Welcome to Madero Street

Madero Street in Centro Histórico 

It is here, on Francisco I. Madero Street, right across from the colossal architectural marvel (a work of art unto itself) that is Bellas Artes (the national palace of the arts, which features opera, the famed "Ballet Folklorico" and holds important murals by Diego River), here, you will find México City, CDMX, the place the Aztecs called México, site of the famed Zocalo square, home of the massive Great Cathedral (built by the Spanish beginning in 1573). Welcome.

This main avenue (for pedestrian traffic only) takes you into the heart of Centro Histórico (the historic district). It is walking distance from the Hilton of Mexico and nearby Juarez Park. This part of the city is very much designed like a European one or New Orleans, with a definite Parisian feel. In fact, Emperor Maximillian I (a Hapsburg Austrian sent to rule México in the name of France in 1864) himself helped design the layout of the streets (including Madero) in Centro.

The street and area are full of shops (you'll find Apple and Sony stores sitting cozily next to chic coffee parlors and great restaurants wedged next to an Armani Exchange and museums, or monuments to Aztec Emperors and Spanish kings and conquerors). Start your adventure here. Find a touribus and take it to see the enormous pyramids of nearby Teotihuacan (a quick 60 minute ride). If you want a great meal, be sure to visit the famed Casa de los Azulejos ("House of Tiles") which houses a Sanborn's Restuarant and store. They offer traditional dishes featuring flavorful corn, mole, chicken, various cuts of steak, soups, peppers, tacos, enchiladas and rice.

Templo Mayor (the Great Cathedral is visible in background)

Before you leave, make sure to pay your respects at the remains of the Aztec Templo Mayor. After the conquest of México, the Spanish tore down the most massive pyramid in all of the Americas to build their cathedral. Recent excavations (2006) of the site have uncovered the base of the temple. Giant agave plants (from which mescal is derived) still grow near the base of the pyramid. Respect. Enjoy your travels

¡Viva!

Weekly FiLM Reviews by Roger Ebert: Prometheus

(June 6, 2012) "Ridley Scott's "Prometheus" is a magnificent science-fiction film, all the more intriguing because it raises questions about the origin of human life and doesn't have the answers. It's in the classic tradition of golden age sci-fi, echoing Scott's "Alien" (1979), but creating a world of its own. I'm a pushover for material like this; it's a seamless blend of story, special effects and pitch-perfect casting, filmed in sane, effective 3-D that doesn't distract.

A scene at the outset shows a world with apparently only one animal being, a pale humanoid who stalks a high ridge surrounded by spectacular scenery. This person eats something that causes painful vomiting and rapid body decay. The vomit is followed into flowing water, where it seems to morph into living cellular structures. Where is this place? Is it Earth? Who is the being, and why is it alone and naked? Is the scene a visualization of the theory that life first arrived on Earth from outer space?

Cut to a human spaceship in the year 2093, qualifying "Prometheus" for a flash-forward spanning more years than the opening of "2001." The trillion-dollar ship Prometheus is en route to a distant world, which seems pointed to in prehistoric cave paintings. There's reason to believe human life may have originated there. It's an Earth-sized moon orbiting a giant planet, and at first it seems a disappointment: no growing things, unbreathable atmosphere. But the crew notices straight lines on the surface, and as we all know, nature makes no straight lines.

The lines lead to a vast dome or pyramid, and the film will mostly take place inside the dome and the Prometheus. But let's put the plot on hold and introduce two of the crew members: Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) wears a cross around her neck and believes life ultimately had a divine origin. Her boyfriend, Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green, accuses her, a scientist, of dismissing centuries of Darwinism. What they find in the pyramid leaves the question open. Alien humanoids, in suspended animation, incredibly have DNA that's a perfect match for our own. So they could somehow have brought life to Earth — but why? And from this moon where they slumber inside their pyramid, or from another planet around a distant star? Why did they stop here? What are they waiting for?

The film then develops horror scenes comparable to "Alien," although it depends more on action and weaponry than that film's use of shadows and silence. For me, the most spellbinding scenes involve the crew members exploring the passages and caverns inside the pyramid, obviously unvisited in aeons, and their experiences with some of the hibernating alien beings. One of the key members of this crew is David (Michael Fassbender), an android, who knows or can figure out more or less everything, even alien languages, and is sort of a walking, talking, utterly fearless HAL 9000.

The alien race in "Prometheus" shares a body characteristic that reminds me of "Alien" and countless films since: Elements can detach from them and enter into other bodies as hostile parasites. This leads to an astonishing sequence in which Elizabeth, alone on the ship, discovers she is pregnant with an alien Something and somehow finds the will to control a robot surgery device that removes it. Her later showdown with a waning oxygen supply shows equal resourcefulness; Noomi Rapace ("The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," 2009) continues here the tradition of awesome feminine strength begun by Sigourney Weaver in "Alien."

