Escamoles and a Terrifying Drive

OK. I'm back. Dropped Jorge back at the airport at about 5 pm and I've been home long enough to change into my comfies and wash my face so I'm ready to continue with the story of Mexico.

Wednesday Jorge B, who also happens to be the project manager for the Santiago start up, and who I worked with in Tokyo, told us he was taking us out to a great dinner at a great restaurant.

We ended up at a place called la Valentina in a section of town that for the life of me I can't remember the name of but it starts with a "P" and is where the Maserati dealership is and where you can shop all day in places like Dolce and Gabanna, Chanel, Gucci, etc. Before this dinner we had been going from the airport hotel to the office about a mile away and back and honestly I thought that was what Mexico City was - narrow crowded pot-hole-lined streets with street vendors. There was even one median island by the office with actual cow skulls piled up on it. I kid you not. The Mexico City we saw Wednesday night was an entirely different world, even though we went from the office to the restaurant and back.

When we were seated at the restaurant Jorge was telling us about two Mexican delicacies - one is worms which are fried until they are crispy and hollow and they are supposedly quite delicious. Unfortunately the restaurant did not have them. The other dish they did have. Escamoles. Escamoles are considered the caviar of Mexico. Do you want to google it or shall I tell you? THEY ARE ANT EGGS!!!!

Now before you get thoroughly grossed out let me remind you that Jorge told us they were wonderful and a real treat. Then he asked me point blank if I wanted him to order some. Well, DUH!! Of course I did. In the spirit of trying something totally different that I would never have a chance to try anywhere else I told him I absolutely wanted him to order them. I thought Sam and Michael looked a little green at that point.

Escamoles are the eggs from the big black ants that live at the base of the agave plant. They are harvested in the spring and that's pretty much the only time of year it is possible to get them fresh but thanks to modern miracles it is possible to enjoy them year round in frozen form. They are white, and roughly the size and shape of rice crispies, although far more delicious. They are cooked (I suppose sauteed) in butter and/or olive oil and spices. One eats them on a small tortilla spread with guacamole and green chili sauce. The guacamole serves as both a condiment and a "glue" to hold the escamoles so they don't slip out because my gosh but they are slippery little suckers.

I don't think I can begin to describe the flavor. Kind of like the best steak you have ever eaten but also a bit like shrimp. Buttery, and cooked with the savory and understated spices the sensory pleasure was amazing. I was so proud of both Sam and Michael. They both tried it, which just amazed me since Michael especially is hands down the pickiest eater I have ever known. I don't lie. He has to inspect and sniff his food before he attempts to taste it and this is with boiled chicken breast. If it looks or smells off to him he will pass it around the table so everyone can inspect and sniff and provide an opinion. No lie. Maybe an exaggeration but not a lie essentially. But they did try it and I totally have a new found respect for them both because of this. I actually hated to eat my entree because I wanted that flavor to stay in my mouth forever. I don't think I'll ever forget it.

After dinner it was a bit late and so Jorge drove us back to the hotel. We were on the loop expressway around the City. I preface this by saying two things. First, I have never seen driving as crazy as in Mexico City. Lines marking lanes are an informal suggestion. Traffic lights are to be obeyed or not. Whatever. People cut in front of you and even directly on top of you. Horns honk constantly. Second, Jorge's driving quite frankly sucks. It sucked in Tokyo and scared us all about half to death but that was nothing compared with his driving on his own turf! Michael and I made Sam sit in the front seat with him. The death seat. Love you Sam!!! Kisses!!!

On the way TO the restaurant Jorge was speeding, weaving in and out of various lanes, having an intensive conversation on his cell phone and fiddling with interior lights all at the same time. He was only missing a cup of coffee, a cigarette and a burger. On the way FROM the restaurant he was driving 120 km/hour in the lane directly beside a concrete median wall. He would go over bumps in the road that made us airborne. I know I gasped audibly several times and spent the ride working the invisible brake pedal in the backseat while gripping the backseat handle. I gripped it so hard that by the time he let us out at the hotel my hand was sore and temporarily paralysed into a gripping position.

