D.F., home to 23 million

D.F., or México,  as many call it, emerges from the greenery that separates it from Cuernavaca to stretch out in an endless roll of white buildings shrouded in smog.  Blue sky peeks through each day, but even at the ground level one can see how the air thickens into a brownish hue.  We went into D.F. to get a box of teaching materials I had mailed to myself at the COMEXUS office, and stayed 2 nights to take advantage of all the city has to offer. There is enough to see and do to last a year of mail pick-ups!

     The Bosque de Chapultepec offers a welcome respite from the busy roads and hoards of people. Formerly a bathing spot for Aztec royalty, the park covers a 4 km square area and contains the current presidential palace (Los Pinos) as well as the former residence of conquitadores, French royalty, and Mexican presidents: el Castillo de Chapultepec.  

                The Castillo sits at about 7,000 feet above sea level, so it's a bit of a climb 

to get to the top.  Inside, however, the reward is an amazing museum of Mexican history, including the popular story of the 6 "Niños Héreos," military cadets who defended the Castillo against the American invasion of the capital in 1847.  All six boys died, and are now national heros.  

        El 16 de septiembre is coming up, so the streets are full of stands where you can buy all the Independence Day decorations you would ever want.  It's a huge celebration here, with 2 days off from school and a midnight celebration the 15th.

       We spent the second night with a co-Fulbrighter and her fam

ily, who have become friends of ours.  She is also a high school teacher, but is teaching middle school, which is run very differently from the high 

school level.  Her husband, armed with the Lonely Planet and a Mexico 

City guidebook, served as our tour guide of their area, and we spent the day exploring Coyoacán (Frida Kahlo's neighborhood)

 and shopping in artisan markets.  They are the only Fulbright family with kids to have come this year - we're looking forward to visiting them again and getting our "auntie" fix!