We woke up from an afternoon nap to the sounds of street music — today, some kind of accordion. Last night, an organ grinder. At lunch today, two men set up a marimba down the street and played its cheerful tune while we shoveled pasta into our mouths.
Mexico City is full of joyful sounds that seem to bring people together. Even on trash day, we hear bells ringing as the truck comes through, signaling to neighbors that it’s time to bring out their garbage.
There are less lovely sounds too, like the repetitive voice of the junk collectors that rings through the streets multiple times a day. Or the screeching whistle of the sweet potato cart as the pressure cookers steam is released.
For the curious, here are recordings of some of the sounds we hear most frequently:
+ Junk collectors. Certainly one of the more unique sounds of this city, the sound of the junk collectors is everywhere. There’s even a New York Times article on the 10-year-old girl who’s voices carries through every street here, every day.
+ Camote (sweet potato) carts (keep the volume low!).
And, of course, there’s the sound of the thundering rain hitting our windows every day around 6pm. The high-pitched chirps of our resident hummingbirds. The crickets chirping their lullaby each night.
Love from here,
Anna + Bennett