Far from God, close to the stars.

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Mexico City, metropolitan jungle.
Mar 15: Mexico City, we take a taxi from the airport (after having ensured driver in all ways of being "seguro", given perhaps our strained faces at arrival) that accompanies us to Isabel residence two blocks from the Zocalo, the square main boulevard. It is like I imagined, a little dark and perhaps bleak, but with patios and plants compensating the smell of smoke entering from outside. Just some minutes to put our nose out and better breathe the stink of the capital, then having dinner in the hotel restaurant, sure... there is also a very popular "cellar" inside, tonight guacamoles and spicy tacos will prepare our stomachs to the mexican climate.
Wed 16: We tackle smog and chaos of the most densely populated city of America and in a few minutes we are at the Zocalo. We visit the Cathedral and the fabulous murals by Diego Rivera in the Palacio Nacional. Then we climb LatinoAmericana Tower, the highest building, home offices (a bit ruined despite the appearance of modernity) and immediately understand the vastness of DF (destricto federal), as Mexico City is called by Mexicans. We pass afternoon at Bellas Artes museum-theatre, with other splendid murals of Rivera, Siqueiros and others. There is also a beautiful exhibition of Echevarria, then we go around the boulevard busy and noisy, coming back home after all. Evening with my friends Jazel and Italia in Coyoacan, residential area where the museum of Frida Khalo is located and where they breathe an air of healthy province.
Thu 17: Starting with Italia and Oskar we drive toward Oaxaca, where we'll stay for the weekend. It took three hours to exit the city (perhaps 'cause is Easter weekend) but then finally we can see the colors of nature, which takes the place of metropolitan squalor of the infinite "barrios".

Oaxaca, heritage of humanity.
From April 17 to 21: The Zocalo here is already animated when we just arrive in late afternoon, there are stalls and music everywhere, there is a beautiful sunset between the roofs of low buildings of this city, capital of the omonymous state, where the life rhythms seem already slower and relaxing after the anxiety caused by underground DF. The Santo Domingo square will become my favorite place, the church is an architectural jewel, full of statues of saints in relief throughout the ceiling. The adjacent museum is the most comprehensive understanding of the country history from pre-civilization to present day.
I lose a procession into the market on Saturday, with Indians dropped from nearby mountains to sell fruit, vegetables and animals. In the surroundings we visit Monte Alban (Mayan ruins), Hierve el Agua, with sulphurous pools of water, and the two thousandth anniversary tree called El Tule. But this is the city, with its historic centre and its pedestrian streets, that will remain in our hearts.

Puerto Escondido, a myth becomes reality.
April 21-28: The trip with van lasts six hours up to Pochutla but crossing the Sierra seems an eternity to me, we stop several times because of bad cars in front of us and stopping in villages where passengers lift up and descent. From Pochutla a "taxi colectivo" brings us in 45 min. to Puerto Escondido, with some beach surfers of Zicatela. The next day we move into cities where we notice immediately the presence of Italians refugees, here even before the famous film of Gabriele Salvatores. We have lunch at Claudio's and stay at Mario's, but now we go away from here, to Zipolite, where we can breathe some "freak" air that Puerto seems not to have more. The beaches in Zipolite, Mazunte and Puerto Angel, are something really magical that becomes difficult to leave from, we sleep in hammock, I cook some rice for a dozen people at the restaurant of a posada and I already feel part of this world. Not to mention the sunsets and the stars seen from here, stay in this corner of Pacific for six days, then I decide that it's time to leave for Chiapas.

Palenque and San Cristobal, Internet and Mayan ruins.
April 28 - May 2: I left my travel companion to the sea and, after several hours of bus, I arrived in Chiapas. San Cristobal is the place with the highest concentration of internet points, at the lowest price I have ever seen. Even eating and sleeping here is cheaper than elsewhere. I visit two Mayan villages a few kilometers far with a mini tour that starts from the center and I realize that entire families here live like their ancestors, without electricity or running water, pagan religion and Christianity mixed in their rites and women all wearing traditional costume.
In San Cristobal for the first time I meet Italians, in groups, and three Dutch friends already encountered on plane and then in Puerto Escondido. It still happened to me to meet people already seen and known in different cities at a distance of days, but I never met Italians travelling alone. Italians who have made Mexico their land of adoption yes, and several.
In moisty Palenque I find accommodation in a camping in the jungle on a road full of ruins, an enchanted place, almost magical; unfortunately I have little days to enjoy it. The ruins are then something simply enchanting, as the waterfalls of Agua Azul, that I visited before leaving for the long trip (15 hours) to return to Oaxaca.

Oaxaca, one last hug
3 and 4 May: I'll be back to square posada, near the Santo Domingo, for another two days in the city that I elected my favoured, to meet some people which I still want to hug before leaving Mexico. I expose myself promising my return soon, perhaps early in next winter, so I pass these days doing shopping of hammocks and handicrafts, visiting museums and seeing festivities and celebrations, with children dressed in festive clothes and music played all day in the streets. I'm so tired and now I move to the bus that will report me to Mexico City impressed to fire with this location in the heart.

Mexico City and the pyramids at Teotihuacan
Arrived at the station I deposit my luggage to exploit formalities even the day before flying to the old Europe at 9pm. We must take the underground and leave the station heading north to reach Teotihuacan. Traces of fresh blood (human) in the corridor of the station and the continuing search for passengers show me the reality of this monstrous conurbation called Mexico DF.
The pyramids of the Sun and the Moon and everything around here creates magic that will return even in my dreams coming back to Italy. It rains at the airport while i'm expecting to embark, so I ask to the guards if it has already begun the rainy season. They tell me that it has not rained for twenty days, I wonder since I set foot on this land that gave me emotions difficult to forget and a strong desire to return there...