Mexico at last…

My flight from LAX to DF was only half full which was a blessing. I ended up in an exit row with 3 seats to myself. Originally I’d been in a different exit row (there were two rows together on this model for some reason) with a very nice couple from SF who were visiting her father in DF. I have their email and such and will keep in contact – they gave me their local number and said if I got in any trouble I should give them a call – her father is an important person apparently. I doubt I’ll need that number, but grateful I have it. We talked a bit and it turns out they were interested in bicycles, so I gave them a card on my folding bike. All good.
In any case, I got in around 4pm and had no trouble getting in, though after immigration I got to customs, pressed a button which randomly decides who gets searched and I drew the short straw. A very pleasant woman when through my luggage and found…nothing of course. I live a very different lifestyle these days. She did eyeball my prescriptions, but they were all in order so in I went.
Get a porter at the airport. He showed me to the ATMs, the first didn’t take my card – not on the same networks, but the 2nd did. Then he took me to the authorized taxi stand and got me a minivan. The fare was about $252 pesos or definitely under $15.
I’d expected that the traffic on a Friday afternoon would be terrible, Bangkok terrible, but it wasn’t. It was actually pretty easy as far as I could tell. I’d hate to be driving in it, but my driver was good and we made excellent speed to Casa Gonzalez.
He let me out in front of the hotel, though there’s no way to tell it’s the front. Basically it’s just a big metal door, blue I think, for letting cars in if necessary. I rang the bell and nice young woman came to the door and let me in. She asked my name and seemed to know I was expected. Check-in was very easy, I just filled out a card, then I was shown to my room.
I walked through the inner courtyard from the office to my room and it looked pretty much like what I’d expected from the pictures on TripAdvisor:
Casa Gonzalez images on Trip Adivsor
It’s really quite lovely in a homey, well used sort of way. I don’t mean to imply that it’s rundown, just clearly used for generations. I like it.
My room is quite nice, especially for the price. I’ve got two single beds, both firm and comfy. I recall one of the reviewers on Trip Advisor complained they were hard. I suspect they like very soft, back-killing, beds. I do not, these are fine.
The bathroom is small, just the pot and shower, but the tile is a lovely blue and white design – not quite Moorish, but headed in that direction. I’ve yet to achieve agua caliente (hot water), but I guess I can live with cold showers. I may have to ask about that though.
The rest of the is good. The floor is wooden, the furniture old but serviceable and there’s even some art on the walls that isn’t tacky. I’m on the exterior, across of the British Embassy, and on Rio Sena itself so I’ve some traffic and pedestrian noises, but it’s perfectly okay with me. I feel connected this way instead of in some sterile, could be anywhere, sort of room.
Once I checked in unpacked a bit and had a cold shower. Then I went to the desk and used the internet for a bit to catch up on email and find directions.
Then I headed out to look around. There is public art everywhere. A block from the hotel is a tiny square with a cubist sort of sculpture of man. It may not be cubist but that’s what comes to mind.

The shoes on the telephone line aren’t part of the sculpture. Those things seem to be everywhere in the world. If there are phone lines and shoes, someone has tossed a pair up there.
I saw lots of street vendors selling tacos and such. In the area where I headed a rock band was playing underneath the highway overpass and lots of folks, mostly young, were having a grand old time.
On my way back I found the local grocery store and picked up some crackers and more water. I could have gotten more, but was too tired to worry about things like that. It turns out Walmart owns part of the store. I found that out when I looked at the receipt later. Still it’s really a little grocery store. From my reading those are actually a fairly new phenomenon in DF, but apparently a welcome one for many Chilangos.
Then I went to bed and slept for quite some time, waking up after 10am the next morning. I’m afraid I just couldn’t get up after 24 hours of travel with very little rest at airports or on planes. It’s my vacation so I’m not going to fault myself.
When I woke up and got my blood circulating I decided I’d take a walk in the opposite direction from yesterday. I walked to the Roma Norte section of town meaning I passed through Zona Rosa on the way there.
The day was cool and a light sweater-like long sleeve shirt was perfect. In fact I saw many folks wearing almost exactly the same thing in almost exactly the same style. By complete accident I blend in it seems.
The neighborhood is a very nice one and I’ll have more on that in a bit. I didn’t want to stay out long, mostly I’d gone out to look for the meeting, have a bite to eat, and get some coffee. The place I chose for the food and drink was a quaint little café called Café ½ Luna. The half was, in fact, spelled out as ½.
I had an excellent café moka which has cinnamon in it here and is strong and delicious as well as a club sandwich which only vaguely resembles one back home. It’s a grilled affair with lots of meat and cheese as well as sprouts and tomato. The salad was sort of pea salad affair that was mostly dressing, but much better than it looked. In addition I was asked if I wanted some peppers and was given a bowl of chilies in a vinegary dressing, like Italian pickled veggies, and I loved that – hot, but not too hot – a perfect accompaniment.
Then it was back to the hotel to put my bike together for the tomorrows ride on Paseo de la Reforma which promises to be closed in the morning from bikers from the Alameda Central to Bosque Chapultepec. That’s plenty of distance to do some riding and siteseeing. I can’t wait.
Here I am in the hotel courtyard with my assembled bike.

