Holisss!😊
It’s hard to believe that just seven days ago, we landed in Mexico City with the team, full of excitement, questions, and a manyyyy suitcases. Since then, we’ve walked through sacred churches and ancient ruins, soldered circuit boards in a makerspace, shared ramen with friends for a birthday celebration, saw many cite dogs, and danced to David Guetta under a sky of festival lights (INSANE!!!).
🕊️ Basilica & the Cathedral
We began our journey at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a breathtaking and deeply spiritual site! Though they have beautifully modernized the basilica, it was infused with centuries of history. I feel like it offered a moment to pause, reflect, and ground ourselves before the whirlwind week ahead
Later in the week, we also visited the Metropolitan Cathedral! It was so beautiful, and it was interesting to see the architecture and how Mexico’s history intertwines with the history of the Catholic Church.
🏛️ Templo Mayor!
Walking through the Templo Mayor Museum was like stepping into a time portal buried beneath the busy streets of the city. Just steps from the Zócalo and the cathedral, these ruins reveal what once stood as the sacred center of the Mexica (Aztec) capital, Tenochtitlán.
We learned about the ingenious foundation systems and how the temple was built in layers over time, expanding as the empire grew. The temple itself was dedicated to two gods the Mexica people believed in: Huitzilopochtli, god of war and the sun, and Tlaloc, god of rain and agriculture. The duality of destruction and fertility mirrored the delicate balance of life the Mexica people engineered into their society.
⚙️ From Makers to HACEDORES
Midweek, we swapped toursiting for soldering and circuits at HACEDORES, a makerspace where we got our hands dirty building mini-mechanical turtles and soldering a heart circuit board. The energy in the room was sooo good, chaotic and fun!
🎉 Birthday & Cute Dogs!
Of course, we HAD to make sure to celebrate Eli’s birthday with delicious ramen and cake!
Here is an extra cute pic of cute dogs waiting for their owners as they shop in Walmart!
🌳 Chapultepec Bosque!
Midweek, we took a breather (literally) at Bosque de Chapultepec. But this wasn’t just a stroll through a beautiful park. As we walked past trees, lakes, and monuments, we also learned about the critical role the park plays in the city’s water system.
The bosque sits near major aquifer recharge zones, and we discussed how its conservation is tied to Mexico City’s water security. It was a beautiful reminder that green spaces aren’t just aesthetic; they’re functional.
🌾 Xochimilco & Wissy the Chinampa Dog! 🐾
One of the most unforgettable parts of the week was visiting Xochimilco, where we traveled by boat to visit a traditional chinampa run by Mr. Miguel and his family. Their plot of land still operates using an ancient agricultural technique called chapín. Oh, and they have a dog named Wissy who stole my heart (and the show). She knows her way around the entire chinampa and a cute four-legged tour guide.
Learning from Mr. Miguel reminded me that engineering isn’t always about high-tech solutions, sometimes it’s about sustaining systems that have worked for hundreds of years! Doing it with love, care, and a cute dog.
💧 Isla Urbana!
We wrapped the week with a visit to Isla Urbana, a social enterprise designing rainwater harvesting systems to bring clean water to underserved communities. Talking with their team, we saw firsthand how the water crisis is not just a technical issue, but it’s political, personal, and human-centered.
🎶 Festival!
Because we believe in balance here at iSEED, we closed out our first week at a festival where we saw Natasha Bedingfield, Sofi Tukker, Morat, and David Guetta live! It was sweaty, loud, and iconic.
I can’t wait to share upcoming adventures from Chiapas, stay tuned!
See ya soon besties!😝
