Enough is enough

This week, or last - I’m not entirely sure, Mexico’s mint brought out a new 20 peso bank note. Very pretty, init! The back features drawings of Monte Alban, one of my Mexican 7 Wonders candidates. The problem with money in this country sometimes though, is getting people to part with it. You almost have to put a gun to their head….maybe this explains the high number of robberies?! Of course, most people are perfectly honest, but there are a few more who are problematic than back in the UK. And not because they can’t can’t afford to part with the cash per se. It’s more of an issue of delaying and chaotic administration.

I had to quit a job last week, because the school I worked for just couldn’t quite understand that not paying a 4 or 5 month overdue salary wasn’t acceptable. It went overdue by a couple of months because I couldn’t sign the contract - my documents were with lawyers for my FM3. But it should have been paid at the beginning of July. Come the end of August and a long series of emails, missed appointments, rejected cheques, part payments, excuses and general nonsense - adios! You have to draw a line somewhere. I drew mine, and now they need a new teacher. I’ve lost about MXN$1,500, but to be honest it was worth it to lose the stress and time wasting.

 

M7W - Arbor del Tule

Number 7 of my 16 candidates, is a tree that is claimed to be the biggest living mass in the world. Of course, there are many other countries who have similar claims, but one thing is for sure - it is bloody enormous. And it’s in a very pretty part of the country, not far from Oaxaca City.

From Wiki: El Árbol del Tule (Spanish for “the Tule Tree”) is a very large tree located in the church grounds in the town center of Santa María del Tule in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, approximately 13 km (8 miles) from the city of Oaxaca on the road to Mitla. It is a Montezuma cypress The tree is 43 m tall, has a circumference of 35.87 m, and has the largest trunk diameter of any tree in the world at 11.42 m. (approx. 37 feet) It has a volume of 705 cubic meters and weighs an estimated 509 020 kilograms. It is so large that it was originally thought to be multiple trees, but recent DNA tests have proved that it is only one tree. This does not rule out another theory, that it comprises multiple trunks from a single individual. The age of El Tule is unknown, with estimates ranging between 1200 and 3000 years. Local Zapotec legend holds that it was planted about 1400 years ago by Pechocha, a priest of Ehecatl, the Aztec storm-god; its position on a sacred site (later taken over by the Roman Catholic Church) would tend to support this.

 

Facebook Apps - Top 10

I’ve raved about Facebook a couple of times before, and seeing as my user experience just gets better and better I’m jolly well gonna rave about it again! If you haven’t given it a go yet, then perhaps you should. There are so many applications you can add - there’s something for everyone. Some of them are really crap (boy, if anyone Ninjas me, or Pirates me one more time…), others are a little fun, but a few have become must haves. Todays fave is ‘Compare People’. There’s a load of ‘How alike are you’ apps which give percentage scores, but this is a more direct face off. Much more interesting!

 

 

So apparantly I beat allcomers when it comes to being well mannered, funny, useful, nice and artistic - it has to be said no one can draw in snow with their own wee like I can! I won 2 of 3 when it comes to smelling nice. Jeez, how much do those two smoke?! I get through a pack a day!! But what makes me laugh is that someone out there, believes they know someone who is more likely to skip class than me. Yeah, right…! But anyway, my Top 10 must have apps? Calendar, Zoho Online Office, DivShare, Compare Me, Picnik, Video, Skype Me, Music Videos (Yahoo), Delicious, Feed Invasion, Premier League Picks. Was that 11? I told you it was good…

 

M7W - Guanajuato

It’s number six of my 16 candidates for Mexico’s 7 Wonders, and it’s another place I visited in 2003 - this city is so fantastic though that I went back for a few days a couple of months ago. It’s famous for its tunnels and mummies (the dug up dead body kind) but really the attraction is in its unspoilt ‘colonialness’ and architecture. You can eat and drink well here too.

From Wiki: Guanajuato was founded as a town in 1554 and received the designation as a city in 1741. It is located in one of the richest silver mining areas of Mexico, and is well known for its wealth of fine colonial era Spanish architecture. The name “Guanajuato” comes from the Tarascan (P’urhépecha) word, “Quanax-juato”, which means “place of frogs”. The city was originally built over the Guanajuato River, which flowed through tunnels underneath the city. However, after years of raising buildings to accommodate repeated flooding, in the mid-twentieth century, engineers built a dam and redirected the river into underground caverns. The tunnels were lit and paved with cobblestones for automobile traffic, and this underground road network carries the majority of cars driving through the city today. It is one of the most noticeable features of the city. The city played a major role in the Mexican War of Independence since it is the capital of the State Guanajuato in which Miguel Hidalgo started the independence movement. The Statue of El Pípila and the Alhóndiga de Granaditas still remind of that time.

