Well I finally hit Mexico city at about midnight after an hour long flight delay in Miami (possibly the worst run airport in the world). Caught a taxi from the airport to hostel cathedral in the zocalo. Didn't have a clue where I was and where I was going really, just winging it. Rolled up to the front door of the hostel at 1am and it was well and truly closed but after a few hola's to security they let me in. Sneaked into my dorm and managed to make my bed in the dark! DAY 1:Woke up the next morning to the amazing sights and sounds of mexico city.......wow! My hostel overlooked the square and the beautiful cathedral. I decided as the turibus (open top bus tour service) was right outside my door, that I would jump on that for 3 hours and get a birds eye view of the city for $6! It was worth every cent as they take you around the entire city explaining the landmarks. I could not believe how beautiful the city is and ultra clean and modern in between gorgeous old historic buildings and churches. I jumped off at a shopping centre to have a look around but it was expensive so no purchases for me. I hit Starbucks to wait for the bus where the cutest Mexican boy who served me kept asking me to "say something else" because he loved my accent! Headed back into town and found one of many nice little bars in the malls in the zocalo and had my first REAL taco which surprisingly enough is nothing like the old el paso shit we get at home. It's a small round soft tortilla with pork and cheese and it was delicious! Had tacos for dinner too just to make sure they still tasted good! Purchased a camera on the way home just in case the old iPhone decided to run out of battery on the road and a rain jacket in anticipation of my trip to San cristobal.
DAY 2: Today I took off on a tour of teotihuacan ruins. Jumped on the Mexican size mini bus (leg room did not occur to the makers of this vehicle) with crew from UK, Germany, brazil and Mexico and headed first to some ruins near the university. This was also the site of the student massacre during the Olympics in (I think) 1968. We then moved on to a ranch where the funniest old Mexican man showed us how they use plants to make paper, soap.....everything basically. We then got to try an array of tequila. After number 5 there was one left with a worm in it. There were no volunteers so old mate offered it to me and said "you will have 10 years good luck if you do it". So I was keen to have that good luck and down the hatch the worm went! Yes I gagged. We then had lunch which consisted on a Mexican buffet. I ate cactus, the best guacamole and mole chicken. Mole is the sauce that looks like an after grog bog but is amazing! It's a mix of about a million ingredients including chocolate. I'm actually heading to the mole capital of Puebla tomorrow.
So we get to the ruins and it's hot as fark in the desert somewhere but wow, what a sight. We had 2 hours to have a look around and get seriously harassed by the vendors as we went. The must have souvenir this season kiddies is the jaguar noise maker. Hilarious until you've heard it for the millionth time and someone's tried to sell it to you because "it's almost free today" according to every salesman. The ruins were great but I'm of the mind set that I'm going to be over ruins pretty soon. The German couple said this site was better than chichen itza and not to bother going but definitely go to Tikal and tulum........ok then. The ride home was crazy town, peak hour traffic in Mexico city is not cool. Lane changes do not require any indication to the drivers around you apparently..........fark me! Got back to the hostel and as always there was lots of action going on including an Aztec cleansing ceremony. Had a chat with a vendor who managed to sell me a woven bracelet I didn't want but am wearing now! He was a nice kid. I found a can of jack Daniels and coke at the 'oxxo' which is a Mexican 7-11 and that concludes my last night here. To sum up Mexico city is amazing. I was anxious coming here because people and guide books tell you it's dangerous. It's not! I felt safe at every second of the day. The city surprised me with its beauty on a grand scale. Another surprise was all the bloody shoe and clothing stores and police in riot gear. Police almost out number general citizens here. They are armed to the hilt and have ninja turtle style body armour! I kid you not, there is a cop every 100meters you walk. Great place indeed and I will be back.
