WHY i love Mexico

Today started off with the doorbell ringing exactly at 11 AM. Lauren and I had no idea exactly what lay in store for us, all we knew was that my friends, Ana and Fab, had a whole day planned just for us. This was especially exciting for me since I had not seen Ana or Fab in 5 years. Ana was my incredible Spanish teacher in Mexico City. She would find my learning style and do everything in her power (in a fun way) and would teach me about culture AND Spanish. All that to say, I was quite excited about the day. They picked us up and we headed straight for the centro. In the centro, we visited the Palacio de arte, basically an art museum. It was huge and beautiful. Inside were paintings by Diego Rivera (one of my favorites, even if he WAS Marxist), and others who used a lot of symbolism and tried to portray freedom through their paintings. It was incredible. We had a special tour guide to explained things (in English!!!) about the paintings. I enjoyed every moment. From there, we continued to the wonderfully delicious candy shop…can I tell you, there was a lot of eating going on, so don’t be surprised when I tell you all the other places! Anyway, this candy place was amazing. I finally decided on Orange and Lime flavored coconut balls. Let me tell you-DELICIOUS. After the candy factory, we went to the cathedral. This is the cathedral that I have been to before, but every time, my heart aches for the people here. This cathedral has sunk more than a meter because of the gold inside. People are all kneeling in front of gold statues and you can’t help but feel the hopelessness. I long for them to know the truth about my wonderful Father. After the cathedral, we were all starving, so taco time it was! We all headed for tacos and met some of Ana and Fab’s friends at the little restaurant. As we were waiting, we saw many people dressed as statues. One man was even dressed like Michael Jackson and dancing, My favorite is and always will be Tacos de pastor. I doubt I will ever be tired of them.
Once we were all satisfied, we hopped in the car and headed for another candy store (I told you there was a lot of eating going on!). This little candy shop, called QueBo, is run by an internationally-known chef who makes chocolate without sugar and as healthy and delicious as possible, if those two words can be used in the same sentence. After that, helado- ice cream (I warned you!). I had an ice cream that was made with different kinds of red fruits and berries in a waffle bowl. Lauren was hungry since she had not eaten much for lunch, so we continued to a little town where Ana and Fab live and we went to café la selva. Funny as it is, this is a little café that my family has taken me to many times. I had been there before and remembered their incredible chocolate-covered coffee beans. Of course, I had to get some of those! I also had a mango drink-incredible! It’s such a beautiful town. There is a little gazebo in the plaza with beautiful plants and markets. It’s hard not to fall in love with little towns like that. It was a wonderful escape from the crowds and largeness of Mexico City. We were all a bit tired and exhausted when we finally headed home. It was 9 o’clock. As I said goodbye to my beloved friends, I thought about how wonderful of a day it had been. I love seeing Mexico from the perspective of someone who is Mexican and has lived there for a long time. It’s so incredible. On our trip home, we were also able to talk to Ana about Christianity. This was an incredible opportunity since I knew that she is not very open to the gospel. Her brother and his family are Christians, but she claims no part of it. It was an amazing ending of an amazing day. The Lord has blessed me incredibly with incredible friends.