By RF Burton

So I am on a plane to Stockholm, which will be the second stop on a journey that will take me to almost 60 countries. You see, I recently got a job with a company that has offices around the world and part of my gig is to get to know them all. This is an exceptional opportunity that has its challenges, not the least of which is a lot of time away from family, yet I can’t help but believe this is one of those lifetime opportunities that you can’t pass up. I am looking forward to sharing the fun, non-business parts with you. So let’s back up to my first stop – Mexico City.

I chose to start in Mexico because it was “geographically desirable” (a.k.a reasonably close to my point of departure,) but still culturally very different from the US. I knew I could get a feel for the challenges of international operations. Upon my arrival, I was greeted by our office manager and a tour guide, Sergio Perez.

Sergio was a top-notch guide. He was worldly and fluent in both English and French. He seemed to know everything about Mexico City, though he conceded that if he didn’t know the particulars of something he could easily “make up a good story.”

Massive Organ at the Catedral Nacional

Our first stop was Zocalo or Plaza de la Constitucion at the heart of the city. The Plaza is built on top of the ancient Aztec city now under excavation. While it doesn’t look like much, you can get a glimmer of the old structures and carvings in a corner of the plaza.

I arrived on a Sunday so many popular attractions like the Palacio Nacional were closed, but we did get to tour the Catedral Nacional which actually deserves a full day of tour on its own.

The Catedral Nacional

I love cathedrals. They’re a contradiction of sorts– public and yet sacred and they all come with tons of legends. My favorite tale from this one was the story of the “poison crucifix”. Supposedly, a bishop had the habit of kissing the feet of a Jesus on the crucifix when he arrived each day. One day, an enemy of the bishop’s placed poison on the feet of the statue in and effort to off the bishop. When the bishop knelt at the feet of the statue, the statue came to life and raised his feet. While this action saved the bishop from the deadly kiss, the poison penetrated the white marble of the crucifix turning it black. Whether this account is legend or fact, I’ll leave to your personal beliefs; but either way, it’s a wonderful explanation for the statue’s unique ebony appearance.

The Palacio Nacional

While the the opportunity to tour the city was limited, the food was abundant. Unfortunately, Mexico City is too massive and confusing for me to give you precise directions to the restaurants. Add to that the fact that we needed a driver who, apparently, was formerly army and our protection, and I decided it was best to keep my head down and not ask too many questions.

Business meetings take place over meals in Mexico City and I was treated to the “best of.” The first night, we went to a Mexican fusion restaurant, Pujol, in the Polanco area, where we enjoyed an eight course tasting menu. We drank Don Julio Reposado with a tomato juice taster, so the incredible spread was more like an incredible blur. You know what they say; “One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.” That probably explains why the highlight for me was the first dish. It came in a large clay pot filled with corn husks for flavor. Inside, baby corn on sticks were served in a coffee-based sauce. I also remember liking a mushroom dish covered in mole. Luckily, my host grabbed the bill because I think it was beyond my bank account.

The next evening we had another “business meeting” at a true Mexico City establishment, Hacienda de los Morales. This is a gorgeous place that takes you directly to colonial Mexico. Built in the 16^th century, it is like stepping out of the city into a different world. Like the architecture, the food was traditional. I had pork medallions in a guacamole sauce and a local merlot, and since it is taboo to talk business at these introductory business meals, we had some good conversation as well.

Experiencing this taste of the real Mexico was quite an eye-opener. The people I met were sophisticated, intelligent and very civilized in their approach to business.

Next Stop: Stockholm, Sweden