Please promise me that if you ever make it to Mexico you will try the escamoles and stay the hell out of Jorge's car.

Tomorrow: Mexican sushi experience and Friday with photos and video.

Oy - another delay!

Seriously. I have the posts outlined for the next few nights but all need editing and photos and Friday especially needs video but on very short notice Jorge R is flying into Atlanta tonight so he, Michael and I can do some intensive training tomorrow and return to Mexico next week for at least a couple of days so AeroMexico continues to be extremely impressed by our progress. They should be. We are pretty amazing. We've actually pulled this project out of our hineys in the past 6 months when it is something that had been promised by our predecessors for 6 years with no action. That's why we have to keep the momentum, despite the Santiago thing. Yeah, we rock. Also we are tired. I'm thinking a team building trip to Anguilla for a week is in order and we could expense it. Right Sam?

I will leave here in about 30 minutes to gather Jorge at the airport, swing him by the hotel so he can drop his bag, and then we will go to the Feed Store in College Park for dinner. Would rather take him for authentic soul food but The Feed Store has some typical southern dishes, even if they are done up in a fairly pretentious way. Probably won't get home until 11 or so.

I will get back to the posts tomorrow night. Wednesday night in Mexico was kind of great. Think insects and then work on getting over it. Of course looking ahead Friday night was just the best ever, and very amusing so you will need to mark your calendars to check in for that one too.

I really am sorry. I had kind of planned to get a post out today but ended up working. SHEESH! I can't believe they actually expect me to do that! I should have been born filthy rich. I would have been a great rich lady!

OK - later all!

Mexico: Tuesday night dinner, October 2

This will be a short post. We got back to the hotel after our orgy of a lunch and honestly I didn't even feel like eating dinner but Sam and Michael did since they avoided the pork-fest that was lunch. About 10 pm we headed to one of the hotel restaurants - Bice. I knew I wasn't really hungry so when I looked at the menu I immediately focused in on the half dozen raw oysters. This was the sum total of my dinner and it was perfect. And nothing like in the US. No cocktail sauce - the waiter spent about 10 minutes putting various liquids and spices and onions and chilis on the oysters and then put them in front of me and they were incredible!!!

It seems that everywhere we went there was a TV playing soccer or rugby and Tuesday night was no different. In the restaurant the kitchen had a huge picture window into the dining room and in the dining room was a huge TV playing the soccer game (between someone and someone else). I was seated facing the window into the kitchen and at one point I looked up and all the kitchen staff and one waiter were fixated on the TV in the dining room. It was hilarious. I took a photo. When the flash went off they all looked at me and I smiled and waved and they laughed and waved back!

On Food and Culture

I interrupt my day by day account of the Mexico trip to share a bit of information that I first learned in Japan. My Mexico trip confirmed my theory.

I don't consider myself a "foodie" but I am always thrilled to sample new and different tastes. In Japan the ultimate test (although I didn't know it at the time) was natto. Natto is fermented soybeans. Natto is slimy and stinky. One day when I had been in Tokyo about a month or 6 weeks there appeared in our lunchtime bento boxes a small container of something called natto. I had to ask what it was and what to do with it. I was told to eat it with my rice. As I prepared the natto (you add a mustardy sauce and stir well before putting it on the rice) most of the Japanese office staff gathered around to watch me. I tried it. It was a strong, pungent taste that was pleasing to me in a very strange way. Kind of like smelling your own dirty socks can be fulfilling. I thought it was quite delicious and gladly consumed it. The Japanese staff were amazed and told me this was a sign that I was Japanese, since most gaijin and many Japanese find this food disgusting. I liked it enough that I continued to keep it stocked in my apartment fridge. The grocery store cashiers always looked surprised that this blonde gaijin was purchasing natto. From the day of my first natto experience I got the feeling that the staff went out of their way to put very strange food items in front of me to see my reaction. I tried them all and honestly there was only one thing I didn't particularly enjoy. One night we all went to a sushi-go-round place and one of the things I tried was a baby squid sushi - a small round of rice topped with 3 tiny baby squid. I thought it tasted like ink but I was happy for the experience of trying it. Also I'm not particularly fond of anemone but would try it again.

