5/4/25 los Dinamos

Uff so much drama in volunteer land this week.

Submitted my temporary visa application!!!! I think this is step 1 of what others have described as a pain in the ass and arduous process, but feels good to be moving forward.

Tattoo got delayed a week, which means Saturday was hike day. I’m a little bummed cause I was looking forward to going to Valle Marlboro, but this week was actually a tougher hike, so yay! We went to Parque Nacional Los Dinamos, a massive park that technically falls within city limits, and prominently features the Madgalena River. This is the only living river remaining in Mexico City and it alone feeds the shrinking Mexico City aquifer. And I think the wonder and joy I felt in beholding this not particularly remarkable river speaks to that fact. Los Dinamos was so named due to the power generation facilities built along the river to support the city’s growing textile production in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Though removed from the river in 2003, trailheads still start at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd dinamos. Despite being almost 6000 acres of forest, the park only has about 26 kilometers of trail. These are wide, accessible trails which allow hikers, horses and mountian bikes. We were headed to Mirador Coconetla

We began at the 2nd dinamo. This is a well developed outdoor space, so when you arrive there are facilities. And by facilities, I mean a village of outdoor restaurants, snack stands, michelada vendors, children’s toys, small rides, and cobblestone (but not the kind you’re thinking) roadways. It looks like summer camp. Maybe a slightly German one. All building are the same, they’re open air and the wood is painted a dark brown. Tables vary between picnic style and plastic round tables with a hole awaiting an absent umbrella.

We quickly crossed the river and began up. This up was a gentle constant rather than a scramble or force of will. But it was up. This is forest land, with oyamels and pines rising high in any direction. We passed trout farms, raising rainbow and brown trout and the native oro viejo, a golden trout. A quick Google search advertises these spaces as sustainable trout fisheries, but also returns papers on the complexity of these operations to the larger sustainability of the river, as they divert waterflow and increase urbanization and human traffic in the area.

Each dinamo has a parking lot, so between dinamos we’re in the woods on a dirt trail sometimes laden with pine needles, and largely quiet and alone, but at each dinamo the path shifts to embedded rocks and crowds circulated, clearing out as the path ascended again.

After the 4th dinamo, crowds were more of a constant on this lovely weekend day. Mirador Coconetla. So… Mexico hiking is a bit less developed than American, and I have struggled to figure out if barranca, cerro y mirador de Coconetla are the same place or if these are different hike destinations. Regardless, we went up a hill, ending a little over 10,000ft. The first view point has a few large boulders to gaze down from and was rather crowded.

This trail lacked the sweeping landscape and views of the others I’ve been on lately and the top of the cill was, if not a disappointment, at least not as remarkable as some other. There’s nothing in particular to let you know you’ve arrived. A bit further up the trail are a few more viewpoints, we skipped past the most accessible (aka most crowded and wound down a bit to an eastern facing section where we all stopped for a snack.

Descent was rough on the knees, but much easier on the lungs and we stopped part way down at Restaurante Ayla which is a trout farm. I also learned how little I know about trout, in that it’s unlikely I could correctly identify a trout in the wild, but I might get lucky cause it’s one of two river fish I know and catfish are pretty distinct.

The place was hopping! We barely got a table and food, as usual, came out slowly and in no particular order. In addition to a restaurant, there’s a bathroom business, apparently a fishing area, a honey vendor (which I definitely took advantage of), and an in ground trampoline. And water. So much water. Ok, not really that much water, but it did make me achingly aware of how infrequently I see natural water here.

The mini hill up and out of the restaurant had all of us being like “ufff what have we done”, but the rest of the way down was just all knees. This one didn’t feel as out of the city as others I’ve done and I’m not really sure if that has more to do with the sheer volume of people throughout, that the park immediately abuts a neighborhood, so there was never absence of city on the way out, or the carnival like atmosphere at the second dinamo entrance. But we did get to see some dudes on horses with cowboy hats.

At the end of 14km excursion, some of grabbed the most refreshing mix of soda water, lemon juice and cucumber with a salt rim. I have no idea if this beverage is good when you aren’t dirty and sweaty. And then I received my water bottle. So did Michelle. Michelle is a lovely American woman, who has spent the past few years in India. She’s now in the city for maybe a year? and we’ve run into each other on a number of hikes. She’s similarly into finding local, preferably organic, food and we’ve shared our successes and failures along the way. Anyways, apparently after some amount of hikes, Liz awards a Tornelli branded water bottle, this is her excursion company, and it was mine & Michelle’s turn to receive the water bottle. Which is about time, I have never in my life had the right amount of water bottles, fluctuating between an excessive number and none, and I find myself on the way up at the moment. And of course I tacked on another 1.25mi walking home.

I can tell I’m starting to get excited for Portland cause I’m starting to plan. I have a new favorite hikes folder in All Trails, I’ve been googling shows, and pestering folks about hot tub yachts and dance parties. And I have an eating list. Although it’s mostly strawberries from the farmer’s market. Since it’s spring, I might have to make pasta primavera.

Sunday has been mellow. Leo and I hung out in bed, of late, he’s real excited when I stretch and pounces over and then rolls into me and wildly licks either the face, my arm or my face. In an effort to build multi day endurance, we went for about a 5 mile walkabout, little shy due to a sudden downpour.

First we wandered down to Mercado de Cien, a weekly organic farmer’s market, but I was feeling aimless and did not buy anything. Wandered to the neighborhing Huerto Roma Verde, a space I don’t fully know how to describe, but has markets on the weekends, that you enter through a giant circle of empty garrafones. And there’s a tree. Today there were also brightly colored stripes of fabric. The community space also offers yoga and meditation workshops, occassional plant sales, and hosts festivals. It’s maybe a couple city blocks at most but a fun space with a lot of plant life, small fountains and sculptures, muraled buildings and tiny bridges traversing tinier cricks.

We then headed over toward Parque Mexico, really just to walk around the circle that is Avenida Amsterdam which has a beautiful center walk with big overarching trees, meditation spaces, a highly official looking sign that reads INHALA, EXHALA and adorable shops.

On the way we worked hard to hit every fountain possible for Leo, who you may recall is rather partial to a fountain. As always, he suckered a solid 15 people into pets on the way. He is, on the whole, an excellent city dog.

Mike stuff has been weird this week. I fluctuate between anger at him and anger at me. I can’t decide if I miss him, my old life, just someone? Mostly I just remain sick of feeling this way and frustrated by it. I’m trying so hard to do all the things to acknowledge, but perservere, to accept. It’s weird that we have one word for that when it’s a process with stages of its own. I guess at least acceptance is at the end of the grief cycle. But there are just so many mini acceptances along the way and as with all of this, there are pieces that feel quite within my control and others that appear to happen to me.

Tacos of the week: El Remolkito de Sirloin

With several locations across town, the Roma installation is the newest. So far it’s still at least mostly Mexican frequenting this joint and there is almost always a line.

I brought Leo when we went, and I suspect it’s the only reason we got seated quickly. They were definitely having some electrical challenges on the terraza with all the lights flickering on and off.

Staples- obviously sirloin, done on a trompo and beautifully salted. And then of course, a bevy of salsas and topping including both spicy and not spicy pineapple chunks. As just a thin slab of meat, these are not the most visaully stimulating tacos, but damn are they good!