I know I kept talking about how crazy the Bicentenario was going to be. And no doubt it was, especially for folks near the Zócalo. (Check out the official Zócalo Bicentenario pictures, complete with flames and fireworks.) From my perspective, the Reforma party was actually kind of subdued. There was music and fireworks, but everyone watched respectfully. And the crowds weren’t as big as I’d thought.
At about 6 p.m. on Wednesday, I met up with my friends Alice and Nick, and we began our walk to the Angel. There wasn’t any other way to get there — almost all of the streets had been closed. A few blocks into the Zona Rosa, a group of policemen checked my bag and took my umbrella away. (“They’re prohibited,” one officer explained.)
Once on Reforma, more officers checked our bags and waved them with metal detectors. We caught a few bits of the parade. It was a colorful, fun affair, showing Mexican history through the ages. Families lined up to watch perhaps three or four rows deep, but there was still plenty of room to stroll and people-watch.
At about 7 p.m., we arrived at the Sheraton Maria Isabel, where my friend Carlos had reserved a suite. (Interestingly, Los Tigres Del Norte were staying in the floor above ours — my friends Jonathan and Ale ran into them in the elevator.) We had chicharrones, jicama with lime juice, guacamole, tacos and tlacoyos. To drink, there was tequila and mescal, and Carlos’s famous homemade sangrita. A shocking amount of beer and bottled water lay in the bathtub, covered in ice. (Wish I would’ve gotten a picture of it, but I was in a non-picture-taking relaxed mode.)
For pretty much the rest of the night, we watched the festivities unfold from there — our ninth-floor hotel window. Part of me felt lame to be so far away from the gente, and some of us did escape every now and then to go watch the concerts up close. I really liked the hotel room, though — having a real bathroom, drinks and food at my disposal made the party just… comfortable. And all of my favorite people were with me.
At 11 p.m., all us — we numbered about 15 — yelled the grito together in the hotel room, following President Calderón’s lead on TV.
Vivan los heroes que nos daban patria!
Viva!
Viva Hidalgo!
Viva!
Viva Morelos!
Viva!
Viva Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez!
(me, thinking, “Who’s she?”) Viva!
There were a few more vivas, and then fireworks exploded outside. The Angel lit up with lights. Everyone stopped talking and stared, and took pictures. It was a special moment — here I was in Mexico, a country I loved and a place that’s given me so much over the past year. I took a moment just to be grateful.
Later, we had a dance party in the suite’s living room. (If you want to know how to get people dancing at a party, invite a Zumba instructor.) Crayton and I walked home at about 2 a.m., to the waning strains of the Tigres. Around us, women pushed babies in strollers, and little kids walked by in sparkly tri-colored hats and ribbons.
To my surprise and delight, a late-night food fair had been set up Calle Florencia. Vendors had pozole, pambazos, tacos, buñuelos and atole. It smelled amazing.
I bought an atole de masa even though I wasn’t hungry. It was Independence Day, I had to buy something!
Buñuelos for sale
Pan de nata was everywhere. Someone fill me in -- is this an independence day tradition?
We got to bed at 2:30 on Sept. 16, and were awakened at 8:55 a.m. by a neighbor with a noisemaker. The folks next door to us were still partying. (I’m telling you, there are some hardcore partyers in the Roma.)
Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day, and Crayton and I had planned to get out of the house and maybe see the military parade. Instead I was hit with a stomach bug — I spent the whole day at home, eating rice porridge and sipping Gatorade, and watching old episodes of Deadwood. I don’t think it was the atole de masa that gave me the bug, by the way — I’ve been feeling a little strange since Tuesday.
Stomach problems aside, I still feel really lucky to have been a part of the party.
Now tell me what you did. How did you spend your Bicentenario?
love your blog!! DF sounds amazing! Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez is “la corregidora.” She was married to the corregidor in Queretaro. She was a conspirator in the war of indepence from Spain. She was quite radical for her gender and time.
Thanks for clearing that up Mim! Glad you’re enjoying the blog.
I spent it in the Zocalo, which was anything but subdued!
Gary: Glad to hear it! The flame show in particular looked amazing on TV. I still haven’t talked to anyone who was there — was it as crowded as all the newspapers said it was going to be? Just thinking of going there was making me feel a little claustrophobic.
It wasn’t overcrowded at all. They limited the number of people who were allowed in. There was space enough to move around and sit down. Getting out took a little while though!
If you email me, I have a suggestion about stomach problems in Mexico, which I always have too.
At the grito in San Pedro Cholula.
I was down by the Angel too, but spent most of the night cruising Florencia for snacks. Have spent most of the last few days atoleando, and am now wondering if I’m in line for some stomach problems.
By the way, do you know anything about the honey sauce they drizzle over bunuelos? I was asking about them but couldn’t figure out exactly what I was being told? Honey made from something and aniseed something? Whatever it is, it may be life changing.
I think it’s a syrup made from guayaba with cinnamon.
I know they use piloncillo as the base for the syrup, plus cinnamon. (Piloncillo is what gives it that brownish color.) Looks like some folks add guayabas too, as Gary said. By the way: my stomach probs lasted only a day. If they were atole-induced, it was worth it!
It still sounds amazing, thanks for sharing.
We spent the noche del grito on the Plaza Grande in Pátzcuaro, getting soaked by a steady rain, listening to speeches, sort of watching the coronation of the Reinas (has anybody else caught the irony?), a fine and short Grito, followed immediately by 30 minutes of spectacularly disorderly fireworks.
We got to bed by 11:30. ¡Viva Pátzcuaro!
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
Sounds lovely, Don Cuevas. I heartily echo your “Viva Pátzcuaro!” comment.
Thanks for the report and I hope you are feeling better now.
That was so nice of the bunuelo vendor to put his head near the stacks so I could see that they are as big as one’s head.
…wait, you were the group/s on the balconies of the Sheraton? You’re probably a tiny pixel in the background of most of my pictures then. Oh how I envied you all up there…
No, that wasn’t me… sadly. We had a room without a terraza. It was still a really nice view though.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t be in Mexico for the celebrations, so I watched in awe from home here in Chicago. Originally, some friends of ours from DF were going to come visit and we were planning a party for them, but they had purchased their airline tickets on Mexicana. Since they couldn’t get a refund or find any reasonably priced flights after Mexicana suspended all flights due to their bankruptcy shutdown, they were unable to make it here to celebrate with us. Regardless, I still hung all my papel picado bicentenario and waved my flag!
I enjoy your blog ! It takes me back to living in el DF even though my time there was in the last century 😉
I was recently in DF for a visit and ended up with my local ‘family’ at a feria/festival one evening with a small carnival, a stage with events scheduled, and with lots of vendors everywhere. They were some selling pan de nata…my ‘sisters’ told me that pan de nata was traditional for religious events, so I bought two 🙂 yum !
Hey — think you could share the sangrita recipe you mentioned? I like the traditional ones we’ve had but would like to find something a little less sweet, maybe with a little kick. I know, I know — it’s called bloody mary mix. But maybe there’s something else out there…
Lovely bicentennial report Lesley. It’s always nice to hear from Crayton and you. Have a great Oktoberfest season 😉
NOTE: Pan de nata is also known as Pan de Pueblo or Pan de Feria, and is not only reserved for Independence holidays, it is virtually present at every traditional fair through the year 😉