| | |  Vallarta Living | February 2009 
Make A Wish Trips Make Wishes Come True
 Robert Brittingham - PVNN
| | For further information or to make reservations for an upcoming MAW trip, contact Roberta Valdez at (322) 293-7534. | |
A group of 36 intrepid travelers from Puerto Vallarta joined Make a Wish Mexico's Roberta Valdez and Paty Oseguera of Alegre Events & Tours to fly to Mexico City to begin a 6 day whirlwind bus tour of Taxco, Cuernavaca, Puebla-Cholula, then return to Mexico City to grant a wish for a very special young boy.
The first day we gathered together at the Mexico City airport (travelers arrived on one of two flights,) boarded our beautiful private coach and departed for Taxco, a silver-shoppers paradise. Arriving at approximately 8 pm, the "real" adventure began.
Taxco streets in the center of the town are so narrow that a coach or large truck cannot navigate, so an amazing solution has been devised - Volkswagen "Bug" taxis modified to exclude the front passenger seat for easy in & out, thereby limiting the passengers from 2-3 depending on certain girths, swarmed all over the streets. They were like busy working bees buzzing the hive with a few VW Combis acting as buses.
Our coach was parked near the outskirts of town, our luggage was off loaded into a pickup, and we were loaded 2-3 at a time into one of the VW Bugs, which quickly deposited us at our hotel. This hotel is a historic house from the eighteenth century you get a wonderful picture of the city from the many terraces.
After a quick and efficient check-in organized by Roberta Valdez, most of us returned to the "streets" to do some intro silver shopping, then to various restaurants to satisfy our hunger. Many of us found an establishment within two blocks of the hotel, which provided roof-top dining overlooking the 'zocalo' and the beautiful Santa Prisa Cathedral. The next morning we enjoyed a quick breakfast at the hotel restaurant and hit the streets to discover silver treasure and bargains.
At 3 pm, we departed the hotel for Mexico City via a short stop in Cuernavaca. On the way to Taxco the previous day we had noticed the many roadside stands featuring roses of many colors. The coach driver had been asked to stop at one of the stands as we traveled to Cuernavaca. Imagine the surprise to the vendors as a large custom coach from Mexico City stopped just past their location and some 25-30 persons rushed up to negotiate purchases.
With Valentines Day coming quickly, I was able to purchase a beautiful bouquet of tightly budded pastel pink roses for my wife Dolores - 5 dozen long stem beauties. You read correctly, 5 dozen, and I got back change from $100 pesos. How's that for a Valentines Day bouquet guys? (Note: when we left our hotel 4 days later they had just begun to open, no more than 1/2 way.) They were left for the maid to enjoy.
Entering Cuernavaca our first stop was the main Cathedral. Cuernavaca is the Capital City of the State of Morelos, Mexico. It is famous for its spring-like climate and lush vegetation year-round and is also known world-wide as "The City of Eternal Spring."
The Main Cathedral or Assumption's Franciscan Ex-Convent is an amazing architectonic complex formed by an atrium surrounded by tall "battlemented" walls. The Cathedral has been remodeled in the last 20 years and murals depicting the martyrdom of St. Felipe de Jesus were found all along both sides of the walls.
There are also some interesting original paintings which date back to the XVII century. In the same complex are found the Chapel of San Jose, The Chapel of Nuestra Se๑ora de los Dolores, the Chapel of Carmen as well as the Temple of Tercer Orden.
Also close by is the Palace of Cortes or Cuauhnahuac Regional Museum. The Palace dates back from the colonial era, built in 1533 over an Aztec Temple. It served as the summer residence of the conqueror Hernan Cortes and houses one of Mexico's finest museums.
From the Cathedral we taxied to the best gourmet Restaurant in town for dinner. This is a 5 star offering with beautifully visual gardens and lawns, with exotic birds and chattering monkeys roaming the beautiful tropical grounds of the colonial hacienda. The restaurant is known for its preparation of authentic Mexican and international dishes served on its covered and open-air terrace.