I found the same thing to be true in Mexico. Once I ate and thoroughly enjoyed the pork brain quesadilla it seemed the challenge was on. The staff in Mexico began to seek out culinary challenges to set in front of me ("Hey! Make her eat this chili!"). Specifics to come later (tonight actually) but I truly ate some things that are unbelievable to the American palate. I was more than willing to try and it all ended up being delicious and it turns out this was a really important thing for me to do, culturally speaking.

So the lesson for today kids is if you visit another culture be willing to try the food. I think food is a huge part of any culture and trying it shows that you embrace and respect the culture. Life is too incredibly short not to step outside your comfort zone and try something totally foreign to what you are used to.

Mexico: Tuesday, October 2

Tuesday in Mexico. Sam, Michael and I met for breakfast in the hotel cafe and from there the day was off and running.

The two Jorges decided we would go to a "real" Mexican restaurant for lunch. I know it sounds as if all I'm writing about is the meals but honestly we went from the hotel to the office and back to the hotel so the times we went out to eat were the times we had our Mexican experience.

Anyway, this restaurant was just a hoot. A little hole-in-the-wall, it was decorated with animal heads on the walls and very basic tables and chairs.

There was even a Mariachi band. It seems there are Mariachi bands just about everywhere. More about Mariachi bands later in the week.

Jorge did the ordering. We started out with a sweet drink made from rice water and cinnamon. A little sweet for me but it was good. Then the orders came. We started with quesadillas. They were unlike any quesadilla I have ever seen - a small corn tortilla stuffed, closed with 3 toothpicks and (I think) fried. We had both chicken and pork brain quesidillas. Yes, I said pork brain. Since neither Michael nor Sam eat pork (for religious reasons) I left the chicken for them and ate the pork brains. And I'm here to tell you IT WAS YUMMY! Here I am cracking up that I ate a pork brain quesadilla while dead animal heads watched me:

Following this was pork tacos - pork meat served with soft tortillas and guacamole and both green and red sauce. Oh yeah! And fried pig skin. Not like the pork skins that come in cellophane bags - these were fresh and fried on site - very thick and substantial. It was a pork fiesta and thankfully there was also chicken and beef on the menu for my cohorts! After the meal the dessert cart was brought around and Jorge ordered flan for everyone and I can't believe how wonderful it was.

Left front to back: Jorge B. and Oscar Right front to back: Michael , Sam and Jorge R.

We headed back to the office where we stayed until about 8 pm.

Home Now

I got back about 7:25 last night, having taken a taxi from the airport to my front door (luxury). Of course the first few hours were spent loving on the cats who seemed to have a whole lot to tell me about their week. They were extremely vocal and I feel like I walked in and ran my mouth all night talking back to them. Camille especially seemed to have a report broken down into hours because she ran her mouth all night and now all day since I woke up. Evidently there is a lot I need to attend to. Camille is the boss. Phoebe woke me up at least 4 times during the night (with the nose pat thing that I love so much) to catch up on loving. Sonny insisted on going out into the backyard after dark but evidently just did a reconnaissance mission to make sure all was well and then asked to come in again. How wonderful to walk into a house where I was missed!

I slept until 9:30 which is really unheard of for me but god almighty it felt so good especially after Friday night which you will just have to wait for! I swear it will be worth it!

I am now doing laundry and need to get out to the grocery store and am trying to do my expense report for the trip so I can get it to Sam tonight for approval before he leaves again for Santiago Tuesday. The hotel bill was all-inclusive and I have to break it down line by line and use my electronic translator to know exactly what charges were for what cost center (OY!) but I have to get it in so I can get the reimbursement and get it to the credit card company before I get charged interest.

Blah blah blah. Stuff you don't really care about. So I will tell you about something easy while I get my next few posts outlined.

