I’ve answered some of your e-mail questions below.

1. A montage of sounds from Mexican life.

The week closes on my dispatches from Mexico City with a sense of both relief and satisfaction. Relief from the pressure to find something of interest to send back each day, and satisfaction that I, with tremendous support from Jesús López and the staff back in Washington, D.C., have put together an honest snapshot of life in Mexico City.

However, this effort may be but a single page in the volume of stories this city has to offer. Take, for example, my trip today to the Guadalupe Church. I included only one photograph of people who were on a pilgrimage from the northern part of Mexico to this sacred shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe. There were at least 100,000 others who came here this Sunday from all over Mexico. Many finished the last 100 yards on their knees, painfully showing their devotion to the church. At times there was a sea of families moving along the huge church square to attend mass, or to walk up the hill to the other chapels of Guadalupe. What is the source of such faith?

There were at least a hundred children brought for baptism, dressed in white suits and dresses, patiently waiting in a line that trailed down the street. There were also the omnipresent vendors, who filled the square with their medals and icons and created an atmosphere reminiscent of a state fair.

But the experience at the Church of Guadalupe is only one leaf on a complex branch of Mexican life. In my short week here, I felt a sense a desperation from the thousands–or is it millions–who filled the street corners and sidewalk stands, trying to earn enough to get by. At the same time I felt a strength, a will to persevere through these tough economic times. I also discovered in Mexico City a wealth of classic beauty in its buildings, museums, and music. All this rests in a fragile balance, a balance that Mexico seems to have been struggling with a bit too long.

“Mexico has had a lot of good years,” said Pedro Baram, a restaurant owner, “those days will return, you can be sure of it.” And so there exists a cautious optimism. Most of those I talked to do not blame the United States or NAFTA for their problems, they blame their own government.

Politics and economics aside, these dispatches were for me a look–albeit a shallow one–into the lives and faces of the people of Mexico City. A chance to bring some immediacy to our August magazine issue on Mexico. An attempt to use web technology to tell stories about people from a distant place on a 13” monitor.

It is late Sunday night and the city is quieting down. Earlier, fireworks could be seen rising from various parts of the city. I wonder what they celebrate? I check down on the street and notice the balloon vendor has taken the night off. It’s time to pack my bags and come home.

Richard Olsenius at his work station of audio and video gear in his Mexico City hotel room.

Jesús López, who assisted Richard Olsenius on this assignment, grabs a late evening meal.

My friend and assistant Jesús López has three suggestions. First, check out Tlaquepaque in the downtown area for lots of glasswork, cafes, art and crafts. Next try Instituto Cultural Cabanas where they have the murals of the artist Orozco. And for fun on the town try a Mexican Rodeo, a “Charreada.”

Richard, Sounds like a great idea to explore the reaches of both Mexico and the new technology... Looking forward to the dispatches (especially from the Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe). Just curious, how are you acquiring your images? Are they from a digital camera or c-41? Are you shooting Kodachrome or Fujichrome for the magazine, in addition?
Best of luck.
Paul F. Gero
Arizona Republic photographer
Gilbert, AZ

I’m using a Sony VX 1000 digital video camera and making images in the still camera mode. It’s not the best quality, but I have tremendous storage, it’s light and rugged, and I can review the images quickly, which to say the least is important when I’m trying to put together a story late in the day. I’m not sure how I feel not having these photos on film in a quality good enough to use later in print. Thanks for looking at my work.

As a former Microsoft employee (now "retired"), I did live coverage of a World Science Fiction convention in Scotland for MSN about a year ago. What a nightmare! The tools and support just were not there a year ago. It amazes me how far everything has come since then. This must be a great, learning experience for you!
Keep up the good work.
Charlie

Charlie, thanks for the note. I feel like you’re a kindred spirit. I wouldn’t call my experience in filing a daily text, audio and photographic report a nightmare, but it certainly has been a mind-altering experience. I definitely have some ideas on how I might approach this again. Also, I won’t go into the broken audio plugs, the recorder that suddenly records only static, the difficulty of trying to find a replacement cassette player here, the numerous system crashes during critical recording times, and the attempt to keep track of all the work as it piles up. But what fun, and what an opportunity to look inside a remarkable country. Thanks again.

We are visiting Guadalajara next March. The NG Mexico feature didn't mention that town–any comments, stories, and/or suggestions?

My friend and assistant Jesús López has three suggestions. First, check out Tlaquepaque in the downtown area for lots of glasswork, cafes, art and crafts. Next try Instituto Cultural Cabanas where they have the murals of the artist Orozco. And for fun on the town try a Mexican Rodeo, a “Charreada.”

Richard: I just reviewed your recent issue on Mexico. If ever I was in doubt about renewing my subscription, such doubt vanished with my reading of this wonderful issue. My wife and I consider ourselves adventurers. We drove in Mexico City last year, and if that wasn't adventure enough, we headed for Puebla via Acapulco, Puerto Angel and Oaxaca. We are very interested in ruins. They are the subject of my photography. Besides this interest, because I am Afro American, I was so very surprised to find a substantial population of descendants of African slaves in Mexico. We feel a very special kinship with Mexico. The Indians of Mexico are so intriguing, I look at the Olmecs thru their art and I am convinced that there is a relationship with Africa of some type when one looks at the broad lips and flat noses of their sculptured heads. They appear so very different from the other 'Indian' populations who are presumed to have traveled to the Americas over the bridge from Asia. I would love to know more about the Olmecs, especially when one considers how old they are! We are planning a return to Mexico to study the Olmecs. I would like to know is you or the organization will plan to have any studies or tours concerning the Olmecs. Please keep us informed and keep up your very exciting work!
Jonathan & Lois Williams

Thanks Jonathan and Lois, you both are really brave souls taking on the driving in Mexico City. It can be done, but you really must have that love of adventure and working a bit on the edge. I think your theory is interesting about the Olmecs. I know we published an article three years ago (Nov. 93), called “New light on the Olmec.” Maybe you’ve seen it, but there might be some material there to guide you in your studies. Have a great trip when you go back and thanks for checking in.

Hi Mr. Olsenius. I just want to thank you for a beautiful photographic report on Mexico. Having just returned from Mexico it was so nice for me to see pictures from some of the places I visited + viewing new images of the Mexico I didn’t have the time to explore. The problem is that once there, you don’t want to go back home to the cold north, the studies etc. Keep up your good work. On a rainy day here in Denmark - Scandinavia it makes me dream.
Sincerely, Rikke

Thanks Rikke for the compliment. It is this new ability to connect with people around the world on the internet and share stories and adventures that makes this a truly exciting medium. Hopefully your dreams will lead you to many new places. Take care!

Dear Sir, Where is your favorite place in Mexico? What is your favorite food? sincerely, Sara Miller

Where can I begin? In Mexico City it is probably San Angel, a colonial oasis in this city of 16 million. My favorite food is a tough one. Most of the meals on this assignment were grabbed on the run, or from room service bringing cold hamburgers at 1 a.m. Not a great way to eat. But true Mexican dishes like Pollo en Mole, a chicken dish with spicy sauce is a favorite. Jesús López, my guide and friend who is Mexican, has a favorite called “Asado de Puerco,” which is a very spicy pork meat dish.