The food and service were superb! After dinner we taxied back to the Main Cathedral where our coach was waiting. Two of our travelers were fortunate (?) enough to get a rookie taxi driver who didn't know the Cathedral's location and were able to practice their knowledge of Spanish while viewing every street and alleyway in that part of town before arriving to the coach 35 minutes late. Some of the wags on the coach suggested they might qualify for a guide's license after their experience. An hour and a half later we were safely checked in to our fantastic accommodations in Mexico City.
The remainder of the trip was based in and from Mexico City. We enjoyed a fabulous dinner at El Izote, owned and operated by Patricia Quintana. She is an acclaimed chef, teacher, and author who started Mexico City's first culinary institute, penned over ten cookbooks, and continues to run the immensely popular Mexico City restaurant Izote, named for the orchid-like flower of the yucca plant.
Quintana has traveled the world as an ambassador of Mexican cuisine, and was the executive chef for the Mexican Ministry of Tourism. The six "foodies" in our party thought the dinner was "out of this world" and were especially thrilled to meet with Patricia who spent several minutes talking with all of us!
Highlights of the days based in Mexico City include: 1) The Zocalo; National Palace (Diego Rivera Murals); 2) the Museum of Anthropology; 3) the Frida Kahlo Museum; and, 4) San Angel Bazaar (major local art displays.) Highlights out of the city included: 1) the Teotihuacan pyramids; 2) Cholula (where a wonderful pageant was being enacted loudly with simulated gun-fire), and 3) Puebla.
However, the major highlight of the Mexico City stay was the Make a Wish Mexico ceremony held on Valentine's Day, Saturday 14th, at the Focolare Restaurant. A small cantina at the entrance offers relaxing after dinner aperitifs; however, immediately upon entering the main dinner/show you see the raised center stage, walls sponged in a sunny yellow, a sea of colorful basketry suspended from the rafters and a rooster that crows from his cage in a far corner of the room.
This was the venue where Ricardo Ortiz Cruz, an 11-year-old boy who is a victim of acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a very high risk illness due to his age, was granted his wishes by Roberta Valdez and Alegre Events & Tours for Make A Wish Mexico, joined by Edgar Martinez, Coordinator for Make a Wish Mexico.
Ricardo, accompliced by his mother Felipa and a cousin of his age, lives in Valle de Chalco, Mexico State and was transferred to Mexico City the previous day. This in spite of having been in the hospital for 22 days and having Chemo the day before.
The family was provided accommodations courtesy of Hotel Emporio. It was very evident that Ricardo is a brave fighter from all his smiles, focused attention, and energy displayed during the festivities.
Ricardo's wish, which was granted by Roberta Valdez/Alegre Events & Tours for Make a Wish Mexico, included a Nintendo DS, Games, transportation to Mexico City, all their meals, special dinner/show and funds to go see a film at a movie theater and a special gift from all the group to make their lives easier in the coming days.
As we adjourned the festivities, Ricardo solemnly shook hands and thanked each one of us. There weren't many dry eyes in our crowd of travelers. I'm certain that this was one of the great days of his life and will give him hope and strength to continue fighting this illness.
Thank you, Roberta Valdez and Paty Oseguera of Alegre Events & Tours, Delia Gonzales and Edgar Martinez from Make a Wish Mexico office, Hotel Emporio, Focolare Restaurant, and fellow travelers. We're all better as a result of this event and will remember and treasure it for many years to come.
For information about upcoming trips from Puerto Vallarta to exciting destinations throughout the Republic of Mexico provided by Alegre Events & Tours to benefit Make A Wish, click HERE, or contact Roberta Valdez at (322) 293-7534, 293-7369 or robertamakeawish(at)aol.com.
 Make-a-Wish is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Donations are used to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses, and are tax deductible in the USA and Mexico. If you would like to volunteer, make a donation, refer an eligible child or adopt a wish, please call (322) 222-9112 or 01 800 DESEOS 1 (337-3671) or visit MakeAWishMexico.org.mx |
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