There is a breeze and for a brief moment the smog has cleared and the sky is blue in patches.
Today we split up. Most people opt for a 2 hour drive to some ruins. Donna, Steve and I opted for a museum in Mexico City. We were greeted at 11 pm by Gardencio and our younger tour guides, Pablo and Jose Cruz, 3 and 12 respectively. The boys had never been to the city before and they had never ever been to a museum.
Steve grabbed a few flyers for different museums around the city. Gardencio did his best but we hit traffic and got kind of lost. We did not find the museums on Steve's flyers... we found the Anthropology Museum. IT WAS AMAZING! So much history for $4.50 USD. I will upload some pictures soon...
We watched this amazing display outside the museum... five men climb a 100+ foot pole and 4 men tie ropes around their waists. The 5th man stands atop the pole and plays a flute and small drum. He asks permission from the North, South, East and West. Then the 4 men fall from the top of the pole and spin around as the man atop plays beautiful music. It's a symbolic gesture representing a old tradition. The 4 men would be sacrifices to the gods. A request, plea, for rain. Their throats would be slit and they would drop for the tallest tree spinning in a circle until they hit the ground. Their blood an offering. Now it's a beautiful acrobatic display at the steps of a cultural museum. So many things, once so important, so necessary... now just for show.
Lost rituals. Forgotten gods. Tourist attractions.
The art and artifacts were so beautiful. The museum was the best one I have ever been to.
I shared this experience with 2 great coworkers, a new friend, and 2 young boys who were as new to this as I was. I was able to experience the history of this country through the eyes of a child. No prejudice. Just wonder.
People are out to dinner now... I think. It was unclear... Sisco called and wanted people to go out dancing? At the cafe in the mall near the hotel? I am here. Writing to you guys. Uploading photos so you can feel closer to us. So you can see what we were able to do here.
It costs approximately $6000 USD a year to run the community center. It is possible that some day they may loose their funding. The school. The adult education programs. The place to play that is free from trash and raw sewage. All those things could be gone. It just doesn't seem right.
Tomorrow we head back to the center to help with the bible study group. We have donations to give and it just doesn't seem right leaving without seeing these people again. I think we may visit the homes where we poured floors. I just want to go back. Working there was the best experience of this trip. It may not make sense... but it's true.
Good night folks.
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