And, while we are at it, here’s the bike in my room…

The bathroom has the same tile BTW.
It took a little while to assemble and I did have a bad moment or two when I couldn’t get the Dual Drive rear hub to work. I took a few deep breaths and tried again – perfect. Then it was out for a quick test ride around the block a few times. The bike works fine.
There are even some bike paths around…

There are other bikers around and mostly they are folks using them for commuting it appears. That is great because it means drivers will be used to seeing us and will probably try to avoid us if possible…maybe.
After that I did some online stuff – I had to update the website and such, so I was busy for a while at the internet booth in the office. Then it struck me, they should have wifi in the rooms. I asked the woman at the desk, a different one from yesterday, but quite friendly and helpful. She said they did and it was about $5 USD a day. That seemed expensive to me given how long I’ll here (though really it’s not that bad compared to US hotels where it’s not gratis). She must have seen the look on my face because she asked how long I was staying. When I said 17 days she said the wifi would be free.
She told me to go get my computer and try to login. I couldn’t but she said I needed to reboot. Once I did that it came up right away and now I have wifi in my room!
Having solved that problem I went out again and headed to someplace I’d been already that day, but I took a bit of a different route.
I’ve mentioned there is public art almost everywhere – lots of sculpture. While walking along Reforma, I took a few pictures and even asked a young couple photographing each other if they could take one of me.

And here I am…

As you can see, even the benches are art in this neighborhood! This is a great city. Really.
Then I came across Plaza Rio de Janerio that has a statue of David in the fountain. This was a great little square that looks like it was in the center of a very expensive section of town at one time. There were lovers, young and not so young, sitting together cuddling on the benches, children running around, a group filming something – I think they were students, and much, much more. There was a real vitality to the scene.

I sat to rest for a while and just took it in. After a while a vendor with a shopping cart full of steaming hot cauldrons appeared and she set up shop with her young child and big pink umbrella.

It turns out she was selling corn, both on the cob and boiled in Styrofoam cups. I just had to have some so I went over to see what was what.
You could get corn on the cob, a huge cob at that, as it was, or slathered in butter, dipped in cheese, and sprinkled with chili. That’s how I got mine and boy was it good.

The other way seemed good too. One of her cauldrons had corn that had been cut from the cob merrily boiling away. She would take a ladle and spoon about a half a cupful in the container, sprinkle with chili, add what I think was a splash of oil or perhaps melted butter, then add the juice of a fresh lime and finish with a little salt. Then she added another ladle of corn and garnish the same way. A smiling young couple ordered one of each and I got to watch the preparations before I ordered. As you can see, I got the corn on the cob with all the fixings. It was $10 pesons or about 80 cents I think. I was there around 6pm and I expect she’ll be back. If you go there, give it a try – you won’t be disappointed.
It was dark by now and I took of through streets that had really come to life. Earlier in the day the streets were by no means empty, but now the younger crowd came out. Every block or two I could hear a band playing and a crowd of youths would be outside acting cool. I used to fit right in – now, of course, I’m 50 and sober. But I really enjoyed watching their enthusiasm.
I made it back to the hotel walking through Zona Rosa which had gotten quite full of revelers, many of them gay and openly together. That pleased me given that I’m sure their status in this culture can’t be all that great. There were lots of other folks around too, including families out for a stroll and no one bothered anybody.
I stopped at a 7-11’ish sort of place for a bottle of soda and a bag of chips and learned that it is very wise to break up your money and carry small stuff – $1, $5, and $10 peso coins and $50 bills. The counterman wasn’t happy with the $200 peso bill I presented, but it was all I had on me – the ATM had given them to me. I’d recommend breaking that stuff up. It’s easier to use.
Then I was home. I wrote this out once as email, only to have it all evaporate. I’ve written it again in Word and added the images. I do hope I don’t lose this. ?
That’s it for now. But when I write again I’ll talk about riding on the closed Paseo de la Reforma – great fun, but after 2.5 hours I’m out of breath from the altitude and cold. 🙂
Aloha!