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Dec 14 – We flew into Mexico City around noontime, quickly made it through customs, and made our way to the nearest subway station. It took us a bit to get oriented. It’s not like we ride the subway every day. The VIA busses still dazzle us a bit. This is where we met a very helpful man named Leonardo. He not only pointed us in the right direction, but proceeded to hover us like a helicopter mom onto several connecting trains. He was a professor of linguistics so he and I chatted it up through the various stations. On the home stretch, he let us know he needed a train in the opposite direction. He also proceeded to lament his woes of being robbed this morning while in a cab, how they broke his glasses, how his feet hurt, how he hated the big city and could I give him 150 pesos to get home. Regardless of the truth of his story, he and my pesos were soon parted,
Sharon and I exited the station in a grubby barrio and proceeded to walk in the direction of our hotel. I cheated a bit by using Google Maps on my phone and was glad I did when I noticed the walk would be about 3 miles. Thanks Leonardo.
We backtracked to the station, figured out a better station to disembark, and got to within a few hundred meters of our hotel. Well, it was more like about 800 meters, across a few six-lane speedways to our cement temporary home.
Dec 15 – It was a restless night. Our cement hotel is both loud and cold. There is no temperature control and for some reason there is no way to close certain windows. The subterraneanian car garage seemed to do a bustling business because we heard it- all night long.
We decided quite early to head for Mexico City’s massive and impressive Zocalo. Easy; it has its own subway station. We walked a bit through the chilly morning, looking for breakfast. Evidently we wake up earlier than most because we had to settle for breakfast at Vips, a generic cafeteria with no love. Nor do they know how to cook an egg. After we were sufficiently unimpressed, we continued walking the area while everyone else was yawning into their day.
Eventually, the area opposite the Zocalo from us started buzzing. Behind the Palacio Nacional, the streets were alive with hundreds of street vendors and thousands of buyers. We threw ourselves into the middle and went wherever the crowd took us.
As afternoon approached, we headed up to “La Zona Rosa” for less grubbiness and a bit more variety. We claimed a 2nd story patio and people-watched over cocktails. In time we scrounged up some street food then subwayed back to “the noise motel”. At one point the subway car was so packed that there was no need to hold on – just stand there. It could have also been a potential pervert’s playground. You’ll feel icky just thinking about. Well, unless you’re a… never mind.
Dec 16 – I decided that during this trip I would read “Frankenstein”. Last night our hotel provided the appropriate sound effects; scraping metal, high pitched squeals, and occasional indiscernible distant yells. Might as well read if you can’t sleep. Thankfully the room has a somewhat complete kitchen, so I whipped up some admirable breakfast tacos from our Friday night leftovers.
The Mexico City zoo is free to visit and a lovely zoo it is, nestled in a corner of Chapultepec Park. The park itself bubbles to life rather early with an assortment of vendors, followed by a steady stream of visitors. As for the zoo, it was surprisingly devoid of the public sales force, making a casual stroll through the flora and fauna quite relaxing.
We exited the zoo and park around 1pm and walked down what is normally extremely busy Reforma Avenue. Instead, all the traffic was diverted to Lord-knows-where, and gigantic boulevard became a public skate and bike area; a Mexican version of Siclovia. Oh, and there were those pesky rental scooters ? . We made our way back to our new favorite patio and repeated yesterday’s people watching along with excellent tapas and adult beverages.
While in the area, we checked out a new hotel to move to. It’s actually cheaper, nicer and doesn’t seem to possess any mad scientist sounds. Along the way back we were distracted by some tasty Oaxacan Tlayudas, available with or without crickets. Don’t judge us.
We returned to Frankenstein’s lab to plan our exit tomorrow.
Dec 17 – The night’s clamor was augmented by the Internet melting down around 8pm and the exceptional cold that crept in through the wee hours. Once we gave up on sleep, we packed and headed directly to another crowded, hands-free subway. Once to our new habitat, we caught up on our sleep and waited for our return trip to the airport. My daughter and her husband arrive tonight and will be spared the previous echo-plex hotel, complete with house of horrors sound track.
