, olive oil, parsley, basil; garnished with ashy goat cheese and balsamic vinegar, it was great. Sauvignon blanc from Baja California. Then out for another interesting-boring walk, and now watching Maestro. A strangely charming day, clearly great for food, not lovely for scenery, but everyone I saw was so sweet.

Spent: 550 lunch, 10 newspaper, total 560. Average of last two days ~1100 (total 2215).
Walked: I am guessing 8 km again, although it doesn’t seem like that much.

7- December 23, Saturday. Perhaps overwhelmed with the size of the city, I ended up not doing a great deal. Still, some discoveries and achievements. One grant application done; success with Jüsto/Rappi; amazing stroll through the amazing James Sullivan market, which needs closer inspection; amazing visit to La Naval Río Lerma. Meandering, and interesting stroll downtown to Bucareli, looked at the Edificio Dondé; coffee and sopa tlalpaneca at Café La Habana and decided this is not a place for food. Ideas of where to go had been Roma and Coyoacán, and then Sta. Ma. La Ribera, but I ended up not having the energy for any of this (unless I could have gone on a Metrobus), wanted to sit around and read. I’m going to see the movie Totem and then I’m going to bed early, I think, to get up and out early tomorrow. Later: Totem is really marvelous and the walk home was very beautiful, and I’ve opened Baja California wine.

Spent: 900 groceries, 450 holiday food, 215 newspapers, coffee, soup, 90 cine, total 1655.
Walked: Maybe 8 km, although it really doesn’t seem like that much.

Axé.