Spending the night at Houston airport
Spending the night at Houston airpot
On the plane, flying from Houston to Toluca, Mexico!
In Mexico! Standing outside Toluca Airport
Relaxing on the balcony of our room in Hotel Gillow, Centro Historico, Mexico City
View from the room's balcony in Hotel Gillow, Mexico City
In Hotel Gillow in Mexico City, showing off our trusted guide book...
Plaza Zocalo, Mexico City
Zocalo
Catedral Metropolitana, Plaza Zocalo, Mexico City
Christmas activities for kids at Zocalo
First dinner in Mexico City: Cafe El Popular, across the street from our hotel.
Night view from our balcony in Mexico City. Note the cathedral at the end of the street.
Inside Catedral Metropolitana in Mexico City
Service in Catedral Metropolitana, Mexico City
Catedral Metropolitana, Mexico City
Palacio Nacional, Mexico City
Botanical garden at Palacio Nacional, Mexico City
Diego Rivera mural inside Palacio Nacional, depicting the early history of Mexico
Diego Rivera mural inside Palacio Nacional in Mexico City, depicting more recent Mexican history
And the third part of the Mexican history mural by Diego Rivera
An eagle, sitting on a cactus and eating a snake - that's what signaled to the Aztecs to stop roaming and build their capital, Tenotichtlan (now Mexico City)
Diego Rivera murals, painting a picture of the life of different native Mexican peoples
Constitution room in Palacio Nacional, where Mexican Constitution was written
A little Christmas scene in Palacio Nacional
Abundant police cars in centro historico in Mexico City
Aztec dancers near Templo Mayor, Mexico City
Vaidehi taking part in Aztec ritual
Ruins of Aztec temple Templo Mayor, Mexico City
Old and new: Catedral metropolitana, built by the Spanish conquerors, rising behind the ruins of Aztec Templo Mayor
Museum at Templo Mayor with old artifacts from the temple
Starbucks in Mexico City. View from the Turibus that took us around the Mexico city neighborhoods
El Angel (Columna de la Independencia) in Mexico City on Paseo de la Reforma, built to commemorate the centennial of the beginning of the Mexico's War of Independence
Modern architecture in Mexico City
Lit up Zocalo at night - packed with people!!
Zocalo at night
Teotihuacan, an enormous archaeological site about an hour from Mexico City. Sun Pyramid, the world's third biggest pyramid
Avenue of the Dead, Teotihuacan
Temple of the Feathered Serpent
Navigating the high and steep steps
Line for climbing up the Sun Pyramid
On top of the Sun Pyramid!
The view of Moon Pyramid from top of the Sun Pyramid
Moon Pyramid
Climbing down the Sun Pyramid
Walking towards the Moon Pyramid
View of the Sun Pyramid
View from the Moon Pyramid
Lunch at Vegetarian Madero
At Mexico City's Terminal Norte bus terminal, waiting for the bus to Morelia. Vaibhav is investigating whether taking a car might be faster.
Hm... What about a tractor?
Morelia's cathedral at night
Madero street in Morelia
More views of the Cathedral in Morelia
Casa Rosa in Morelia where we stayed at
Casa Rosa entrance in the back left (greenish/blueish wall)
Inside Morelia's cathedral
Walking along Madero in Morelia
We found it! The sweets shop...
Freshly made samples
A little nook in the historic complex of the store
Dulces Morelianos!
Plaza Valladolid in Morelia
Christmas tree at Plaza Valladolid in Morelia
And more of Plaza Valladolid...
Plaza Valladolid
Inside the art store Casa de las Artesanians in Morelia on Plaza Valladolid, featuring local art from all over the state of Michoacan
A little Christmas scene in Casa de las Artesanians in Morelia
Casa de las Artesanians
Pottery in Casa de las Artesanians
A gentleman adding a personal touch to the decorative plates we bought in Casa de las Artesanians
Warms and scorpions in tequila bottles in Morelia
Gross!!
Candlelight home-cooked dinner in Casa Rosa, Morelia
Monarch Butterflies Sanctuary Santario Mariposa Monarca in Michoacan
Our guide, Pepe, in the left
Vaibhav wants to become a butterfly, too
A wing of a dead butterfly
First sighting of butterflies - they are thirsty
The forest we were hiking in
More butterflies
Yes, these are all butterflies
Lots of flying butterflies
All the reddish brown on the trees is actually butterflies.
A butterfly lands on Vaidehi
Walking down from seeing the butterfly colonies
A little restaurant on the way down to the parking lot in the sanctuary where we had lunch
Tequila in anticipation of the New Year's Eve
Just a few minutes before the end of 2008 - Morelia's cathedral in the background
Dancing in the first hours of 2009 in Casa de la Salsa, Morelia
Still at Casa de la Salsa in Morelia
Fuente las Tarascas at Plaza Villalongin: three topless Tarascan women holding up a fruit tray
The Aqueduct (El Acueducto), built between 1785 and 1788, around Plaza Valladolid
A better picture of Fuente las Tarascas at Plaza Villalongin
Streets in the neighborhood of Casa Rosa
Vaibhav and Vaidehi buying a snack from a street vendor in Morelia
At Morelia's bus station, waiting to go to Zihuatanejo.
Morelia's bus station, Vaibhav sorting out his ear phone cord
Christmas tree with a little Christmas scene in the left in the Plaza in Zihuatanejo
Note that it is quite late in the night, and we are wearing nothing but thin summer clothes. Yes, it was that warm.
Casa Elvira restaurant in Zihuatanejo
Trinket vendors at Zihuatanejo waterfront
Casa Elvira restaurant
Vaidehi trying on a hat at a shop in Zihuatanejo
A street porter named Vaibhav
Beach view from in front of our hotel on Playa Madera: Bungalows Ley.
Playa Madera, Zihuatanejo
Breakfast on the hotel terrace in Zihuatanejo
Relaxing in the shade on Playa Madera
And the water was sooo warm: Playa Madera
Maris collapses in the middle of the day
It is warm!
Playa Madera
View of the development on Playa Madera
A wedding ceremony took place later in the afternoon on Playa Madera
Maris finally awakens
Heading out for a walk in the neighborhood
View of Playa Madera
Playa La Ropa, around 10-minute walk from Playa Madera
Playa La Ropa
Sunset on Playa Madera, Zihuatanejo
Vaidehi and Vaibhav trying out salsa on Playa Madera
Dinner in downtown Zihuatanejo: starting off with a huge Pina Colada
Pelicans on the beach
Second breakfast on the hotel terrace
New cute swim suit for Vaidehi!!!
On the boat, heading to Playa Manzanillo for snorkeling
Heading for snorkeling: our guide in the middle
Gearing up for snorkeling at Playa Manzanillo
Vaidehi snorkeling
Maris getting ready to get into the water
Maris and Vaidehi not getting enough snorkeling
Lunch at Playa Las Gatas. Vaidehi is drinking from a huge coconut!
At Zihuatanejo bus station, waiting for our overnight bus to Mexico City - good-bye beach!
Breakfast at Cafe El Popular, Mexico City
Vaibhav trying on a Mexican hat at Mexico City airport before our departure