Another strong woman is on board, Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), a representative of the corporation that privately financed the Prometheus. She treats the others like her employees, which they are, and believes she always speaks for the company's wishes. The ship's captain, Janek (Idris Elba), makes no pretensions of scientific expertise like the others but is a no-nonsense working pilot. Janek has the most interesting evolution, from the irreverent hipster in his first scenes into a man with the ability to intuit the truth about what he's seeing.

The most tantalizing element is how it plays with the role of these DNA twins. Did they create life on Earth? The possibility of two identical DNAs as a coincidence is unthinkable. Charlie digs at Elizabeth, suggesting their existence disproves her beliefs. Her obvious response: Where did they come from? This puzzle is embedded in an adventure film that has staggering visuals, expert horror, mind-challenging ideas and enough unanswered questions to prime the inevitable sequel."

Contact theJackal at: jleocoker@gmail.com

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January 22, 2015
After 2 1/2 wonderful years in Mexico, my great adventure here is drawing to a close. Guenny finally received her U.S. Residency Visa and we'll be moving stateside by the end of June. We will both be pursuing exciting new opportunities. In the words of Bilbo Baggins: "I think I'm quite ready for another adventure." Viva! 

January 28, 2015
Last year, 43 teachers were murdered in Iguala, Mexico. They were attempting to hold a peaceful protest at a conference held by the Mayor's wife. So far, over 80 individuals (including the mayor, his wife and 44 police officers) have been arrested and the Governor of Guerrero has resigned. After a national outcry, justice for the slain is being served. So tell me again, why is there no justice for Trayvon Martin or Mike Brown. Unarmed civilians gunned down for defensively striking a security guard or turning with "menace" towards a cop. Is this justice?

January 28, 2015
I applaud justice wherever it is served. I am saddened when I see the innocent punished.

January 29, 2015
Bin Laden is dead, most of our troops have come home from Iraq and Afghanistan (though thousands remain active), diplomacy restored to Cuba, gay marriage legal in nearly every state, marijuana legal in five, somewhat more affordable healthcare on average for nearly everyone (including millions of newly insured children), gas prices under $2 in many states, unemployment at 5%, no major terrorist attacks on U.S. soil in over a decade, a growing housing and job market, more college grads than ever before, a strong currency, and a thriving tech market; things sure are better now than in November 2008. Whoever is to blame for this: nice job. ¡Viva!

January 31, 2015
I heard them as they approached my street, the band line. All drums and trumpets and colorful outfits and feet dancing to the beat. My street, my little corner of the world. I wouldn't trade it for anything. ¡Viva!

February 1, 2015
I should be thinking about the food and the tequila and the BBQ coming up, but all I can think is: "Dear God, please Tom Brady and the Patriots suffer a humiliating defeat. Sincerely, a Miami Dolphins fan".

Protests are good for the soul

I've taken part in a few protests. As a child, my parents frequently handed me an anti-abortion sign and placed me in front of an abortion clinic in Jackson, Mississippi. There was guitar music, folk songs, Vietnam vets and recovering alcoholics.

I always dreamed of more. Looking at pictures of the Civil Rights protests, their magnitude, their violence; I was inspired. Perhaps I was born in the wrong time, I thought. The Million Man March, the demonstrations in Seattle in 1998, Occupy Wall Street, all of these protests served to awaken me to the reality that voice of the people, through the power of the protest, continues into the 21st Century. How have I missed participation in public protests? I'm not sure, but living in Mexico City has been a joy.

Every week there is some form of protest. The Communists, Workers Unions, indigenous people's, women, children, all unite to oppose some form of perceived government or societal tyranny. On the day of the Presidential inauguration, citizens took to the streets to express their displeasure with the election of Nieto. Molotov cocktails were hurled into the front windows of the Hilton Hotel and a Starbucks, perhaps not a coincidence as these are symbols of capitalism and our increasingly globalized economies.

There is something invigorating about these public displays of dissatisfaction with government. Pure democracy on display. They shout, they play music, they wave flags, they stop traffic, and I've come to love these vocal displays of displeasure. Now, what exactly does one wear to a Communist rally? At least I look good in red. ¡Viva!

Adrift in Mexico

I find myself adrift, aimlessly wandering in a place that is still unknown to me. No easy remedies are readily available. I dream of endless night. My love is here, so here am I. The unwavering optimist within finds itself at odds with the cynical harshness of reality. I hunger. I struggle. I die. I endure. I am reborn. More to come.

theJackal