I know Mexico City
and I worry about a granddaughter
being there on her own.
It is the third biggest city in the world,
last I knew.
And what a city!
So young and modern.
So old and ancient.
The Pyramids of Teotihuacán
outside the city
remind all that
it is also a city with a
mystery.
If the Toltec built them,
where did they go?
The city named Tenochtitian
where the Aztecs
made human sacrifices
was built to float on a swamp.
It is said the brave Aztec warriors
fell to their knees
when Cortez came on his horse.
From this swamp sprang
the City of Palaces and
the City of Hope.
Now 19 million people
look for that hope.
Into this has gone
my one small granddaughter.
She walks the glamour runway
and calls her journey My Adventure.
And along the scary way
it has become Our Adventure.
My message to her is:
See the palaces, the gardens, the museums
and enjoy hopping.
Taste the food and even try the beer.
Meet the people and speak
the language.
Now that you are all growed up,
you are experiencing for the rest of us.
I just hope you packed the large
sack of caution I sent to you.
Doug Minnis
September 28, 2009