Ruta del Peregrino

Yesterday I found the idea of returning to the empty apartment for the night unbearable, so I decided to follow my coworker Moises home and watch Ruta short for Ruta del Peregino (The Pilgramage Route) which is a blockbuster action epic featuring bits of architecture in northern Mexico and the religious pilgrims who walk the 100km route. The contemporary additions to the very old trail was funded by the state government who set aside a couple million dollars to hire famous architects to create pavillions, rest houses, and lookout points for the religious route. Tatiana Bilbao was asked to do the masterplan, and she also created a few of the architectural follies along the route.

Moises lives about 45 minutes away by metro, duirng most of which you're in bodily contact with at least two people at any given time. Although he lives a lot farther away from the office and the center of the city, he's paying about half of what I'm paying for rent. Like me, he has his own room, but he also shares his apartment with four other people.

Anyway, we grabbed tacos near his place and finished with some pan dulce from a very small and basic bakery down the street. "You can buy everything here!" he exclaimed. Back at his apartment, we ate our pastries with milk and watched the movie. It's compelling enough if you're an architect-at least the running time was only 70 minutes. It does actually put the monumental works into context- you hear the sounds of the route, the camera gives you a sense of the vastness and solitude of the area, you see how people use the various strutures and objects, and what thier comments are. Ai WeiWei did one of the overlooks. Two pilgrims in the documentary chatting: "A chino [asian] made this one!"
"oh, really?"
"I can tell because it's made of stone!"

Interestingly, many of the pilgrims tag the various concrete works with markers and spraypaint. Everywhere is "Familia Fuentes was here" or "Fam. Lopez." As people hike the 100km and have to carry most of their durable goods with them, this means that they're making a concerted effort to carry graffiti impliments.

I caught the a late metro back, riding mostly empty trains and passing through quiet stations before making it back to my apartment a little before midnight.