A Visit to Frida's Home
- jill
- Jan 16, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 16, 2022
23 December 2021
Got up and took the Metro to the meeting point for today's Coyoacan neighborhood walking tour before my visit to the Frida Kahlo house in the afternoon. I showed up to discover that they had only sent a Spanish speaking guide (I had booked an English speaking tour). Everyone else there spoke Spanish, but I don't know enough for the tour to make sense to me. They got on the phone and called their company who said they were sending an English speaking guide, but it would be 30-40 minutes before they would arrive.
I decided to go get some breakfast. Nearby I found a Sanborn's, which is huge in Mexico. It is a strange place--sometimes it is just a restaurant that looks a lot like a Denny's. Sometimes it also includes a department store. this one was just a Denny's-like restaurant.
I walked in and sat at the counter area (like they have at Waffle House) near the kitchen instead of at a table. Several waitresses walked past me...some had a conversation right next to me...several came and went (the bar is right next to the open kitchen)...but no one asked me if I wanted anything or if I needed a menu.
I was quickly running short of time since I needed to be back at the meeting point for my new tour guide, but I didn't know what to do.
I wasn't sure if I was supposed to say or do something to get their attention or wait to be recognized (things like this are different around the world--for example, some places I've been in South/Central America do not bring you a check unless you request it, which means you could theoretically sit there forever if you were waiting for them to just bring it to you. they don't have the quick table turn-over that we have here in the States).
I was at a loss and didn't want to be a rude American and say something wrong. There was an older, grandfatherly-type gentleman sitting a few stools down from me who was already eating. Finally, he spoke to me in Spanish. I told him I only spoke a little, so he spoke a bit of English. He asked me if I wanted to order, and I said yes. He told the waitress that I needed a menu and wanted to order. I was incredibly grateful and thanked him profusely.
While I was waiting for my food, we started speaking a bit more. He asked me where I was from, and I said the United States in Atlanta GA (you can't just say "America" there like you can in Europe because they are ALSO America. You can't even say NORTH America, because they, like Canada, are ALSO North America). he said "oh! Home of President Carter!" I laughed and said yes, impressed he knew the names of any of our presidents (other than drumpf of course, who EVERY Mexican knows), much less the one from Plains, GA.
He asked me what I thought about President Kennedy. I thought this was an odd question, but I said that I was too young to have known him, but that I respected his time in the presidency and liked him. He then told me that he used to work for the President of Mexico...his job was driving the president's wife around. While in that job, he met some of our presidents, Kennedy in particular. He was particularly taken with Jackie Kennedy. I mentioned how smart she was and he mentioned her elegance.
He then took a small book out of his pocket and showed me a picture inside of his president (Mateos, who was president in Mexico from 1958-1964) and Kennedy--both very popular presidents in their time. The book was a small profile of President Mateos in Spanish. He told me to take it. I told him I couldn't possibly take his book and he told me he had several copies. I took it gratefully.
I finished my food as quickly as I could and got ready to head back for my tour. I thanked my new friend over and over for his kindness. He took out a card and wrote his name, address and phone number on it and told me to get in touch if I ever came back to Mexico again. Amazing.
I headed back to the Metro station to meet my guide...turns out it was Javier, my guide from the CDMX walking tour! The two of us walked all over the beautiful neighborhood of Coyoacan, which was originally the base for the Spanish when they initially arrive and begin to build their "New Mexico." It is very quiet, peaceful, and very beautiful. We passed former open air churches and houses that still have openings from when they used horses.
At one point, we went into a garden that was behind huge walls in Casa de Cultura Jesus Reyes Heroles that I never would have found by myself, and there was a statue of Frida and Diego there on a bench.
He also took me through the two main squares, Jardin Centenario and Jardin Hidalgo, past the Mercado and Coyote Fountain. We ended at Casa Azul where my tour started in about a half hour.
I got in my line for the Casa Azul entrance and had to wait a little bit and a woman in line told me I reminded her of her grandmother who also had red hair (?). She also told me her son was the only kid with red hair in school and got teased mercilessly.
Once inside...wow. A beautiful oasis. I can't even begin to imagine what it would have been like to live there. She was born there, moved back in with her husband Diego, and later died there. Much like my visit to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, there was no guide through, and you can take your time going through, but you feel rushed because of the line behind you.
I then went walking around a bit in the neighborhood...watching a marimba player, having the famous tostada from the Coyoacan market...and then getting on the Metro during rush hour--now that's an experience! Literally like sardines in a can. There is a special car just for women and children during rush hour, but it is crowded too...so I pushed my way on like everyone else, lol!
Made it back to my Airbnb in one piece and spotted some Squid Game stuffed animals on the way! Went to bed early because I have to get up at 330am to make an early flight to Guadalajara!
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