July 16 - Mexico City

Our first full day began with the 'Turibus,' a government run tour bus that makes a circuit around most of the major tourist attractions in the central downtown area. Unfortunately, I had left the hostel having asked for directions but not having understood the response (which was in English). So we wandered aimlessly for a while, finally asking a group of police (they seem to love to hang out in groups). Their directions, while difficult to understand, led us to the huge bronze Angel of Independence on the main east-west road, Paseo de la Reforma. We saw no sign for the bus stop but were able to find it thanks to an elderly man who described in great detail many sights in and around the city and offered to take us in his car for 500 pesos. Maybe in a few days, we said.

The Touribus was great; the entire circuit lasted a little under three hours. The seats on the roof of the double decker bus offered a view of the architectural details above the ubiquitous street level shops. I hadn't realized how European the city would look. Old architecture is everywhere here, though falling apart a bit due to the city having been built on a lake bed (and lack of upkeep, I'm sure...) Some buildings sit visibly crooked, sinking into the ground on one side. The sidewalks are also uneven as a result, making walking even more dangerous for a klutz like me, who would trip anyway. So far, no total collapses. We were also witness to a crazy protest against the government taking place near the Zocalo.

After the tour, we got off at Zona Rosa, found a bathroom at an Internet cafe, and had our first Mexican meal at a little taco joint on Hamburg street. The chicken tacos were delicious, though I felt a little sick/strange afterward. We started walking east towards the humongous Zocalo (the central town square), stopping at one of the amazing public art benches to rest. Soon after we stopped at our trusty Starbucks to use the bathroom (there are few public restrooms in Mexico, and most that exist charge a small fee). We looked inside Bellas Artes, a grand theater with fantastic interior art and famous for its 'glass curtain' which we were unable to see.

Finally arriving at the Zocalo, which very much made me feel like I was in Europe (it looks just like the central plaza in Venice), we walked around inside the massive Cathedral Metropolitana while a mass was taking place in the atrium. Exhausted, our day's journey included one last stop at a museum that turned out to be closed. We walked back to the Turibus stop next to the cathedral (you buy a full day unlimited ride pass for 100 pesos) and returned to the Zona Rosa/Roma area. On the walk to the hostel, we stopped at a dollar store to buy drinks, chocolate, and the notebook in which this journal was written. Having collapsed for several hours in bed, we missed the open hours of the Empanadas place we had planned to eat at (recommended by our host). So we decided to try Vips, more or less the Mexican version of Denny's. I had my first mole here, and it was delicious. The waitress made little effort to talk slowly, so there was some confusion about leaving the tip on Frank's credit card, but we made out alright (where by alright, I mean we paid a 20 something percent tip)