Farewell

This morning I took part in a small but moving ceremony to commemorate Jo Cox, the MP who was senselessly murdered last week and whose 42nd birthday it would have been today. There were about 40 of us gathered in the garden of the British Embassy. There were similar events in Trafalgar Square, Batley and Spen (her constituency), New York, Nairobi, Beirut and many other cities around the world. I read a poem. It was good to do.

Puebla

Puebla may have a population of over 3 million but it feels a lot smaller. Nice cathedral, lovely squares, but the two most striking things about the city are the colour of its houses and the gorgeous tiles everywhere. We bought a boxful, though it was tempting to get crates of the stuff. And why not paint our house in Chichester pink while we're about it? Works here, but in overcast England, perhaps not.  

Round the Volcanos

This morning we drove south-east from Mexico City, taking a circuitous route around the two volcanoes, Iztaccihuatl and Popcatapetl, both over 5,000m, and descending to Puebla via Cholula. Cholula is the site of an enormous Mesoamerican pryamid which gives Giza a run for its money. Much of it now looks like a hill, but bits have been restored and there's a tunnel which goes deep inside. When the Spanish came in the 16th Century they massacred a lot of people and plonked a church on top of it.
Our hotel in the centre of Puebla is one of the nicest we've stayed in in Mexico.  

Alfa 91.3

It would be fair to say that the in-car soundtrack of our time here has been Toño Esquinca's show on Alfa 91.3.  Donde Todo Nace!  So here are 15 songs that Alyssa has picked out which will always remind me of Mexico, even if none of them are Mexican. 

1. Stitches by Shawn Mendes
2. Hello, by Adele
3. Shit Up & Dance With Me, by Walk The Moon
4. Hotline Bling, by Drake
5. Stressed Out, by Twenty One Pilots
6. Cake by the Ocean, by ONCE
7. Can't Stop the Feeling, by Justin Timberlake
8. 7 Years, by Lukus Graham
9. Photograph, by Ed Sheeran
10. Fast Car, by James Blue
11. Adventures of a Lifetime, by Coldplay
12. Love Me Like You Do, by Ellie Golding
13. Geronimo, by Sheppard
14. Don't Let Me Down, by Chainsmokers
15. Sorry, by Justin Timberlake

Sizzling Hermosillo

Today I find myself in Hermosillo, state capital of Sonora in the north-west of Mexico, 200 miles from the US border. It's in the middle of nowhere, arid and incredibly hot. Yesterday was a jaw-dropping 46C. Today, a mere 42C but still, I think, the highest temperature I've experienced anywhere in the world. I'm here to sign an MoU with their Minister of Culture, as part of a broader series of events which include trade and education. The formality of the occasion means I have to wear a suit and tie but thankfully it's very dry heat and amazingly I hardly break sweat.    

Rio 2

A day walking the steep streets of Santa Teresa including the beautifully tiled Escadario Selaron; a cable car ride to the top of Sugar Loaf mountain; a make-believe game of footie on the beach. 
Yet somehow we're a bit disappointed. It's overcast, the streets are fairly quiet, and there's a cordoned off area of the beach where a body had been found. 
I mean, we weren't expecting Carnival and we didn't do the nightlife, but somehow, especially with the OIympics just round the corner, we were thinking it was going to be full of joie-de-vivre. Maybe our expectations were just way too high - I mean Rio! - or maybe the financial stresses of preparing for the Olympics is stressing everyone out. 

The Boys From Brazil

View from Christ the Redeemer

To be in Sao Paulo on a Weds & Thurs, well, who wouldn't grab the opportunity to hop over to Rio de Janeiro for the weekend?  So I did, joined by my good friend Bats. 
What a fabulous setting: the bay, the hills, the beach. We stayed at the southern end of the Copacabana, near Ipanema, and ate in the cafe where the 'The Girl From...' was written. Then took a taxi to the statue of Christ the Redeemer which was shrouded in cloud for most of the time, but at a viewing point a bit lower down had fantastic views. Can't believe I'm here.