Mexico City

Greetings from Mexico City, everyone! We got here safely yesterday afternoon and after standing in line for immigration for what seemed like an eternity, we actually grabbed a taxi and made it to the city center to our Quaker hostel. First impressions are exactly what you would expect them to be (we assume): The city is HUGE, overwhelming, vibrant, intense, sometimes very noisy and chaotic, sometimes very quiet and quaint. Traffic is a NIGHTMARE.

After a yummy breakfast here at the Casa de los Amigos, we we spent the entire day today walking around. In a city this size that is no small task, as you can iamgine. Our feet are officially on fire - we must have walked close to 10 miles, if not more. Our hostel is close to the center of the city center, so we walked there, saw the National Palace and some of Diego Riveras' finest art, along with some other fine architecture and art before hitting our first tacoteria: Patrick ate tacos, I ate quaesedillas ... none of which were anything like those we knew from the States, but yummy, indeed. We then found a GIGANTIC pastry shop - make that a pastry warehouse - where we pigged out for dessert. On a sugar-and-taco-high we continued on to our first subway ride. I admit, I went in with some trepidations, but it ended up being like any other subway system in the world - only cheaper. (A ride costs merely 20 cents each.) Nothing here is airconditioned, so the crowded subway was certainly interesting. We got out at a nice southern neighborhood of the city - the same where Leon Trotsky and Frida Kahlo had their houses. We saw neither of them today on the inside, but firmly plan on returning tomorrow. The neighborhood (Coyoacan) was described as well-off, artsy, ecclectic and quaint...all of which were true. We stopped for a coffee, walked across some markets and along parks before taking the even-more-crowded subway back to the city center. We spent the evening resting and walking around some more, before sitting down to read and write. We will soon call it a day, I am sure. Tomorrow we plan to go to the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon (Teotihuacan) - we shall report more then (assuming the internet cooperates). On Sunday we are heading on to the silver capital of Taxco (west of here, in the mountains), then Puebla (southeast of here), then Oaxaca (south of here), then some Pacific beaches, and back here to Mexico City for a day before flying back home. But...tright now that is far away and hopefully we can write a bit from each of those.

Overall, we feel happy here - it is an exciting place to be, indeed! The only thing we are sad about is our lack of Spanish. It makes travelling so much more exciting to be able to have a conversation with locals - unless that is possible I feel one can never really fully experience a place. So, if and when we return, that will be a definite self-imposed prerequisite. No excuses.

But for now: Buenas noches.

Hopefully I will get a chance to upload some pictures soon... stay tuned...

Adios!