Dec 18 – Our rendezvous with Lauren and Josh last night went seamlessly. Plans took us back to the Zocalo for an inspection of Templo Mayor and a peek inside the massive cathedral; the previous, torn apart to construct the latter. The gigantic Palacio Nacional borders the entire right side of the zocalo. It has centuries of grime and soot on the outer walls, that effectively hide its ornate stonework. It looks grimy and uninteresting. But… walk inside. It’s a sprawling beauty of rich history, art, and gardens.
After a few hours of pointing and blurting “look at that” repeatedly, we walked West to the Palacio Bellas Artes and along the central Alameda park. Someone again blurted “Look at that”, which veered the group towards Mexico City’s version of China Town. Didn’t expect that one. It was all Chinese decor hanging in and above the streets for several blocks, but still the regular Mexican stuff for sale; keys, shoes, light bulbs, etc. But then we turned the corner and entered a completely different version of the “meat market”. I’ll post a separate “photo album” on this, so DON’T look at it if you think it might creep you out for life.
Dec 19 – Today was built upon a well intentioned promise. Lauren’s second daughter, my granddaughter, has a freakish obsession with Frida Kahlo. No, really. This is her last Halloween:
Freaky, right? So I told her we would go to Frida’s house/museum. That’s what we did today. Hours of it. Not the museum, but going to it. Sharon and I had gone there years before so it was supposed to be easy. Multiple subway connections and a healthy walk later and… it’s packed like the subway with lines out the door.
We settled on trinkets from a vendor in the street and walked away. Bummer.
The ensuing walk to a different subway station resulted in our first cab ride. For some reason this station only accepted a kind of “Metro card” and this bring didn’t have one. So we took a long cab ride to the Anthropological Museum, close to the zoo in Chapultepec Park. Great museum, but by the end of it we were all dragging our feet.
We crawled to a restaurant near the hotel that appeared to have dozens of dryer vents hanging from the ceiling. It was a Mexican take on Korean BBQ. Interesting evening.
Remember the “Frankenstein’s Lab” of a hotel that Sharon and I left to find this one? Yeah, I neglected to mention that the nice, new hotel likes to do construction… in the evening… between 6 and 11pm… in the room next to us. Screwed.
Dec 20 – Sharon has had enough of us and took a much needed day off. Lauren, Josh and I subwayed far north to a bus station and took a ramshackled bus to the pyramids, the big ones at Teotihuacán. Climbing ensued .
3 hours into this madness and hunger took over. Just outside the park are some stands/tents with some pretty good grub. So we trugged into El Campocino for a great lunch and Lauren and Josh’s first introduction to Pulque.
You can just ask them how it went.
We caught a well worn bus back home, met up with Sharon and had a few tequilas before venturing back out to the streets, It’s Lauren and Josh’s last night so we headed back to the Zocalo for last minute trinkets then to the far side of the Alameda for tacos. We made it back to near the hotel for a late night churro fix. Back at the hotel, we were greeted by the bliss of silence. Next door construction had been completed. We slept well in churro land.
Dec 22 – Well, it’s an early day. We all made a quick walk to the corner for coffee, packed up and headed to the airport. Lauren and Josh had an early flight and Sharon and I are starting part 2 of this little adventure.
While at the airport we bought a couple of bus tickets and I’m writing this whole thing while en route to Acapulco. Feliz Navidad.
Yeààaaaaa
I enjoyed the day-by-day details. Janine and I were told how pulque was made when we were in Mexico City in the mid 80’s. Uck! And yes it was intoxicating. Keep us updated on your travels to the towns of ‘too many people’ and so unlike previous travel adventures!
Love you both and merry Christmas. XOX 🙂
Looking good