One show down....3 to go (Parte A)

Note: I have done so much in the past couple of weeks that I need to split this update into 2 parts. This is the first.)

So I made it through the Opening Ceremony of the PanAmericans here in Guadalajara. Not sure if anyone managed to catch any footage of the show itself, but just in case you didn't....

Some footage of my favourite part

It is relatively ironic because I thought the Nortec bit with the tubes was really lame in rehearsal. But the night of the show it was amazing. Gotta love a good audience participation moment. Here are a few more photos from the show itself:

Opening Segment el corazón de México

Nortec Pyro Moment
More Nortec
Team USA Arrives
Pyro exterior
More Pyro (best pyro show ever!)
Flying Bits
Juanes sings Es Tiempo de Cambiar (It's Time to Change)
Me in my horrible show uniform
All our boys under the stage

Then in about 20 hours or so, it was all gone and ready for the Football. Here is a photo from the load out. Gotta love a forklift full of crew:

I did manage to make it to Mexico City for a couple of days. One of the guys we work with, Ian, lives there so he brought myself and Adam Lenderyou along for on a lovely road trip. Ironically I ended up doing most of the driving (both Adam and Ian were a bit too sleepy to drive), but it was a good way to see the country side of Mexico.
We spent an afternoon with Ian and his brother Bryan at Teotihuacan (pronounced Te o tee wha caan). These are some ancient Mayan ruins including 2 pyramids El Sol (the sun) and La Luna (the moon). They were spectacular. We probably should have got a guide as the boys kept telling us they were built by aliens, but it did become quite the joke in the end...and a bit eerie as you will see from one of the photos later on. You can't climb to the top of La Luna, but we did climb El Sol (233 ft/71 m high!). Was glad I made it to the top. Here are the photos:

The UNESCO sign on arrival
Ian, Adam and I
The boys in their pano album cover at the base of La Luna
Me and the boys at the midway point of La Luna
Me and Adam on La Luna (he was the chosen one we decided - check out the creepy glowing orb! Aliens really are there I guess.)
El Sol - all 233 ft/71 m of it
All 4 of us on the top of El Sol
Me on the descent of El Sol

We spent a bit of time just hanging around in the City since Adam and I were staying in the centre of town. We saw some amazing bits of architecture and the like.

Our hotel
There are homes like this everywhere

City bike rental
The Metro in Mexico City
Catedral Metropolitana (built over a temple - Spanish Catholic converters!)
A model of Templo Mejor that it is built over
Zócalo (the city centre square)
My Breakfast (Divorced Eggs!)
Awwww....how cheap the Corona is here!
El Ángel de la Independencia
A Beautiful Mosaic tiled building in the city

We also spent some time at a Basilica near Ian and Bryan's house called La Basilica de los Remedios. Obviously there are basilicas and cathedrals everywhere thanks to the Spanish. But they are pretty impressive.

The Basilica itself
Entertainment at the Basilica
A courtyard area
An offer plate that says they don't accept bills!

Interior of the Basilica

The Basilica also had a little street with market stalls and the like. We stopped and contemplated (but DIDN'T) eating crickets. We did manage to get ourselves some Gomichelas which are drinks made with Corona, flavoured syrup, chili and filled with different gummy candies or jelly babies. Really yummy!

Ian and I with our Gomichelas
A bowl of chili flavoured crickets for eating

So that is about all I can write about for now. I did hit a couple more interesting places in the last week (including a short break to the beach), but I figured no one would read an extremely long update.
More to come in another day or so. I am still uploading the photos..
Sxo