Get it? Me at La Pirámide de la Luna (Pyramid of the Moon)
Alternate title: "Don't cry because Malissa's sick, smile because she had a sick day & time to blog"
Given all that's happened since my last post— an unforgettable visit from Mom and Dad, an excursion to Mexico City to check a couple more essential experiences off the bucket list, a trip to the state of Jalisco, and several weeks of ups & downs at the uni— I'll spare you the details and let the pictures speak for themselves.
Despite weeks of photography class, I haven't quite mastered the manual settings of my camera (especially when I'm turisteando), so most of these images come courtesy of the automatic mode and/or my trusty iPhone. But don't fret, at the end I'll share some of my recent intentos artísticos from my photo course.
Teotihuacán
Zoe and I took a bus from Mexico City to the famed pyramids bright and early one Saturday, prepared to tough out the forecasted rain (which never started) and to hike the infamous steps of the largest structures (I pulled a muscle in my knee five minutes in, I kid you not).
Thoughts I had while exploring the ancient Mayan city: In the US we would definitely not be allowed to actually ascend these ruins but #yolo let's hope no one falls backwards and cracks their head open!! OK why are people walking down the up staircase?!... Wow, I admit this is unlike anything I've ever seen before... What should I order for lunch?... Can they please stop blowing on that jaguar horn thing?! It startles me every frickin' time... Yep, this place lives up to the hype. It's magical.
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| Sunglasses: a photo blinker's best friend |
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| Me: "Does this look stupid?" Zoe: "Yes." |
Xochimilco
Everyone raves about renting the brightly colored trajineras to enjoy an afternoon on the water in this quaint town outside CDMX. Spoiler alert: most people go with a big group of friends and bring their own drinks, snacks, and music. Needless to say, Zoe and I felt rather lame floating along by ourselves with a single shared beverage and some gummy candy. Despite the cloudy skies and weird looks from those on neighboring boats, we snapped solo shots to our hearts' desire and considered the outing a success.
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| View from the terrace of our hostel, aptly named Catedral |
Guadalajara
I would have been disappointed if Jalisco was anything less than amazing, because the journey to catch my flight on Thursday night was harrowing to say the least. Lucky for me, the two buses, slowest taxi ride of my life, and embarrassing sprint through security were well worth it. In addition to the city center, we were able to see several adorable towns nearby. OK, cue the music.
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| That post-airport sprint glow! Lol that the plane left 30 minutes late anyway |
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| Can I live in this café? |
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| Incredible ceiling artwork by Orozco |
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| Zapopan |
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| Where it all begins: the agave plant they use to make tequila |
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| Ajijic |
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| Tlaquepaque |
Fotografía
Talk about an ego boost: after perusing some of my work last week my photography teacher turned to me with a look of disbelief, "You're actually getting better at this!" His expression of shock aside, I took that as confirmation that I am now a photographic genius. In fact, I mentioned my class to an Uber driver in passing and he gave me an unsolicited motivational speech about how I could be Mexico's next big thing. When he dropped me off he shouted out the window— ¡No te rindas!— "Don't give up!"
Contrasts
Night Photography in the Zócalo of Puebla
Filters
Slow shutter speed
In other news, Pixar just released the trailer for their next big project which they're informally referring to as a 'love letter to México.' I'm realizing that's what this blog is, too. ♡
