Just returned from my first trip to the heart of Mexico. Visited Mexico City in the Federal District, the town of Texcoco outside the D.F. and Acapulco. I was the sole representative of the Rotary Club of Sunnyvale on a Rotary humanitarian and education mission. The Primary sponsors were the Rotary Clubs of Cupertino (California) and Texcoco de Gante (Mexico).
We left San Francisco on a gray Wednesday morning on a direct flight to Mexico City. There we were met by our Mexican hosts, represented by Sr. Humberto Mayorga, his lovely wife Adela and their two boys, and our guide Francisco Villanueva (Paco).
Our transportion for our entire stay in Mexico was a 45 passenger bus, which we took to the downtown location of our first dinner in Mexico. There we were introduced to the members of the Texcoco de Gante Rotary Club and their families.
Later that evening we checked into our hotel, the elegant Marquis Reforma. Unfortuately we we only spent one night there. The next morning, after a short bus tour of downtown Mexico City, we headed for Texcoco. There we again joined up with members of the host club to visit the local chapter of Pro Mujer, a project funded by the Cupertino and Texcoco de Gante clubs. Pro Mujer is a micro bank that lends small amounts, primarily to women, to enable them to start businesses. While the funds are loaned to individuals, the women form small syndicates of 12-15 members, elect officers and support each other both in their business enterprises and in paying back their loans.
We witnessed the creation of a new syndicate and the group pay back process. We also visited two business sites created with Pro Mujer funds. The first was a glass factory where the woman and her family fabricate christmas ornaments and other products. There we also sampled a fermented beverage called Pulque that is made from the agave plant. The second was a confectionery where the woman and her family make candies and preserves that are sold in the local markets.
Our visit to Mexico coincided with one of their most important holiday celebrations, the anniversary of the Mexican revolution on November 20, 1910. This resulted in very heavy traffic in the D.F. but a very colorful parade in Texcoco.
After a rather late communal luncheon at the Texcoco club we boarded the bus for a trip to Acapulco, stopping for dinner at a delightful taco restaurant called La Tortuga Cucufata, in Cuernavaca. Ten hours after leaving Texcoco, at 3:00am on Friday morning, we arrived at our destination, the Fairmont Pierre Marques in Acapulco. Fortunately we did not have to assemble until 1:00pm that afteroon!
That afternoon, after a short stop for shopping in the Diana district of Acapulco, we arrived at the Acapulco City Hall where we assisted in the distribution of wheel chairs to local citizens. The wheel chairs were provided through a joint effort of the Rotary Clubs of Texcoco de Gante, Acapulco Icacos and Acapulco, A.C. and the Wheel Chair Foundation. A total of 65 chairs were distribute in Acapulco. We assisted with the distribution of 27 that afternoon and another three home deliveries on Saturday.
The event was capped off by a beach party at the hotel where we ate, drank, sang, and danced until midnight. While we "viejos" went off to bed, a contingent of "jovenes" went to the local disco where I understand they partied until 4:00am.
After a morning swim, and breakfast in the terrace restaurant, we boarded our bus for one last time for the ride to the Acapulco airport. There we experienced the most difficult time of all in saying goodbye to our wonderful friends and their families.
I can't wait to go back!
No comments:
Post a Comment