Where, What and When: My Last Three Weeks in Mexico

I haven’t posted much in the last three weeks and I’m sorry.  Some of you may be wondering about that. It began with our Looking for Diego Rivera Art History Tour in Mexico City three weeks ago.

The day we were set to gather for our first dinner together to launch our program, Suzie and Lydia were in a taxi crash.  Suzie has been in a coma ever since.  This has been an extraordinary difficult time for Suzie’s family, as we have reconstructed the accident and follow-up care. In the melee of getting her moved from a small, suburban clinic to a major Mexico City medical center that could handle her head injury, I lost my journal where I recorded every detail of her first clinic stay.

The journal also held my notes about the great Mexican muralists Rivera, Orozco and  Siquieros, and the comprehensive Maya art exhibit at the Palacio Nacional.

Then, as soon as I got back to Oaxaca, our weeklong Women’s Creative Writing and Yoga Retreat started. I have always participated in this program in addition to doing the administrative and logistical support. So, I was detoured from writing the blog, but plunged in to write about Suzie and my experience trying to help her get the care she deserved but didn’t get. It was a wonderful retreat and I produced several personal essays that I intend to publish. Add to this a deadline to close on a home mortgage, and I was covered up in details.

The day this retreat ended, a weaving workshop began.  It has just ended, and I feel that now I have breathing space to take a look at the photos, tell you about the extraordinary murals we saw in public spaces, the Mayan art and civilization exhibit at the Palacio Nacional, and delicious food we discovered in elegant restaurants and humble markets.

Suzie was evacuated to Georgetown Hospital. She opened her eyes briefly and we are hopeful. Yet, she remains in a coma. Her family has moved her to long-term care where she can get constant medical attention. When she improves, the next step will be to begin rehabilitation. We all send prayers for that day to come very soon.

Again, I remind all international travelers to please purchase health and accident insurance that includes medical emergency evacuation.  Accidents happen and none of us is immune.