Currency. This is art. Here in the US we get so accustomed to looking at pennies and nickels and dimes and quarters and all the paper stuff that it is mundane. We don't see it as art. But I think currency really is art. I go to another country and the paper and coins that make up the currency are a treat for my eyes. Here is a bit of Mexican currency:

I don't know if it reads but in the middle left of the 20 peso paper bill and lower left of the 50 peso paper bill there is a small transparent window. I think this is really cool. Also the coins have different metals ringing the edge. And they are HEAVY - really substantial. FYI in the picture above you are looking at about $4.00 US. I think. Math is hard Barbie! I had a difficult time with the exchange rate which is pretty much 100 pesos to one US dollar but for some reason made me tend to overtip (sorry Sam). Tipping is very big in Mexico. You can't go to the bathroom without tipping. I am so serious. The simple math made my brain scramble. In Japan tipping is not welcome and considered an insult (???WTF???) but in Mexico if you pee in an airport bathroom there is a person stationed there who brings paper towels so you can dry your hands even though you could get them yourself by reaching 6" to your right and tipping is expected and in fact they are quite aggressive about it. Seriously agressive. For instance in a restaurant bathroom the attendant will put out a piece of paper towel with two coins on it and it is expected that you will tip. And no receipt. Mexico seems to be the exact opposite of Japan. I was never sure what was expected for a pee trip so I just left whatever coins I had. I am sure I was a stupid gringo but I did try. If you know you are going to travel please google tipping customs as it is different in every country and very rude not to know what to do. I will admit that I didn't leave a customary tip for the housekeeping staff at the hotel. I should have but I didn't and so I am fully prepared to go to hell.

Anyway, the currency is fascinating to me. As are the tipping customs. Here in the US the only person I overtip is my hair guy (yeah - I only go about 3 - 4 times a year but he only charges $25 for a cut and it's incredibly cheap for a great cut and good conversation so he always gets $10 so almost 50%). Also I know he has to pay for all of those tatoos and piercings somehow and I live vicariously through him since I am a weenie unlike Sam who has 2 tattoos although he has yet to show me. And they are ON HIS FEET PEOPLE! Not like I have to look at his ass!

But I digress. From currency to tipping to my boss's alleged tattoos. I need a nap evidently.

Hopefully tonight I will get some posts drafted to catch you all up on the week while it is fresh in my memory. The pictures and videos are downloaded so all I have to do is try to describe Mexico which I think might be impossible as it was so wonderful. Keep up with my posts as I will do them by day and Friday night was the most wonderful of all so you need to read in order. I know I can't do it justice but I'll try. Sam and Michael you totally missed out.

I know, I know, I know

I have been a really bad blogger this week but honestly I think I have an excuse. I have been getting up at 6:30 and meeting Sam and Michael for a quick breakfast before heading out to the office where we have been staying until 7:30 or 8 pm. Then if we aren't taken out to dinner we go back to the hotel and have dinner and I've not been getting back to my room until 10 or 11 pm at which time this wussy has to get in bed. Also internet access at the hotel isn't exactly convenient. It's $5.00 for 1 hour or $22 for 24 hours but you have to call from your room down to the front desk and request service then wait for a bellman to come to your room (up to 1 hour wait) at which time you have to sign a chit and tip him before the user ID and password is handed over. It isn't the cost that concerns me since I will expense it and be reimbursed but considering the hours and the fact that I have spent a total of about 5 hours awake in my room this week I didn't feel like going through the hassle.

But rest assured, I have a lot to tell you - weird things I have eaten, sights I have seen . . . I have photos and even some video to post. It has been a long hard week but very exciting to be in a new country.

It's about 5:45 Friday evening. In maybe another hour Jorge, the General Manager here, is taking me on a 2 hour tour of a few sights in the city since I haven't really been able to do it this week. He's really a nice thoughtful person and as tired as I am, and as much as I would love to go back to the hotel and get in bed I am grateful for his time and looking forward to it.

I fly home tomorrow, landing in Atlanta about 6 pm so by 8 I will be happily covered with neglected cats!! I promise to spend time this weekend creating posts to catch you up on my adventures.