Michelle Obama departs Mexico City

First Lady Michelle Obama boarding aircraft Thursday at Mexico City (photo by Lynn Sweet)

Pool report by Lynn Sweet

MEXICO CITY–First Lady Michelle Obama wrapped up her first solo international official trip on Thursday, with wheels up from Benito Juarez International Airport at 12:01 p.m. local time, en route to San Diego, Calif.

Mrs. Obama’s motocade zipped from La Hacienda de los Morales to the airport on empty highways, arriving at 11:30 a.m. and proceeding to the Presidential Hangar.

A few minutes later, at 11:36 a.m., Mrs. Obama emerged from the terminal, accompanied by a Mexican protocol deputy, to be serenaded by a waiting group of boys and girls. She was wearing the same white pants and ivory jacket she had on during her morning roundtable with a group of a dozen Mexican youth leaders. She listened with cupped hands and clapped when the kids were done with two songs, in English and Spanish.

The songsters waving U.S. and Mexican flags were members of the Christel House choir, called the Polyphonic Chorus, a U.S. Embassy official told your pooler. The adorable children wore uniforms–blue jumpers and tan shirts for girls, blue sleeveless sweaters, blue pants and tan shirts for boys. Christel House was founded to help impoverished children.

Mrs. Obama’s departure greeters met her at the foot of the stairs to her aircraft: those identified by your pooler: U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Carlos Pascual; Ambassador Julian Ventura, Undersecretary for North America; Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Arturo Sarukhan and his wife, Veronica Valencia-Sarukhan.

She climbed the stairs alone. At the top of the stairway she paused, looked back and entered the plane.