Day 13
My day began early in super-gringa style. Why? Well, I decided to go for a run in my shorts and t-shirt and definitely did not blend in. Despite the slight awkwardness of my workout, I had a good run and worked up an appetite. I decided to stop by a tamale cart in a plaza near my hotel for a little breakfast. The man operating the cart positioned himself next to a park bench for added comfort to his customers. As I sat eating my mole tamale and atole (a chocolate rice drink), I expected to have a silent breakfast. Instead, the vendor struck up a conversation with me about where I was from and the differences between Spanish and English. He wanted to know if English was hard to learn. I said that I thought all second languages were difficult but English in particular because of the pronunciation challenges. Spanish, I admitted, is differently challenging for English speakers because we don't have the subjunctive. It was pretty awesome having this linguistic conversation and it definitely wouldn't have happened if it was up to me. I consider myself pretty friendly, but I don't normally engage with strangers who I am not likely to see again. It seemed to me that the vendor could not help but engage with me. As if to let me eat in silence would be rude. If this is a cultural norm is yet to be seen.
Later I went out to see the famous Puebla zócalo, which is truly gorgeous. It is situated right next to the Puebla Cathedral and is well-maintained, featuring fountains and statues. Within the zócalo, families gathered to have a walk or snack. Teens sat together sharing beverages or holding hands. It was pleasant and peaceful.
I stopped for coffee in a lovely little place that not only had great coffee but also neat Mexican cultural artifacts about. As you can see in the photo, behind the counter there were chalk drawings featuring skeletons (a standard Mexican motif). There were also different artisanal crafts, including mini-dioramas of skeletons doing various things. I had to get one and decided on a diorama of skeletons doing Lucha Libre (Mexican masked wrestling). As I was about to buy it, I saw another diorama of one skeleton teaching other little skeletons math. It's me in skeleton form! So I bought two.
My main goal for the day was to go to the local hotel/restaurant/cooking school to take a class to learn to make the delicious food of Puebla. Unfortunately, the chef was at a competition in D.F. (Mexico City) and would not return until after I planned to leave Puebla. Nevertheless, I decided to stay at the Mesones Sacristia for comida or a large late lunch. I was not disappointed. The squash blossom salad with cilantro dressing was refreshing. The cactus and fava bean soup tasted great.
Best of all was the chile en nogada, a pepper stuffed with what seemed to be raisins, squash, tomatos, and chiles covered with a creamy walnut sauce and topped with pomegranate seeds. It is known to display the three colors of the Mexican flag and is only available a few months of the year. Lucky me! One noteworthy thing about the dining experience and others in Mexico is that the waiter will never ask if you want the check. You have to ask for it as offering the check is seen as rude. Interesting.
My final noteworthy moment of the day came at a time when I was certain I would not need my camera and thus have no picture to capture it. I went out for a light dinner and inadvertently ordered a pata tostada instead of a papa tostada (foot instead of potato). Unfortunately, I just could not make myself eat it. Minus one point for me in international coolness. On my walk of shame back to the hotel, I stumbled upon Musa, a neat cafe/gallery/music space, where they had vegetarian sandwiches! After ordering one, I sat and waited and admired the paintings on the wall and the mix of people at the cafe: young, old, couples, single people. I asked the waitress if this was a popular place for teens. She said that every kind of person came here but that yes, teens did seem to like it. I could see why. It was spacious, featured hip art work, and had a relaxed, young feel. The waitress invited me to a jazz concert tomorrow. Maybe I'll go.