 

M7W - Palenque

Number five of my 16 candidates for Mexico’s 7 Wonders. Palenque is another place I visited in 2003, and one of my favourites. When you tour a country with a lot of examples of one type of thing, you can get tired of them. Cathedral fatigue/ waterfall fatigue / ancient ruin fatigue etc. But it won’t matter how many ruins you have seen prior to this one, you will want to stay all day. Because there is nothing else within walking distance, you probably will. Set in thick lush green jungle, over a huge site with very atmospheric mists rolling across it if you get there early enough.

From Wiki: . Palenque is a Maya archeological site near the Usumacinta River in the Mexican state of Chiapas about 130 km south of Ciudad del Carmen. It is a medium-sized site, much smaller than such huge sites as Tikal or Copán, but it contains some of the finest architecture, sculpture, roof comb and bas-relief carvings the Maya produced. The site was already long abandoned when the Spanish arrived in Chiapas. The first European to visit the ruins and publish an account was Father Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada in 1567; at the time the local Chol Maya called it Otolum meaning “Land with strong houses”, de la Nada roughly translated this into Spanish to give the site the name “Palenque”, meaning “fortification”. (The similarity with the name of the mythical Mayan hero Ixbalanque is coincidental.) Palenque also became the name for the town (Santo Domingo del Palenque) which was built over some peripheral ruins down in the valley from the main ceremonial center of the ancient city. An ancient name for the central core of the of the city currently consolidated was Lakam Ha, which translates as “Big Water”, for the numerous springs and wide cascades that are found within the site. Palenque was the capital of the important Classic period Maya city-state of B’aakal or B’aak (Bone), after one of the city’s most frequently occurring Emblem Glyphs.

Torre Mayor

I did a posta long time ago about Torre Mayor, Latin America’s tallest building. It was completed in 2003, shortly after my first visit here, and in 2005 I went up to the top of the tower - I think that they no longer let tourists up to the balcony though, which is a shame. Anyway, I still get a few comments on that post from time to time, and today got a link to a video. There are taller towers in the world, but there are none that are as earthquake proof as this one, excepting perhaps one in LA which has an equal rating.

M7W - Hierve el Agua

Number four of my 16 candidates for Mexico’s 7 Wonders is the Hierve el Agua, a solidified waterfall in Oaxaca.

From Wiki:

Hierve el Agua (Spanish for “the water boils”) is set of natural rock formations in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, that look like waterfalls. The site is located about 30 kilometers east of Mitla, Oaxaca. Relatively small amounts of water, which despite the name is cool (25°C) bubble up from various spots and, running over the cliffs, evaporate. The rock formations, primarily of calcium carbonate, are left behind. This is much the same process as forms stalactites and stalagmites< in caves, but in this case takes place on the side of a mountain. The formations are very high, some of them 50 meters: the picture in the gallery with tourists on top of the “waterfall” gives an idea of the scale. The area is also of archeological interest because of the extensive system of irrigation and terraces built by the Zapotecs as much as 2,500 years ago. There are cabins for overnight accommodation at the site, and the water is pooled in two places, and one can wade or swim in it. Trails allow for hiking to the bottom of the rock formations and to various other places in the vicinity.

Mexico City Marathon

Yep, I actually went. Although a little bit late. Well, over 7 hours late….which is why the only photo I have is off the finish point. Oh well, maybe next year. Thing is, Sky was finally installed on Thursday and there was an English Premier League game on from 10am to 12pm. Priorities…

It’s almost September, and Mexico’s Independence Day, so the decorations are out around the Zocalo. Adds a lot of colour to the square at this time of year when the skies are so grey and cast a dark shadow across the city.

Red, white and green will be very much in your face for the next three weeks if you are in the city. Street vendors are appearing everywhere selling flags and banners and other stuff to decorate your house.

M7W - Real de Catorce

The third of my 16 candidates is the town of Real de Catorce. It’s one of the four places I haven’t been to, but it is high on my list of priorities. Next year maybe. Click here to vote.

From RealdeCatorce.net

The Town of Real de Catorce is at an altitude of more than 9,000 feet. It is situated in the mountain range of Catorce, one of the highest plateaus in Mexico, with summits that exceed 10,000 feet of altitude. Silence, fresh air, and spectacular vistas are some of the features visitors can enjoy if they venture to walk the many paths of this sacred land in the heart of Mexico. Currently, Real de Catorce is in a period of transition and prosperity due to tourist promotion by the government and the popularity it has received from several Hollywood films that have been shot there. The tourist infrastructure has improved considerably in quality and quantity. However, it is only able to receive a limited number of visitors and there are no banks or “Casas de Cambio” to change money.

M7W - Misol Ha Waterfall

Number two of the 16 candidates, a waterfall that might look familiar. Especially if you were a fan of Arnie Shwarzenegger’s films in the 80’s. A famous scene from Predator, the first film, was set here. It’s another place I visited during my backpacking trip in 2003, deep in the heart of the lush green and turquoise of Chiapas. Click here to vote in my poll.

From Mexperience:

The State of Chiapas in southern Mexico is one of the country’s most attractive areas of outstanding natural beauty: and a large part of its attraction is the abundance of wilderness engulfed by a constant carpet of greens and turquoises; a reflection of the rich fertile ground here.