Major Maiz

Punch Bug Pinata

 Having stayed up a little later last night, our sleepy kids were opposed to a tons of walking today.  So, we boarded a bus heading to the northern part of the city.  Halfway through our ride a blind man with a guitar serenades us creating a soundtrack to the moving pictures outside our window.  Then, we walked through the neighborhood where we would have stayed had we moved here for a year, and made our way to a restaurant dedicated to preserving "heirloom corns".  The owner believes that corn is the foundation of Mexican culture as it was domesticated 9,000 years ago, and in this restaurant it is prepared in a traditional manner.  The corn is ground on a stone mortar (metate), then made into masa dough, pressed into a tortilla shape and finally baked on a comal, a clay griddle.  There are variety of corns used in a menu devoted to corn dishes, and I can say what I tasted to today was both delicious and unlike any other corn products I've ever had.

We ordered a sampling of the offerings: tostada, memela (thicker tortilla), and tetela (memela folded into a triangle and stuffed).  Pat and I also drank atole which is a hot corn drink.  Mine was flavored with chocolate and cinnamon.  They were kind enough to pack a rustic corn bread dessert to go and a dozen fresh tortillas--half yellow, half blue.  With full bellies, we began our descent stopping here and there with me snapping random photos at will.

We were in route to see the basilica and eat some homemade ice cream when Abe stepped into a hole in the sidewalk.  His knee smashed into a metal griddle cutting a gash.  So, we hobbled to the nearest pharmacy for triage materials before limping the rest of the way home.  We're hoping to rest the remainder of the day, and if our patient is feeling well enough we'll set out to climb some pyramids tomorrow.

Perfection! 

Dinner!