The Rest of Mexico City

Photos of my walk with crazy guy of the Revolution and Independence Memorials respectively; rich people at the mall; crazy roads of the city.


So I guess it's been a while since I've updated this thing. I figured I should do it before I forget what I did. Anyway, after my strange encounter with Random Mexican Guy, I went to the Polanco mall where Leti had told me to meet her. This mall was mega-uber posh. While I waited for Leti I passed the time taking photos of rich people. When she got there I was so excited! It was so awesome to see one of my old Australia friends! She drove me all the way down to the south end of the city where she lives. I don' think I have ever seen highways like that in all my life... like out of the Flinstones stacked four high and criss-crossing every which way. It was madness. We stopped at Leti's friend Shajid's house on the way home and I got to experience some more upper class Mexican lifestyle. He lives in a gated community and has a maid and the trees in his yard are trimmed into the shapes of various animals. Then we decided we were hungry so they took me to a taco place that is supposed to be the best in Mexico. It was pretty delicious but I wouldn't say the best in Mexico. My vote for that honour still goes to the taco guy in Guzman. Next we went to a little cafe in a really pretty part of town near where Frida and Diego Rivera used to live. It was then getting pretty late so we went back to Leti's family's beautiful home for the night.

The next day Leti toured me around the city. We went to the Anthropology museum after driving around for nearly an hour trying to find parking. Then we went to the Chapultepec Castle and finally to the the Blue House where Frida and Rivera lived. That night we watched a movie at Shajid's house next to his pet duck! I decided I wanted to pet it and it bit me.

A ball court replica, a replica of a painting from Teotihuacan that anthropologists ruined trying to preserve it.

Aztec sacrificial stone, in front of the Aztec calendar

Burrial, Castillo de Chapultepec

Mural in the castle, Cinderella's coach

The tower from where los ninos heroes jumped, in front of Mexico City, Frida's studio at the Blue House

That night we were talking to Leti's parents about how I wanted to go to the pyramids at Teotihuacan the next day. Her dad decided that he would call his private driver (who coincidently also does tours) and get this guy to pick me up in the morning in his fancy SUV and drive me out to the pyramids where he would proceed to give me a private tour of the ancient city and then drive me all the way back for a grand total of $120 CAN. It was really properly awesome!!! The pyramids were breathtaking and I learned sooo much that I never would have known without dear Joaquin... and I felt totally posh out there with my private guide/driver! Joaquin took me out to this little artisan market where a guy showed me around and had me taste pulque (a traditional drink of the area that everyone drinks, kids included, even though it is alcoholic), mezcal (a tequila-like beverage complete with little worm in the bottle), and some sweet tequilas. I also saw a guy hand-weaving tablecloths and guys carving beautiful obsidian stone sculptures. It was a really great day. That night Leti, Shajid and I went to a movie at the mall (movies in Mexico are subtitled so us foreigners can still enjoy).


The next day Leti, Shajid and I went out to a little town south of Mexico City called Tepotzlan where there is this giant mountain with a little pyramid on the very top. So we decided to climb up and visit the pyramid. Around and hour or so later of climbing more or less straight up, we arrived at the top. The views were amazing and there were the funniest little animals up there (kind of a mix between a raccoon and a fox) that I never did figure out the name of. And amazingly I had cell service way up there in the middle of nowhere. They say all the skies in Mexico are Telcel skies. Telcel is the cellular company and the owner of which is the richest man in the world (or so I was told). On the way back down we bought lots of local goodies including a whole coconut and a michelada. Yes, you can buy booze and coconuts from vendors even on the side of a mountain in Mexico. Then we had some really awesome dinner at the market and some famous ice cream (you can find this stuff all over Mexico in every flavor imaginable). It was a really great day trip. That night was my last night in Mexico City so Leti got together a group of friends and we all went down to La Condeza for a night on the town. I had to leave bright and early to go catch a bus to Oaxaca so I said my goodbyes and my many thanks to Leti and her family for taking such good care of me and being so kind to have me in their home and Leti's dad called up Joaquin for me again and he drove me over to the bus station.